Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: I Thought That Way Too
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I used to think that way too.
If you got caught messing with the imperial household, you'd be done for.
I used to think that.
Because that's just common sense.
But the common sense in this country turned out to be a bit different from what I knew.
Just as I was about to explain...
"Um, miss. It seems like there might be some misunderstanding..."
"Shut up."
Kuulruk tried to say something, but Celine cut him off the moment he opened his mouth.
Those sharp catfolk eyes fixed on me.
"You. Explain."
"Looks like Kuulruk's right—it's a misunderstanding. Checking imperial miscellaneous purchase records? Most merchant guilds do it. Pretty much none don't."
"What?"
"You have to know their tastes to supply the palace. What the imperial family's into, what scents they use. Slip some coin to the right maid, and they'll spill everything."
"Is that really that common?"
"Very. And it's not illegal. Miscellaneous records, not classified documents."
Celine's furrowed brow eased a little.
"Still, if your name shows up..."
"It won't."
"What?"
"Used a shell company. A shell of a shell, even. Everyone does it that way."
I held up the documents.
"See this name here, Schuber Trading Company? Real mid-tier guild, has imperial supply records. It looks like they bought the info."
"What if that guild sells you out?"
"They bought it through a broker. Broker through another fixer. Four layers deep to trace. And everyone who took a bribe has every reason to keep quiet."
Celine slowly leaned back on the sofa.
"I'll give you credit for the preparation."
"Thanks, sis."
My hand stopped flipping through the papers.
Rustle.
It went back. The page I'd just skimmed past.
I read it again.
"Huh?"
Celine's voice. I didn't answer.
"What is it?"
"Take a look at this."
I held up the document.
"Why so serious..."
Celine took it. Started reading. About thirty seconds in...
Her fingers froze.
"What the hell is this?"
"Imperial Guard shift schedule. Night patrol routes. Guard deployment map."
"Why is this here?"
Instead of answering, I flipped to the next page.
"Imperial warehouse inventory."
Celine's eyes darted back to the paper.
"Even lists the gold bar count."
Next page.
"His Majesty's schedule. Next month's procession plans."
Next.
"Foreign envoy reception list."
"Ha..."
Next.
"Secret meeting times."
The papers hit the table. Celine's doing. Practically slammed down.
"Enough."
A brief silence.
"Kuulruk!"
A flinch from the corner.
"Y-yes!"
"Who did we buy from?"
"Miscellaneous goods maid."
"Miscellaneous goods."
"Yes."
"Bottom of the totem pole, right?"
"Y-yes."
Celine snatched the papers. Shoved them in Kuulruk's face.
"Can a bottom-rung maid access this?"
"Well..."
"Guard deployments. Emperor's itinerary. Secret meetings. Stuff a peon touches?"
Kuulruk's face went pale.
"I don't know. I specifically asked for princess hobby info..."
"Then what's this?!"
"She just... handed it over. Paid her, dumped everything she had. Wasn't even what I asked for..."
"We got up-sold."
Celine turned to me.
"What?"
"Their side's a mess. No clue what's secret or not. Took the cash, emptied the vault."
"Does that even make sense?"
"That's the problem—it doesn't."
I picked up the papers again. Skimmed the pages.
"The imperial intel system's collapsed. A lowly maid having this means classification's nonexistent."
Celine's brow furrowed again.
"So you still think this is safe, Adrian?"
"Kuulruk. You used proper shells, right?"
"Yes, we did."
Brief silence.
Celine shook her head.
"A few coins, and someone could take a shot at the emperor."
"Yeah."
"Is this country okay?"
"Does it look okay?"
"No."
It probably isn't.
But that's not my problem.
"Anyway, back to the point. The princess's hobbies. Need to check for changes."
A bit later...
The document pile was split in two.
Useful and useless.
Useful was thin.
"Already done?"
Celine's eyes widened.
"Yeah."
Speed-reading addict in my past and present lives.
Confident in that, at least.
"Boils down to this."
My finger tapped the papers.
"Up to three months ago: regular oil paint buys. Piano tuner twice monthly. Poet patronage, 50 gold a month."
"And?"
"Three months ago, all cut off. Paints, tuner, patronage."
"Dropped three hobbies overnight?"
"Either sick. Or body-swapped. But she danced fine. Not sick."
