Chapter 9 : Chapter 9
Chapter 009
After speaking with various people, I was able to set a clear goal for myself.
If I could not return to where I had originally lived, then I would put down roots here.
In truth, I had no other choice. I had suffered an accident, and there seemed to be no way back at all.
From what I had learned, this place also had organizations like trading companies and guilds that carried out various activities. If I used modern science to create all sorts of things, I could build a company with enough influence to shake not just the kingdom, but the entire continent.
Then I would rake in money, create things like a mercenary corps or an intelligence agency, and expand my influence even further.
And then I would become the greatest man on the continent.
Would that not be the ultimate reversal of fortune?
If that was the case, then it would be best to remain in this mansion under a double identity. A surprising amount of information about the territory flowed into this place, after all.
If I wanted to build an organization and secure its footing at the start, then I first needed to strengthen my hold over my home base.
And once the organization I created had spread in every direction and was ready to soar, that would be the time to withdraw from the mansion. Still, it would be better to leave the mansion on my own terms. That was why it was essential for me to earn merit and have my apprenticeship extended.
“This should do. Let us head back.”
Rohan let out a sigh of relief. I took the bundle of documents I had found in the locked drawer back to the quarters.
There were no security devices here, and certainly no CCTV, so even if those papers went missing, no one would be able to catch the culprit. Once he found out, Cornel was probably going to panic himself half to death.
I was already looking forward to seeing how Training Officer Cornel’s expression would change. If I had some spare time, maybe I ought to make some popcorn first.
“Lock the door.”
Rohan shut it firmly and fastened the latch.
Now there was no one left who could disturb us.
I began examining the documents in earnest.
They consisted of several reports and work records.
There were plenty of ordinary papers among them, but mixed in between were the ones I actually needed.
If I had not already been suspicious of Training Officer Cornel, I would have taken them for ordinary documents and passed right over them.
As though I were working through an experiment in a laboratory, I focused on the most essential question.
“Why would he keep these papers in a separate drawer instead of storing them together with the others? And why lock them up, on top of that?”
“Because they smell rotten.”
“Exactly.”
He had kept them separate because other people were not supposed to see them. Though he had disguised that fact, of course.
I looked at the first document.
It was a report submitted by a Butler Apprentice named Adolf.
So it was not just the ingredients. It seemed they had been tampering with daily necessities too. The apprentice named Adolf had laid out the truth in a refined and orderly tone.
Something about reading that neat piece of writing gave me a bad feeling.
In any society, did not the people who spoke the truth usually die young?
“If it says Year 271 of the Continental Calendar, when would that be?”
“This year is 272, so it would have been last year.”
“If the apprentice course lasts one year, then this Adolf fellow should have become a full butler by now.”
At my words, Rohan thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“I do not think there was anyone by the name of Adolf on the list.”
“How would you know?”
“I know most people’s names. I memorized the roster once because I thought it might help me ingratiate myself with the right people.”
He turned out to have an unexpectedly impressive side. It would have been nice if he had used that sort of cunning on his work or something else useful.
I checked the next report.
Once again, it was a report exposing the actual state of deliveries from the Arkain Merchant Company. Another report criticized the wretched conduct of the Arkain merchants as well.
“So they have really been stuffing themselves.”
After going through the papers for quite a while, I found two things they all had in common.
First, every single one of them contained the keyword “Arkain Merchant Company.”
Second, the people who had written these papers had never become full butlers. If Rohan’s memory could be trusted completely, then they had either packed their things and left the mansion, or met with some unfortunate accident.
Instinctively, I began to feel that this could turn out to be more dangerous than I had first thought.
And I was not the only one who thought so. Rohan, who had been checking the papers alongside me, now had unease trembling in his eyes.
“If all this is true....”
What would happen if these documents were leaked outside?
It would result in the honor of House Adeline being tarnished.
From the studying I had done here and there, I had learned that the continent was in the midst of a flourishing butler culture.
Butlers were no longer mere errand runners. They had become the people who managed every aspect of the lives of nobles. It had become a profession that demanded a higher level of expertise and character.
In a situation like that, if corruption like this came to light, their honor was bound to suffer.
That was because the status of butlers serving the Adeline Marquis House was extremely high. There was a reason the apprenticeship lasted a full year and the examinations were conducted so rigorously.
If the retainers handled politics and the knights oversaw military affairs, then it was the butlers who were responsible for the family’s culture.
“So what are you going to do?”
Rohan asked.
In truth, it was the same question I had been asking myself for some time now.
What should I do?
These papers had been prepared with considerable care. If more circumstantial evidence were added, then there was a real chance that not only Cornel, but also the Arkain Merchant Company, and even Beron’s misconduct, could be punished severely.
But that was only a possibility.
It was not certain, and the chance of failure might be far higher.
In the end, the conclusion I reached was this:
“I cannot reveal this as it is.”
“Why not?”
“Training Officer Cornel is trusted by House Adeline. He has risen high enough to become a minor noble, has he not? Even if an investigation begins, he will claim the documents were forged, and since he has already silenced the people involved, the charges will never become completely clear. More than anything....”
I paused and looked at Rohan.
“When you weigh a person’s value, Cornel’s value is greater than mine, the one reporting all this.”
“So?”
“In other words, even if he has done something wrong, they may choose to cover for him to some extent. On the other hand, I, the whistleblower, would be thrown out of this place. You probably would not come through it unharmed either. We might both end up buried somewhere without anyone ever knowing.”
