The Junior (2)
Intelligence Bureau agents carried out a wide variety of missions across the entire Empire.
From covert operations against hostile external forces like the Coalition, all the way to infiltrating specific noble houses to gather intelligence.
Should they die in the line of duty, they would be forgotten as if they had never existed in the world at all — without name, without honor.
Yet these were people who would throw themselves into any task without hesitation, laying down their very lives for the Empire. Such were the agents of the Intelligence Bureau.
And among them were those who entered various institutions under false identities, becoming the Emperor's eyes and ears.
One of them was Marien.
"Just tell me already. What does Rohan want?"
At Elena's question, Marien wore a suggestive smile and slowly opened her mouth.
"It seems His Excellency the Minister doesn't know a thing. Intelligence Bureau agents are people who have always, without fail, devoted their full loyalty to the Empire, you know?"
"Well, so are we?"
"Even with their lives."
"Ahem! Tax collectors stake their lives on the job too, you know? That business with the Richmond territory recently… Ah. Anyway, just answer the question I asked."
"Do you really think he wouldn't already know about the things you're worrying over, Minister?"
"Don't tell me…!"
When Marien answered with the leisurely air of someone who knew everything, Elena clapped her hands with her mouth hanging open.
Rohan had been the finest agent in the Intelligence Bureau — the very best.
Having freshly realized that fact once more, Elena slapped her knee with a sharp crack and shot up from her seat.
"You're right. Of course! What Rohan wanted was…!"
"Naturally, it would be resolving the Empire's financial problems as quickly as possible for the sake of His Majesty the Emperor's august person and the Empire's well-being."
"Excuse me. Could you not interrupt me?"
"Is that really what matters right now?"
Marien had suddenly swooped in and snatched away the words Elena had been about to say.
Her excitement thoroughly dampened, Elena sat back down and glared at her with a pout.
Whether Elena did or not, Marien paid it no mind and calmly continued saying what she meant to say.
"He has almost certainly decided that the work he's handled so far hasn't been enough to contribute to the Empire."
"So he's going after one big score?"
"That's right. Honestly, setting aside the Barton inheritance tax case, there hasn't been a single incident that actually helped the treasury, has there?"
"Still…"
"Of course, correcting the problem of contract killers and corrupt tax collectors disrupting the Empire through the poll tax, and resolving the Richmond territory situation — those can be called tremendous achievements. But coldly speaking, they were still pocket change, weren't they?"
For some reason she couldn't name, Elena hung her head in embarrassment.
Marien hadn't particularly been blaming her. Whether she'd been caught up in the atmosphere Marien was putting out, she somehow felt as if she were being scolded.
"Th-the preamble is getting long. Just get to the point. The point."
Feeling that this wouldn't do as a Minister, Elena pulled herself together and cut her off firmly.
At that, Marien drew a single document from her breast and slid it forward.
"We ought to prepare a nice big catch for him, just as he desires."
"Hold on. This is the big catch?"
"Yes. It's a matter our Intelligence Division has been taking an interest in and investigating."
When Marien nodded with a look of absolute conviction, Elena — who had been examining the document — snorted as if she couldn't believe it.
The papers in her hand were personal information on loan sharks — that is, usurers.
"Loan sharks?"
If these people had been on the list of malicious tax delinquents, that would be one thing. But as far as Elena could recall, none of them had defaulted on any significant sum.
Even if there were such a person, it would amount to a handful of gold coins at most. And usury wasn't even a violation of Imperial law. There was something distinctly underwhelming about calling this a big catch.
But Marien still wore that unpleasantly sultry smile and shook her head.
"All Your Excellency needs to do is trust me and formally request of His Majesty the Emperor that he be designated the officer in charge of this case. His Majesty is already fully aware of the matter, so he will surely be most pleased."
"No, this is coming out of nowhere. Why tell me instead of just speaking to the Director of the Intelligence Bureau…"
"Do you intend to let him slip away like this?"
"And if you're wrong?"
"I'll promise you this much. I never place a bet unless I'm certain."
The thought that she was somehow being used by Marien flickered through her, and an unidentifiable unpleasantness stirred in Elena's chest.
But Marien was an Intelligence Bureau agent. She would never do anything that harmed the Empire. And more than anything, this wasn't a situation where she could afford to quibble over every little thing.
"Fine. What the hell. Let's give it a shot."
Thinking she had nothing to lose, Elena bit down hard on her lip, gathered up the documents, then brushed herself off and rose from her seat, setting off at once for the Imperial Palace.
