Chapter 529
The laser rifle fired.
A blade of white heat ripped through the air and struck the exact spot where Alex had been standing.
The men didn’t slow down. They were certain he was dead. Six figures in sleek black armor, weapons pulsing with high-tech power.
They moved forward, cautious but confident.
Nothing.
No body.
No blood.
Only scorched ground. A tree split open, still smoking. Grass burned to ash.
The air went cold.
“So,” a voice said behind them, calm and clear, “there are six of you p>
The voice came from behind them.
All six men spun around in panic.
Alex stood there calm, unharmed, already watching them. Close. Too close.
Weapons snapped up instantly, muzzles locking onto his chest.
Then everything stopped.
Their fingers froze on the triggers. Arms locked mid-motion. Muscles screamed but refused to move.
One by one, they felt it.
An invisible force seized their bodies.
Their own guns began to turn-slowly, deliberately—until each barrel pointed directly at its owner’s head.
Fear hit them all at once.
Alex stepped forward, eyes cold, voice steady.
“Let me ask you something,” he said. “Why do you want to kill me p>
His mind flickered to Leonora Silberkreuz. Of course.
This had to be her doing. A setup. Revenge for their last meeting.
Silence.
No one answered.
Alex smiled faintly.
“No one?” he said.
He snapped his fingers.
One man screamed—just once—before his laser rifle fired. The beam burned straight through his skull. His body collapsed forward, crashing into the dirt at the feet of the others.
Alex didn’t flinch.
“Same question,” he said, turning his gaze to the remaining five. “Why did you try to kill me p>
Snap.
Another rifle fired.
Then another.
Bodies dropped one by one, smoke rising from shattered helmets.
Two remained.
The last two were shaking now. One of them broke completely, sobbing as his knees gave out.
“Please!” he cried. “You’re Miss Silberkreuz’s appraisal! That’s who you are! We were ordered to kill you p>
Alex frowned.
“Because I’m Miss Silberkreuz’s appraisal… you tried to kill me?” he said slowly. “That makes no sense. Why p>
“We don’t know!” the man shouted desperately. “We swear! We were just hired! We were told a Miss Silberkreuz appraisal would be here, and that we had to eliminate the target. That’s all we know p>
Alex studied them for a moment.
Then he nodded.
“Alright,” he said. “You can go p>
The pressure vanished.
Both men staggered backward in disbelief.
One turned and ran as fast as he could, disappearing into the garden.
The other hesitated.
Then—stupidly—he raised his gun and aimed it at Alex.
The weapon jerked violently.
The barrel twisted backward.
A split second later, it fired.
His head exploded in a burst of light and heat. The body collapsed without a sound.
Alex touched the bracelet on his wrist.
“Gaia,” he said.
“Yes, Master,” a calm female voice replied.
Gaia-the core intelligence of Eden Group.
The central Al.
The one many called the mother of artificial intelligence itself.
“I planted a tracker on the man who just tried to kill me,” Alex said calmly. “I want
eyes and ears on him. Every second p>
“Yes, Master,” Gaia replied without hesitation.
Alex opened his interspace ring.
The bodies vanished one by one-five corpses erased from reality as if they had never existed. No blood. No evidence. The garden returned to silence, clean and untouched.
Five minutes later, the hum of engines broke the stillness.
Leonora Silberkreuz’s flying car descended smoothly and landed near the garden entrance. The door slid open.
She stepped out, flawless and composed.
“I apologize for being late,” she said. “Traffic was unbearable p>
Alex studied her face the perfect posture, the effortless elegance. Was this woman truly innocent?
Was the daughter of Duke Silberkreuz really not the one who wanted him dead?
He didn’t know.
But he knew one thing.
He could kill her anytime he wanted.
Letting her live for now-might be more useful. At least until he uncovered who was truly behind the assassination attempt.
They walked together from the garden toward the massive gatehouse of the mansion. The estate loomed ahead, cold stone and iron gates radiating authority. As they walked, Leonora began her briefing.
“Mr. Saint-Claire,” she said, her tone professional, measured, “the competition for these rare books will be intense. I’ve heard bidders are coming not only from Winchester, but from outside as well. Some have already begun scheming against one another p>
Alex nodded, unbothered.
“The number of competitors doesn’t matter,” he said. “What matters is the value of the item. If it’s truly worth the price, I’m confident Miss Silberkreuz will secure it p>
Leonora smiled slightly.
“Thank you, Mr. Saint-Claire. Still, we don’t know who we’re really dealing with. Some powerful figures may be hiding in plain sight p>
Alex raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise.
“Powerful figures?” he asked. “How is that possible? Isn’t the Silberkreuz family the strongest force in Winchester? Duke Silberkreuz controls everything here, doesn’t
he p>
Leonora smiled again—but this time, there was something sharper beneath it.
“That’s what people believe,” she said. “But reality is messier p>
She continued, “From the outside,
1.n
people only see the Silberkreuz name and the Duke himself. What they don’t see is what happens. inside rive sons and daughters. More than twenty grandchildrer Alliances, betrayals, internal plots. We’re constantly stabbing each other in the dark p>
She paused.
