Chapter 80

After a week's journey, we arrived at the state capital of Gavel, Dussel.

Dussel, a city built on both banks of the Dussel River, was bustling even at night, its liveliness evident from a distance.

"Such a lively city," I remarked.

"The city has a population of at least two hundred thousand registered residents," Zoe replied.

"Two hundred thousand!?" Kate exclaimed, her intonation slightly off due to her shock.

"More importantly, did you secure the lodging properly?"

Unlike Kate, Zoe, who had spent a long time in the capital, was not surprised by a city of this size. She calmly asked Kate, "Did you manage to secure it?"

"Yes! I reserved the top floor of an inn by the river. As a precaution, I also reserved the floor below," Kate replied.

"Did you manage to rent the entire inn?"

"I'm sorry, but there were already a few guests when I arrived."

"You should have negotiated—"

"It's fine. Well done, Kate."

I interrupted Zoe's questioning and praised Kate. While her efforts weren't the best, they were certainly good enough. It was important to boost Kate's confidence at this stage.

Relieved, Kate sighed, more relieved than elated.

We entered the city, which was lively even at night, especially along the river, where various night markets and vendors were active.

We entered the inn Kate had arranged. The innkeeper, likely impressed by the generous payment, welcomed us with his staff.

After Zoe gave a tip, we entered the top-floor room. The room, designed for wealthy guests, had a large window overlooking the Dussel River.

I stood by the window, gazing at the river.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Suddenly, a man's laughter echoed from the river. I saw a houseboat in the center of the river, and a man at the bow was laughing and scattering something.

Crowds lined both banks, cheering and exclaiming each time the man scattered something. Encouraged by their reactions, he continued.

"What is he scattering?"

"It sparkles," Zoe observed.

"It's beautiful..."

Zoe and Kate, who had joined me, stood slightly behind me, watching the scene over my shoulder.

"What is he scattering?"

"Gold."

"Gold?"

"Gold, as in gold."

"Wh-what!?"

Zoe and Kate exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide with shock.

"Is that... real gold?"

"Yes. It's probably in the form of sand or gold leaf, given how long it stays in the air. The size and the reflection visible from this distance suggest he's scattering quite large pieces."

"Gold... it must be very expensive, right?"

I answered Kate's hesitant question.

"Judging by the size and the amount of reflection, each scatter is probably worth about a hundred Reen."

"..."

"Kyu..."

Kate collapsed onto the floor, fainting from the shock. While Zoe, with her long experience as a maid in the prince's mansion, wasn't fainted by the amount, she still looked pale and frowned.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!! That's it, that's it!"

"Kyaa!! Lord Orcott is amazing!"

Hearing the name mixed in with the excited screams, Zoe frowned for a different reason.

"Master!"

"Lord Orcott, the governor of Gavel. It seems we've encountered him right away."

"His salary as governor couldn't possibly allow for such extravagance."

"You're right. He must be receiving bribes."

"Let's catch him."

"Wait. This alone isn't proof of bribery. We need to catch him in something he can't deny."

"I see..."

Zoe nodded, though with a bitter expression.

One important factor in choosing which maids to send "outside" is their ability to keep their emotions in check in critical situations.

Those who show resistance, like "That's the theory, but..."

are not suitable, while those who can say, "Then I will follow the theory," are preferred.

Zoe has this quality in abundance.

However, she now had a puzzled look on her face, tilting her head as she watched Orcott on the river, surrounded by adoring women and scattering gold.

"What's wrong?"

"Ah, no. Something seems off."

"Off?"

"He's a governor, but he doesn't have the air of a noble."

"He's not fulfilling his duties as a noble."

"Noble duties?"

Zoe echoed, looking at me.

"The duty of a noble is to act selflessly."

"I see!"

"Scattering gold as food to disaster victims is what a noble would do. This is just a nouveau riche display."

"You're right!"

"...Zoe, what about the information on Orcott receiving bribes?"

Before leaving the capital, I had gathered information on key figures in Gavel, especially those who needed investigation, and shared it with Zoe.

"No, there's no such information. He was known for his integrity."

"Then the possibilities are limited... Zoe, I need you to investigate something immediately."

"What is it!?"

Seeing Orcott's outrageous behavior, Zoe was motivated.

The next morning, I was getting dressed with Kate's help. Still new to her role, Kate blushed at the sight of me standing naked.

It was just a change of clothes, so I dressed without any embarrassment.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

"Excuse me."

Zoe entered, unfazed by my nakedness. Kate, however, looked conflicted at Zoe's reaction.

I ignored Kate's reaction and asked Zoe, "How did it go? Did you find out?"

"Yes, it was the third option you mentioned: poetry."

"I see."

"Orcott's original poems are being sold for 10,000 Reen each."

"Of course—"

"They haven't sold. They're just on display."

"I see. I was hoping it would be paintings, but poetry, huh?"

"Um... what does that mean?"

Kate, helping me dress, asked curiously.

"Orcott's extravagant spending on gold is impossible without receiving bribes—so he must be receiving them. Do you follow?"

"Yes."

"But he's not receiving them in the form of bribes. So, what? The safest way is through the sale of poetry or paintings. Someone who wants to bribe him buys worthless poetry or paintings—do the actual items exist?"

"No, they're too expensive, but I have copies."

Zoe handed me a piece of paper with notes. I read it and showed it to Kate.

"‘There is no eternity, that is eternity.’”

As Kate read it aloud, Zoe added, "For 10,000 Reen."

"Wh-what!?"

"This one is 5,000 Reen."

"‘Yesterday's sunset is today's sunrise.’"

"Wh-what!?"

"This one is even worse. It's a toss-up, but..."

I shrugged.

"Soon, a menu for this morning's breakfast will be sold for about 1,000 Reen."

"Master, you're amazing."

"Huh?"

"It seems that's already happening."

Zoe must have done some additional inquiries. She said this with a look of disdain.

"I see. Who's doing it?"

"Yes."

Zoe nodded.

"All the shops selling poetry are owned by salt merchants, specifically for this purpose."