C116: Magic, Science, and Tricks (1)
Rudger recalled the old days.
Five years ago, he was active in the Kingdom of Delica under the name of James Moriarty, not Rudger Chelici. At that time, he was unintentionally involved in several incidents, and as the incidents grew, he was involved with all kinds of people.
The most memorable person among them was Casey Selmore. She was called a genius detective and in Rudger's view, that was not an exaggeration at all.
She actually pushed him to the edge of the cliff with ridiculous reasoning and instinct. Not figuratively, but literary, she even fell with him from the top of a waterfall, as if they were going to die together.
'That crazy woman is here.'
Maybe it's because he was staring too closely but Casey Selmore suddenly turned her head.
Rudger hurriedly fixed his gaze on the platform where the auction was held before their gazes met.
'I was disguised at that time anyway, so I can't guarantee she'll recognize me now, but just in case.'
Rudger has gained a lot of enlightenment while wandering around the world, and there is one thing that he feels deeply about.
-There are people in the world who destroy common sense.
And one of the people who smashed that common sense was Casey Selmore over there. Rudger knows because he has often heard rumors about her.
After the James Moriarty incident Casey Selmore achieved a tremendous magical achievement and even received the title of "Colour" symbolizing a single attribute element.
'At that time, I could only fight on an equal footing, but now that she has earned the title of "Colour", I can't deal with her.'
He suddenly felt a kind of anxiety. If Casey Selmore was here his plan to rob the auction house might have been exposed.
Rudger shook his head immediately.
'I haven't been caught yet. If she knew that, she wouldn't sit still and chat with the person next to her.'
Now, Erendir, who was sitting next to her, was almost invisible to Rudger. That's how much Casey Selmore was a threat to him.
'I don't think she's aware of what's going on here yet, given that she's staying still like that.'
That is only a matter of time. If she felt anything suspicious, she would jump out of her seat immediately.
If a wizard who has won the title "Colour" starts to investigate the operation that has been worked on since a few weeks ago will be in vain.
'It's a mess.'
Rudger had no choice but to expect his men to handle the operation as confidentially as possible.
* * *
"You're here."
Alex and Pantos, who were pacing around at the entrance of the elevator, recognized Hans and Arpa disguised as handymen.
"Where's the key?"
"Here."
When asked by Hans, Alex shook the key lightly and the four of them gathered at the entrance of the elevator.
"Let's get ready."
Hans and Arpa immediately removed the armor worn by the two fallen guards at the entrance.
"What's this? Why is it so dented?"
Hans frowned when he saw that the chest of the armor had shrunk. As he looked closely, it wasn't just crumpled, but the shape of a fist was stamped on it.
He glanced sideways at Pantos' fist.
Hans, who was comparing the size of the mark on the armor with Pantos' hands, had no choice but to swallow his saliva.
He couldn't bring himself to argue.
"It's better than not wearing it."
Hans immediately wore the armor that Blackguard wore and the same was true of Arpa.
The two ended their disguise as black guards guarding the entrance of the elevator, holding their spears.
The two fainting guards were put in the cart of the food they had brought and left out of sight. Judging from the state of things, they may stay unconscious all day.
Alex immediately inserted the key into the hole and the door of the elevator opened with the sound of a large gear turning from the inside.
"All right, let's go down."
Alex patted Pantos on the forearm friendly and Pantos stared at Alex, wriggling his eyebrows. Alex smiled awkwardly and took a step back.
"Was it too much?"
"…No thanks. Let's go down."
Ignoring Alex, Pantos went into the lift and Alex followed him.
"Good luck."
"Yes."
After speaking Alex closed the elevator door and went down.
* * *
In a security office at the Kunst auction house the security guard, who was monitoring the vault in the underground storage room in real time through the newly developed artifact, yawned as if he was bored.
"Ahhhhhaha."
"Hey, look straight."
"Well, what am I supposed to do with the boring stuff? I think I'm going to lose my mind if I stare at the same scene that doesn't change."
"Do you think it's just you? Just hang in there a little bit more since your shift it's almost over."
"Oh, I know it's harder because the auction is open, but what if a big guy goes in there?"
"True, but it's there a way to get there in the first place?"
The conversation began to bloom little by little in the security room where silence was hovering. They've been sitting for hours looking at the same screen that's reflected through the artifact and it made them want to talk about anything.
"But it's still fascinating. Thanks to this mysterious artifact, we can see who's inside and what's going on. Otherwise, I would have to stay crouched down at the underground entrance."
"That's true."
At that moment a crackling sound was heard and the screen that was showing the scenes inside the underground safes was slightly chirpy and blurred.
"What?"
"What's wrong?"
"Wasn't the screen shaking?"
"The screen? It's nothing."
It happened in such an instant that it made the one who asked the question wonder if he saw wrong.
"I've been looking at the same screen so much that my eyes are in trouble."
