The Magic City and the Great Detective

"Then you're agreeing to hire a maid who also works as an office clerk, right!?"

"Of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠course!! A competent office assistant will give our agency wings!"

"Indeed!!! Then let's go make the recruitment notice right away!!"

"Yes! Miss Charlotte! I'll prepare it immediately! What should the conditions be...?"

"Since she'll be our partner, we can't treat her poorly!! If it's not too much, can we write the notice with the same salary as Seong-il!?"

"By all means!!!"

Seong-il tried to write the recruitment notice according to Charlotte's wishes, but Charlotte vehemently insisted on writing it herself. The clumsy notice from their first interview flashed through his mind, and he didn't want to agree, but remembering how Charlotte usually yielded to him and showed him so much consideration, he silently nodded his head in consent.

Still clumsy as ever.

It was a recruitment notice that didn't sit well with him at all, but seeing Charlotte beaming with pride, Seong-il couldn't bring himself to criticize her.

"How is it!! Seong-il? Does it look good?"

"Yes, yes!! It's perfect!! It reminds me of when I came for the interview at the detective agency!! Back then, I was drawn in by such a wonderful recruitment notice and came to interview with Detective Moriaty!!"

"Really..?! Hehe... hehehe... hahaha... Ohohohohoh!!"

Charlotte's face flushed bright red from Seong-il's praise as she laughed with pure delight. Seong-il desperately kept his expression under control while laughing along with her, then left the office together.

They stopped by the printing shop Charlotte always used and had the notices printed. Charlotte handed the owner five shillings and asked him to carefully post them all over the city once the printing was finished. After that, they returned to the agency with Seong-il and ended the day.

Entering his room, Seong-il let out a long sigh as he reflected on everything that had happened.

Haa... What a whirlwind of a day.

"What was so whirlwind-like about it...?"

"Who's there!?"

At the sudden female voice coming from inside his own room, Seong-il instantly gathered his inner energy and assumed the ready stance of the Mountain Shattering Divine Fist.

"Oh my...? Has it only been two days and you've already forgotten my voice...?"

After those words, a figure quietly emerged from the shadows in the corner of the room.

"Eh...?"

It was a woman wearing a cat mask that covered her from nose to eyes, dressed in a thief's outfit of red fabric interwoven with black leather that clung tightly to her body, revealing every sensual curve.

"Forgetting my voice after only two days. I'm quite disappointed... Partner?"

"What?! Why are you here?"

"Hmm..? Why, you ask? Didn't we agree to share the secret written in 'Delon's Eye' and split the treasure half and half? I've been behaving properly just like the detective instructed, so this is rather troubling~"

"Ah... Sorry! You appeared so suddenly that I panicked. I didn't mean it like that."

"Hehe.. That could happen! By the way, you were featured prominently in this newspaper..? As the 『Rival of the Phantom Thief Luphtesia』!"

Seong-il gave a bitter smile at the woman's half-mocking tone. With a self-deprecating smile, he replied.

"That's how the media works. If it suits their taste, they'll either build someone up or tear them down. That's all it is, right?"

"Hehe.. That's true!!"

"Anyway, you're not here without warning to immediately go steal the treasure, are you? I haven't made any preparations yet..!"

Luphtesia nodded at Seong-il's words.

"I know. I'm not so rude as to sneak in without a word and immediately suggest we get straight to work~"

"Then...?"

"Let's coordinate. When can we go to the secret room...?"

Seong-il rested his chin on his hand and thought hard at Luphtesia's question. After pondering for a long time, he finally answered her.

"For now... I think I need to talk with Charlotte first. Thanks to being hired as the Special Advisor to the Metropolitan Police, we need to recruit additional staff to handle joint work with the police department. That's why I'll have to conduct the interviews together with Charlotte."

"Aha...? But Special Advisor to the Metropolitan Police? What exactly is that?"

Curious about the unfamiliar title, she asked Seong-il.

"Ah... It's an excuse the Metropolitan Police came up with after I stopped you the first time. They offered the position to Charlotte. It looks like it'll mostly involve matters related to you."

"...? If you stopped me, you stopped me. What do you mean it was just an excuse...?"

Luphtesia frowned as she questioned him. Seeing her expression, Seong-il gave a wry smile and answered.

