“Where on earth is this place?”

Nigel’s questioning gaze swept around before landing on Noah.

“…How are you here?”

Noah opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it. He realized it wasn’t a question meant to be answered.

Step. Step.

Nigel rapidly closed the distance between himself and Noah.

The closer she got, the sharper her gaze became.

“You, you took Amolio again, didn’t you?”

The truth she had been too preoccupied to confirm until now finally became clear.

When Noah Beselion touched her shoulder, nothing happened.

Noah maintained his silence until the end.

Realizing that silence meant affirmation, Nigel smiled bitterly and rubbed her face.

“…Let’s put this conversation aside for now. It seems our priority should be escaping from here, or finding a way to escape, one way or another.”

Noah slowly nodded.

Nigel gathered her wits and looked around the place she had teleported to.

A place accessible only by special means, without a single common window, illuminated brightly by chandeliers adorned with glowing stones.

The reception room, furnished with what were clearly high-end sofas, tea tables, and partitions that were unmistakably Allen’s taste, seemed suitable for conducting secret transactions.

“This seems to be the place we were looking for, at least.”

“It does.”

However, while there were guests, the staff member who was supposed to introduce the goods was unavoidably absent.

In other words, there was no point in staying cooped up here.

“We should probably leave, don’t you think?”

Nod.

Having quickly come to an agreement, Nigel and Noah opened the door to the reception room.

“…!”

At the same time, their eyes met with an employee passing by the door.

“Be-Be-Beselion…?”

The employee stuttered, pointing a finger at Noah.

“Wh-why is the Emperor’s Sword here…?”

With a confused face, she quickly turned her back, as if about to call for someone.

“Beselion! Knock her out!”

No sooner had Nigel finished speaking than Noah struck the employee’s neck, cleanly knocking her unconscious.

“Well done.”

Noah smiled slightly at Nigel’s praise.

Unaware that Nigel was thinking, ‘This is just like a pocket monster battle.’

“By the way, why did this employee react so excessively? Surely the auction participant list must have been circulated.”

“It’s probably because our family’s image is so strong.”

“…That’s true.”

The Emperor’s Sword.

A nickname naturally given to the Beselion family, who for generations had unhesitatingly cut down anything that caused chaos in the empire under the emperor’s orders.

Among the things their swords had cut were monsters and Nigel, who had controlled those monsters.

“Your hair color is so conspicuous that it must be difficult for you to even act like a disobedient son.”

“Yes, that’s how it appears on the surface.”

It seemed that the righteous image of Beselion was so strong that one had to be careful with words and actions even in everyday life.

‘…But why aren’t you careful with your actions towards me? Why are you throwing away your life?? What’s with this selective disobedience?’

Nigel clenched her fist to suppress her rising anger.

“Anyway, let’s go back to the reception room. …I’ve thought of a good plan.”

Nigel said meaningfully, alternately looking at the unconscious employee on the floor and Noah.

Inside the reception room.

Noah’s face was bright red, his eyes tightly shut.

“Um… Nigel? Don’t you think it would be better if I went outside? It might be uncomfortable with me here.”

“I said it’s fine, so what’s the problem? I’ll be behind the partition anyway, and you’ll be facing away, so I won’t even see you. Just think of me as Allen.”

“B-but…!”

Noah covered his face with both hands and groaned at the absurd suggestion.

Of course, even though Nigel wasn’t visible, Noah’s sensitive ears could clearly hear Nigel’s presence.

“Is there any reason to spread rumors that Beselion came to raid the Lumen auction? Just bear with it a little longer. I’m almost done changing.”

Rustle. Rustle.

The clear sound of clothes brushing against skin made Noah want to cry.

He was certain that fighting people outside would be more peaceful for his mind.

Every second felt excruciatingly long and distant.

“…Alright, you can open your eyes now.”

Noah raised his head with great relief.

When he opened his eyes, Nigel was dressed in a black pants suit for employees.

Noah stared blankly, forgetting even to blink, at Nigel’s mature yet different atmosphere.

“What are you looking at? …Do I still look too childish?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Noah, do you have any spare strings or something?”

“Ah, no.”

Nigel, who had been looking around, stared blankly at her own chest.

“Ah. This will do.”

Nigel unhesitatingly untied her black necktie and used it to tie her black hair up high.

This revealed Nigel’s fair and slender neckline.

