episode_0012

Ignisca Investigation Agency

This morning, a message arrived via remote magic.

Unlike the usual offline complaints they received, this magically transmitted message piqued the curiosity of an enthusiastic rookie investigator, who couldn’t resist checking its contents.

The sender was none other than—

The sovereign of Mirtail, a nation vying for second or third place among the magical kingdoms:

Rosenheit Neuen von Esposa.

Moreover, it wasn’t an ordinary complaint—it bore Mirtail’s national seal, indicating she was personally representing the plaintiff.

The rookie investigator immediately reported this directly to the head of the Ignisca Investigation Bureau.

The agency was in chaos from the moment the day began.

Dustian, the bureau chief, a man brimming with the pride of a fire spirit, summoned every investigator who had forwarded cases to the court in the past six months.

Nearly all of them stood rigidly before him.

Dustian demanded that those who had prosecuted individuals connected to Mirtail step forward and confess.

The investigators exchanged nervous glances—but no one moved.

Not only would stepping forward now spell disaster, but none of them had actually prosecuted anyone tied to Mirtail.

Frustrated by their hesitation, Bureau Chief Dustian slammed his shotgun onto the desk five times in rage.

“WHY?! WHY WON’T YOU TELL THE TRUTH?!!

WHO THE HELL DID YOU MESS WITH?!!!”

His head blazed like plasma flames.

Finally, the rookie investigator who had first discovered the complaint cautiously suggested:

“Sir… perhaps you should read the document first…”

Only then did Bureau Chief Dustian snap back to his senses and began reading the document—something he would’ve skimmed over under normal circumstances.

……

The document pointed out:

– The innocence of Ifrit. – The illegitimacy of the lawsuit filed by the fire spirit who had relations with Ifrit’s wife first. – The logical flaws in the claim that adultery had occurred before the marriage.

Additionally, it stated that new facts had come to light, rendering the previous settlement void.

The “new facts” referred to:

– The daughter, Aren, listed as Ifrit’s biological child in the settlement, was actually the fire spirit’s. – The signature of Ifrit’s wife, which the fire spirit had copied when filing the marriage at the church, had been forged without her consent.

Thus, the key point was that Ifrit was the victim, and the fire spirit who had sued him would now be charged with false accusation.

……

Even the investigators, who had witnessed countless horrific cases, were stunned upon hearing the details in the complaint.

Bureau Chief Dustian, his face grim, issued an order:

“Contact the church immediately.

And summon the investigator who handled this case.”

When the dazed investigators hesitated, Dustian roared like a blazing inferno:

“RIGHT NOW!!!!”

……

A short while later, the rookie investigator cautiously approached Dustian with a proposal.

“Chief, I have both good news and bad news.

Which would you like to hear first?”

The bureau chief, struggling to keep his flickering flames under control, growled:

“Ugh… stop playing around. Give me the good news first.

Unless you want to die.”

The rookie snapped a sharp salute and reported:

“An enormous amount of gold and treasure has arrived from Mirtail!

Additionally, the Ignisca diocese has confirmed that Ifrit’s marriage is valid, while the fire spir—no, the suspect’s marriage will be annulled!”

“That is good news.

Wait—gold and treasure?

…Fine. Now, what’s the bad news?”

The rookie answered with a bright smile:

“The investigator in charge of Ifrit’s case has fled the country.

And His Majesty Theodor Infernos has ordered this case to be buried!”

As if infected by sheer madness, Bureau Chief Dustian stood up, laughed maniacally, and screamed:

“GODDAMN IT! WHY DOES THIS SHIT ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?!”

Today, Serika Marriage Agency was as crowded as ever.

Though it was nice to take a day off…

Having little work for days on end was unbearably dull.

A few clients did stop by, but they were all people who had been rejected by Serika’s agency and came back with receipts.

I needed dopamine.

And then there was Serika herself, standing right in front—

Along with her werewolf-furry bodyguard, Gairon.

Every time I saw them, my blood boiled.

This should be a joyous situation for me, but…

Thanks to Serika and Gairon, I couldn’t even enjoy it.

Right—that lawsuit regarding the Ifrit merchant.

The Ignisca Investigation Agency said they’d reach a decision within a day, so why was there still no answer?

I did bribe them enough…

I asked Cosmo about the case’s progress.

The robot cat checked the records and replied, sounding puzzled:

“The case still isn’t moving…

They just keep saying it’s under investigation.”

Hmm. Then… there’s only one possibility.

Someone is blocking the investigation.

Given that the agency isn’t budging despite the bribes I poured in, either:

– A bigger lobby is at play. – Or external pressure has been applied.

Either way, the fact that they’re blocking it despite knowing the opposing party is the sovereign of Mirtail…

Means the only remaining possibilities are the King of Ignisca or a foreign monarch.

No. Why the hell is this escalating so much?

Cosmo sighed and said:

“Master Rosenheit. Do we have to keep pushing this?

If you just want to flex your power, wouldn’t it be better to announce yourself as the sovereign of Mirtail and collaborate with this agency on a business venture?”

I understood his point, but I shook my head in disagreement.

“No. If we back out now, Ifrit will get hit with a false accusation lawsuit, and he’ll be finished.

And flaunting my title as Mirtail’s sovereign without building a friendly image first could backfire.

Besides, if a woman draws her sword, she has to cut something.”

