The next week passed by in the blink of an eye, or so it felt like to me. I attended social events, continued preparing for Mom and Dad’s arrival, and planned for the upcoming engagement party. Lina insisted on helping me with the latter. I tried resisting, but she was so persistent that I gave up in the end and let Lina have her way. I grumbled a bit, since I had wanted this to be a gift for her, but she soothed my ruffled feathers with ease.

During that week, Prince Dirk and Duchess Galdur formally announced that Leopold would be marrying Lady Josepha Galdur, the Duchess’ second daughter. This announcement made waves in high society, and it was all anyone could talk about for a while. A few people remembered that I had danced with Duchess Galdur at the House Wirt ball a few weeks ago and asked me if I had known about the engagement ahead of time. I just smiled at them and refrained from answering.

While a few people were happy for Leopold and Lady Josepha, especially the romantic ones, the rest of high society was more ambivalent. Those who supported the other contenders for the throne in particular were unhappy about this development. Leopold had been an annoyance before, but not a serious threat. However, his engagement to Lady Josepha changed everything. With House Galdur’s support, he now had a real chance at winning the fight for the throne.

I heard from several sources, including the Blue Shadows stationed within Haven, that Prince Cornelius’ supporters were already moving to curtail Leopold’s growing influence. Despite this, more and more families were flocking to Leopold’s banner. None of them were that powerful or influential on their own, but together they were a formidable power bloc. It wouldn’t be long until the more prominent families joined his side.

Meanwhile, our plan to kidnap Valerie, Tower Master Katarina’s disciple, was moving along well. Mother finished all of her preparations and all that remained was the auction itself. Luring Valerie in proved easier than anticipated. Rather than send her an invitation, and risk arousing her suspicions, Emmerich leveraged his connections within the Tower of Magic to spread rumors about the auction. This attracted a lot of interest from the tower magicians, who all scrambled to secure an invitation for themselves, Valerie included.

One thing that worried me was the lack of reaction from Tower Master Katarina. Despite all the rumors about the upcoming auction, she didn’t say anything. This should have reassured me, since it meant that she didn’t notice anything amiss about the auction, yet it had the opposite effect. I didn’t know why. I mentioned this to Father and Mother, who decided to increase security for the event just in case. Still, I couldn’t help but worry.

The days passed, one after the other, until it was the night of the auction.

***

I looked around at the converted ballroom, which served as the venue for the auction. It was a large rectangular room that stood two stories tall, with a balcony running along the upper floor. A stage had been built along one of the long walls and tiered seating had been installed for the guests. A red curtain hid the back half of the stage from sight. Private booths for high status guests had been built along the balcony.

While there were a few mana crystal lamps located around the converted ballroom, Mother had decided to keep the lighting dim to add an air of mystery to the auction. By this point, most of the guests had arrived. They all wore cloaks and masks, provided by the auction staff, to hide their identities. Most of them remained quiet as they waited for the auction to begin, though a few chatted amongst each other in low voices. Golden Rose Knights, disguised as guards, kept an eye on everything.

As for me, I kept an eye on one booth in particular. It was occupied by a young woman, a magician, accompanied by two bodyguards: Valerie, Tower Master Katarina’s disciple. Like the other guests, she wore a cloak and mask to hide her identity. However, the staff who provided them to her recognized who she was and reported it. Our target was here, so now we just needed her to take the bait.

It was late in the evening, a few hours after sunset, and the auction was scheduled to start soon. Employees of the Pink Orchid Trading Company, disguised as staff, moved about and offered refreshments to the guests. I was impressed. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have mistaken them for actual employees for the auction.

I was disguised as a guard, which would allow me to move around unhindered. Meanwhile, Lina and our siblings were scattered among the guests. Father and Mother decided to remain behind the scenes, to prevent anyone from realizing House Guld’s involvement in the auction, though I had no doubt that they were keeping track of what was going on.

The converted ballroom was situated inside a large manor located outside of Haven proper. It once belonged to a noble family who fell on hard times and had to sell all of their assets in order to pay off their debts. For the sake of our plan, Mother bought the manor. She even paid more than the asking price for it. According to her, the family who owned cried tears of joy when she made her offer.

