Does not knowing mean that the Empress has not heard about the item?
Or maybe even the Empress doesn't know what that thing is.
I was about to ask which side it was, but Perdes spoke first.
“The Empress said that she was only ordered by Chernosser to bring something to the Emperor, but she was not told what it was.”
“The being asked to bring something I don’t even know what it is... It seems like a ridiculous story.”
“I also think it’s nonsense, but since the Empress said so and there’s no other way to confirm it, I have no choice but to assume so.”
That's right.
Because it's not something you can ask dead Chernosser.
“Anyway, the Empress asked Chernosser to let her know as soon as he found out what that object was.”
“Then the letter the Second Prince sent to the Empress must have contained something related to that item.”
“Perhaps. But the Empress said she hasn’t received a letter from Chernosser in the past ten years.”
That means she didn't even receive the letter in question.
I was certain that Chernossor had sent a letter to the Empress, for he left me this note.
But if she didn't receive it, it means someone intercepted the letter.
The culprit must be that escort knight.
Chernosser trusted that escort knight... Wait a minute.
'I couldn't believe it.'
If Chernosser had trusted his escort knights, he would not have left such a note.
It was strange that he left me a note in the first place.
If he had returned safely from the basement, he could have personally checked whether the letter was delivered to the Empress. So why did he leave a note?
Did he know that he would be trapped in an infinite labyrinth and never return?
No. Then he wouldn't have gone into the basement in the first place.
Because Chernosser is more fearful than anyone else and values his life more than anyone else.
Even if it was the Emperor's order, he would not have followed it outright but would have asked the Empress for help or studied other methods.
“Do you have any idea what the Emperor asked him to bring?”
I shook my head as I woke up from my own thoughts at Perdes' question.
“Not at all. But, certainly, the Emperor has not yet obtained the object.”
And one more thing.
I was convinced that the object the Emperor was after was deeply connected to the reason he had tried to devour Duke Leopold.
If it were up to me, I would have rushed straight to the Duke's basement and looked for the item that the Emperor had ordered Chernosser to bring, but there were too many problems holding me back.
Not knowing what the Emperor wanted was a problem, but the biggest problem was that the time in the basement was different from the real world.
When I entered the basement of the Duke's mansion to look for the missing Chernosser, I thought I had only been there for a moment, but in reality, two whole days had passed.
Going out to look for an unidentified object without knowing how much time difference there was was a foolish thing that would ruin all the plans I had made so far.
So instead of going into the basement, I looked through the historical books and records of the Leopold family to see if there were any items in the basement that the Emperor might covet.
But no matter how much I searched, I couldn't find anything that could be a clue.
Maybe I should go into the basement and check for myself.
That would require at least two days of free time, so while I was quickly dealing with the tasks at hand, the day I had promised Nicole Tesis arrived.
To be exact, it was the day I met Count Tesis about the warehouse issue.
“What should I do, what should I do?”
Because of that, Nicole Tesis, who had come to Duke Leopold's residence early in the morning, was pacing around the reception room restlessly.
I have a lot to think about, so I'm a little dizzy.
“You’re crazy, so sit still, Nicole.”
As if reading my mind, Perdes pointed this out, and Nicole sat down next to Perdes, looking slightly dejected.
And she complained in a sullen voice.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen my father, so I’m a bit nervous, but you’re going too far.”
“I just told you to sit down. What’s so bad about that?”
“You don’t understand how I feel. We’re business partners, so please understand.”
“I understand completely.”
I just realized this, but Perdes and Nicole Tesis seem to get along quite well.
As I was listening to the conversation between the two people, who were bickering as if they were listening to a stand-up comedy show, I heard a knock on the door.
“Your Excellency, Count Tesis has arrived.”
“Hic.”
At the mention of her father's arrival, Nicole Tesis's face turned as pale as if she had not been given a bowl of soup.
It was a face that looked like it would faint if you touched it.
“If you’re that nervous, you can go out for a bit and relax.”
Nicole Tesis thought for a moment at Perdes' consideration, then shook her head.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, yes. I’m really fine, so, ah, tell Dad to come in.”
She didn't look okay at all, but I left her alone because she said she was okay.
“...”
After a while, when Count Tesis entered, Nicole Tesis lowered her head, unable to look him in the eye.
The two hands placed neatly on her knees trembled.
“Welcome, Count Tesis.”
Now that I am a Duke, I can speak informally to him, but since he is old enough to be my father, I speak to him appropriately and politely.
“Hello, Your Highness the Crown Prince, the shining star of the empire.”
