Chapter 173

Chapter 173. Playing Catch-Up (5)

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s just surprising to hear you use the word ‘lost’.”

“You, you! What do you take me for!”

“I take you for a simpleton.”

Once again, Vellego began to fume, but I didn’t bother listening.

Instead, I turned my thoughts toward the cleaning supplies cupboard that had vanished from view.

‘It’s a relief that there’s no eavesdropping devices or surveillance cameras in this world.’

If Gallonic and Reitan had communicated through written notes considering such factors, it would have been quite troublesome.

In ignorance, I’d have been left trembling with anxiety, only to end up like a dog chasing a chicken once the pressure from the royal family hit.

But the appearance of Vellego as a variable had given me a chance to counter their moves.

‘What’s the most effective way……’

How could I nullify their schemes?

Lost in thought, we soon found ourselves back at the venue.

Just in case, I scanned the room but couldn’t spot Gretman anywhere.

‘What on earth is he thinking?’

Even when I excused myself to step away earlier, he had casually waved me off without any reluctance.

If he was just going to let me go like that, why even bring me here in the first place?

‘Was it just to use me as some sort of mascot?’

I couldn’t guess his true purpose, which left me feeling uneasy.

Being already within the royal palace, canceling it wasn’t an option.

“Uncle Gallonic!”

Suddenly, Gallonic’s name rang out.

Instinctively, I turned my gaze towards the source of the voice.

And there, I spotted a young woman happily running towards Gallonic, throwing her arms around him.

‘Is it her?’

A couple of hours ago, I arrived with Gretman just as the banquet was about to start.

But the very protagonist of this banquet, the princess, was absent at that time.

To summarize Gretman’s explanation regarding her absence, a single word emerged.

‘Tardy.’

A habitual offender.

Though the banquet was held because of her, he warned she might not even show up if she wasn’t in the mood.

So, I thought there might be a chance I wouldn’t see her face.

‘Yet, she came.’

The hair shimmering under the lights was the distinctive silver of the Atar Royal Family.

Her alabaster skin and prominent indigo eyes were traits she had inherited from the Empress.

‘Isola Tem Atar.’

Princess Isola, the most treasured by the current Emperor of the Atar Empire.

She chatted eagerly with Gallonic, smiling brightly as she did.

‘It was already a known fact that Gallonic’s backing was the royal family.’

But the visible rapport between the two was far beyond my expectations.

Consequently, a lingering question was neatly resolved.

‘Why Jordan hadn’t given any hints about the council meeting.’

He probably thought the current power structure was an embarrassment for the entire Order.

Perhaps it was too shameful that they were taking cues from the Emperor rather than the Gods.

If he wanted to sweep it under the rug, that made a certain degree of sense.

‘Well, whatever the reason.’

Regardless of the reason, I had learned Gallonic’s identity and his backing.

Now, addressing the current situation takes precedence.

‘Once imperial intervention begins, establishing a new investigation agency will be impossible.’

The instant supplies from the Atar Empire are cut, the maintenance of the Order’s army will become unfeasible.

Not many people in Bihar could afford to cross the Atar Emperor’s will.

When imperial authority, which surpasses ecclesiastical power, presses on, there will be no chance to intervene.

‘I need to act first.’

Fortunately, Reitan, who should be Gallonic’s advisor, wasn’t by his side.

‘They even met discreetly, presumably to hide their connections……’

This gave me an excellent opportunity.

‘And the princess, whom I thought wouldn’t come, has arrived.’

It felt as if all the conditions were urging me to move forward.

‘Then I must go.’

Wearing a slight smirk, I directed my steps straight towards Gallonic.

“Hey, hey!”

Vellego, who had returned to the banquet hall with me, followed inadvertently.

Shortly, Gallonic’s gaze landed on me, and his expression hardened.

Isola, who was with him, immediately reacted to the change.

“What’s wrong? Is there something… wow!”