The manor was the perfect place to hold an auction targeted at magicians and bored nobles. It was located a short carriage ride from Haven, yet was still far enough away to ensure privacy. It amazed me that Mother managed to find such a place in such a short amount of time.

A beautiful woman emerged from behind the red curtain, pulling me out of my thoughts. A bright light emerged from the ceiling and shone upon her, following her movements. Given how dim the rest of the converted ballroom was, it made her stand out. The woman was tall and thin, with pale skin and long red hair. She wore an alluring red dress, revealing just enough skin to tantalize without crossing the line into vulgarity.

“Welcome esteemed guests.” The woman said in a husky voice. She wore a seductive smile on her face. “To tonight's auction, held by the House of Shadows. I am your host, the Lady of Shadows.”

She spoke at a normal volume, but her voice reached everyone in the converted ballroom. I assumed magic was involved.

“The items up for bid tonight are unlike the ones found at any other auction.” The Lady of Shadows said. “Relics from ancient civilizations, artifacts created by powerful magicians, the remnants of rare creatures, and other strange and mysterious objects.”

The auction guests buzzed with excitement at this.

“I know you’re all eager to start bidding,” the Lady of Shadows continued, “So, without further ado, let us begin.”

Another woman, this one wearing the uniform of the auction staff, emerged from behind the red curtain. She carried a velvet cushion in her hands. A blood red crystal sat atop the cushion. Even from my vantage point, I could feel the mana emanating from it. I didn’t know what this crystal was, but it felt like a powerful magical object to me.

“This is the Bloodheart,” the Lady of Shadows said, “A magic item created by Mischa, the Crimson Witch.”

Several of the guests gasped when they heard this.

“According to legend, drinking a potion created using shards of the Bloodheart can strengthen one’s body and extend one’s lifespan by up to ten years.” The Lady of Shadows grinned. “Bidding will begin at one thousand gold and will go up in increments of ten.”

I almost choked on my spit when I heard that. One thousand gold? One gold was enough to feed a commoner family for a month, while one thousand was enough to support them for decades. Even if the legends about this Bloodheart were true, who would spend that much money on-…?

“One thousand one hundred!” One of the guests called out. I recognized the voice. It belonged to Mika. I resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose. Of course. I should have known.

Mika’s bid broke the ice and several other guests started bidding on the Bloodheart. The numbers they called out stunned me. Within minutes, the price for the Bloodheart reached ridiculous heights. In the end, Mika won the bid at two thousand five hundred gold. My heart hurt a little when I heard this.

“Now then, on to our next item.” The Lady of Shadows said as the auction staff took the Bloodheart away and brought out another item. This time it was a cube made from some kind of mysterious metal. Like Bloodheart, it emanated an astonishing amount of mana. “This is Anton’s Puzzle Box, a magic tool that…”

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***

The rest of the auction continued along the same vein. Each item put up for bid was stranger and more mysterious than the last. Some were powerful magic tools, like Anton’s Puzzle Box. Others were rare materials and reagents, like the Bloodheart. Some, such as the journals and research notes of powerful magicians, weren’t magical in nature at all. Instead, their value lied in the knowledge they contained. The bidding for these journals and research notes was just as fierce as the bidding for everything else.

Unfortunately, Mika almost ruined everything right from the beginning. She bid on every magic tool put up for auction. It didn’t matter what it was or what it did. If it was a magic tool, Mika wanted to have it. Thanks to House Guld’s deep coffers, she won every single time. When the other auction guests started to get upset by this, one of the auction staff delivered a message to Mika. Afterwards, she only bid on a few select items. The message must have been from Father and Mother telling her to stop before she ruined the auction.

This entire time, I kept an eye on Valerie’s booth. She abstained from participating in the auction for the most part, which spoke well of her self control. A lot of powerful magical items had been up for bid, yet she ignored all of them. Instead, she remained focused on her goal. The only time she participated in the auction was when Grand Sage Lambert’s journal was up for bid.

