By Zephyria 
I thought the spirit would head towards 8th or 9th Street. That was because the grand dukes’ mansions, which Tedros had informed me about beforehand, were located there.
We were dressed up like merchants from Felix, similar to when we first entered Owen. I was worried because it was an outfit that didn’t quite suit strolling among the mansions of high-ranking nobles. Fortunately, it was still before sunrise, so there were few eyes to see us, which was a small blessing in disguise.
Was the plan for Elvin to guard the children while I and Hugh Benson quickly entered and exited the mansions? But then, how would we find out what kind of person Nadi was? I felt uneasy, thinking I might have unnecessarily inconvenienced the group.
Ruben, who had changed into more comfortable clothing after the incident, walked closely beside me. The child was wearing a hooded robe over men’s clothing from Felix, similar to mine. I worried he might fall, given his obscured vision, but he reassured me, saying he was a martial artist and would be fine, so I reluctantly turned my gaze away.
As we walked, hidden in the shadows, familiar streets gradually came into view.
5th Street, 4th Street, 3rd Street…
…How far do you intend to go?
A merchant selling robes glanced at us. It was the entrance to the familiar 2nd Street. To avoid drawing attention, we immediately bought robes and covered ourselves with them. By this point, the spirit was agitated, drawing circles in the air and acting erratically.
[Nadi! I want to see Nadi!]
“Wait, just wait. Stop doing anything conspicuous.”
[Why? Why? Why?]
“…What if Nadi is in danger?”
At Hugh Benson’s calm dissuasion, the spirit clung tightly to my chest.
We walked in groups of two or three, quickly blending in among the figures covered by robes. It was a street bustling with more people in the dark. We often exchanged glances or hand gestures to confirm each other’s presence, walking and walking according to the spirit’s lead.
We stopped near 1st Street, where the auction house was visible in the distance.
No way.
The spirit’s excited voice rang sharply in my head.
[The black house!]
“…Is that it?”
[The black house!]
Who would call that building a house?
I had already entered and exited that building before.
This auction house, one of the places I had searched to find Ruben, was a massive structure with two floors above ground and seven floors below.
The ventilation shaft I had used with Hugh Benson to sneak into the auction house back then was not wide. Elvin and Benjamin would surely get stuck after less than five steps. At the time, I was so desperate that I intended to drag Ruben out by any means necessary if I found him, but I had no idea of Nadi’s build, leaving me feeling helpless.
So, should I break everything and drag them out? While in a foreign land where I couldn’t find a safe place to hide, and with Ruben in tow? It was an absurd idea.
While the group stood dumbfounded, Marianne questioned the spirit.
“Does Nadi… work there?”
[No! Nadi was captured. I want to see Nadi…]
“Are you sure Nadi is inside?”
[Yes! Nadi is in the black room!]
That building… it is black. But how many black rooms could there be inside?
The entire group stopped moving. A few gazes landed on us standing at a distance, looking at the auction house, before moving away. Hugh Benson quickly signaled and murmured,
“Tactical retreat.”
[Why? Why are we going back? Nadi is there!]
A sharp pain shot through my right hand again.
Marianne pulled the spirit close, as if embracing it, and whispered,
“Humans have their own ways. We’ll be back soon.”
[I’ve waited so long?]
“Just a little. Please wait just a little longer.”
[…]
After contemplating, the spirit fluttered upwards.
[Not too long. Only three nights left.]
“What?”
[Three nights!]
Then, it leaped high into the air.
I don’t know what kind of person Nadi is, but they don’t seem like a normal one. If it’s your spirit, you should teach it well; why is it acting so recklessly? I felt like letting out a big sigh out of helplessness, but there were others who were more distressed than I was, so I remained quiet.
The path back to the mansion we had left felt longer than the journey there.
❖ ❖ ❖
We sat around in the drawing-room of the mansion where we were originally staying.
The morning sun had not yet fully risen. We had intended to leave Bardiol by carriage under the cover of night, but we had ended up wandering the streets for nearly five hours before returning. As a result, everyone still showed signs of fatigue.
The children, like wet laundry, sat scattered in various spots, lost in thought. A series of unexpected events had swept over us, and I needed to sort out my thoughts.
I too pondered various ideas in the familiar silence. Should I send all the children to Sierren and then I could slip away to the Oasis alone, since I was responsible? But then, how would I comfort the children?
Amidst this, Ruben, who had been sitting with a rigid posture and contemplating, was the first to speak.
“The spirit stealing mana… is it permanent damage?”
“Not entirely. Mana is variable, so even if mana is stolen, Michael should be able to replenish it quickly. The problem isn’t the mana itself, but the mark of contract termination.”
“Mark?”
