I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad-Chapter 100: The Enigma Auction Showdown (1)

The magical amplifier known as the Orb, reportedly used by a great mage, was priceless—even in its cracked state.

If a great mage had relied on it, its purity and performance were undoubtedly guaranteed. Moreover, creating an Orb was impossible with Earth’s materials and environment.

In other words, the Orb was an exceedingly rare artifact that most people would never even get a chance to see.

Those who recognized its identity and value couldn’t hide their excitement.

“Whoa... I never thought I’d see an Orb in a place like this!”

“This is definitely worth collecting....”

“With that, we could use high-tier magic even on Earth...!”

The audience buzzed with excitement, their murmurs resembling a pot about to boil over.

Even among the masked attendees, it was clear that some of the non-human participants couldn’t take their eyes off the Orb.

Their reaction was understandable.

On Earth, where mana was sparse, the ability to amplify magic was an irreplaceable feature.

Even if it was damaged and didn’t work perfectly, the mere possibility of minor magical support made it a highly desirable item for mages.

‘But to think I’d find traces of the Invaders in something like this....’

To me, the Orb’s rarity and magical value were secondary.

What mattered was the unsettling familiarity I felt from the metal embedded within it—a signature I couldn’t ignore.

Why would such a thing be lodged inside an artifact so coveted by so many? If it were a mere trinket, perhaps no one would care, but in this Orb?

‘Then again... maybe it’s not so surprising.’

A great mage isn’t called "great" for nothing.

They represent the pinnacle of magic, capable of erasing entire armies with a flick of their hand.

And the Orb they used would rarely, if ever, end up in such a damaged state—unless it had faced something as devastating as the Invaders who destroyed entire worlds.

Even so, understanding the cause didn’t make the situation any less troubling.

There was no way for me to obtain this Orb, especially through legitimate means.

Even the lesser artifacts sold earlier in the auction had gone for sums I couldn’t earn in years, and this was a functional artifact with historical significance.

I couldn’t even fathom how high the bids would go.

Stealing it? Impossible, especially in a hotel packed with fixers. And even if someone managed to steal it, the auction organizers would undoubtedly hunt them down relentlessly. The thought alone was terrifying.

“Wow, that’s amazing. I never expected to see an Orb here. How much do you think it’ll go for?”

“It’ll probably be the most expensive item so far. Maybe enough to buy several apartments?”

“Haha... But since it’s cracked, maybe it won’t go for that much?”

“....”

Alice and Sabrina, sitting beside me, whispered to each other. Even for them—both non-human—it seemed rare to encounter an Orb.

It was clear that most people expected it to fetch a fortune.

As they spoke, I idly tapped the bidding device on my armrest with my finger, unable to take my eyes off the Orb.

‘Tesseract, do you sense anything familiar from that thing up there?’

[ Hmm? ...No idea! That’s something only Mama could do! ]

‘What about Echo?’

[ Uh... I-I’m not sure... maybe? ]

Neither Tesseract nor Echo seemed to have any clear insight.

Was I the only one hearing that faint, eerie voice?

It was strange. Hearing the voices of the Tesseract and Echo was one thing, but I’d also detected the Invader shard hidden in Raven’s clothes back then.

What was I supposed to make of this? Could this strange sensitivity be part of some curse tied to me?

“And now, let us begin the bidding for the eighth item, the Great Mage’s Orb! The starting bid is 100,000 credits!”

While I was lost in thought, the auction had moved on.

The screen above the stage displayed the starting bid, and as soon as the auctioneer’s announcement ended, the bidding devices activated with a faint beep.

The numbers on the screen began to climb at a staggering pace.

Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.

This was an anonymous auction where everyone was required to wear masks. Bidders were identified only by their seat numbers, ensuring privacy.

Perhaps because this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, especially for those tied to magic, the non-human attendees seemed determined to bid whatever it took to win the Orb.

“Wow, this is insane. It’s already passed one million credits. Are we the only poor ones here?”

“At this rate, it’ll probably hit ten million in no time.”

The murmurs in the auction hall grew louder as the bidding for the Great Mage’s Orb escalated at an unbelievable pace.

It had already surpassed the highest bid of the night, and yet the numbers continued to climb without any sign of slowing down.

When the bids crossed the threshold of 10 million credits—enough to purchase a top-tier sports car—a wave of shocked murmurs swept through the room.

‘They have this much money? Well... doesn’t matter. I have my own job to do.’

While the audience’s attention was glued to the screen displaying the rapidly increasing bids, I discreetly slipped my hand into my pocket.

