52

‘What disaster are they going to cause this time?’

We held our breath and strained to listen to the conversation between the two Rinus employees.

“There’s nobody working here who doesn’t know them. If you don’t recognize these materials, your brain is also a low-grade material.”

“What can you do. They said we should leave a lot behind for them.”

“At first I did it without thinking, but damn, since then… ha… I don’t feel like it.”

“Even if it sucks, if the higher-ups order it, you do it. If you quit right now, you’d be out on the street with nothing. They might not let you go easily either.”

“He’s got backing, huh…”

The colleague beside him grabbed the dejected employee by the shoulder and dragged him off, saying let’s go have a drink. Presumably what the employee had implied was this:

‘Shoddy construction.’

But of course the documents contained no record that shoddy construction had been done.

‘We need more investigation.’

We slipped out of Rinus quietly, promising to follow up later.

‘If the sieve leaks in front, it leaks in the back too.’

That was my impression after visiting Rinus in person.

If even the lowest-level employees complain, it means they’ve been taking advantage for a very long time. They run the company without shame or fear.

The next day. I went to work early and headed to the Imperial Palace library. They kept newspapers organized by year there.

‘They said it was definitely an accident.’

They seemed to have brushed it off with a perfunctory cover story, but if someone had been injured there should be some report somewhere.

Last year… the year before… and then one more year forward, and I finally found an article. On the front page.

I had assumed it would be a small article about a cover-up, but the front page?

I couldn’t help opening my mouth when I saw the headline.

“Collapse of Gaho Bridge, about 100 imperial citizens dead or seriously injured.”

It was an incident that couldn’t possibly be hidden on the front page. The subheading screamed an absurdly inflammatory claim: ‘Is this the wrath of the god?’.

‘The god who was idle will suddenly jump up in such situations.’

Reading the details, it said the bridge had been built solidly but the main god, angered by insufficient prayer, issued a warning. The temple reportedly held all-night prayers and lines of confession followed. In a world with magic and divine power, such claims take hold.

“And after all this… they’re going to do the same thing again?”

The previous Chancellor and that Crown Prince brat must be out of their minds. They treat people like flies.

“It stinks. It reeks of rot.”

What began as a personal grudge had now taken on a justification that couldn’t be backed down from.

Between working at the Chancellery, enduring the pompous fellow’s harassment, and hunting for clues to spite him, my precious side business, Those Who Can’t Resign, was still thriving.

“What brings you today, Little Lamb friend-.”

The Duke frequented the place so often, as if dropping by whenever bored, that he might soon surpass Mr. Bull in visits.

Actually he didn’t have anything particularly special to say. Most consultations were about feelings that arise when he holds back fact-based harshness to avoid hurting subordinates, or sessions to reassure himself he’s doing the right thing. Sometimes he seemed in a good mood.

‘When I swear at him instead of the Crown Prince.’

He could do it himself, but he was raised noble and felt uncomfortable. Thanks to that, when I visited him at the Ministry of Justice, he was less tense than others and could say what he wanted. The voice-altering artifact I got from Aidan also helped me feel safe.

“I want to hear your thoughts, Master Quokka.”

But today he gave off a different vibe than usual. He looked lost in thought.

“Gladly. Shall I hear your friend’s worries-?”

“It’s not a worry. Hmm… unfamiliar might be the right word. It’s bothering me.”

I smirked and pointed at him with both index fingers to tease him.

“Ooh~~~ No way, romance? Our Little Lamb is in love~~~~ Is there someone you’re interested in? Yoo-hoo~~~.”

Wow, I’m seriously risking my life to sell this act.

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s about the Chancellery newcomer who came to see me recently.”

I froze.

No matter how shameless I was, could I not be flustered when my name comes up from the mouth of the youngest Supreme Justice, the Duke of Ariadne, and the Next Archduke?

“…Huh?”

“Disappointing.”

“Ah, no! My throat just went a bit scratchy suddenly-.”

“Oh dear. Are you okay?”

“Yes—I drank some water and I’m fine. Continue-.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Th-that newcomer from that other department, do you dislike them…?”

“…Maybe.”

“…!”

My heart sank. The Duke, who couldn’t know my state, tilted his head and then spoke.

