Modist

The day after the Messiah Club’s first camping trip ended. After packing up the tent and leaving the island, I headed to the information guild, Modist, as planned.

Wearing a cloak and mask as before, I finished the uncomfortable identification process and sat at a table. The woman wearing the cat mask I saw last time appeared as the wall flipped around.

,Hello. Customer-nim.”

,Is the investigation complete?”

I got straight to the point at the bright greeting. The woman sat across from me and nodded.

,Yes, the pricing of the information you sold, customer-nim, is complete. And we have prepared the information you wanted to purchase at that price.”

The woman placed the report she was holding on the table and pushed it towards me.

I took it and eagerly checked the report, but the contents were not what I wanted.

[Modist’s investigation results. The Green Magic Tower Master has never conducted research on thorn rot disease. It has also been confirmed that no research related to thorn rot disease is being conducted inside the Green Magic Tower.]

What…? Clearly, a year later, the Green Magic Tower Master will rip off Bella, who is struggling with thorn rot disease, and trade the cure.

But the Green Magic Tower isn’t researching thorn rot disease…?

Slightly flustered by the situation being different from the setting book, I checked the back pages to see if there was anything else. But there was nothing.

,Is this accurate…? It’s different from the information I know?”

I asked with a slightly suspicious voice. The woman replied with a matter-of-fact tone.

,I am certain. It’s information obtained directly from a wizard inside the Green Magic Tower, and we risked entering the Magic Tower Master’s room to investigate, according to the price of the information you sold, customer-nim.”

At the woman’s words, I reluctantly nodded.

So, the Green Magic Tower Master will discover the cure for thorn rot disease within a year…? My plan to solve the lack of magic power by finding the cure for thorn rot disease earlier than originally planned was faltering.

,And this is about the Green Magic Tower Master that you requested.”

The separate report the woman handed me contained detailed information about the Magic Tower Master. The report, which included various trivial details such as body size, favorite foods, and favorite stores, showed how excellent the Modist information guild was.

To roughly summarize the contents of the report, the Green Magic Tower Master, Estian, is considered the least skilled among the Magic Tower Masters. But he is well-regarded for the operation of the Magic Tower.

I couldn’t find any clues about thorn rot disease with this. It was a slightly disappointing result, but I couldn’t give up.

,Let’s make a deal.”

As if she had been waiting for my words. The woman immediately took out a piece of paper from the drawer and asked.

,Is it a purchase or a sale?”

,Both.”

Nodding as if she had expected it, the woman said.

,Then we will proceed with the sale of information first.”

Before coming here, I had organized the trash that needed to be eliminated in my head. Followers of the Demon King, or parasites that would cling to the Order in the future.

,Count Loopin is a follower of the Demon King. The reason is to revive his dead daughter, and he is using magic to keep the corpse from rotting.”

,Do you have any evidence?”

,Count Loopin’s wife is looking for virgin maids. She hires them as maids and kills them. The bodies are disposed of through the sewers.”

The woman, who had been writing down my words, nodded and asked.

,What information are you trying to purchase?”

My current goal was one thing. To find the cure for thorn rot disease and solve the problem of insufficient magic power.

,Find out if there is anyone researching thorn rot disease.”

,I understand. It seems like it will only take about a day this time.”

At the woman’s words, I was puzzled by the fact that it was faster than before and asked.

,It’s shorter than before?”

,If you find out that the Green Magic Tower Master is not researching thorn rot disease, I thought you would definitely look for someone else, so I investigated in advance. And investigating a count is easier than investigating the Sixth Prince.”

She’s competent. She anticipates what the customer wants and prepares it in advance.

I smiled satisfactorily behind my mask and got up from my seat.

,Okay, I’ll come again tomorrow.”

,Just a moment.”

I was puzzled by the woman’s words, which stopped me from leaving the table, and sat back down.

,Why?”

,Our guild master seems to be interested in the valuable information you are selling, customer-nim.”

At the word “guild master,” I remembered when I set up Modist. Estelle, the successor to the best assassin group in this world and the guild master of the Modist information guild.

At first, I created her with the intention of making her a heroine for Roel, but there were already many popular heroines around Roel, and in response to readers who didn’t want any more heroines, I changed her from a heroine to a good friend who often helped Rosalyn with ‘information’.