When that happened, she got into a fierce bidding war with several other magicians. However, she won in the end, though it cost her dearly. She ended up bidding two thousand gold for the journal, which boggled my mind. I knew that magicians valued knowledge and research, but I hadn’t realized it was to this degree.

After winning the journal, Valerie stood up and left her booth with her bodyguards in tow. Now that she had gotten what she wanted, it appeared that she didn’t want to linger. That worked out for us since the sooner we captured her, the better.

A few minutes later, one of the auction staff walked up to the Lady of Shadows and whispered something in her ear.

“Esteemed guests,” the Lady of Shadows said, “Let us take a brief intermission here. Feel free to stretch your legs and enjoy some refreshments. We will resume the auction soon.”

An intermission wasn’t unusual when it came to auctions, some of which could go on for hours, so none of the guests found it suspicious. However, I knew better. That was the signal for the second part of our plan. I would be part of the group delivering the journal to Valerie.

I made my way to the back area, where I found a group of four people waiting for me. Three of them were Golden Rose Knights disguised as guards, while the fourth was the Lady of Shadows herself. The latter carried a case, which I assumed contained Grand Sage Lambert’s journal.

I took this opportunity to study the Lady of Shadows. She served House Guld, but this was my first time seeing her. I doubted she was a Golden Rose Knight, so perhaps she was a spy working for the Pink Orchid Trading Company.

From a distance, I thought the Lady of Shadows looked beautiful. However, when I saw her up close, I realized that she was even more beautiful than I first thought. That said, there was something familiar about her, though I couldn’t put my finger on it. Have I seen her before? Or was she related to someone I knew?

“And here is the final member of our party.” The Lady of Shadows said with a shifty, almost sly, expression on her face.

I frowned when I saw it. For some reason, I felt the need to make sure that I wasn’t missing anything. I checked and let out a sigh of relief when I saw that everything was still there. When she saw this, the Lady of Shadows chuckled.

“I see that old habits die hard.” She said, her voice even deeper than before.

I blinked at her in surprise. She spoke as if she knew me.

“Have we met before?” I asked her.

The Lady of Shadows smirked.

“You could say that.” She said. “However, let us save the trip down memory lane for later.” She held up the case containing Grand Sage Lambert’s journal. “We shouldn’t keep our esteemed guest waiting.”

I reined in my curiosity and nodded. The mystery of the Lady of Shadows could wait until later. Right now, we had more urgent business to attend to. The three Golden Rose Knights and I fell into formation around the Lady of Shadows as she made her way out the back area. She weaved her through the halls of the manor, until she reached a door on the third floor. It led to a luxurious drawing room. Waiting for us inside was Valerie and her two bodyguards.

I took a moment to study all three. They still wore masks and cloaks to hide their faces. Still, it wasn’t difficult to figure out which one was Valerie. In addition to her shorter stature and smaller frame, she had the mana signature of a Sage. Meanwhile, her bodyguards were both Aura Experts. All in all, they were formidable to be sure, but nothing we couldn’t handle. Of course, there was always the possibility that one, or more, of them was hiding their true power. Still, even if they were, I was confident in my ability to deal with them.

“Finally!” Valerie said in an impatient voice. She jumped to her feet the moment we entered and marched towards us. “Give me the journal!”

Together with one of the Golden Rose Knights, I blocked Valerie’s path. Her bodyguards drew their weapons. One wielded a short sword, while the other brandished a short spear.

“What is the meaning of this?” Valerie demanded, putting her hands on her hips. “I won the bid, so give me the journal! Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this moment?”

The Lady of Shadows gave her a polite smile.

“All in good time, Esteemed Guest.” She said. “However, there are certain formalities we must observe.” Her expression grew colder. “Including the matter of payment. You won the bid for Grand Sage Lambert’s journal, yes. However, until we receive payment for it, the journal belongs to the House of Shadows.” She gestured to the furniture. “So, please have a seat.”

