After I let Neurath and Schunzel go back, I went to the Adventurer Guild. I was surprised by how lively this place was. I had been doing paperwork in the quiet office after all so I felt a bit of culture shock when I entered the lively guild.
Oh! Is it not Viscount-sama? How about a drink to celebrate your safe return?
Later. My treat of course.
It has been a while, Viscount-sama. I have heard the rumor about your achievent.
Please stop ntioning those embarrassing rumors to .
Many people approached in the guild. While avoiding both the adventurers rough congratulations and the sexy ladies who seed to be drooling over , I headed to the counter. Even on my way to the counter, many people were trying to strike up a conversation with .
As expected of Viscount-sama. You have beco pretty famous.
Sigh I dont know how things ended up like this even though the war in Finnoi was Mazells achievent, not mine.
Haha. As your acquaintance, I feel proud.
Im glad to hear that.
One of them was this guy. Honestly, I was serious when I said it was Mazells achievent, but people didnt listen. Also, how did my acquaintances suddenly increase like that? Unlike the Iron Hamr adventurer team, we were practically strangers!
So people who ca to talk to were drunk, even though it was still early, but I mostly ignored them and finally, I arrived at the counter.
I will get straight to the point. I want to put in a request for a job.
Thats quite abrupt.
The receptionist lady gave a wry smile. Well, I was pressed for ti and I was tired, so I wanted to get it done as soon as possible.
I need to have groups of scouts go out in pairs and investigate sothing for .
Does this request only involve information gathering?
Yes. I still havent decided on the rest.
Even though I had lived in this country since I was born, that didnt an I knew everything about other nobles territories. Not to ntion Marquis Knap and my house didnt have the friendliest relationship.
The capital had its own defense capability but it would still be a problem if the fourth Demon General cooked sothing in forr Triot land so I needed to be prepared and for that I needed information. This should be the job of the royal family, but His Highness asked for so ideas so it wasnt like I had any other choices.
At the very least, I wanted information about the geography, population or, to be more specific, the thoughts of the people in that area. If the investigation was done by the people of the Zeavert family, it would create a political complication, so I needed the adventurers to do it.
Geography?
Yes. I want to know the topography of that area. However, I dont want others to know that it is Zeavert house who is doing the investigation.
Is it not too late for that?
Really?
I felt a pang. Did I look like an evil mastermind that always plots sothing? I just wanted to survive. To be thought of as so mastermind I felt uncomfortable. In any case, I hoped this wouldnt lead to a political storm.
I actually also had sothing to do in the Comrce Guild, but I decided to put it off for later. Talking to the people of the Comrce Guild would definitely take a long ti, I would mostly just listen though. It was just that I still had a mountain of docunts I needed to finish Sigh.
For this aspect, considering the circulation of money and goods and the Guilds position in this world, my past life mory would have little to no use. This world didnt have anti-monopoly laws. In fact, it was common for a powerful guild to be backed by a powerful nobility house so the business world was tightly connected with politics. I didnt have enough ti or energy to be involved with that sort of business world.
The fact that the Iron Hamr wasnt here was unfortunate, but there was nothing I could do about it. After purchasing alcohol in a small pottery jar, I left the Adventurers Guild and went to the rcenary Guild to leave a ssage for Gekke-san. It would be best if Gekke-san was sowhere in the capital. I doubt everything would go that smoothly though.
It was morning when I left the mansion and now when I was finally finished with everything it had gotten dark. I think it was ti. On my way, I stopped at a second-hand clothes store and bought so old clothes, an old cloak, and old shoes. It seed like there were nobles who often disguised themselves for so night activities so the store employees looked at with a lascivious gaze as I walked to a place prepared by the store to change my clothes. I felt violated. Anyway, I changed my clothes then covered my body, including my face, with the cloak, and left the store. My destination was the slum.
I had only read about it in the report, so I spent so ti looking around before I finally found him. I approached the man who looked like a beggar. He glanced at with his eyes, which were covered by his bangs. I could sense he was being cautious. Maybe because I had been to battlefields several tis, I ended up developing a sharp sense for this kind of thing.
Sir, may I have your blessing?
Sure.
I gave him a couple of chopper coins, then I sat beside him. He slled a bit, but compared to the sll of blood on the battlefield, this was nothing.
Is there sothing a matter?
My na is Welner von Zeavert. I would like to et your boss.
The second he heard my na, he started to beco openly wary of . Usually, theres a password for this kind of thing, but I skipped the password part and just went straight to the point, so of course, he would react like that.
I do not understand what you are talking about.
Stop playing dumb. Ive figured it all about you and the rest of the red-haired beggars. Normal beggars wont just stay in the sa spot every day.
Children were brutally honest. The report I got from the orphanage ntioned that the children who were cleaning the street saw the sa old man in the exact sa spot every day. That was how I found it. I an, who would be cautious with children that picked up trash for money, right?
