Extra's Revenge: Reincarnated As A Slave-Chapter 131: Unraveling Scheme

Meanwhile...

In a secured facility on Elkrim’s outskirts, the three Special Investigators reconvened.

Selene and Marcus had just returned from their operation against the Golden Sunflower House, their expressions mixing satisfaction with frustration.

Thane stood waiting for them, the Empty False World having been dismissed once he’d secured the clone’s remains.

"The Golden Sunflower was involved," Selene reported without preamble. "We found evidence of direct cooperation with whoever orchestrated the Desgarron Manor destruction. Financial transactions, mystical signatures that matched our investigation, even physical evidence suggesting they helped move stolen goods."

Marcus nodded confirmation. "We dismantled their entire operation. Destroyed their facilities, captured their leadership and key members. They won’t be operating in Elkrim again."

"But?" Thane prompted, hearing the unspoken reservation.

"But it was too easy," Selene said, frustration clear in her voice. "The evidence was almost... convenient. Well-documented, easily discovered once we knew to look. Like someone wanted us to find it."

"A setup," Thane concluded.

"Exactly. The mastermind set the Golden Sunflower to take the fall, fed us evidence that would lead us there, and used our investigation as a distraction." Selene pulled up a mystical projection showing the timeline of events. "While we were occupied dismantling their House, the real perpetrator was conducting his operation against the Fanged Serpent."

"Which is where I came in," Thane said. He activated his own projection, showing what he’d witnessed and recorded. "I maintained surveillance on Elkrim’s criminal districts, watching for unusual activity. When the Fanged Serpent branches started exploding, I tracked the mystical signatures to their source."

He showed footage of Rey’s clone moving through the city, the systematic destruction, and the final confrontation at headquarters.

"I engaged the target using the Empty False World, successfully captured him after extended combat." Thane’s expression darkened. "But he self-terminated before I could extract information. Voluntary Soul dissolution—separated his consciousness from his body through an act of will rather than mystical technique."

Selene leaned forward, studying the recorded images of the clone with professional intensity.

"Show me the moment of death. The exact sequence of his Soul departing."

Thane replayed the footage, enhanced through mystical analysis to show energy flows and Soul-level phenomena that normal observation would miss.

Selene watched three times before speaking.

"That’s not standard Soul separation. Look at the pattern—the way the consciousness fragments and disperses rather than simply extinguishing. This is sophisticated Soul Art, the kind that requires preparation and specific Techniques."

"Meaning?" Marcus asked.

"Meaning this might not have been the actual perpetrator," Selene said slowly, her analysis revealing a possibility none of them had considered. "This could have been a clone, a duplicate created through advanced Soul Art and Artifact combination."

Thane’s eyes widened as the implications hit him.

"A decoy. He sent a functional copy to conduct the operation while his true body remained somewhere safe with a perfect alibi."

"It’s the only explanation that fits," Selene confirmed. "Standard suicide techniques would leave different signatures. This looked like controlled dissolution of a fragment that was never meant to be permanent."

Marcus slammed his fist on the table in frustration. "So we destroyed the Golden Sunflower, captured a clone that told us nothing, and the actual mastermind is still out there completely unidentified?"

"Yes," Selene said grimly. "He outmaneuvered us. Used the Golden Sunflower as a scapegoat, deployed a clone to conduct his real objective, and maintained his cover throughout. By the time we realized what happened, all evidence was destroyed and he has an alibi we can’t challenge."

Thane reviewed his recording of the battle again, looking for any detail they might have missed.

"The clone fought well. Used multiple Arts through Scrolls, deployed sophisticated tactics, and had access to high-grade resources. Whoever created it possesses significant capabilities and planning ability."

"Which matches our profile of the Desgarron perpetrator," Selene noted. "Someone with access to Noble-level resources, multiple Art affinities or excellent Scroll reserves, strategic thinking that operates several moves ahead."

"So what’s our next step?" Marcus asked. "We can’t just accept that he’s won and walk away."

Selene stood, pacing as she organized her thoughts. "We can’t conduct a traditional investigation. He’ll have alibis for any time period we examine. Anyone we suspect will have documentation proving they were elsewhere during critical events."

