CHAPTER 68……………………….:
Infiltration (8)
Because of that, the mage muttered irritably without realizing it.
“Suppose this was done purely out of vanity or greed—what do you intend to do then?”
“Do you really think a single person, not even an organization, could carry out something that costs this much money? The scale is too large for that. It’s even enough to provoke the Ghost Duke, who usually stays in the background and watches silently.”
The guild leader responded without yielding. For a moment, his golden eyes seemed to flash with anger, but Lowell, who was looking downward, didn’t notice it.
With no more tails to his words, Rio casually added a composed expression to his face and summarized the situation.
“I think by now, the viscount has probably gone to meet the dealer who was at that table. When cornered, people cling to their allies. Mage, you probably realized that and deliberately made a show in front of others that you saw through their trick, didn’t you?”
Instead of denying it, Lowell gave him a reluctant look and answered.
“Well, I did go out partly to tease him because I was a little annoyed. But in the end, I cornered him and scared him, so I did steer him toward fleeing to his accomplice.”
Muttering to himself, Lowell admitted he hadn’t been entirely calm. Fortunately, things had turned out in his favor.
Temia, realizing belatedly that it was all orchestrated, looked at Lowell with surprise and murmured softly.
“I didn’t know that… I thought you had just acted impulsively as usual.”
Lowell looked at her with an incredulous expression and replied quietly.
“What did you think of me?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“To think my assistant would consider me such a fool. That stings.”
“I-I really am sorry. I didn’t think of you as a fool. Besides, I know you’re extremely capable, so I thought the situation would be resolved somehow anyway…”
Startled, Temia had instinctively peered closely at his face, only to meet his faint smile and turn her head away.
‘Acting all coy after all that…!’
Soon after, Rio, who had been listening to their whispers, clapped his hands lightly to refresh the mood and said.
“By now, I think they, like us, are likely planning countermeasures. That means the destination is probably decided. We can’t waste any more time, so everyone should figure out their tasks and disperse.”
Indeed, their discussion on the terrace had taken some time. Perhaps the viscount, having finished talking, was already moving to destroy evidence.
But Temia soon felt an urge to intervene when Rio began explaining the newly assigned mission.
“Um… isn’t this a bit much?”
Temia fiddled nervously with her bowtie while staring into the mirror.
In the reflection, her long hair was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a short hairstyle.
Moreover, the clothes she had worn on the way had vanished, replaced with an oversized shirt, vest, and loosely folded trousers. From wigs to garments, everything was Rio’s doing.
- “Assistant, since you agreed to help, you’ll have a big role. We need someone less conspicuous to tail the suspects. Neither I nor the mage can do this part.”
- “And… what does this have to do with that? What are these clothes?!”
- “These are the servants’ outfits. Blend in naturally and watch them. Don’t worry, I’ll provide makeup tools so it won’t look awkward.”
He smiled as he handed her the necessary items. This had all happened just ten minutes ago.
“This is definitely new. Given Temia’s usual status, she wouldn’t often wear something like this.”
“More than that… it feels like these aren’t my clothes.”
“They aren’t yours, are they?”
“Lowell! That’s not what I meant!”
She felt anxious. Earlier, when she was with Rio and Lowell approached, the faces of their group had been exposed to the people around. Judging that it was now too risky to infiltrate as is, a disguise had been suddenly added as a variable.
‘But I didn’t expect this would mean I have to become a servant of the Calis Land estate…!’
Faced with an unexpected situation, she knew she had to act quickly but couldn’t move recklessly.
‘If I’m seen like this, won’t I be caught immediately?’
That worry held back her steps in the boyish disguise. No matter how she tried to make her voice deeper with coughs and clearing her throat, untrained as she was, she couldn’t do it smoothly.
Eventually, she decided to act while speaking as little as possible, focusing only on adjusting her messy wig and loose clothes.
“Still, you should look like a roughly undergrown boy. You’ll seem young because of your height, though. It’s a shame I can’t cast any magic on you. No magical tools either.”
“A shame?! That’s ridiculous!! You’re smiling now, aren’t you?!”
Finding the sight somewhat amusing, Lowell secretly smiled as he watched Temia struggling with ill-fitting clothes and a wig stuffed over her long hair. Rio was equally entertained.
“Ha! You look great. The cutest boy I’ve ever seen.”
“Hmm, indeed. Very natural… indeed.”
Even he couldn’t hold back laughter at Temia’s appearance in baggy trousers, alongside Lowell.
The commotion only ended when Temia, fed up, lightly kicked at Lowell’s shin. Lowell finally helped fix her wig and clothes.
He bent down to straighten her shirt sleeves carefully. Though smiling, his movements were precise and quick.
“This is just simple tailing. Listen to what they say, nothing more. Don’t intervene. Stay close enough but not too close.”
“…I know. I’m not a child.”
“But it’s your first time doing this. And I know you can’t lie. You tried hiding your noble identity from me once and got caught right away, remember?”
“No, that was—”
“Anyway, just do well.”
Lowell tucked a stray hair behind her ear and stepped back. Rio nodded after seeing Temia fully prepared.
“As long as you don’t open your mouth, it should pass as believable.”
“Really?”
“No one here pays attention to passing servants. Everyone’s too caught up in gambling. Relax.”
Though she said she understood, it wasn’t easy. Taking a deep breath, Temia listened carefully to Rio.
“The viscount usually rests in the upstairs rooms when he’s not gambling. Returning home would require reporting to the estate manager. Since no news has come, he hasn’t left yet. Having suffered that humiliation, he’s probably not playing. Start by checking the rooms.”
“Yes… but do I really have to do this alone? If I make a mistake…”
“I’d like to move together like during the festival, but it’s unavoidable. Still, I think you’ll do fine. Lowell and I will follow slowly from behind, so don’t feel pressured.”
“Ah… thank you. You’ll come if I mess up, right?!”
“Of course. But remember—safety comes first. Even just observing a few key points is enough. For example, why a certain magical item is here and who made it. If a mage notices it, there’s bound to be something to learn.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Hearing it again heightened her tension. But Lowell paid no mind and continued checking her appearance.
“We’ve already done what we needed. Beyond this, we don’t need to intervene. Even if we came here for that blasted guild leader’s request, now it’s clearly beyond our ability.”
“…The situation is serious, so it can’t be helped. Someone has to handle it, and now’s the optimal time. I’m fine, Lowell.”
“I like your diligence, Temia, but I’m not the kind of cruel employer to push you beyond your limits. Also…”
He adjusted her bowtie and whispered softly into her ear.
“If it fails, who cares? If needed, we can take Leri and escape together. Don’t worry.”
Temia looked at him in disbelief. He smiled gently.
“Now you seem more like your usual self.”
His mischievous smile made her realize it was his way of showing concern.
‘Who says we can just run away in this situation? The viscount’s involved!’
Even so, the tension she had felt began to ease.
‘Maybe living together has rubbed off some bad habits on me…’
Hearing she could afford mistakes erased her small fears. She straightened her back and spoke.
“Lowell, you said it yourself, right? I’m a capable assistant and won’t let anyone else take over.”
“Did I say that?”
“Hmph. Anyway, if you think so highly of me, it’s time to trust me. You saw my skills at the academy, right? Let’s do this properly. You just follow behind and don’t worry.”
Knowing he would be behind her if anything happened gave her courage. Temia stepped forward resolutely.
However, no matter how many rooms in the Calis Land estate she checked, she couldn’t find a single strand of the viscount’s hair.
