Ch.138Report on the Downfall of Diligence (3)

“Hans took on a position that’s too big for him, right? He said he had a lot to learn, so he needed to study hard.

That’s why he mentioned getting all those private lessons. Those tutors, do they really just teach?”

At Maria’s question, Kain reflected on their previous conversation.

Hans enjoys meeting people and doesn’t turn away visitors despite his busy schedule.

Being a former con man, he must excel at smooth talking and handling people.

And what about the people who visit Hans? Nobles trying to gain influence in the city, imperial faction members attempting to keep him in check, religious figures looking to establish connections, and merchants too.

They’re certainly not pushovers. They’re the type who could monitor Hans’s every move and even investigate his background.

But what if Hans himself is crouched like a spider in the center of a web, orchestrating various schemes through his proxies?

Someone who needs to visit Hans regularly while avoiding suspicion—a private tutor would be perfect for that. And conveniently, Hans is married with children.

“Of course, it doesn’t have to be a tutor,” Kain pondered. “It could be a servant, butler, or even a coachman.”

“A butler, I’m not sure,” Maria’s eyes sparkled. “If you’re trying to run a secret order, you need to be able to move freely between inside and outside the mansion. A butler would be at a disadvantage in that regard.”

Kain and Maria continued exchanging ideas.

They narrowed down to people who could communicate freely with the outside world while visiting Hans frequently without raising suspicion. A tutor. A coachman. An errand runner were the immediate possibilities.

But how could Hans, busy with committee work, meet so many people? Especially at city hall where there would be many eyes and ears.

“Hans doesn’t go to city hall every day. I heard he receives assignments like homework, studies at home with people he invites over, and then presents his opinions at the weekly regular meetings.”

If that’s the case, the real ‘committee’ must be in Hans’s room.

Kain thought it was a clever method. In public settings, extended conversations would reveal one’s limitations.

But by having people come to him, he could maintain the upper hand from his seat. Initially, there might be resistance, but it would eventually become routine.

Once something becomes routine, people tend to overlook issues. This way, Hans could subtly advance his agenda.

“Good,” Maria whistled softly. To Kain, it sounded a bit sharp, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Let’s rest here today. When dawn breaks, come with me to where I’m staying. You need a bath. Then we’ll get you some decent clothes.

From tomorrow, we’ll need to visit the commercial district and the city center where the nobles reside.

To monitor Hans’s house and city hall.”

“Do I smell that bad?”

“I might get scolded by Lily for treating you too roughly. Though I’m not one to talk…”

Maria stretched out her hand. “Hold still for a moment!” Then she placed her hand on Kain’s forehead.

“You have a slight fever. Your breathing is rough too. Haven’t you been pushing yourself too hard in those back alleys?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Listen, mister. Don’t act tough,” Maria narrowed her eyes.

“You’re not in peak condition right now. And this isn’t the time to exhaust all your resources. You need to rest when you can.”

Kain tried to deny it, but his body betrayed his will. Without realizing it, he let out a big yawn. Maria bent over laughing.

“See? Let’s sleep here tonight. We can’t leave the dock until dawn anyway.”

“Will that be okay?”

Kain looked at Maria intently. Maria tilted her head.

“What now? The room is spacious. You sleep there. I’ll sleep here. We don’t have proper blankets, but if necessary, I could get some patient bedding.”

That wasn’t necessary. Kain took a spot near the door, while Maria settled near the window. They used cushions as mattresses and their arms as pillows.

Drowsiness overwhelmed him as soon as he lay down. Compared to sleeping on the hard streets, this was paradise.

At least here, he didn’t have to worry about other vagrants nudging him with their feet and running away.

But Kain couldn’t fall asleep. Maria was resting her chin on her hand, gazing out the window.

Somehow bothered by that sight, Kain stared at the ceiling while lying down.

“Not sleeping?”

Maria was the first to speak. Kain considered his response before answering.

“I’m tired, but I can’t seem to fall asleep.”

“Then tell me about life on the streets.”

“Not much of a good story. How was work at city hall?”

“Not much of an interesting story either.”

The two fell into a subtle silence.

It had always been like this since leaving the monastery. An awkwardness as if there was another person in the room saying nothing.

Actually, considering Elisabet, that wasn’t entirely wrong.

“…So. Um. How was it?”

Maria was the first to break the silence. Kain turned to face her.

But Maria seemed hesitant to continue.

“Mother?”

Kain asked cautiously, but Maria recoiled, “No. What are you talking about?”

“…I’m asking what happened in the back alleys. The city hall work was really boring. The people there are desperate to outdo each other. All in the same situation.