Following Gallonic’s gaze and looking back, Isola widened her eyes in surprise.

She promptly ran towards me.

Standing before me, Isola clasped her cheeks with both hands.

“So, you’re that Outsider! I hurried over because Sir Gretman mentioned it, but wow, wow, this is fascinating!”

She even reached out, seemingly trying to touch the symbol above my head.

-Not a bad kid, but certainly a naive one.

-It’s only natural, given she likely never found the need to think critically.

-Well, regardless, handling her won’t be too difficult for you.

Those were the words from Gretman that crossed my mind at that moment.

‘I wondered why he even mentioned such a thing.’

Apparently, he had arranged for Isola to attend the banquet.

When I asked for an invitation, he probably dropped a word casually.

While mentally reviewing Gretman’s maneuver, I placed my hand over my chest as he taught me.

Then, with slightly awkward movements, I bowed.

“Greetings, Your Highness. My name is K.”

“Wow, you just let it pass, huh? So fascinating!”

Thanks to my bow, Isola giggled as she finally touched the symbol.

Then, she placed her hands on her hips and lifted her chin.

“This must be the first banquet an Outsider has attended, right? It makes me feel proud!”

“…… Thank you for inviting me.”

There was a slight delay, but I believe I responded adequately.

“Welcome, and the person you came with… huh? Oh! Sir!”

“Your Highness, do you remember me?”

At that moment, Vellego, uncharacteristically smiling widely, approached Isola with familiarity.

“Wow! It really is Uncle Vellego! Wow, wow! Long time no see!”

It wasn’t particularly surprising. He had mentioned Isola when discussing the corridor earlier.

“What happened, you’re so much fatter? You look like a ball, can I roll you around?”

Isola laughed brightly as she spoke affectionately to Vellego.

A sense of inherent brightness, typical of someone who grew up loved, was reflected in her every word and action.

Within the lavish banquet hall, Isola shone more brightly than anything else.

But to me, the shadows lurking beneath her radiance loomed larger.

It felt as though, with a slight downward glance, I could see all she had stepped over to maintain that innocence.

“I’ve been too distant.”

“Really, how could you not visit once?”

“Haha, I’m truly sorry. In the meantime, you’ve become remarkably beautiful….”

Luckily, the unpleasant thoughts didn’t last long.

As if seizing an opportunity, Vellego dedicatedly made attempts to chat with Isola until his voice trailed off.

I automatically checked the direction of his gaze and found two women standing not far from Isola.

One was dressed in a gown, the other in the garb of a lower-level priest. Their affiliation was……

‘Agnotia.’

Vellego was going all out to avoid looking at the priest.

Meeting a priest in a place like this and reacting so strongly? It felt eerie.

However, it wasn’t the time to delve into it.

“How did you end up together?”

“Ah, Priest Vellego and I are co-managing an orphanage.”

I intervened before Vellego could speak.

“An orphanage?”

“We rescued children from the farm in Callum, and they had nowhere else to go.”

“Oh my, was that the case? Are the children okay? I heard orphanages require a lot of money; should I contribute?”

Such a windfall?

“I’m grateful for your generosity.”

I accepted Isola’s offer readily, forgoing any pretense.

“Sure, where should I send it to?”

“Please send it to Sir Horfe’s residence.”

“Wow, you also know the Tiger Gentleman?”

“Yes, being on the frontline, I’ve had occasions to meet.”

“Tch, everyone’s so mean, not even introducing me.”

She briefly pouted before brightening up, sweeping her gaze around as she spoke.

“But really, I’m probably the only one who can host such a banquet, right? So, is it enjoyable?”

She wasn’t asking for my opinion—this was a demand for the desired answer.

I’d only encountered her briefly, and our direct interaction lasted mere minutes.

Yet, it was enough to grasp the fundamental nature of the princess.

‘Living in a garden crafted by the Emperor, without a care in the world.’

