Chapter 239: A Familiar Face

"I’ll get it."

Killian stood up immediately, as if he’d been waiting for an excuse to move; clearly bored out of his mind.

Regis let out a wry smile, while Pandora didn’t even bother opening her eyes. Aurum simply chuckled under his breath.

Creak—

"Who is it?" Killian asked as he pulled open the door.

Standing before him was one of the maidservants, her posture straight and respectful, hands folded neatly at her stomach, and head slightly bowed.

"Greetings, Young Master Killian. May I come in? I have a message for Lord Aurum."

Killian gave a small nod and stepped aside without a word.

As she entered, Aurum raised an eyebrow, curious.

"Hm? Someone wants to see me?"

Regis glanced over, a flicker of caution in his voice.

"It couldn’t be someone from the Crypto Merchantry already, right? It’s too early."

The maidservant gave a low bow.

"Lord Aurum, a man is requesting your presence."

"Do you know who he is?" Aurum asked.

"Judging by his garments, he appears to be affiliated with the Crypto Merchantry." She replied, then paused briefly.

"However... he told me he carries information that could help you remove one of the thickest thorns lodged in your throat."

Aurum’s fingers moved slowly to his chin as he fell into thought, brows furrowing.

"Where is he now?"

"I led him to the garden patio. He said he’ll wait there—and requested that you come alone."

Aurum stood from his seat after a moment of silence.

"Alright, let’s go."

As he passed by Regis, he gave his shoulder a solid tap.

"Get up. You’re coming with me."

"Me?" Regis blinked, pointing to himself in surprise.

"Yes, you. What, you think those two would be interested in this?"

Regis glanced toward Pandora, who hadn’t moved an inch, and Killian, who was halfway through sneaking out of the study like a shadow.

"Alright..." he said, rising. "But didn’t the guy ask you to come alone?"

Aurum gave a shrug and a smirk.

"So?" His voice sharpened, "No one tells me what to do in my own home."

Regis exhaled with a slight grin. He knew this tone— not the warm father or loving husband— but the calculating merchant.

This was the Golden Hand of the Midas Merchant Organization.

"Lead the way." Aurum commanded, his voice layered with calm but unmistakable authority.

The maidservant bowed once more before responding softly as she guided them out, "Very well, Milord."

***

Outside the Midas Mansion...

The maidservant led the way through the garden. Aurum walked with a firm, serious expression, while Regis took the chance to appreciate the garden’s beauty more than he had earlier.

Colorful beds of flowers bloomed vibrantly across the grounds.

The ornately patterned stone paths, winding like threads through the greenery, were accompanied by the gentle splashing of water from a sculpted stone fountain nearby.

After a minute or so, a figure clad in full armor came into view.

The insignia of the Crypto Merchantry was engraved on his breastplate.

In front of him were several stacks of books, neatly bundled together with string and wrapped in plain maroon cloth.

Sensing their presence, the armored man turned his head and watched them approach in silence.

He continued to observe them steadily as they arrived in front of him.

Aurum locked eyes with the man— or rather, with the dark slits in his helmet— his gaze sharp and penetrating.

For a few moments, neither said a word.

Then Aurum smirked.

"You’re not reacting, even though I ignored your request to come alone?"

"I didn’t expect you to follow it anyway." The man replied, his voice coarse and heavy.

Aurum narrowed his eyes slightly, then sat down across from him, with Regis taking the seat beside him.

Once they were settled, Aurum spoke with measured interest.

"Interesting... you seem to know me well."

"And I know the opposite isn’t true."

Aurum chuckled at the blunt response, then asked with a smile, "Would you like something to drink?"

"I’m fine."

Aurum glanced toward the maidservant, who bowed with understanding.

"I’ll take my leave, My Lord. Please call if you need anything."

As she walked away, silence returned— but only for a moment.

Then, the armored man finally spoke.

"What I have here is enough to run the Crypto Merchantry into the ground. Records of all their illegal activities—trafficking of various races, connections to cults... It’s all here."

"Oho?" Aurum leaned forward, resting his elbows on the tea table and supporting his chin with one hand.

