Karl waited patiently before the receptionist's desk, the vast hall starkly quiet compared to the ongoing auction they had just left. The receptionist, a middle-aged woman with the same bright crimson hair that they all seemed to have, had just left to retrieve his items.

  “Why leave so early?” Hugo broke the silence, “the auctioneer might have implied that the auction was over, but you and I both know there’s still one final item.”

  “There may be one final item,” Karl turned to look at Hugo, “it could be a priceless treasure. But I got what I came here for, and that is all I need. Better to not be there and not be tempted, than to be there and…spend more than I already have.”

  “Ah, I see. Two billion is a lot even for you.”

  Karl grimaced at the reminder. “Yes, it is.”

  He had to admit that he’d gotten just a bit too carried away. The whole competitive atmosphere had gotten to him. If he stayed for the next ‘hidden’ and most valuable item, he’d spend even more. He couldn’t do that, not before he recouped his losses.

  The receptionist was back in no time at all, followed by three attendants that also carried themselves with an air of quiet professionalism. A polite smile graced the receptionists' features as the three attendants gingerly placed the three cases on the large wooden desk before them.

  “Mr. Brooks,” she said, gesturing at the cases. “Your acquisitions.”

  The three cases were of different shapes and sizes, and had all been painted a royal blue with a delicate carving of the Auction Hall’s logo on their surfaces.

  “Thank you,” said Karl as his servant walked past him, briefly inspected the contents, and nodded to signal that everything was in order.

  “Would you care for the items to be sent over separately?”

  “No need,” Karl said as his servant began handing over each of the cases to one of his guards for transport “We’ll take them with us.”

  “Then, we thank you for your patronage,” she bowed her head, a strand of crimson hair falling loose from the low bun it had been tied in, “and we look forward to welcoming you again in the future.”

  Karl nodded curtly in return, “It was a pleasure.”

  Hugo and his entourage followed him out of the auction hall, the cool, salty air hitting them as they stepped outside.

  He turned to Hugo, and gestured to the guard holding the rectangular case—the one that probably held the spyglass.

  “It's yours,” he said as the guard handed the case over. He glanced at his servant to double-check if it was the correct one, and the servant gave him a subtle nod. Good. It would have been painful to lose a billion Berries in in such a way.

  Hugo’s fingers brushed over the smooth blue surface of the case, then he unlatched it and peered inside. “Yes, good, very good,” he looked up from the case and closed it with a snap. “Well, that’s about it for your end of the deal.”

  He offered his free hand, “Thank you.”

  Karl grasped the hand. “No need to thank me.”

  Hugo nodded, then turned towards the row of waiting carriages that had been parked in front of the Auction.

  A driver from a sleek black carriage that was parked some ways away stepped down from his seat and waved.

  “That should be my ride then,” he said as he walked towards the driver. Karl watched him say something to the driver, who responded in kind and held open the door to the carriage. But just as he climbed in, he called back over his shoulder. “A word of advice Karl! The ball you were invited to is not as simple as it seems!”

  Then, he disappeared into the carriage, the driver closing the door and returning to his perch at the carriage’s head.

  Karl watched in stunned silence as the carriage rolled away, its wheels clattering softly against the cobblestones. “How did he know?”

  He turned to the nearest person, his servant. “I never actually said it.”

  “Sir, you may have given him enough clues to infer it.” The servant bowed. “He also seems to be well connected.”

  “Yes, true, at the Gallery that’s…that’s how he found us.”

  “Sir, if I may interject, our carriage is waiting ahead.”

  “Let’s go then.” He followed his servant as he led them to their carriage. A smaller one than the one they’d arrived in. What did Hugo mean by the ball not being so simple?

  The driver stepped down and opened the door for them with a bow.

  “Good sirs, to ‘The Gilded Compass’?”

  “Yes, please,” said Karl as he climbed into the carriage, the guards lugging the cases, his servant and the rest of the guards following behind.

  Inside, Karl leaned back on the padded seat and turned his attention back to the implications on Hugo’s warning. The ball wasn’t as simple as it seemed? Was it dangerous then? Why? How did he not know this? How did Hugo know this? He needed more information on that ball, three decades of peace had relaxed him a tad too much. He shouldn’t, no—he couldn’t forget. This was the world of ‘One Piece’. A world where monsters disguised as ordinary humans could split mountains or summon tidal waves. It hadn’t truly settled in how monstrous those characters in the series actually were, not until long after his birth.

