You think not delving too deeply into each other's circumstances is the secret to maintaining a long-term relationship, right? Especially in this line of work."
Shirou nodded in agreement, and the girl with the blindfold continued.
"Actually, the invited guests aren't necessarily limited to the people currently on the train. Quite a few people board on the day of the auction, too.
"Those determined to get their hands on something will come over from the start. The noteworthy items I mentioned earlier are also—
"In most cases, the Mage's Eye Collection Train should be the one to actively send out the invitations."
"W-Wait, what does that mean...?" Rin Tohsaka's mouth fell open.
Yvette chuckled softly. "It means exactly what it sounds like—
"The Mage's Eye Collection Train collects eyes from its passengers.
"Even those who ignore the invitation will be forcibly kidnapped. By the time they realize what happened, they'll already be corpses with both eyes gouged out.
"Well, in short, the invitation is a message telling you, 'If you value your life, obediently hand over your Mystic Eyes.'
"As for the reason, it would be, 'Because every Mystic Eye in the world belongs to me,' I suppose."
"That certainly sounds like something out of a vampire's playbook."
Shirou asked, "Then where can I meet the former manager?"
Yvette felt her vision go dark. "Didn't you listen to my explanation just now?
"The other party is one of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors of the Dead Apostles! No normal person would have any desire to meet them voluntarily!"
Shirou wiped his lips with a napkin. "I'm attending the auction precisely to meet that person."
"..." The corner of Yvette's mouth twitched.
Just then, a commotion broke out in the dining car.
It turned out that the auctioneer had displayed the second item