Who Are You Trying to Fool? (5)
"Good call."
"Our Goddess says you did well, too."
Falco and Yohan praised Charles at the same time. At their words, the heavy expression Charles had been wearing softened slightly.
"So... how are we going to screw him over?"
"We could go straight to his room right now and put a few ventilation holes in his back..."
Falco replied to Yohan's question, her hand instinctively drifting toward her waist. Of course, no matter how much she groped her hip, there was no blade to be drawn.
Even in a world where fists spoke louder than laws, bringing a weapon into a crowded banquet hall was a massive breach of etiquette. Especially since they were currently in the heart of the capital of Burgund, a corporate nation far more advanced than the rest of the continent.
"Let's hear what our little guy has to say first."
"Tsk."
Yohan spoke in a soothing tone to placate her. Falco clicked her tongue in clear dissatisfaction, but she didn't push the matter any further.
"Alright, kiddo. What do you think is the best way to make your brother suffer?"
"Well..."
Charles trailed off at Yohan's question. Yohan didn't press him, waiting patiently for him to gather his thoughts.
"First of all, I pride myself on knowing more about my brother... no, Louis Dorleans, than anyone else."
"I'd hope so."
After all, Charles was Louis's biological brother. Having lived with him, he must have seen and heard plenty firsthand.
"Tell me anything. What foods is he allergic to? What restaurants does he frequent? What are his hobbies?"
Even seemingly trivial details could be weaponized to drive a person absolutely mad. They could tamper with his food, or if he had an embarrassing hobby or preference, they could expose it to ruin him socially.
Honestly, it was a bit petty for an Apostle of the Goddess of Justice to resort to such underhanded tactics. Still, knowing a few of the guy's secrets would undoubtedly come in handy. Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated, Yohan reasoned.
"I'm not sure if you'd call it a hobby..."
The problem was that Charles's answer fell short of Yohan and Falco's expectations.
"My brother doesn't really have hobbies. If I had to pick something, I guess running the family and the merchant group is his hobby?"
"So he's just a workaholic psycho. How boring."
Yohan sighed deeply at the explanation. Charles nodded in agreement.
"But it's not like he's completely devoid of emotion. He doesn't have any long-term hobbies, but once something catches his eye, he gets completely obsessed with it for a while."
"Hmm."
Hearing this, Yohan clicked his tongue. Just moments ago, Louis Dorleans had been staring at Falco with a slimy, lingering gaze. That meant, for whatever reason, he had become thoroughly obsessed with her.
Yohan glanced sideways at Falco. Since they had just attended a party, they were all dressed to the nines. Perhaps because of that, Falco looked far more elegant and dignified than usual. Of course, her personality remained the exact same.
She was an elf who had nearly been burned alive for defying her tribe's wishes, only to escape by the skin of her teeth and end up here. Normally quiet and reserved, she was a loose cannon once her switch was flipped.
How would Louis Dorleans react if he saw her true colors? Yohan suddenly imagined a completely enraged Falco tearing the banquet hall apart. Anyone else might hesitate, but if someone set the stage for her, she wouldn't think twice.
As he indulged in these useless thoughts, a loud rumble suddenly echoed from all three of their stomachs at once. The timing was so perfectly synchronized that they all let out a dry chuckle.
"Unbelievable. Even our stomachs are perfectly in sync now."
There had been plenty of food at the party, but they hadn't been able to eat properly because of the swarming crowds.
"Ah, whatever. Let's go grab a bite first."
Yohan said, turning toward the exit. Falco and Charles immediately followed.
"Since we're here anyway, we might as well look around the city."
"Yes, sir,"
Charles replied with a nod. They had plenty of time before their next scheduled event anyway. Yohan planned to take Charles out to get some fresh air.
Despite the lingering fear of his brother, Charles seemed secretly thrilled to be back in his hometown. Under the circumstances, they couldn't just coop themselves up in their rooms forever.
Capital, the capital of the corporate nation of Burgund, was a highly developed city, though in a completely different way from the Holy City of the Holy Kingdom.
While the Holy City or the Royal Capital of Westania felt like the quintessential fantasy metropolises Yohan had envisioned, Capital felt like a fusion of the early modern era of his original world and fantasy.
Well, defining "fantasy" was a bit ambiguous to begin with, but that was the distinct impression Yohan got.
"This is the Board of Directors' assembly hall. I suppose it's the equivalent of a royal palace in other kingdoms."
"Can we go inside?"
"T-That's completely impossible, of course."
Once Charles started talking, he excitedly began introducing various landmarks of Capital to the other two. Thanks to him, Yohan and Falco felt like actual tourists.
After finishing their meal, the three of them took a leisurely stroll through Capital's bustling downtown.
