TFLD 13

Chapter 13

After polymorphing Ashray into herself and hiding him well in her room, the place Elshunaine headed to was the Tower located at the heart of the Empire.

“Wow, it’s definitely tall.”

The towering structure was so massive and imposing that Elshunaine couldn’t see its top no matter how far back she craned her neck.

Around the dizzyingly high tower, white clouds seemed to circle it like a wreath.

‘It’s way bigger than I imagined.’

This tower, which played a big role in the original story, was home to the so-called “Gold Master,” the one who held the strings of the economy, and also the very center where all the Empire’s wealth gathered. It could very well be called the heart of the economy.

‘Though unofficially, of course.’

Elshunaine adjusted the white mask that covered half her face and stepped into the tower.

‘By the way, what kind of name is Gold Master, seriously?’

A nickname that sounded like the author couldn’t be bothered to come up with anything better. Still, that man had a firm grip on the economy of this world—so, in other words…

‘He’s ridiculously rich.’

Summing up everything she knew about him into that one word, Elshunaine entered the tower.

The large circular lobby looked like a crowded marketplace.

“What do you mean this item only qualifies for the 30th floor?!”

Though the hall was filled with rows of counters surrounded by crowds of people, one area was particularly loud. Still, no one paid it much attention.

‘It’s a common occurrence.’

Elshunaine went to the counter with the shortest line and got in line.

A portly man was yelling at the top of his lungs when a calm, polite voice cut him off. It belonged to the clerk sitting across the counter.

“Sir, as I explained earlier, the appraisers at Golden Tower are the finest in the Empire. Their ability to assess items is more accurate than anyone else’s. The gem in question is best suited for storage on the 30th floor.”

Though the response was smooth and confident, the man seemed unsatisfied.

“What?! Do you even know who I am?!”

There’s always that kind of person, no matter where you go.

“Are you trying to use your status at the Golden Tower, sir?”

At the clerk’s quiet remark, the man flinched. Indeed, status meant nothing here.

Only the item being traded mattered. Its value determined the floor it would be stored on.

The storage was divided into 100 floors, each designated for items of corresponding value. Auctions were held on the 50th floor. From a seller’s perspective, the higher the floor, the more desirable it was for their item to be placed there.

That must be why the portly man was getting upset.

“Ahem. Fine, whatever.”

Just when it looked like he was about to argue further, a glance from the clerk toward the back made the man flinch and back down.

‘He was probably afraid they’d call security.’

Given the massive amounts of money that passed through here, the security was airtight.

“Welcome. What item would you like to trade?”

Oh. When had the line moved up?

Elshunaine snapped out of her thoughts, startled. The clerk stared at her expressionlessly.

His attitude was polite but not overly so, and not arrogant either—but his face was so devoid of emotion that he came off rather stiff.

You’d think he was an android. Elshunaine thought absently as she replied.

“Ah, I’d like to put this up for auction.”

She fumbled around in her robe, digging into the inner pocket for the item she had prepared.

“Yes, please place it here.”

The clerk gestured to a glossy table.

“Okay.”

After fumbling through the pocket where it had somehow slipped too deep, she finally pulled out the item and placed it on the table.

The clerk, whose face had been as unreadable as her own mask, cracked slightly the moment he saw the item.

“…Ahem. Is this everything?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

The clerk glanced at her mask, then back at the item on the table.

He looked clearly flustered.

And no wonder.

The item she had brought to auction was…

“Shall I list the item name as… ‘stone’?”

“Yes.”

A rock.

It was literally a stone she had picked up in front of the Golden Tower just moments before entering.

“Hmm… I see.”

The clerk picked up the stone, turned it around a few times, then cautiously passed it through a connected window behind him.

‘So that’s where the appraiser must be.’

Her guess seemed right—after a short wait, a small note fell out along with the stone from the small window.

Though it was more like a piece of high-quality parchment edged in gold than a simple note.

