The Hidden Chamber Hypothesis
Even in his exhausted state, the way he forced the corners of his mouth upward into a smile looked heartbreaking.
If it were anything else, I would’ve just let him rest.
As Lucy had said, the most urgent and important task they were handling here was tracking down the whereabouts of the iron ore from Camelot’s territory.
If my guess was correct, this case might get resolved, and Blue Hawk’s workload would shrink considerably as a result.
Which means I’m helping Kyle.
Gathering my courage, I held out the two maps I had brought along.
I moistened my lips slightly and began to speak.
“While I was reading through the materials on Camelot’s iron ore that I received from Lucy, I started wondering if the ore might still be somewhere inside the territory.”
From the moment I said the words Camelot territory, Kyle, who had been half-reclined in his chair, sat up straight. The hazy exhaustion in his eyes sharpened into focus.
“You had a theory?”
Kyle, who had switched into full work mode in an instant, urged me to continue.
His undivided attention gave me confidence, and I continued in a much clearer voice.
“I remembered seeing a record that Camelot Castle was built in the year 373 of the Western Kingdom calendar. Castles from that period…”
Kyle immediately grasped what I was getting at.
“It was right after the civil war ended—a time when building secret evacuation spaces was briefly in fashion. Of course, once teleport scrolls were invented, the trend died out quickly because it wasn’t very efficient.”
Conversing with someone who possessed such broad general knowledge was incredibly comfortable.
“Exactly. So I thought the iron ore might be in one of those secret spaces and did some investigating on my own.”
I was just about to unfold the two maps in front of Kyle and explain that it seemed Camelot Castle had a secret space as well—when I belatedly realized that every other employee in the office was staring at me.
The room had fallen completely silent, as if the entire audience was waiting for a stage actor’s monologue.
The weight of all those eyes left me momentarily speechless.
I think I’m developing stage fright I never had before.
Yet the six pairs of eyes kept urging me to continue without mercy.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had this kind of attention. Not since the academy graduation ceremony.
If the iron ore really was inside the secret space as I predicted, that would be ideal. But even if it wasn’t, this wouldn’t be wasted effort.
If Blue Hawk learned the location of the secret space through this, they could block Duke Camelot’s escape routes in advance during future incidents.
Besides, inside that secret space was a vault where the Camelot ducal family hid their concealed assets.
Whether it’s a big haul or a small one, there’ll be something to gain.
Because I was confident, the stares didn’t feel entirely burdensome.
After taking one deep breath, I continued my explanation.
Perhaps because I had run through countless mental simulations before Kyle arrived, I didn’t show any obvious signs of nervousness.
“This is a map drawn right before the old Western Kingdom fell. And this one was made during the Empire period.”
The kingdom-era map had been created during the time when taxes were calculated based on a castle’s floor area. It must have been transferred here after the kingdoms unified.
The Empire-era map was essentially a blueprint for renovations to the castle.
This one was probably collected for reconnaissance purposes.
“If you look at the old kingdom map here, you’ll see this section is marked as a solid wall.”
At some point the other employees had formed a neat semicircle around Kyle and me so they could see the maps better.
Since it had come to this, I picked up a quill and pointed to a spot on the map so everyone could follow along.
I was now in full presentation mode.
“However, if you look at the Empire-era map, there’s a small empty space between the lord’s study and the adjacent room.”
For reference, the Empire-era map was far more likely to be accurate. Unless the interior had been completely redone since then, that space would contain nothing but a large tapestry big enough to cover the entire wall.
They said if you pressed the decorative bricks behind the tapestry in a specific order, the wall would rotate open.
“Doesn’t that seem odd? If this really is a wall, it’s built far thicker than any of the others. And if it’s an empty space, then they deliberately created a useless dead zone—right next to the lord’s study, no less, creating a perfect blind spot.”
I started by raising these questions to spark doubt among the other employees.
As expected of people who dealt with information for a living, they eagerly took the bait I’d thrown out.
