Chapter 85.
When I received the requested document and stood up, the informant asked, “Oh, may I ask you a question?”
“What is it?”
"How did you figure out that contact passcode for the Big Mama Information Agency?"
I became nervous at the informant’s question. This contact method was obtained by disguising myself with magic in Granwell while I was on my way to the capital. If that informant had given me a special contact code that could be recognized, she might be able to connect me to the middle-aged man from that time.
Yet, at a quick glance, there didn’t seem to be any problems. There was a massive difference between my disguise and my current appearance, so there was no way she would think we were the same person. However, for those who handled information, this clue could potentially be used to deduce the fact that I was Denburg.
At that time, I casually walked away while carrying a bag weighing about 500 kilograms. From that point alone, they may have already realized at the time that I was part of a battle race. As such, this contact method might connect me to the middle-aged man with the scar and lead to them discovering my identity. In the end, my one worry ended up catching my ankle.
Unlike my inner self, I responded with a seemingly indifferent tone, “How much will you pay for the information?”
“Pardon?”
"This is where information is sold. So I can sell information too, right?"
The informant didn’t respond. Due to the veil covering her face, I couldn’t tell if she was stunned or enjoying this.
"I see. How much will you sell it for?" She asked.
I pointedly looked at the two gold coins in front of the informant.
"Two gold coins? That’s quite expensive."
"Would you like to buy it?”
The informant burst into laughter at my provocation. "Puhaha, no. We are an information agency after all. We’ll figure it out."
"Give it a try." I gave a slight smile as I left the room, the burden following me.
Damn it, I’m going to have to pay attention to my surroundings for a while.
* * *
As the customer left the room, Milpia sighed with relief and removed the veil. "Whew, I didn’t get noticed."
Not knowing that Den would suddenly barge in, Milpia lowered her voice as much as possible and tried to hide her identity the best she could.
She had occasionally gone to Arscilla’s boarding house to find out more information from Yuria under the pretense of being close friends. When she would go there, she sometimes ran into Den, which made her very nervous.
Den, in particular, was strangely quick-witted and able to judge situations quickly, so she believed that she would truly be caught. If she was discovered here, her relationship with Yuria might be okay, but her relationship with Arelia would be completely over.
Information about the imperial family was difficult to obtain. If discovered, the consequences wouldn’t be limited to the loss of a pipeline providing detailed information about the imperial family. The fact that she approached the imperial princess was enough to be convicted of treason, which would force her to flee the capital.
It would be a real demotion to have to go to the countryside after a promotion like this. Her current position was precious to Milpia because until a few months ago, she had been demoted to a field agent with her life constantly in danger.
As Milpia imagined this potential scenario and started sweating, a large picture hanging on the right side of the room moved upwards. Then Big Mama, the head of the Big Mama Information Agency, came out carefully.
"Well done.”
At Big Mama’s encouragement, Milpia stood up and bowed her head, "No, this is my job."
"Jeez, I said you don’t have to be so polite." Big Mama smiled merrily and sat on the opposite side of Milpia. As Big Mama sat down, Milpia also seated herself and started boiling water by pouring mana into the magic kettle on the table.
"So, what do you think?"
Despite Big Mama’s sudden question, Milpia did not panic and grasped the point of the question. "I think he is the successor to Pelgrant von Bologneo, one of the most prominent agents in the Empire."
Milpia realized that Big Mama’s question was regarding Den’s identity, as he showed up with the vice-captain of the White Deer knight division. Her understanding was not wrong. In fact, Big Mama was asking about Den.
"And the reason you think so is?"
"There are three reasons why I believe this,” Milpia said as she made tea with the boiled water.
Big Mama spoke as she received the tea, "Let me hear them."
"Yes, first of all, he was arrested as a suspect in the information classified as ’the attempted poisoning of a civil servant incident’ but was released from custody within a few hours. I think this was decided based on their belief he’s not the culprit."
At Milpia’s words, Big Mama slowly nodded. "And?"
"And he was accompanied by a knight. That knight is a high-ranking official from the Empire, in addition to serving as the vice-captain of the White Deer knight division. If they just wanted to keep watch over him, assigning a normal knight would have sufficed. Considering that they attached a talented high-ranking official instead, I judged that this was not solely for surveillance but to protect him from potential enemy forces of Pelgrant, the prime minister, or the emperor."
Big Mama slowly drank the hot tea and waited for Milpia’s last reason.
Milpia spoke with a serious expression, "Lastly, he knew Pelgrant bought information here last night. We have determined that Pelgrant is not someone who reveals information if it’s not related to his work, no matter how close he is to an individual. This means that he wasn’t unrelated to Pelgrant’s work. Taking into account his age and the timing of his assignment as a probationary trainee under Pelgrant, we concluded that he is a successor or at least someone receiving his teachings."
After the long explanation, Milpia slightly moistened her throat with the tea and continued, "Yet, there’s one thing that’s bothering me."
"What is it?" Big Mama looked at Milpia, seemingly assessing her.