  There were only three ways—that he knew of—which would make him strong: training Haki, consuming a Devil fruit or mastering a martial or a sword art.

  Karl realised early on that he was no martial genius, all of the dojos and martial temples his father had sent him to when he’d proclaimed his interest had corroborated that fact. So why not train Haki then? As a spiritual energy or force that represented the manifestation of one’s spirit and willpower, it was just as good.

  But how? Training Haki required guidance he did not have, and there was no way he’d join the Marines. No, thank you. He was happy as the second son of a rich merchant family. Not as cannon-fodder.

  The Marines only trained their top elite as Haki users, and as a world-wide organisation, he’d probably never reach that level. So, no martial arts, no Haki training, then all that was left was to consume a devil fruit. Where would he find a devil fruit? Devil fruits were considered myths in some parts of the world, they weren't sold, and most ordinary people had never even seen a user, let alone one of those mysterious treasures of the sea.

  The jolt of the carriage as it set off pulled him away from his spiralling thoughts; one of the guards hastily adjusting the case on his lap as it tipped slightly from the motion. After glancing at the sheepish guard, Karl turned to look out the window. Even at this hour, as the sun began to set, the streets were still alive with activity. Though they were less crowded than they had been earlier in the day. The faintest buzzing of said crowd could be heard through the walls of the carriage, the streets getting busier the closer to the centre of the city they got, drowning out the sound of the wheels, but not the steady rhythm of the hooves on the cobblestone.

  A dull plop disturbed the silence.

  Karl ignored it. It was most likely the sound of a loose pebble that had been dislodged by the clattering hooves and had bounced off the carriage.

  “Sir!” The servant jumped from his seat. Karl barely had time to react before one of the guards lunged forward, the carriage rocking slightly as his unsheathed blade caught the dim light from the window. “Spider!”

  The guards’ blade sank just inches from his leg, plunging into the body of a spider the size of a clenched fist. Its black caparace gleaming as its long, segmented legs twitched in death. Pale blue blood oozed from the carcass, the blood staining the fine wood of the carriage floor.

  Karls heart hammered as he stared at the…the thing that had come so close to biting him. It was too big, especially for the capital. Spiders didn’t get this big in the northern region of the South Blue. They might get to half the size, but this? No, this was not normal.

  One of the guards by the door opened it, while the guard who had killed the spider lifted the skewered form and tossed it out. The large arachnid flew out of the moving carriage to land with a squelch next to a little girl who was being pulled along by her mother. Karl winced at the scene, bracing himself for the loud scream that was sure to follow as the guard hurriedly slammed the door shut.

  There was an awkward silence. Everyone in the carriage glanced at each other as they waited for the scream. The moment stretched, but nothing happened. There was a collective sigh of relief as the carriage continued on its way. One of the guards even chuckled, but too early.

  They all flinched as a piercing scream sounded out from behind them, sounding decidedly not like a little girl and more like the scream of the mother.

  “I… I think the spider may have landed in an unfortunate position, sir.” The guard who had killed it and then thrown it out, turned to look at Karl, a sheepish look on his face.

  “So it seems,” said Karl, his tone flat as the scream was quickly swallowed by the bustling sounds from the rest of the city, their carriage already quite the distance away from the commotion. That was not okay, throwing the carcass at a little girl? A giant dead spider? Should he say anything? But no, the guard had just saved him, and must have been running on adrenaline. Surely. Karl then leaned back in his seat, as the tenseness of the guards who had been watching him relaxed just slightly, though they were still clearly on edge, their eyes darting around the carriage as if searching for another hidden spider, another hidden assassin.

  Karl remembered reading once, in his previous life of course, that in ancient times venomous creatures like spiders and snakes were used in assassination. Was this then an attempt on his life, had someone just tried to kill him? But as far as he knew, he personally should have no enemies. He’d made sure of that. So then, an enemy of his family? That was the only other explanation he could think of.

  A somewhat stifling silence settled over the carriage, as the servant nervously swallowed and the guards kept themselves perfectly still. The only sound that tried to fill said silence being the low murmur of the streets accompanied by the distant tolling of a bell.

  Karl did not notice, still lost in his own thoughts on the implications of the assassination, as well as the possible dangers of the ball, was this event related to the ball? There was a possibility. Learning more about the ball had now become even more important.

