Snaya lay curled in Norax's arms, half-asleep, her golden hair brushing against his wrist every time she breathed out softly. Her little tail drooped in exhaustion.
Even though she had only eaten cake and played for a short while, using magic always drained her quickly.
Norax adjusted his hold, carefully supporting her small back.
Her eyelashes fluttered as if she were fighting sleep.
Celstia and Elise hovered in front of him like overexcited aunties watching a newborn, their eyes sparkling with dangerous amounts of affection.
"Master… can I take her again?" Celstia whispered, stretching her hands out hopefully.
"No," Norax answered immediately. "You already had your turn. And I don't think she wants to go with you right now."
Elise crossed her arms and snorted. "Hah! You don't even know kids. I bet she wants to come here instead." She leaned closer to Snaya. "Snaya, child, come here~ Elise-sister will play with you. I'll show you the fluffy puppy again, yes?"
Snaya slowly turned her head…
Then turned it away from Elise with a soft "hmph."
She pressed her face into Norax's chest instead, gripping his shirt tighter.
Elise stiffened. "…H-huh?"
Her smile cracked like thin ice. "W-why is she not coming to me?"
Ark glanced at Elise with his usual expressionless face, but his wolf tail swished behind him as if amused.
"Snaya doesn't like strangers much at first," he explained politely. "Please don't take it to heart, Lady Elise."
Elise's mouth fell open. "S-Strangers?! I've been here longer than ten minutes already! Isn't that enough?!"
Norax tried not to laugh.
Before Elise could complain further, Snaya tugged on Norax's sleeve and pointed at something.
A small blue bird hopped onto the windowsill.
Norax blinked. "Chi? What are you doing inside?"
Snaya's droopy eyes sharpened slightly. Her ears perked up.
"Big brother… Chi has something important to tell you," she murmured.
Chi chirped rapidly.
To Norax and the others, it was just bird noise.
But Snaya's expression grew focused—too focused for a child her age.
Ark stepped forward. "Brother… it looks like she wants to write something."
He quickly handed Snaya a sheet of paper.
A faint golden light wrapped around her fingertips. Her hair shimmered softly.
Then the paper began to glow as letters formed on their own, spilling across the page in neat lines.
Norax watched quietly.
This was Snaya's special ability—sharing animal memories and converting them into human-readable information.
A magic only she possessed.
The glow faded. The paper fluttered onto the table.
Snaya's shoulders slumped immediately. Her eyelids drooped again.
Norax gently scooped her up.
"That's enough. You overused magic again."
"Big brother…" she whispered, her little fingers curling into his shirt. "Snaya wants to request… please read what Chi said…"
"I will," he answered softly. "But you go rest. And eat a lot."
He handed Snaya to Celstia and Elise, who carried her to her room carefully—like she was made of glass.
Celstia hugged her like a precious treasure.
Elise supported her head as if she had studied childcare for ten years.
Norax and Ark sat at the table and unfolded the note.
Ark's expression shifted—just slightly, but enough to show how serious it was.
"Leader… this isn't typical. Snaya doesn't create written reports unless it's really important."
Norax nodded and read:
> Chi saw a group of people in chains near the west-side forest.
They mentioned something about slave trade.
Possibly related to an auction house.
Norax's calm expression hardened.
Slave trading? In the Black and White District? In broad daylight?
"That's impossible," Norax murmured. "The legal Slave Market only allows voluntary contracts. Nobody can just kidnap people and sell them. If someone tries, the Guild will destroy them."
Ark frowned. "Then this is illegal activity. And worse… if it's connected to an auction house, it's not the official one."
Norax tapped the paper.
"Is there any other auction house in this district?"
Ark shook his head. "I've asked around many times, Leader. There is only one Black Auction House, and they don't deal with illegal slaves."
Norax leaned back, rubbing his temples.
"So it's either a hidden group… or a shadow auction house."
Ark stood up immediately. "I will investigate."
