NoGift

Marcus felt like his head was swelling.  He kept on having these headaches for three days now.  No matter what kind of herbal medicine he took, it never subsided.  In fact, it just grew worse and worse as days pa.s.sed by.  

There"s a voice that kept on whispering inside his head, telling him that he should get that elf and bring him to the auction no matter what.  If he managed to do that, then he would finally find relief.  Instinctively, he knew that something was wrong.  But due to his addled mind, he couldn"t delve more deeply into it.  He just thought that maybe it was because of his desire to make that elf the finale of Midnight Auction.

After so many years, he was finally given a chance to be in charge again of the Midnight Auction.  Because of his failure the very first time, those old codgers refused to give him another chance.  They"re afraid that he would mess up again.  It was truly frustrating and insulting on his part.  

That"s why he was quite surprised when he received an appointment six months ago from Archbishop Ainsworth - the oldest of the four codgers and had the most authority.  It said that he would be the one in charge of the Midnight Auction during this coming Festival of Creation.

Marcus was ecstatic, of course.  He could finally redeem himself from the embarra.s.sment that happened during the first Midnight Auction that he hosted.  That"s why the moment he received the order, he immediately started searching for various exotic and unique treasures.  He managed to find a lot but he still felt that it was not enough.  Until two months ago - when he accidentaly came across that elf.

He was travelling at the Northern continent at that time, at the biggest Northern kingdom - Kievan.  The carriage he was in was travelling in a forest near the border.  And that"s where Marcus saw the elf.  In the middle of a snow covered forest, unconcious, and his body full of wounds.  Some of the wounds were already festering.  There was not even a good skin on him.  Added with the cold weather and it just worsened his condition even more.

It was a good thing that whenever Marcus went to a foreign place outside of his jurisdiction, he always traveled with a healer.  The healer travelling with him managed to save the elf.  

When Marcus saw the elf without any wounds on him, it finally hit him that he just encountered an elf.  Something that wasn"t supposed to exist outside of Mythos Continent.  The first thing that came to his mind was not the how"s or even the why"s of it.  All he could think of was that this elf would be the perfect finale for the Midnight Auction.   

In his eyes, the elf was not something to be cherished or admired, being one of those Mythical races and all.  What Marcus saw was a commodity he could exploit.  

He was sure that many would clamor just to get their hands on this elf and own it.  With this elf as the finale of the Midnight Auction, it would definitely be a success.  Not just a success but a smash hit.  It might even become the best auction there was.  After all, it"s not everyday that an elf would appear in front of people.   

It was a good way to increase his popularity and reputation in the Temple.  A chance that those old codgers would finally recognize his ability.  That he wasn"t, in no way, inferior to the Pope.  

But before Marcus could even travel with the elf, he suddenly disappeared.  With the elf"s condition, Marcus knew he could not have left without someone"s help.  He had to interrogate the servants he brought with him to know what just happened.  But he didn"t find anything.  After a month and not receiving any news, he had no choice but to ask for help from another Archbishop.  But soon, he heard that Lucern Faust already got his hands on the elf.  

He had no doubt that that Archbishop told Lucern about the elf.  What he couldn"t understand was how he managed to get the elf that fast.  He could only think of one answer, that it was Lucern"s man who took the elf in the first place.  It was probably done by that b.a.s.t.a.r.d who could teleport.  And now that he was openly asking for help, Lucern probably felt that he could just announce that he just captured the elf.  As if he just answered his call for help.

He could feel his insides trembled with rage after that.  He had never been so humiliated.  It"s like Lucern didn"t even put him in his eyes.  And then even after that, he still had to act like he didn"t know anything.  Lucern was simply making a fool of him.  And yet he couldn"t do anything about it.  That"s what frustrated him the most.

It"s so maddening.  He was the one who saw that elf first and yet he wasn"t even allowed to see or get close to it.  How could he just take it?  

He needed to bring that elf to the auction.  That"s the only way he could quell his anger.  He wanted to see the look on Lucern"s face once he saw the elf at the finale of the auction.  How hilarious would that be?

