We wrapped things up neatly and left the farmer’s house.
Then, after pulling the perfectly fine front wheel out of the mud, we climbed back into the carriage and headed to the inn.
“Let’s wash up first and meet after.”
After parting ways with Olche, I took off the burdensome dress and accessories, cleaned off the dirt from my body, and changed into more comfortable clothes. Then, I went to Olche’s room.
She greeted me with an uncomfortable expression, clearly displeased that I had come to her room.
“Why not just meet downstairs?”
“This isn’t the kind of conversation we should have in public. Besides, I’m in a hurry.”
We sat down at the small wooden table in her room.
“What’s this about? Is it related to Baron Gobet?”
“That’s right.”
“Do you already know something? Some evidence that he’s done something disgraceful?”
“No, nothing like that.”
Olche frowned and scratched her head roughly.
“Hah… Lady, I’m sorry, but I don’t follow.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’m a firm believer in nonviolence. If you’re planning to torture or threaten Baron Gobet—”
“What?! Sir Olche, what exactly are you imagining? Torture? Threats?”
“Huh?”
Olche blinked at me, looking genuinely confused.
“But without any proof, the only way to uncover his disgraceful acts would be through torture or threats… Ah, wait. Are you planning to fabricate evidence?”
“No! Nothing like that. I’m going to find real evidence. I don’t intend to use such underhanded methods.”
“And how do you plan to do that? We don’t even know if he’s actually done anything wrong.”
“There’s no such thing as a noble without some dirt on them.”
“You sound exactly like Alvin.”
I ignored Olche’s comment and got straight to the point.
“That’s why I need a favor.”
With an utterly shameless expression, I extended my hand.
“Give me some money.”
****
“You’re really going to pay me back as soon as we return to the capital, right?”
“Yes, I promise.”
I turned my back on Olche, trying to ignore her nagging. A message could arrive at any moment, and I needed to focus—something that was impossible with Olche’s constant complaints.
What I was staring at was a small, transparent orb. A magical communication device that allowed messages to be sent across long distances.
Normally, such devices were absurdly expensive. And after wasting all my money on that ridiculous dress, I had none left to buy one. That’s why I had borrowed money from Olche to purchase it.
‘Of course, it’s the cheapest model—only allows each person to send one voice message at a time, not real-time communication.’
The reason I needed it was simple: to contact Katana.
I was certain Baron Gobet was hiding something. His actions simply didn’t make sense.
He wasn’t part of the noble faction, yet he acted like one. He had been insolent enough to openly oppose Caesar during the meeting, and now he was cooperating with Viscount Krauss.
There were only two possible explanations.
First, he had secretly joined the noble faction.
Or second, he had an urgent need to maintain trade with Wihafen all year round.
Until now, I had assumed Baron Gobet was just scared—afraid of losing his export rights, afraid of losing his profits.
But his actions were too extreme for simple self-preservation.
‘Then maybe there’s another reason… something that forces him to keep trading with Wihafen year-round.’
That was exactly what I had asked Katana to investigate.
Bzzt—
Right on cue, the device vibrated. I picked it up and held it to my ear.
Katana’s voice came through.
“Hey, Evelyn, can you hear me? Talking like this feels weird. Anyway, I looked into what you asked. And you were right—there is something suspicious.”
I perked up, focusing intently.
“Remember what you said? That Baron Gobet doesn’t export anything during the summer? Well, I found a strange ledger. It’s different from the one he submitted to the capital.”
A second ledger.
My heartbeat quickened.
“But here’s the thing—it’s not about exports. It’s about imports. The baron has been secretly importing something from Wihafen. Let me see… what was it again…?”
An unofficial ledger, documenting secret imports…
I looked up at Olche, who was staring at the device, mouth slightly open.
“It’s called Black Nightshade Mushroom.”
The room fell into silence.
“Lady… this is…”
“…Yes.”
This was bigger than I had expected.
Baron Gobet wasn’t just manipulating exports.
He was smuggling.
