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Chapter Start:
Auren continues to stare at Tserriednich, who is escorted by several men in black suits.
This person... I know that name. Tserriednich. Who is he again...? Someone connected to the Empire? Yes... it must be. A Prince, perhaps... no, I am sure now. Too bad my memory isn't clear. Still... as far as I recall... he's dangerous. There is something that worries me... it might be best if I...
Tserriednich, along with his bodyguards, passes Auren, Goreinu, and Neffi, not paying much attention as they walk to their limousine.
Auren's fist tightens as he continues to stare at the man.
Should I just... it should be easy enough! I am a Hunter... I might be able to get away with it....
No... there are cameras nearby. This is a hotel and not a common one, either. This is probably a place frequented by rich people. I could walk away from this meeting, tail him and then kill him, but... why? Why do I feel such a strong urge to kill him? I remember something... the Dark Continent, the journey there... he must play a role.
He'll become dangerous, I know it.
Still, despite his urge to kill him, Auren barely manages to restrain himself.
There's no reason to act recklessly and put myself at risk. I also don't want to give up the meeting.
There's time until the Dark Continent and the Kakin Empire will come into play. I can deal with him later... if I even want to.
Yet despite those thoughts, his entire body trembles. A deep, instinctive urge to eliminate the man before him continues to surge through his chest.
This reaction... there's no doubt. That guy is dangerous.
While Auren's thoughts continue to race, Tserriednich enters a black limousine with his bodyguards and quickly disappears down the road.
"What's wrong, Auren?" Neffi asks, glancing at him. "You've been staring at that guy for a while... did you know him?"
"Auren..." Goreinu says, frowning slightly. "Stop your Ren. Those gloves of yours are sharpening again—they look threatening. They also cause my fist to hurt just remembering the last time I struck something similar, namely your bracer."
What...?
Auren quickly realizes that his Aura is flaring up unconsciously. He forces himself to relax, stopping his Ren on the spot.
I need to remain calm. Why can't I remember more?! Well... there'll be more chances to figure it out. I'll think this through later.
"I'm sorry," Auren says after a pause. "I don't know what came over me."
Just as he speaks, a group of men in high-class hotel uniforms approaches them, pushing multiple trolleys.
One of them, a younger man dressed in an especially polished uniform, steps forward and bows slightly.
"Welcome. Would you happen to be Hunter Auren? We were informed you'd be attending. I see you've brought quite a few items with you. I'm sure our other guests will be delighted," he says with a smooth, professional smile.
"Yes... I appreciate the help," Auren replies. "Lead the way."
"Of course, sir," the man says, motioning toward the trolleys and the items on the ground.
Following their lead, Auren and his group are guided into a spacious hall already filled with displayed merchandise.
The young man quickly signals a few of his colleagues, who begin unpacking and arranging Auren's items immediately. They lay everything out neatly on several tables, presenting the collection in a simple yet elegant manner.
Auren also retrieves a few large folders—containing detailed records of every item from his real collection, which remains safely stored inside his home, deep within the mountain.
As Auren is only interested in Weapons, Armor, clothes, and equipment in general, everything he has brought with him is of no use to him.
With his own display fully set up, Auren finally takes a moment to look around the room.
He sees tables filled with all kinds of goods—puppets and dolls, books, paintings, fine china, glittering gemstones, coins, rare jewelry, exotic furs, ornate firearms, statues, wood carvings, trading cards, clothes, perfumes, and games.
Auren spots a vast array of items, some looking ordinary, others quite expensive.
However, Auren knows that these are not simply normal items.
With a quick use of Gyo, he notices that multiple items do contain Aura, proving that they were created by geniuses and are probably worth a generous amount of Jenny, far more than he might have guessed otherwise.
However, what confuses Auren is that these items are not organized, wildly mixed without any unity, much like his own.
A few collections focus on specific types of items, but most of them are as chaotic as the things Auren brought.
They probably want to sell theirs or trade them for what they truly want... just like me. However, I have yet to spot something that I am interested in... that doesn't look good. Of course, it could be that people actually know about me and don't display them publicly, but want to trade them with me.
Every single table is under strict supervision by staff members, with dozens positioned in the hall.
Auren also spots a few cameras discreetly positioned around in various corners, covering every possible angle.