Count Tesis first greeted Perdes, who was the highest-ranking person here and then greeted me.
“I sincerely congratulate you on your accession to the Dukedom, Your Excellency Duke Leopold. This is a small congratulatory gift from me.”
Inside the box given by Count Tesis was a magic bracelet densely packed with Puras.
Magic accessories are probably quite expensive, so I guess I was being unreasonable.
I guess that means you want to look good to me.
I looked at the bracelet with indifferent eyes, but it wasn't Perdes.
“...”
He furrowed his eyebrows slightly and held out his hand to me.
“Can I look at that bracelet for a moment?”
“Of course.”
It was a bit of a strange request, but I had no reason to refuse, so I obediently gave it in.
Nicole Tesis, who had been keeping her head down until then, suddenly raised her head and looked at Count Tesis with determined eyes.
“Oh, it’s been a while, ah, father.”
Unlike her eyes, her trembling voice was clearly showing signs of nervousness.
Count Tesis looked at her with pitiful eyes, then bowed his head to me and Perdes and apologized.
“I heard that my daughter has caused you both a lot of trouble. I’m sorry.”
“I don’t know why you misunderstand, but Princess Tesis has never caused us any trouble. In fact, she’s been helpful.”
“You don’t have to try so hard to cover up my daughter’s faults, Your Excellency.”
“I’m not trying to be sarcastic, I’m being sincere. Princess Tesis and I are good business partners who benefit each other.”
“That’s right! I have also signed a formal business contract with Her Excellency the Duke!”
As Nicole Tesis joined the conversation as if to offer support, Count Tesis frowned and spoke to him.
“Do you think I don’t know that you used your friendship with Lord Perdes as an excuse to ask Her Excellency the Duke to sign a contract with you?”
“Oh, no! That’s not true, Father!”
“It’s noisy. I’m causing trouble to Her Excellency the Duke and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince with this kind of thing. I’m so embarrassed that I can’t even show my face.”
“Is it shameful to get a contract by relying on friendship?”
As I casually blurted out the words, the rich man looked at me at the same time.
I lifted my teacup and asked Count Tesis again.
“I understand that friendship is also an important business tool for a businessman... Am I mistaken, Count Tesis?”
Count Tesis hesitated for a moment before answering.
“No. Friendship is indeed an important business tool, but I don’t think it’s right to force something out of nothing.”
“I think you’re mistaken. Nicole Tesis has never been pushy. I proposed the business first.”
“... !”
For a moment, Count Tesis's eyes widened.
He looked at Nicole Tesis with wavering eyes, eyes that seemed to confirm whether what I said was true.
Nicole Tesis nodded with a more stable expression, perhaps relieved a little by that moment.
“It is true, Father. Her Excellency the Duke first made the business proposal after hearing that I had an empty warehouse.”
Then Count Tesis's expression darkened slightly.
He closed his eyes tightly as if thinking about something and was silent for a moment, then opened them and asked me with a serious expression.
“Could it be that Your Excellency the Duke... was the Dark Caravan behind the attack on His Excellency the Marquis of Prasis?”
Suddenly hearing the name of the Marquis of Prasis's name embarrassed me, but I asked back without letting it show.
“I can’t understand a single word the Count is saying.”
“A few days ago, His Excellency the Marquis of Prasis asked me for help in finding the Dark Lord who had struck him in the back of the head.”
Ha, if you had tasted the bitter taste, you would have just cowered quietly, but you went around stirring things up here and there, saying you were looking for the culprit.
He was truly a useless man.
“He strongly advised me to let him know if I ever found a merchant or person with many magical items.”
But I guess he didn't say anything about counterfeit gold coins.
Well, if you were in your right mind, you wouldn't be going around talking nonsense about counterfeit gold coins.
“But I was surprised that the items that Nicole contracted with His Excellency the Duke were magic items and Pura. Even if Pura were like that, magic items are not something that Lessa is in charge of.”
“...”
“Of course, I didn’t suspect the two of you. I thought Nicole, who was tricked by the Dark High Command, was causing trouble for Your Excellency the Duke and His Highness the Crown Prince... But after hearing Your Excellency’s story, it seems to be the opposite.”
Because of the Marquis of Frasis's pointless actions, the flow of the conversation was going in a completely unexpected direction.
I'm quickly thinking about how to solve this.
“I have one question, Count Tesis.”
Perdes, who had been staring at the bracelet until then, threw it down towards Count Tesis and asked.
“What were you thinking, giving her a bracelet with a wiretapping spell as a gift?”
