Chapter 39

Upon verifying the authenticity of the genuine Payload with Andymin and Asulin, I stepped out of the room after the staff’s guidance indicated our time for appreciation had ended. A few minutes passed in silence after the door closed behind us.

In this sealed space, the air was still.

Swish—

Someone seemed to have been there all along, abruptly revealing their presence.

Like a colorless curtain suddenly pulled back, his appearance was sudden and startling. Given how abruptly he appeared, it was clear he had a purpose for being here. Yet, despite his sudden appearance, the silhouette of what appeared to be a man stood there for quite some time, even after revealing himself.

My gaze was fixed on the translucent barrier surrounding a single sword, the genuine Payload, displayed in its case at the corner of the room.

Previously, the Presence of Andymin and Asulin had made Payload restless, trying to escape from its display case with all manner of movements. However, even when a man appeared, radiating a Presence that rivaled theirs, Payload remained unmoved.

Though he revealed his Presence, he did not fully reveal himself. Observing Payload with dissatisfaction, he stroked his chin before muttering, “…It seems my satisfaction isn’t complete.”

After grumbling discontentedly to himself, he finally fully revealed his presence. The overwhelming bulk, barely hinted at by his silhouette, now filled the room with well-defined muscles that rendered his clothing insignificant. Though hesitant to approach closely, he gave off an imposing aura that could be considered dignified at a glance.

“Even if this Khalid is much stronger than those two, to show no reaction… It’s a bit of an ego bruise.”

A voice that could strip away the dignity brought by his appearance instantly transformed his expression. It was a voice that could be perceived as somewhat despicable. Still, no one would dare mock him audibly, even if they heard him introduce himself as Khalid.

It wasn’t just intimidation; it was more like a killing intent.

The man named Khalid, who exuded such a menacing aura, made it seem natural to feel overwhelmed and lose consciousness just by being near him, let alone laugh at him.

Khalid’s aura, which had been relentless since he began speaking, continued to emanate fiercely. Yet, Payload showed no reaction, remaining as still as ever.

“Tsk!”

Khalid clicked his tongue harshly, intensifying his killing intent. But even then, Payload did not react.

After a brief struggle caused by the increase in killing intent,

“Tsk.”

Khalid sighed in resignation and completely retracted his killing intent.

With the oppressive killing intent gone, the display room regained its original silence.

“Hmph. To not move even a muscle despite emitting such energy… Quite the proud one, aren’t you?”

This silence was shattered by Khalid’s disgruntled muttering.

Despite retracting his killing intent, Khalid was still deeply dissatisfied with the current situation. He had been given a mission to recover from a failed assignment, but standing there and merely glaring at Payload while emitting killing intent was far from ideal.

“Even if I accepted a demeaning task like stealing, I never thought I’d be dismissed by a sword.”

His words trailed off as he expressed his frustration, his eyes gleaming with a sinister glint, driven by a desire to alleviate some of his displeasure.

When Khalid infiltrated Shaten, he had predicted everything would go smoothly according to his will. With the power of the dark veil, he believed he could navigate through Shaten undetected. And when he saw a familiar-looking couple heading to verify the authenticity of the genuine Payload, he followed them inside, convinced that the mission would be a piece of cake.

“Why should a lump of metal have a soul and will? Let me see that very same behavior from you before I finish this theft today.”

As if speaking directly to the trapped Payload, Khalid’s expression shone with the same intensity as when he had captured his prey.

The aggressive aura that initially mixed with his killing intent was now steadily growing stronger and more intense over time.

Soon after successfully infiltrating, seeing the strange phenomenon with Payload and hearing a cold-hearted woman explain it had stirred up Khalid’s determination to complete his mission.

Payload, known even to someone like me who had no ties to swords, was a famous weapon. Unlike the legendary swords wielded by Ascalon and Karadbolg, Payload wielded immense power capable of dominating its surroundings with pale coldness.

While the strength of the previous two swords was attributed to both the weapons themselves and the deeds of their owners, Payload’s sheer force had an unsettling characteristic that fascinated the upper echelons of the assassination league.

A famous sword, yet if one couldn’t handle it properly, its power could easily lead to self-destruction.

That was why the league had focused on the potential of Payload’s power, aiming to use it as a tool for assassinations by exploiting the tendency for those who recklessly seized it to self-destruct.