“And from the outside world-yes, Winchester belongs to the Silberkreuz family. But
money tells a different story p>
Her eyes flicked toward Alex.
“The Eden Group alone holds wealth powerful enough to crush the entire Silberkreuz family several times over. Influence isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s
quiet. Hidden. Waiting p>
Alex smiled faintly.
“Isn’t the owner of the Eden Group Count Marlene von Aldren p>
“That’s what the public believes,” Leonora said. “But here’s a secret-Count
Marlene is only a proxy. The real founder and owner of the Eden Group has remained hidden from the very beginning p>
Alex raised an eyebrow.
“So Duke Silberkreuz knows this person personally p>
Leonora exhaled, almost tired.
“To be honest,” she said, “my grandfather-Duke Silberkreuz—and I both want to
meet this man. We’ve tried. Everyone has tried. But he’s impossible to trace. No one
has ever uncovered his true identity p>
She glanced toward him, gauging his reaction.
“Do you know about the Winchester Mobile Suit betting market?” she asked.
Alex nodded.
“That single event,” Leonora continued, “turned the Eden Group into the wealthiest organization in Prussia. And that mysterious man became the richest individual in the entire nation p>
She paused.
“The gap between him and the second-richest person isn’t small. It’s nearly double. Compared to him, even the Silberkreuz family looks… insignificant p>
She stopped at the gate and turned to him fully.
“So, Mr. Saint-Claire,” she said softly, “never underestimate the power a single person can hold p>
They reached the towering mansion ahead. Its stone walls rose like a fortress.
A butler drone glided toward them.
“Welcome, Miss Silberkreuz. The auction is about to begin. Please follow me to the hall p>
It turned smoothly and led them inside.
The moment they entered the grand hall, Alex felt the weight of attention.
About forty people were already gathered inside. Conversations stopped. Eyes
turned.
Before Leonora could take another step, a silver-haired old man rose from his seat
and approached her.
“You’ve arrived, Miss Silberkreuz,” he said warmly.
Leonora stiffened for just a fraction of a second.
Then she nodded.
“Uncle Kaltmann. You’re here as well.” Her tone tightened. “I already told you—I
have my own appraiser this time. I don’t need your help p>
The old man smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Miss Silberkreuz,” he said smoothly, “I have always been your appraiser. Why
replace me halfway through the journey p>
He tilted his head slightly. “Even if you don’t require my services, why not allow me
to assist—just in case your new appraiser turns out to be… insufficient p>
His gaze snapped to Alex.
It was sharp. Hostile. Filled with naked killing intent.
Leonora stepped closer to Alex and lowered her voice.
“Alex,” she said quietly, “this is Uncle Kaltmann. He’s the chief appraiser of the
Silberkreuz family. He usually handles antique evaluations for me p>
Her lips tightened.
“I told them I’d be using my own appraiser this time. But someone in my family must
have sent him here just in case something goes wrong p>
Kaltmann glared at Alex Saint-Claire, his eyes full of contempt.
“This is the appraiser you hired?” he sneered. “He’s barely old enough to shave Who are you really bunk p>
His voice rose. “Are you scamming Miss Silberkreuz? Get out of here. You don’t belong in this place p>
Leonora frowned—but before she could speak, another voice cut in.
A middle-aged man standing beside Kaltmann stepped forward, lips curled in a
vicious grin.
“You hired a child to do an appraisal?” he mocked. “Does the Silberkreuz family lack
capable hands now? Should I introduce you to some real appraisers p>
He laughed loudly. “Or are you trying to disgrace your own name? Has the dignity of
the Silberkreuz family collapsed in your generation p>
The room stirred.
Leonora’s expression turned ice-cold.
“Anton Dunkel,” she said sharply,
“this is Winchester-not Dunkelfets. Watch your mouth.” Her eyes locked
onto his. I choose this man as my appraiser, then he is my appraiser. What problem is that to you p>
Anton shrugged lazily.
“So the Silberkreuz temper is real,” he said with a smirk. “I’ll bet he doesn’t even
have an appraisal license, does he p>
Kaltmann seized the opening.
“You there,” he barked at Alex. “Do you have an appraisal license or not? If you
don’t, get out of this hall immediately. Do you think just anyone can walk in here?” Alex noticed something clearly now.
Even as the Duke’s granddaughter, Leonora was being tested-pushed, challenged,
treated as if she could be cornered.
Alex stepped forward.
No warning.
No hesitation.
His palm cracked across Kaltmann’s face.
The sound echoed through the hall.
The old man flew backward and slammed into the marble floor.
Gasps erupted. Shock froze the room.
Alex didn’t stop.
He walked up and kicked Kaltmann hard in the ribs, sending the old man sliding
across the polished floor like trash.
“Listen carefully, old man,” Alex said coldly. “I got license from your dead grandfather to slap you p>
Alex looked down at Kaltmann with open contempt.
“If you want to question that license,” he said coldly, “go die and ask him yourself p>
“You- you’re not an appraiser!” Kaltmann screamed.
“I am an appraiser,” Alex replied flatly. “And right now, I’m a hitman-because you
needed to be hit. Depending on how big of an asshole you decide to be, I can also be a killer p>