Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Who is it?

“Well, if you want to, you should.”

Lucion didn’t ask why. He simply respected Hume’s decision.

“The other day, the young master told me to think about what I wanted to do.” Hume also stopped walking and looked at Lucion from a distance.

“I did.”

“Now, I am an escort and a butler, so as not to go against the expectations of the young master, I want to continue doing both.” Hume smiled.

It wasn’t a smile pretending to be something, it was a genuine, bright smile.

* * *

“Welcome.” Upon entering the inn, the waitress greeted Lucion and Hume.

She looked at Hume and raised the corners of her lips slightly, but as soon as her eyes met Lucion, she turned her head reluctantly.

‘It’s like a real inn.’ Lucion looked at the people, ignoring the gaze of the waitress.

[There are more places down there.] Russell pointed to the floor with his foot.

[I’ll see you in a moment.] With his arms folded, Russell slowly disappeared to the floor.

[What about them?]

When he heard the ghost’s whispers, Lucion walked naturally without a fuss.

Hume followed Lucion, pretending to not have known anything.

―After number 9, it’s number 10, so that ghost is number 10. And that ghost is um...

The moment Ratta saw the ghosts, she immediately numbered them, but just in case, Lucion let Ratta in as a shadow.

“Number 11.” Hume whispered softly to Ratta, unable to bear it.

―Oh! That’s right! It’s number 11! Hume is so smart! That’s number 12, number 13...

‘I have no intention of controlling them.’ Lucion groaned at Ratta’s words, who was already excited.

[One vote for us to go down.]

[One vote for us to eat here.]

[Then I vote for the two of us to get a room.]

The ghosts flirted with each other and talked nonsense. Lucion found it hard to stand still, waiting for Russell to come up, but somehow willed himself to settle down.

[See? I won this time. What are you going to do at the inn? I’ll just grab a bite to eat and go.]

[I haven’t eaten yet, so it doesn’t count. Ah... Is the pretty sister I saw last time not coming?]

[What do you mean sister? She’s a lot younger than you.]

‘I thought it would help, but it’s useless.’ Lucion wanted to cover his ears at once. There must be a magic spell to cut off such nonsense.

[... Ha. Is there anyone who can mess things up here? I can’t even go down because I’m afraid of a beggar-like warlock.]

[You’re right. It’s so boring. Watching these beggar-like warlocks eat makes me want to go to heaven.]

‘Warlock...?’ Lucion pricked up his ears at the unexpected word.

[If you want to go to heaven, you can go down. Where’s my thanks for keeping you entertained for so long?]

[Noisy! As I said, I can’t leave until I see them all ruined.] Deep hatred spilled from the eyes of the ghost staring at the floor.

Just right at that moment, Russell snapped his fingers and came up from the floor.

Feeling more comfortable than before, he stroked Ratta when the ghosts, who were giggling about, disappeared. It felt like touching a soft cushion. Warm and soothing.

[There’s a pretty big place underground. It may be a little uncomfortable for you.] Russell pointed his finger at the stairs leading up to the second floor.

[Anyway, you have to go to the second floor to get to the door leading to the underground.]

Staring at the stairs for a few seconds, Lucion stood up from his seat.

“Isn’t it dangerous?” Hume asked Russell, looking at Lucion with concern.

[Not at all.] Russell shook his head.

‘If it was really dangerous, Teacher would yell at me not to go there.’ Lucion grinned and climbed the stairs.

[Go to room 207.]

Lucion opened the door without hesitation at Russell’s instruction. The man in the room just reached out to Lucion without even getting startled from the sudden intrusion.

‘I think he’s asking for the key. This is the key that Devia had. Is it okay if I give him this?’

‘Is this a really important key?’ Lucion immediately went inside, and felt his heart sink for a moment.

In the room, bookshelves filled each wall from head to toe. ‘Crazy bastards...’

Lucion Cronia.

Novio Cronia.

Carson Cronia.

Shaela Cronia.

Cronia’s client.

Knights of Cronia.

Things related to Cronia occupied each bookcase.

‘... Crazy bastards!’

Lucion rushed out of the room and entered the next room; checking the contents, he rushed out.

Every time he came out after checking again, Lucion’s heart throbbed. Cronia’s room was twice as large as the other rooms, and when it was confirmed that there was, indeed, more data, nausea swept him.

It was awful.

The faces of the traitors who had sold his own information lingered in his mind.

‘All those who sold my information... It must have something to do with this, right?’

[...Lucion.] Russell bit his lip.

To some extent, he knew that Lucion would react like that; but seeing Lucion like this, he didn’t like it any more. How can he stop Lucion by pretending not to know when he sees this situation?

Emptying his stomach in the corner of the room, Lucion immediately went back into the room where information regarding Cronia was kept.

‘This place isn’t from the novel.’ He didn’t know who made it, but this was a place where secretly collected information was gathered and stored.

When the paper for writing information was made separately in the room, Lucion felt his face distort.

“Teacher,” Lucion started, “Like finding a bomb at the last banquet... ”

[No. It’s only been three days. Since it’s a place, it takes time to use it again.]

Lucion took a deep breath at Russell’s response. His fingertips felt cold. Muttering curses, he clenched his fist and straightened his back. ‘Even if I break this place down, it will only look the same somewhere else I don’t know. What I really need to hit is the guy who made this place.’

Lucion calmly looked at the stacked papers in each compartment. Even in each compartment, the amount of paper piled up was different. The larger the space, the smaller the amount.

Lucion looked at the paper containing his information from the box below and found out why it looked different.

‘... Does that mean that the higher the number, the more reliable the information is?’

The bottom compartment had a lot of absurd content that was mainly based on hearsays.

At the top, however, it was written in minute and hour detail; whether it was written by Shen and Devia, and when they went out and who they met inside the mansion.

‘The initials are S.D.J.’

Just looking at it, it was clear that they were the initials of Shen and Devia Jeven.

Lucion also looked at the paper in the top compartment.

Novio and Carson also had the initials S.D.J., but they were more spacious than they were.

‘You are... D.T.’

His eyes roamed narrowed over the paper covering the news of him smashing a few buildings in an experiment with magic.

‘You are doing well.’ Lucion moved over to Cronia’s client section.

As Cronia was on the outskirts, it has become self-sufficient. However, supplies such as ore and textiles that are always lacking in Cronia must be resolved through transactions.

‘Cronia conducted a survey focusing on customers who felt neglected and pressured. Besides, right now, each customer only seems to have a couple problems.’

Lucion’s hand, which was holding the paper, clenched, crumpling the paper.

‘Those problems are deliberate... Did you make it?’

If these problems were to break at once, Cronia was inevitably going to be in a difficult situation.

‘How long have they been preparing?’ Lucion stared at the paper. He couldn’t take that paper secretly now, either. He had to act in secret without the enemy noticing it as much as possible.

‘Let’s find a solution. If you just find it, there is already a lot information gathered here... ‘

“Young master.” Hume called out quietly. “It is my turn to act as a butler.” He smiled proudly.

Crisp.

Along with his smile, the blue thread that followed Hume and Lucion was cut off.