So this place is highly secure…Makes sense, considering some of these items are probably worth a fortune. I was a little confused at first, at this flea market, but I guess this is probably the only opportunity to display so many items. Judging by the number of items, there must be at least twenty to thirty people taking part in the meeting... no, maybe more. Many people are probably not here to sell or trade, but strictly to buy.
However, Auren also notes something else.
There is a clear absence of non-staff members. In fact, Auren is not spotting anyone who doesn't work for the hotel staff. Only people in suits, some even armed, are present.
Approaching the young man from earlier, Auren asks, "I take it the initial meeting will be held somewhere else?"
"Yes indeed," the man replies smoothly. "This is a place where you and the other guests can exchange or sell items, after the initial get-together. The security will be guaranteed by us. Every single piece will be logged and accounted for."
He gestures lightly toward the tables. "Even right now, our employees are not simply placing items down. They are taking pictures and logging everything properly as well. Of course, if you have a highly prized item, like a piece valued at over one hundred million Jenny, we recommend keeping it to yourself for the time being."
He pauses briefly before continuing, still perfectly composed.
"Anyway, before people can trade, buy, or sell, there is the usual meeting. It will start in around an hour and will be held in the dining room. As far as I know, the organizers will speak, introduce new members such as yourself, and then exchange a few greetings. Most deals will also be struck directly, and items like these, offered for the public, are only the ones that are not that collectible or precious. Still, you might be able to find something rare and earn a fortune. It all depends on your knowledge and skills. We are still not done with the preparations here. If you wish, I can have someone escort you to the dining room."
"…Let's wait," Auren says after a moment. "I want to arrive exactly when the meeting starts. I don't want to arrive too early."
I want to avoid awkward talks before the event even begins.
"Of course, sir," the man replies politely, bowing his head.
With nothing better to do for now, Auren, Neffi, and Goreinu return to the various stands, browsing through the items in front of them, carefully supervised by the employees.
Do they see us as thieves?
As they take another look around, Neffi in particular begins to show visible interest in several items.
"That dress is incredible…" she mutters softly, pointing to a purple-red dress. "Those earrings, too. These gems are also beautiful. I am not that much into them, but even I can see that they are precious. Maybe Master would enjoy having one? Should I buy a few items..." She scans through the items excitedly, her eyes practically sparkling.
"It's your money," Auren says calmly. "Though I'd advise you not to waste it. These are all collector pieces. Buying them for actual use seems like a waste of money. They're not particularly useful, or even appealing in a practical sense. They're simply rare and…"
"That's a rather pessimistic outlook there, cool-looking boy," a young-sounding female voice echoes behind him, interrupting him.
Auren merely shrugs and doesn't bother turning around. "No, it isn't. This is simply reality, and it's also the most common and reasonable opinion." He continues without pause. "True collectors, however, would easily disagree with my opinion. In the same way, I would disagree if I spotted something that fit into my own collection. My friend here is neither a collector nor particularly interested in these kinds of items, which makes them overpriced and absolutely not something she should be buying. I'm just advising her to spend her money carefully."
Only then does he turn around to face the person who spoke.
To his surprise, it's just a little girl, appearing to be somewhere between twelve and fourteen years old.
Auren takes a closer look.
She is wearing a rather stunning, fluffy red and pink dress, paired with white gloves and matching white socks. Her blonde hair is styled into two long, curled twintails that rest neatly over her shoulders.
Most notably, she has two unnaturally red eyes.
He crosses his arms and stares at her. "Interested in buying a few gems for your own collection, Miss Krueger?"
"You know her?" Neffi asks, blinking in confusion. "It's just a little girl. Where did you meet her?"
"Your eyes might be deceiving you," Auren replies calmly. "I haven't met her before. But that doesn't mean I don't know about her."
The girl stiffens slightly, clearly caught off guard by his words. Any playful expression disappears as she grows serious.
"This is almost a first for me," she says. "Someone who recognizes me…" Her tone suddenly shifts, and she presses her hands together shyly. "Could it be that you're one of my fans? This is so embarrassing…."
Auren ignores her entirely and looks back at Goreinu and Neffi standing behind him. "It's almost time for the meeting. Let's go."
Auren, followed by the others, quickly passes her and walks away, heading toward the dining room where the meeting will be held.
"Hey… how mean! Don't leave me behind!" the girl yells, rushing past them and planting herself directly in front of their path, blocking them.
She stretches out a small finger and points it at Auren. "I won't let you pass until you tell me how you know my name!"
"…"
What a drag…
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