Leon rubbed his throbbing temples. This situation wasn’t going to end simply.

He decided to let Erica into the room. She carefully removed her hood, standing awkwardly by the side of the room. Leon motioned her to the only chair.

“Have a seat. I need a moment to think.”

Leon sat on the bed and addressed the demonic sword.

[Be honest. Why are you so against me taking on this request?]
[Hmm... because I just don’t like it?]
[You know I have no intention of making a pact with you. And you know why.]
[All the more reason I don’t want to talk about it.]

The sword’s sulky tone. Leon held back a sigh and began organizing his thoughts.

Erica was asking him to rescue elves held captive by slave traders. The strongest among the slavers was only at the sorcerer level. Yet, the fact they operated freely suggested they had powerful backing.

The task wasn’t just a rescue; he would have to escort the elves safely back to their forest. In return, Erica offered him an artifact from Segrinel Academy and a branch of the World Tree.

‘To the Elven Forest…’

Objectively, there were many obstacles.

He might be able to pull off the rescue, but then he’d have to evade pursuit from slave traders and potentially the Imperial magicians, all the way to the Elven Forest—a significant risk.

Logically, it made sense to refuse.

But the sword’s reaction lingered in his mind.

If he could obtain a safeguard against the sword’s potential power, especially if it was the World Tree’s branch, it might be worth it.

Leon turned to Erica, who remained seated, tense and rigid.

“The branch of the World Tree... what exactly is it?”
“Oh... The elves live in various tribes, but they all reside near a single World Tree. This tree, towering up to the clouds, is their god, their mother, and the source of their world.”
“A branch from such a tree...”
“Yes, it’s said to hold value comparable to a major artifact of an Arcane academy. Specifically, it’s imbued with holy power that resists dark magic.”

‘Holy power...?’

Leon wondered if it was akin to a light attribute. That could explain the sword’s intense reaction.

‘It’s certainly something that can restrain it.’

Leon had nearly decided on pursuing the World Tree branch even before questioning Erica about it.

The question was whether the branch was worth the trouble of escorting the elves to their forest.

After a long pause, Leon turned back to Erica.

“For now, go back for today.”
“Are you going to accept my request?” Erica asked cautiously.

“I understand that the underground market won’t open for a while yet.”
“That’s correct.”

The shop owner had mentioned the underground market would open after the auction, leaving at least four days of leeway.

“I’ll give you my answer before then.”
“…Understood.”

Uncertainty still lingered on Erica’s face. Given her dire situation, it was understandable that she was anxious to get an answer.

“If you find another solution before I give you my response, you’re free to pursue it.”
“…Yes.”
“Come with me.”

Leon took out the Concealment Lamp from his spatial pouch. He injected it with mana, and a subtle wave of magical energy enveloped the two of them, blending their forms into the surroundings.

Their presence was well-hidden, though they hadn’t become completely invisible. Up close, they’d still appear somewhat out of place, a vague shape barely detectable to those who looked directly at them.

But the artifact could accommodate up to thirty people, making it useful for stealthy operations, tracking, or escaping, as it couldn’t be detected by scanning spells.

The artifact was, after all, an A-rank.

Leon led Erica out of the inn room. The door opened and closed by itself in the empty room.

“Do you want to return to your original hiding spot?”

Erica hesitated before answering.

“I’m uneasy about going back there. I’ll need to hide for at least a few days.”
“Then you’ll need a new location. Have any place in mind? I can get you there safely.”

Since they had left from within the inn room with no one else around, it would be impossible for anyone to track their path.

Leon escorted Erica to an area on the outskirts of the city she mentioned as her hiding place before returning to the inn.

The next day.

Leon made his way directly to the headquarters of the Kerita Trade Company, which was hosting the auction he planned to attend.

Inside, a receptionist greeted him politely.

“What brings you here today?”
“I’m here to see someone named Jubel.”
“You mean our branch manager?”

The receptionist’s expression turned wary at the request to meet the branch manager right away.

Leon pulled out the emblem Jubel had given him.

“This is the branch manager’s emblem, correct? I’d appreciate it if you could let him know. My name is Leon.”

