Roland's temples throbbed, his mouth twisting in anger. He didn't care anymore; he grabbed Krinhild and went upstairs.
On the other hand, Siegfried had completely blended into the environment, as if he were home.
He held a large wooden mug filled with ale, arm-in-arm with the captain of the adventurer group, laughing boisterously and telling dirty jokes, like brothers.
"Brother, where have you been making your fortune lately?"
The adventurer captain waved his hand, sighing helplessly.
"Don't mention it. Business has been really bad lately. There aren't any powerful monsters in this border region, and since the kingdom started the war, there have been fewer merchant caravans; we can't even do escort work anymore."
Siegfried patted the captain's shoulder with deep understanding.
"Times are tough for everyone. I saw a group of deserters from the capital who ran out of food and went to rob villages the other day."
The adventurer captain sighed again, complaining.
"Who says otherwise? Lately, we've only been taking on quests like finding missing people, finding lost cats, oh, and finding missing princesses. This isn't what adventurers should be doing!"
Siegfried's eyebrows jumped, a shadow falling over his heart.
"The capital is still the best. Years ago, the Rose Queen followed the example of the neighboring empire and built a sewer system. Since then, adventurers in the capital have never been unemployed; there are always monsters in the sewers waiting to be killed—it's practically a gold mine."
The adventurer captain didn't notice Siegfried's anomaly, continuing to daydream.
"If only I could encounter an ancient dragon. They're said to love collecting gold and silver treasures. Killing one would set me up for life!"
A ranger-type adventurer nearby laughed.
"Pfft, don't dream. With your C-rank adventurer status, you'd struggle against a nest of goblins, let alone a dragon."
"What?! I can't even dream?"
Just as Siegfried was about to find an excuse to leave, the adventurer captain leaned in again; the drunkard seemed to have truly taken Siegfried as a brother.
"Brother, you're dressed like a mage. Mages are really something; they're always popular and loved by women."
Siegfried was still dressed in a black robe, his hair hidden under his hood—a style typically worn by wanted criminals and mages.
"Hahaha, brother, you flatter me. I'll show you a couple of tricks today!"
Siegfried flicked a gold Moen coin; the coin spun rapidly in the air, and with a snap, Siegfried caught it in his hand. But when he opened his palm, the coin had vanished.
"Whoa!"
The surrounding adventurers gasped in unison.
"Hey, let me in! Move aside! How did you do that? Where did the coin go?"
A female adventurer, dressed rather… revealingly, squeezed her way to Siegfried's side, her eyes wide. Her figure was excellent, and the lines of her tight shorts were unforgettable.
Seeing the enthusiastic woman, Siegfried changed his target, reaching into the female adventurer's auburn curls and retrieving the coin.
In an instant, the whole place erupted!
"Huh? How did it end up here?!"
"Amazing, kid!"
"Brother, what element are you attuned to? I'm a mage too. Can you teach me? I'll pay!"
Siegfried drained his mug of ale.
Standing up, he pinched the female adventurer's buttocks.
The female adventurer yelped, covering her bottom and stepping aside, her pretty face flushed red.
Siegfried laughed boisterously, staggering upstairs amidst everyone's gaze.
This was more than just being a scoundrel; it was pure hooliganism!
Roland and the others were waiting for Siegfried in the room. The guy had been drinking for almost two hours, seemingly forgetting why he was there.
He had wanted to go downstairs and call the guy up several times, but seeing that smug, arrogant face and hearing that unrestrained laughter, his anger boiled.
He was afraid he might lose control and beat up Sir Merlin, but he didn't dare let Krinhild call him, as that might just add another drunkard to the mix.
Yang Jing sat on the bed quietly reading her Wanderer's Handbook, focusing on how to make a stylish entrance with smoke bombs.
She knew Siegfried was gathering information and would return when the time was right.
Finally, the door opened, and a drunken man, flushed and reeking of alcohol, staggered in, leaning on the doorknob.
Roland was about to curse when Siegfried slammed the door shut.
In that instant, the drunkenness on Siegfried's face vanished, replaced by a serious expression and cold eyes.
Roland was speechless, swallowing the words he'd prepared.
"There's a problem."
Siegfried stated concisely.
Yang Jing looked up, frowning silently in question.
"Xing Mei, did you send the letter?"
"Yes, I sent it yesterday when I came to the city. I used the teleportation mail service."
It was a false battle report sent to Roderick, written in Yang Jing's handwriting, stating that the battle was a success and Krinhild had been killed.
However…
"Roderick found out. He submitted a request to the Adventurer's Guild yesterday to find Krinhild."
"What?!" Roland exclaimed in disbelief.
Krinhild clutched her skirt, nervously muttering, "My brother…"
Yang Jing's report should have been firsthand information; there was no reason for Roderick to know the outcome before receiving Yang Jing's report.
