As time passed, rumors gradually spread throughout the underground city.
At first, it was merely gossip that Count Salier’s ledger had appeared in the underground, but soon, various embellishments began to attach themselves to the story.
They said Count Salier’s hidden son would return through the ledger.
They said someone was using the hidden ledger to blackmail powerful figures.
And so on. Various rumors circulated, but the one that gained the most traction was the claim that the ledger would soon appear in the auction house on the fourth floor.
“It’s a diversion tactic. They must be getting desperate.”
“A diversion… Yes, that seems more likely.”
At Shane’s words, Adam nodded as if he immediately understood.
Perhaps it was because he had once been the commander of the knights who closely observed the political games of the royal family that he understood the situation so quickly.
“It seems there are those who want to keep the existence of the ledger as hidden as possible. But of course, that’s only natural.”
“The most likely suspect is the Empire, then?”
“Because of Count Salier’s background?”
“That’s right. After all, Count Salier was a creation meticulously crafted by the current crown prince. It’s only natural they’d be concerned.”
“…Are you sure this will be alright? If the royal family gets involved, things could escalate far more than necessary.”
Adam’s concern was not unfounded.
One might argue that the royal family wouldn’t actively intervene in the underground city, but if they felt cornered, it could certainly happen.
Although it would give leverage to the twin princesses, it was still a better choice than letting the ledger fall into someone else’s hands.
“I don’t particularly care. It doesn’t matter who ends up with the ledger. In fact, the bigger the mess, the better it is for us.”
“But if it draws too much attention, there will definitely be complications when transferring the item. There’s a good chance they’ll interfere even before it reaches the auction house.”
It seemed Adam had truly grasped the underground city’s workings during the past two years, as he pointed out a sharp concern.
Indeed, while the auction house would do its best to conceal the seller’s identity and prevent theft, they wouldn’t take responsibility for accidents occurring during the transfer of the auction items.
Of course, if any ordinary group tried to pull such a stunt, the family in charge of the auction wouldn’t sit idly by, but it would be a different story if the opposing force was another family or the imperial family.
“I’ll handle that myself.”
However, Shane dismissed the concern and assured there was no need to worry about that part.
Adam fell silent at that.
Hadn’t he already seen firsthand what results the young man before him had brought?
Though he only learned of it later, from the Great Mezaiya Forest incident to the southern march of the Arunvida orcs, this young man’s insight was far from ordinary. That’s why Adam had chosen to follow him wholeheartedly.
“If that’s what you say, then I understand.”
So it was no longer his place as a subordinate to be involved.
“And early this morning, there was a separate message from the Imperial family. It’s from the First Princess.”
“I’ve been waiting to hear from her. She’s approached quite cautiously.”
Two years ago, hadn’t Samuel advised the First Princess, Olicia, that Adam might be connected to the underground city?
Because of that, Adam had gradually established himself in the underground city and formed a careful connection with Olicia.
-You’ve reached out first. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I think it’s been a year since we last saw each other.
“It’s been a while, Your Highness.”
-Yes, how have you been? You’ve become much more manly compared to a year ago.
“Thank you. You’ve grown even more beautiful, Your Highness.”
-Oh, thank you. But you seem to have become much gentler after spending time with my younger sister?
“……”
Could she have mentioned this to Olicia as well?
-There’s no need to look like that. My younger sister has always been quite possessive, even from a young age. Warning me not to touch what’s hers… How could I ignore that?
“……Is that so? I wasn’t aware.”
-She may not usually show it, but once she claims something as hers, she’ll never give it up, even if it kills her. Anyway, that’s not what I intended to talk about. I’ve heard some recent rumors from the underground city.
“Is that so? I also have been waiting for you to contact me, Your Highness.”
Olicia smiled strangely at Shane’s words.
Currently, after the Arunvida subjugation, Olicia’s reputation was rising sharply alongside Anastasia’s.
In fact, it could be said that she was showing even more promise than Anastasia, who was the lord of Arunvida.
Unlike Anastasia, who had minimal involvement due to her lack of interest in politics, Olicia had spent the past two years fully showcasing her abilities.
Even now, she felt as though she was being tested by Shane.
At that, the princess spoke up, almost as if to explain herself.
-I heard about the rumors much earlier. However, because of the unusual movements from my brother’s side, I had to be cautious.
It might seem like she was overly concerned about Samuel, but Shane thought Olicia was making a wise decision.
If it were any other matter, it wouldn’t be as crucial, but the Salier ledger was currently Samuel’s most sensitive weakness.
In such a situation, rather than stepping in prematurely, the best course for Olicia was likely to gather information for the future.
“Has there been any significant change within the Imperial family?”
Olicia finally smiled properly at Shane’s question.
