As their introductions wrapped up, Seol spent some time alone with Somi.
"What happened?"
"I only found out recently that oppa was chosen as a helper on this matter."
"You also didn't know…?"
"Yes… I'm just a small fry. However, it's just for now. After all, the mature charm radiating from me is hard to hide."
- I guess?
- Mature charm, is that right?
- I'm not sure about mature charm, but she's definitely Han Somi.
- Han Somi tied her hair up, hahaha.
- It's been many years. Pandea is truly small~"Why are you here?"
"Shirlen? Or the Investigation Bureau?"
"Both…"
"Hmm… It's been a while since I came to Shirlen. The situation in the south was frustrating. Well, to be more precise, Nevenia."
Nevenia had become an even messier place after the ruthless prince seized the throne. Because of that, everyone was leaving—except for the Guilds rooted there.
"So what could I do? I boarded a ship and headed East. However, the atmosphere there didn't suit me… So I ended up coming straight to the North."
"I see…"
"As for the Investigation Bureau… Doing Adventures didn't suit me, so I was searching for another job and ended up coming here… and surprisingly, it fit me."
"How's the work?"
"Every day feels new. Although there’s the occasional dangerous situation, most of the time, I have nothing to do. If I look back, things have been a mess. But still, I'm alive at least…"
Seol silently watched her and then patted her head. In an era where survival was uncertain, her dignified way of living struck a strange chord in his heart.
"Oh, what's this? Is this some kind of signal?"
"Signal?"
"I don't have such feelings!"
"No, you've misunderstood something."
"They say that a strong denial is a strong affirmation!"
"What do you want…?"
"Hehe… I was just kidding."
Somi looked at the sunset from the terrace.
"Oppa, you know. I thought you were dead."
"…"
"Well, it's like this every time. You suddenly become uncontactable, and there's no news about you. Well, I guess not being able to contact is normal? Anyway! Gyeongtaek and I would worry so much it would exhaust us."
It was a time when you should be grateful for just having someone who worries about you.
"It seems your family has grown since then. I saw a young girl calling you dad… did you have an accident?"
"An accident? Hmm… It will take too long to explain."
"It must be nice having a family. The bustle is good. Anyway, what do you think about Shirlen?"
"It's okay. Although I haven't been here for long."
"Back in Korea, I used to wonder why I wasn't born in a country like Switzerland. Maybe that's why my destiny has brought me here."
"I'm glad you're doing well."
Seol asked about Jamaal and Ray, the other two who would be involved in this matter.
"Those two? They're Transferees, but they're very individualistic… Plus, Jamaal and Ray are best friends, so they stick together. I'm the odd one out."
"Is that possible?"
"Well, my partner went on leave recently. That's why, for now, Oppa is my partner."
"What are we supposed to do at the Star Graveyard?"
"We're going to be in charge of security—on paper, at least. In reality, the host will hire plenty of their own security personnel. They're also probably much stronger than me. Plus, the Investigation Bureau will send more people."
Then, was there nothing to worry about?
"I heard there will be some smuggled goods."
"Jamaal and Ray are in charge of the smuggled goods—they're going to handle it. We just need to focus on the auction proceedings. Although it's just for show."
"For show?"
"You didn't know? There's never been an incident at the Star Graveyard before. Most of the Federation's influential nobles gather there, and they each come fully prepared with their protection. Do you know how strong their escorts are?"
The auction participants were limited in the number of people they could bring. As far as he could remember, they could bring only one person each.
"If they're in their right minds, they won't cause trouble. After all, they would become enemies of many powerful people, including the leaders of various factions within the Federation."
Naturally, they would bring the strongest people they could.
"Oppa, why are you so worried?"
"Ah, yeah."
Somi pouted as she stared at Seol for a while.
"You're strong, right?"
"What are you talking about…"
"I can feel it. You've gotten much stronger, haven't you?"
Seol couldn't find the right words to answer.