That sort of thing was common enough in South Korea. I knew it well, because I had seen whistleblowers driven out of their workplaces or ostracized countless times. This was a monarchy, so it would only be worse here. In other words, this was a place where the very concept of human rights did not exist.
“Then why in the world did we go through all this trouble?”
I set down the document I had been reading and crossed my arms.
“We need evidence so clear that even the higher-ups cannot cover it up. To do that, we need to raid the Arkain Merchant Company’s warehouse. We need more concrete physical evidence.”
“Are you seriously saying that?”
“Listen to the end. There should be a transaction ledger there as well. Once we get our hands on that, everything will be all right. I would stake my right hand that Training Officer Cornel has been stuffing himself with bribes.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Merchants always keep exact accounts. They are not the sort to live at a loss. Even the smallest bribe will have been recorded.”
Rohan nodded at that, but his expression was still uneasy. Fair enough. We had already committed a serious crime by breaking into the office.
And now I was saying we should raid the merchant company’s warehouse too. Even I had to admit it sounded absurd.
The inside of the mansion was one thing, because there were no obvious threats there.
But the merchant company’s warehouse was different. There would be gatekeepers protecting it, and there was a high chance they had swordsmen stationed inside as well.
“For now, let us watch Training Officer Cornel’s condition tomorrow. If he starts acting restless, then my suspicion will have been correct.”
“Hah. How did I even end up mixed up in something like this....”
“Do you regret it? It is not too late to back out.”
“Forget it! What are friends for? If we die, then we die together.”
“That will not happen.”
I did not bother adding the reason why.
The fact that I possessed a power unlike anything I had ever known was still a secret.
For the time being, I intended to keep it that way.
Power drew blood.
I could flaunt my potential, become famous, and dominate the continent, but then I would inevitably have to live in fear of when I might make the wrong enemy and be assassinated for it.
In that case, the solution was simple.
Hide my power and move quietly.
If I lived quietly while pretending to be weak, I could lull others into lowering their guard, and the moment an enemy tried to draw a blade on me, I could strike them down all at once.
***
The next day, after finishing all my preparations for work, I headed to Rosetta. The dining hall was in chaos with breakfast preparations.
“It is busy from the morning onward.”
On one side, a specially organized team was preparing ingredients. Come to think of it, was today the day of Young Lady Sapiela’s banquet?
I turned my head toward a blackboard for a moment.
It was a schedule board, and true to Rosetta’s reputation, it was packed with countless entries.
Looking at that schedule alone made me angry for no reason.
They had to prepare this much food, and yet those bastards had delivered ingredients like garbage? I will say it again: people who toy with food deserve to be punished.
If I was this angry, then the people working here had to be even angrier.
After checking the schedule board, I confirmed that today was indeed the day.
That evening, distinguished guests invited by Young Lady Sapiela would be coming here. It was probably some kind of social gathering for women.
If that was the case, there was no way comments would not be made about the food. On top of that, the table settings and musicians had to be prepared as well. Women were creatures of atmosphere, after all.
I could understand why Head Chef Ramsay looked so grim.
“Chef. How are the preparations going?”
“Hoo. Do not even ask! It is a complete disaster. I managed to scrape together some good ingredients, but there still are not enough for the banquet.”
“Is there no solution?”
“I will have to go to Primera later and ask them for ingredients.”
Primera was the nickname of the First Dining Hall.
Since the mansion had so many dining halls, there was naturally a hierarchy among them. Ramsay was the head chef of Rosetta, the Second Dining Hall, but he ranked one step below the head chef of the First Dining Hall.
According to Rohanpedia, having to bow his head and ask for help there was quite a burden for him.
But there was no helping it. Better to endure the mocking of a rival than the wrath of Young Lady Sapiela.
“I will try to solve it on my level.”
“You?”
“It is my assignment to assist with the work here.”
Perhaps he could read the calm confidence on my face, because Chef Ramsay let out a small laugh.
“I do not mean to belittle you, but what exactly can a Butler Apprentice like you do?”
You absolutely are belittling me.
“As a matter of fact, I have already submitted a report to Training Officer Cornel regarding the Arkain Merchant Company. As an extension of that matter, I will go to Primera and request ingredients.”
“Hmm.”
Ramsay rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment, then gave a large nod.
“Very well. If it works, I will not have to embarrass myself by going to Primera.”
“Leave it to me.”
“All right.”
The moment our conversation ended, a young cook hurried in.
“Chef! The breakfast chicken dish is finished!”
“This time, it is done properly?”
“Of course! I made sure there were no mistakes.”
“Bring it here.”
The young cook presented a chicken salad he had prepared. Chef Ramsay’s hawk-like eyes flashed. Even his nose twitched as he sniffed at it.
Soon Ramsay took a taste, and his expression twisted violently.
“You damned fool! The chicken is so undercooked it is about to eat the salad itself!”
“I-I am sorry!”
“Throw it out at once and make it again!”
Ramsay truly lived up to his name.
Unable to suppress my laughter, I left Rosetta.
I intended to stop by and see Training Officer Cornel on the way to Primera.
I wondered what the atmosphere in the Training Officer’s office would be like.
The moment I left Rosetta, I headed straight for the Training Officer’s office and knocked as soon as I arrived.
From inside, I heard Training Officer Cornel’s dry voice.
Following his instruction, I opened the door and stepped inside.
― Continental Calendar, Year 271, July 1
I am submitting this report from the site of the summer regular daily-necessities delivery. The defect rate in the daily necessities regularly supplied by the Arkain Merchant Company is excessively high. I believe it would be advisable either to replace the merchant company involved or to reprimand the person in charge.