Or maybe even the Empress doesn't know what that thing is.
I was about to ask which side it was, but Perdes spoke first.
“The Empress said that she was only ordered by Chernosser to bring something to the Emperor, but she was not told what it was.”
“The being asked to bring something I don’t even know what it is... It seems like a ridiculous story.”
“I also think it’s nonsense, but since the Empress said so and there’s no other way to confirm it, I have no choice but to assume so.”
That's right.
Because it's not something you can ask dead Chernosser.
“Anyway, the Empress asked Chernosser to let her know as soon as he found out what that object was.”
“Then the letter the Second Prince sent to the Empress must have contained something related to that item.”
“Perhaps. But the Empress said she hasn’t received a letter from Chernosser in the past ten years.”
That means she didn't even receive the letter in question.
I was certain that Chernossor had sent a letter to the Empress, for he left me this note.
But if she didn't receive it, it means someone intercepted the letter.
The culprit must be that escort knight.
Chernosser trusted that escort knight... Wait a minute.
'I couldn't believe it.'
If Chernosser had trusted his escort knights, he would not have left such a note.
It was strange that he left me a note in the first place.
If he had returned safely from the basement, he could have personally checked whether the letter was delivered to the Empress. So why did he leave a note?
Did he know that he would be trapped in an infinite labyrinth and never return?
No. Then he wouldn't have gone into the basement in the first place.
Because Chernosser is more fearful than anyone else and values his life more than anyone else.
Even if it was the Emperor's order, he would not have followed it outright but would have asked the Empress for help or studied other methods.
“Do you have any idea what the Emperor asked him to bring?”
I shook my head as I woke up from my own thoughts at Perdes' question.
“Not at all. But, certainly, the Emperor has not yet obtained the object.”
And one more thing.
I was convinced that the object the Emperor was after was deeply connected to the reason he had tried to devour Duke Leopold.
***
If it were up to me, I would have rushed straight to the Duke's basement and looked for the item that the Emperor had ordered Chernosser to bring, but there were too many problems holding me back.
Not knowing what the Emperor wanted was a problem, but the biggest problem was that the time in the basement was different from the real world.
When I entered the basement of the Duke's mansion to look for the missing Chernosser, I thought I had only been there for a moment, but in reality, two whole days had passed.
Going out to look for an unidentified object without knowing how much time difference there was was a foolish thing that would ruin all the plans I had made so far.
So instead of going into the basement, I looked through the historical books and records of the Leopold family to see if there were any items in the basement that the Emperor might covet.
But no matter how much I searched, I couldn't find anything that could be a clue.
Maybe I should go into the basement and check for myself.
That would require at least two days of free time, so while I was quickly dealing with the tasks at hand, the day I had promised Nicole Tesis arrived.
To be exact, it was the day I met Count Tesis about the warehouse issue.
“What should I do, what should I do?”
Because of that, Nicole Tesis, who had come to Duke Leopold's residence early in the morning, was pacing around the reception room restlessly.
I have a lot to think about, so I'm a little dizzy.
“You’re crazy, so sit still, Nicole.”
As if reading my mind, Perdes pointed this out, and Nicole sat down next to Perdes, looking slightly dejected.
And she complained in a sullen voice.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen my father, so I’m a bit nervous, but you’re going too far.”
“I just told you to sit down. What’s so bad about that?”
“You don’t understand how I feel. We’re business partners, so please understand.”
“I understand completely.”
I just realized this, but Perdes and Nicole Tesis seem to get along quite well.
As I was listening to the conversation between the two people, who were bickering as if they were listening to a stand-up comedy show, I heard a knock on the door.
“Your Excellency, Count Tesis has arrived.”
“Hic.”
At the mention of her father's arrival, Nicole Tesis's face turned as pale as if she had not been given a bowl of soup.
It was a face that looked like it would faint if you touched it.
“If you’re that nervous, you can go out for a bit and relax.”
Nicole Tesis thought for a moment at Perdes' consideration, then shook her head.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, yes. I’m really fine, so, ah, tell Dad to come in.”
She didn't look okay at all, but I left her alone because she said she was okay.
“...”
After a while, when Count Tesis entered, Nicole Tesis lowered her head, unable to look him in the eye.
The two hands placed neatly on her knees trembled.
“Welcome, Count Tesis.”
Now that I am a Duke, I can speak informally to him, but since he is old enough to be my father, I speak to him appropriately and politely.
“Hello, Your Highness the Crown Prince, the shining star of the empire.”
