Following Bert’s guidance, we unpacked our belongings and headed to the dining hall.
The building was so vast that walking through it took quite some time, but with so much to see, there was no room for boredom. It felt like a place where someone had stolen expensive items from all over and splattered money everywhere.
“Wow…”
Upon arriving at the dining hall, a long, straight dining table came into view, lined with mouth watering dishes that made my stomach growl.
“Come, everyone, take a seat.”
We all sat at the table. Across from me were Choi Seo-yoon and Lee Hyun-joo, while Lee Seo-jun sat beside me.
“Wow, this looks amazing.”
Lee Seo-jun muttered as he gazed at the food on the table. The table was filled with perfectly cooked steak, salad, high-quality sashimi—dishes that anyone would find irresistible. Across from me, Choi Seo-yoon and Lee Hyun-joo also swallowed their saliva.
“This feels more like a vacation than a mercenary job.”
“…I agree.”
“Don’t hold back, eat as much as you’d like. Who knows, you might have a rough night ahead of you.”
“Yes, thank you for the meal!”
Despite Bert’s ominous remark, the students didn’t question it too much and eagerly responded.
And so, our meal began. The food was so well-prepared that it practically melted in my mouth.
“Mm… it’s so good.”
Lee Hyun-joo, who had a strong appetite, made a blissful expression, causing Lee Seo-jun to chuckle.
Bert watched us with a smile before speaking.
“You know, I’ve been so focused on my art career that I’m not too familiar with these things, so I hope you don’t mind me asking a few questions?”
“Of course, ask away.”
“What are your rankings at the Mage Academy?”
Each of us answered Bert’s question.
“I’m ranked first in my first year.”
“I’m sixth in the second year.”
“Wow, you all have really high rankings.”
Then, Bert’s gaze turned to me.
“I’m seventy-second.”
“…That’s still impressive for an elite school!”
“…Yeah.”
Finally, her gaze landed on Lee Seo-jun.
“Seo-jun, you’re so well-known that I already know your rank. You’re first, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Oh my~ Your family must be so proud.”
At that, Lee Seo-jun gave a faint, bitter smile. I momentarily stopped eating and watched Bert closely.
Bert threw another question at Lee Seo-jun.
“Do you have any siblings?”
“No.”
“Oh, so you’re an only child?”
“I suppose so.”
At Lee Seo-jun’s response, Bert quietly chuckled.
“‘Suppose so’? That’s an interesting answer. Hehe.”
“I don’t have a family.”
“Oh… I’m sorry.”
Even though she surely already knew, Bert apologized shamelessly. Then, looking at him with a hint of sympathy, she continued.
“Do you have no memories of them at all?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“You don’t even know what kind of people they were?”
“That’s right.”
“Hmm…”
Bert nodded.
“It seems we’re quite alike. I grew up as an orphan too.”
“Really?”
Lee Seo-jun seemed intrigued.
“Yes, so I understand how you feel. Not having a family can be lonely and isolating, can’t it? Let’s stay strong together.”
“Thank you.”
At Bert’s comforting words, Lee Seo-jun smiled and responded.
At the same time, about a kilometer away from Bert’s estate, a small cabin was filled with the sweet aroma of grilled meat. Five people sat around in a circle, enjoying a barbecue.
They were members of Jaun, stationed here under Bert’s orders, passing the time with food while waiting.
“Ughaha! This is delicious! Eat up, guys!”
“Shut up, pig. When are you going to lose weight?”
“Ugh, why are you picking a fight again?! Wanna die? I told you not to mess with me!”
A muscular man, Skar, snapped as he chewed, spraying food everywhere, causing Natasha, a young woman, to frown.
“Ugh, you idiot… You just spit food all over me!”
“Hey, both of you, shut up and eat.”
At Jin’s command, Natasha and Skar glared at each other before stuffing their mouths with meat.
“So, how long do we have to wait?”
“It’s 8:20 now, so about an hour and forty minutes left.”
“Do we really have to do this?”
“Bert really wants to test Lee Seo-jun’s abilities, so what choice do we have?”
“Still, playing the role of a petty thief? Come on, that’s just ridiculous!”
Skar raised his voice, pointing at the black masks in his hand.
Tonight, they were going to pretend to be thieves targeting the artist Charlotte’s work in order to test Lee Seo-jun’s skills. It was a ridiculous plan, but it was the best way to engage him without revealing their true identities.
Of course, there was also a bit of personal amusement involved.
“Bert gave the order, so just do it. Personally, I think it’ll be fun.”
At Jin’s words, Skar let out a deep sigh and shoved eight pieces of meat into his mouth, grinning.
“Ughaha, delicious!”
“By the way, can we just kill everyone except Lee Seo-jun?”
“Are you crazy? Just fight a little and then retreat.”
“Hmm, but I’m not good at holding back…”
Natasha scratched her head.
After finishing the meal, we had some free time.
The current time was 9 PM.
There was about an hour left until the incident would occur at 10 PM.
Bert also mentioned that since the theft was likely to happen after 10 PM, we could act freely until then.
Lee Seo-jun and Lee Hyun-joo had gone outside together earlier.
Glancing out the window, I saw them talking on a hill.