  The Gilded Compass, their destination, loomed ahead. It was covered in intricate carvings that made its fa?ade look like it had been blanketed in petrified vines. A set of massive double doors, had also been similarly carved, but instead of petrified vines the vines seamlessly changed from stone to wood, becoming 'woodified'.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Hanging above the doors, a large ornate sign made of golden letters read: The Gilded Compass, with the statue of a golden compass jutting out at the end of the sign.

  The carriage slowed as it approached, then came to a smooth stop just before a wide set of steps.

  “Sir,” the guard captain came forward once the carriage had fully stopped and bowed, “We are sorry for the oversight in the security, it will not happen again.”

  Karl nodded, “Thank you,” he said, pausing as he gathered his thoughts, “nothing came of it, so all is well. Merely tighten the security on Jane and Elisa and I‘ll be more than happy.”

  “Certainly sir.”

  The guards around him, and even the servant let out imperceptible sighs. Karl noticed, but he said nothing. The guards and the servant he had taken with him to the auction were newer hires, they did not yet know him. Even the captain of the guards, Baldric, was relatively new, he had been mentored by the captain of their House guards back in Southspindle, their home island, and this was his first serious assignment. So it was understandable that he, just like the rest of his guards and even the servant, were so tense around him. Understandable, but not ideal. Hopefully by the end of the trip, they'd know him better and be more relaxed. Like the older guards that had stayed behind around their estate, protecting Jane and Elise. By his own prior orders of course, orders that he’d had to seriously push. Their safety, to him, was more important than his own.

  The door opened as the driver stepped aside, “The Gilded Compass, good sir.”

  Baldric gestured for two guards to exit the carriage first and check the perimeter, then he followed Karl as he stepped out the carriage. The servant and the guards carrying the cases right after.

  Karl turned to the driver and inclined his head, the driver looking noticeably uncomfortable.

  “We have unfortunately stained the fine wooden panels on your carriage’s floor,” Karl gestured to his servant, “please accept this recompense to fix the damages.”

  The servant stepped forward and handed a promissory note to the driver. The driver's mouth opened, as if to say something, only for the servant to bow even deeper on Karl's behalf.

  “We are very sorry,” said the servant, pointing at the blue purplish stains that had seeped into the carriage’s floor, “there was a large bug within, and we were forced to kill it. The damages are caused by the creature's bloodstains.”

  “Its…” the driver glanced down at the note in his hands, his eyes widening. He cleared his throat, “it's no problem.”

  The driver bowed in Karl’s direction, even more deeply than the servant, “thank you for your kindness, milord” he said, and Karl nodded in response.

  “It was the least we could do after making a mess of things. Thank you for the ride.”

  “It was my pleasure, kind sirs. Milord.”

  As they climbed the steps towards the entrance, a new idea took root. The spider had been in the man’s carriage, maybe the driver was the assassin? He whipped his head back, the carriage had already set off. Wasn’t that too fast? Hadn’t the driver seemed nervous? No, that was probably the amount of money he’d handed over. Or maybe not? Maybe, like all good assassins, he was an incredible actor?

  He shared a glance with Baldric, the man’s expression just as grave as the same idea must have occurred to him. Baldric opened his mouth to order something, but closed it as Karl shook his head. It was too late to chase after the carriage. It was too far away now. From now on, they’d just have to simply be more vigilant.

  Baldric's face settled into a neutral mask as he hid the wince at the second blunder he’d performed today. They should have interrogated the driver.

  “Welcome to The Gilded Compass!” A stunning lady, with long blond hair and wearing a beautiful blue dress approached them as she walked out of a side entrance. “Are you by any chance Mr Brooks?”

  “Yes, that would be me.”

  She smiled brightly, “then please follow me then!”

  The lady led them to the same side entrance she had left through and into a large hall. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. The warm light it cast in stark contrast to the darkening sky outside. She guided them to the front desk, where a concierge watched them approach with a professional smile that showed no teeth. Once they were at the front desk, she quickly excused herself and left.

  “Good day, sir, welcome to The Gilded Compass. Just to confirm, you are Mr Brooks, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, your room key is here, a suite on the third floor, room number four,” he handed over a set of keys, “will you require any help with your belongings, or anything else?”

  Karl checked with Baldric, but the man shook his head. “No, thank you.”

  “We hope you have a nice stay then, sir.”

  Karl offered a nod of thanks and made his way to the stairway that would lead them up to the next floor. The steps were brightly lit by sconces set within indentations in the walls that wound upwards towards the next floor.

  “Sir,” a bellman approached them, his shoes polished to a mirror shine, his uniform a navy blue that had been tailored to suit his form, and his posture ramrod straight. “Allow me to lead you to your rooms.”