Milpia was briefly intimidated but didn’t hold back and expressed her doubt, "It is that he used the normal contact method, not the one discussed with the imperial family or prime minister Arcanta."
Contrary to Den’s concerns, Milpia had given him a standard contact method at Granwell. This was done because they thought that handing over an identifiable contact method could cause the middle-aged man’s organization to become vigilant. This was not desirable due to the enormous intelligence-gathering power they believed the organization possessed.
Since Den went to the Big Mama Information Agency by chance, there was no way for him to know whether the contact method he received was unique or common. However, that was not the case for Milpia. She thought her opponent was from a large-scale organization, seeing how they confidently walked into one of the Big Mama Information Agency’s most important bases and purchased an absurd amount of information.
Milpia assumed that since the individual’s organization knew where one of the Big Mama Information Agency’s most important secret bases was located, it would have no issue discovering a standard contact method passcode.
Therefore, what would the opponent have thought if she gave a different passcode than normal without consulting them first? If this happened, Milpia naturally assumed that her agency would think that the opposing group went “on alert.”
It was key for an information organization not to be hostile to any group. This held true if they were to be attacked for showing weakness as well. Despite this aggression, they should avoid making enemies that couldn’t exist with them under the same sky. Even if the Big Mama Information Agency was vigilant, careful, and cautious, the opponents were not necessarily the same. That was the Big Mama Information Agency’s law of survival and business guide.
"I think Pelgrant blocked him from approaching the ’Scorpio’ he had been chasing. It makes sense considering that his past trainee’s death traumatized him to the point where he was forced away from the front lines. First of all, Pelgrant likely didn’t tell him how to contact us, meaning he figured it out on his own and approached us. This is why he didn’t use the agreed-upon contact method.”
Milpia gave a plausible answer to her own question before continuing, "So I’d like to investigate how he found the method to contact us."
Milpia’s words were natural. In the Big Mama Information Agency, their contact method was one of the most tightly controlled information. It was no exaggeration to say that it was their lifeline. The fact that Den somehow knew how to contact the Big Mama Information Agency meant that they could have unexpected guests in the future. The real issue was that there was no guarantee that the unexpected guest would not be hostile to them.
However, Big Mama shook her head at Milpia. "No, don’t approach him."
Milpia was taken aback by the unexpected response, but she did not express it outwardly.
"May I ask why?” Milpia asked carefully, but Big Mama just smiled and gave no answer.
"It is an order. Furthermore, any information gathering related to it is prohibited.”
At Big Mama’s order, Milpia’s face stiffened as she tried to recall if she had overlooked something. However, even after going over the situation a few times, she felt her logic seemed reasonable, and there were no risks.
Still, Milpia had no choice but to say her predetermined line, "I will receive your orders."
If she didn’t, for disobedience, only death awaited.
Big Mama rose from her seat with dull, emotionless eyes. Yet, the corners of her mouth were slightly raised. Milpia failed to notice the tiny smile as she continued to clear up her disordered thoughts.
* * *
As soon as I left the bar, I opened the information that I had just bought. First, I looked through Pelgrant’s movement history over the past month. Frankly speaking, I wasn’t expecting much when I first asked for this information.
It would’ve been different if it was a request to track future movements, but it was natural for any information agency not to know a mundane and unimportant figure’s past movement history. To have handed over this information as if it were natural meant that Director Pelgrant was doing an important job worthy of being marked by the information agency or was an equivalently important person.
Receiving the information, I thought it would have been acceptable if it only contained things like who he met, but it included his past activities down to the minute detail.
What’s this? Did you meet the prime minister in secret? This feeling that I don’t want to get involved keeps growing. Damn it. Why did I have to run an errand at that time? Because of that, things have become really annoying.
This was all because of that guy who forced me to make tea. Let’s pray he doesn’t walk the streets at night. You just can’t ever know when something unfortunate might happen. I went through the documents again while imagining using a rock to smack the head of the assistant manager who wanted the tea.
The detailed portion of the director’s past activities only began when he visited a tavern and met the prime minister ten days ago. Before that, only normal things about commuting time were recorded.
Rather than Director Pelgrant being a big enough figure to have been marked, it was likely that he started something interesting enough to garner the interest of the Big Mama Information Agency after his meeting with the prime minister.
It was just a guess, but I felt like the attempted poisoning case may have something to do with it. As for his activities, I could probably learn them based on the information he purchased here, but the information regarding those who handled horn came first.
I was finishing my thoughts and trying to take out the documents regarding people who could handle horn when the burden shouted, "Hey! Are you ignoring me!"
"Yes?"
When I turned to the burden with a look of ‘what crap are you spouting’, he spoke in an irritated voice, "What? What’s that reaction? I was speaking to you several times!"
"Oh, I was just thinking." I just ignored whatever the burden was saying next to me. Well, I’m sure he was asking about what happened in the information agency.
"Then about what I asked..."
"Let’s go since we’re busy.” As I said that and moved forward quickly, the burden shouted something from behind. I casually ignored him and read the documents as I walked.
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