Chapter 88

“Open the gate right now! Hurry!”

I shouted to the guards at the gate. They scrambled to pull the gates open. Beyond the doors, the sisters Vina and Yelena were revealed. I checked their condition first.

“Are you alright? You aren’t hurt anywhere, are you?”

Watching me fuss, Yelena let out a smirk.

“Don’t make such a scene. I’ve been ‘hurt’ since the day I was born, and I’m just about getting used to it.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Did Malik do this? Did he give you this and tell you to bring it here?” I asked, holding up the note they had delivered.

“It seems so. Someone else came to deliver the message, so I don’t know for sure.”

“Were you threatened?”

“Of course. He said if I didn’t get this to the Young Master immediately, he’d make sure somewhere other than my legs became ‘uncomfortable’.”

I was appalled. Had information leaked? Very few people should have known that she led the protesters at my request.

‘Or… was he certain from the start that I was the one behind it?’

I didn’t know the extent of Malik’s intelligence network or his insight. Putting that aside, if Malik was the one behind this, what was his true motive?

‘Open the gate.’

Was this a declaration of war? Either way, I couldn’t be certain of anything yet. I looked back at the sisters.

“Come inside for now. Let’s head to the castle.”

“The dormitory room Vina used to stay in has been kept vacant. You two can stay there. I’ll prepare whatever supplies you need. If you feel uneasy, I can arrange quarters within the castle itself.”

“That’s… well, thank you.”

Yelena looked deeply uncomfortable, as if something was weighing on her mind. Understandably so. I didn’t know which individual had commissioned Malik to do this, but the important thing was that Malik could have killed Vina and Yelena. The mere thought of that possibility made my skin crawl.

‘I should have brought these people in first.’

I had been far too complacent.

“Regarding the safety of the others who cooperated with the protest…”

When I asked, Yelena simply shook her head.

“…I see. I’ll send someone to look into it.”

“No.”

“Pardon? But…”

“You mustn’t send anyone. If you do, it’ll just end up helping whoever did this,” Yelena said. “If Malik—or whoever that bastard is—already knew everyone who helped you, he would have done something by now. Just like he did to us. But if he doesn’t know yet, just leave them be. Going to find them might actually give Malik the information he needs.”

She was absolutely right.

“Understood. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

I had noticed her competence when she handled the protests in the lower district, but Yelena was remarkably sharp. She seemed to share some traits with Odin and Ronari.

‘It feels like a different kind of talent than Ronari’s genius… but I see the potential for her to become a great asset.’

“I’m sorry. Things turned out this way because of me.”

“Forget it. We aren’t dead, we just lost our house and some stuff. Whatever.”

From the sound of it, that seemed like a pretty critical situation. I apologized to the sisters once more.

“…I am truly sorry.”

“I said it’s fine.”

Was it really fine? I glanced at their expressions.

“What can you do? Life has its ups and downs. An apology isn’t going to undo what happened.”

Ouch. That stung. Every word Yelena said felt like it was piercing right through me.

“So, just give me what you promised. You said you’d give me a job, right?”

“Ah, right.”

“…As you can see, the tasks you’ll be handling are all things you can do while seated. However, since you’ll be moving less than others, you’ll be handling a bit more paperwork. Is that alright with you?”

“It’s better than being told to do sales by doing handstands while visiting clients.”

Yelena coolly accepted all the contract terms. She did it so fast I wondered if she had even reviewed them. It was Vina who was scanning the contract more seriously.

‘Not that I put any unfair clauses in there anyway…’

The work I assigned to Yelena was what Ronari used to do back in the administrative department: liquidating procured tax grain and tribute goods. Previously, Ronari had to do the legwork herself, but since we have field staff now, Yelena only needs to handle the paperwork. With her wide network of contacts, she’d be familiar with market prices and likely do well.

Next, we visited Vina’s old workplace. Vina seemed quite nervous during the walk.

“How can I show my face there after what happened…?”

“It’s alright. What matters is that you’ve returned. I’ll explain things to the others.”

“…”

Vina seemed to be dwelling on the fact that she had run away when she was entrusted with the sales of the wheeled chairs. But I, and the others, knew some of the circumstances. Everyone else sent to do sales in the lower district besides her had been Malik’s men. If they had conspired to desert, Vina would have had no way to refuse. I intended to make that very clear to everyone.

However…

“Oh, Sister!”

As soon as we arrived, someone recognized Vina and came running toward us. To be precise, they came ‘rolling’ over on wheels.

“…Sasha.”

“You’re back! Welcome home.”

Sasha. She was an employee who lived in the same dormitory building as Vina, right on the floor below. I remembered her too.

‘How could I forget…? I specifically arranged their housing so they would become friends.’

I felt a slight pang of guilt.