You know what’s funny? Even among the cleaners, there’s a hierarchy based on which floor they clean.”

“That’s news to me.”

“People who clean the second floor look down on those who clean the first floor, and those on the third floor look down on the second… I don’t know why they do that. Though it’s true that the higher you go, the more important facilities there are.”

Flustered, Maria became more talkative. It was just gossip, nothing particularly important.

Kain guessed that what Maria really wanted to hear about was her mother. But Maria seemed both eager and reluctant to hear about it.

Shortly before entering the city, Maria had lamented in passing:

“You know what? You’ve spent more time with my mother than I have. You’ve talked with her more too.”

Though they shared the same body, the two souls could never meet, she had said.

The human body has its limits. It cannot accommodate two awakened souls simultaneously. No matter how strong a body is, it cannot move forward and backward at the same time. Eventually, one must yield.

So despite sharing the same body, Maria and Elisabet had never met each other.

She mentioned having one long, indirect conversation, but Maria was reluctant to talk about it. Kain thought that if Elisabet had to awaken, it must have been for something extremely important.

On the other hand, Kain was also confused.

Whether Maria or Elisabet, it’s the same body. The idea of the same person behaving completely differently and then returning to “normal” was strange.

Of course, Elisabet had “promised” not to return when she descended, but adaptation was a different matter.

Perhaps Maria had noticed that subtle distance. Being perceptive and sensitive, she surely would have. But Maria couldn’t hide her desire to know about her mother.

Despite having hated her bloodline so much normally.

“So, what do you think?”

Lost in thought, Kain didn’t properly answer Maria’s question. Of course, Kain didn’t ask “Huh? What did you say?”

“It’s complicated in many ways.”

So Kain gave a vague response. Maria nodded at his words.

“I thought I’d seen a lot, but there’s always a lower bottom… Actually, I’ve done this kind of infiltration many times, but never an investigation that dragged on this long. Why do you think that is?”

So it was about the investigation. Kain felt relieved.

“Because you’re an inquisitor?”

“Yes, that’s it. With just a hint of suspicion, I’d show up with knights or monks, wearing the inquisitor’s emblem.

People would tremble and confess their sins. But now.”

“It’s frustrating.”

“Yes, it’s frustrating,” Maria stretched out.

“Support is cut off. Those damn knights are trying to devour us. And what’s with that dark figure? I understand him least of all.”

“The Knight of the Scabbard?”

“Yes, that bastard!” Maria slammed her fist into her palm.

“What does he want? I don’t even know what he’s doing. Does he want revenge? Or is he collecting monsters?

He causes disturbances everywhere, but does nothing before we arrive. Is this a coincidence?”

Kain couldn’t guess the reason. He was too tired. But Maria couldn’t calm her excitement.

“Looking at what he does, he’s just like a kid from the back alleys.”

“A kid?” Kain smiled slightly, but Maria looked serious.

“Do you know how kids play? They’re showy. They smash up decent shops, carry around charcoal to scribble everywhere.

But what they really want is attention—’look at me, I’m here.’ Not in a good way though.

Rather, they want to see how much reaction they can get from the world when they cause trouble.”

Surprisingly, Kain took it seriously. Maria tilted her head, a bit surprised. But Kain couldn’t dismiss Maria’s observation.

Before meeting Elisabet, he might have laughed it off as nonsense. But after seeing a woman frozen at twenty, he couldn’t.

“If he’s really acting like he wants to be noticed…” Kain pointed to the sky. “Is he watching us from up there?”

“Ugh. That’s creepy,” Maria grimaced.

“That’s what kids do. They hang around someone they’re interested in and always cause some trouble. They don’t know any other way to start a conversation. Kids’ communication methods are all the same.”

Maria smiled mischievously at Kain’s response.

“You seem to know a lot. Speaking from experience?”

“Ha,” Kain burst out laughing.

“Not really. It’s something I heard during training. When I was training for the Security Bureau. There was this incredibly annoying guy. A real kid.”

Since Godfrey hadn’t changed his temperament even after becoming the director of Security Bureau’s 2nd Division, that wasn’t wrong.

“Back then, that guy complained to the instructor. He asked why we had to listen to all this. Couldn’t we just show the Security Bureau emblem, do some knife work, and bring people in?”

“That’s what I’m saying! I could just pull out my inquisitor emblem, and you and Lily could show your Security Bureau emblems! ‘Spill everything you know,’ how much easier would that be? This is so frustrating. So, what did the instructor say?”

What did Director Verneith say?

Kain remembered him turning red and throwing whatever he could get his hands on. He later claimed it was for shock effect, but Kain didn’t believe him.

“What did he say… ‘An eagle flies higher than an earthworm.'”