It had been nearly a month since the outrageous rumors had begun. Izo in the meantime had been too busy to quell the rumors. She was far too preoccupied capturing monsters and raiding lower class dungeons and clearing them out. Incidentally, Izo had realized that if she cleared a C-class dungeon, she could get some rather good items from the final boss item drops. (However, Izo was avoiding any higher-class dungeons, still a bit wary after the B-Class dungeon incident with Grendel.)

Construction (including, lighting, plumbing and so forth,) had been completed a week earlier than anticipated, which was perfect for the designers and suppliers. They had hastily expedited the items needed to furnish the auction house. The auction house was set to open in less than five days and from the rsvp guest list, the turn out would be rather small. Despite Mr. Noir’s best efforts, very few parties had agreed to attend. It was looking rather grim on the other end as well as many adventures or potential buyers would not be attending the opening function.

Izo taps her fingers against her desk in frustration. A press release was out of the question as a press release wouldn’t suddenly calm the fires, but instead would be a sudden gust of wind causing the flames to swarm even higher. If the rumors weren’t bad already, they would only worsen with the added fuel of Classroom 13. And from Mr. Noir’s aggravated expression, Mr. Lee was barely containing himself from not suppressing the rumors, which would only cause another round of rumors, that the owner of the auction house was indeed a whistleblower or using the auction house to launder money for an unsavory organization.

Izo knew better than anyone, how easy rumors sprouted and how hard they were to dispel. She didn’t even need to look at her own past but rather look at the past of the original Izo, one could see the lasting damage and consequences. Besides, the situation hadn’t reached desperate measures yet. The phone suddenly rings as Izo picks up without glancing out her cellphone. “Do you have good news for me, Mr. Noir?” Izo quietly asked.

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“It would depend on what Miss Reed means. If it is a question of whether the situation has changed, then no. But if it is an answer, then yes. The suspicions that Miss Reed had are indeed correct. An attack is to be made on the auction house and the original source of the rumors is the auction association,” Mr. Noir calmly stated.

Izo closes her eyes tiredly and leans back into her chair. “I thought so. In either case, don’t make a move,” Izo flatly said.

Mr. Noir makes a startled chocking sound over the phone. “Miss Reed as your lawyer, I strongly advise against that,” Mr. Noir grimly said.

“Mr. Noir have some faith in me. Don’t worry about either situation’s, I will see to it that both issues are resolved,” Izo firmly said, before hanging up the phone. With a sigh, Izo rubs her head. Everything that she had said was true for the most part. No intruder would stand a chance against the defenses set in place at the auction hall. In fact, they would be lucky if they survived at all.

However, the root of the problem were the rumors. Anything Izo did at this point wouldn’t be enough to change the tides of the masses in her favor. But that didn’t mean she had lost the war far from it. They had started a fire and she would return the favor.

Izo glances down at the invitation that had arrived in the mail today. It was an invitation to attend the annual Emerald City masquerade ball. A joke to see whether she would show up or not. Narrowing her eyes with interest, Izo reaches for her cell phone and presses a contact’s number. The phone immediately clicks, a solemn male’s voice answers, “Miss Reed to what do I owe the pleasure of your call? Have you already run out of necessary supplies?”

Izo glances down at the invitation in her hand and responds, “I have a favor to ask.”

“How fascinating, pray do tell, Miss Reed for I am all ears,” The man crisply said. After all, Miss Reed was a well-paying client. Commerce is a wonderful thing after all.