The basis of manipulation is to know what the other party wants.

If you know what they want, you can narrow down the spectrum they operate in.

In other words, you can anticipate what they might do in order to pursue their goals.

For Melkor the Snake, it was obvious that his priority was to stay alive. And to do that, he must do something about his current situation.

After all, he was our hostage...

Let me offer some context before we get on to the main story.

Basically, the time frame of two months that Melkor asked from us initially has been shortened to three weeks.

In those three weeks, he must contact the buyer we wanted to come while we prepare the auction in earnest.

Obviously, those nobles whom we set our eyes on weren't some backwater idiots who would come when Melkor asked them to come. Especially someone as careful as Marquess Pearl. Our main target...

But that wasn't our problem. That was Melkor's problem. Because he, out of everyone, could surely guess what fates awaited his neck should he have no more use for us.

Hence, Melkor asked us to allow him to send words to one of the buyers first. Get the words out that he was still alive and kicking, and the Black Nightmare, namely me, was trying to establish a connection by selling slaves.

It made sense, so we said yes to his request, which brought us back to the main point at hand.

Melkor had asked us to send him back to his estate on the pretext of allowing him to contact the buyers.

Now, for a fucker whose face suggested nothing but lies and deceptions from miles away, could we expect him not to try and pull anything?

Not in a million years...It was obvious that he would try to do something. He was that desperate to live, after all.

The question was whether we could catch him or not.

No, that was incorrect...

The real question was whether we wanted him to do something or not.

And the answer was...We did.

To whoever it was that he would plead his life, we believed they would hold the key to the success of this staged auction.

That being said, we arrived at Melkor's mansion after spending some time trailblazing through the sky.

The entourage consisted of Renata, who was responsible for this operation, accompanied by two Shadows as her guards. Or should I say, Clara and Me in disguise.

As soon as we landed on the front porch of the three-story mansion, two maids approached our party in hurried steps.

Their cautious gaze alternated between Melkor's figure and Renata with her jet-black mask. We did enter their lines of vision, but it was clear that they'd put much importance on Renata, whom Melkor himself didn't dare to slight.

"What are you two dimwits gawking at? Prepare the room and tend to my guests. Now!" Spat Melkor harshly to the duo.

The two maids bowed respectfully before guiding us inside.

"I will prepare a bath and clothes in your room, Master." Before the main stairs, one of the maids politely stated.

"No need. Time is of the essence. There's also no need for any refreshments. Call Amon and tell him to clean my study after we're finished." Barked Melkor impatiently.

"Understood, Master." Receiving his order, the maids bowed and left us alone.

"Now, Assassin...Shall we go to my study?" Suggested Melkor carefully.

"Lead the way." Replied Renata cold.

We took the stairs and headed to the corner room on the left wing.

I have to say, though, the bastard's study looked dope, unlike what I have pictured in my mind.

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A wide, long desk that sat in front of a huge window. Rows of antique-looking bookshelves beside a comfy fireplace. Everything meshed well with one another and created a calming air inside the seemingly timeless room.

"Make yourself comfortable, Assassin. I'll work on the invitations right now." Expressed Melkor while making a beeline straight to his desk.

Without wasting any moment whatsoever, he diligently began working on the invitation for the buyers as he promised.

"Do you want to read it first?" He handed the letter to Renata.

"Does it matter? Do your job, and you get to live. Try something funny, and you'll meet your maker before you can even blink." Spending her time walking around the room leisurely, Renata voiced back without even turning.

The man frowned grimly at Renata's threat, but he immediately buried his nose back at his work in fear of us, the Shadows, catching the shift in his face. Little did he know...I saw everything...

"Can I ask why you want to pick these people specifically? If we want to maximize profits, then maximizing the scale will be better." Probed the sly snake.

"Connections." Replied Renata nonchalantly while casually flipping through a book.

Melkor waited for Renata to elaborate, but seemingly oblivious to it, Renata just kept on making a mess of his library without saying shit.