“Now I look less childish… Why are you turning your head away? Is it that bad? I tried copying Professor Roneh’s style.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

Noah continued to avoid looking directly at Nigel’s face.

“Never mind. It’s just for show anyway.”

Nigel clicked her tongue and approached Noah step by step.

Before Noah knew it, Nigel was right in front of him.

Completely shattering Noah’s expectation that she would stop there, Nigel pressed herself against Noah’s chest.

“…?!”

Startled, Noah threw his hands up and stepped backward.

Thud.

But Nigel, using her innate reflexes, quickly grabbed Noah’s sleeve to stop his movement.

“What on earth is this…?”

“The Beselion Disobedient Son Project.”

“Pardon?”

“It might be unpleasant, but think of me as Allen and bear with it. It’s all necessary for the plan.”

Although Nigel kindly recited the name of her plan and the reason for her actions, Noah couldn’t hear anything due to Nigel’s fluttering hair touching his body.

Nigel reached for Noah’s waist while facing him.

Shing.

She then drew Noah’s sword and turned her back, bringing it near her neck.

Noah, seeing the situation becoming even stranger, snatched the sword handle from Nigel’s grasp.

“That’s dangerous!”

“It’s supposed to be dangerous.”

“Pardon?”

“I told you, didn’t I? The Disobedient Son Project. I’ll pretend to be an employee, and you threaten me to get information.”

“Then I…”

Noah trailed off, unable to finish his sentence while holding the sword blankly.

“Yes, you will.”

Nigel said, adding weight to the sword while raising the corners of her mouth.

“Is there really a need to go this far with the disguise, or to be this close?”

“Yes. We have to. Realism is key in these situations.”

Nigel said firmly, briefly facing Noah. As if entranced, Noah slowly placed the sword against Nigel’s neck.

“Remember, realism is key.”

Nigel turned around nonchalantly and started walking, with Noah following cautiously behind, worried that the sword might accidentally stab Nigel.

Creak.

The reception room door opened once again.

“Oh…?”

Once again, Kirelia did not betray Nigel.

The moment the door opened, they encountered a male employee wearing clothes identical to Nigel’s.

“Beselion…?”

As the employee’s head tilted in confusion.

“Help me!! Beselion is trying to kill me!”

Nigel cried out pitifully. Even knowing that the sorrowful voice was an act, the tip of Noah’s sword trembled slightly.

The employee was momentarily flustered before pulling out a hidden dagger.

“H-hey, let the child go, you coward!”

‘…I guess tying up my hair was useless after all? Well, it doesn’t matter since the situation has turned in our favor.’

Nigel slightly furrowed her brow and took a step forward, allowing the sword to barely touch her neck.

At this, both Noah behind Nigel and the employee in front froze.

Hmm, was putting the neck against the sword too unnatural?

“…”

“…”

A moment of silence followed.

‘Why isn’t Beselion saying anything?’

Even though the employee would find this suspicious, Noah seemed to have no intention of opening his mouth to help Nigel.

Glancing up at Noah, Nigel saw that he was completely frozen, not knowing what to do.

‘I thought he’d be good at acting since he’s good with his body.’

With a mindset of taking responsibility for her own actions, Nigel spoke again.

“Mister, please help me! Beselion threatened to kill me if I don’t hand over the special item!!”

The moment Nigel opened her mouth, she was certain.

Ah, this act was a bit of a failure.

Who in their right mind would calmly and precisely state the demands of their threatener in a life-or-death situation, with a sharp sword about to cut their throat?

It lacked both desperation and naturalness to an absurd degree.

Sure enough, the employee, sensing the dissonance in Nigel’s soulless voice, narrowed his eyes.

“Could it be that you two are in cahoots…”

“Ah, we’ve been found out.”

Nigel swiftly swung her fist. The destination of the fist was the employee’s chin.

Noah’s sword, which had been obstructing Nigel’s view, was finally quickly withdrawn, and Nigel’s small but powerful right fist landed squarely on the employee’s chin.

…Thud!

Soon after, the man collapsed to the floor.

Nigel turned around and said lightly.

“I guess this method was too much?”

Nod.

Noah, with an exhausted expression, quickly agreed.

“Then let’s cleanly give up and move on to the next method.”

There’s more…?

Seeing Noah’s face clearly expressing this thought, Nigel couldn’t help but burst into laughter.