Chapter 357: The Guests !!
Several days later...
Miles’ flight finally landed at O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
The warm African air greeted him the moment he stepped outside the terminal.
Among the crowd stood a familiar face.
Kenan waved with a wide grin.
"Miles!"
Miles walked over and gave him a quick handshake before taking a step back to look him up and down.
"Woah."
"Have you been living in the gym?"
Kenan laughed.
"My next expedition is in the mountains."
"So I’m training my arms and legs."
Miles nodded approvingly.
"You sound like a movie star preparing for his next action film."
Kenan smirked.
"And you sound like someone pretending he isn’t the protagonist in real life."
He picked up Miles’ travel bag.
"So..."
"What should I call you this time?"
"Ghost?"
"Miles?"
"Or..."
"Light?"
Miles smiled.
"Miles is fine."
Kenan opened the passenger door of his SUV.
"Then get in, Miles."
"Tonight I’ll treat you to dinner."
"We’ll have some delicious chicken feet."
"And tomorrow morning..."
"We’re flying to Germany."
Miles laughed.
"That sounds like a perfect plan."
...
The rest of the evening passed peacefully.
The two old friends wandered through the lively streets of Johannesburg.
They visited local food stalls.
Shared traditional dishes.
Talked about mountains.
Treasure hunting.
Travel stories.
And laughed over memories from years ago.
For one evening...
Neither of them mentioned the underworld.
Neither of them mentioned missions.
They simply enjoyed being old friends again.
...
The following morning...
Their flight departed for Frankfurt am Main.
After several hours in the air...
The aircraft finally landed in Germany.
Evening had already arrived.
Waiting outside the airport was a black sedan.
Charles had arranged everything long before their arrival.
The driver stepped forward and greeted them fluently in German.
"Good evening, Boss."
"Would you like to visit anywhere before heading to the safe house?"
Miles shook his head.
"No."
"The Conclave begins tomorrow."
"There are already many high profile figures inside the city."
"That’s exactly why we flew directly from Johannesburg."
"We wanted to avoid unnecessary exposure."
He glanced toward Kenan.
"He was the only attendee joining from hundreds of Miles radius of Johannesburg."
The driver nodded.
"Understood."
He placed their luggage inside the trunk.
As the car pulled away from the airport...
Kenan looked sideways at Miles.
"You speak German too?"
Miles smiled.
"It comes in handy."
Kenan sighed dramatically.
"For you maybe."
After a brief silence he asked,
"So..."
"Where exactly are we staying?"
"The safe house."
Kenan blinked.
"A safe house?"
"Seriously?"
Miles looked amused.
"What?"
"Did you expect a luxury presidential suite?"
Kenan laughed.
"No."
"But staying with you honestly feels safer."
"I’m still worried the Krause Family might spread the news that Light has returned."
Miles calmly looked outside the window.
"They won’t."
Kenan leaned back in his seat.
"I’ll trust your judgment."
The city lights slowly disappeared as the vehicle entered a quieter district.
Several minutes later...
The sedan stopped outside what appeared to be an ordinary office building.
Nothing about the exterior attracted attention.
Yet after passing multiple security checkpoints...
Kenan immediately understood why it had been chosen.
The doors opened.
He stepped inside.
Then completely froze.
"What..."
The large room resembled a military command center.
Dozens of monitors covered an entire wall.
Live surveillance feeds from across Frankfurt updated every second.
Digital maps displayed movement across the city.
Agents quietly worked at different stations while exchanging information through headsets.
Computers continuously processed incoming intelligence.
Kenan slowly looked around.
"What the..."
"What are you planning?"
"A world war?"
Miles sighed helplessly.
"Charles..."
"You really overdid it this time."
One of the agents immediately stood up.
"Good evening, Boss."
"Your rooms are ready."
"Dinner will arrive shortly."
Miles nodded.
"Thank you."
"Any progress?"
The agent pressed several keys.
Images immediately appeared across the largest screen.
One photograph after another.
Each showing a different arrival somewhere inside Frankfurt.
Kenan leaned closer.
"...These people..."
