Chapter 361: Freedom!!
By noon...
The dining halls across Krause Tower had become lively.
Unlike many luxury gatherings where influential guests preferred secluded private rooms, the Conclave followed a different tradition.
There were no private dining halls.
Every guest, regardless of status, shared the same public dining areas.
The only difference was that the dining spaces were spread across several floors to comfortably accommodate everyone.
It was an old custom preserved by the Krause Family.
Deals could be made anywhere.
Conversations could begin over a simple lunch.
Unexpected encounters often became the most valuable part of the Conclave.
Waiters moved efficiently between tables carrying polished silver trays.
Freshly prepared dishes, desserts and beverages arrived one after another without delay.
Soft classical music played quietly in the background.
Everywhere...
People were talking.
Some laughed like old friends reunited after years apart.
Others discussed business while pretending to enjoy their meals.
A few quietly observed everyone around them.
Among the many occupied tables...
Light, Thea and Johanna sat together near the center of the hall.
From where they were seated, almost the entire floor remained visible.
Light slowly looked around while absentmindedly stirring his coffee.
After observing the room for nearly a minute, he smiled.
"Those three are on this floor."
"That makes things easier."
Thea took a small bite of her dessert before smiling.
"It’s your lucky day."
Light looked at her.
"You recognized all three already, didn’t you?"
She nodded confidently.
"Yes."
Johanna looked from one to the other in complete confusion.
She finally asked what had been bothering her ever since they entered the cafeteria.
"There’s something I don’t understand."
Both of them turned toward her.
"How can you be so certain the person you’re looking for is one of those three?"
"They’re only new guests."
She looked around the hall.
"Why couldn’t it be one of the older attendees?"
"Someone who’s been coming here for years?"
Light smiled.
"You answered that question yourself."
Johanna blinked.
"Me?"
"When?"
Light calmly picked up his teacup.
"Your grandfather."
"He told me something important."
"He said..."
"I’ll meet the owner of the treasure map during tomorrow night’s Grand Auction."
Johanna nodded slowly.
"Yes..."
Light continued.
"Everyone attending this Conclave for years understands one basic principle."
He placed the cup down.
"The catalogue earns more money."
Johanna looked puzzled.
"The catalogue opens on the first day."
"Which means bidding begins immediately."
"The price keeps increasing throughout the event."
"More time."
"More competition."
"Higher profits."
He looked directly at her.
"In comparison..."
"The Grand Auction begins only after dinner on the first day."
"It has less bidding time."
"So..."
"If profit alone was the goal..."
"No experienced trader would voluntarily choose the Grand Auction."
Johanna quietly listened.
Light continued explaining patiently.
"When sellers submit applications..."
"Any item whose base value exceeds one million dollars receives two options."
"They may list it in the normal catalogue."
"Or..."
"They may reserve it exclusively for the Grand Auction."
"The final decision always belongs to the owner."
He folded his hands together.
"So by deliberately choosing the Grand Auction..."
"The owner tells me one thing."
"He isn’t familiar with how this Conclave works."
"He values prestige more than strategy."
"Or..."
"He’s attending for the first time."
Johanna’s eyes slowly widened.
She had never looked at it that way.
Light smiled.
"But that’s only my first clue."
He leaned back.
"The second clue came from you."
Johanna immediately looked nervous.
"Me??"
"You mentioned something interesting."
"You told me your family’s usual commission is ten percent."
"But for this particular transaction..."
"You accepted twenty-five percent."
She nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Light smiled.
"I found that strange."
Johanna frowned.
"Why?"
"Because every experienced trader knows the minimum commission for premium auction items is fifteen percent."
Silence.
Thea quietly raised an eyebrow.
Johanna froze.
Light calmly continued.
"So naturally..."
"I asked myself."
"Why would someone willingly offer twenty-five percent?"
"That’s a terrible business decision."
He gently tapped the table.
"There are only two possibilities."
"Either..."
"The seller knew absolutely nothing about the commission structure."
"Or..."
"Someone intentionally didn’t tell him."
Johanna remained speechless.
Light looked directly at her.
"So tell me, Miss Johanna."
"Why would the Krause Family take advantage of a newcomer?"
Johanna opened her mouth.
"...I..."
No words came.
Light smiled kindly.
"I’ll answer that for you."
He rested his elbows on the table.
"Your family rules prevent interference."
"Once an owner chooses between the catalogue and the Grand Auction..."
"You cannot persuade him to change his decision."
"You told me that much yourself."
"So..."