It was as if she was showing that this time, she was one step ahead.
-It seems the ‘Wild Dogs’ are about to move.
“Wild Dogs…”
-Oh my, did you already know?
“I was aware of their existence, but I didn’t realize they were making moves.”
This time, Olicia’s information gathering was definitely ahead.
The Wild Dogs were hunting hounds that Samuel managed as carefully as he did Count Salier.
While the Knights of Judgment acted under the guise of honor, they operated from the shadows.
They were a hidden force Samuel kept under wraps to eliminate political obstacles or stir up the masses.
Originally, they weren’t supposed to move for another year, but they’ve already started. That must mean the Crown Prince is growing desperate.
Shane thought of this and spoke up.
“I’m satisfied. Understood.”
-Do you consider this a fair deal?
“Yes. I’ll bring good news next time we meet.”
Having obtained fairly valuable information, Shane stood up with his mask.
-I’m glad to hear that. Oh, there’s one more thing I’d like your permission for.
“Permission, you say?”
Shane, having just risen, paused in his tracks and asked again. What could the Imperial Princess possibly need permission for?
As he listened to her next words, Shane closed his eyes and nodded heavily.
Indeed, it was something worthy of his approval.
“Very well. Send me the detailed plans.”
With his conversation with Olicia now over, Shane was finally prepared to take action.
The time had come to fan the flames of the rumor, which was nothing more than a hot potato.
***
A week had passed since then.
The rumors about Count Salier’s ledger, which had been spreading through the underground city, were now growing even larger.
Normally, the rumors would have started dying down by now unless there were new developments, but instead, they continued to grow without showing any signs of fading.
However, there was one thing that changed.
Instead of just rumors about the ledger being auctioned, conspiracy theories began circulating. They said that someone intended to profit from it.
“Is this really okay?”
Adam expressed his doubts to Shane, but the latter instead ordered him to spread even more unrelated rumors.
“There’s something that needs to be prepared. Until then, it’s enough to just fan the flames and keep the fire from dying out.”
“Hmm… understood.”
Because of this, unlike before, the Imperial family now wanted to quell the rumors, but with Adam’s efforts, the controversy grew even more filled with conspiracy theories.
Meanwhile, unlike in the underground city, on the surface, the rumors about the ledger were known only to a select few who were aware of such matters.
That is until a certain incident happened.
On what seemed like an ordinary, quiet morning.
Dilaila who was enjoying a rare moment of rest was having tea with coffee and soft bread.
After graduating from the academy, she had been busy for the last two years and had saved enough money to finally afford a small apartment where she could live comfortably on her own.
“Ah, I really need to do a thorough cleaning.”
However, because she had been so busy, quite a bit of dust had gathered in the small house she had worked so hard to secure.
So, just as she finished her calm breakfast and thought about finally cleaning the house after a long time—
“Phuup?!”
Dilaila opened the newspaper only to spit out her coffee upon seeing the huge photo that took up more than half the page.
“W-What, what is this?!”
Why did this situation feel strangely familiar?
[Exclusive! The noble killer who appeared two years ago. Did he come back?]
[Two nobles died in a single day! Is the noble killer’s goal the freedom of non-human slaves?]
[Breaking News! Current head of the coalition, Halo Mild, is still investigating the case. It’s too soon to make any hasty conclusions.]
“No way, and I thought things had been quiet…”
As she recalled the masked man she had long forgotten, a cold sweat began to run down her spine at the thought of him suddenly becoming active again.
Why did this cozy little apartment suddenly feel like a prison?
Bang, bang, bang!
“Eek!”
“Hello! Miss Dilaila! We’re from Daily News!”
“Are you inside?! We’re reporters from Our City! Can we have a quick interview?!”
The “hyenas” were already smelling an exclusive story, so they came to find her.
By now, Dilaila had come to understand quite well how human society operated, so she held her breath and waited for the situation to pass.
Ugh, I don’t need this kind of attention!
Amid the sudden shouts of reporters.
Dilaila covered her ears, squeezed her eyes shut, and pretended she wasn’t there.
I really don’t know anything!
Hadn’t she already been interrogated by the Empire in the past? There was nothing else she knew, so why were they coming to her now?
Besides, the murder of a noble was one of the gravest crimes, and if she got involved, nothing good would come of it.
How much food do I have left at home…?
So, as she braced herself for a self-imposed lockdown.
The noise outside suddenly stopped, as if it had all been a lie.
“Huh?”
“You seem to be enjoying a rather peaceful moment.”
“Wha—what?! Gah!”
“Don’t worry. There’s no chance our voices will be heard outside.”
When Dilaila fell backward from her chair in shock, she hastily covered her mouth with both hands.
The masked man, Shane, emerged from the darkness.
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