"They’re all major figures from the underworld."
"I can’t believe they’re actually here."
Miles calmly observed every face.
"Anyone important?"
The agent nodded.
"Yes."
"We identified Graveyard’s representative for this year’s Conclave."
Another image appeared.
Miles smiled faintly.
"Senior Nine."
Kenan frowned.
"Nine?"
"What kind of name is that?"
Miles chuckled.
"You don’t seriously expect me to reveal his real name."
Kenan immediately waved both hands.
"No."
"I absolutely don’t."
"The less I know..."
"The longer I live."
Miles nodded.
"Wise decision."
"He is one of Graveyard’s veterans."
"He has spent decades operating in active military zones across the world."
Kenan sighed.
"And that’s exactly why I don’t ask questions."
The agent switched to another image.
"This woman arrived wearing a hoodie."
"Her face remained hidden."
"But the people accompanying her caught our attention."
The picture zoomed in.
The camera focused on her sleeve.
Only a tiny portion of a tattoo remained visible.
Miles’ expression immediately changed.
"She’s from the WEB."
"Thea."
Kenan looked surprised.
"The Princess?"
Miles nodded.
"Yes."
"I’d recognize that tattoo anywhere."
"I wonder..."
"If the Grandmaster is here too."
The agent answered immediately.
"He is."
"We checked passenger records."
"Lucian Winslow entered Germany yesterday."
Miles folded his arms.
"So..."
"He really came, I never saw him in Conclave though"
"Who else arrived from Haven?"
"There are several names."
"But none appear particularly important."
Miles remained thoughtful.
"Our priority doesn’t change."
"We have to identify the person carrying Kawasaki’s treasure map."
The agent nodded.
"I believe tomorrow’s catalogue will answer that."
"The Conclave officially opens tomorrow morning."
"It will continue for two days."
"Every invited guest receives a private chamber."
"All bids remain virtual."
"The actual exchanges happen only after the second day’s trading concludes."
"The official catalogue becomes available tomorrow morning at nine."
Miles nodded slowly.
"Good."
He turned toward Kenan.
"Did you register your items?"
Kenan grinned proudly.
"Quite a few."
Then he looked back.
"What about you?"
"What did you bring?"
Miles smiled.
"My bank account."
For a moment...
The room became completely silent.
Then Kenan burst into laughter.
"I should’ve expected that answer."
Even several nearby agents couldn’t help smiling as they returned to their work.
Tomorrow...
The centuries old Underground Secrets Exchange Conclave would finally begin.
Meanwhile...
Inside the historic Krause Family Mansion.
The enormous study remained illuminated by the warm glow of antique lamps.
Old paintings covered the walls, each depicting generations of the Krause Family who had protected the Underground Secrets Exchange Conclave for centuries.
The elderly family head quietly sat beside the fireplace, gently turning the pages of an old leather notebook.
The butler entered after knocking once.
He bowed respectfully.
"Sir."
The old man slowly looked up.
"Did he arrive?"
"Yes."
"Kenan confirmed their arrival a short while ago."
"They have safely entered the city."
"And they will attend tomorrow’s Conclave."
A faint smile appeared on the old man’s aged face.
"So..."
"He finally came."
For eleven years...
He had waited.
Every Conclave, a single invitation had been prepared.
Every year it remained untouched.
Yet he never stopped preparing it.
Johanna, who had been quietly standing beside the window, turned toward her grandfather.
"Grandpa..."
"How are we supposed to recognize him?"
"Will he still wear that mask?"
The old man nodded thoughtfully.
"Most likely."
"He never showed anyone his real face."
"Even after all these years..."
"I doubt he has changed that habit."
Johanna smiled faintly.
"I’ve heard so many stories about him."
"I never imagined I’d actually meet him."
The old man closed the notebook.
"What about that man?"
"Has he arrived?"
Johanna immediately understood whom he meant.
"Yes."
"He checked into his hotel this afternoon."
The old man’s expression became serious.
"Listen carefully, Johanna."
"No matter how much profit his proposal promises..."
"We are not taking his side."
Johanna nodded.
