C77
Elliot asked his subordinate without losing his composure.
"What's the problem?"
"A team from the imperial palace investigation has arrived! They said it's a surprise tax investigation!"
Elliot clicked his tongue. Making a fuss over something like this.
"It was expected. The imperial family would somehow like to make a dent in our Lady Liena and Cassius."
Recently, Liena's reputation couldn't be better. The world called Liena nicknames like the best administrator of this century and the second Saint.
"But it's still not enough. Because she's a much bigger person than they think."
Even if you take all the rhetoric in the world and combine it, it's nothing compared to the real Liena. That's how amazing Liena was just by existing.
The Iver guild, in whom Liena trusted and entrusted. Elliot planned to risk his pride and make Iver the best guild on the planet.
"Where is the investigation team now?"
"They entered on their own and headed there to search Lady's office first."
"Don't worry. There's nothing they can criticize."
"That's true."
"The guild owner is absent for other matters, so I'll have to meet with them. Let's go."
"One moment. I have something else to tell you..."
"What else is there?"
The employee hesitated and responded to Elliot's cold question.
"The person sent as the head of the investigation team is the second prince."
"Terence Belver Asteroth?"
Not long ago, a new prince appeared.
Although born before the crown prince, he wasn't the empress's son and ascended late to the imperial throne, so he was named the second prince.
There were no inconsistencies. It was easy to predict that the emperor would support the second prince for the time being to solidify his position.
"But what is this? What is the cause of the rising anxiety from below? The answer was obvious."
"There is a connection between Ethel Wallace and the second prince."
The two danced together at the emperor's birthday banquet. Still, Liena told Elliot that their relationship was questionable.
Duke Leandro once saw the second prince volunteering to be Ethel's escort. Elliot gritted his teeth at the thought of Leandro.
"Stupid human. What's the point of saying that when the divorce is already over?"
Leandro, who had never met the second prince before, naturally had no choice but not to know, but it was none of Elliot's business. The mistress Elliot served was Liena, not the Duke of Cassius.
Anyway, the task at hand was to deal with the second prince.
Naturally, the tax investigation didn't bother him at all. His work was always perfect.
"Second Prince, I will take this opportunity to learn in detail about your relationship with Ethel Wallace."
At first, as much as he underestimated Ethel, he thought it was just a simple affair with the second prince, but suspicions began to arise that there might be something more.
An hour later, Elliot felt a little anxious. It was within the expected range for the second prince to roam the guild instead of quietly having tea in Elliot's office.
But why...
"Why are you ignoring me like this?"
Apart from avoiding personal conversations, Terence didn't even exchange the usual greetings with Elliot. After a blatant declaration of disdain.
"Your Royal Highness, you have examined the entire office area, and only the product warehouse remains."
Elliot spoke again. With a sociable smile.
"As a proud member of the Asteroth Empire, in Iver, we are willing to cooperate with the investigation. However, the accounting books and supporting documents are all that I sent before."
"......"
"I swear that Iver has always strived to comply with imperial law and will continue to do so in the future. That's the philosophy of the guild owner, Liena."
At that moment, a faint laughter from the second prince, who was facing away, was heard. Tsk.
"Your Highness?"
"No. Let's start with the product warehouse."
The second prince's face was expressionless as he turned to look at Elliot's call. But Elliot was sure. The fact that he had laughed at him.
"Arrogant bastard!"
Slowly, his patience reached its limit.
He was already very upset about Tara's situation, but he couldn't believe that guy was ignoring him and even mocking him.
Elliot's pride, which was at the top of the sky, couldn't tolerate it.
He boasted to a fool that he was fortunate to be born with royal blood. Take a look at the product warehouse and see what you find!
The investigation team headed to the product warehouse and carefully examined numerous stored items. However, Terence, who had guided them here, simply wandered around the warehouse without even bothering to investigate. In fact, he always had that insincere attitude.
Elliot felt furious. If things continued like this, there was a high chance that not only the second prince but also Ethel, who was suspected to be related to him, would be equally pathetic.
"Well, that's enough. The fact that it's pathetic doesn't mean their sin disappears."
Elliot will punish both. The second prince arrogantly interfered in Lady Liena's affairs, and Ethel made tears well up in her eyes. Especially Ethel kept bothering him.
"But let's take it easy. Because I have no intention of losing my life."
He would just make the rest of their lives a little more painful. Elliot smiled sinisterly to himself.
"Something is strange."
At that moment, Terence's unexpected comment got on Elliot's nerves.