"No," Norax said firmly. "We need more clues first. And someone must stay here to protect Snaya."
The door suddenly creaked open.
"Boss, you called us—nyaa?"
The cat-maid from earlier peeked inside with two other maids and a butler behind her.
Ark gave orders efficiently.
"The Leader discovered suspicious slave-trade activity. Split into teams. Some continue the café duties; the rest investigate the west forest and back alleys. Report anything unusual immediately."
"Understood, Captain Ark!"
As they rushed out, Norax folded the paper thoughtfully.
But something bothered him.
He sighed. "Ark, we wait for information. I'll act once you confirm the location."
Ark nodded. "Understood, Leader."
A few quiet seconds passed.
Norax glanced at the maid standing beside Ark—the same maid he met first. Dark hair tied neatly, sharp eyes, cat ears twitching. Her presence felt balanced and calm.
"Ark, can she fight?"
Ark nodded. "Yes. Lei is the head-maid candidate. Skilled in daggers and short-sword combat."
Lei bowed slightly. "I will follow your orders, Master Nox… nyaa."
"Good. You'll join me when we move."
Her eyes glowed faintly. "Nyaa—understood."
"That sound… are you doing it intentionally?" Norax squinted.
Lei quickly covered her mouth. "…Habit."
Norax sighed.
Suddenly—
A loud crash echoed from upstairs.
"KYAAAAAH—!!"
Elise.
Everyone froze.
Norax stood instantly. "What happened now?!"
Before he reached the stairs, Elise slid down the railing at full speed like a panicked squirrel, landing in front of him with a thud.
"W-wait! There's something upstairs!! Something moved!! Something weird!! Something—"
She pointed dramatically behind her.
Celstia walked down calmly with Snaya in her arms.
"Elise saw her reflection in the mirror and screamed," Celstia said flatly.
"I— WHAT?! THAT'S NOT TRUE!!" Elise shrieked.
Ark's tail wagged aggressively.
Lei looked away to hide her smile.
Norax stared at Elise with a deadpan face.
"…So that was the 'something weird.'"
"IT LOOKED LIKE A MONSTER, OKAY?!" Elise cried.
Snaya blinked sleepily. "Elise-sister loud…"
Elise covered her mouth, horrified. "S-snaya, I'm sorry…"
Norax cleared his throat. "Enough. We have serious business."
They straightened immediately.
"Ark, you stay here. Protect Snaya and Elise—she'll die from her own imagination if I leave her alone."
"HEY!!"
"Celstia, Lei, and I will head out as soon as the investigation team sends the location."
Lei raised her hand slightly. "Master Nox, may I ask… what exactly is the plan?"
Norax crossed his arms.
"Simple. Find the slave group. Confirm the shadow auction house. And break it."
"…Break it?" Ark repeated.
Norax shrugged.
"What else do you do to illegal trash? This is the Black and White District. If something goes wrong, I have a backup plan."
Elise whispered, "H-he said that like he destroys underground syndicates every week…"
Ark murmured, "Well… the Leader used to."
Elise's jaw dropped. "WHAT?!"
Norax ignored them and looked out the window.
A soft tug on his sleeve made him look down.
Snaya had reached him again, still sleepy.
"Big brother… Snaya request… please save them…"
Her voice was small. But her words carried weight.
Norax gently tapped her head.
"I will. You already did your part."
Just then, a maid rushed in, panting.
"Leader! We found a trail in the west forest! We have information!"
Ark stepped forward. "Leader, orders?"
Norax's eyes sharpened.
"Everyone… prepare. We move now."
The room filled with tension.
Moments later—
"Leader… we brought the first report."
A neko-maid entered, tail stiff from urgency.
"Our scouts found footprints at the west forest border. Chain marks too. They lead deeper inside… but the trail ends suddenly."
"A hidden camp?" Ark asked.
"No…" she swallowed. "It appears they used carriages to transport the slaves. Four carriages were seen heading west… and they stopped at a casino."
Norax's eyes narrowed.