"You couldn’t move the treasure map into the catalogue."
"Even though doing so would’ve generated more profit."
He continued calmly.
"The annual statistics probably show exactly that."
"The catalogue consistently outperforms the Grand Auction in total earnings."
"So..."
"When this newcomer unknowingly offered twenty-five percent..."
"You accepted."
"Not because you wished to deceive him."
"But because it compensated for the profit your family lost when he insisted on using the Grand Auction."
He smiled.
"In other words..."
"The extra commission became your family’s way of recovering the difference."
"You even spread rumors about the map."
He looked at her gently.
"So..."
"The owner of the treasure map..."
"Must be one of those three newcomers."
He paused.
"Am I right..."
"Miss Johanna?"
Johanna stared at him.
Her mind struggled to process everything she had just heard.
"How..."
"How do you even know our family rules?"
"You haven’t attended the Conclave for eleven years."
She looked almost overwhelmed.
"You even knew about the commission structure."
"And the performance analysis."
"You asked me those questions..."
"Even though you already suspected the answers."
She slowly shook her head.
"There were countless possibilities."
"Maybe a second-generation representative made a mistake."
"Maybe someone misunderstood the rules."
"Maybe everything was simply coincidence."
"And yet..."
"You kept following this theory."
She looked directly into the white mask.
"How?"
Light suddenly laughed.
The sound was calm and surprisingly genuine.
"I wasn’t confident at all."
Johanna blinked.
"...What?"
He smiled innocently.
"I simply tried my luck."
"I made an educated guess."
"And then..."
He pointed at her with a friendly smile.
"You confirmed everything yourself right now."
He leaned back comfortably.
"So now..."
"I’m one hundred percent certain."
He gave a polite nod.
"Thank you, Miss Johanna."
For several long seconds...
Johanna simply stared at him.
Then realization finally struck.
Her eyes widened.
She pointed at him in disbelief.
"You..."
"You played me..."
Light couldn’t help smiling.
"I merely asked questions."
Thea covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
For the first time that afternoon...
Even she felt a little sorry for Johanna.
Just a little.
Light leaned back comfortably in his chair.
A faint smile remained beneath the white mask.
"Your grandfather called me a Buddha carrying a sword."
"He didn’t underestimate me."
Johanna looked at him for a moment before letting out a helpless sigh.
"I’ve realized that."
"I’ve also realized I shouldn’t answer your questions too quickly."
Thea couldn’t hold back her laughter.
"You really can’t win against him, Miss Johanna."
She looked at the young heiress with sympathy.
"He can do almost anything."
Then she gave Light a playful wink.
"Trust me."
"His real identity is far more terrifying."
Johanna’s curiosity was instantly reignited.
"Real identity?"
She looked between the two of them.
"What do you mean?"
Light calmly raised fork.
"Princess."
"Everyone sitting at this table is carrying a secret."
"If my identity is exposed..."
"It doesn’t change much."
"But if yours becomes public..."
He smiled knowingly.
"It becomes information worth millions."
Thea immediately raised both hands in surrender.
"I should stay quiet then."
Johanna laughed softly.
"So..."
"You can even intimidate the Princess of the WEB?"
Thea smiled without denying it.
"Unfortunately..."
"Yes."
Light placed his fork back on the plate.
"Thea."
"I need one more favor."
She nodded.
"Go ahead."
He glanced toward the folded guest list resting beside him.
"Among the remaining three..."
"Which one is Polish?"
Thea answered almost immediately.
"None."
Light nodded once.
"How many of them are German?"
"Two."
A small smile appeared beneath the mask.
"And..."
"Which one has a military background?"
Thea looked toward the far side of the dining hall.
Her eyes settled on a middle-aged man speaking with several guests.
She subtly pointed toward him.
"That one."
"Anzo Fischer."
Light quietly repeated the name.
"Anzo Fischer."
Thea continued.
"His grandfather served as a Commander-in-Chief during the invasion of Poland."
"Nineteen thirty-nine."
Light slowly nodded.
"The beginning of the Second World War."
His fingers lightly tapped the table.
"What an interesting coincidence."
He turned toward Johanna.
"What do you think of that coincidence, Miss Johanna?"
Johanna simply smiled weakly.
"Nothing surprises me anymore."
"I officially surrender."
She looked at him with genuine curiosity.
"But..."
"I still don’t understand something."
Light gestured for her to continue.
"You could’ve discovered all of this tomorrow."
"The auction hasn’t started."
"The treasure map will still appear."
"So why spend so much effort identifying its owner one day earlier?"