"You do realize I could just take it by force, don’t you?"

"And I know you won’t."

Aurum’s amused smile lingered, "Alright then. What do you want in return?"

There was a pause.

The armored man seemed to weigh his words carefully.

"Someone important to me was a victim of the Ruins of Gold. I want you to lift the curse on them."

The armored man said, carefully keeping his words vague, offering not even the slightest clue about their identity.

Regis showed no outward reaction, but a jolt of surprise ran through his mind.

’They found out that fast?’

It had not even been an hour since they left the Hall of Awakening.

He turned to Aurum, only to find the man’s expression completely unchanged.

"That process takes time."

Aurum replied flatly, "My family was the first to receive it— it was still untested on humans before this day. Fortunately, they survived."

He spoke of his own family as if they’d been little more than test subjects.

The armored man flinched at the coldness of his words.

’He’s not even denying it? But why?’

’No... this man isn’t someone I could ever fully understand. Still... that means there’s hope.’

Though his heart swelled with cautious optimism, the armored man kept his expression steady.

"When will you be able to perform it again?"

Aurum did not answer directly. Instead, he turned his head slightly toward Regis.

"Give us three days." Regis said calmly.

’That boy...?’

Now truly noticing him, the armored man felt a flicker of unease.

’To speak for him so naturally... to sit beside him like that... who is he?’

But his thoughts were interrupted as Aurum leaned back.

"Then it’s decided."

With the clank of metal, the man rose from his seat.

"I’ll be taking my leave now."

Aurum watched him walk off along the patterned stone path. Regis, too, remained still.

Just before the armored figure left earshot, Aurum called out casually:

"Be sure to give my regards to Carole. I’ll be looking forward to your return, Gerald."

At the sound of his words, the armored man flinched and paused— but only for a moment— before continuing on his way without a word.

Despite being outwardly ignored, Aurum’s smile never left his face.

As the man’s figure disappeared into the distance, Regis turned to Aurum and asked, "You know him?"

"Hmm... you could say that." Aurum replied, standing up.

"Come. I’ll tell you on the way."

Regis followed, and neither of them gave so much as a glance to the stack of supposed "evidence" left behind.

As they walked the winding stone path back toward the mansion, Aurum finally spoke.

"I know him. He was once my most trusted man. Cold as he may act now, I can tell... he’s still the same person I used to trust with my back."

Regis narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Then how do you explain the documents being rigged with trap magic spells?"

"True." Aurum admitted with a sigh, "But I also know this—every time he and his wife visited their daughter at the Hall of Awakening, they always left flowers for Martha, Auryn, and Patti."

Regis blinked at that.

His heart warmed a little at the unexpected tenderness.

Aurum smiled faintly as he gazed at a butterfly fluttering through the garden.

"They did that even after things soured between us... after the incident."

"I thought you supported the victims’ families?"

"I did. Financially. That’s all I could offer at the time. But I’m not perfect. Grief made me bitter... shortsighted. I said things I shouldn’t have—and made some... very bad decisions."

He paused, expression unreadable.

"I focused so much on growing the organization that I stopped listening to the people closest to me. My comrades, my brother—"

He glanced at Regis, "Even to my very own daughter."

A brief silence settled between them.

Sensing that Aurum did not wish to go deeper into the topic, Regis did not press further.

Instead, he shifted the conversation.

"Still... that doesn’t change the fact that the documents he brought were laced with explosive magic."

"True. But we’ll know more once we dispel them." Aurum said calmly.

"You really think they’re genuine?"

Aurum gave him a side glance and smirked.

"I do. And I think it’ll be the perfect thing for Pandora to practice on, don’t you?"

Regis chuckled and nodded, "Now that you mention it..."

The two of them stepped through the doors of the Midas Mansion just as the warm glow of the setting sun bathed the garden in soft orange hues—a calm before the long night that awaited them.

***

"Achoo!"

"Pandora, are you alright?"

Martha asked, brows knitting in concern.

Pandora, who was wiping her nose with a napkin, gave a small nod.

"Yes, Auntie. Someone’s probably talking about me, that’s all..."