"Then we don’t investigate," Thane suggested. "We create an opportunity and let him come to us."

"Elaborate," Selene prompted.

"He’s involved in the Dark Commerce District for specific reasons," Thane explained. "Primarily, I suspect, to sell the resources he stole from the Desgarron vaults. But he could do that through covert channels, anonymous intermediaries. The fact that he’s operating openly in the criminal economy suggests he also wants to purchase specific items."

Marcus nodded slowly.

"Things that can only be acquired through the Black Market. Restricted materials, forbidden Techniques, items that aren’t available through legitimate channels."

"Exactly," Thane confirmed. "So we create an event that serves both purposes—gives him the opportunity to sell his stolen goods and buy whatever he’s seeking. Something too attractive for him to ignore despite the risks."

Selene’s expression shifted to understanding.

"An auction. A major one, prestigious enough that he’d have cover for participating, diverse enough that he could both sell and purchase without drawing specific attention."

"The destruction of the Golden Sunflower and Fanged Serpent gives us the perfect excuse," Thane added. "Major criminal organizations have been eliminated, and now their assets and territories are now available. We position it as the other Houses consolidating control and redistributing resources."

"We encourage all the Houses to participate," Marcus continued, seeing the strategy develop. "Make it a major event where everyone is buying and selling. Our target will be able to blend in with the crowd, conduct his transactions without standing out."

"But we’ll be watching," Selene finished. "Monitoring who purchases what, who sells items that match Desgarron signatures, who shows interest in specific restricted materials. We won’t arrest anyone at the auction—too much political complication. But we’ll identify suspects and narrow our investigation."

Thane pulled up a planning projection.

"We’ll need to move quickly. Announce the auction within days, hold it within two weeks. Don’t give our target time to arrange alternative methods or become suspicious of the timing."

"The Houses will cooperate," Selene assessed. "They’re already nervous about our investigation, and participating in a sanctioned auction gives them legitimacy. Plus the opportunity for profit will motivate them regardless of suspicion."

Marcus began organizing operational details.

"We’ll need mystical tracking on all transactions, surveillance Artifacts covering the venue, analysis capabilities to cross-reference purchases against our investigation. If he attends, we’ll identify him even if we can’t arrest him immediately."

"Agreed," Selene said. "This is our best opportunity to flush him out. He’s proven too sophisticated for direct investigation, so we create circumstances that require him to expose himself voluntarily."

She looked at her colleagues seriously.

"We start working on this immediately. Thane, you coordinate with the Houses—present this as an opportunity rather than a trap. Marcus, handle the surveillance and tracking infrastructure. I’ll manage the mystical analysis and identification protocols."

"What about the political complications?" Thane asked. "An auction of this scale will attract attention from Nobles and possibly higher authorities."

"We position it as conflict resolution," Selene decided. "The Golden Sunflower and Fanged Serpent eliminations created power vacuums and resource distribution problems. An auction is how the Dark Commerce District traditionally handles such situations. We’re simply facilitating normal criminal ecosystem function."

"And if higher authorities question our involvement?" Marcus prompted.

"We’re Special Investigators pursuing a real security threat connected to Aether infiltration. This auction serves our investigation while also stabilizing a potentially volatile situation in Elkrim’s underground economy." Selene’s tone carried the confidence of someone who’d navigated political complications before. "The authorities will accept that explanation, especially if we deliver results."

"How long do we give ourselves to set this up?" Thane deactivated his projections, already mentally organizing his approach to the Houses.

"One week to announce and prepare, while the auction will be held ten days from now," Selene decided. "Fast enough that our target can’t arrange alternatives, slow enough that it appears legitimate rather than rushed."

The three Special Investigators stood in the secured facility, each one beginning to plan their role in the operation.

Unbeknownst to Rey, his scheme had already been unraveled.

Or had it?

It was hard to say, since both sides lacked information but also held cards that made them lethal for the other.

However, this Auction was surely what was needed for both sides to get what they wanted.

It simply depended on who was smarter.