Chapter 17

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: The Lady Only Deals in the Real Thing 25

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"I think I'm falling in love with you, boss."

"Once you see the underground vault, you'll probably love me even more."

"Oh my god, that's so romantic..."

Hanna stomped her feet excitedly as she admired the items in the underground vault.

As someone who knew document management inside and out, she had no worries about browsing on her own.

She examined the books with the reverence of someone perusing holy scriptures, then selected two to take with her.

She acted like she wanted to take them all but had no choice except to pick just two.

"I want these two darlings, boss. Sell them to me, please?"

"Of course. Take them for as much as you like."

Playing along with her treating the books like children, I asked if she was okay with their somewhat high price tags. She declared boldly that she'd saved 8.5 million gold thanks to me, so this was fine to splurge on.

Two million gold and two books changed hands. When I threw in the inkstone she'd called pretty as a freebie, Hanna nearly fainted again.

A lot of conversation went back and forth as well.

"Boss, do you need any help from me by chance? I'm great at spotting typos, forged documents, and books. I know document management protocols cold, and I can restore them too. Let me repay your kindness with some free help! That way I can come visit often?"

"I've been looking for someone to advise me on ancient documents, so that's a really grateful offer. But no freebies."

"Huh? Aren't you the one who said that?"

And just like that, we drew up a consultant contract.

I had to grab Hanna, who was trying to bolt while insisting she didn't need a fee, and force her to sign. Then something clicked for me.

"Hanna, you said you're good at spotting forgeries, right?"

"Yes! Scribes belong to the library guild, so pretty much all palace documents pass through us. I've never missed one!"

"...You don't have to say if it's confidential, but among the forgeries you've found, was there anything from Rozanne Viscountess?"

"Oh my! How did you know?!"

Just as I thought.

"Her budget requests had mismatched formats and receipts with obvious forgery signs on them, several times. Huge amounts too."

Hanna pouted her lips, clearly displeased.

"Seemed like she was trying to skim the budget with fake receipts, so I rejected them multiple times. Probably cut her requests in half because of me."

Exactly.

'Fired her for doing her job right?'

A hollow laugh escaped me.

"Yeah, she even reached out to me personally a few times. Offers to treat me to meals, invitations to parties, that sort of thing."

"You didn't go, right?"

"Of course not. When would I have time to meet people? If I have spare time, I'm busy reading books."

So she'd resorted to extreme measures.

Bribery hadn't worked, and there was no justification to fire someone who did her job so well.

She probably planned to slip in one of her own people once Hanna was out.

'Good thing Hanna's not the type to spill my secrets to Rozanne, but who knows what else that woman might pull.'

With her forbidden book scheme failed, Rozanne might cook up more dirty tricks.

'She won't do anything blatant under her own name.'

I asked her to tell me about any suspicious contacts, no matter how minor.

Hanna, who had come to trust me completely after the auction house incident, nodded eagerly.

After seeing her off and getting back to work, my thoughts solidified.

'I need some intel after all.'

Memories and guesses were important, but I needed fresh information too.

To prepare, I had to know.

I flipped over Alter's business card, which gleamed in my card holder, revealing the Intelligence Guild mark.

I muttered softly.

"Guess I'll have to visit the Intelligence Guild."

It was late at night by the time I closed up shop.

Thankfully, customers had mentioned the Intelligence Guild operated 24 hours.

I grabbed a few new protective magic tools and headed out. After wandering for a while, I found the place.

No signboard, so I was skeptical at first, but the mark on the wall confirmed it.

'The Intelligence Guild in the Morro Principality was a real bloodbath.'

In my past life, I'd gone there desperate to learn about Grandfather.

'I was so shocked when I opened the door.'

A wolf baring its fangs and growling—not a person—greeted me.

The dim space echoing with screams looked less like an Intelligence Guild and more like a place that extracted information.

'When I asked about Grandfather, they said they didn't handle that kind of info and kicked me out... I begged to come back, but they demanded an insane amount of money. Probably because it was Empire-related and they didn't touch that.'

Was this place like that?

'...Huh?'

I cautiously pushed open the door and froze at the sight inside.

"Hi! First time? Come on in! What'll you have? Juice? Tea? Milk?"

A friendly greeting first?

"Sorry it's a bit messy. We're changing all the curtains for spring."

This many windows?

"Ignore that guy. He loves getting affection from strangers. Wanna give him a treat?"

And a super affectionate cat, one in a hundred?

Before I knew it, I was seated, petting a cream-colored cat.

The greeter was a friendly-looking man in his mid-thirties.

He set down a juice in front of me and grinned.

"Why the dazed look?"

"To be honest, I was picturing something a lot scarier."

"Well, that makes sense. Until a few years ago, we were a 'scary' place. Cultivated that brutal vibe everyone associates with Intelligence Guilds. Great for squeezing info out of people."

"And then?"

"Too scary, and customers stopped coming... So we gutted the place."

I eyed the man, who covered his mouth with a cough, feeling a pang of sympathy.

Wrong target audience tanked sales, leading to a remodel. That was it.

Unlike Morro Principality, the Empire's guild seemed geared toward regular folk.

"Business better now?"

"Better than before, but... meh. Guess it's not the interior. A customer last time said the decor was fine—it was me and the crew who were scary. Said dyeing a hyena's fur in pigtails doesn't make it less of a hyena."

"Hyena? Hmm, not at all. You seem really nice."

I meant it.

My standard for looks was Grandfather.

But the man looked deeply touched by my words.

"You're a sweet kid. More juice?"

"I mean it, Guildmaster."

"Thanks for saying so, even if it's just words. Drop the 'Guildmaster'—call me William."

No, really...

As I stared blankly at my second juice, something occurred to me.

"Maybe that customer meant your speech? Or attitude toward people?"

"My speech scary? How should I tweak it—more polite, round off my sentences?"

"No, not you, William—another guild member."

"Another? Who?"

"I-I mean... I've only met someone named Alter."

"...Alter?"

'Oops.'

William froze at the name.

"Oh, Alter... One of our guild members. What about him?"

His reaction suggested no impostor.

So, a real member.

'But solid affiliation doesn't mean trustworthy.'

Rozanne and Hugo proved that.

Nobles with impeccable status, yet they specialized in dirty deeds.

An Intelligence Guild criminal was entirely possible.

'Can't spill everything in front of the guildmaster though. Might cause him trouble I can't fix, or worse, he shuts me up.'

I answered curtly.

"Clothes."

"Clothes?"

"He wears nothing but pitch-black outfits. Outsiders might find it intimidating."

"Just the color?"

What else?

"You sure it's not the glare? Or eerie aura? Or that eye contact makes you wanna apologize instinctively?"