Chapter 29 Information Guild (1)
The Information Guild (1)
The sunlight beating down on my face forced my eyes open. At the same time, a groan escaped my lips as a throbbing headache assaulted my mind.
Having stayed up all night handling paperwork, this was only to be expected.
"Haah..."
Ever since my performance at the Hunting Festival, the sheer variety of documents had multiplied.
From trivial merchant product recommendations to engagement ceremony invitations—it never ended.
Even as I sorted them by priority and processed them one by one, the mountain of paperwork showed no signs of shrinking. It was beyond exhausting.
"Where...?"
The Rose Garden. I hadn't visited this place in years, too busy to spare a thought for it. So why had I ended up falling asleep here?
I circulated mana throughout my body to shake off the haze between dream and reality. As the fatigue dulled slightly, fragments of memory returned.
Turning my head, I noticed a memo stuck to the table.
"Please don't push yourself too hard. Sleep is important, after all.
P.S. No need to return the coat."
Coat?
Only then did I realize a fur coat had been draped over me.
Come to think of it, I had come to the garden last night to listen to Adel's troubles. She had seemed weighed down by something lately, and I'd been worried.
Yet here I was, the one who had dozed off—only to receive such kindness in return.
"Pull yourself together..."
Lately, I'd been so consumed by work that I'd neglected everything else. That had been my mistake.
I'd insisted on handling the documents myself, thinking it awkward to leave them entirely to Allen.
But pushing myself this hard was bound to wear down both body and mind. In the end, failing to manage my condition properly was my own fault. As she said, sleep was important.
Still, thanks to the coat keeping me warm through the night, much of the fatigue had faded.
'...I should thank her when I see her.'
If she hadn't covered me with the coat, I would've caught a cold for sure.
Even if I was both an Archmage and a Sword Expert, overexertion would break my body just as easily as any commoner's.
Pushing the thought aside, I rose to my feet. Passing through the garden, I re-entered the ducal mansion.
The familiar, desolate atmosphere of the lobby greeted me.
No doubt this barrenness was the result of selling off every last extravagant item. Not that it would make sense to start indulging in luxury again now.
"You're awake."
"...Yeah. Seems I overslept a bit. Allen."
"It's fine. I'm just relieved you got enough rest."
Allen chuckled warmly, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Something about his grandfatherly tone made me snicker. Now that I thought about it, he had always treated me like family.
If not for servants like him and Laura, I might've lost my mind in this mansion long ago.
As my thoughts wandered, Allen suddenly spoke up, as if remembering something.
"Ah, right. A message arrived from the guild."
"A message?"
"Yes. They said they've found a lead on the inheritance."
Inheritance...?
Ah, that's what he meant. I'd thought it might take longer, but it seems they tracked it down faster than expected.
"Understood. I'll head there immediately."
"Ah, but breakfast—"
"Sorry, I'm in a bit of a hurry."
"Lady Adel is waiting for you."
Allen's words made me halt mid-step. Had she really been holding off on breakfast until I woke up?
True, the inheritance information was important, and I wanted to hear it as soon as possible...
But brushing her off like this didn't sit right with me either.
"Haah... Did you at least tell her to go ahead and eat?"
"Of course I did."
The sight of Allen smiling as he said that drew another sigh from me.
"...Fine. I'll at least have breakfast before going."
Allen promptly led the way to the dining hall, as if he'd been waiting for this. Following his guidance, I stepped inside—and was met with a familiar face.
Jet-black hair and ruby-like crimson eyes.
My fiancée and the protagonist of this world—Adel.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Of course. Thanks to the coat you draped over me."
"I'm glad."
The relief in her voice as she spoke made me feel oddly awkward.
'Is she... worried about me?'
I could handle hostility with hostility—but receiving such pure goodwill left me strangely flustered.
Especially since our relationship had started as nothing more than a Contract Marriage, devoid of personal feelings. Adel's kindness felt out of place.