Marianne, who had been leaning against the armrest of the sofa, half-lying down with one hand on her forehead, let out a grunt and sat up straight.
She was the one who would light up and explain whenever magic or spirits were discussed. Seeing her looking at me with a dazed expression, I felt awkward and averted my gaze.
“When mana is stolen as a penalty for breaking a spirit contract, a certain trace of mana remains. It’s like… a scar. Once something like that happens, other spirits learn, ‘Oh, this person broke their contract with the Sylph they were helped by before!'”
“…Ah.”
“Spirits are everywhere and nowhere, so if a penalty for non-fulfillment of a contract remains, you can be screwed over at truly unimaginable times. Your water suddenly drying up while you’re washing your face is the least of it. If you’re hanging off a cliff and the cliff suddenly crumbles, a person would go mad.”
“…Wow…”
“And it’s incredibly painful. I was startled by the contract light flashing earlier! I heard it’s like the pain of slicing bone with a knife. Were you okay?”
“…No, not that much.”
“And they have such a foul temper, picking such a Sylph.”
Did I pick it? It found me.
Ruben, startled by the mention of pain, pulled my hand and examined it. That level of pain was familiar, nothing new. However, if such pain suddenly struck during intense combat, not during a period of rest, I might have dropped my sword.
Not wanting to cause unnecessary worry, I changed the subject.
“It was just a slight sting. More importantly, I’m curious about that auction house. I went in once with Hyoo Senior…”
“Yes? When?”
Hugh answered that.
“When the Prince and Benjamin got lost, I checked just in case. I didn’t expect them to be there, but just in case, for confirmation.”
“…Ah. You… didn’t expect them to be there?”
Recalling how worried I had been looking at those in the basement, I felt a pang of regret. As if sensing my feelings, Hugh Benson’s voice was as casual as ever.
“Owen’s auction house usually deals with jewels, land deeds, things like that. If someone wants to smuggle goods to Floyd or Felix, they usually go through the auction house. You said the First Prince is involved with Floyd.”
“…Ah.”
“So, I thought if there was one somewhere in Bardiol, I should check it out, so I just stopped by briefly.”
Is that so? Unlike me, who nodded, the others looked puzzled.
Marianne immediately pressed.
“Isn’t it illegal to buy and sell people in Owen? Last time, that self-proclaimed slave who sold himself to Diamant caused quite a stir, didn’t he?”
“Of course, it’s illegal. What’s in the 7th basement floor are monsters and heterogeneous races.”
“What? Heterogeneous races? There are heterogeneous races? Then the Magic Tower must know! Elves? Dwarves? Mermaids, perhaps? Are there so many that they’re put up for sale?”
“Do you think so?”
“Ah, what is it! Stop teasing me and tell me properly. Are they really there?”
When Hugh Benson remained silent, Tedros cautiously observed his expression and then spoke.
“…When they say heterogeneous races, it’s just… people whose bodies have been partially transformed by contaminated mana. It’s a chronic problem in Owen; because the mana concentration is so high, many children are born with deformities…”
“Can’t it be resolved with Divine Power?”
“Owen’s priests are usually too busy colluding with high-ranking nobles. Would they even care?”
“…What do they use them for when they sell them?”
“…Usually in the arena…”
Marianne, who had been excited, demurely sat back down on the sofa.
Didn’t Hugh Benson already tell me that he too had been exposed to contaminated mana? It wasn’t a strange or interesting matter. Marianne grumbled, wishing he had told her sooner, but Hugh Benson glanced at her sideways, chuckled, and spoke again.
“The corridor I took Michael down is often frequented by buyers. So, the security measures aren’t very threatening, and you can see inside the cages, so if you can sneak in, you can see easily.”
“…”
“But taking someone out from there is another matter.”
“…”
“No, let’s say you manage to get them out. But there’s no guarantee that the person you pull out won’t attack us. I don’t know what the line you saw was like, but the one I saw… damn it, it was just a monster. Someone so steeped in contaminated mana has no reason or intellect.”
No reason or intellect.
Was it for this reason that the spirit gave us three days?
This time, Benjamin, who had been silent throughout, looked directly at me and asked.
“What was the level of the guards like?”
“…The five at the entrance were all Sword Masters. If it were me and two seniors, we could handle three each… but when I entered the auction house last time, I recall seeing over thirty Sword Masters…”
“…Thirty?”
“More than that. Uh… as far as I know, they guard in four shifts according to the number.”
Tedros’s addition elicited a groan.
“Can’t magic do anything?”
“Should I set Owen’s capital city ablaze?”
“…”
That’s true. What method is there to rescue a kidnapped person without drawing attention?
Just then, Ruben, who had been examining my hand, stroking the back of it and contemplating, asked with a puzzled look.
“…Can’t we just buy them?”