Chapter 83

"So, what did you reply?"

Leaving the stunned man aside for the moment, I asked Zoe.

"I accepted. I thought Master might find a way to use it."

"Hmm."

As expected, after serving me for so long, Zoe understands me well.

With this incident, and the shop disappearing, the most troublesome scenario would be if they went underground and never came out. It's a blessing that they tried to bribe Zoe, bringing them almost to the surface.

"Zoe, how did you respond to their question about our true identities?"

"I told them we were sent by His Majesty the Emperor to investigate."

"Huh?"

The man was even more surprised.

"I see, well done, Zoe. That's almost a perfect response."

"What do you mean...?"

The man was so puzzled he was almost speechless, and Zoe, though slightly less so, was also confused. I would have ignored the man, but I decided to explain to Zoe.

"When you deceive someone, stringing together lies is what amateurs do."

The man nodded in understanding, and Zoe had a "yeah, that makes sense" expression.

"Professionals tell the truth, but lie when it really matters."

"And the top tier?"

"Only tell the truth."

"Only tell the truth..."

The man pondered my words as if rolling them around on his tongue. Zoe, who understood a bit faster, said:

"Master, as expected."

"Your response was good too. So far, there have been no lies. They'll accept it as a natural progression."

"What should I do next?"

"Report everything I do in detail. Since they've come out, we'll let them run for now."

"Understood."

Zoe nodded. This level of task should be no problem for her.

I thought to myself.

Another purpose of this journey, the reason I brought Zoe along, is to train and further hone her skills.

To achieve this, I needed to consider what to do, and how to make the most of this opportunity. My mind raced.

Zoe didn't interrupt my thoughts, standing quietly and waiting for my next words.

After some consideration, I formulated a plan and asked Zoe:

"Can you contact them?"

"Yes, I have the emergency contact method."

"Good. Go meet them. Oh, and give Kate 3,000 Reen. I'll reimburse you when we return to the capital."

"3,000 Reen for Master... but why?"

"Tell them to demand more money. The reason is as I said, 3,000 Reen was used to bribe Kate."

"..."

"Why are you doing that?"

Zoe, with a straight face, was deep in thought, while the man asked his question directly.

"What do you think, Zoe?"

"Perhaps to get closer to them?"

"Half right."

I smiled and reached out to pat Zoe's head. Understanding this much is sufficient for now.

"Yes, demanding more in such situations can make the other party feel more at ease and trust you. However, if you just act out of greed, they'll look down on you."

"To avoid being looked down on, you bribed Kate...?"

Zoe's thoughts were connecting, but not quite all the way.

Not out of malice, I explained further.

"Simultaneously, it's a way to gauge their capabilities. If they're competent, they'll recognize that you used the money for the mission and will evaluate you accordingly."

"Evaluate..."

"Money is just a tool. Only those who can use it effectively can amass more wealth."

"..."

Zoe nodded solemnly.

"By seeing if they give you more money, you can gauge their capabilities."

"I see... Master, as expected!"

"Actually, it's the same as what we've been discussing."

"Eh?"

"You reported to me that you were bribed with 3,000 Reen, and I gave you 30,000."

"Oh..."

"The essence is the same. The details and the flow of money are slightly different."

"I see!"

Zoe seemed to fully understand. After all, this was the second time she had reported a bribe to me, making it easier to grasp.

Zoe suddenly became motivated. She was eager to contact them and demand more money for the bribe.

Honestly, it's quite risky. What I'm asking Zoe to do is essentially become a double agent.

It's different from what she's done before, and it comes with significant personal risk.

But I still decided to let her do it.

I brought her here to further her training. I sincerely hope that by taking on this risk, she will grow even more from this experience.

☆

The next day, I took Zoe out of the inn and wandered around the town.

Of course, I had Zoe and Kate pass on information to the other side beforehand.

The time and route of our investigation were all relayed to them.

"Things have been really tough lately..."

"We're just barely getting by."

"If only the economy would improve..."

Everywhere we went, people in the town were lamenting the poor economy. The clothes people wore were simpler, and the stores had fewer goods on display.

The town had changed dramatically overnight.

It was completely different from what I had seen last night through Fwawa.

"Hmm... They went too far."

"Too far, Master?"

Zoe tilted her head in confusion.

"Do you remember when we first entered the town? It suddenly changed to this. Even if they were trying to hide something, this is overkill."

I said this and subtly signaled to Zoe, indicating that she should pass this information on to the other side.

Zoe nodded without moving her head, silently acknowledging, "Understood."

☆

Gavel Salt Guild, main hall.

In the reception room, Zoe faced two men.

Both were dressed in elaborate clothing, as fine as the emperor's, if not better.

Despite their titles as major merchants, they were relatively young, one in his mid-thirties and the other just in his thirties.

Zoe relayed Noah's words to them verbatim.

"Master said it was overkill."

"Overkill?"

"Yes. I remember the night we arrived in Dussel. It was quite prosperous and lively. For it to suddenly become so depressed... it's only natural for Master to think it was overkill."

"..."

"Indeed. It was overkill, you fool."

"Fool!?"

The younger man protested. Zoe understood that he was the one who had carried out the plan.

"Didn't you hear what she said? I saw it myself. The change is so drastic that anyone who has seen the town before would notice. What else could it be but overkill?"

"..."

"Ease up a bit. And... yes, allow a little smuggling."

"What!?"

"At this point, they won't believe it if there's no smuggling at all. Prepare a scapegoat and pin the blame on them."

"..."

The two men began to formulate their plan, and Zoe was secretly impressed.

(As expected, Master... Just by conveying a natural reaction, he's easing their guard.)

Zoe was certain that this was exactly what Noah had intended.

Because Noah had told her to "report everything," and he himself had said that "only telling the truth" is the mark of a top-tier professional.

Noah doesn't say what he can't do. This means that there is something he is trying to keep from Zoe.

It must be this, or perhaps more.

(Master... amazing...)

Zoe was absolutely certain of this.

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