Since Jubel already knew his name from when he appraised the items, Leon didn’t see a need to withhold it.

“Understood.”

It wasn’t long before Jubel hurried down, seemingly surprised by the unexpected visit.

“Leon! What brings you here? Please, come this way.”

With a smile, Jubel led Leon to a quiet reception room on the first floor, lavishly decorated with ornate wallpaper and expensive furnishings, fitting for a wealthy trade company that hosted auctions.

Jubel personally poured tea and handed it to Leon.

“So, may I ask what brings you here?”

Leon took a sip from the cup before setting it down and getting straight to the point.

“Are you familiar with the underground market?”
“Hmm?”

Jubel seemed taken aback, not expecting the topic.

“The underground market? Are you interested in it?”
“I have a few questions. About the slave traders.”

“Ah… I see.” Jubel absently tapped his warm teacup, then spoke calmly.

“As you may know, it’s a slave trade. There are about two major slave-trading factions here in Piraine.”
“Two... I thought it was illegal, yet they operate openly.” Jubel gave a bitter smile.

“Yes, it’s explicitly illegal. But the authorities don’t actively intervene. To put it bluntly, their slaves are different from officially branded Imperial slaves, so demand is high.”

“Do they have someone backing them?”
“There isn’t a single group actively protecting them. Rather, nobody wants to get their hands dirty dealing with it. Because of that, there’s intense rivalry among them.”

“Rivalry…?”

Jubel laughed softly and, instead of answering directly, asked, “You seem quite interested in this topic?”

Leon might not have probed further if Jubel had mentioned any specific backing. He wouldn’t even think of dealing with the slave traders in that case.

But since Jubel implied no direct backing, Leon saw no harm in gathering information.

As Leon silently regarded him, Jubel didn’t hesitate to elaborate.

“They compete fiercely for market dominance.”
“If they were to disappear, would anyone be inconvenienced?”
“Haha… I wonder if I should be saying this.”

Leon spoke calmly.
“You can speak freely; this is a private conversation.”

Jubel studied Leon carefully.

Though only a fifth-grade apprentice himself, Jubel was a mage. While he excelled in hosting auctions and dealing in magical goods, he had a fair understanding of the magical world.

Based on what he could surmise from Leon’s manner and the high-value items he dealt with, Jubel knew he wasn’t dealing with an ordinary person.

After a brief silence, Jubel’s eyes glinted.

“If the underground market were to open, some people planning to participate might be inconvenienced. However, even if there was an uproar, they would treat it as a matter among themselves. If someone were to investigate further… we could either block their way or, at the very least, inform you of who they are.”

“Are you saying that Kerita Trade Company would assist me?”
“Consider it a gesture of goodwill from our company.”
“A gesture of goodwill…”

Leon carefully watched Jubel’s face.

Despite his age and the deep wrinkles that came with it, Jubel’s eyes still held the keen edge of a shrewd merchant.

It was clearly not just a simple gesture of goodwill.

Accepting their assistance meant that he would one day owe them a favor, and when that day came, Jubel would surely remind him of today, making it difficult to refuse.

“I appreciate the gesture. Of course, if nothing happens, we can consider this conversation nonexistent.”

Leon nodded knowingly. The fact there was no direct backing nudged him towards helping Erica.

‘The main task is to escort them to the Elven Forest…’

With the Concealment Lamp, it seemed doable as long as there were no immediate pursuers.

Moreover, keeping good relations with the Kerita Trade Company didn’t seem like a bad move. As long as they didn’t make excessive demands, it could open up another avenue for him.

“Of course.”

Jubel nodded in satisfaction.

Three days later, the day of the auction hosted by the Kerita Trade Company finally arrived.

Leon, accompanied by Ria, entered the auction hall discreetly, donned a mask, and took a seat among the other attendees.

The hall, with its grand decorations, had a surprisingly solemn atmosphere, with quiet murmurs from participants filling the space.

Soon, a finely adorned podium was set up in the center, and a well-dressed host appeared on stage.

He bowed and began in a composed voice.

“Thank you for waiting! We at Kerita Trade Company extend our deepest gratitude to everyone attending today’s auction. We have many rare items prepared for you today, so please look forward to it.”