“Ahem. Please proceed to the basement level. You may use the transfer device in the back.”

Yes, just as planned.

Elshunaine smiled slightly as she accepted the stone and the parchment.

The clerk, catching sight of her smiling lips beneath the mask, tilted his head in confusion.

It was odd.

The basement level of the Golden Tower was where only the trash of trash was sent.

No one ever wanted their item assigned there.

In fact, no one in their right mind would ever bring actual trash here, so few even knew the basement existed.

But it was in that very basement—deserted and unnoticed—where the person she was looking for was waiting.

* * *

“Haaah. Look at me now.”

Ashray let out a long sigh. Polymorphed into Elshunaine, he looked exactly like her to anyone who saw.

Softly glowing blue hair, warm emerald eyes, a delicate and beautiful face like a painting. He was the perfect image of Elshunaine.

But there were clearly noticeable differences from her usual self.

Like the way he sat with his legs spread and trembling.

Or the sharp tilt of his eyebrows that made him look mean.

Or his crooked lips.

So, it was no wonder that Mikhail, who had come early in the morning to escort her, was now blinking in confusion and nervously watching her.

“Um… Lady Elshunaine?”

“What?”

“Ahem… Did something upset you, or are you feeling unwell…?”

“No.”

“Ah… I see.”

As Elshunaine’s shadow—no, her knight—Mikhail had been faithfully tailing her everywhere. But from that morning, he had been completely thrown off by her sour and cranky demeanor.

His brown eyebrows drooped as he put on a pitiful expression.

‘What’s wrong with her? Did something happen with Lord Killian?’

Mikhail recalled seeing Killian earlier that morning. He’d seemed the same as always, and yet… a bit dazed?

He had even… dropped his fountain pen during his usual paperwork session in the early morning.

That had been such a shocking moment for Mikhail that he’d pinched his own cheek to check if he was dreaming.

‘Hmm. Yesterday he seemed a little off too.’

Like he was slightly regretful… and also a little disappointed?

‘Yesterday, the two of them were alone in this room. What could have happened…? No, what am I thinking?!’

As Mikhail’s imagination spiraled, the “odd” Elshunaine—Ashray in disguise—crossed his arms and called out.

“Hey.”

“Y-yes?”

Startled, Mikhail looked up as Ashray, still in Elshunaine’s form, locked eyes with him.

Then came a completely unexpected suggestion.

“Aren’t you bored just sitting here?”

“If you’re bored, we could take a walk in the garden…”

“Tch. Not something that boring.”

Mikhail’s innocent brown eyes trembled slightly.

‘But she insisted on a walk every day until yesterday!’

Mikhail didn’t know that the walks weren’t for leisure, but so she could scout for an escape route through a hidden hole in the wall.

His heart ached.

Sniff. Wounded.

Ashray looked at Mikhail’s wounded expression, then rested one leg on the other and spoke.

“Let’s play a game.”

“Eh? A game? Should I bring the chessboard?”

“No. A real game.”

He pulled over a stack of coins from the corner of the table. Exactly ten coins.

“Do you know the game ‘Pan-chigi’?”

“…?”

And so it began.

This was the moment when Mikhail started to fall into the world of shadowy games.

“First, place the coin here… yes, just like that…”

* * *

‘As expected of the wealthiest man in the Empire.’

To think every floor had a teleportation device and a teleportation mage assigned.

Holding the stone and the parchment, Elshunaine crossed the lobby toward the transfer device.

She was heading to the basement floor.

“Hehe.”

That was when she heard it.

A snicker.

“Did you hear? That person’s going to the basement.”

“Oh my god. That infamous basement? Who would buy trash?”

“Seriously. Isn’t she embarrassed?”

“Well, there are those people, right? The ones who want attention by doing something outrageous. Maybe she’s just desperate to get the Gold Master’s attention?”

“True. People are lining up for even a moment of conversation with him.”

“So pathetic.”

…That was definitely about her, wasn’t it?