Celine sighed.
"Looks like your hunch was right. Princess is fake? Odds just went up."
"Yeah."
"So what now?"
No answer came.
Princess is enhanced human. High chance swapped three months back.
So?
What to do with this?
Report it?
No proof.
"Felt weird when I shook her hand"? They'd call me crazy.
Blackmail?
Opponent's the palace. I'd die first.
Leverage? With who? How?
"No idea."
Honest.
"Sit on it for now. Until a use pops up."
Celine nodded.
Then.
"Um..."
Kuulruk. Still lurking in the corner.
"What?"
"One more thing to report, actually."
"Spit it out."
"While getting the info, ran into others using the same channels. One was that guild that turned down the red-blue herb deal before. Now they want in late. Asked if you'd meet."
"Why would I?"
Kuulruk flinched.
"The terms seemed decent..."
"Direct trades are smooth. No need for middlemen."
Celine chimed in.
She was right.
"Right?"
Kuulruk nodded quick. Sharp guy.
"Honestly, if I'd known it'd boom like this, I'd have gone direct south myself. Before joining you, young master."
"Wouldn't have worked."
"Pardon?"
"Father torched Strav Mountain. That's what opened it up. Before that, couldn't match supply. Timing perfect. Nabbed the market before substitute herb recipes."
"They seemed desperate. Offering stuff unimaginable before."
"Situation?"
"Acting coy, but dying. No other sources in the Empire besides Strav."
"Outside?"
"Tariffs, shipping. Doesn't pencil out."
"Figures."
No rush on my end.
"That merchant trade with the palace too?"
"Yeah, heard they're reaching that way."
"Palace? Big player."
"Yeah."
Shelved it for now.
Then.
"Huh?"
An owl flew in the window.
Decent size. Grayish-brown feathers, golden eyes. Talons scraped the sill as it landed, sat unfazed by humans.
Trained messenger owl.
"Letter."
Celine nodded at it.
Tiny tube on its leg. Wood, leather strap.
Familiar motions: untied, placed a coin down.
Owl snatched it, flew off. Wingbeats faded.
"From where?"
"Lize."
"Guild owl? That size, hard to hijack. But sloppy security for you."
"Could get snatched."
"Admit it and still use it?"
No answer. Unfolded the letter.
Rustle.
Dense text appeared.
Celine's eyes widened.
"...What is this?"
She leaned in, peered over my shoulder, frowned.
"Letters?"
"Letters."
She snatched it, twisted it every way. Upside down, backlight, nose-close, arm's length.
"Triangles, squares, circles. What the hell!"
"No triangles."
"This."
Finger jabbed the paper. Nail tapped a character.
"Triangle. Open at the bottom."
Pointing at a ㅅ.
"Open bottom makes it distinct."
"Anyway, Lize knows it too? This weird script."
"Picked it up quick. Smart kid."
Hangul, obviously.
But phonetic notation for this world's sounds in Hangul.
Half a day to learn.
"I know she's smart. But who made this?"
"Me... sort of."
Blurted while focused on content.
"What?"
"I made it."
Celine froze mid-motion, paper half-down. Turned slowly to stare.
"Ten years old?"
Ah... slip-up?
Presence from the corner. Kuulruk.
Mouth agape, staring.
"You created a writing system? Possible?"
Can't say past-life memory.
Familiar lie.
"Not created. Borrowed."
"Borrowed?"
"From a far-off land. Just the phonetics."
"Which?"
"One you don't need to know."
Unhappy look.
Didn't press.
Better prep an excuse later.
But not now for Hangul lessons.
Read the letter again.
"Kuulruk."
"Yes?"
"That merchant. Trades with palace, right?"
"Yes."
"Muller Guild?"
"Not sure."
"Find out. Set a meet ASAP."
Kuulruk's eyes widened.
"Pardon? You just said no..."
"Situation changed."
"So. What's genius little bro's script say?"
Unfolded again.
"Legion status report. Summary: pillaging smooth. Warehouses 70% full. Second red-blue herb harvest done. 20% over estimate."
"Good news."
"Up to here."
"Up to here?"
Next line.
"6th Legion. Projected march route, through our territory."
Celine uncrossed her arms.
"6th Legion? The one led by Ernst's maternal kin?"
Yeah. Touch-and-go situation.