"It's exactly what it sounds like. It's just an excuse. The chief of the Windom Metropolitan Police created the temporary position to get in the good graces of the detective currently resting upstairs."

"...Huh? They created it just to impress that ditzy Detective Moriaty? Why...?"

"....Because her father is a leading candidate to become the kingdom's next prime minister."

"Eh?! No way... Edwin Moriaty....?!"

At Luphtesia's shocked reaction, Seong-il nodded.

"Oh..? You know him?"

"Oh..? What do you mean 'oh'!! He's the symbol of the kingdom's Ministry of Finance and one of the most powerful figures in the entire realm! It would be strange not to know him!!"

"Well... As a lower-class citizen who was always busy just trying to survive day by day, I didn't know much about it."

"...You don't exactly look like someone from a poor family, but whatever. So basically, our roll-haired detective is from a prestigious house, and the police chief used the fact that you stopped me as an excuse to suck up by offering the position?"

"Pretty much."

"Aha~"

"Anyway.. Because of that matter, Sir Edwin Moriaty suggested we hire a maid who can also serve as an office assistant and accountant, so we'll begin recruiting tomorrow."

"Hmm... All three roles at once..? It'll be difficult unless the person is exceptionally talented enough to handle everything...?"

"Yeah. That's why I offered five shillings a week plus housing. That should at least let us hire someone, right?"

"Oh ho... The pay level is quite generous, isn't it?"

At her comment, Seong-il shrugged.

"Hey.. You said it yourself. That she's the child of a powerful figure in the kingdom. Would a daughter from a house like that be short on money..?"

"That's true..."

After that, Luphtesia gave a mysterious smile and asked Seong-il.

"Then... you two will continue handling matters related to me from now on..?"

"...Probably."

"Hmm... Then you'll end up hearing all sorts of information about me from the Metropolitan Police...?"

"Well... I suppose so."

"Oh ho~"

Luphtesia grinned with a strange smile. Seong-il felt an uneasy premonition, but he desperately pushed the feeling down and asked her.

"By the way, you haven't forgotten, right? Once you hand over the information about the 'Secret Room,' you'll be my woman four times a month. You remember that, don't you?"

"Of course~ If the detective simply ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠provides the information, I'm ready to spend the night with you starting today..?"

After speaking, Luphtesia lightly kissed his neck, then gently stroked his manhood. When Seong-il could no longer resist her seduction and reached out to embrace her and knead her buttocks, Luphtesia stopped him.

"No~ you can't~"

"Huh...?"

"You still haven't kept your promise to me yet~"

So saying, Luphtesia pushed his chest away with both hands. After pushing him back, she whispered to Seong-il.

"Or... would you rather just give me the information today? Then I could sleep with you... Of course, as promised, I'll retrieve the item, split it evenly, and deliver your share. How about it..?"

Since Seong-il already knew the true identity of the treasure in the 'Secret Room,' he wasn't particularly greedy for it. However, handing over the information too easily might arouse Luphtesia's suspicion. He was also curious about the difference between the game's jewel and the one from the Game Master's world, so he snorted at her and answered.

"Who are you calling a sucker? I'll reveal the information on the day we set out. The moment you confirm it's true, you have to sleep with me."

"Hehe~ Fine~ Let's do that~"

After speaking, Luphtesia clung to Seong-il once more, cupped his cheek, gave him a light kiss, said her farewell, and vanished like a ghost.

Whew~ She's a truly elusive woman.

Thinking that, Seong-il ended his day.

"Wow... There are so many people...!"

Just as Seong-il said, an enormous crowd of interview candidates had gathered in front of the detective agency in only a single day.

"Right...? There are even more applicants than when we recruited for the detective assistant position..? Why? Could it be! Because of my fame..?!"

Both Charlotte and Seong-il were stunned by the huge turnout of office assistant and maid candidates despite the salary being the same as before. They guided the crowd into the office and began interviewing them one by one.

"Hello..! My name is Aileen, and I'm here for the interview."

"Yes! Hello..!"

"Um... Before we begin the interview, I have one question."

"...?"

"Are you truly offering both the weekly wage and housing? I came because of the housing offer..."

Ah... So the housing is what drew everyone in.