What had begun as a purely contractual arrangement had, at some point, turned into something where we worried about each other.
If the Hunting Festival had been the turning point, then I suppose it was indeed the turning point...
'I'm not entirely sure.'
As I pondered this, a tray of breakfast was brought out. The selection was simple—sausages, fried eggs, and bacon—but the portion was quite generous for a morning meal.
Adel carefully picked up her fork and knife and began eating with proper etiquette.
Compared to the first time I saw her, when she had shoveled food into her mouth without a care, this was truly a remarkable improvement.
"...Is there something on my face?"
"No. I was just... pleased to see you've mastered proper manners."
"Really? That's a relief."
With that, she returned to her meal.
Just how much space did that petite frame of hers have to fill? The food seemed to disappear endlessly into her.
As someone who had always eaten sparingly, both in my past life and this one, I couldn't help but marvel at how she managed to eat so much.
"You really eat heartily, Adel."
"...Allen said that wasn't a compliment."
She shot me a sullen look as she said this. For some reason, her hamster-like expression made me chuckle.
"I meant it as one, so it doesn't matter."
"Aren't you the one who eats too little?"
"I've always been a light eater, so there's no need to worry."
We exchanged small talk like this for a while, and as breakfast neared its end, Allen approached my side.
"Excuse me."
"What is it?"
"The Crown Prince has arrived at the Information Guild, I hear."
Ah, I had asked the guild to notify me if the Crown Prince ever showed up. What perfect timing—just when I had business there myself.
Luck was on my side this morning.
"An urgent matter has come up. I'll head out first."
"Alright. Take care."
"You too, Adel."
With that, I immediately activated my teleportation magic.
No complex calculations or preparations were necessary.
The most convenient aspect of my space magic was the ability to teleport without restriction to any location I had visited before.
When I turned my head, a shabby wooden building came into view.
'This place hasn't changed.'
The sign hanging from the building's pillar was cracked to the point of near collapse, and the cobwebs stretching beneath the roof exuded a sinister atmosphere.
To any onlooker, it would seem like nothing more than an abandoned house—but that made it the perfect hideout for the Information Guild.
I retrieved a mask from my subspace and put it on.
This was no ordinary mask—it was imbued with recognition inhibition magic far beyond the standard.
It had cost me a considerable sum, but it was worth every penny.
Knock knock knock knock.
After four deliberate raps, a man's voice sounded from behind the door.
"The falcon that crosses the moon—"
"Can it cross even the sun?"
The password, which changed periodically, was always a pain to memorize.
As far as I knew, it was just a random combination of words strung together—but this one was oddly poetic.
"Come in."
The door swung open, revealing an interior that was surprisingly cozy compared to the grim exterior.
A warm hearth heated the space, around which people sat drinking, and here and there, others idly gambled to pass the time.
The Information Guild dealt in all manner of rumors circulating the Empire, but it also served as a broker, connecting clients with Solvers who could fulfill their requests.
Because of this, no small number of Solvers loitered inside.
Unlike most information guilds, entry here was restricted unless one had built up considerable merit—if that could be called a defining feature.
As my thoughts wandered, the man guided me further inside.
"Long time no see, Kain."
"Indeed, it has been. Still carrying that scar, I see?"
Kain.
It had been a long time since I'd heard that name. It was a false identity I'd created to move freely in the underworld.
But ever since I established Crow and began gathering intelligence independently, there had been no reason to use it.
"Yeah, well. They say even potions can't fix this one."
The man scratched at the scar running across his right eye as he spoke.
I didn't know his name, but we'd worked together a few times, so we were somewhat acquainted.
"How's the new recruit doing?"
At my question about Luke, the man paused in thought before nodding in recognition.
"Ah... that sharp guy? A bit rigid, but he gets the job done cleanly."
"Sounds promising."
"Well, he was recommended by you, Kain. No surprise he's got the skills."
Of course he did.
That's just what the Emperor's Sword was like.