(T/N: Welner pays the orphanage children from picking up trash and cleaning the street.)
I gave him alcohol and continued to speak.
Theres sothing I really need to ask you guys for help. I just need you guys to listen, then I will forget everything. I wont cause any problems and I will pay. Ill even leave my sword to you here if you want.
. Follow .
After he looked at my feet, he stood up and left, so I quietly followed him. After a short walk, we arrived at a surprisingly neat building.
After the man standing in front of the building entrance talked to the man who guided here, he glared ferociously at . He was trying to be scary, I guess.
Here my sword.
Ah.
It was a sword, not a spear, so even if I carried it inside, there would not be any significant difference in my fighting power, but of course, I wouldnt say that here.
The inside of the building looked like a bar, but there werent any custors inside. I was asked to wait here for a while. The people inside were probably discussing . After a while, a man ca out and opened a door to a kitchen and there were two people following behind . You two, at least hide your killing intents a bit, would you?
As I went further inside, I saw an old man looking at across a desk. I was expecting a burly man, so I was quite surprised. So this old man was one of the bosses of the slum or, to be more specific, he was most likely the boss of the information guild.
So you are the young man of the Zeaverts house?
Yes. My na is Welner. First, let thank you for your ti.
How do you find out about us?
Sorry, but thats a secret.
Half of the reason why I found out about them was my previous life. It was common for thieves and beggars to create an organization to help each other in any country. If I used a tabletop RPG term, these guys were the thieves guild. In the future, these guys descendants would probably form sothing similar to the yakuza or the mafia.
In any case, although it might be strange for to say this, I was surprised that you agreed to et .
I heard your na from Feli. Plus, so of our youngsters have been under your care.
Ive been working with the refugees and people of the slum for the aqueduct construction project, so most likely they have known my na for a long ti. I was also sure that there were people who ca from the slum among the adventurers and scouts that Id hired, just like Feli. From now on, I should let Feli put as much sugar as he wanted in his tea. Actually, making connections with these people wasnt the reason I worked with people from the slums, but I was glad that they beca useful here.
Besides, you dont seem to be an amateur at this.
The old man said to himself while looking at my old shoes. It seed like this old man and the man who guided here earlier were impressed by my disguise. I never thought the scene I saw in a drama in my past life where the character got suspected because of his shoe would beco useful like this. You sure didnt know what things would beco useful.
So, what do you want to ask ?
Im looking for soone.
I described Sir Pucklers appearance to them in great detail while only ntioning that he was a person who caused a disturbance in the palace. You hide a tree in the woods, so for a human or, to be more specific, a demon disguised as a human, a slum would be a good place to hide.
If he didnt appear in the slum, it would be safe to assu that he ordered his subordinate to escape with the black gems, so the first thing I needed to do was to eliminate this possibility.
If you find him dead, it is fine, but if you find him alive, you dont need to pursue him. If he is left to his own devices, he will be a danger not only to the capital but also to this slum. Thats the kind of person he is, so I want you to at least find his trails.
I cant give you an answer now.
I know, so just inform when you have found him via adventurer guild. You got a connection to it, right? Ill pay you in advance.
I took out the considerable amount of money that Id prepared. The old man looked at it in silence before he finally said, I didnt say that I will accept this job.
If you plan to refuse my job, you will say sothing like take your money and leave. right?
Youre a strange man.
I got that a lot.
People rarely say that right in front of my face, though. I paid in advance to gain their trust since I understood people like them couldnt trust nobles. There were many nobles who also wouldnt even dream of trusting filthy people from scum, so I guess it went both ways.
Its rare to see a noble who doesnt look down on us. Alright. We will take your job. My na is Bert.
Welner von Zeavert. Thanks.
You two, escort Welner-dono. Dont try to do anything to him.
I wondered if this ant I gained his trust. After my sword was properly returned to , I left the building. I might look calm, but inside I was nervous to the point my stomach was hurting again. I might have to thank my experience on the battlefield for being able to withstand that kind of exchange. The who was just a student wouldnt be able to.
After dinner that day
Lily-san showed the drawing she had done, so we were discussing the fine change and corrections to the detail.
I suddenly received a ssage from Father that there was a guest who wanted to et both and Lily-san.
We looked at each other in confusion, then we went to the reception room together after I instructed Frenssen to sort out the docunts.
My deepest apology!
I would like to offer my sincerest apology to the Viscount and to the Hearthing family.
Um I thought I had never t him before, but I rembered his face. He was a noble who belonged to a different faction from the Father. He ca here accompanied by a knight. Both of them were quite handso middle-aged n. Damn. The value of our faces were just too far apart.
If I was not wrong he was Count Witthoft. So both the Count and his knight, who was probably the Knight Captain of the Witthoft family, bowed their heads in front of , Father, and the Hearthing family.
Lily-san and her parents looked flustered. So could the two of you raise your heads and talked with us properly?
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