I was idly wasting time at a counter without a bartender.
To be precise, I was wasting time as the bartender and the owner kept a distance while watching me, doing nothing at all.
I could roughly guess why they were keeping an eye on me.
Skarl, whom I thought was dead, was alive and had sent me a note to inform me of his survival.
Even if I didn’t want to believe it, Skarl must have left a mark on the note to prove his identity.
I could understand their caution, but I had no intention of wasting more time in this weird situation.
“Where does the owner come from? Making customers wait like this makes it seem like you don’t want to do business!”
I openly criticized the establishment, ensuring the owner could hear me from afar.
I brutally ridiculed everything from service to hygiene to the quality of the drinks, saying it was worse than a doghouse.
Eventually, the culprit couldn’t hold back his anger and stomped over.
Whether I was an acquaintance of Skarl or not, he was likely going to try to kick me out.
In time with his approach, I pulled out a gold coin from my pocket and flicked it.
The gold coin spun in the air like whoosh. It looked like an ordinary imperial gold coin, but it was different.
The reason I held the money Rynelle had given me was not only its amount but also the symbolic meaning concealed in a few of the coins.
To the naked eye, they were indistinguishable from regular gold coins.
However, when spun rapidly, an optical illusion made them appear like the golden Agail crest.
These coins were a modified version of imperial currency, permitted by the Emperor.
In this world, only Ruphon Agail Duke could show such a display of power.
“Oh my! I had no idea a precious guest like you would come to such a shabby place! If only you had let me know you were coming in advance, I would have rushed out to welcome you!”
Magical gold coins that could turn anger management issues into a calm demeanor.
I confirmed their effect through the landlord, who was sweating profusely with a twitchy smile.
It might be said that criminals thrive in lawless areas, but ultimately, the Agail Duke was the king and law here.
“Look, no excuses for the time you wasted will bring it back. You know well that the Duke despises wasting time!”
“I’m so sorry! My carelessness caused the delay in responding! Though it might seem lacking as an apology, I will make it up to you with the best hospitality!”
The owner buried his forehead on the ground with a thud loud enough for the sound to be heard.
Guess Agail Duke really is scary.
That said, I had no intention of feeling sympathetic or showing mercy.
“What are you standing there for? Hurry and prepare the finest liquor and snacks!”
“Yes? Y-yes!”
“While they prepare the drinks and food, allow me to escort you to the VIP room!”
“I hope I won’t be disappointed any further.”
“Rest assured! I’ll provide the best service to dispel all your complaints!”
Nailed it.
This place wasn’t just about selling drinks; it was a tavern for buying and selling information.
I had gotten a hint that they’d provide the best service, so they wouldn’t dare lie or refuse to disclose information in front of me.
The shining bald owner led me personally to the truth room.
I planned to shake him down until he confessed about his sex tape.
I wondered just how much hair he would have lost when he emerged from the truth room later.
“This drink is imported from faraway lands. Allow me to offer you a toast.”
“Hmm.”
“U-uh, if it’s not too much trouble, may I ask the purpose of your visit?”
“If an informant can’t guess even one customer’s purpose, what good is he?”
“Ha ha…! My apologies. Still, I pride myself on being the best in the empire in terms of the quantity of information, so I’ll explain whatever you wish!”
“Alright, then spill everything you know about the death of the Agail Duchess.”
The owner took a deep breath and widened his eyes.
He reacted like a child caught hiding candy behind his back.
His gaze dropped, and his lips started to twitch.
“W-well, for that, I think it’s better to ask the Duke directly…”
“I already asked. He didn’t seem eager to reveal much.”
“Y-you’re asking me for information even the Duke is keeping secret?”
“That’s right!”
With a beaming smile, I extended my palm.
And then, I gestured for him to comply smoothly by folding and unfolding my fingers.
“…May I ask what your identity is?”
“I asked for information, and you’re trying to extract information from me instead? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t disappoint me?”
“I’m sorry! But my own life is the most precious thing, so I’d like to avoid crossing the Duke’s wishes!”
“Bottom line is you’re worried that if I get information from you, the Duke will take revenge on you, right?”
“Correct…”
Even with courtesy due to the link with the Agail Duke, I was ultimately not the primary culprit here.
There was little merit in handing over information to someone whose identity was concealed while facing great risks.
Considering his poor initial service, it was understandable that the benefits would be minimal, but not being forced to take losses seemed impossible.
The conclusion was that I had to erase the risk for myself.
“Duke Agail is a bastard.”
“Yes…?”
“Agail Duke is a bastard.”
“…?”
The owner blinked repeatedly, sitting across from me.
His complexion was turning increasingly pale.
He pressed the drink he had earlier filled into my ear as if he wanted to pretend he hadn’t heard my words.
Each time he tried, I continued repeating my consistent message.
Eventually, he jumped up in his seat and banged his head against the table several times.
“W-why would you say such a thing here! If it gets to the Duke’s ears, I could be… I might even lose my life!”
“Since I can’t reveal my identity, I had to prove it verbally. I’m not someone who would be swayed by Agail Duke.”
