Ch.106106. Infiltrating the Octagon (8)

“Where… where is it?”

Investigating the use of capital would only give them plenty of excuses, and there wasn’t enough evidence to arrest everyone by recklessly exposing the truth of this place.

To get solid proof, documents showing illegal activities taking place in this gambling den were desperately needed.

That’s why Charlotte had entered the restricted area alone, where only authorized personnel were allowed, and was searching for evidence.

“Octagon participant records…?”

After flipping through a few more pages, a smile finally appeared on Charlotte’s face.

This was it.

If she could uproot the Octagon, which was the core of this gambling den, she could catch everyone involved. Securing these documents could be considered the first step.

But her joy was short-lived.

Thud- Thud-

“…!”

For the intruding girl, these footsteps were not a welcome sound.

The place where she had hidden was a restricted area for authorized personnel only.

A place where even those haughty nobles didn’t dare question why they couldn’t enter and strictly observed the established rules.

It was a place where guests would never be granted access.

Her nerves were on edge since she hadn’t entered legitimately, but Charlotte wasn’t the type to just stand there helplessly.

The approaching footsteps stopped, and someone at the door grabbed the handle to open it. Charlotte didn’t miss her chance.

‘It’s just one person anyway. One person should be…’

Two ice spikes ready to be fired, precisely timed for when the door opened.

A gift that would greet whoever entered when the door swung open.

***

My body feels quite stiff.

Part of it was because I couldn’t relax with enemies all around, but the main reason was that the level of opposition had noticeably increased.

Dealing with slaves or debtors who had no combat experience, let alone fighting experience, wasn’t difficult.

They were clearly people who had never even been in a proper fight, and even if they had fought here a few times, they were all about the same level.

But this time, the opponents were completely different. Almost deliberately so, to a noticeable degree.

There were no Academy students, and while there were a few dropouts, they weren’t handling this side of things. It would be more accurate to say they might be assigned to it if things got worse soon.

So who were my opponents this time? The guys I faced in the ring today were quite familiar with fistfights and wielding weapons.

They were likely street thugs or bandits who lived by plundering.

I sensed immediately that they weren’t opponents to take lightly, and only by using Anti-Cast was I able to be the last one standing in the survival ring.

“Ah.”

I only notice it after everything is over, but I tend to feel pain a bit late.

I only realized that my right arm was slightly cut and bleeding when I leaned against the wall…

Looking around for something to stop the bleeding, I couldn’t find a single bandage.

People who enjoy this as entertainment or sell it as leisure probably wouldn’t prepare medical supplies in advance—if they did, they wouldn’t be involved in a place like this.

Setting everything else aside, emergency treatment comes first.

I need to find a place with first aid supplies, even basic ones, to treat this so it won’t hinder me tomorrow.

I still need to buy time for someone who might be wandering around this gambling den.

“Come to think of it, our MC’s office was quite luxurious, wasn’t it?”

He probably has at least one medicine box there for his own survival.

I’m not the type to rummage through other people’s offices or reception rooms, but since they’ve already decided to use me like a dog, I need to become a bit of a ruffian myself.

When I reach the door, I see a sign that reads “Authorized Personnel Only.”

The warning means little to me. Just as I’m about to fling the door open without hesitation, I immediately sense magical energy.

Swoosh!

“…!”

Clang! Clang!

Seems like someone’s already here. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be doing this to an innocent person like me.

It can’t be the man who’s currently headlining the Octagon, and there’s no particular reason to send someone else. There’s even less reason to call someone in to eliminate me at this point.

Most likely, the person is an intruder from the Octagon and gambling den’s perspective. In that case…

I quickly enter the room and close the door.

“Causing a commotion here isn’t a good idea, Charlotte.”

“…Senior? Why are you here…”

“No time. This isn’t the moment to ask questions—grab what you need and get out.”

I know that Charlotte has infiltrated this place to dig up evidence.

But shouldn’t she be wrapping things up by now? She’s never made the mistake of wasting time like this and getting caught.

Charlotte, who would usually triumphantly extract just the documents and tell the other members to pull up the trap they’d set as if nothing had happened—why had she made such a mistake?

‘What a mess.’

There are too many traces of a hasty search, and at this rate, they might sense something and flee. I’ll have to handle the cleanup.

“I didn’t ask you to help with the cleanup.”

“But… at this rate, you too…”

“This isn’t the time to worry about me. Didn’t you hear me say get out? Before they come—!”

-We really need tougher matchups to make it worth watching.

-That’s right. This time it’s a huge hit. Incomparable to before. We need to bring in more people to increase the number of participants.

Oh no, we’re too late. Their voices are right outside.

The moment they enter and inspect the room, they’ll tear through the net we’ve set and scatter, creating a new location elsewhere.

And what about Charlotte? It would be impossible for her to break through these overwhelming numbers without causing a magical outburst.

The moment she’s caught, her identity-concealing mask will be removed, her true identity exposed, and she’ll disappear without a trace. The consequences would be dire.

I might be able to escape alone somehow, but escaping with Charlotte is nearly impossible.

There’s no time left.

The footsteps are getting closer.

I need to think of a way to make this situation look natural, not like intruders caught stealing documents.

‘…That’s it!’

There’s just one way. A way to make all of this look natural.

“Charlotte. Are you sober?”

“What…? Of course I haven’t taken any drugs or alcohol…”

“Good. Then from now on, you need to be anything but sober. That’s how we can get out of here cleanly.”

“What do you mean…?”

What else could I mean?

Time to show some method acting with soul.