After finishing the inspection of the product warehouse, they were about to return to Elliot's office.
"What's strange?"
It was an extremely common hallway. But Elliot felt a little uneasy. In reality, there was something hidden in this hallway.
"This wall."
The Second Prince advanced, hitting the hallway wall with his hands. Elliot's heartbeat unconsciously sped up.
"Is there a problem with that wall?"
He asked in a very indifferent manner. There was no way they could catch him. He had checked it himself several times. There was no way "that place" could be revealed just by touching the wall. Never!
Elliot's prediction was exactly correct this time. Terence, who was hitting the wall, passed through the critical area.
After that, the prince tilted his head for a long time as if it couldn't be like that. Someone must have reported the existence of "that."
"Is there a traitor? If so, who is it?"
Elliot, who had been spinning his head furiously, was momentarily paralyzed. The eyes of the second prince met his. The man who had been ignoring Elliot before was now staring at him for some reason.
"Your, Your Highness?"
"Assistant, what's happening...?"
The others nearby also seemed to have noticed the strange look and threw curious glances at the two.
The prince suddenly turned his gaze elsewhere. Elliot reflexively looked at that place and was startled. The prince was looking exactly at the problem.
Before Elliot could say anything, the prince heading there muttered to the wall.
"The sound is strange here. It feels like the space behind the wall is empty."
Don't say nonsense! Elliot wanted to shout.
How could he make a beginner's mistake by creating such a "thing" in question, that is, a secret space?
I've hit, shouted, kicked, and tried everything! The walls are perfectly smooth!
He definitely received insider information. And at the moment he was most sure of that fact, he finally began to understand the strange behavior of the prince.
"You're trying to accuse me of being a fraud!"
He continued to ignore Elliot but became noticeably aware when it came time to find the wall. How does he appear to others?
One might think the prince received some signal from him. The reason he deliberately ignored him was that Elliot kept his distance to not interfere in his internal affairs.
Elliot quickly examined the subordinates beside him. There was a high chance that these fools were in on it. Aren't they looking at him and the prince alternately with doubtful eyes?
You used your head. But that ended here.
He was confident. No matter how much the prince knew where the secret space was, opening the door was a different matter.
Elliot approached the second prince.
"Are you saying there's a space behind this?"
"I think so."
"In the design, it was an ordinary wall. Even if I call, I still don't know."
"Is there really no hidden space here?"
"As far as I know, none."
"Can I check it?"
"As you wish."
"Hmm, it seems there's a button around here that opens the wall when pressed."
Stupid, that wall is coded.
Moreover, only three people in this world know the password. Liena, the guild owner, Cecil, the acting guild owner, and finally, Elliot.
On the other hand, the workers who built the building and the wizard who cast the security spell knew the existence and location of the secret space.
All were loyal to Cassius, but some seemed to have fallen into the prince's trap.
The prince scanned the wall for a while, and when it became clear that there was nothing, he changed his words.
"Since there's no button, I suppose it must be a password."
"But what kind of password is this?"
It was clear that the prince was simply naming things arbitrarily, so Elliot responded indifferently. If it's the key to a secret space, it's either a button or a password.
"Well. I can't think of anything."
"Haha, should I say something?"
"... Yes, as much as you want."
What's with this confident attitude? As if he really knows the password.
No. It was clear he was bluffing. The prince will eventually give up on the code and suggest tearing down the wall. But that was also useless.
"If he tries to force open the door, the security magic will activate."
Immediately, a fire breaks out in the secret space, and all the documents are lost at once. It might be annoying in many ways, but it's better than being discovered.
"Well, what should I say first?"
The second prince slowly opened his lips.
"......"
But the silence continued. Finally, the prince frowned and stepped away from the wall.
Elliot almost burst into laughter for a moment.
Alright then! Pretending to be proud when you don't know anything!
"Jack."
At the prince's call, one of the people who came with the investigation team stepped forward. His master handed him a piece of paper.
"I wanted to say something if possible, but it was impossible. I give you the honor."
Jack's hand trembled as he unfolded the paper.
"Are you telling me to say this?"
"Yes. You have to say it out loud so everyone can hear."
"I...?"
"Don't you want to?"
"No. I'll follow your orders, Your Highness."
The prince only touched his shoulder once, and the young man stood in front of the wall.
"Your Highness, what is this...?"
It was when Elliot, who thought something was going strange, was about to take a step forward. Jack shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Miss Liena's tenderness is the best in the world! The tenderness of the young lady saves the world!"
The color drained from Elliot's face. That was the first sentence of a very, very long cipher.