The character’s setting was established, but because of the changed setting. Things like the character’s habits or personality were never mentioned in the novel. She just became an extra whose name was often mentioned by Rosalyn saying, ‘I heard it from Estelle’.

So now. Is the character setting of Estelle that I wrote still being maintained? I was a little curious.

,Once the verification of this information is complete, the guild master-nim told me to give you a name separately, customer-nim.”

,A name?”

This was a pretty good condition. Bella had spent quite a bit of money to get a name here.

,Yes, customers-nim who have a name, not just customers-nim, have lower fees and it is very helpful in using Modist.”

,Okay.”

It wouldn’t be because the quality of the information was good that they were giving me a name. I don’t know exactly what the reason is, but there was no risk since Modist’s basic principle was to thoroughly protect customer confidentiality.

Then, there’s no need to refuse something they’re giving me for free.

,Then, I’ll come again tomorrow.”

Saying that, I slowly got up from my seat, wondering if she would stop me again. The woman wearing the cat mask also got up and bowed deeply until I left.

,Thank you for using our services!”

Satisfied with the woman who was not only good at her job but also kind, I left Modist.

*

,Ember, is the customer gone…?”

A small voice from behind the wall reached Ember’s ears, who was bowing until the customer’s footsteps disappeared.

,Yes~ He’s gone. You can come out now.”

At Ember’s words, the wall flipped around and a girl with a small build and lovely appearance. Estelle revealed herself.

Estelle, who was wearing a gothic black dress, shone her purple eyes and asked Ember with an expectant voice.

,Wh-what did he say…? Did he like it?”

,He didn’t particularly look like he liked it?”

At Ember’s indifferent answer, Estelle stamped her feet and said.

,Wh-why…! I definitely thought he would like it….”

Ember sighed deeply at Estelle’s appearance, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt, looking restless.

,Who would think this person is the successor to the Black Eye assassin group? No one would believe it even if I said she was the guild master of Modist.’

Her skills as an assassin were certain, but in order to pass on the family’s vision. Because she had lived in the depths of the canyon, a secret training place, since she was born, Estelle lacked social skills.

She couldn’t even have a casual conversation with a man because she had only been with women until she came to the academy.

Still, Estelle was excellent as the Modist guild master, and her eye for people was better than anyone else in Modist.

Ember erased the random thoughts that came to her mind and tried to comfort Estelle, who was bowing her head and fidgeting with her fingers.

,She doesn’t know what a name is yet~ She hasn’t experienced how good it is, so she hasn’t realized it’s a good gift yet.”

The customer’s information had already been identified. Ross, a first-year student in the Transcendence combat department, the same academy as Estelle.

It was unknown where a commoner, especially a first-year student, knew such high-level information, but the information was not false. And Modist was observing him as a customer, with the first priority being to protect the customer’s confidentiality.

Fortunately, Estelle’s face brightened with a silly hehe- sound, as if her worries had been relieved by Ember’s comforting words. Ember had to swallow a sigh inwardly.

,Y-yes, I thought it would be a good gift after all!”

Ember, who suddenly became curious about Estelle’s appearance, where her emotions were clearly visible on her face, asked cautiously.

,But why are you giving so much attention to a first-year student?”

At Ember’s words, Estelle flinched greatly and shouted as if making an excuse.

,N-no! I’m not interested!!!”

Ember narrowed her eyes and looked at her at that strange reaction. Estelle avoided her gaze.

,Could it be…you like him?”

Asking that just in case, Estelle was startled and shouted, turning her head sharply.

,I-it’s not that I’m interested! My friend likes him!!!”

,A friend? If it’s a friend…Rosalyn?”

Rosalyn was the only person Estelle, who lacked social skills, could call a friend at the academy.

Ember, who had of course investigated the guild master’s friend, was puzzled because she knew how obsessed Rosalyn was with Roel.

,Rosalyn should like the older brother…?’

Ember looked at Estelle with a puzzled gaze. Estelle must have thought that she didn’t believe her, so she shouted, waving her small fist.

,F-for my friend’s love…! I’m trying!”

,Ah, yes….”

,I-it’s true!”

Ember sighed deeply, thinking that Estelle was misunderstanding something again, looking frustrated.