And once Elena had left the Minister's office—
Left alone, Marien trembled all over, her face flushed a deep red.
"Ah. Senior. You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment. You couldn't possibly know…"
"Winter coming soon? The weather's gotten rather chilly."
Feeling a sudden chill, I looked up at the sky on my way home from work.
"Tsk! Special Tax Collector! Tsk! Good to see you! But what are you doing standing there looking so pathetic?! Tsk!"
An orc passing by cocked his head as he looked at me.
"Mind your own business and keep walking."
"Hiiing…"
But when I scowled fiercely at him and fiddled with my gloves, the orc slumped his shoulders with a dejected face and walked on past.
Ugh. Just looking at those guys makes my blood boil. What's with an orc being that gentle?
Tsk. Now I'm just in a foul mood for nothing.
But who was I to blame anyone else? This was the absolute dream team I'd hand-picked myself.
I let out a deep sigh, shook my head, and started walking again.
The official residence feels especially far away today.
Was it because I'd spent the whole day sitting around doing nothing? Strangely, time seemed to be crawling slower than usual.
It wasn't a good feeling. How to put it — something felt off.
How long had I been walking like that?
By the time I was nearly at the residence, a cold presence seemed to seep into my back.
I stopped walking for a moment and pricked up my ears to the sounds around me.
Between the rustling of leaves dancing as the wind brushed through the branches, one unnatural sound was mixed in. It was a faint, uncertain sound you couldn't hear without concentrating — but the instincts honed by long years in the Intelligence Bureau were screaming that it was certain.
"Live long enough and even I get a little rat tailing me."
I snorted and pulled off my gloves.
Honestly. Even if I had transferred to the Ministry of Finance and was just going around collecting taxes — they must have really been looking down on me.
In that instant, something came flying at my face, and I twisted my body with the bare minimum of movement.
A fist cutting through the air grazed past the tip of my nose by a hair's breadth.
It was only a split second, but a flash of reddish short hair entered my vision.
A woman?
No wonder the fist had been sharp and light as a dagger — it was a woman. But so what? What of it?
Without so much as blinking, I dropped low, snatched the arm shooting past me with one hand, and yanked. As her balance broke, I seized the opening without missing a beat, grabbed her by the collar with my other hand, and twisted my body.
Then I tipped myself over and body-slammed her straight down.
—THUD!
"Guh!"
As she was flung onto the dirt ground, I finally got a proper look at her face. The uniform stretched tight to bursting also caught my eye.
"A civil servant?"
"Ah. Yes. You're just as impressive as ever, Senior."
"Senior?"
Senior? I've never raised any juniors.
When I carefully put some distance between us, the woman, covered in dirt, sprang to her feet, showed me a peculiar smile, and bowed her head.
"Please forgive my rudeness just now. I tried to hold back, but I simply couldn't, and before I knew it…"
Hold back? Hold back what? Is this woman insane? No, has the Empire gone to the dogs? Why are there so many lunatics these days?
"Hoo. Hoo. As expected, Senior is incredible. You clearly sensed my presence in advance…"
"Hey."
"Yes?! Ah. Pardon me. My name is Marien."
"Oi."
"Hnn! S-Senior, if you suddenly call me like that…"
"......"
Huh? Why is she writhing around like that? Does she need to take a dump? Ah crap, that's not it.
"You from the Intelligence Bureau?"
"Hnn! Y-yes…"
Ah. I see. No wonder the way she threw that punch looked familiar. You should've said so sooner. I've been missing my old Intelligence Bureau buddies so much.
"W-well, actually, I have something to tell you, Senior… Hiiik! Ugh!"
Before she could finish speaking, I stretched out my arm and clamped my hand tight around her throat.
"Where's that bastard Director?"
But what do you know. I was clearly pressing on the pressure point with my fingers — and this junior named Marien was making the happiest face in the world while choking and gagging.
"I-it's an honor. Khhk! Kuh!"
This girl is dangerous. The danger sensors inside me went haywire.
Can't exactly kill her. In a situation like this, the answer is just to bolt.
I released the choking woman and hurriedly turned my body at the same time.
But only for a moment.
"Heh, heeuh. S-Senior? This is an Imperial decree…"
Still gasping for breath, she looked at me with bloodshot eyes and held out a document stamped with the Emperor's personal seal.
"It's an honor to work alongside you, Senior. Hnn!"
Ah. I'm fucked.
Can't stand the sight of me collecting a salary for doing nothing? Even so, why the hell did it have to be a girl like this….
Everything went dark before my eyes.