IPMPBB 13

Chapter 13

“…That’s utterly absurd.”

Carlos dismissed my plan without hesitation.

“You’re saying you want to win over the Countess of Spencer and have the Spencer family provide their resources to the administration?”

The Spencer family was an old and noble house that possessed tons of historical records the administration desperately wanted.

However, they had never cooperated with the knight order’s administration.
It all went back to the time when the Countess of Spencer was subjected to relentless courtship from a royal knight, which caused her great distress.

“No one’s succeeded in doing that for fifty years.”

Oh, and for the record, the Countess of Spencer is eighty years old this year.

That unwanted attention from the royal knight happened when she was thirty.

“Exactly. The longer the silence, the more desperate the administration is for what the Spencers have.”

I tried to convince Carlos.

“So if we bring them those records, wouldn’t Count Gonnir finally acknowledge us?”

The Spencer archives contained records of battles, information on heretics, tactical notes—everything necessary for running a knight order.

Before the Royal Order took over the duty of subduing heretics, it was the Spencer family that handled them. They had built up an immense library of knowledge on the subject.

In other words, if we could dig them up, it’d be the greatest treasure trove imaginable.

“That may be so, but isn’t it far too dangerous?”

Carlos looked at me with a conflicted expression.

It seemed he no longer had the strength to argue.

“We can do this.”

I nodded at Carlos, determined to show my resolve and certainty.

I saw a storm of emotions flicker in Carlos’s eyes.

“Look at me—I’ve changed.”

I spread my arms to show my sincerity.

Not that he could see much other than the knight order crest embroidered on my chest.

“I haven’t gone off the rails at a bar, I’ve been showing up for work, and I even behaved myself in front of Count Gonnir.”

…Now that I laid it all out, those were pretty pathetic accomplishments.

But considering Elia’s former behavior, it was nothing short of a miracle.

“So how about trusting me—just one more time?”

Carlos clenched his jaw; his lips pressed into a straight line.

Maybe I’d pushed too hard.

“I’m not asking you to believe in me completely right now. I’m just saying we should give it a try.”

I quickly tried to calm him down.

“And if things don’t go well, we’ll come up with another plan together.”

Of course, I knew this plan to win over the Countess of Spencer would definitely succeed.

‘Because it’s straight from the original storyline.’

I’d cross-checked Elia’s memories before leaving for work with what I remembered from the story. Not a single contradiction.

As long as I stayed wary of any unknown factors not covered in the original, I should be able to pull this off.

“So?”

“…Alright.”

Carlos answered reluctantly.

“Just this once—or rather, I’ll half-follow your lead… Commander.”

He couldn’t quite bring himself to say he trusted me.

“Good. Then let’s go get the item that’ll win over the Countess. You’ve got plain clothes for the infiltration, right?”

We couldn’t show up in our knight uniforms since the item we needed was in the black market.

“Yes.”

“And you’ve got some for me too?”

“Probably.”

“Probably?”

“It’s been so long since you last went on an infiltration mission that I’m not sure if anything decent is left.”

“Oh… I see.”

Elia really had been nothing but a troublemaker.

When I went to the knight order’s storage to find plain clothes, just as Carlos had said, only completely outdated outfits remained.

I had no choice but to borrow some clothes from a female knight helping me search.

Elia was on the petite side, so the borrowed clothes were a bit loose, but after rolling up the sleeves, they were wearable.

I pulled the hood down low over Elia’s golden hair and striking features.

Despite her rotten behavior, Elia was truly a stunning beauty.

‘Let’s just hope that beauty doesn’t end up complicating things.’

With that thought, I headed to where I was supposed to meet Carlos.

“I’m ready. Are yo—”

And that’s when I realized: my looks weren’t the only problem.

“What’s wrong, Commander?”

“That’s your disguise?”

“Yes.”

…He looked way too handsome.

“You should at least wear a hood.”

Deciding it was too risky, I asked the same female knight to bring a men’s hooded cloak for Carlos.

Thankfully, he wore it without complaint.

Both of us with hoods pulled low did make us look a bit suspicious—but it was better than flaunting our faces.

So, we left the 3rd Knight Order’s headquarters.

Since we went on foot rather than horseback, it took us quite a while to reach the capital’s commercial district.

“Last call! Eight-hour-old bread going for just three copper coins!”

“Who’d buy a tiny loaf like that for that price?”

“Try it with some grilled fish—it’s a delicacy!”

This street had a totally different vibe from the tavern district Elia used to frequent, which made it fun to explore.

‘Let’s see… the black market should be beneath the small general store right next to Taylor’s Tailoring Shop, right?’

Soon, I found the store exactly as I remembered from the story.

Black markets were something of an open secret in the empire. Illegal, yes—but so widespread that no one dared crack down.

“That’s the place. Let’s go.”

“It is the black market, true.”

Carlos still didn’t sound convinced as he stepped into the shop.

Ding.

The bell on the shop’s door gave a cheerful chime, waking the dozing old man inside.

“Looking for something?”

“I’m in the market for a rare doll—with sapphire eyes.”

Carlos still looked skeptical, his gaze flicking around the shop.

“Hmm.”

The old man gave us a once-over, head to toe.

“Go on in.”

Fortunately, he didn’t stop us and let us descend into the black market.

Beneath the shabby shop, the black market was far more expansive and luxurious than expected.

Customers were seated in private booths so they couldn’t see one another.

Employees moved busily between booths, suggesting all transactions were handled exclusively through them.

“This way, please.”

We were guided into one of the booths.

I paid the entrance fee, just like in the original story, and received the catalog.

“I’d like to discuss with my companion for a bit—can we have some privacy?”

“Of course. Take all the time you need. Call when ready.”

Once the staff left, I quickly flipped through the catalog.

“This is the item I mentioned.”

I handed the catalog to Carlos after finding the exact page.

“Looks like an expensive music box to me.”

Carlos frowned as he took the catalog.

“It may look ordinary, but it’s not.”

This was the only music box containing a composition by Eric Spencer—the Countess’s youngest son who had passed away.

The Countess had cherished this music box, but it was lost in a tragic accident 12 years ago.

In the original story, this music box reappeared only after Carlos became Commander of the 3rd Knight Order.

Originally, it was the Saintess—the heroine—who stumbled upon it by chance, won over the Countess’s favor, and used that to help Carlos.

If I acquired it now, the storyline would change—but since it was a minor event, I didn’t feel it would distort the story too much.

‘Besides, I have to survive.’

Clinging to the original plot and doing nothing would only lead to a tragic end. I’d rather take a calculated risk and use the story.

“So, if we give her this music box, the Countess’s heart should open up.”

I told Carlos only the history of the item—leaving out the whole “original novel” part.

“Brilliant, right?”

Carlos turned from the catalog to look directly at me.

“If this really is a relic left by Eric Spencer… then yes, it’s brilliant.”

Then his amber eyes briefly glinted gold.

“But before we buy it, there’s one thing I must confirm.”

“What is it?”

“How do you know about this music box, Commander?”

Carlos asked, voice sharp.

A cutting question—and one that could make any transmigrator sweat.

But I knew exactly how to dodge it, so I wasn’t flustered at all.