They were probably discussing past memories or their future career paths.
And Choi Seo-yoon…
I wasn’t sure. Well, she was likely wandering around the mansion, admiring the artworks.
“Hmm… It must be somewhere around here.”
I had been walking through the hallways for about thirty minutes, looking around.
I was searching for a hidden, secret space within the mansion.
“This place is really huge.”
The mansion was about four stories tall. Even calculating just the floor area, it seemed to be around 500 pyeong. *17,790 square feet
Judging by the expensive things Bert had stolen over the past thirteen years of hiding, she must have accumulated quite a fortune.
As I continued walking, I spotted a massive clock gleaming in gold at the end of the hallway.
“Wow. It’s entirely made of gold.”
I wasn’t exaggerating—it was a clock made entirely of gold.
How much would something like this even cost?
With its size, at least three people could fit inside.
Just as I was admiring the clock, my [Outsider’s Privilege] activated, revealing the complex magic formulas inscribed on it.
“…A barrier?”
It was definitely a barrier.
I could see various magic inscriptions, including concealment magic, illusion magic, and locking spells.
“…Found it.”
This was it. The secret room where Jaun’s treasure was hidden.
Jaun stored some of the treasures and artifacts obtained through their acts of terror in their hideouts.
In the original story, at least thirteen of Jaun’s hideouts had been revealed, meaning there were likely even more undiscovered locations.
I casually glanced out the window.
Under the bright lights, Bert was sitting in a chair, sipping tea.
There was no one inside the mansion monitoring me.
Even if I secretly dispelled the barrier now, no one would notice.
Moreover, with nearly an hour left until the scheduled time of 10 PM, it was the perfect chance to disable the barrier and steal the treasure undetected…
“Hmm.”
However, something was bothering me about deactivating the barrier right now.
If I dispelled the barrier, Bert might sense the release of mana.
Of course, there was a solution.
A method that only I could use in this world—by utilizing the Point Shop.
[Entering the Point Shop.]
[Searching for ‘Mana Concealment’.]
━━
▶[Item] Low-Grade Mana Concealment Elixir (C)
▶[Item] Intermediate Mana Concealment Elixir (B)
▶[Item] High-Grade Mana Concealment Elixir (A)
▶[Item] Supreme Mana Concealment Elixir (S)
▶[Special] Mana Concealment Field (SS)
━━
A long list of search results appeared.
I selected the ‘Low-Grade Mana Concealment Elixir’.
━━
[Low-Grade Mana Concealment Elixir (C)]
Category: Item (Single-use consumable)
Description: Conceals C-rank or lower mana flow upon consumption.
*Duration: 10 minutes
Price: 5,000 points
━━
A Mana Concealment Elixir.
A special consumable item that temporarily hides the flow of mana.
Since dispelling the barrier wouldn’t require too much mana, a low-grade elixir should be sufficient.
[Would you like to purchase it?]
‘Purchase.’
Swoooosh—
A bright white light flashed before my eyes.
The light gradually took shape, forming a small vial filled with a transparent liquid.
I examined it briefly before opening my mouth and downing it in one gulp.
“…Hmm.”
Unlike a mana elixir, this potion had no taste. It just felt like drinking plain water.
[The effect of ‘Low-Grade Mana Concealment Elixir’ is active. C-rank or lower mana will be concealed for 10 minutes.]
That should do it.
I slowly approached the giant clock and gathered mana in my hand, channelling it into the clock.
As blue mana flowed out, the magical inscriptions on the clock began to glow.
I couldn’t fully dispel the barrier.
They had to realize the treasure was stolen as late as possible.
Fortunately, the barrier here was structured in a way that it could be opened by tampering slightly with the locking spell.
Swoooosh…
As mana surged, the shape of the clock began to shift.
Soon, the illusion magic concealing the passage dissolved, revealing a hidden space.
“…Got it.”
I slowly stepped into the space.
Ssshhh…
As I entered, the barrier behind me automatically restored itself, sealing the entrance.
Before me was a long hallway.
I steadied my heartbeat and walked forward.
In the distance, I saw a small room.
If my guess was right, the treasure would be inside that room.
“Is this it?”
A dazzling golden chest.
I hoped the item inside was a ‘Sacred Relic’—an artifact that would play a crucial role in the story later—but the chances were slim.
According to the original story, they stored Sacred Relics in far more secure locations.
I activated [Outsider’s Privilege] and examined the golden chest.
“…Hmm.”
As expected, a complex barrier was placed on the chest as well.
And this barrier was several times more intricate than the one on the clock.
The problem wasn’t just the barrier.
A sealing technique using a magical artifact was also applied.
“Tsk.”
Disabling the sealing technique itself wasn’t too difficult, but extracting the item without breaking the seal was going to be quite a hassle.
If I completely lifted the seal, Jaun’s group would immediately realize the treasure was stolen, and I had no idea what they might do in response.
“…This will take some time.”
About twenty minutes, maybe?
Well, it wasn’t a big deal.
I still had enough time.
I used the Point Shop to purchase a few more Mana Concealment Elixirs.
I had spent over 10,000 points in an instant, but the hidden items here were likely worth far more than that, so it didn’t matter much.
Now, everything was ready.
Time to break the seal.
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