late evening. Time for people to come home and relax after the day.
Lennok had been out with someone this evening for the first time in quite a while.
“…I don’t think it fits.”
Lennok, who was sitting in the passenger seat of the car, awkwardly adjusted the hard mask against his face.
It wasn’t that he was only doing good things to the extent that he could walk around with his bare face proudly, but he hadn’t been able to hide his identity comfortably by changing his face with disguise magic.
It was the first time I went outside wearing a mask that completely covered the top of my face.
Even a neat black and white suit to match the dress code.
I’ve always enjoyed wearing shirts or coats, but it was the first time I’d come out with such tight fitting outfits, so my movements were awkward.
Jenny, who was sitting next to her, whispered softly.
“Be patient because you have to get used to it. I also brought an old dress from the warehouse, so it’s tight around the waist.”
Jenny, casually muttering sloppy words to her partner, grabbed her hair with her free hand and tucked it behind her shoulder.
She was behind the wheel, wearing a black dress that matched her hair.
“Everything has come. I’d rather get off here The streets near the auction house will be too crowded.”
After getting out of Jenny’s bright red sports car, the two of them found a suitable parking space and started walking slowly.
The streets around the auction house were neatly tidied up, and the look of the nearby mansions clearly showed that they had put a lot of effort into it.
A place that doesn’t even look like a town where ordinary citizens live.
Walking down the yellow streets illuminated by the soft light of street lamps, I felt as if I was at an art gallery or concert rather than an auction house.
The clothing of those walking in the same direction as Lennok was also not very different from them.
Like people attending a social gathering rather than an auction house, they were all wearing matching dress codes and walking with their partners.
Lennok, naturally mingling with the excited chatter, whispered to Jenny.
“I thought it would be a bit free since it was called an underground auction house, but this is a bit surprising.”
“The personality of the Teina Auction House we go to is a bit like this. It’s inconvenient for me too, but if possible, matching the dress code will go unnoticed.”
Teina Auction House.
Unlike other auction houses, it is mainly aimed at auctioning and displaying famous works of art, works of art, or ancient ruins.
According to Jenny, as the size of the auction house grows, if it starts to receive sponsorship from big organizations, both good and bad, it will inevitably flow in a similar atmosphere to those organizations.
The reason why Teina Auction House has such characteristics is because the tastes of those who support the auction house are deeply entrenched.
Even being able to cover one’s face or identity was one of those tastes.
“It’s so tricky… Are other auction houses like this?”
“Most of them are probably not different from what you think… they are all here. From now on, walk with your feet.”
As soon as the three-story building with a sophisticated design that looked like an antique theater came into sight, Jenny slowed down her walking speed.
Lennok involuntarily let out an exclamation at the sight of her walking so that her dress wouldn’t budge a bit.
“You seem used to things like this.”
“When I was young, I experienced something from time to time. let’s go.”
Passing through the crowd of people, I gave the ticket to the guards guarding the entrance, and immediately a person jumped out and escorted the two inside.
“The VIPs are helping guide you straight to the top floor on the third floor. If you follow me right away…”
“Oh, we’ll go and look around some of the items on display on the first floor. I want to check things that are not in the catalog.”
“I see.”
The guide, who nodded awkwardly at Jenny’s determined words, stepped back and the two immediately turned.
“To think that the ticket to meet medicinal herbs wasn’t even listed in the catalog of the auction house… This is surprising.”
“For items that are judged to be of low value, we try to quickly determine the owner and dispose of them through closed bidding. In fact, it is to our advantage.”
“No, not that part.”
said Lennok, looking down at Jenny.
“It doesn’t make sense that the auction house treats the opportunity to meet a high-ranking life mage in person like this. Aren’t the others unaware that the talisman is something that can be met with medicine?”
“…”
“And the fact that you recognized that, Jenny…”
Wouldn’t it be impossible if she hadn’t been acquainted with Yakseon?
Jenny, who had been silent, laughed awkwardly.
“I thought I would get caught, but it was too soon. Aren’t you too quick-witted?”
“…”
“There is nothing wrong with that. I saw your face briefly a long time ago for a family matter. I don’t know if Yakseon remembers me, but that’s why I recognized that amulet.”
There was one name that came to Lennox’s mind when he heard her say it.
Kaise. Of all the tycoons who came to her tavern, there was not a single one who did not mention the name.
It must mean that the name Kaise related to her still wields a significant influence in this city.
The confirmation of that idea happened at the same time as Jenny said hello to someone in the auction house on the first floor.
An old man with a cane sitting in the corner of the auction house.
Although he was wearing a shabby suit, Jenny approached him and spoke to him softly.
“Liam.”
The old man whose name was called suddenly raised his head and looked up at her with an expression of disbelief.
“That voice… Jenny? Are you Genicia?”
“how have you been doing?”
“Oh my goodness…how are you here…”
The old man, called Liam, quickly glanced around and quickly took the two of them to a corner on the first floor.