“She doesn’t seem to rub me the wrong way in a bad sense.”

‘Phew, that’s a relief.’

I may want to live as I please, but I didn’t want to be marked by one of the empire’s top powers.

“It was something I had somewhat given up on, but she came saying she had to lay groundwork for the future. I only thought about blocking and fighting it immediately, I never considered that kind of solution.”

I spoke vaguely as work talk, but as the person involved I could understand exactly what he meant.

“Honestly I still think her actions are close to a futile effort. Even so, I may have done something pointless by agreeing to her request.”

“Do you regret granting it?”

He slowly un-crossed his arms, rested an elbow on the table, and propped his chin. The Little Lamb disguise was even more visible up close.

“Well. Maybe it was a shock.”

“A shock?”

“Yes. It might be because she was different from the image I had of her.”

He fell silent as if lost in thought. He might be picturing me as the Daijo employee I once was. If so, the only thing I as the person involved could say was this.

“That’s also part of who she is. I should watch over her. Who knows? There might be even more surprising sides to come.”

“Is that so.”

He snorted and let out a small laugh.

“That makes me look forward to it.”

I, Pinea, and Nicola each did their own investigations after visiting Rinus and met at a famous log tavern in Rusera.

“Nicola says something came up and he’ll be a little late.”

Suddenly I felt an unnecessary worry.

“Keep an eye on him so he doesn’t end up working overtime all the time.”

“Is he a pushover in your mind? He’s mild-mannered but not that much of a doormat.”

“Do you really think so?”

“….”

He’s the kind of person who once volunteered to take my overtime shift. Pinea sighed and said she’d check on him.

While we waited, I told Pinea what I’d found. When I revealed the truth about the Gaho bridge collapse three years ago, she was aghast. Since it happened in the capital and she lived in Ophel, she didn’t know. She was so stunned she couldn’t speak for about ten seconds.

“How could so many people…”

Her shock quickly turned to anger.

“No matter how enraged a god is, does killing innocent people make sense?”

“I don’t know much about temples or doctrine, but it’s not something common sense can accept.”

“No, the main deity is a goddess of mercy; she wouldn’t do that!”

It was the first time she’d heard it, but I gave measured agreement so it wouldn’t show. Pinea raged as if mad, then became suddenly serious.

“Can we uncover this? They’ll cover something like this… It’s dangerous, Coco.”

“That’s why I told you not to come with me.”

“I didn’t know it was this big! Is this the time to blame me for being concerned? I’m telling you you’re in danger.”

“That bastard is my boss. I can’t let it go.”

This isn’t war—they murdered ordinary imperial citizens. I can’t serve such killers. My own life might be at risk later.

Now that I’d come this far, I didn’t want to quit. Even if I did, I’d be too uneasy to sleep well.

“Sigh, even you… this is… haa.”

Pinea gulped her beer and slammed the glass down.

“Is there a way?”

I grinned at how quickly she switched tactics, knowing I wouldn’t change my mind. It was one reason I liked Pinea.

“If your tail is long, it’ll be stepped on in the end.”

“W-what do you mean by tail?”

“It means if you keep doing bad things, they’ll eventually be exposed.”

“I’ve never heard that saying before.”

“It’s a foreign proverb.”

“Working at the Imperial Palace made you smarter. So what now?”

“It’ll take time, but if we dig like this then surely…”

“Guys!”

At that moment, Nicola rushed in, panting—I’d never seen him look so urgent.

“Why did you run like that? You could have come slowly.”

Pinea said as she ordered beer at his seat.

“I wanted to tell you quickly.”

Pinea and I widened our eyes at the unexpected answer. I prompted him on behalf of us.

“What is it?”

Nicola didn’t hesitate.

“There’s a colleague I grew close to while doing product inspections. I told them Rinus had been chosen for the Rusera boulevard construction and that I hoped they’d make a nice road. But that friend sighed heavily and cursed them as trash. Then they said they used to work for that company. As an employee.”

That’s important information.

“At Rinus?”

“Yes, precisely before they changed their name to Rinus.”

“Wait, they changed their name? Could it be…”

Nicola swallowed and nodded toward Pinea and me.

“They were investigated for doing shoddy construction.”

Pinea and I exploded with anger at the same time.

“Damn it!”