…Huh. The word “woman” just rolled off my tongue naturally now.

The robot cat, unconvinced, countered:

“Master, the expected benefits of this case don’t justify the costs we’re pouring into it.

Why not just attach your name to it, delegate it to another lawyer, and focus on directly striking Serika’s agency instead?”

Sigh. Looks like I’ll have to give this guy a musical lecture.

Cue the beat.

“Cosmo. The world isn’t just numbers.

To you, it might just be a collection of 0s and 1s and their applications, but—

Within those numerical constructs,

There are blank spaces that hold no mathematical meaning,

Yet exert tangible force in the real world.

You might think my efforts for Ifrit’s case are meaningless,

But in the end, we’re crafting a story.

What moves people at the last moment? This story.

If you don’t get it, let me give you an example.

Why do you think so many conquerors in history obsessed over statues, autobiographies, and tombs?

They understood the power of narrative.

The story of me using my power to save someone will be remembered for ages.

Just watch.

Serika, with no goodwill to her name, is like rotten bamboo—hollow inside.

A strong wind will blow her away.”

The AI cat stared blankly into space, processing.

After buffering, Cosmo spoke again:

“Master Rosenheit, you do have some thoughts, don’t you?

Fine. So what’s the next move?”

I gathered my things and answered:

“Time for a business trip.”

“Huh?”

“I’m going to Ignisca myself.

I’ll meet the bureau chief in person, grill him, then negotiate with their sovereign.

Imagine the impact—the ruler of Mirtail, the second-ranked magical kingdom, making a personal visit.

The foreign press will eat it up.

And when the people of Ignisca and foreign reporters gather, wondering why I’m there—

I’ll drop a few juicy provocations.

Manipulating public opinion will be a piece of cake.”

Cosmo clapped his paws together in admiration.

“Wow. If you weren’t so… you, Master, you’d have made an excellent politician.

Sounds good. But… Ignisca is very far.”

“How long will it take?”

“Even on a magic-powered galleon… about a week.”

A week? That’s rough.

“Isn’t there a faster way?”

“A magic airship could get us there in two days. But the cost…”

Two days on an airship?

Now that’s a romantic overdose.

Well, since I’m in another world, I might as well ride a magic airship at least once.

I sprawled on the sofa and asked in a rough voice:

“Spit it out. How much?”

Cosmo rolled his pupils left, then right, twice, before answering:

“With a pet companion… 50,000 Eldoris (50 million won)…”

I cut him off with a hearty laugh.

“Pfft. Life’s short. Let’s go.”

Cosmo gave me a deadpan look.

“…This is a business trip, right?

You’re not just using it as an excuse to ride an airship and wreak havoc in Ignisca, are you?”

How did he know?

I’m not that much of a barbarian.

Even if I got caught, I’d just play dumb.

“Ahem! Cosmo, I command you to silence.”

The AI cat immediately climbed onto the CEO’s desk and stood perfectly still, as if taxidermied in a mysterious pose.

…For a very long time.

The Next Day

I hung an “On a Business Trip” sign on the office door and left with Cosmo.

Carrying a small bag enchanted to hold more than it should, I also wore a white parasol that matched my dress.

To anyone watching, we looked like travelers setting off—

The clients outside Serika’s agency glanced our way,

Gairon the bodyguard gave us a sidelong look,

And Serika herself opened her window to stare down at us.

Ignoring their gazes, I quickly hailed a carriage to the airfield.

……

Eldoria Airfield

I never knew a place like this existed.

A lively plaza bustling with countless races preparing for flights.

Luxury airships, enchanted for flight, ready to take off.

An endless stretch of shops lining the square.

The atmosphere was completely different from the solemn capital plaza.

Ding-dong~ A bell chimed.

Fifteen minutes until departure.

Cosmo stared at the massive airship being fueled and said:

“Master, doesn’t it feel like something is bound to happen onboard?”

…Now that he mentioned it, yeah.

A party in the clouds. A mysterious murder on a luxury airship.

Who’s the killer?

I’d already played out an entire manga episode in my head.

Chuckling to myself, I was about to board when someone stopped me.

The Ifrit merchant!

And his daughter—the fire spirit, Arel.

Ifrit bowed deeply first.

“Director Rosenheit, you’ve gone so far for our sake…

I don’t even know how to thank you…

Have a safe trip. I’ll be praying for you.”

I accepted his greeting with a slight nod and closed eyes.

Arel, her crimson eyes wide, stared blankly before reaching out to Cosmo.

“Wow~ Kitty~”

As the fire spirit girl rubbed the robot cat’s head, the wind spirit father forced her into a bow.

“Say thank you to the director!”

The fire spirit girl glanced at me…

Then bowed politely.

“Thank you, ma’am~”

……

?

…Ma’am?

Cosmo burst into laughter, unable to hold it in.

Ifrit panicked and apologized profusely.

“Oh no! Director, I’m so sorry—!”

……

It’s fine. To a six-year-old, I could look like that.

My heart is that big.

I pulled out a 20-Eldoris coin (20,000 won) and handed it to Arel.

“Here~ Big sis will give you some pocket money. Buy some snacks~”

The fire spirit girl beamed with the purest smile.

“Wow~ Thank you~”

……

Ifrit Pirel.

What an incredible father.

Now then, time to board the airship—

And reclaim his honor… and mine.