“Do you know anything about Black Nightshade Mushroom?”
I asked Olche, but she shook her head.
Would we need to investigate separately? And where would we even start?
Just as I was about to think it over, the device buzzed again.
“Wait! One more thing!”
It was Katana’s voice. The message wasn’t over yet.
“I figured you’d be curious, so I looked up the mushroom too.”
‘As expected from Katana!’
“It’s a type of poisonous mushroom. That’s why it’s illegal to cultivate in our empire. But if you grind it into powder and dilute it in water, it has a special effect.”
She paused dramatically.
“It becomes… a hair regrowth formula. That’s it! Message over. Bye, Evelyn!”
“Wait…!”
I accidentally shouted.
“Wait for what?”
“Remember the restaurant we went to earlier? The men there were talking about how effective Baron Gobet’s hair tonic was!”
“So that’s it… He’s using Black Nightshade Mushroom.”
Everything clicked into place.
Since the mushroom was rare in our empire, Baron Gobet had been smuggling it in from Wihafen at a low price and using it to manufacture his hair tonic.
That was why he was so determined to stop Summerhill from becoming an export hub.
Crop exports only happened seasonally, but smuggling ran year-round. If Summerhill took control of summer exports, his summer operations would be restricted.
He must have feared that would interfere with his illegal trade.
“My lady…”
Olche hesitated.
“We know what Baron Gobet is doing. But… isn’t this still a dead end?”
I pressed my lips together.
She was right.
This wasn’t something to celebrate just yet.
Katana could read documents, but she wasn’t an officially recognized mage from the Tower. Without physical evidence, no one would believe this.
‘We need to find the actual ledger.’
I glanced out the window.
The sun had set, and darkness had fallen over the city.
“Sir Olche.”
“Yes, my lady?”
“We need to go to Baron Gobet’s estate.”
“…What?”
“Right now.”
I stood up abruptly.
There was no time to waste. Before word got to the baron, we had to move.
Under the cover of night.
****
“You do realize if we get caught, our lives will be in danger, right?”
Olche whispered behind me.
“Be quiet.”
I was holding her hand as we walked across the vast courtyard. We had just managed to slip inside Baron Gobet’s estate.
Thanks to my pitch-black robe and Katana’s enchanted bracelet, we had successfully blended in with a group of soldiers entering through the back gate.
But the problem was that the bracelet only dulled our presence—it didn’t make us invisible.
A single mistake, and we’d be discovered. The thought sent a cold sweat down my back.
Baron Gobet’s mansion was massive. Even the courtyard was so large that it took a while before we finally reached the outer walls of the building.
“Do you even know where inside the mansion it is?”
Olche whispered again.
“It’s obviously in the baron’s room.”
“And do you know where that room is?”
“Shhh!”
I ignored Olche and continued walking along the outer wall.
The baron’s room was obvious.
With a mansion this large, he was definitely the type who loved flaunting his status.
That meant his room would be in the highest, grandest, and most luxurious part of the house.
Before long, we reached the area near the back entrance of the mansion.
Naturally, two guards were stationed there, their eyes sharp as they surveyed the area.
‘What now…?’
This was a different problem from sneaking through the main gate.
The front entrance was large and busy, with merchants frequently coming in and out, making it easy to slip through unnoticed.
But the back entrance was heavily guarded.
We hid behind the outer wall, unable to move forward.
Olche let out a deep sigh.
“My lady.”
“Be quiet—”
“Have you forgotten that I am not only a royal guard but also an exceptional knight?”
“What?”
“Good. No one’s around.”
Olche glanced around, then abruptly let go of my hand.
Before I could react, she grabbed the edges of my black robe and yanked it off.
“What the—?! Sir Olche!”
Shocked, I tried to grab my robe back, but she swiftly took it—along with my enchanted bracelet.
‘What the hell is she—?!’
I shot her a betrayed look, but before I could say anything, she disappeared into the shadows.
And the moment she did—
“Hey, what was that?”
The guards at the back entrance noticed something and started approaching me.
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