***

The number of customers entering the gambling den had noticeably increased.

With new people and matches that resulted in narrow victories rather than predictable outcomes, they were getting quite a spectacle.

For the host and MC, this was as good as it gets.

He was heading to his office to look for more Octagon participants, intending to extend this boom period as long and substantially as possible.

But when he opened the door, he witnessed a scene he never imagined.

“Bring that bastard here-! Huh?! Can’t you hear me?!”

“…”

“…”

A noble lady with a heavily slurred speech was grabbing Junon by the collar.

The man’s expression soured from the moment he opened the door.

His office, which should have smelled of books and documents, with perhaps a hint of tobacco masked by aroma scents—

That office was now in complete disarray, as if a bull had charged through it. Books and documents were scattered everywhere, and broken bottles of alcohol and vases had filled the interior with a sticky alcoholic scent.

Junon responded to the noble lady with irritation.

“Look, even if you ask me to find him, there’s nothing I can do… Ah, shit.”

This was… unmistakably that situation.

A troublemaker.

The type of customer commonly seen in gambling dens, especially in the early stages.

Given the nature of gambling dens where fortunes are lost and won, there’s always at least one such person every day, leaving him no choice but to sigh and hand them over to security.

“Throw her out. And call someone to clean up.”

The man spoke with an undisguised scowl. It had been a while since he’d dealt with such a troublemaker, and he let out a deep sigh.

“Let, let go of me-!! If only that guy hadn’t beaten the one I bet on!!”

“Miss, this young man is innocent, okay?”

“God, the smell… shit… Broken bottles everywhere.”

“This is strong stuff. How much did she drink? She even emptied out all the alcohol we had stored here…”

With the help of those who received the instructions, the noble lady’s hand was removed from Junon’s collar, and her drunken, chattering voice filled the corridor.

This area, off-limits to everyone except authorized personnel, was a place where no one but the closest members of the hosting party should enter.

He couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. If she were a spy planted by the Empire, he would need to catch the scent and flee elsewhere.

So he added a comment.

“Seriously, do people like that usually come up here? I don’t want to get grabbed by the collar every time I come.”

Even if one person gives a stellar performance, the act falls apart if someone else slips up.

Junon, matching her act, straightened his disheveled clothes and spoke in a voice that sounded well-practiced.

As the chattering voice in the corridor faded, a brief silence hung between the two men.

Whether he would be suspected or not would be determined by the next words.

The result…

“It happens occasionally. Gambling dens naturally attract such people, young man.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Money makes people lose their minds. I’ll compensate you, so don’t feel too upset. Understood?”

He had definitely avoided suspicion.

As the MC took off his hat and crossed his legs on the sofa, there was no trace of suspicion toward Junon.

.

.

.

“Don’t even think about coming back!”

“This person is a troublemaker. Record it and don’t let her in next time. Got it?”

—Yes!

Though she was kicked out after being recorded as a troublemaker, Charlotte had achieved her goal and had no reason to return to this gambling den in disguise.

For a merchant who could clearly distinguish between gain and loss, this was definitely a gain.

“Phew…”

Charlotte let out a sigh of relief after putting some distance between herself and the gambling den. Knowing that her safety could have been in danger, the depth of this sigh was even greater.

She checked the documents again to make sure nothing was missing.

Her merchant’s intuition told her:

These documents, obtained without any loss, would surely uproot the gambling den and, riding this momentum, properly collapse one pillar of the nobility-centered society.

But rather than immediate joy at extracting these documents, her mind was on something else.

“Senior Junon…”

He was still there.

Thanks to following Junon’s instructions, Charlotte herself had managed to escape without suspicion from the gambling den full of illegal activities, but the person who helped her remained behind.

And in a position where he had to enter the Octagon arena.

There hadn’t been time to ask why, so they couldn’t have a proper conversation, but Junon must have had his reasons for entering that place.

Having seen what was happening inside that building, she thought those reasons were likely far from positive or justifiable.

So… should she just leave after receiving his help?

No. She couldn’t do that.

“…I’ll wait for you, Senior.”

So Charlotte waited, shaking her head.

Being a nuisance by clinging to his ankle, as she had during the beginning-of-term evaluation, was enough to do just once.

***

At the same time, a reconnaissance team returned from Shute Province.

“Good work today as well. Nothing unusual?”

“Nope. Just caught a few rat-like creatures, that’s all.”

“Really? Then why are you all covered in something sticky?”

Indeed, the reconnaissance team’s clothes were quite dirty. Purple liquid was splattered all over, making one reluctant to approach them.

Some of the more heavily soiled members even had it on their skin, making them look like they’d been poisoned.

“Oh, this? I was worried at first too, but if you just beat those creatures without thinking too much, they burst from the inside. To put it simply, it’s just bodily fluid. It’s not acidic or corrosive liquid, and definitely not poison. It’s not even pheromones that attract other magical beasts.”

“Hmm. Is that so…? Still feels a bit unsettling.”

“Other reconnaissance members said the same thing. There’s really no problem, so stop trying to run away. Other magical beasts won’t come anyway. Apart from getting dirty, we completed the task cleanly, didn’t we?”

“I guess you’re right. Good work, go on in.”

Shute Province had relaxed its guard after the suppression of a wave of mole-type magical beasts called Kanoratleu.

Magical beast waves typically take time between surges, so major waves rarely develop into big problems without special circumstances.

That’s why the response isn’t too strict. At most, occasional patrols like today’s to ease residents’ anxiety.

The magical beasts they encountered weren’t particularly threatening.

…At least not yet.