Chapter 37: Charlotte and Transfer Magic

The place that should have been the safest had turned into the most dangerous.

The biggest problem, as had been brought up countless times before, was that this place had been officially prepared under the name of the Alliance. If a member of royalty from one of the nations were to do something here, it would spark an international incident.

When I asked Riven if that was even being taken into account, he flatly told me, "She doesn’t care about something that trivial."

I hate to admit it, but if her own younger brother is saying that about his sister, then it’s information I have to trust.

Just because the enemy doesn’t care doesn’t mean we can afford not to.

Go against the Alliance’s will, and no matter how famous an adventurer you are, surviving in this city would be difficult. Reynard especially should have little experience with such politics. The enemy will ignore the rules and strike, while we have to play by them. That alone makes it feel like we’re at a disadvantage.

But is it actually an advantage? If they intend to disgrace the Alliance, then the Alliance will obviously treat them as enemies. And if we can borrow the Alliance’s strength, nothing could be more reassuring.

If there’s a problem, it’s this――

"So, which do you think it is?"

"She’s forceful, but not stupid enough to miss the correct move. Without a doubt, she’s involved."

Yes, the problem was this: what if she, as part of a national framework, had already reached an understanding with the Alliance?

That would mean we’d be walking straight into enemy territory. Ideally, we’d avoid the auction and return to our daily routine… but that wasn’t possible. We had to secure that sword. To do so, Reynard had insisted that we needed to gather information at the auction hall.

The fewer enemies and the more allies, the better. A simple truth Reynard pointed out, but it weighed heavily on us now—because on the very first day, we’d already made enemies.

In short, we had no choice. We had to attend the auction, reduce our enemies, and at the same time somehow find a way to foil the monster sister’s scheme.

It was too much all at once. But it was necessary.

That’s why today, once again, we stood in front of the auction hall.

"For now, let’s regroup with Reynard and the others before it starts and exchange opinions."

"Agreed. Probing the Alliance, preparing countermeasures—some things can only be handled on-site."

"Let’s just hope the enemy’s attack doesn’t happen today."

We exchanged glances and laughed bitterly.

By now, we were used to the gazes of the upper-class residents looking down at us. Their eyes held curiosity, but not much malice. That probably meant they weren’t deeply involved in this affair, so we could put them aside for now.

The tricky part was judging what that man who had picked a fight with us on the first day really was. Was he nothing more than a brainless fool ruled by lust, or had the monster sister already roped him in?

…Honestly, I was leaning toward the former. He hadn’t seemed capable of such scheming.

"Here, this is your catalog. You’ll be entering, correct?"

"Lady Charlotte and her companions, right? Please, go ahead inside."

On our second visit, the checks were brief and casual.

Ah, maybe they actually remembered our faces. Well, we do stand out.

Today we’d come to the auction again, but unlike yesterday, there was still plenty of time before it began. Even so, the inside was already bustling with people—naturally, all upper-class residents.

They were chatting about today’s offerings, evaluating adventurers, and speaking loudly as if they wanted everyone to overhear.

From those snatches of conversation, I gathered bits of information. Piece by piece, if you connect the fragments, you can reconstruct the whole picture. It’s like a puzzle—the only thing you need is enough pieces.

"You’re capable of making a face like that, huh."

"Eh? Was I making a weird face?"

"…No. I just apologize for having thought of you as nothing but an airhead."

Honestly, I’d have preferred silence over that kind of apology! Still, if he was re-evaluating me, I’d choose to take it positively.

More importantly, we had to investigate the interior. Reynard’s group would be handling the second floor, so we would carefully check the first. Ideally, I’d like to also look at the passageways, but since the Alliance could be connected to the enemy, we couldn’t discuss details with the guards. That meant we couldn’t afford to act suspicious either.

…Hm? Riven was staring somewhere. Did he spot something?

"Something wrong? Did you see something?"

"No, it’s just yesterday’s idiot. Forget it."