Somi chuckled.
"Phew… That's a relief. Then, there shouldn't be any problems this time either."
"Why?"
Somi said while leaving the terrace.
"Who knows? Maybe it's because the oppa I know is the strongest person in the world."
* * *
The Star Graveyard.
Its exterior was a massive ruin located in the center of the city.
It was enormous, equivalent to several football stadiums combined. Such a colossal ruin wasn't open to the public because its secret had yet to be uncovered.
However, once every few years, masked nobles gathered here.
There was only one place in Shirlen that could accommodate all of them.
In the ruin filled with secrets, they held their secret event.
The ruin’s secret itself held a magic that those in power coveted.
Thus, it was inevitable that the Star Graveyard would become chaotic today.
"Your smile is quite memorable."
"Is that so…?"
"Yes, which family…"
"Isn't it taboo to ask for details about oneself?"
"Ah, my apologies. I forgot where we were for a moment. Beautiful, isn't it?" A masked woman asked a masked man.
The masked man replied, "Yes, it's beautiful."
Seol wasn't lying—he truly felt that the Star Graveyard was special and beautiful.
'So this is how it feels to see it in person.'
[The sight was like seeing the intertwining of constellations from another world.]
The script that seemed like nonsense now felt like an appropriate expression.
"Well then, I'll take my leave…"
"Ah, so you have company… See you later."
Nod…
As Seol left, a woman linked arms with him.
"Oppa!"
"Somi, your voice is too loud…"
"Ah, is that so? Who is that person?"
"I don't know."
"Is it okay talking with anyone despite not knowing who they are?"
"If I ignore them outright, they might feel bad."
"That's true… But, oppa! Don't forget! We're here as the staff of the people. That's why you should prioritize my safety more than anything!"
"Is that okay for the people's staff…?"
"What are you talking about? Oppa, you're a stick pretending to be a staff! You must protect the real staff."
"Got it, staff."
"For some reason, I don't like how that sounds."
As the stick and staff chatted with a chuckle, someone approached them.
It was Gail and Ur.
The Investigation Bureau said they could bring one escort, so Ur came along.
Ur had also come out to get some fresh air instead of playing with Tansia.
"Let's talk for a moment, the two of us."
"Understood. Ur."
"Got it. I'll keep an eye on the noisy girl."
"Ah, are you talking about me?"
Seol moved to a secluded spot with Gail.
"This is my third visit to the Star Graveyard. And every time, I'm overwhelmed by its scale."
"…"
There was one thing Seol had been thinking about since coming here.
No matter how much he thought about it, it was strange.
'The reward is too much for simple security work…'
Even if the Investigation Bureau had received funding from the Federation, they weren't well-off enough to hand over an auction item from the star graveyard.
Seol blurted out.
"What's the real job I'm supposed to do?"
"So you've figured it out…"
"Depending on your answer, I might feel displeased."
"Haha… We've indeed deceived you, but it isn't like we hid some big secret. We're going to keep our promise and pay you. We're willing to endure any loss to do so."
They were going to keep the promise.
Then, the task must have been a lie.
"There are people targeting the Star Graveyard."
"Are you sure…?"
"It's just an assumption. After all, that's how information works."
"Could you give me more details?"
"There are people bold enough to try something at a place where influential Federation nobles are gathered. Their targets are most likely the auction items or the Federation's nobles themselves."
"You aren't asking me to protect everyone here, right…"
"Of course not. That wouldn't match the reward. What we're asking you, Investigator, is to follow the trail."
"The trail?"
"The Star Graveyard's auction isn't an official event. That's why the Federation can't invest a lot of resources in it, which the nobles themselves know. Even so, if something happens, and we just watch, everyone’s anger will fall upon the Investigation Bureau."
Seol frowned.
"So the Investigation Bureau is assuming something will happen."
