Chapter 29 - The Toy Of Mistress
The instant the old man’s identity was exposed, the entire auction hall erupted into chaos.
Many guests shot to their feet and some looked genuinely terrified.
Others instinctively reached for concealed weapons while their guards protected them.
Among the VIP boxes, a middle-aged man quietly clenched his fist.
He was another werewolf.
Using their unique pack communication, he silently issued an order to the werewolves hidden throughout the hall.
’Do not interfere until I order you, remain hidden for now.’
He also sent the same instruction to the vampires who had secretly defected to their side.
Their plan was flawless and for a year, nobody had paid attention to them.
One exposed operative was a small price to pay if it ignited a war.
Unfortunately, they had underestimated one person.
Patricia Vale, the leader of Blood Tide.
From the stage, Patricia had observed every subtle reaction the moment the first werewolf was shot.
Most guests had been shocked while some were frightened.
But a handful, had instinctively revealed hostility instead of surprise.
That single mistake was enough.
Two blood-red spears formed behind Patricia without warning.
With a flick of her wrist.
Whoosh!
They pierced the stomachs of two different guests.
"AAAH!"
One of them roared in fury instead of pain.
His body rapidly transformed as the wound healed before everyone’s eyes.
Dark fur spread across his skin.
Claws burst from his fingertips.
Patricia’s expression turned ice cold.
"So, there are more rats hiding among us."
Before she could launch another attack, heavy footsteps echoed through the hall.
The Continental’s security had arrived.
Leading them was a white-haired man with an unusually straight posture and an expression that revealed almost nothing.
His name was Jin.
He looked first at Patricia.
"Miss Patricia, I strongly advise against turning the Continental into a battlefield. Our guests chose this venue because of the Continental’s reputation."
Patricia smiled faintly.
"Of course, I would never harm my guests."
Then she slowly looked toward the transformed werewolves.
"But, they are no longer guests and as tonight’s auctioneer, I have the authority to revoke that privilege."
She looked directly at Jin.
"Wouldn’t you agree?"
Jin’s expression stiffened.
He knew exactly what she was trying to do.
If the werewolves were officially declared intruders, the Continental could no longer justify protecting them.
Before he could respond, Patricia raised her hand.
Nearly ten vampires instantly surrounded the three exposed werewolves.
The atmosphere became suffocating.
Then, a laugh echoed from one of the VIP rooms.
"I was wondering how our people had been discovered."
A tall man slowly stood.
The artifact concealing his appearance shattered into particles of light.
His youthful face disappeared.
In its place stood a broad-shouldered man with silver hair and amber eyes.
Patricia narrowed her eyes before a dangerous smile appeared.
"Bale."
The leader of the werewolves had finally revealed himself.
***
On the other side.
I was already gone.
The only thing I carried with me was my backpack and that was enough.
I had never intended to stay and watch the show.
Creating the spark had been my only job.
The hatred between vampires and werewolves would handle everything else.
Neither side could afford to ignore what had happened tonight.
Both Patricia and Bale were regional leaders of their respective organizations.
Once they became personally involved, the conflict would escalate on its own.
Exactly as I wanted.
By the time they realized someone had manipulated them, I would have the thing I wanted.
I rode the motorcycle to a secluded road several hundred meters from the vampire estate.
Parking beneath a line of trees, I continued on foot.
The mansion remained brightly lit.
I kept my distance.
My third day of scouting had already taught me a valuable lesson.
Vampires possessed senses completely different from humans.
Back then, one of them had almost tracked me after I carelessly extended my perception too far.
Fortunately, I had prepared multiple escape routes beforehand.
Since then, I had been far more cautious.
Closing my eyes, I extended my senses toward the estate.
Without this ability, planning an infiltration of this place would’ve taken weeks.
Then, roughly fifteen minutes later, the situation changed.
Large trucks began leaving the mansion one after another.
This time, they weren’t transporting cargo.
They were transporting people.
Even several important figures departed together.
"They’re moving far more forces than I expected."
The conflict had escalated faster than even I had predicted.
’Perfect.’
Once the convoy disappeared into the distance, I moved.
Silently crossing the road, I approached the mansion’s main gate.
A lone guard stood watch.
The moment he noticed me sprinting toward him, he frowned.
"Haa... haa...!"
I deliberately acted out of breath.
"You! Open the gate!"
The guard stared at me.
"Who are you?"
I glared back as if he had just insulted me, and as if I was his superior.
"You dare defy me you worm?! What do you think my relationship with the Mistress is? And we are at war now! Hurry up!"
The moment he heard the word Mistress, his expression changed.
There was only one person anyone inside the estate would refer to by that title other than Patricia.
He hesitated for barely a second before hurriedly opening the gate.
"Go!"
I rushed past him without another word.
As the gate closed behind me, the guard scratched his head.
’Who was that?’
He knew most of Patricia’s trusted subordinates.
The keyword here was most.
People in their world loved keeping secrets.
Besides, looking at the handsome young man disappearing into the estate, another possibility crossed his mind.
’Did the Mistress secretly bring home another toy?’
The thought made him immediately decide not to ask questions.
If he had delayed someone important, Patricia would make him regret it.
Inside the estate, I allowed myself a small smile.
The mansion was far quieter than usual.
Most of its combat force had already left for the auction.
That made my job much easier.
After all, I was a gentleman.
And a gentlemanly thief always entered through the front door.