"Oh, him. Did something catch your attention?"

"Not really. I just saw him enter that passage over there."

I was curious what he was up to, but in the end, it didn’t matter much.

He seemed small-time. He couldn’t accomplish much. I wasn’t about to underestimate him and trip up, but I couldn’t see him being directly tied to the monster sister either. So he went on the low-priority list.

"Still, this hall is huge. If you include the little side rooms, there’s no way we can cover everything. What do you suggest?"

"Can’t you search for a magic-user? You can use healing magic, can’t you?"

"Ah—there are mages who can sense mana, yes. But not me."

That’s high-level stuff. Don’t expect that from a third-rate like me. The only thing worth expecting from me is cuteness.

"Hmm. So what do we do?"

"Let’s think calmly. That said, whatever we come up with, the enemy has probably already considered as well."

"Better to act with the awareness that we’re being read, huh?"

"Exactly. Being prepared is more important than being caught off guard."

"Ugh, I hate the idea of having to improvise in the moment."

And so, it was time to think.

If we assume an attack inside the auction hall, the hardest part for them would be getting us alone.

So that means the vulnerable moment would be… when someone steps away to use the restroom?

No, that’s too much of a stretch.

…Wait. What if they didn’t care about dragging others in? If they thought that way…

My knowledge of transfer magic only came from what I learned yesterday, but I did know the basics of ritual magic. When multiple people perform ritual magic, it always leaves traces. Even outsiders could easily sense something strange about it.

So there’s no need to check every little side room.

If they’re using some brand-new kind of magic that leaves no traces, then it’s over anyway. If they can overturn all our assumptions, then there’s no point in planning.

What I should focus on is predicting the transfer magic we do know about. Thinking about the unpredictable is pointless.

"Let me ask—there’s no way she’s discovered something that overturns the very foundations of magic, right?"

"…She’s human, at least in theory. She can’t ignore the laws of the world."

Hmm. In theory, huh. Riven really does have a complex about his sister, doesn’t he?

I’ll take that answer to mean it’s possible but not worth worrying about. Fine. Let’s move on.

According to what Trishel told me yesterday, transfer magic requires a ritual to be performed simultaneously at both the origin and the destination.

And in a world without telephones, the only way to synchronize is by setting a start time in advance.

So they’d have to conduct the ritual in a place where there’s no chance of interference.

"…I don’t get it!"

"Oi."

"No, seriously. Where would that be? A place where no one would interrupt them, spacious enough to set up, where we couldn’t interfere, and where they could leave traces without anyone questioning it. That place doesn’t exist!"

Inside the auction hall, I couldn’t think of a single location that fit.

Where would it even be? But it had to exist. I just couldn’t see it yet.

If we found it and disrupted the timing of the ritual, that alone would secure us victory this time.

Riven let out a long, exasperated sigh.

Ah. There it was. Can’t blame him, though.

"Where are Reynard and the others?"

Of course. In the end, that’s what it came down to. A reliable ally is the best thing you can have—and I was going to rely on them plenty.

"Ah, then we should head toward the crowded area. According to the catalog, there’s a large hall for mingling that can be used before the auction starts. They’re probably there."

So, a separate hall for socializing, apart from the auction itself. That must be where they were.

We’d completely forgotten to set a meeting spot for exchanging information and updating each other, but they should have already arrived. That was the only logical place they’d be.

The early arrivals gathered there to talk business, build connections, that sort of thing. Or so I imagined, anyway.

You’re wondering if the auction hall itself isn’t open yet? It’s still way too early. Besides, our seats were on the first floor while Reynard’s group had the second. Not exactly an ideal rendezvous point.

No way they’d risk standing out with flashy moves. They wouldn’t be inspecting the second-floor seats this early. They already understood the gravity of the situation.

"Makes sense. He’s probably using his connections to fish for information already."

"He’s a charmer, after all. A big shot in his own right."

Well then, let’s hope they’ve picked up something useful.

Something. Anything to give us a lead.