I was about to conclude it was an illusion when a colleague sitting next to him touched his arm in a hurry.
"What?"
"Hey, hey, that. Can you see that?"
"What?"
His eyes moved to vault no. 2 along with his colleague's finger.
"What?"
The guard, who asked what the hell was going on, had no choice but to open his mouth at the scene unfolding inside. One wall of safe no. 2 collapsed, and an intruder was coming in through it. They had their faces covered with a hood, so there was no way they knew who they were.
"Hey, that!"
"Crazy! The vaults are tens of meters underground here, but they dug a tunnel and came in?!"
The guards used a telecommunication crystal to communicate this fact.
* * *
"What?"
Ivan Luke, who had a light conversation with the guests suddenly heard the whisper that one of the staff members gave him, and shouted without realizing it.
Immediately afterwards, conscious of the gaze around him, he coughed and lightly surrounded him, saying, "It's nothing," and asked the member quietly.
"What did you just say?""
"Well, that's why……."
"Say it right! Do you want to get fired?"
"The……an intruder appeared in the vault."
"……!"
Ivan Luke endured trying to yell with desperate patience. He managed to cool off and asked what was going on.
"What exactly happened? How can an intruder get in there? What about the guys who were guarding the entrance?"
"He……has dug a tunnel into the safe from underground.…."
"What? A tunnel?"
It's tens of meters underground, and they dug a tunnel to go in?
He wanted to argue that such a thing doesn't make sense, but he wouldn't have misunderstood it because the news was delivered after checking it through the artifact.
Ivan Luke is in a hurry.
'If this continues, the auction that was held for the first time in a long time will be ruined!'
How much he prepared for this auction. How much effort has been put into it? To look good to his father, he put everything in here to make up for the ugliness he had shown at the last banquet.
He couldn't let a thief ruin the auction.
"Get the guards."
"How many?"
"All of them!"
* * *
Black guards, who had been guarding their spots like stone statues, moved.
People didn't realize they were moving because they didn't move at once but quietly left one by one.
Nearly 20 black guards have already stood at the entrance of the elevator and Old Guard, the head of the guards, stepped up. He was a man who served here for 20 years.
"Is everyone participating here? What about the rest?"
"The rest are staying in place to prepare for any possible situation."
"Great. Take 10 guards and go outside. Since they dug their way through the underground the entrance can't be too far away. Capture everyone at the entrance and kill anyone you can't capture."
"Yes!"
"The other 10 people will go down the elevator with me and go in. You all know the manual, right?"
The black guards nodded.
In a way, it was fortunate for Kunst that they entered safe number two because the really important stuff was in safe number three.
"The number of intruders is about four and they must be good to sneak into this place. However, there are also people waiting inside, so there is no need to worry since there are more of us."
They knew they were strong, but they were not conceited. As professionals who work for money, they intended to overpower the enemy with all their might and not underestimate them.
'Other guards are already on standby at the bottom, so it won't matter if they move together after joining.'
With that in mind, the black guards went down in the elevator.
The security guard who was listening to the situation in the security office said.
"The black guards are going down."
Ivan Luke listened, biting his nails in anxiety because on the screen of the surveillance artifact he sees the thieves packing important items in their bags.
'Damn! How much are the items in that box!'
Evan trembled with anxiety that he might miss them at this rate. Meanwhile, security guards who exchanged communications at the security office slowly recited the situation.
"Guards, you have arrived in the basement storage room. Join the staff that's waiting inside."
"Damn. What the hell were the guys inside doing?"
Ivan said so out of frustration. Of course, it would be unfair for those waiting inside. Who knew that an intruder would dig underground and come in?
At least it's a relief that safe No. 3 with the most important items is intact.
Ivan gave instructions to the guards through a communication ball.
"Capturing them is important, but the first priority is to move the items from Vault 3 to a safe place. And make sure you keep the items in safe 2 as well. What's left there are valuables that we'll show later at the auction."
[All right]
Right now, the outer wall of Vault 2 has been breached, but the thought that they might even be aiming for Vault 3 made him feel anxious and crazy.
The guards who received Ivan's order moved in unison and split into 2 teams. One is the suppression team will capture the criminals who are robbing safe 2 and the other ones will take out the stuff from Vault 3 and move it to a safe place.
As soon as Vault 2 was opened, the security of Vault 3 couldn't be guaranteed.
"Move."
The black guards moved but fortunately there was no one in Vault 3.
[This is the security room, I can see the guards entering Vault 3]
"I see. Get the items to safety."
"Yes."
"The rest of you follow me. Let's break the limbs of those arrogant thieves."
The guards of the capture team stood in front of Vault 2.
"Here we go."
After the signal they immediately opened the door to Vault 2 and stormed inside.
"Don't move!"
The team leader, who shouted, realized something was wrong and it was the same with other guards.
"What?"
"Nobody is here"