TSSAH 29

Chapter 29

*Haa.*

A deep sigh almost escaped me.

It was because of disappointment.

It was ridiculous to feel such regret after only exchanging a few words, but it was sincere. I must have unconsciously held expectations for Graff Müller, the senior whom the Action Division members admired. I had wished that he would truly be a decent person.

“Just curious, that’s all. What did the little hero hear from Sir DuPont?”

He pretended it was curiosity based on goodwill, but Graff Müller couldn’t even hide his persistent gaze. It was truly disappointing.

The world wouldn’t leave me alone, not even for a moment, when I just wanted to live purely without any suspicion.

“There really wasn’t anything much.”

When I became defensive again, Graff Müller’s shallow patience ran out.

“You’re really too much. I’m asking you so nicely as your senior… and I even overlooked you sleeping on duty, you know.”

Not only did he pull the senior card right away, but he even added a veiled threat.

Who was the one who said Graff Müller was a nice guy!

“N-no, that’s not it, Senior. Actually, I was so nervous that day that I don’t really remember what I said.”

When I added, “You know how terrifying DuPont Clanshire is, don’t you?” Graff Müller’s attitude softened as well.

“If you’d rather just ask me what you’re curious about, I think I could answer you. As far as I know, that is.”

So go ahead—tell me what you know and how far you’ve got.

—

***

—

“In the end, the Intelligence Division is just a playground for the privileged too. What’s all this nonsense about blood ties, regional ties, and school ties?”

“That must be tough, Senior. I thought a central department like the Intelligence Division would be different, but it’s the same there too.”

“That’s all just an illusion! They stick together in their little cliques and act so disgracefully. Last time, for instance…”

I nodded my head as if I was diligently listening to Graff Müller’s story.

The conversation had started with him trying to extract information from me, but by the time the eastern sky began to brighten faintly, the situation had reversed. Graff Müller was pouring out his pent-up grievances and telling me intimate stories about the Intelligence Division, and thanks to that, I was able to learn a great deal.

‘This is as easy as eating cold oatmeal.’

Extracting desired information from a target is one of my specialties. And Graff Müller, who belonged to the Intelligence Division in name only and had never received proper training, was no match for my interrogation techniques.

It seemed his background as a low-level Action Division operative and his lack of internal connections within Knox also played a part, but that wasn’t my concern.

The important thing was just one: the Knox Intelligence Division was truly a scarecrow.

They still didn’t know much about the Green Merchant Guild’s leader.

Graff Müller’s promotion was, as he had said, purely a product of luck. Through inquiries with merchants he had been close to during his Action Division days, he had discovered that the Green Merchant Guild’s leader had illegally sold weapons to the Crawling Kingdom, and a significant portion had flowed into the black market.

Naturally, he reported the gathered information to his superiors, and the Intelligence Division was apparently using that as a lead to investigate.

All while being completely unaware of the mana rampage drug intelligence I had fed to Deacon Gold.

‘Now I’m getting bored.’

I had already extracted everything I could from Graff Müller. I had no desire to hear about how many hardships he had overcome to survive.

The unexpected savior who appeared at that moment was Senior Hartmann.

“Oh my, Senior! You were still here?”

Senior Hartmann, who must have slept soundly, came out of the outpost with sleep still crusted at the corners of his eyes, spotted Graff Müller, and dashed over in one go.

“Oh, I lost track of time hanging out with Rookie.”

“I heard a lot of great stories from Senior Graff.”

Even though I openly admitted to slacking off instead of standing guard, Senior Hartmann said nothing. He was just wide-eyed at the opportunity to build even a little more rapport with Graff Müller.

“Senior, since we’re here, why don’t we go have breakfast together! I know a place that does amazing bacon!”

“Sure, let’s do that.”

Graff Müller readily nodded.

Thinking it was finally over, I brushed off my backside and stood up, when Graff Müller suddenly asked.

“Hey Rookie, are you interested in the Intelligence Division?”

“…Excuse me?”

“No, I just thought it’d be nice to have an Action Division junior in the Intelligence Division.”

In other words, he wanted to bring me in as his personal errand boy.

“If you’re interested, I could put in a word. The Intelligence Division is short on manpower these days.”

After I listened to your complaints all night, this is how you repay me?

You’ve only just gotten two bars, and on top of that, you were just whining about being disrespected by the young pups in the Intelligence Division—there’s no way you have the pull to bring me, the Action Division’s youngest, over there.

That suggestion just now was purely to show off in front of Junior Hartmann.

But of course, Senior Hartmann, who worshipped Graff Müller’s words like gospel, couldn’t be expected to have the discernment to tell an empty promise from a genuine one.

“Rookie in the Intelligence Division…”

Envy, anger, jealousy, betrayal.

The terrifying gaze of Senior Hartmann, glaring at me from behind Graff Müller with all those mixed emotions, gave me a headache.

It was obvious that by sunset, the rumor that “the little hero was chosen by the Intelligence Division” would be spreading like wildfire.

The corners of my forced smile trembled.

“I like the Action Division, Senior. I’m not capable of going somewhere as grand as the Intelligence Division.”

My handler had told me to live quietly.

It was all ruined.

Graff Müller and Senior Hartmann left first around dawn, and a few hours later, I safely finished my Action Division shift. After cleaning up the outpost—the rookie’s share—I headed straight to the annex.

Then, using the secret passage I’d used once before with Gisela Loth, I made my way to the Nest for my second shift—entirely without issue. I was just curious about where the other branches of the maze-like intersections led.

The problem, however, was Gisela Loth waiting for me in the Nest.

“Well, well, who do we have here! If it isn’t the talent the Intelligence Division is after—Runelk Ains!”

“How did you already…”

“The rumor that the little hero might get scouted by the Intelligence Division has already spread through the fortress. How could I not know?”

“…I’m sorry.”

It was unfair. But I knew that mumbling excuses would only backfire, so I apologized first.

“Runelk Ains, are you kidding me?”

Gisela Loth, who had been grinning and teasing me just moments ago, completely changed her expression and went stern.

“I should have been more careful…”

“The Intelligence Division? And of all people, you got tangled with a hollow husk like Graff Müller?”

“…Excuse me?”

“I’m so embarrassed I can’t even show my face. Really.”

Her anger seemed to be focused on something different from what I had expected.

Unable to contain her fury, Gisela Loth was huffing and puffing. I cautiously asked her.

“Didn’t you tell me not to draw people’s unnecessary attention? Aren’t you angry because I became the center of rumors again?”

“I am angry! But getting tangled with the Intelligence Division is even worse!”

Gisela Loth shouted.

“I didn’t expect you to go back to how things were before right away—you’ve already become famous once with that ‘little hero’ nonsense! But of all things, you had to create a rumor that the Intelligence Division has its eye on you? And by some regular Intelligence Division member at that, daring to set their sights on a Crow?”

It seemed her pride was wounded. She was angry that the Intelligence Division, which was practically a phantom, was evaluating and considering me like some kind of commodity.

At least she wasn’t angry at me—that was a relief.

After venting for a while, Gisela Loth warned me with eyes sharper than ever.

“From now on, if you see the Intelligence Division or that damned Graff Müller, you run the other way. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“Hah, getting all worked up this early makes me want to break something.”

She brushed her hair back, muttered, and stood up abruptly.

“Follow me.”

With that, she headed to the opposite side of the Nest. She stopped in front of one of the massive bookshelves that covered an entire wall, and after touching several books in a certain order—

*Clunk, grrrr!*

The bookshelf slid inward and then shifted to the side.

‘The Nest isn’t all there is?’