Siegfried took a deep breath, looking at Yang Jing with amusement.
"It seems the second prince doesn't trust you very much."
"He doesn't trust anyone," Yang Jing replied calmly, as if this was expected.
(Tsk, really difficult to deal with.)
Siegfried felt uneasy; he felt like he was playing against another version of himself.
"Regardless, the fake death plan failed, Xing Mei is exposed, the enemy will continue to search for us. We need to be careful when going out from now on. Roland, don't bring your big sword out unless necessary."
"And you, your outfit…"
Siegfried stopped mid-sentence as Yang Jing's icy gaze fell upon him.
He involuntarily swallowed, "No, nothing. Whatever makes you happy…"
The clock on the wall pointed to five in the evening. Siegfried took the invitation from his Wanderer's Handbook and said in a low voice.
"It's about time. Let's go."
............
4 Golden Spike Street
Following the map included with the invitation, the four of them arrived at the entrance of a large, elegant mansion after many twists and turns.
This street was the wealthiest area in Constan City, filled with mansions like this one. The residents were mostly priests of the Sun God Church or wealthy merchants. The lord of this city, the Earl of Constan, also resided on this street.
An underground auction was being held openly in such a luxurious and conspicuous mansion; who was supporting it was obvious.
At the entrance, a handsome male servant in a tailcoat approached.
Siegfried froze. The servant had four ears—two behind his eyes, like a normal human, and two cat ears on his head. He also had a long, thin cat tail.
(He's a man! Damn it! Why isn't he a catgirl!)
"Gentlemen, you're here for the auction, aren't you? May I see your invitations?"
The group had changed into evening gowns and wore masks; Siegfried also had a hood.
This was the rule of the auction; since the items sold were unsavory, the identities of all participants were kept secret. No one knew who was sitting next to them, except the organizers.
"Are you a subhuman?"
Roland's low voice came from behind his mask. It was clear that even before the auction began, his mood was already souring.
"Yes, sir. If you mind my race, I can call a human servant to attend to you."
Subhumans were a race born from the interbreeding of humans and orcs. They possessed both human and orc characteristics, and not all subhumans looked human. Most looked neither fully human nor fully orc, and were ostracized and discriminated against in both human and orc societies, unlike half-elves. A handsome cat-man like this one, whose human features far outweighed his orcish ones, was extremely rare.
Subhumans lived in the Orcish Federation in the west of the Qilan continent. They were the offspring of human women captured by orcs. Their presence here meant…
"It's fine, we don't mind… Are you a slave?" Krinhild asked instead of Roland, her voice slightly strained.
"Yes, madam. I was bought from the Holy Beast Federation by my master."
The Holy Beast Federation was the Furries' self-designation.
Siegfried stepped forward and presented the invitation to the cat-man servant for verification.
"Mr. Lochier, we've been expecting you. If you don't mind, allow me to guide you."
"Thank you."
(Though I'd prefer a catgirl…)
Hearing the thanks, the cat-man was visibly startled. He quickly waved his hands.
"No, no, this is my duty. It's my honor to serve you." Suddenly, he saw Bobo behind the three, his expression turning troubled. "I'm sorry, each invitation only allows three people to enter."
Siegfried had anticipated this. He brought this dwarf scout for a reason.
Siegfried pointed at Bobo, then at the cat-man servant, smiling faintly.
"He's the same as you."
.........
The four of them followed the servant into a luxurious and bright banquet hall.
The plight of slaves was evident. One invitation allowed only three people into the auction, but Bobo came along anyway. The reason was simple: he was now a slave; he didn't count as a person.
Bobo was a slave bought by the royal family. Although slavery was abolished after the Rose Queen's ascension, years of enslavement had been ingrained in Bobo's bones. He still instinctively bowed and scraped to everyone, even soldiers of equal rank could boss him around.
Siegfried's plan relied heavily on Bobo, which is why he insisted on bringing him.
The hall was already filled with people. They were all dressed in similar evening gowns and wore masks. Some quietly ate the food provided by the organizers, while others whispered to each other, discussing their goals.
Siegfried held his Wanderer's Handbook; information on everyone in the hall flowed continuously onto the magical book.
Earls, viscounts, barons, merchants, and even priests—all sorts of people were present.
Siegfried looked at this information, a cold smile curving his lips. He had the leverage.
Then, the hall's lights dimmed. A man dressed in extravagant clothing on the second-floor platform spoke in a high-pitched voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this auction! On behalf of the organizers, I extend a warm welcome to you all!"
A round of enthusiastic applause filled the hall. Krinhild and Roland didn't clap; in their eyes, this was a celebration of beasts.
"Now, without further ado, let's introduce the first item.
Wow~ Unexpectedly exciting from the start. A Rose Knight's shield. The starting bid is one copper Moen."