Chapter 440 - 245: No Tricks Left

Isabella and Freya looked over. Sure enough, Baron was still staring in the direction the lady in the white hat had gone, lost in thought.

Baron noticed the two women’s gazes but offered no explanation. He simply nodded and turned his attention back to the auction hall.

’Of course, I’m not going to say I was trying to see which room number was on that woman’s key tag. No one would believe me even if I did.’

’506.’ He silently committed the number to memory, planning to find an opportunity later to see if he could rescue Vivian.

’The reason I’m not acting now is, first of all, the lady in the white hat has returned to the auction hall. This means she still wants to participate, so Vivian probably won’t be taken away so quickly.’

Second, Barbara, who had just returned from the restroom with a flushed face as if she had just done some cardio, suddenly sent him a telepathic message through her Spiritual Power:

"There are four more auction items before the Red Dragon Scale, Mr. Constantine."

Baron was startled but maintained a calm facade, replying via Spiritual Power, "You have the wrong person, Miss Barbara. I’m just an ordinary Attendant from Lancelot’s Family. The Constantine Clan is seated in the second row directly in front of us."

In the second row directly ahead, the Constantine Clan had sent only two people to this auction: Pound and his sister, Windsor.

This time, the siblings were not subjected to the harassment they usually faced at other banquets for bearing the Constantine surname.

This was likely because the son of the Constantine Family’s acting Patriarch had been accepted into the Wizard Holy Land, the London Tower.

However, there was a deeper, undeniable reason for this, no matter how much Pound refused to admit it.

The appearance of the Bronze Tier Dragon Knight, Baron Constantin, had forced their enemies to reconsider. Those who had once been hostile, even planning to seize the opportunity to carve up the Constantine Clan, were now re-evaluating the changes a Dragon Knight could bring to the clan—for instance, a Silver Tier.

Although a Silver Tier Law Enforcer couldn’t fully unleash their true power due to the restrictions of the Inner Side’s Law, even the power they could release was enough to annihilate a city.

In clan struggles, if an opposing clan was pushed too far, it wasn’t unheard of for a Silver Tier to silently infiltrate the enemy’s core territory and assassinate all of their key leaders.

Even now, at the end of the twentieth century, with all its technological advancements, a simple thing like infrared detection was hardly a real obstacle for a Silver Tier.

This was especially true if that Silver Tier was a Dragon Knight. Particularly one who had escaped countless pursuits by Law Enforcement Organizations and Old Blood Clans unscathed. And who, while on the run, had also managed to pull off major stunts—like bombing King’s Cross Station right in front of Silver Lion Wilder, sparking a conflict between the Inner and Outer Sides, and then simply walking away.

To the Old Blood Clans, this kind of lawless Old Race was the most terrifying. You couldn’t negotiate with a madman who acted without considering the consequences. All they could do was destroy.

Especially when that madman was still at large.

If Baron knew what the leaders of the Old Blood Clans were thinking—their fear and their assessment of him—he probably wouldn’t be able to stop himself from laughing.

Unfortunately, he had no time for laughter. He sensed that the woman sitting just one seat away from him—the Extremely Enchanting Witch, a famous socialite of the Inner Side, and the Legitimate Daughter of the Hestia Clan, Barbara Hestia—seemed to have discovered his true identity.

After hearing Baron’s reply, Barbara merely blinked. Her long lashes fluttered like butterflies, making her enchanting, fox-like eyes seem rounder and more alluring. Her full, rosy lips were like ripe cherries. Her shapely, crossed legs drew the gazes of all the surrounding men to her curvaceous figure, leaving them completely captivated and unable to look away.

’This woman... did she change her clothes?’ Baron noticed the change in Barbara’s attire. ’If I remember correctly, she was wearing an evening gown earlier, but now she’s in a form-fitting skirt. That’s an outfit better suited for combat... Is she about to expose me?’