"You're sharp—that's right. If something happens in the Star Graveyard, there will definitely be traces. Once something happens, the Investigation Bureau won't be able to contain it unless every investigator is deployed. That's why we're asking you to find the people who will become the target of the nobles' anger after the incident happens."
"That's rotten."
"It's a survival tactic. If nothing happens, that's good. But, if something does…"
Although Gail's plan was persuasive, it was still unsettling.
"No matter how many nobles die, it isn't our fault. We just need to show them the target to unleash their anger."
"It's a plausible plan to prevent them from taking their anger on the wrong people… except for the part where you deceived me."
"Didn't you need access to the Star Graveyard? Wasn't it a good deal?"
Grin…
Seol preferred this straightforward approach. At least he didn't have to waste energy protecting people he didn't care about.
"Then… Enjoy yourself."
Gail left.
After reuniting with Ur, Seol gave him a heads-up about the situation.
"Interesting… so we must do only as much as we're paid for?"
"It seems so."
"What about the assassins? Can we just kill them?"
"It would be better to capture them, if possible… But if that's not the case, then there's no choice."
Ur smiled with a murderous glint.
"It's been a while since I've had such a stimulus."
It might be better for everyone if nothing much happened.
After all, someone was waiting for something to happen.
"Oppa! What are you doing?"
"Ah, yes."
"The auction is starting. Let's go!"
Seol headed to the auction place with Somi.
Compared to the sheer size of the place, there weren't many people.
That showed how select the individuals participating were—of course, 'few' was relative. There was still quite a large crowd.
"It seems this is the place."
"Huh…"
Nod…
The woman who had spoken to him earlier was there. She gave a slight nod, and Seol did the same.
Even after sitting down, Somi kept chattering.
"They say the North was originally a territory of the dwarves. And the Star Graveyard is a remnant of that."
"Hmm…"
"Seeing how they still haven't uncovered the secrets of this huge ruin…"
"It's starting."
"Ah! You're right!"
After a brief introduction, the auctioneer appeared.
The auctioneer gave a long-winded speech, thanking the distinguished guests and those who had contributed with treasures.
"Now, let me introduce the first treasure to our esteemed guests. An artifact excavated from the central highland ruins, with historical value—The Mask of Atra!"
Whoosh—!
The curtain covering the item disappeared, revealing what was inside.
"Here's The Mask of…?"
"KYAA!"
"Wh-What is that?!"
"What the…"
The Mask of Atra wasn't there.
Instead, a severed male head was neatly placed on the stand.
The auctioneer stammered.
"Wh-What's going…"
The surprises didn't end there.
Swoosh…
The head moved on its own and looked at the auctioneer.
"E… Eek…"
Splash—!
The head spewed a liquid.
Tss…
"AAGGHH!"
The auctioneer screamed in agony as his face burned.
As everyone jumped in shock, the severed head spoke.
"It's nice to meet you, fools. Seeing your stupid faces makes me feel good. Then… as a token of our meeting…"
As the severe head spoke, all the lights began to burst.
PAF—!
PAAFF—!
"Let me gift you a massacre."
Chaos erupted.
"KYAA!"
"Get out! We must get out of here!"
The woman next to Seol clung to him and said.
"This is dangerous… let's…"
Thud…
"Huh…?"
Seol's hand pierced the woman's chest.
Clang…
A poisoned dagger fell to the floor.
It was what the woman had been clutching while everything was dark.
"How did you…"
Thud…
Chaos spread everywhere.
Snap—!
Seol grabbed Somi's hand.
Boom…
Soon, the floor of the ruin started to split, following a pattern.
[Blood flows in the Star Graveyard.]
[The Star craves for more blood.]
A message appeared before Seol.
[Sudden Adventure 'Star Graveyard' is now active.]
[This adventure is extremely dangerous.]
…
Somi trembled with fear and stayed close to him.
"O-Oppa… what is…"
Seol's experience in hellish situations made him certain of her future.
"Don't leave my side, or you'll die."