Everyone agreed that Livia's plan was both meticulous and clever—nearly flawless. Her voice remained calm, yet carried an almost imperceptible tension, as if every step had already been simulated a thousand times in her mind. Her arrangements not only misled Jim, but also ensured the safety of the Holy Grail fragment, while diverting the enemy's attention. Everyone present understood—this was the most stable and prudent move under the current circumstances.
Marcellus gave a slight nod, his expression calm as still water. His fingers silently tapped the metal railing at the edge of his hospital bed, but his eyes were sharp and focused. During those days, though confined to bed, he had hardly had a moment of true "rest." Under his coordination, the entire hospital had quietly transformed into a temporary command center. Like a general commanding from silence, he maneuvered each piece of the gameboard. Without needing to say much, he filled in the remaining tactical details the moment Livia's plan was spoken—clearly already on the same page.
Elias took a sip of his now lukewarm black coffee. The clink of the cup meeting the table rang out crisply. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone carried a hint of amusement. "That's exactly the kind of thing he'd do." He was referring to Jim. Having spent years navigating the shadows of family affairs, he was all too familiar with those "seemingly fair but rigged" auction tactics. Livia's proposal quieted his doubts, replacing them with the thrill that precedes action.
Meanwhile, in a high-rise apartment on the other side of the city, Edgar sat at a dark oak desk, a tablet spread before him. On the screen was a promotional preview for the auction of the Holy Grail fragment. His expression at first was calm—almost cold. Only the tip of his pen tapped the tabletop in an odd rhythm. Then suddenly, he laughed—not a relaxed chuckle, but a manic, long-suppressed madness cracking through the surface. A quiet, biting snicker rose from his throat, followed by short, wheezing laughter. Then he abruptly stood, striding to the window with wild laughter echoing behind him. The city lights shimmered beyond the glass. His reflection stared back at him—like a ghost swallowed by the night. In that moment, the once-composed and shrewd mayor seemed gone, replaced by a shell ravaged by the Holy Grail's corruption.
—
A few days later, the auction house in a neighboring city blazed with lights and buzzed with voices. The main hall was packed with people, and the mingled scent of perfume and cigars thickened the air. The crowd was a medley of figures: elderly aristocrats, foreign tycoons, businessmen with dragon-etched rings, and shady-looking young hunters. Each person had their purpose—but only a rare few were truly here for the Grail fragment. Most had merely been lured by the mystery or drawn in for other auctioned items.
Livia and Elias moved separately, each in disguise. Even their gaits and expressions had been altered. Livia wore an old-fashioned dark green gown, her hair pinned up, her face shaded with dusky makeup—leaving only her sharp eyes unmistakably hers. Elias slicked his hair down, donned rimless glasses and a narrow tie, presenting himself like a sleek corporate envoy. They didn't plan to disappear into the crowd—but rather to appear with just the right amount of presence to catch Jim's eye.
They moved through the bustling crowd with steady steps and composed faces, like strangers with no connection. Yet small glances and subtle hand gestures in passing conveyed all the tactics they needed.
"Let Jim see our separate identities, our separate goals. Let him believe we belong to opposing factions."
That was the plan they had solidified back in the hospital room.
Livia carried no fragment, but implied—just enough—that she was in the know.
Elias, on the other hand, subtly suggested he possessed a fragment, inherited from his late parents, and that he was here representing the family to trade information and resources.
They knew: if this truly was a trap set by Jim, then no disguise could stay hidden for long.
But they weren't aiming to conceal their identities—
They were guiding Jim into a misjudgment—making him believe two rival forces had entered the auction ring.
And so, on the eve of a seemingly calm but storm-laced auction—
The next phase of the battle had already begun.