Chapter 81

After changing clothes, I left the inn with Zoe and Kate.

Dussel was bustling during the day, just as it was at night.

I hadn't noticed last night because it was dark, but compared to the capital, the buildings and people's clothing were all...

Everything felt "flashy."

It had a get-rich-quick style throughout the city.

"What an easy-to-understand city," Zoe muttered, apparently sharing the same impression.

Kate looked up at Zoe curiously, still not quite getting it.

After walking for a while, Zoe, who had been following behind me, quickened her pace and stepped in front of me.

"This is the shop, Master."

She pointed to a luxurious store.

This was the shop Zoe had investigated, where Olcott's poems were kept.

The shop was located in the heart of Dussel, in the middle of a bustling commercial district with a lot of foot traffic, a prime location.

The surrounding shops and passersby were also well-dressed.

When beggars appeared from the alleys, store employees quickly came out to chase them away.

"They have a good location," I said.

"Having a shop in such a place... it must be running at a huge loss..." Kate muttered, looking troubled.

"It's fine if it's a loss," I replied.

"Huh?"

"All we need is to create the illusion that Olcott is a popular poet, popular enough to have a shop in such a prime location. The loss from one or two shops is cheap compared to the gold we scattered yesterday—the bribe we sent to Olcott."

"Indeed..."

Kate was surprised but nodded in agreement.

"No ordinary customers would go there, right?"

I turned to Zoe, who nodded quietly.

"Of course, Master. My inquiries confirmed that much."

That's what I thought.

☆

In the evening, we returned to the shop we had visited earlier.

We had walked around the city, observing the lives of the people.

The city's flashy appearance wasn't just a deliberate act; it was genuinely overflowing with wealth and goods everywhere.

The idea that there was an economic downturn, that people weren't eating salt, or that sales and taxes were down, was a complete lie.

After confirming this, we returned to the shop to probe further.

"What!?"

Kate was the first to exclaim. Surprised, she ran over to the shop.

"Master!?"

Peering through the gap in the closed door, Kate called out to me with a shocked expression.

I frowned and approached the shop.

The scene was completely different from when we had come in the morning.

The sign was gone, and the door was closed.

When I joined Kate and peered through the gap, the shop was empty.

I took a few steps back to get a better view of the entire building.

"Zoe."

"Yes."

"Is this the right place?"

"Yes, it is."

"What about inside? You were in the shop, right?"

"Yes. Olcott's poems were framed and displayed, and there were reception tables, sofas, and various furnishings."

"Hmm... Excuse me, sir."

I stopped a passerby.

"What is it?"

"Do you know what happened to this shop?"

"What do you mean?"

The man looked at the closed shop.

"What do you mean? This place has been vacant for over a year."

"Huh?"

"No way!?"

Kate and Zoe, who had been listening behind me, exclaimed in unison.

"I see. Sorry for bothering you."

After the man left,

"Master! This is strange."

"It was there this morning."

"...Both of you, go ask the people in the surrounding shops."

"Yes!"

"Understood!"

Zoe and Kate nodded and ran to the nearby shops to gather information.

They asked not only the shopkeepers but also customers and passersby.

After a while, they returned with puzzled expressions.

"How was it?"

"Everyone said the same thing: there's no shop there."

"They don't even remember what the previous shop was, saying it's been a long time since it closed."

"I see..."

"What's going on, Master? This is clearly strange."

"Maybe we were tricked by something."

I thought.

It couldn't be a misunderstanding.

I trusted Zoe's abilities, and all three of us—Zoe, Kate, and I—had seen the shop this morning.

Realistically speaking... evidence tampering and a cover-up.

It was quick and large-scale.

To expose it...

"Zoe."

"Yes."

"Buy some food. Something substantial. Wine would be nice too."

"...Understood."

Zoe, who seemed to want to ask questions, recognized that I had a plan and went shopping without pressing for details.

She returned shortly with an armful of food and wine.

"Here you are."

"Follow me."

I led Zoe and Kate into an alley.

As soon as we entered the alley, which was filled with a stale smell and stagnant air, we saw a beggar sitting on the ground.

The beggar looked at us lazily.

"Zoe, give him this."

"Yes—here you go."

"Whoa! Bread, meat, and even wine! You're giving me all this?"

"Yes."

I nodded and asked the beggar.

"Were you chased out this morning?"

"Yeah, as usual."

"So you came back, which means you usually stay here?"

"Most of the time."

"I have a question. Do you know anything about the closed shop right outside this alley?"

"The one that sells poems?"

"!"

Zoe and Kate gasped and looked at each other.

Finally, they felt relieved to have found someone who could talk in a situation where they felt tricked.

"Yeah, what happened to that shop?"

"Around noon, a bunch of people came and moved everything out, then closed it up. After that, they threatened the people in the surrounding shops to say there was nothing here."

"Of course, they were covering it up!"

Kate's expression showed excitement.

"Do you know who made them do it?"

"No, I don't know that much."

"I see. Thanks. Here, take this as a token of appreciation."

I gave the beggar about 100 Reen in cash.

I led Zoe and Kate out of the alley.

"Master?"

"Hmm?"

"How did you know the beggar would know?"

"Because he's the 'strongest person.'"

"The strongest person?"

"Threats and persuasion work on people who have something to protect, but a beggar who has nothing to lose won't be swayed. So he would speak honestly."

"I see! Master, you're amazing."

"AAAAAAH!!"

A scream echoed.

Zoe and Kate turned around sharply.

The scream came from the alley we had just left.

"Master!?"

"They were quick."

"Huh?"

"Hmm..."

I smiled thinly and turned back.

Zoe and Kate followed.

When we returned to where we had been, the beggar was unconscious on the ground.

Next to him were several unknown men, their bodies burned and smoking, lying motionless.

"What is this?"

"Silencing him."

"Huh?"

Zoe was shocked.

"These are the people who tampered with the evidence. It was reasonable to assume they would try to silence the beggar we talked to. So I had Bahamut possess him in case of an emergency."

"Wow..."

"Master, you're amazing..."

"I didn't expect them to act so quickly, but I learned something."

"What did you learn?"

"We're being watched. Otherwise, they wouldn't have acted so quickly."

"Indeed!"

"Of course, Master!"