  “By all means,” said Karl as he gestured for the bellman to lead the way.

  They climbed up to the third floor and were guided down a long hallway until they stopped before a set of large doors marked with the golden number four.

  “Your suite sir.”

  Karl slipped a few Berries into the man’s gloved hand. “Thank you.”

  “A pleasure, would you require a tour?”

  “No thank you.”

  “Then have a nice stay sir.”

  The bellman walked away as Karl stood in front of the door for a few moments, his entourage waiting behind him. Jane was angry with him, he knew this, and he was ready. Everyone made mistakes, there were always bumps in any relationship, nothing was always sunshine and rainbows, these kinds of hardships were inevitable. He just had to push through. Karl took a deep breath as he unlocked the door, and pushed it open.

  A long hallway was revealed, with a table that had been moved and placed in the hallways centre, where two guards had been playing cards to pass the time. They were now standing at attention. Karl gave them a brief nod and they saluted, then stepped aside.

  “Otis, please lead everyone here to their rooms, and Grayson please take me to wherever Jane is?”

  “Certainly, give me a few moments to find a replacement for the guard duty.”

  Otis slipped into one of the adjacent doors along the hallway and barely a few seconds later exited with a new pair of guards, these two men being noticeably older as they sported neatly trimmed white beards.

  Grayson, a large barrel-chested man with a ginger beard that had also been carefully cared for, stepped forward. “While they do that sir, care to follow me?”

  “Let’s go,” as they set off down the hallway, Karl spared a glance back and saw how everything was being taken care of by Baldric, the captain taking command and catching up with the guards that had been left behind.

  They walked all the way up to the doors at the far end, where a pair of guards saluted them and opened the doors, revealing the vaulted ceiling of a grand room. The crackling fireplace in the corner brought his attention to Jane who sat before said fireplace with a cup of steaming tea in her hands.

  Her auburn hair reflected off the firelight as she turned to look at him, gracing him with a demure —yet slightly strained— smile.

  “You’re back,” she said.

  “Yes,” Karl came over and sat next to her on the sofa. “We can talk now.”

  Jane’s grey eyes locked with his but before she could say anything, Karl reached out and took her free hand in his own. “I need to start this conversation off by saying that I made a mistake.”

  Jane went to say something, but Karl rushed to finish his point. “Endangering our family was not my intention, and I regret having not consulted on the decision I made with you. The only excuse I can give is that I was lost in the moment. I was…”

  Jane interrupted him by squeezing his hand, placing the cup back on the table and fully turning to face him. “So, let me ask you this question then,” she took a deep breath, her gaze still locked with his own. “Was it worth it?”

  The question lingered in the air for a few moments as Karl thought it over. Had it been worth it? His first instinct was to say yes, information on the Void century and anything before that was both rare and precious. But it might be a trick question. Maybe–

  Jane pulled her hand away from his own, she was not looking at him anymore as she reached for the cup of tea she had set down moments ago.

  “Karl Brooks, I asked you if it was worth it.”

  Shoot, he’d made a mistake. She’d used his full name.

  “Was it worth it to sell the safety of your family, of me, of our daughter, for that information?”

  He must have taken too long to answer. Her voice was noticeably colder, she wasn’t looking at him and had turned slightly away. He’d seriously put his foot in his mouth.

  Jane brought the cup to her lips and took a dainty sip. Her hair covering her expression.

  “I–, no.” Karl closed his eyes, and reclined back into the sofa. “It was not worth it.”

  He swallowed. Eyes still closed. “I’m sorry.”

  The silence was heavy between them as Karl lay there, and Jane sipped her cup of tea.

  The sound of footsteps broke the silence as one of their servants approached. Karl opened one eye to watch the servant, a maid, pour a second cup of tea for Jane. It was an entirely silent affair, only the sound of the pouring tea filling the silence.

  “Thank you,” said Jane once the maid had finished serving her. The maid lightly curtsying with the pot in hand, and leaving them alone once more.

  “So…” Karl cleared his throat, “how can I make it up to you? How can I fix this?”

  Jane sighed, and put the cup down as she looked at him.

  “No– wait, I got something for you.”

  How had he forgotten? Maybe it would help, it would at least break the awkward silence.

  He stood up and rushed after the maid that had just left. Poking his head out from the side-door she had left through. There was a guard leaning against the wall.

  “Could you please send for the two cases I got in the Auction?”