But it"s been three days now and all the men he ordered to secretly take the elf never returned.  His guessed was they"re probably already dead.

"A bunch of wastes!" he shouted angrily.

"I couldn"t agree more," a man"s voice suddenly floated inside the study.

Marcus was startled.  He turned sharply and saw a plain looking man leaning on the open window.  "How dare you enter this place?  Do you know who I am?!"

The man smiled.  "Of course I do, Your Eminence.  I heard you"ve been running around, wanting to take something from the Pope"s little palace?  And yet all the men you sent seemed to never return."

Even with his splitting headache, Marcus still understood that this man in front of him was not simple.  "Are you one of Luscern"s men?"

An expression of disgust as if he was offended appeared on the plain looking man"s face.  "Of course not."

"Then who the h.e.l.l are you?"

"I"m an a.s.sa.s.sin from Dreich Gallere."  After he said that, an immense killing intent spread out from him.

Marcus" body tightened when he felt that killing intent.  He could feel the cold sweat sliding down his back.  He still had some doubt about the ident.i.ty of the man.  But whether he was from Dreich Gallere or not, Marcus could feel that this man could really kill him.  "Are you here to kill me?"

"Of course not, Your Eminence.  I"m here to offer my service."  Then the man took back his killing intent.  "I could help you get the thing you wanted.  For a price of course."

"I thought Dreich Gallere a.s.sa.s.sins only kill?" Marcus said, trying his best to relax.

"Let"s just say, I"m doing a part-time job."

He wrinkled his brows.  "How did you even find out about my situation?"

"I came to this city last night and happened to see your people skulking around the Apostolic Palace.  It was pretty easy that they wanted to get something inside.  Seeing their skills, I knew they wouldn"t succeed.  I managed to find out that they were your men.  So I thought of offering my services since I"m quite free right now and I just needed a large amount of money."  The plain looking man smiled.  "What do you say, Your Eminence?"

Marcus fell into deep thought.  But no matter how hard he tried to think properly of things, his mind was immediately being attacked by this splitting headache.  Then he thought, he wouldn"t really lose anything if he agreed.  Maybe this a.s.sa.s.sin could do the thing those wastes couldn"t.

"If you really managed to get the elf being held at the Apostolic Palace, then I"ll give you the money you wanted.  No matter how big."

"An elf, huh?  How surprising.  Where do you want me to deliver the elf?" the man asked as if it"s getting the elf was already a done deal. 

"At the G.o.ddess" Tower."  That"s where the Midnight Auction would take place.  "On the night before the Midnight Auction."

"We have a deal then."

Then the man jumped out of the window and disappeared into the night.

----------

Viper appeared at a dark alley near the residence where Archbishop Stillwell was staying.  Then someone suddenly pa.s.sed through the wall on one side of the alley, as if he was some kind of ghost.  He looked like a 13 year old boy with the most unmemorable face.  

"Is it really alright to say that you"re from Dreich Gallere?" Lynx asked.  "Wasn"t the purpose of this to push the blame of the disappearance of the elf to the Archbishop?  If the people of the Pope knew that the one who helped the Archbishop is an a.s.sa.s.sin from Dreich Gallere, wouldn"t they connect it to the duke?  After all, you were seen together with him at that island in Xing."  

"It"s fine.  Didn"t you check earlier that there were no magical tools inside the study?  And if you think that I was seen entering the study, then I"ll punch your face right now," Viper said.  

Lynx ignored him.  "When will we start?"

"On the exact day of the Midnight Auction."  Viper glanced ay Lynx.  "Don"t you dare mess up.  I"ll poison you if you do."

"I"ll like to see you try."  Lynx snorted.  "What do you think of the duke"s plan?" he asked talking about what would happen at the day of the festival.

"It"s amazing of course," Viper answered without hesitating.

Lynx rolled his eyes.  He should have not bothered asking this guy.  What "amazing"?  More than that, it"s probably more accurate to call it crazy.