"I understand."
The old man looked directly into her eyes.
"If we choose money..."
"We may lose another precious friend."
He slowly smiled.
"Light is someone this family cannot afford to lose."
"His value has never been measured by wealth."
Johanna lowered her head respectfully.
"Don’t worry, Grandpa."
"I’ll personally receive him tomorrow."
The old man nodded with satisfaction.
"I’ll leave him to you."
...
Elsewhere in Frankfurt...
Inside one of the city’s most luxurious hotels.
Thea quietly rested against the sofa near the window.
The city lights shimmered beneath the night sky.
She absentmindedly swirled a glass of juice while thinking to herself.
"So..."
"The Grandmaster can enter Germany..."
"But not the Conclave."
She frowned slightly.
"Did he get himself banned?"
She sighed.
"And somehow..."
"He still managed to secure an invitation for the WEB."
Her thoughts slowly drifted elsewhere.
"Is Miles here too?"
"I heard he represented Graveyard every year."
A gentle smile appeared before she immediately shook her head.
"What am I even thinking..."
"He already retired."
"He shouldn’t be here."
"The Grandmaster said..."
"He’s getting married."
Her eyes softened.
"I just hope..."
"I get to see him once again."
Her phone suddenly vibrated.
The screen displayed a familiar name.
Mother.
She answered immediately.
"Mother."
Astrid’s calm voice came through the speaker.
"Did you arrive safely?"
"Yes."
"I’ve already checked into the hotel."
"Good."
Astrid’s tone became serious.
"There will be many dangerous people attending the Conclave."
"Some of them have shaped the underworld for decades."
"If you discover anything valuable..."
"Bid carefully."
"Never lower your guard."
"We allowed you to attend."
"But stay alert at all times."
Thea nodded instinctively.
"Understood, Mother."
There was a brief silence before Astrid spoke again.
"After the Conclave..."
"Go directly to New York."
Thea frowned.
"New York?"
"Yes."
"Your father wants you to oversee something there."
"The details will reach you soon."
Thea remained curious.
"Alright."
"I’ll head there afterward."
"Take care."
"You too."
The call disconnected.
Thea slowly stared at the silent phone.
"This feels suspicious..."
"What exactly is that woman planning this time?"
Before she could think further...
She sensed movement outside.
"Is someone there?"
The hotel door quietly opened.
One of her female assistants entered respectfully.
"Princess."
Thea looked up.
"Highness wants us in New York immediately after the Conclave."
"We’ll leave as soon as everything here finishes."
The assistant nodded.
"I’ll arrange the transportation."
She smiled gently.
"Also..."
"Your dinner has arrived."
"You should eat while it’s still warm."
Thea stood up.
"Alright."
"Let’s eat first."
...
On the opposite side of the city...
Not far from Thea’s hotel...
Graveyard’s temporary safe house quietly operated beneath layers of security.
The front door opened.
An elderly man casually walked outside.
Veteran Senior Nine.
One of Graveyard’s oldest active operatives.
A living legend.
He had survived countless battlefields.
Completed military operations across continents.
Personally eliminated thousands of enemies.
Within intelligence circles...
People often joked that his gaze alone could make hardened mercenaries reconsider their career choices.
Yet...
Despite all those terrifying stories...
Senior Nine himself remained surprisingly carefree.
He never hid.
Never disguised himself.
Never worried about exposure.
He simply walked through the streets like any ordinary elderly tourist enjoying a peaceful evening.
Hands inside his pockets.
Whistling softly.
He crossed several streets before entering a lively nightclub.
The music echoed through the colorful interior.
Without hesitation...
He sat down at the counter.
"A whiskey."
The bartender nodded immediately.
The drink soon arrived.
Senior Nine lifted the glass.
Took a slow sip.
Then closed his eyes with satisfaction.
"Not bad."
He quietly enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere.
Until...
A rough voice suddenly echoed from behind him.
"Old man."
"That’s my seat."
"So get the hell out of here."
Senior Nine slowly opened one eye.
Without turning around...
A Dangerous smile appeared on his face.
To be continued.