"Excuse me, sir, ma'am! How about a family portrait?"
Every few steps, street vendors would approach them, trying to make a sale.
Normally, Yohan would have snapped at them and chased them away, but since it meant even total strangers in this corporate nation saw them as a family, he didn't mind it too much.
He had worried that bringing Falco along might invite unwanted attention, but just as she had suggested, they easily passed as a human-elf couple with a young daughter. It was a relief.
"Hold on a second."
Yohan suddenly stopped in his tracks as they passed a certain building.
"What is it?"
"Look at that sign hanging above the entrance over there."
Yohan pointed toward a building in response to Falco's question.
"Dorleans Gallery?"
Falco's gaze naturally followed his finger, and she read the elegant script engraved on the plaque of the antique-looking building.
The chances of this place just happening to share the name of the Dorleans family... were slim to none.
"The Dorleans Merchant Group has its hands in many different fields, and art is one of them."
"Figures."
"This gallery is probably a showroom and shop for the pieces the merchant group collects. They have branches all over Burgund, not just in Capital."
Yohan shot Charles a questioning look, and Charles immediately provided the explanation he wanted.
"Come to think of it..."
Yohan suddenly recalled his very first meeting with Charles.
Back then, Yohan and Charles had engaged in a fierce bidding war over a bird statue that Big Boss had put up for auction as bait.
Perhaps the reason a mere kid had recognized that the statue was no ordinary item was because of the environment he grew up in. Being raised in a family that collected art, he had naturally developed an eye for it.
Of course, Charles had completely misjudged the statue's actual value.
But it was also true that the statue was far from ordinary. After all, it had been infused with demonic energy.
Yohan peeked through the wide-open doors into the interior of the Dorleans Gallery.
A sociopath who collected and traded art while playing the role of a charming, affable nobleman...
"Tsk."
Yohan clicked his tongue. He didn't like it one bit. Most of all, that slimy look the guy had given Falco left a terrible taste in his mouth.
"Do you want to go inside and take a look if you're curious?"
"Nah, I'm good. My stomach's settled now, so let's just head back quietly."
He wasn't particularly curious about the inside. Yohan turned back toward their lodging.
By the time they returned to the hotel, the sun had completely set, shrouding the surroundings in darkness.
"Yaaawn."
"Looks like all that walking made you sleepy."
As they walked down the hallway toward their room, Charles let out a massive yawn. Yohan chuckled at the sight.
In truth, both Yohan and Falco were just as exhausted. They were only keeping up appearances because of the eyes watching them.
"You look tired too, dear. Let's get inside and rest."
"Yeah."
Falco, walking beside him, spoke up. Yohan felt a sudden shiver run down his spine and a wave of nausea rise in his throat, but he forced a calm nod.
Inside their room was one thing, but as long as they were in the hotel hallway, they had to maintain the act of a happily married couple.
Click. Yohan unlocked the door. As he did, he casually glanced around and noticed that the painting in the frame right next to their door was different from before they left.
"What's wrong?"
"Hold on. Excuse me."
Falco tilted her head in confusion, but Yohan ignored her and immediately called out to a hotel staff member passing by.
"Yes, sir. How may I help you?"
"It looks like the painting on the wall here has changed. Am I imagining things?"
"Ah, the frame! You have incredibly sharp eyes, sir."
He hadn't been imagining things. Yohan turned and exchanged a brief look with Falco.
"All the paintings hanging in our hotel's hallways and guest rooms are actually merchandise for sale. That's why we periodically rotate them or replace them with new pieces."
"I see. I did notice a gallery nearby that seemed to deal in paintings."
"Ah, you must mean the Dorleans Merchant Group's gallery! It just so happens that the Dorleans Merchant Group is our hotel's contracted supplier."
Of course they are. Yohan let out a quiet sigh and shook his head.
"Did a particular piece catch your eye? If so..."
"Right, thanks for letting me know. I'm not looking to buy anything, so we're good."
True to a nation of merchants, even the interior decor was up for sale. Yohan dismissed the staff member, who was already trying to make a pitch, and stepped inside the room.
Yohan carefully inspected every framed picture hanging inside their suite. Sure enough, he found that a painting on one of the walls had been swapped out.
Without a word, Yohan tapped Falco on the shoulder and pointed at the frame.
"I really like this painting. Let's take a closer look."
Playing his part flawlessly, Yohan approached the frame. He reached out and checked the back of the frame facing the wall.
Attached to the back of the frame was a small device engraved with an intricate magic circle.
"Wow. It looks even better up close, doesn't it? Take a look at this, dear."
"Indeed..."
Honestly, when he had first suspected something, he thought he was being overly paranoid. But as it turned out, his worries were entirely justified.
Louis Dorleans. That obnoxious bastard had wiretapped their room.