Chapter 163: East Anekta Crisis (2)

"Are you listening, Eden?"

Lucy’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Hm?"

Vespera looked at him.

"I was explaining the security regulations."

"Right. Sorry."

Lucy narrowed her eyes.

"You haven’t been listening at all, have you?"

"I’ve been listening."

"What did she just say?"

Eden looked at Vespera.

She waited.

He considered his options.

"Something about security."

Lucy sighed.

Vespera laughed softly, apparently finding the exchange amusing.

"It’s alright. I’ll give you both the full briefing at the hotel. There’s quite a bit to cover, and I imagine you’re tired from travelling."

"That would be appreciated," Eden replied.

They continued along the promenade.

It was then that a group of people approached from the opposite direction.

There were several of them, all dressed in expensive yet practical clothing. Their equipment and posture made it obvious that they were Awakened. A few wore the same emblem on their jackets: a blue crest.

Eden’s attention settled on the man walking at the front.

Blonde hair. Bright blue eyes. A handsome face that carried the sort of practiced confidence often found in people accustomed to being admired.

Eden recognized him immediately.

Leonard.

An S-Rank Awakened who had once stood among the strongest in Germany. He had eventually left the country after being overshadowed by Hades, accepting an offer from Norway instead. Not long afterward, he joined forces with another S-Rank and helped establish the freelancer group known as Blue Crest.

The group was made up of Leonard, eight Peak A-Rank Awakened, and its leader: Norway’s strongest S-Rank, Ember.

Eden’s gaze moved across the group.

And there she was.

A woman with purple hair and purple eyes, walking a short distance behind Leonard. Her expression was calm, but there was an unmistakable authority in the way the others positioned themselves around her.

Ember.

’What are they doing here?’

Leonard noticed Eden as well. His expression brightened, and he changed direction slightly, approaching their group.

"Well, well. If it isn’t Eden."

He extended a hand.

"I’ve heard quite a lot about you lately."

Eden looked at the offered hand before accepting it.

"Have you?"

"Of course. It’s hard not to hear about someone who managed to defeat a Boss an entire rank above his own."

Their hands met.

Leonard’s smile remained in place, but as he leaned closer, his voice dropped to a whisper.

"Don’t get ahead of yourself, kid. Defeating an S-Rank boss with help doesn’t mean you’re suddenly on the same level as the rest of us."

Eden’s expression didn’t change.

He looked at Leonard for a brief moment, then released his hand.

’Ah.’

’I see.’

It wasn’t difficult to understand what sort of person Leonard was. The friendly expression, the polite words, the carefully maintained appearance of a respectable senior Awakened. Beneath it all was a rather petty man who couldn’t stand seeing someone younger receive recognition he believed belonged to him.

He had little interest in entertaining a petty bastard like him.

"Noted," he replied.

Leonard’s smile twitched.

Before he could say anything else, a woman’s voice cut through the conversation.

"Leonard. Stop bothering random guests."

The blonde man turned.

Ember had stepped forward, her purple eyes fixed on him. There was no warmth in her expression.

Leonard’s face tightened for a fraction of a second. Then he turned toward her with an almost comically artificial smile.

"Of course."

He stepped aside.

Ember approached the group.

"My apologies for that. I’m Ember, leader of Blue Crest."

"Eden. And this is Lucy. Our guide is Vespera."

Ember greeted each of them in turn. Her handshake was firm, and her manner was considerably more straightforward than Leonard’s.

"I hope he didn’t cause any trouble."

"Nothing worth worrying about," Eden replied.

"Good."

Ember glanced at the two of them.

"Are you here for the auction?"

"That’s the plan," Eden said. "I assume Blue Crest is here for the same reason?"

"Not exactly. We’ve been hired to assist with security during the event."

Eden’s attention sharpened.

"Security?"

"Yes. The organizers wanted additional support from a few reputable groups. With so many valuable items being brought to the island, it’s only natural that they’d want extra protection."

"I see."

Eden kept his expression neutral.

But inside, his thoughts had come to an abrupt halt.

’They’re part of the security?’

He looked at Leonard, then at Ember.

’An S-Rank leader, another S-Rank, and eight Peak A-Ranks. That was a formidable force, especially when combined with the island’s own security personnel.’

’How did Aphelios manage to pull off the attack with these people here?’

’It wasn’t simply a matter of overwhelming the island with monsters. Even if Aphelios had managed to summon a large number of creatures, two S-Ranks and eight Peak A-Ranks should have been enough to contain most threats.’

’Unless...’

’Unless the attack didn’t begin where I think it did.’

Eden stored the thought away.

He would need to investigate the security arrangements more thoroughly. The presence of Blue Crest had complicated his plans, but it had also provided him with an unexpected opportunity. If he could learn how they were assigned to the island, he might be able to predict where they would be positioned when the attack began.

"That’s quite a responsibility," he said.

"It is," Ember replied. "But we’ve handled worse."

The conversation continued for a few minutes. Unlike Leonard, Ember seemed genuinely interested in Eden’s recent achievements. She asked about the tournament and the battle against the S-Rank boss, though she didn’t pry into anything particularly personal.

Eden answered casually, occasionally making a dry remark that drew a laugh from her.

Lucy, meanwhile, had become increasingly quiet.

She stood beside Eden, watching the two of them talk. There was nothing overtly flirtatious about their conversation, but Ember’s easygoing attitude and Eden’s willingness to engage with her were enough to make Lucy uncomfortable.

She shifted closer until her shoulder was almost touching Eden’s arm.

Eden didn’t notice.

Vespera did.

She glanced at Lucy, then at Ember, and seemed to understand the situation. Rather than comment, she simply continued standing beside them.

Eventually, Ember looked toward her group.

"We should get going. There are still a few arrangements to finalize before the auction begins."

"Of course," Eden said.

"Enjoy your stay on East Anekta. Perhaps we’ll see each other again."

"I’m sure we will."

Ember gave him a final nod before turning away. Leonard followed, though not before casting Eden a brief, irritated glance.

The Blue Crest members disappeared into the crowd.

Lucy watched them leave.

"You’re quite popular today," she muttered.

Eden looked at her.

"Am I?"

"You tell me."

He stared at her for a moment, then shrugged.

"She seemed nice."

Lucy’s expression grew slightly more sour.

Vespera quietly cleared her throat.

"Well, shall we continue? There’s still quite a bit of the island I’d like to show you."

"Sure."

Eden began walking again, unaware of the look Lucy gave his back before following.

His thoughts had already returned to the auction.

’With Blue Crest stationed on the island, the situation was considerably more complicated than I had hoped for.’

’Still...’

’I’m not leaving empty-handed.’

’A Kitsune Essence Potion for Lucy. Another for myself. And a Wyvern Elixir, capable of increasing all five attributes by fifty points.’

Those were the items he intended to obtain.

He didn’t care how much they were worth, nor how many wealthy collectors had their eyes on them. He wasn’t planning to purchase them anyway.

He was planning to steal them.

And if everything went according to his memories, the third day would provide him with exactly the opportunity he needed.