Baron Constantin’s hand crept to the hilt of the Spear Sword at his waist. A hint of coldness gathered in his eyes. ’If Barbara makes a move, I have to take her out with a single, preemptive strike.’

’The crowd will definitely panic when Barbara dies. I can use the chaos to take care of Elder Pence... Hmm, Silver Lion Wilder is sitting right in front of him. To be safe, the best plan is to first use the news of the Dragon Eater Association’s attack on Traitor’s Cliff to start a panic. Then, I’ll find Vivian in the ensuing chaos and use the [Illusory Cocoon] to get away.’

The Escape King, Baron, instantly formulated a plan.

But Barbara knew none of this. She continued to gaze with great interest at the new item being brought to the stage, sending another telepathic message.

"Mr. Constantine, don’t be so quick to deny it. I just want to ask you a simple question."

Baron didn’t answer. ’She probably wants to make some kind of deal,’ he guessed.

On the surface, Barbara placated the men who kept staring at her with a flirtatious, charming smile, while simultaneously sending Baron a telepathic message:

"Am I beautiful enough?"

’Asking me if she’s beautiful? Is this some kind of secret code on the Inner Side, or did I mishear her?’

Baron felt a strange sense of anticlimax, like two masters agreeing to a duel to the death atop the Forbidden City on the night of the full moon, only to arrive and find it closed for maintenance.

He nodded. "Beautiful."

Although he couldn’t figure out what the Legitimate Daughter of the Hestia Clan was playing at, he still gave an honest answer.

Hearing Baron’s answer, Barbara Hestia’s lustrous eyes swept over him. After a moment’s silence, she said something that nearly caused his brain to short-circuit:

"In that case, how about I become your lover?"

’What... What would I want you as a lover for? Or is she just the type who accepts any offer? She did give off that vibe on the Magic Train...’ Baron thought.

"I’m not Constantine. You have the wrong person, Miss Barbara," Baron repeated.

That was his answer.

He then ignored Barbara’s slightly stunned expression, as well as Freya’s suspicious glances between them, focusing all his attention on the center of the auction hall, where another item he was interested in was being brought to the stage.

"The Red Dragon Reverse Scale!" the female auctioneer announced in a sweet voice, gesturing to the cart an Attendant had just wheeled out. "This is one of the twelve legendary Reverse Scales from a Red Dragon. It can be used to forge alchemy items, create Magic Potions, or even craft a Magic Staff! The starting bid is twenty million British Pounds!"

Baron checked his pulse. His heart rate was steady. ’The Dragon Witch still hasn’t shown herself... Could it be she didn’t come to the auction?’

’In any case,’ Baron breathed an inward sigh of relief. ’Since Carmen isn’t here, at least part of my goal has been met. The Witch didn’t walk into the trap.’

He then turned his focus to the Red Dragon Reverse Scale on display. On the surface, it didn’t look very different from the Red Dragon Scales he’d seen before. The only slight difference was that this so-called Reverse Scale was a bit smaller and had a faint, crimson-gold border.

The auctioneer explained that the crimson-gold was not merely a color, but a rune that only the Dragon Race could understand. Then, at the High Priest’s instruction, she recited the rune aloud.

Because the vocalizations of the Dragon Species differ from humans, it sounded less like speaking and more like a song—ancient and esoteric.

At first, Baron was just watching for the spectacle. He had long since discovered that the draconic aura hidden within Dragon Scales was highly beneficial for his training, but in this situation, it was best not to stir up trouble.

But his luck wouldn’t let him keep a low profile. As the auctioneer’s chant-like recitation continued, he suddenly felt the Dragon Pattern on his arm—the form his Dragon Spear had taken—begin to react.

A strange, burning heat surged through his arm, like water from a volcanic hot spring.

Baron sighed. He was truly at a loss for words. He never imagined that the Dragon Spear, which had been completely dormant ever since he’d bonded with it by blood at Dragon Spear Plaza, would react to the auctioneer’s chanting.

He was at a complete loss.