Valerie let out a frustrated sound. For a moment, I thought she was going to attack us. However, she took a deep breath and gestured for her bodyguards to stand down. They obeyed and put away their weapons. Afterwards, Valerie sat down again. The Lady of Shadows sat opposite of her, the Golden Rose Knights and I standing behind her. A wooden table occupied the space between Valerie and the Lady of Shadows.

“Before I give you anything,” Valerie said, “Can I at least see the journal? I want to make sure it’s the real journal of Grand Sage Lambert and not a fake.”

The Lady of Shadows mulled it over, before nodding.

“Very well, esteemed guest.” She said. “However, you can only look. No touching.”

Valerie waved off her concerns and nodded. The Lady of Shadows opened the case and revealed the journal of Grand Sage Lambert. Valerie leaned forward to take a closer look. Her hands twitched, as if she wanted to snatch the journal away right then and there.

“Open it.” Valerie said… leering, for lack of a better word. “Let me see the writing.”

Goosebumps ran across my skin. For some reason, Valerie’s attitude reminded me of an old man demanding that a courtesan show a little more skin. However, the Lady of Shadows obliged. She took the journal out of the case and opened it, revealing some of the writing inside.

“It’s real.” Valerie breathed out. In contrast to before, her tone was now full of reverence. “Finally, after all these years.”

The Lady of Shadows nodded, before closing the journal and placing it back inside the case.

“Indeed, Esteemed Guest.” she said. “All we need is your payment, and the journal of Grand Sage Lambert is all yours.”

Valerie leaned back and nodded. She snapped her fingers.

“Pay them.” She commanded.

One of the bodyguards gave a slight bow, before pulling out a small chest. He placed the chest on the wooden table, before opening it to reveal a small fortune in jewels.

“Altogether, these should be worth a little over two thousand gold.” Valerie said in an imperious voice. “That should be more than enough to cover the cost of my bid.”

With a serious expression on her face, the Lady of Shadow picked up one of the jewels and inspected it. The silence in the drawing room became stifling, since no one said anything or even moved.

“They will do,” the Lady of Shadows declared after several moments, “Assuming all of the jewels in this chest are of the same quality as this one.”

“Of course they are.” Valerie scoffed. “Now give me the journal.”

The Lady of Shadows hesitated for a moment, before she nodded and handed over the case containing the journal of Grand Sage Lambert. The moment Valerie put her hands on the chest, I made my move. The bodyguards reacted right away, but it was already too late. I grabbed Valerie and pulled her towards me. Meanwhile, the Golden Rose Knights moved to subdue the bodyguards.

“What are you doing?” Valerie demanded.

She pulled something from inside her cloak and swung it at me. I grabbed it with my bare hand, only to realize that it was a piece of paper. What in the…? I stared in confusion, before my blood ran cold. It wasn’t just a piece of paper, it was a scroll; a magic scroll to be exact.

“Master was right.” Valerie said, a smirk in her voice. “It was a trap.”

I started to let go of the scroll, but Valerie tore it. It was just a small tear, but that was enough to activate the magic in the scroll. The worst part was that it took half of my mana in the process, even though I wasn’t the one who tore the scroll.

A purple light filled the room and the space around Valerie and I started to warp. My stomach fell and a sense of vertigo came over me. I ‘fell’, for lack of a better word, in an infinite void filled with nothing but darkness. Valerie was with me, which was a small comfort.

When I stopped falling, I found myself in a dim stone chamber. That was all I could notice, before a silver chain appeared and pulled Valerie out of my grasp. I tried to keep hold of her, but I was still dizzy and disoriented from the unexpected warp. Still, I tried to chase after her. However, before I took more than a few steps, the ground around me lit up and a powerful pressure slammed into me, bringing me to my hands and knees. I tried to resist it, but the pressure was too strong. I tried to enhance my strength with mana, but my mana refused to respond.

“Hello, Lord Wulfe.” A familiar voice said. “We meet again.”

I looked over to find Tower Master Katarina standing off to the side with a smirk on her face. In that moment, I realized that we weren’t the ones baiting Valerie into a trap. Instead, I had fallen into Tower Master Katarina’s trap.