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Rain poured from the sky as if a hole had been torn open in the heavens.
A hazy mist rose, swallowing the entire city.
The line dividing the dreary sky from the gray city below collapsed. Everything blurred into one endless smudge, making it seem as if the sky and earth had merged into one through the rain.
Casey walked at the heart of this water-drenched world.
“Casey. Were you serious just now?”
Betty, following along without getting a drop on her thanks to Casey’s magic, couldn’t hold her curiosity anymore.
Casey turned her head slightly.
“About what?”
“What you said earlier. About James Moriarty being alive. And that he’s here, in this city.”
“That’s what my deduction tells me. The timing of those people’s activities lines up too perfectly.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would someone that skilled wander the world, hiding their identity like that?”
“I don’t know.”
“What? You don’t, but you’re still that sure?”
“Betty. My grandfather once told me something.”
“What was it?”
“When you’ve eliminated the impossible, whatever remains—no matter how improbable—must be the truth.”
That was something Serokion Selmore, a once-renowned detective, had always told Casey.
—Casey, you’re a smart girl. Smarter than me. One day, you’ll become truly remarkable.
Sitting in his rocking chair, pipe between his lips, her grandfather would gently pat her head with those now-wrinkled hands.
—So promise me. Make this world a better place.
Rumble.
The thunder pulled Casey out of her memory.
“Anyway, that’s why I’ve been chasing him. The famous hunter, the underworld crime lord, the war-ending mercenary, the greatest thief—he’s claimed all those titles. I can’t just let a man like that run wild.”
“Who even is he?”
“No idea. Even ‘James Moriarty’ is probably a fake name. He could’ve been active long before I met him.”
Casey was just as curious about his identity.
But his name didn’t matter.
What mattered was that he had plunged the Delica Kingdom into chaos, nearly started a war, and left unpunished.
She had to catch him.
“Let’s go. I’ve got a hotel booked.”
“Wait! Can’t we take a carriage?”
“In this rain? What kind of idiot are you? You know the golem-pulled carriages can’t get wet, right? And real horse-drawn ones are nearly extinct these days.”
“Ugh, this sucks.”
“Relax, it’s not far.”
“Where is it?”
“Kunst.”
Casey glanced up at the heavy raindrops pounding down from the sky. The downpour was easing up. By the time they reached their destination, it would probably stop.
“There’s a big auction coming up, and I got invited.”
“You’re into auctions now?”
“Not really. I just needed a place to stay, and somehow they sent me an invite. Probably wanted a famous guest for prestige.”
The Kunst run by the Luk Corporation didn’t interest her at all.
She just picked it because she didn’t want to deal with the hassle of checking into another hotel.
Not that she had no reason.
“And besides, there’s always that.”
Casey grinned mischievously.
The kind of grin she wore whenever she thought about a case.
“Betty, you know what? Every time there’s a big event like this auction, something always happens.”
Watching Casey, already excited about a case that hadn’t even started, Betty groaned.
“At this point, aren’t you the one bringing the trouble with you? It’s kind of suspicious.”
“Ah~ I can’t wait to relax at the hotel~.”
“W-Wait! Stop! The rain! You’re letting the magic drop on purpose, aren’t you?! Casey!”
Casey ignored her screams completely.
* * *
The rain that had seemed like it would wash the world away finally stopped.
The sky, once choked with clouds, began to let light through again.
Sunlight broke through the cracks in the clouds.
I stood on the rooftop spire of a building, watching the view of Rederbelk.
The golden light of the setting sun met the clouds and spread across the horizon.
The Ramgier River, with its rushing currents, scattered light like ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) shards of glass.
Looking at the vast grandeur of the sky above and the silent city below brought back old memories.
The first time I met my teacher, when I first learned about this world.
When they brought me from the island to the mainland to show me a bigger world.
The sunset had been just as beautiful back then.
I reached out toward the sky.
It was the same sky, but it felt different now.
I was younger then, smaller, shorter. And that place wasn’t a city—it was a vast open field.
Where the wind ran wild like untamed horses, leaving trails across the grass.
Where, at night, the Milky Way stretched endlessly like silk.
The sounds of insects, the smell of the grass in the air.
I could still feel the touch of the tall reeds swaying in the wind at my fingertips.
“What are you thinking about?”
A voice called out.
I turned my head. Alex was climbing up the iron ladder leading to the spire.
“Nothing. Just looking at the sky.”
“The sky?”
Standing beside me, Alex whistled at the golden sunset filtered through the clouds.
“Damn. That’s a rare sight, even in a city like this. Maybe it’s the rain that makes it feel special.”
“Maybe.”
“But really? Up here alone, watching the sky? I didn’t know you were this sentimental.”
“You’re not just here to talk about the view. What do you want?”
Maybe because I cut straight to the point, Alex pulled a face for a second before sighing with a faint smile.
“I just wanted to say thanks.”
“For what?”
“For not pulling me out of this job. For trusting me.”
“You still can’t let her go?”
“I don’t deserve to.”
Alex always acted like a clown, but he wasn’t always like this.
He once had dreams—he worked hard for them.
Enya was someone he loved back then.
“Have you calmed down?”
“More or less.”
“You better be ready for the operation.”
“I’ll be fine. Trust me. Anyway, enough about me. I wanted to talk about the others.”
The others, huh.
I figured this was coming.
I’d gathered people with strong skills and even stronger quirks. They fit well with me, but there was no guarantee they’d get along with each other.
