Germain didn't stay long at the Opera Hotel. The day after Machi left, he checked out and departed, much to the disappointment of the front desk girl.
He wired money to Machi and soon got confirmation that she had received the 20 million Jenny.
That night, he boarded an airship and left the city. After several hours of flying, he arrived in Yorknew City in the early hours of the morning.
Every September, Yorknew City hosts the world's largest auction. The whole city becomes a hive of activity, with both legitimate and underground elements converging.
Particularly notable is the underground auction organized by the notorious "Ten Dons," a group of powerful Mafia bosses. The event draws top criminals and other high-profile figures, offering rare treasures like human organs, magical creature corpses, advanced technology, and more.
This high-stakes environment also attracts trouble. Despite heavy security, the underground auction is a prime target for the Phantom Troupe, who are known for their violent raids and thefts. These attacks often lead to chaos and bloodshed.
In other months, Yorknew City has smaller auctions, but none compare to the scale of the September event.
Germain arrived in Yorknew City on January 16. After a brief rest, he didn't go to any auction house. Instead, he went to the largest church in the city.
The elderly priest noticed the young man in his black hunter robes as he moved through the cloisters, prayed in the transept, and endured flagellation in the penance hall. The priest was taken aback by this level of devotion.
"I've never seen someone do so much penance in one day... He must have committed some grave sin and now seeks redemption through the grace of our Heavenly Father. Truly, he is a devout believer!"
The priest quickly approached him, clutching a Bible, and stopped Germain in his tracks.
"My son, could you spare a moment? I would like to share with you the teachings of our Heavenly Father and Savior..."
"Ah, no, thank you," Germain replied politely but firmly.
The old priest was left disappointed as Germain decisively declined his offer and left the church without hesitation.
The priest stood there, puzzled and surprised, watching Germain's back as he turned the corner and disappeared through the church's door. He wondered what had gone wrong.
Germain walked through the streets of Yorknew City, running his fingers over the faded whip marks on his body. He let out a soft sigh, tinged with regret.
"Is it just not possible? Is it because I don't really believe in God and my prayers aren't sincere? The pressure hasn't eased at all. If anything, I've got more lash marks on wounds that were almost healed."
This was the first "decompression method" he tried, but it ended in complete failure.
However, Germain wasn't about to give up so easily. This was just the beginning.
He moved on to his second "decompression method."
Not long after, the old-fashioned bar in Yorknew City was buzzing with people drinking and talking.
Germain sat at the bar, finishing his drink before setting the glass back down and pushing it toward the bald bartender.
"Would you like another drink, sir?" the bartender asked cautiously.
"No thanks," Germain replied, his voice devoid of enthusiasm. He'd had enough.
Just then, a woman who'd been eyeing him from a distance sidled up to him, licking her lips and playfully scratching the back of his hand with her long, red-painted nails.
"Don't be so down... If you need to get something off your chest, you can talk to me. What do you say? I'll buy you another drink, but let's go somewhere else. How about that?"
She stared at Germain's profile, her eyes filled with anticipation, waiting to see how he'd react.
Germain was indeed burdened with troubles.
Germain had tried his luck at the casino and hit the bottle at the bar, but it wasn't enough. The "pressure" he was feeling, at a solid 60 points, hadn't even budged.
As a flirtatious woman drew close, her perfume wafting over to him, Germain thought to himself, "Do I really have to go this far? Is being 'passionate' and 'lecherous' part of my personality now?"
But when her hands started to roam over his body, he managed to find some restraint, both physically and mentally. He pushed her away just in time.
The woman gave him a surprised look, taken aback by his reaction.
Germain stood up and glanced down at her, his face showing no sign of interest. "Forget it. If you catch syphilis or gonorrhea, it would be quite the hassle. I still need to keep my body healthy," he said with a calm voice.
The bald bartender who was mixing drinks couldn't help but chuckle at this, while the woman's expression shifted from shock to anger.
She pointed at Germain and began to shout at him. Despite his good looks, his words had offended her, and she wasn't about to let it slide without an apology.
But Germain had no intention of apologizing. With everyone in the bar either laughing or staring in disbelief, he walked out, leaving the angry woman behind.
As soon as he stepped outside, he noticed the stark contrast between the bustling noise inside the bar and the relative calm outside.
The music and voices that seemed loud enough to bring the roof down faded as he walked further away, reaching a large open square.
Germain sat down on the edge of a fountain and took out his phone. He'd tried every simple way to reduce Pressure and none had worked.
Now he needed a different approach. He scrolled through his contacts and found "Little Granny." He quickly typed out a message.
"Did you get the 'Color-Changing Stone'?" he asked.
"I need your 'Magical Beautician Miss Cookie.'"
Germain waited by the fountain for about ten minutes, watching the pigeons peck at crumbs on the ground, before he received a reply from Bisky.
"I told you your greetings and your care were too perfunctory! 😡 But I got your 'gem,' and I love it! 😁"
"So, you know about my 'ability.' Seems like you've been digging into my background. Should I be worried? You better not be plotting something evil against me! 😨"
"I gave you a hunter website and asked you to get a hunter's license, but I didn't ask you to go snooping into girls' secrets! 😔"
Bisky's playful teasing style—it was unmistakable, and Germain could be sure he was texting with the real deal.
"I want to try out your 'Magical Beautician Miss Cookie' ability," Germain typed back. After a moment, he added, "And I'll make it worth your while."
"Yeah? My prices are pretty high! 💰"
"How much?"
"Well... since we're kind of friends, let's call it 20,000 Jenny," Bisky replied.
Twenty thousand? That was surprisingly affordable. Machi's "Nen Stitches" ability costs about 20 million Jenny, so Bisky's offer was quite a bargain.
Germain didn't complain. His bank account wasn't overflowing, but he had enough to cover the fee.
Plus, he was in Yorknew City specifically to find the underground auction house, where he planned to sell the "One Eye of the Crow Lord" to the mafia and make a small fortune.
So, he agreed.
"Deal. I'm in Yorknew City. When can you meet?" he asked.
********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 15 early chapters.
https://www.patreon.com/Unique_Writer