A space that is exquisitely hidden from the eye due to the splendid stairs and lights going up to the second floor.
Lennok naturally cast soundproofing magic around him and waited for the two to talk.
“After hearing the news about Kaise, I was very worried. I heard that you are working as a broker, but looking at your face, you seem to have improved a lot.”
“Because there was no big regret in that life. We have to stick to what we have to do in the future.”
It’s awkward to see Jenny talking respectfully to someone, but Liam’s reaction is very natural.
After exchanging regards, the two went straight to the main topic.
“So what do you ask me to do? If it was your personality, you wouldn’t have come to me for no reason.”
“Because Liam knows me too well.”
Jenny laughed awkwardly and immediately opened her mouth.
“Please tell me the bid price for one of the auction items on this floor.”
Liam immediately understood her words and nodded.
“It looks like there is something you want among the items that are being held for private bidding.”
“yes. I think it will not be taken away if possible, but I want to eliminate possible variables as much as possible.”
“If it’s your request, I’ll listen. Do you want anything else?”
At Liam’s kind words, Jenny seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment, but she soon relaxed and smiled.
“…He visits me at my bar sometimes. It’s in a good corner of the 49th district.”
“You grew up knowing how to say things you don’t mean!”
Liam chuckled and looked up at Lennok.
“Take good care of Jenny. Because it is impossible for a person to always take care of himself. Like now, there are moments when we need to help each other and live.”
“…I will remember it.”
Lennox asked immediately after Liam left.
“I know he’s a trustworthy person, but isn’t it too risky to ask the auction house staff?”
“I am the owner of this building, not an employee.”
“………”
“It’s also an investor who has a certain amount of equity in this street.”
“…He must be very rich.”
The building where the auction house is now located has a hall large enough to comfortably accommodate hundreds of people.
It was not difficult to guess what the price would be, since such a large-scale stage is located in an affluent village with stable prices.
“It’s an acquaintance I’ve known for a long time, but after leasing the building to an auctioneer, he said his hobby was to go out on the first floor and watch people. They say they are close friends with the staff, so they’ll get you the private bid price right away.”
“I didn’t know you could have connections to an auction house like this.”
“Well… that was the only asset I had when I was just starting out. So I decided not to let go of that one thing.”
“………”
It seems that the man named Kaise, who appeared in the mouths of her acquaintances, was a bigger man than Lennok thought.
Is there a need to find out more information?
Or would it be quicker to ask her directly and hear the relationship.
Although it had been a while since he had worked with Jenny, it was still difficult for Lennox to gauge the distance between the two.
He is a person who does not hesitate to act like a friend to a boy like Rayan he is seeing for the first time, but who knows how to distance himself like a ghost when the distance gets closer.
Up until now, Lennok hadn’t cared too much about her attitude, but at some point, they decided to share their secrets with each other.
This is because if Jenny cooperates with Lennok’s true purpose, such as meeting Yakseon, it is impossible to receive specific help without revealing some of Lennok’s secrets.
Whether to build a deeper relationship of trust and become a reliable colleague, or whether to remain in a thorough employer-employee relationship and focus on freelance work.
In the end, it was Lennok’s choice.
Jenny grabbed the arm of Lennok, who was lost in thought.
“There is still time before the auction on the 3rd floor starts, so let’s take a look at the items on display on the 1st floor before that.”
“According to what you said, aren’t there only worthless things left here?”
“Still, there are many things that are good enough to be displayed in the lobby of a building like this. Besides, as we’ve come to know, isn’t it strange that there are still items whose value has not been measured at the auction house?”
There was nothing wrong with that, so Lennok calmly followed Jenny around the first floor.
There were so many customers who came to the auction house with a man and a woman as partners, so the spacious hall on the first floor was constantly crowded.
It had been a long time since he had been in such a crowded place, and Lennok broke into a cold sweat.
It wasn’t easily revealed because he was wearing a mask, but Jenny seemed to have noticed that Lennok wasn’t feeling well.
“are you okay?”
“……Does not matter. keep walking.”
I ventilated the air around me with magical energy and widened the range of the shield to open up space between people, and it felt a little better.
Lennok and Jenny walked around looking at the various objects on the first floor.
True to the name of the auction house, the items handled are also diverse and colorful.
A dagger wrapped in old bandages. A golden mask. Shiny Belt.
In some cases, it contained items such as cell phones with broken screens or car keys, and in the case of paintings or statues of famous artists, it was difficult to get close to them because there were so many people.
“How does the private bidding work?”
“If you look at the bottom of the exhibited items, there will be a space to write down the number. If you write down the number assigned according to the order of entry and later submit a private bid, you can buy the item according to the auction result.”
“Um…”
It seems that the auction house thought it was an item of little value, but things that did not possess magic were rather rare here.
Even Lennok was a little annoyed by the waves emitted by different colored magical powers colliding with each other.
Lennok looked around and turned his head to the strange magic he felt nearby.