“Especially that big guy.”
“Phantos?”
“Who the hell is he? He almost wrecked everything back there!”
“Didn’t it all work out, though?”
“Only because I dropped your name. If I hadn’t kept my cool, we’d have blown our cover.”
“It can’t be helped. He only swore loyalty to me. He doesn’t care about anyone else.”
“Damn. So much for brotherhood. What a pain in the ass.”
“But Phantos is honest and straightforward. If you know how to work with that, he’ll be a great ally.”
“Ugh. Guys like him aren’t my type.”
“Funny, for someone who says that, you don’t seem to actually hate him. What about the others?”
At my question, Alex crossed his arms and thought.
“They’re all top-tier. Each one’s a pro in their field. But yeah, they’ve all got their quirks. Some worse than others.”
“Are you including yourself?”
“You’re no different, boss.”
Alex fired back with a grin.
“And that guy, Hans.”
“Yeah.”
“His intel gathering is great and all, but I just feel like something’s missing.”
“He’s done more than his share. Nothing to complain about.”
“I mean that weird ability of his. With that beast-shifting power, he could be a huge help in combat.”
So that’s what he was getting at.
“As you know, Hans avoids fighting. It’s just who he is.”
“A coward?”
“A coward, huh.”
I mulled over Alex’s sharp words and nodded.
He wasn’t wrong.
“Yeah. He is a coward. Even with that kind of power, he’d rather avoid a fight than get involved. That’s how he was before he met me—just running from everything.”
“Still, he looks pretty damn strong when he changes into a beast.”
Alex’s instincts were sharp.
When Hans took on animal traits, his physical strength was close to that of a knight trained in brutal combat.
The better the beast, the stronger he became.
But if Hans was the one wielding that power, well, it was a different story.
“Even if he doesn’t fight, Hans still does his part. More than enough. Pushing beyond that would just be meddling.”
“Yeah, I’m not really upset about it. It’s just a bit of a waste, you know? Having power like that and not using it.”
“Don’t be so negative. One day, Hans will find his resolve.”
“When’s that supposed to happen?”
“Maybe soon.”
I looked at the sun setting beyond the horizon.
“Maybe very soon.”
“That just your gut? Or a rational guess?”
“What do you think?”
“If I had to say—gut. Oh, and about that kid, Arfa.”
Alex seemed uncertain just mentioning Arfa.
“There’s something off.”
“Off how?”
“Just... the way he acts. The vibe he gives off. I get that anyone you bring in would be weird, but he’s something else...”
Alex glanced at me, testing the waters.
“What was he before?”
I didn’t answer. Just turned my back.
“Let’s go. We’ve got a job to prepare for.”
“Hah. Not telling me, huh?”
“Figuring it out for yourself has its merits.”
“You’re the worst, seriously.”
“If I told you everything, where’s the fun in that? Don’t rush. Work with him, you’ll learn. That’s part of life’s charm.”
Alex shook his head like he’d given up.
* * *
Time passed quickly, and soon the day of the grand event that would stir up Rederbelk arrived.
One by one, elegantly dressed people made their way to the Kunst Auction House.
Servants bowed deeply as they greeted the guests.
Even under the dark night sky, the Kunst Auction House was dazzling with lights.
The glow spilled past the streetlamps, shining even from afar.
This was the 20th anniversary auction for Kunst.
A three-day event, drawing the attention of the wealthy and the powerful.
The success of the opening night’s gala had only increased the buzz for the second day.
Famous actors, nobles, mages, tycoons, merchants—
Everywhere you looked, there were people whose names alone commanded respect.
‘Damn, it’s packed.’
Led by a servant into the auction hall, Erendir couldn’t help but be captivated by the luxurious surroundings.
‘Just how much is all this worth? Selling even one of these could probably save a whole neighborhood of commoners.’
As she was lost in that absurd thought, someone approached her.
“Princess Erendir von Exilion, Third Princess. Thank you for gracing Kunst with your presence. I’m Ivan Luk, the head of today’s auction. Please, just call me Luk.”
“Ah, yes.”
Erendir responded politely—this was just a formality for her. She didn’t care for people who dressed up to look important like Ivan.
But Ivan Luk, oblivious to her thoughts, extended his hand to escort her.
Given her status, Erendir couldn’t reject him outright, so she decided to play along—barely.
“Haha. Thank you for allowing me this precious time.”
“...It’s nothing.”
“I’ll take you to your special seat. Would you like to see the auction now?”
“No. I’m tired. I’d like to rest in my room first.”
“Ah, of course. Kunst also functions as a hotel, so I’ll take you to the VVIP suite.”
As she followed Ivan Luk, Erendir suddenly stopped, her gaze catching on something—or someone—familiar in the crowd.
“Is something wrong, Princess?”
“...No. It’s nothing.”
But she couldn’t take her eyes off the crowd.
‘Did I just imagine it?’
She could’ve sworn she saw someone she recognized.
But it happened so quickly, she couldn’t be sure if it was real.
* * *
Inside the Kunst Auction House, Ludger adjusted the tiny communicator in his ear and spoke to the others.
“This is <Unknown>. Can you hear me?”
One by one, the others responded clearly.
Even the usually silent Phantos confirmed with a simple “Yes,” and Ludger, satisfied, looked over the extravagant auction hall.
“This is it. Begin the operation.”
Operation codename—
<Ludger’s 8> had begun.