  “Of course sir,” the guard saluted him and went to fetch said cases.

  Karl waited there for a few moments, bouncing in place as he glanced back at Jane every now and then. She continued to sip her tea, watching him curiously. She still seemed disappointed, but the little present may help his case. Plus, the World Government didn’t have the time to chase after every small transgression. Especially, if they never heard of it. They were safe. He’d have to explain himself better, and he would. He’d make sure she understood and forgave him long before the ball. Wait, he hadn’t even told her about the ball yet!

  “Sir,” the guard who’d left was before him now. The two guards who’d carried their respective cases standing just behind him. “The cases.”

  Karl took a deep breath, and nodded. “Follow me,” he told them, and then to the guard who’d fetched them, “thank you.”

  The guards followed him back into the main room and at his prompting placed the two cases on the rug between the fireplace and the sofa. After thanking the guards, Karl turned to his wife with a forced smile.

  “So,” he began, picking up the smaller case, he glanced inside, checking to confirm if it was the correct one, “this is for you.”

  Jane took the case and opened it, retrieving a small music box that fit snuggly in the palm of her hand.

  “It’s a music box, and it is said to capture the soul of the South Blue’s waves. At least that’s how the auctioneer described it…”

  Jane opened the box, lifting the intricately carved lid and releasing a soft tinkling melody. The hauntingly beautiful melody filled the silence in the room, its notes lilting and uneven, as if mimicking the ebb and flow of the ocean itself. Jane’s expression was still guarded, but something flickered in her grey eyes.

  Neither of them spoke as they listened to the music. Karl then picked up the remaining case and placed it on his lap as he sat back down next to his wife, making sure to be as quiet as possible. She was lost in the music, her gaze fixed on a point in the distance, and Karl had to admit, it was beautiful. The auctioneers description was uncanily accurate, it did remind him of the calm waves of the South Blue. As the music intensified, it even reminded him of that storm that they’d pushed through to reach the capital. Then, it gradually turned back to the subdued waves that they’d docked with, the music finishing its story. A single note hanging in the silence.

  That single note that gradually faded away felt like a promise, a promise that the next time they took to the sea, they would live through another adventure.

  The silence following after the note’s end was heavy, both of them unconscioulsy holding their breaths.

  “Thank you,” Jane finally broke the silence, wiping at something in her eyes.

  “Who made this?” her voice laced with something akin to awe.

  “I think the auctioneer said it was crafted by someone named Versalno? Or something like–”

  “Vensarlo? This was made by Vensarlo?!”

  “Umm, yes?”

  Jane, with the utmost care, delicately placed the box back into its case and the case on the table. Then, she turned to fully face him.

  “You don’t know who Vensarlo is?” Before Karl could respond, she leaned forward, her ealier disappointment entirely eclipsed by disbelief and excitement.

  “Karl, Vensarlo isn’t just anyone. He’s the greatest master craftsman of this age, a legend. He’s the next Marivaux! His late master was even one of Marivaux’s apprentices!”

  Karl leaned back, as Jane took a deep breath. He knew she was an aficionado of the arts. But this was the first time he had seen her get so worked up over something.

  “You don’t understand!” she gestured at the case on the table. “It’s priceless! Its—wait, do you not even know who Marivaux is?”

  “No?”

  Jane seemed to deflate as she sunk into the sofa.”You don’t know who Marivaux is?” She grabbed one of the pillows beside her and wrapped her arms around it. “How does my husband not know who Marivaux is?”

  “Sorry? It never really came up.”

  She twisted to face him. “It never came up? Really?”

  “Well…” he’d just put his foot in his mouth again hadn’t he?

  “Does ‘The Great Tinkerer’ not sound familiar? ‘The Clockmaster’ ? Do you even listen—”

  “—Wait, they do sound familiar.” Karl reached into his coat pocket, he needed to change the conversation fast, and he knew just how to do that.

  “Familiar? I–”

  Karl pulled out a folded paper and quickly slipped it into her hand. She looked down at it in confusion.

  “What’s this?” She asked as she carefully unfolded the piece of paper.

  “Just… read it.”

  “‘By Royal Decree of His Highness, First Prince…’” She trailed off, her gaze darting back to Karl. “An invitation to the royal ball? This—wait, it’s in a week!”

  slog in comparison to the previous one, I also made some changes to previous chapters. Karl doesn't actually know at which point before the timeline he's been reborn in for example. Just tried to have everything make sense.

  I'll try, but no promises.