“A…!”
“I swear that there will be no repercussions for you by handing over information. How does that sound?”
“Haah…! I will provide the information. But, could you please retract what you just said?”
“Wasn’t it reassuring?”
“It’s not good for the listener’s heart.”
The owner regained his composure, taking deep breaths to calm himself.
While his forehead, which had clashed with the table, was still reddened, he seemed to have forgotten his pain from the shock.
Pouring liquor into the empty owner’s cup, he gulped it down like water.
“Phew! Before I share that information with you, how much do you know about the current whereabouts of the Agail family?”
“A power comparable to the Emperor.”
“Yes, that’s precisely the problem. Among the nobility, they hold the most power and have dealt primarily in dirty work, resulting in many adversaries against the Agail family. Moreover, given their lands are near the border, foreign nations also regard the Agail family with disdain.”
“…I asked about the Duchess’s death, but do you mean to say someone was killed by those forces?”
The owner nodded.
While I had said I would protect her, it seemed that speaking about it was still terrifying for him.
I flicked the gold coin that I had been holding into his hand.
He caught the coin with both hands and let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you!”
“I’m someone who handles carrots and sticks quite firmly. So, I’d appreciate it if you stuck to the key points like now.”
“Though the main instigator of this incident hasn’t been identified yet, the White Fang is a strong suspect.”
“White Fang?”
“It’s a revolutionary faction that emerged long ago. Formed by a wolf beastman who was treated as a slave, they have the goal of bringing down the Arungarde Empire. However, they nearly suffered a catastrophic defeat at the hands of the Agail family and have since fled to foreign lands to regain their strength.”
“Any evidence that implicates White Fang?”
“Evidence resembling beast fur was found on the corpse.”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean it was an attack from a beast, does it?”
“The confirmed cause of death was a stab wound to the neck. If it were an attack from a beast, there should have been signs of some flesh being eaten or claw marks. However, aside from the stab, there were no other wounds.”
“So, White Fang stabbed to avoid being discovered but got caught by the fur, huh?”
“Well, there’s another detail. Since an Agail family’s treasured sword was also found, there’s a belief that the victim might have committed suicide rather than be taken hostage. So it’s a case of both suicide and murder.”
The Agail Duchess was a wife who loved her husband dearly.
It’s understandable that she would prioritize him over her daughter, making it a very plausible tale.
It was undeniably a heavy love.
“She chose death before becoming a hostage, left behind her body, but the White Fang fled, leaving behind the fur, is that it?”
“Exactly.”
“It might have been a trap to shift the blame to White Fang.”
“The fur was found on the roof of the mouth. Judging by the situation where she might have been pressing her tongue against the roof, it seems she wanted to inform the Duke of the truth.”
It seemed I was bound to be unlucky if I dreamed of becoming a member of the Agail family.
The Duchess, who took her own life and meticulously planned her afterlife.
Even Rynelle’s mother, who I thought would be ordinary, turned out to be a schemer.
Having grown up under strategic parents, Rynelle’s levels of gaslighting could only be exceptional.
It should be noted that Rynelle wasn’t solely influenced by her father.
At the same time, I couldn’t help but worry if Rynelle would also love heavily like her Duchess mother.
“I’m not completely sure, but it seems about 80% likely to be revenge from White Fang.”
“Indeed.”
“So, what kind of information do you have on White Fang?”
“Well, there’s hardly any information on them at all, as they are shrouded in mystery.”
“It’s not a deliberate attempt to hide it?”
“Of course not! If there had been any information, it would have reached the Duke first, and he would have apprehended the instigators.”
Right, I don’t think a ruler in the underworld would be slower than the informants.
After all, even Agail Duke was struggling with the death of his wife, which might explain his silence.
An uncertain conclusion might be worse than saying nothing at all.
“The adversary kidnapped the Duchess and vanished without a trace….”
“This is purely my personal speculation, but….”
“What is it?”
“It wouldn’t be easy for a group to commit a crime without leaving any evidence, would it?”
“It wouldn’t.”
“White Fang, bent on revenge, must have been formed by a small elite team, and they might be surprisingly close.”
“Being close means within the family, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it wouldn’t make sense for them to vanish so completely otherwise.”
“Hmm? They seem to be managing their servants pretty thoroughly, but if the enemy is within, wouldn’t that be easy to discover?”
“Perfection doesn’t exist in this world. There must be loopholes in managing servants, and it’s possible they exploited those to carry out the crime.”
I couldn’t help but nod at that statement.
No one in this world is omnipotent, so it had enough credibility.
“If your hypothesis is correct, it could be a seasoned player.”
“That’s probably true. And I think they’ll soon reveal their true colors, executing a plan that could surely end the Duke.”
“A plan to end the Duke?”
“It means they’re about to carry out a plan that could decisively finish the Duke.”
Kidnapping, hostage, White Fang, an inside enemy, and soon.
As I gathered all the information I had heard until now, a sudden wave of anxiety surged over me.
I sensed that the butterfly that had been bothering me since I took my position at the academy began to flutter its wings again.
