The Adultery Investigator Arrives
The door creaked open with a soft groan as Marane slipped away like a shadow. In the capital of the Rucella Kingdom, Giner, a woman had been bustling about since early morning. Her name was Jenny. As the proud owner of one of the city's more historic and sizable taverns, she was once again preparing for the day with boundless energy.
"Honey! The guests will be coming down for breakfast soon, so get ready!"
"Huuuaaaam... Is it already that time?"
The plump, middle-aged man who had been dozing off in his chair let out a long, lazy yawn before slowly shuffling toward the kitchen.
"Honestly..."
Jenny sighed as she watched him and finished cleaning. Her husband's complete lack of motivation had become a constant source of frustration. Of course, it hadn't always been like this. In the past, he had been genuinely dedicated to running the tavern. He had even harbored ambitions of expanding the family business that had been passed down through her lineage for generations. But now, the young, ambitious man was gone. All that remained was this fat, listless middle-aged slob.
She tried to tell herself it couldn't be helped. Even by her own assessment, they lacked both the manpower and the capital to expand. In truth, Jenny would have been fine with that. As long as this historic tavern—handed down through countless generations—could continue to operate, nothing else really mattered.
The real problem was...
'We still don't have a child...'
The fact that they still had no offspring weighed heavily on her. She was already approaching thirty. She wanted to see a child who could inherit the tavern, yet lately her husband had grown increasingly passive in the bedroom. He always claimed he was too tired—though she had no idea what he was actually doing—and kept putting her off. As a result, it had already been over three months since they last shared any intimacy.
She touched her slightly sagging breasts.
'Well, I'm not as young as I used to be.'
In her youth, she had been proud to be considered one of the more popular women in the capital. Now, she was simply a worn-out, middle-aged woman.
While she was lost in these gloomy thoughts, her husband's voice called out from the kitchen.
"Honey! Prep work's done!"
Having finished the preparations, he emerged from the kitchen and immediately began rummaging for his coat. Jenny watched him and asked,
"Going out again?"
It bothered her how often he left these days, but...
"Yeah, got some business to discuss about a delivery."
He simply offered the same excuse as always. And when he returned, he would inevitably be reeking of alcohol. Though displeased, Jenny couldn't exactly stop a man heading out to work. She straightened his disheveled collar and said,
"Be careful. Try to come home early today."
Well, drinking was sometimes part of doing business. Because she trusted her husband, she convinced herself it must be for legitimate reasons and let the matter slide.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry and go to bed first."
Whether he understood her feelings or not, his curt reply made her glare at him.
'This man...'
From the sound of it, he would be coming home late again. The realization left her feeling utterly dejected. How had things come to this? When she had married him, she certainly hadn't imagined a life like this...
Even as these thoughts weighed on her, her body moved on instinct the moment the guests began to stir. She served breakfast to those who rose and ordered, cleaned the rooms of those who departed, and handled the resulting laundry.
Finally, when the breakfast rush ended and she had a moment to rest her weary body, she heard footsteps approaching.
Thud. Thud.
A man was walking toward the tavern with a relaxed yet remarkably brisk stride.
'He's incredibly tall...'
Jenny stared at him in quiet admiration. Though his face was hidden beneath a deep hood, she guessed he was in his mid-twenties. He was exceptionally tall—taller even than her husband, who was considered quite large in this neighborhood.
'I wonder what his face looks like?'
Just as the thought crossed her mind, the man removed his hood. Jenny's eyes widened in surprise.
'Is he a noble?'
His skin was fair and smooth, untouched by labor. He had a sharp jawline and strikingly refined features. When his calm green eyes turned toward her, Jenny couldn't help but gasp in awe. There really were men this handsome in the world.
At that moment, the man offered a gentle, benevolent smile and spoke.
"I'd like to rent a room... Do you happen to have one available?"
His low, soothing baritone put the mind at ease. That gentle smile, that courteous tone—he might even be a priest. Thinking so, Jenny nodded. His kindness toward a commoner like her certainly brought the image of a holy priest to mind.