Quietly, I retrieved Echo, carefully placing it onto the auction device in front of me.

‘Echo, can you hack into this system and track who ends up winning the Orb?’

[ That’s not too difficult. ]

‘Be subtle. Don’t get caught under any circumstances.’

[ Understood. Proceeding with caution. ]

My goal wasn’t the Orb itself but the strange object embedded within it.

To retrieve it, I first needed to know who would walk away with the Orb. Echo’s hacking abilities would allow me to bypass the anonymity of the auction and identify the winner.

Of course, I was sure there were countless security measures and vigilant hackers monitoring for breaches, but moments like this made me thankful I’d acquired Echo from the black market.

Bidder 276 / 26.9 million creditsBidder 1 / 28.5 million creditsBidder 33 / 30 million credits‘Whoa... That’s insane. If 1 credit is roughly 100 won, that’s already 3 billion won. And they’re not slowing down at all?’

I couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer scale of the bids. Was I the only one here who felt like a penniless beggar?

Still, even wealthy bidders have their limits.

The bids, which had been rising uncontrollably, began to slow as they approached 300 million credits.

Perhaps the bidders were hesitating due to the Orb’s damaged state.

After all, if the Orb broke after just a few uses, they’d have no one to complain to.

But 300 million credits? The wealth required to casually bid that much was mind-boggling. Shaking my head in disbelief, I asked Echo quietly:

‘Who’s Bidder 33, the one bidding 300 million credits?’

[ I’ve found them. Lakia Olivier, age 27, female. She is the eldest daughter of Olivier Industries, a leading military contractor. She’s human, not non-human, so it’s likely she’s purchasing the Orb as a collectible. Based on her financial records, 300 million credits is her spending limit. ]

So, the one spending that absurd amount of money wasn’t even a non-human mage, but a wealthy human collector.

‘Wait, Echo. You can even determine her spending limit?’

Impressed once again by Echo’s capabilities, I continued observing as the screen flickered and another bid overtook hers.

Bidder 276 / 310 million credits“Ugh...!”

I faintly heard the frustrated sound of a woman clenching her teeth as the bid climbed again.

‘Echo, who’s Bidder 276?’

[ Yanagi Tamamo, age 17, female. A first-year student at the International Academy and an exceptional case as the next student council president. She is widely regarded as the most talented mage in her school, surpassing even many adults. Her likely motive is curiosity as a mage. As the treasured daughter of the Yanagi family, she has access to funds exceeding 310 million credits. ]

‘What? Her?’

I immediately thought back to the lavender-haired girl we’d encountered outside the hotel earlier.

Alice’s childhood friend and a magical prodigy with a complicated past.

With her top-tier magical talent and status as the heiress of a noble family, it made sense she’d have both the means and the desire to acquire the Orb.

‘This is bad. If she wins the Orb, how am I supposed to extract the thing inside it?’

Tamamo wasn’t just an elite mage—she was considered one of the strongest mages within this world’s power structure.

If the Orb had gone to Lakia, I might’ve had a chance to sneak into her room and take the embedded object at night.

But breaking into Tamamo’s room? That was a nearly impossible task, even under ideal circumstances.

“Three, two, one... Sold! The Great Mage’s Orb ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) goes to Bidder 276 for 310 million credits! Congratulations!”

Clap, clap, clap!

The hall erupted in applause, marking the end of the bidding war.

Bidder 33 had reached her financial limit, leaving Tamamo as the winner.

The crowd seemed content, entertained by the intense competition, even if most of them hadn’t been able to participate.

But for me, the outcome only made my mission exponentially harder.

“Amazing... 310 million credits. That 276 must be insanely rich,” Alice muttered to herself, unaware that 276 was the very person we’d encountered earlier.

While Alice marveled, I was racking my brain, trying to figure out how to retrieve the mysterious object from the Orb.

But before I could think further, everything changed in an instant.

From the shadowy floor of the auction hall, a faint mist began to rise.

At first, I thought it might be part of some dramatic show.

But the sound of people collapsing into their seats, one after another, quickly shattered that illusion.

“Ugh...! Gas?!”

“Kyaaa!”

“Everyone, stand up!”

Reacting instinctively, I shot to my feet, scanning the room frantically.

Out of nowhere, a group of unmasked intruders burst into the hall.

I quickly took note of the chaos. Some attendees were unconscious on the floor, while others screamed in panic.

There was no mistaking it—this was no coincidence. Something had gone terribly wrong.

A new text-to-speech function has been added. You can try clicking on the settings!