She frowned thoughtfully.
"You can’t stop the map from appearing."
"You can’t remove its owner from the Conclave."
"Can you?"
Light looked directly into her eyes.
A mysterious smile appeared beneath the white mask.
"There are many things you don’t know yet."
He paused just long enough to make both women curious.
"It has already happened three times in the past."
"So..."
"It can happen a fourth time."
Johanna’s eyes widened.
"What do you mean, Mr. Light?"
For a brief second...
Silence lingered between them.
Then Light suddenly laughed.
"I was joking."
"Don’t worry."
Johanna let out a long breath.
"You really enjoy doing this, don’t you?"
Light smiled.
"Perhaps."
Then his expression became calmer.
"But..."
"I’ll make you one promise."
He looked toward the enormous windows overlooking the city.
"The treasure map..."
"Will not appear during tomorrow night’s Grand Auction."
His voice remained calm.
Even gentle.
Yet every word carried undeniable confidence.
"Even if I stay beside you throughout the entire Conclave."
Johanna searched his eyes behind the mask.
She found no hesitation.
No uncertainty.
Only conviction.
"If you wish..."
"You may tell your grandfather exactly what I said."
"I won’t mind."
He slowly folded his hands together.
"But..."
"If that map resurfaces..."
"It will affect people I care about."
"And..."
"I will never allow that to happen."
Johanna understood that this matter wasn’t about money.
Nor the Conclave.
Nor the underworld.
It was personal.
She quietly lowered her eyes.
"I don’t understand Grandpa."
Light looked toward her.
"On one hand..."
"He’s trying to convince you to stand with our family."
"Yet on the other..."
"He’s protecting someone who’s clearly creating trouble for you."
"It feels contradictory."
Light smiled gently.
"You still don’t understand him."
Johanna listened carefully.
"He isn’t asking me to stand beside him."
"He’s asking me..."
"To stand beside you."
She blinked.
"...Me?"
Light nodded.
"Your grandfather is faithfully following rules..."
"Rules he secretly wishes you never have to follow."
"He could’ve broken them."
"But then..."
"He would no longer be the man who protected this Conclave for decades."
"He has his pride."
"He’ll carry that burden himself."
Johanna became unusually quiet.
After a long pause...
She whispered,
"He really wants this to be the final Conclave..."
Light didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
The silence itself confirmed it.
Thea gently set down her fork.
"I’m sorry for interrupting."
Both turned toward her.
"But..."
"If you ask me..."
"I think you should be proud of him."
Johanna looked at her.
Thea’s usual playful smile had disappeared.
"There aren’t many trustworthy people in the underworld."
"Especially for women."
She spoke calmly.
"As daughters..."
"As sisters..."
"As wives..."
"Many people see us as decorations."
"Sometimes..."
"As bargaining chips."
"As tools for alliances."
"As part of business negotiations."
She looked directly into Johanna’s eyes.
"But your grandfather..."
"Didn’t want that future for you."
"He wanted something better."
She smiled gently.
"I’m sorry if I crossed the line."
Johanna slowly shook her head.
"No."
"What you said..."
"Actually makes me feel better."
She smiled sincerely.
"Princess Thea..."
"You inspire me."
Thea looked genuinely surprised.
"When I saw you earlier in the auditorium..."
"I thought..."
"I wanted to become someone like you."
"So accomplished."
She smiled faintly.
"But now..."
"I think my path is changing."
Thea quietly laughed.
"Don’t admire me."
Johanna looked confused.
"It’s never as beautiful as it appears from outside."
Her smile carried a trace of sadness.
"I’m just another puppet."
"I also have dreams."
"I dream about being free."
She looked out across the dining hall for a moment.
"If life gives you that opportunity..."
"Take it."
"You’ll never regret choosing freedom."
Johanna slowly nodded.
"I understand."
She turned toward Light.
"Mr. Light."
"I truly wish..."
"You could remain beside our family."
"Just as Grandpa hopes."
She smiled softly.
"I won’t interfere with anything you do during this Conclave."
"Whatever happens here..."
"Is Grandpa’s responsibility."
"Not mine."
Light quietly smiled.
He said nothing.
Sometimes...
Silence acknowledged gratitude far better than words.
Thea rested both elbows on the table before looking directly at him with an amused expression.
"Well then..."
"I’ve answered quite a few of your questions today."
She folded her arms.
"So now..."
"It’s finally my turn."
A playful smile appeared on her face.
"I have a few questions for you..."
"Mr. Genius."