They believed that utilizing this weapon in the less-known Western Continent would minimize the sacrifices needed for cultivating assassins and achieve their goals more efficiently.

The league quickly learned of the news that the genuine Payload, which had disappeared during the Succession War, had miraculously resurfaced and was now in Shaten, despite being on another continent. They dispatched Khalid, perhaps anticipating that someone might try to steal Payload before it fell into the wrong hands due to monetary pressures.

Normally, only regular personnel would be assigned to secure the weapon through legal bidding, but given the high value of Payload, there was a risk that nobles or newly rich individuals might interfere.

To prevent such interference, they chose Khalid, known for his reckless but reliable nature, to steal the sword.

Grinding his teeth,

Khalid’s mind was filled with anger directed at Payload, which showed no reaction despite the presence of two people who had entered the room earlier and caused it to emit coldness immediately.

“I’ll see if you stay quiet like this.”

Stirred by this provocation, Khalid withdrew his killing intent once more.

Although his words suggested he hadn’t given up, the stark contrast between his withdrawal of killing intent and his determined actions was evident.

In a moment, an overwhelming aura burst forth from his eyes, making it clear why he had withdrawn his killing intent.

By channeling his energy through his eyes, he found it more potent and effective.

The effect was immediate.

Crack—! Crack—!

Even a superhuman would find it impossible to damage the transparent barriers in the display room, but they were now slowly being destroyed.

Had Shaten’s staff noticed, they would have sounded an emergency alarm and sealed off the entrance. However, despite the surveillance magic, Khalid’s reckless actions went unchecked.

“The dark veil distorts perception; it’s quite handy.”

Even as he emitted a murderous aura from his eyes, Khalid marveled at how the dark veil had helped him navigate and suppress disturbances, intensifying his aura further.

“Inhale!”

Gathering his energy, Khalid’s eyes blazed with even greater intensity.

Crack—! Crack—!

The display room’s barriers crackled loudly, the cracks widening further.

If this continued, the barriers would collapse, allowing easy access to Payload.

“Stop.”

Suddenly, a restrained, solemn voice echoed in Khalid’s mind.

Freeze—

This abrupt command halted Khalid’s actions instantly.

“Old man, what’s going on? This is getting interesting. If we break the barriers, steal Payload, and hide under the dark veil, we can complete the mission.”

Despite the absence of others, Khalid spoke in a slightly softened tone, considering his usual demeanor.

But the voice ignored his protest.

“Enough. You won’t succeed that way. Follow orders and stop.”

Ignoring Khalid’s objections, the voice decisively commanded him to halt.

“Tsk.”

Regretfully, Khalid withdrew his aura completely, ending his reckless behavior.

As he did so, something unusual happened in the display room.

The barriers, which had seemed ready to crumble at the slightest touch due to Khalid’s destructive aura, returned to their original state.

“Amazing.”

Even Khalid’s voice, previously sounding somewhat sinister, now sounded normal.

“Did you stop me because of this?”

Facing the voice in his mind, Khalid asked.

“Yes. That’s why I stopped you.”

The solemn voice conveyed a sense of foreknowledge regarding the situation.

Feeling his efforts were wasted, Khalid’s expression twisted in frustration.

“If you knew this, why didn’t you stop me sooner?”

“Regardless of who bids, with that aura, it shouldn’t be difficult to take it. You can proceed with the usual method.”

Unaffected by Khalid’s frustration, the voice spoke with unwavering resolve.

“Understood. Whose order is it? One must listen.”

Khalid bowed respectfully, investing his greatest patience into addressing the solemn voice.

“There won’t be a third time. Whoever wins the bid, except for our side, will face consequences immediately upon receiving the item. Remember that.”

Satisfied, the voice informed Khalid of the plan again.

“…Understood.”

Briefly acknowledging, Khalid’s presence faded into the background of the display room.

It was as if he had never been there.

And as soon as Khalid vanished,

Creak—!

Outside, a staff member hurriedly opened the display room door, sensing something amiss. But seeing nothing out of the ordinary, they slowly closed the door again.

Thus, the display room containing the genuine Payload was enveloped in true silence.

—

Returning to the villa’s bedroom, I found Asulin pouting, her cheeks fully puffed out.

“There, in Shaten, you enjoyed it when you teased me, right?”

Preparing to calm the storm unleashed by Asulin’s name, I felt a fleeting joy as we discussed our auction price competition on the way back.