Count Tesis first greeted Perdes, who was the highest-ranking person here and then greeted me.
“I sincerely congratulate you on your accession to the Dukedom, Your Excellency Duke Leopold. This is a small congratulatory gift from me.”
Inside the box given by Count Tesis was a magic bracelet densely packed with Puras.
Magic accessories are probably quite expensive, so I guess I was being unreasonable.
I guess that means you want to look good to me.
I looked at the bracelet with indifferent eyes, but it wasn't Perdes.
“...”
He furrowed his eyebrows slightly and held out his hand to me.
“Can I look at that bracelet for a moment?”
“Of course.”
It was a bit of a strange request, but I had no reason to refuse, so I obediently gave it in.
Nicole Tesis, who had been keeping her head down until then, suddenly raised her head and looked at Count Tesis with determined eyes.
“Oh, it’s been a while, ah, father.”
Unlike her eyes, her trembling voice was clearly showing signs of nervousness.
Count Tesis looked at her with pitiful eyes, then bowed his head to me and Perdes and apologized.
“I heard that my daughter has caused you both a lot of trouble. I’m sorry.”
“I don’t know why you misunderstand, but Princess Tesis has never caused us any trouble. In fact, she’s been helpful.”
“You don’t have to try so hard to cover up my daughter’s faults, Your Excellency.”
“I’m not trying to be sarcastic, I’m being sincere. Princess Tesis and I are good business partners who benefit each other.”
“That’s right! I have also signed a formal business contract with Her Excellency the Duke!”
As Nicole Tesis joined the conversation as if to offer support, Count Tesis frowned and spoke to him.
“Do you think I don’t know that you used your friendship with Lord Perdes as an excuse to ask Her Excellency the Duke to sign a contract with you?”
“Oh, no! That’s not true, Father!”
“It’s noisy. I’m causing trouble to Her Excellency the Duke and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince with this kind of thing. I’m so embarrassed that I can’t even show my face.”
“Is it shameful to get a contract by relying on friendship?”
As I casually blurted out the words, the rich man looked at me at the same time.
I lifted my teacup and asked Count Tesis again.
“I understand that friendship is also an important business tool for a businessman... Am I mistaken, Count Tesis?”
Count Tesis hesitated for a moment before answering.
“No. Friendship is indeed an important business tool, but I don’t think it’s right to force something out of nothing.”
“I think you’re mistaken. Nicole Tesis has never been pushy. I proposed the business first.”
“... !”
For a moment, Count Tesis's eyes widened.
He looked at Nicole Tesis with wavering eyes, eyes that seemed to confirm whether what I said was true.
Nicole Tesis nodded with a more stable expression, perhaps relieved a little by that moment.
“It is true, Father. Her Excellency the Duke first made the business proposal after hearing that I had an empty warehouse.”
Then Count Tesis's expression darkened slightly.
He closed his eyes tightly as if thinking about something and was silent for a moment, then opened them and asked me with a serious expression.
“Could it be that Your Excellency the Duke... was the Dark Caravan behind the attack on His Excellency the Marquis of Prasis?”
Suddenly hearing the name of the Marquis of Prasis's name embarrassed me, but I asked back without letting it show.
“I can’t understand a single word the Count is saying.”
“A few days ago, His Excellency the Marquis of Prasis asked me for help in finding the Dark Lord who had struck him in the back of the head.”
Ha, if you had tasted the bitter taste, you would have just cowered quietly, but you went around stirring things up here and there, saying you were looking for the culprit.
He was truly a useless man.
“He strongly advised me to let him know if I ever found a merchant or person with many magical items.”
But I guess he didn't say anything about counterfeit gold coins.
Well, if you were in your right mind, you wouldn't be going around talking nonsense about counterfeit gold coins.
“But I was surprised that the items that Nicole contracted with His Excellency the Duke were magic items and Pura. Even if Pura were like that, magic items are not something that Lessa is in charge of.”
“...”
“Of course, I didn’t suspect the two of you. I thought Nicole, who was tricked by the Dark High Command, was causing trouble for Your Excellency the Duke and His Highness the Crown Prince... But after hearing Your Excellency’s story, it seems to be the opposite.”
Because of the Marquis of Frasis's pointless actions, the flow of the conversation was going in a completely unexpected direction.
I'm quickly thinking about how to solve this.
“I have one question, Count Tesis.”
Perdes, who had been staring at the bracelet until then, threw it down towards Count Tesis and asked.
“What were you thinking, giving her a bracelet with a wiretapping spell as a gift?”
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