"Yes, we do. Would you like our best room?"
She wondered why someone who seemed like a noble would choose a place like this, but she decided to offer him the finest room they had.
He made the sign of the cross for a moment before nodding.
"Yes, that would be excellent. Thank you."
So he really was a priest. While she was calmly thinking this, he opened his mouth again.
"By the way, pardon me for asking, but do you happen to know where a man named Rober lives?"
Jenny froze.
Rober...
"That's my husband's name. Who are you?"
It was her husband's name, after all. While it was possible this was a case of two men sharing the same name, Jenny had a strange certainty that he was looking for her Rober. Suddenly, this kind-looking priest seemed rather suspicious.
Yet the man remained perfectly composed even as he noticed her wariness. If anything, he looked relieved.
"Thank goodness I found you right away. Ah, I am... this kind of person."
He reached into his inner pocket and pulled something out. Jenny's eyes flew wide open.
Clink.
An inverted cross rosario gleamed in his hand—the unmistakable emblem of an Inquisitor.
'An inverted cross!'
Jenny was stunned. The cross was the symbol of the clergy, and an inverted cross...
"A-are you an Inquisitor?"
It was the symbol of none other than the Inquisitors. Jenny knew all too well what it meant to be marked as a heretic in Rucella—or anywhere on the continent. Her body began to tremble. When an Inquisitor came looking for someone, nine times out of ten, it was not good news.
The man offered a warm, friendly smile in response to her trembling question.
"My name is Jenkinson Beckett. Shall we talk inside? I've been walking for quite a while, and my legs are starting to ache."
At those words, she stiffened like a broken doll and nodded mechanically. After all, not many people could refuse a request from one of those terrifying Inquisitors.
--
'Not a bad vintage.'
I savored the wine Jenny had brought with trembling hands and let out a quiet sigh of appreciation. It was quite well-made. I wondered where she had acquired it. If they produced it here themselves, I wouldn't mind learning the method, ingredients, and proportions. One of a priest's primary duties was winemaking, and honestly, I was far more interested in that field.
In fact, it was the role I had wanted most...
It wasn't that I disliked my current work, but I had truly wished to become a vintner priest. Wasn't it said that this kind of work eventually took a mental toll? The thought of simply tending to grapes and diligently brewing God's grace had crossed my mind more than once. But if the gods desired this path for me, what could I do? I could only follow with a humble heart.
'She's quite beautiful.'
Setting aside my idle thoughts, I calmly observed the tavern's mistress. Though faint wrinkles had begun to appear, her face was still pleasant to look at, now carrying the unique charm of maturity. Her blue eyes held a slightly sharp edge. Her reddish-brown hair was somewhat dry and split from lack of care. Her figure had begun to sag in places, yet it remained impressive. It was clear that the landlady's appearance played a significant role in why this ordinary tavern managed to do decent business.
'The informant... well, no need to worry about them for now.'
The person who had filed the report hadn't arrived yet, so there was no point in dwelling on it. For the moment...
'I suppose I should do a little preliminary investigation first...'
Since I had already located the target, it was necessary to gather some information about the surroundings. Simply killing time wouldn't hurt, but it was better to collect enough data to form at least a basic judgment. There were plenty of cases where fragmentary visions alone made it difficult to reach a conclusion. The last time had been in my hometown, so I hadn't needed to make inquiries, but this time was different. Above all, I needed information to determine the optimal timing for using my magic...
'Judging by her reaction, she won't cooperate properly.'
Seeing how terrified she was, it seemed unlikely she would offer genuine assistance. I wasn't even sure she would answer questions properly. Besides, since I had come all the way to the capital, I might as well take a look around the streets. If I didn't take occasional breaks during such grueling work, my mind would eventually give out.
"Then I'll take a short walk around the area and return shortly."
When I stood up and spoke, the visibly tense woman answered in a trembling voice.
"Y-yes! Of course!"
Leaving her behind, I stepped out of the tavern. After all, the foundation of any investigation was gathering information from the locals. I planned to wander around, listen to what people were saying, and perhaps grab something to eat while I was at it.