“So you’re saying that’s the entrance to the secret space?”
Nadan neatly summarized my explanation in a single sentence.
“If my theory is correct.”
I was one hundred percent certain, but I answered with deliberate humility.
However, people whose profession was suspicion and rebuttal weren’t about to simply accept my words with admiration.
“But there’s nearly a two-hundred-year gap between these maps. Isn’t it possible the structure changed during that time? Like Lina said, if it was a dead space, maybe they filled in the wall to eliminate the blind spot and then reopened it later.”
Sophia offered a careful counterargument. If one didn’t already know about the secret space, it sounded like a perfectly plausible theory.
“Tampering with that wall would seriously compromise the structural integrity of the main building. There’s no way they altered the layout.”
Fortunately, Derek spoke up in my defense.
“Besides, among the secret space designs that were popular in the West, this exact configuration does exist. It’s a rare case, so it’s not widely known.”
Once Derek finished speaking, a brief silence settled over the office. Everyone was lost in thought, mentally verifying my hypothesis.
I waited patiently for them to finish their deliberations.
After all, I already know the answer.
How many minutes passed? Finally, Kyle spoke slowly.
“I agree. It is definitely strange. This is worth investigating. I’ll dispatch an agent capable of infiltration.”
Yes!
Kyle had taken my opinion seriously.
“Lucy, I’m counting on you.”
At Kyle’s instruction, Lucy left to send a messenger bird.
The sharp edge that had crept into Kyle’s expression from forcing himself to concentrate while exhausted softened back into its usual gentleness.
“It would be excellent if the iron ore is indeed in that secret space, just as Miss Diaz predicted.”
Kyle spoke to me in a lightly teasing tone.
Even if there’s no iron ore, there will definitely be precious metals.
“I agree. We’ve exhausted every route worth checking, but nothing has turned up. It’s been incredibly frustrating.”
Nadan sighed and began recounting the hardships the team had endured so far.
It seemed the reports only mentioned cases that had produced somewhat plausible results. Nadan’s lament continued at length as he listed every possibility except the one where the ore was actually inside the castle—until Sophia gently steered the conversation in a new direction.
“If the iron ore is still officially owned by Duke Camelot, we can seize it, can’t we? It’s criminal proceeds, after all. Let’s cheer up with that thought.”
When combined with the previous fines, it would deal the Camelot ducal family a blow severe enough to keep them from recovering for a long time.
At Sophia’s words, the employees—who each harbored their own grudges against Duke Camelot—let out low, sinister chuckles.
Having an entire year’s mining output seized in one go would probably sting pretty badly, huh?
I felt the same hostility toward Duke Camelot, so I joined them. After sharing smiles so wicked that any passing stranger might have suspected we were plotting a crime, the now-cheerful employees began to disperse one by one.
“Lina, you did great.”
“We need to go support the field agents who’ll be dispatched.”
Now only Kyle and I remained in the office.
With work mode officially over, Kyle slumped back in his chair again.
He pressed his fingers against his eyes, probably fighting off a headache. The bloodshot veins stood out starkly against his green irises.
“Um… There are fatigue recovery potions in the break room. Would you like me to bring you one?”
Kyle politely declined.
“I’ve already gone through several bottles. Any more and I’ll exceed the daily limit.”
Kyle smiled softly. It seemed a short rest had helped him regain some strength.
Seizing what he clearly saw as an opportunity, he began a more personal line of conversation.
“You’ve become quite close with everyone in such a short time.”
“They’ve all been so kind.”
No matter how experienced a new hire might be, it was rare for colleagues to listen seriously when a brand-new employee raised her voice to offer an opinion instead of scolding her for overstepping. I found myself liking the people here even more than before.
“I see.”
Then, suddenly, Kyle smiled like a boy who had just thought of a mischievous prank.
His bright smile seemed designed to hide his true intentions as he suggested in a casual, almost coaxing voice,
“By the way, Miss Diaz. Would it be all right if I called you Lina too? It seems everyone else does.”