Polena, the woman who always wore a flawless smile as if worries never existed, was introduced.
Without a doubt, she seemed to have no thoughts, yet that made her easy to talk to, as there was no burden in the conversation.
Lipton began to feel a considerable curiosity about her introduction as a rather naive and innocent person, someone anyone could comfortably interact with, which made her immensely trustworthy in some aspects.
“Mr. Cazerose, the inquisition expert from another realm introduced by Polena… Is it true that he made a lot of money? Perhaps that person could solve the worries I’m currently carrying.”
With such thoughts, Lipton arrived at the room he was guided to.
At that moment, he noticed a woman dressed as a paladin and a traveler, likely with the purpose of escorting her.
“I apologize for interrupting, Mr. Cazerose.”
“Yes, what is it, Ms. Polena?”
Cazerose, the woman, looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Through the paladin’s insignia on her chest, Lipton could clearly see that she was an undeniable active paladin.
Furthermore, since many of the inquisitors were appointed from among those paladins with actual military power, Lipton easily accepted that the woman in front of him, Mr. Cazerose, was someone who did similar work or had done so.
*
“As heretics multiply, our tasks have significantly increased. Although there are many opportunities to earn money, it can often be quite tiring.”
“I agree. I, too, experience fatigue due to an overload of work while working here in Münhel. The income continues to decline, which worries me.”
“Indeed… As time passes, the citizens we interact with become more radical, leading to greater losses of property.”
“Exactly.”
After a simple greeting, Lipton began to converse with Cazerose.
Observing how well they communicated, he quickly felt comfortable enough to open up.
Cazerose seemed able to accurately read what Lipton was troubled about.
Above all, the strong sense of kinship that came from them both being inquisitors allowed him to express his feelings candidly.
“On that note… Does Mr. Cazerose have any special techniques? I heard you’ve made quite a bit as an inquisitor…”
“Ahaha… You’re overestimating me. I don’t believe I’ve made that much…”
As she spoke, Cazerose subtly glanced at a large bag behind her.
Only then did Lipton catch a glimpse of gleaming gold coins peeking out from the bag, and the man in travel attire, likely her escort, carefully presented the contents to him for a clearer look.
“….gulp…”
What lay before him was an astronomical amount, easily worth several thousand talents.
Realizing that this paladin possessed some unknown special secrets, Lipton’s voice filled with urgency.
“Um… if you don’t mind, Mr. Cazerose, could you share your methods with me? As a comrade doing the same work… I would truly appreciate any teachings.”
“Haha… It’s not like there’s much to teach. It’s just that I’m slightly more talented than others… I don’t merely rely on looted items for profit; I utilize other methods to earn this much.”
“So… what exactly are those methods?”
Lipton’s eyes were half-dazed, transfixed by the incredible gold coins before him.
Seeing his reaction, Cazerose waited slightly before responding with a much more serious and cautious expression.
“…The method itself could indeed be implemented here, but first, I want to emphasize that it requires considerable risk. If things go wrong, you could face severe consequences… Moreover, many who can operate covertly would also be essential. So, will you proceed?”
“…Is there any way to earn money without risk? Though it’s a bit risky, we are navigating dangerous lines during the process of identifying heretics.”
“That is true…”
Cazerose frowned slightly at that statement.
However, Lipton thought that her words indicated the extent of the risks and only fueled his desire to know more.
“Hurry and tell me, Mr. Cazerose. What exactly is this method?”
“Alright… But first, please promise me just two things.”
“What… are they?”
With a trembling voice, Lipton asked, and Cazerose answered firmly.
“I will share the method and assist you. First, you must strictly adhere to our evaluations during the initial execution, and second, we will not take any responsibility regarding this matter. There must be no traces or information left behind. Do you understand?”
The requirements posed by her were quite unusual.
From this, Lipton realized that the task was indeed highly risky and concurrently a method that could yield significant profits.
This ignited an even stronger curiosity and desire within him.
“I understand what you mean. I will adhere to that promise without fail.”
“…Good. Then let me tell you. Lipton, I trust you know about the Cazerose Trading Exchange?”
“Yes, of course…”
“This method involves utilizing that Cazerose Trading Exchange.”
With that statement, Cazerose carefully began to elaborate on the ‘method’ she had used.
A surge of amazement, excitement, and anticipation began to fill Lipton’s face.
As Cazerose had warned, it was an incredibly dangerous method.
Yet, at the same time, it was undoubtedly a golden opportunity for Lipton to earn a substantial amount of money.
“After all, if the masterminds keep their mouths shut, there won’t be any issues. Since the method itself is novel, there’s no clear evidence to pin anything on.”
The risks were indeed significant.
However… the rewards it could bring were immeasurably greater.
Having felt an intensifying thirst due to his dwindling income, Lipton decisively decided to utilize this method.
Simultaneously, a deep smile appeared on Cazerose’s face at his resolution.
*
Eugen, a trader doing quite well in Münhel, lived faithfully as a devout believer of the church.
Though there were somewhat noisy happenings regarding heretics in the surroundings, to him, it was merely a necessary process of executing public duties without blemish on his faith.
Then, one day, a man showed up at Eugen’s place with a document stamped with the bishop’s seal and money.
Claiming to have an urgent matter on the bishop’s orders, he asked Eugen to officially lease his store building, which he owned, for just two weeks, offering a payment fee.
He explained that it was needed for a significant church event.
Eugen mentioned that a simple and informal agreement would suffice, but the man insisted that such important church ceremonies couldn’t be handled that way; it needed to be a formal contract along with the documentation proving ownership.
If it had been a typical request, he might have rejected it due to the hassle.
However, being a devout believer himself, and considering the current tense atmosphere and the written contract indicating that the document would be returned after the lease’s expiration along with compensation for any breach, Eugen agreed despite feeling reluctant.
He knew it would be unwise to go against the church’s intentions.
Then, two days later…
The inquisition officials attacked Eugen, accusing him of heresy and sending mobs and his followers to assault him.
Luckily, at that time, Eugen and his family were away, so they remained unscathed.
However, his store, which had been temporarily leased to the church, was smashed in an unexpected assault by the mobs that had framed him as a heretic.
Shortly after, the church claimed there was a minor misunderstanding and ruled him not guilty regarding the heretic charges, but they said nothing about his lost property.
They merely returned the document for a now-useless building, turned into nothing but a scrap of paper by the expiration of the lease period.
Although Eugen desperately wanted to protest, in the current tense atmosphere surrounding heresy, he ultimately held back from saying anything, simmering in silence and having to let it pass as a mere casualty.
And at that moment…
Inquisitor Lipton, having successfully completed his task, was grinning widely at the sight of an incredibly significant amount of money compared to all his previous earnings.
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