Chapter 654: The Disposal of "Black Money"
"Hey, are you alright?" Yokko nudged Seventy-Six with his other foot, but the latter remained unresponsive.
He sighed, shifted his body, and snuggled close to her. Then, he picked up the coat that had fallen to the ground with his teeth and covered them both.
Forget about romance; they'd just have to make do for the night.
After such a tumultuous experience, he found himself surprisingly calm. Underground auction, extravagant spending, being the center of attention, a witch's night raid… In just one night, he had experienced feelings he hadn't tasted in over twenty years.
And this kind of thrilling sensation wasn't as bad as he had imagined?
Of course, if Yokko had the chance to do it all over again, he would definitely refuse.
He spent almost the entire night sleepless, vaguely managing to hold on until the people at the exhibition discovered them the next day at noon.
Soon after, Yokko was transferred to a spacious and comfortable house, where servants brought him soft bread and freshly squeezed juice. Maids even checked him all over, leaving no part of his body unexamined.
Additionally, at his request, Otto. Rossi, who had been anxiously waiting outside, was brought into the cavern.
"What exactly happened?" As soon as he saw the ambassador, Otto asked impatiently, "I heard you were injured?"
"You guys can leave now," Yokko dismissed the servants sent by "Black Money" and recounted the entire incident. "You almost got me killed! I almost lost my life. Luckily, they saw that I was kind-hearted and cared for the auctioned witch, so they didn't go for the kill. If it had been someone else, they would definitely be a cold corpse by now!"
Complaining was his specialty, honed over many years in Graycastle's royal capital. Even if he didn't get any real benefits, he could at least earn some guilt or sympathy, which might come in handy later. And looking at Otto's expression, he certainly wouldn't be indifferent.
Sure enough, the latter looked quite uneasy. "This was my oversight. I'll give you some compensation when we get back."
"What about the four thousand gold royals?"
"The witch escaped from your room, which falls under the jurisdiction of 'Black Money.' They probably won't deduct the auction fee."
"Then you've saved quite a sum?" Yokko teased. "You rescued the witch and didn't waste the Black Letter."
"Black Letters are remade for each exhibition, so it can't really be called a waste," Otto smiled wryly. "But the gold royals were indeed saved."
Yokko suddenly remembered what Seventy-Six had said in his ear.
"You only need to pay 'Black Money' five hundred gold royals."
"Sir, do you want to buy me?"
Compared to four thousand, five hundred was a less outrageous number. Perhaps he could get Otto to be generous once? Just as compensation for this scare.
Just as Yokko cleared his throat, preparing to speak, the bedroom door was pushed open, and a man wearing a silver mask walked in, accompanied by two attendants. It was clear that he was quite old, with many silver strands mixed in his dark brown hair. He wore a loose silk robe, and the jet-black dragon head emblem on his chest was particularly eye-catching.
"I am the person in charge of this exhibition. You may call me Silver Mask," he bowed slightly. "'Black Money' apologizes for your ordeal. Fortunately, you were not injured in this incident. We have already launched an investigation into the witch's escape and will notify you as soon as we have any news. The auction amount will not be deducted from the Black Letter unless we can recapture the witch and you still have a need for her at that time."
"Ahem... I understand," Yokko coughed twice. After all, he was still the one who outwardly intended to buy the witch, not Otto. Rossi, so the act had to continue. "Don't hand her over to anyone other than me. The tenth round of bidding is always valid."
"As you wish."
"By the way, I would like to ask, how did the person who attacked me get into the exhibition?"
"These thugs hijacked other visiting guests. We have already found two other victims who had their Black Letters stolen in a civilian house in the suburbs," Silver Mask replied.
"More than one person?"
"Yes, this was a premeditated action," he nodded. "We didn't expect the witch to have other accomplices, or rather, we didn't expect them to dare to launch an attack under the extensive search of the Lord of the Dawn. Did the person who coerced you leave any clues?"
"Uh... no, she fled as soon as she heard I was the Graycastle ambassador," Yokko spread his hands. "Hasn't 'Black Money' considered changing to a more reliable verification method? It shouldn't be the first time something like this has happened, where someone can enter with just an invitation letter, right?"
"You're absolutely right," laughter came from under the silver mask. "But that's also the charm of 'Black Money.' Compared to the risk, people prefer to be able to bid on their desired goods without revealing their identity. Of course, when issuing Black Letters, we carefully consider each recipient, including their level of importance and ability to safeguard the letter. Regardless of who the two people who were robbed got their Black Letters from, they will definitely not have another opportunity to receive an invitation."
"Alright," Yokko shrugged. "Then how exactly did she escape from the underground? I remember there are many guards on the passage from the cavern to the courtyard. She couldn't have run away with a burden, could she? Could the thugs who broke in still be hiding in some underground cave, waiting for you to relax your vigilance?"
Silver Mask shook his head. "They climbed out through the vents. Several iron bars were burned through, which must have been due to the witch's ability."
So this was the escape route Annie had prepared in advance? And more than one witch participated in this rescue. It seemed Otto had worked in vain. "Since there's no way around it," Yokko changed the topic casually, "I wonder how my guide is doing?"
"She will be severely punished by 'Black Money'—protecting distinguished guests is also the guide's responsibility. She is no longer qualified to hold this position."
"Can I see her?"
"Do you mean... you want to punish her yourself?"
"No," Yokko glanced at Otto, "I want to buy her."
"But she is already a criminal of 'Black Money'..." Silver Mask hesitated.
"Five hundred gold royals? Just use the Black Letter to pay."
"Wait... Ambassador?" Otto said in surprise, "What guide?"
Yokko held Otto's hand, not answering.
Silver Mask was silent for a while before nodding. "I understand. If you insist, we will give Seventy-Six to you."
"Give?" Yokko was stunned at first, then overjoyed.
"Anyway, she can no longer be a guide. It's indeed a better choice for you to handle her. Just consider it 'Black Money's' apology for this incident," Silver Mask bowed again. "May we meet here again."