Odds were high she believed the world existed for her.

So, saying what’s on my mind would only ruin the atmosphere.

‘She might run crying to the Emperor, demanding my head.’

Not wanting such an outcome, I opted to skirt around it.

“It’s unfamiliar since it’s my first visit… but, Sir Gretman has taken good care of me.”

“See, I knew it! Come and visit again next time!”

Though I didn’t utter a single word about enjoyment, she had reinterpreted my words to her liking.

“And who are the people behind you?”

Not wanting to return to a place like this, I cleverly changed the subject.

It was really to identify the priest that had unsettled Vellego earlier.

“Oh, Somir is a priest from the Order of Agnotia, and Giselle is my maid. Introduce yourselves, girls. He’s apparently a very famous Outsider on the frontlines.”

“…… Pleased to meet you. My name is Somir Isha.”

“Giselle Isha.”

“I am K. It’s truly a pleasure to meet you.”

As I committed Somir Isha’s name to memory, Isola proceeded to introduce another person.

“And this is Uncle Gallonic, who is part of the Senoa Order.”

Of course, it was a redundant introduction.

“It’s good to see you again, Priest Gallonic.”

Gallonic, who had been glaring at me as if to pierce through, subtly twitched his cheek.

His expression suited him so well that I couldn’t help but grin.

“Huh? You know my uncle?”

“Yes, we met during a meeting earlier today.”

“A meeting? What meeting? Was there a meeting today? Did Father hold a meeting?”

She used the word ‘meeting’ four times.

I could vividly feel the effectiveness of Gretman’s earlier comment about Isola’s easy manageability.

‘She dislikes being left out.’

Having grown accustomed to being the center, she likely believes a certain circle revolves around her.

Thus, she reacts sensitively if she suspects there’s an aspect of a conversation she doesn’t know about.

Recognizing this, I led the conversation by selectively withholding information.

I utilized a speech pattern that compels continual questioning from her.

This effectively controlled the dialogue to avoid shifting to another topic.

The result wasn’t half bad.

“My goodness! Did he really say such a thing?”

“Yes, but no one seems to believe it. Suggesting hierarchy members facilitated trafficking sounds preposterous.”

I then pressed on to further corner Gallonic.

“Don’t you think so, Priest Gallonic?”

Surely he can’t deny it now.

“…… Yes, that’s true.”

He glared at me as if he could kill with his gaze.

Oblivious to the blatant hostility, Isola buzzed with indignation, fists clenched in righteous anger.

“How can they say such fabrications? Truly unprincipled and wicked!”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. With an investigation, the truth will ultimately come to light, provided the Order members are innocent.”

As I smoothly nudged her, Isola agreed vehemently, clenching her fists.

“Right!”

Nearly done.

“This demands a thorough investigation, leaving no doubts!”

One more push.

“This isn’t the place for this; I must inform Father at once!”

In accomplishing this perfect move, Gallonic and I found our fortunes diverging.

Without a moment to stop her, Isola rushed out of the banquet hall.

With her departure, I made a sound of disappointment while glancing at Gallonic.

‘Fortunately, my preemptive strike seems to have hit the mark.’

If they planned to tattle to the Emperor, I’d just do the same but to the Princess instead.

Though the target changed from the Emperor to the Princess, the essence of the act remained the same.

‘If they resort to dirty tricks, why should I adhere strictly to decorum?’

There are certain ways to deal with savagery.

‘Then the best strategy is apparent.’

Being proactive and decisive was the strategy I devised.

The outcome would eventually lead to the miraculous establishment of an investigation agency within a month.

‘Tolerating the spectacle of a monkey in the zoo is a small price for such an outcome.’

Having achieved my goal, there was no reason to endure the uncomfortable presence further.

Leaving Gallonic’s intimidating gaze behind, I withdrew from the scene.

Damn System

TL’s Corner:

The princess has a smooth brain apparently.