"...Are you people really planning on devouring the underground?" His voice grew heavy and grim.

Closing a book with a snap, Renata placed it in a random place crookedly. "Why? You think we can't?"

"With the Phantom Squad alive and reigning? I never knew people of our stature still bother with childish dreams." Perhaps all her little and annoying antics had finally gotten to him, Melkor sneered maliciously.

"True...They'll be a major hurdle." Answered Renata, still with her back facing him.

"Hurdle? Heh, why don't you try and get into their good books instead? They're the kind of people that won't get done in by some strange magic, don't you think so?" I didn't know from where he suddenly grew his balls, but bro almost dug his own grave...

'Strange magic? Oh, boy...'

It was clear as a day who he was talking about. Moreover, the receiver just had to be Renata out of everyone.

'And you would've thought he would learn his lesson by now...'

Bang!

Renata's visage blurred, and in the blink of an eye, she appeared behind the dude and bashed his face hard into his desk mercilessly. She then picked him up and continued to slam him a couple more times after that before ceasing her near-brutal acts.

"Feeling a bit brave now that you're back home, are we?" Smirked Renata, mocking Melkor, whose eyes had rolled white, tethering on the brink of consciousness.

Blood ran down his nose and lips, wetting the desk and ruining the letter he had just finished waxing his seal on.

"I think you need to redo that, worm. It got dirty because of you." Said Renata while bashing him again for the last time.

The man was twitching helplessly under her mercy. It wasn't until a moment later that he was able to gather himself and start working again.

Melkor took the letters and crushed them hard in his trembling hand before burning them to ashes.

The look in his eyes was nothing but peaceful. Clara, who felt prankish, slapped the man harshly on the cheek whilst softly giggling as she enjoyed the lost look Melkor threw at her.

He snapped his neck toward Renata, demanding some kind of explanation for her subordinate's action.

Renata did nothing of the sort and just walked back to finish her business, making a mess out of his books.

Flushed red with rage, Melkor got back on his letters.

'Hm? Ah, so that's your play, you sly bastard.' And while he did so, I caught him.

After scanning the room using X-ray vision, I finally knew how he planned on screwing us.

I had been watching him closely this whole time, trying to find anything suspicious, but there was nothing on him. He didn't try to push some buttons in his room, nor did he try to use any artifacts.

There was nothing. It was as if he was clean...

But as expected from Melkor the Snake, the man who was infamously known for his shrewdness. As it turned out, the room itself was the answer.

One good look with my enhanced vision, and I could tell how the room worked, but I just wanted to make sure, so I needed Renata to do that.

'Smash the asshole's head hard on the table once more, Renata.' I told her via Word Magic.

Bang!

To which she complied without a question in an instant.

I think the dude broke a nose, but it did confirm my suspicion.

"W-Why!?" With his face riddled with splinters, Melkor spat rage from his eyes.

"Shut up. Keep writing. I don't have all night." Renata slapped him on the back of his head sharply before walking away yet again.

Anyway.

The room itself served like an alarm button. The minute we got here, the ground beneath us would absorb the shock from our movements and trigger the installed artifact to activate, just like a sensor.

And I believed the so-called artifact was, in fact, a recording crystal.

'Renata. He's using a recording crystal on us, or something similar. We can use this.' I sent.

Receiving it, Renata spoke out, "I hear Marquess Pearl has close ties with the Queen Dowager. I wonder if that's true."

"...Berthold De Pearl is your fish?" Connecting the dots, Melkor said bitterly, with his face wrecked.

"Like I said...Connection...Tell him the final products of the auction won't disappoint, and they will be worth his time."

"What about the other nobles? Why do you need them?" Shot Melkor back.

To which laughed Renata friskily. "Are you stupid? A new friend and a pocket full of gold. What a beautiful day it'll be."

"..." Silent as a mule, Melkor glared murderously at Renata's playful figure.

Thus, the plan begins.