From her question, Seong-il immediately understood why so many people had applied. Windom was a super-sized city with a population of nearly ten million. Because of the extreme population density, housing was perpetually scarce. It was often said that no matter how hard one worked, all their earnings disappeared into rent, since monthly rents in the city were exorbitantly high.

In that environment, posting a notice that offered twice a normal worker's salary plus free housing had caused people to flood in.

I shouldn't tell Charlotte the truth..

Seong-il didn't have the heart to shatter the innocent girl's illusion that the crowd had gathered because of her fame. He quietly kept his mouth shut and continued the interviews, exchanging questions with the applicants.

"Hmm... They're all rather ambiguous, aren't they..?"

"Yeah..."

Those skilled at housework didn't know office work, while those skilled at office work either couldn't handle housework or refused to do it, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠waving their hands in dismissal.

"Sigh... Maybe we should have just hired two people!?"

"The problem is we only have one housing unit available."

"Aha...!!"

"Let's finish all the interviews first. If nothing works, we'll revise the notice and post it again. Whatever."

"Let's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do that!!"

They continued the interviews for a long time, but none of the candidates felt right. As Seong-il sighed and pondered the content of a new notice, a woman appeared before them.

"Gulp..?!"

A woman so beautiful that Seong-il involuntarily swallowed. She wore a modest white dress. Her snow-white skin contrasted beautifully with it, and her delicate, refined features and flowing golden hair left a powerful impression. She was a lady so stunning that the phrase "a nation-toppling beauty" didn't seem exaggerated. Even Charlotte, another woman, momentarily lost her composure and simply stared at her.

"Ah.. Hello?"

Overwhelmed by her beauty, Seong-il stuttered his greeting. Seeing this, the woman smiled refreshingly and returned his greeting while introducing herself.

"Hello! I'm Elysia, here for the interview. It's an honor to meet you both, great detectives."

"Ooh!! Great detectives, you say! That's far too much praise!!"

"Not at all! Aren't you the ones who subdued none other than the Phantom Thief Luphtesia? How could I dare not call you great detectives...?"

"Hehe..."

Charlotte grinned and laughed happily, as if Elysia's words had scratched her exactly where she itched. Ignoring her, Seong-il began questioning Elysia.

"Have you... read and understood our notice completely?"

"Yes? Of course~"

"Hmm.. We're primarily looking for someone to handle office duties, but we also need that person to be able to act as a maid by cleaning the office and preparing meals for the staff. Would you be able to do both...?"

"Hehe.. Despite how I look, I'm a graduate of Windom University's Department of Management, so I'm quite familiar with office and accounting work?"

"Oh ho..."

Although he didn't know exactly what kind of institution Windom University was, the name alone sounded prestigious, so Seong-il let out an admiring sound and nodded.

They spent a long time asking her detailed questions about the work. As Charlotte and Seong-il continued to marvel at her clear, confident answers, Elysia smiled brightly and turned the questions back on them.

"By the way, you two... It looks like you've been conducting interviews all day. Have you eaten yet...?"

"What?! We haven't had a chance to eat separately yet!!"

"Oh dear... What should we do about that...?"

With those words, she quietly retrieved sandwiches and drinks from the basket she had set down beside her and offered them to Charlotte and Seong-il as she continued speaking.

"Would you like to try some..? I prepared them in case I got hungry..."

"Ohoh!! We'll gratefully accept!!"

Neither Charlotte nor Seong-il refused the food Elysia offered and began eating right away.

"Wow...!"

Seong-il was stunned by the taste.

"This is seriously delicious... Wait, is this even a sandwich? What on earth have I been eating all this time...?"

"I completely agree!! Even this drink tastes like juice but isn't overly sweet!! It's at a level where even my father, who has a very picky palate, would praise it!!"

Elysia smiled at their enthusiastic praise and waved her hands modestly.

"Oh my~ If you praise me so much for something so simple, I'll get too embarrassed... hehe.."

However, Charlotte vigorously shook her head at Elysia's humility and replied.

"Not at all! It's truly an outstanding flavor!! Miss Elysia! I like your insight and cooking skills so much that I'm wondering if you'd consider working with us!! Besides, as a graduate of the prestigious Windom University Management Department, your accounting abilities are obviously excellent without even needing to check!!!"

"Of course! If you'll have me..."

"You're hired!! Hired!! Hiiiiiiired!!!!"