Sasha took both of Vina’s hands in hers.

“Let’s go. We’re incredibly busy as it is. Thanks to someone.”

Sasha shot me a sharp look before leading Vina toward the back of the workshop.

“Haha…”

I saw them off with an awkward laugh. After bidding Vina farewell, I headed straight to the field office. The person I had summoned was waiting for me there. He was the employee handling human resources in place of Pietro, who had departed on the expedition.

“Young Master.”

“Please, take a seat.”

I sat across from him with a table between us.

“So… how are ‘those employees’ doing?”

The manager scratched his head.

“For now, there aren’t any major issues. It was the same right after they returned, but they’re so healthy it’s hard to believe they were missing for two days. However…”

“However?”

I leaned in to listen. He waved his hand dismissively.

“No, it’s not that big of a problem. It’s just that one of them has started drinking a bit more. A fellow named Jors.”

“…His drinking increased?”

“Yes. He often sneaks alcohol in and drinks during work hours. He’s not in a position where being drunk and falling over would put anyone in danger, so I’ve left it at giving him a warning for now.”

Alcohol.

Alcohol, huh?

“Did he seem sleepy at all?”

“His condition isn’t great in the mornings… but then again, aren’t there people everywhere who aren’t morning people? I didn’t think it was worth making an issue of.”

“Hmm, I see.”

I stood up and walked out of the workshop. Adele was waiting for me outside. She came trotting toward me. Her first words were so full of leisure that they almost made me feel drowsy.

“I’m bored.”

“The world is at peace only when you are bored.”

“I’m not a berserker or some Great Demon King of Evil, you know. I can find plenty of ways to not be bored that don’t involve fighting.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. For example…”

I hurriedly changed the subject.

“The administrative offices in Denabi Castle are always short-staffed. I’ve taken almost everyone to use for my business. If you’re that bored, why don’t you try learning some of the work?”

“Ugh… I’ll pass.”

“Pity.”

I quickly pivoted the conversation before she could say anything else eccentric.

“More importantly, how is the interrogation of the prisoner going? Have you found out anything?”

“She won’t open her mouth at all.”

“I figured as much.”

“It’s because you insisted I only use ‘peaceful means.’ If you gave me a few more cards to play, the results might be different.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? That woman is a citizen of Denabi. Absolutely not.”

“Mmm. But she’s a criminal. I’ve tried everything I can within the limits you set. If I can’t use other means…”

“I’ll meet her myself.”

“Ooh.”

The exterior of Denabi Castle is quite stylish. As Adele mentioned (a long time ago), the bricks of the castle are made almost entirely of marble. It probably wasn’t done intentionally to be fancy; they likely just used it because marble was common in the Denabi Canyons.

However, that coincidence created a paradoxical landscape. The castle was built from a strictly tactical and practical standpoint, yet it possessed the grace of a work of art. Thanks to its white silhouette, Denabi Castle looked almost like a palace for pacifists.

It was no different on the inside. Despite having lived in this castle for a while, it never once felt like a fortress of a frontier warlord. Even in the castle basement, that feeling persisted.

“It’s almost funny that a prison could be this beautiful.”

“I agree.”

Adele and I were walking down the stairs to the castle dungeon. Even the prison, which should have looked the most damp and harsh, was made of white marble…

‘It’s not exactly a warm maternal embrace, but still.’

I took a moment to imagine the feelings of the convicts or prisoners who must have been dragged down these stairs. Well, what would it have been like? They probably felt like fools.

We passed the petty criminals imprisoned near the exit and headed toward the deepest part of the dungeon. There, she was.

The archer.

“…”

As we approached the bars, she slowly lifted her head. She was in a state where her arms were shackled to chains on both walls, making it look as though she were suspended in mid-air.

“I’ll skip the pleasantries. Just because the prison walls are pure white doesn’t mean your heart can be.”

I leaned my head toward the bars.

“I won’t ask for your motive, either. That’s something for a court to decide, and I’m not a judge. Instead, what I want to know is about the people who hired you.”

“…A fixer does not carelessly disclose information about their employer.”

I think that was the first time I’d heard her voice. From beside me, Adele whispered:

“That’s the first time she’s spoken since she was brought in.”

Hmm. Is that how it is?

“Admirable professional ethics. Had you not been a criminal, you would have had my respect. However, about what you said… I have one question. If it isn’t ‘carelessly,’ then it’s okay to disclose it? Can I take it that way?”

“…”

Her silence was somewhat meaningful.

Okay. So there’s room for negotiation.

“I want to make a deal… no, a contract with you.”

“?”

“You provide me with information and services, and I pay you the price. Money, freedom, a stable job, or… the erasure of your previous employer.”

I clearly saw her pupils dilate slightly.

“What do you say? Care to go for a big score with me?”