Chapter 116

“Earl Nen?”

The hotel staff, who had naturally joined the conversation, froze when Shaterian asked the question, realizing they might have spoken too much.  

“Apologies. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop…”  

“It’s fine. But why is Earl Nen being mentioned here?”  

“Ah… Do you truly not know?”  

“No, I don’t.”  

“Earl Nen is the Marquis’ younger brother.”  

“…They’re family?”  

Shaterian turned to Orgon at this new revelation.  

“You didn’t know?”  

“No, I didn’t.”  

Skipping over Eched, she glanced at Lord Taltos.  

“I didn’t know either.”  

No matter whom they asked, no one in the knight order seemed aware of the Marquis’ familial ties.  

Well, considering how complex noble family relationships tended to be, it wasn’t surprising that no one paid attention unless they had a specific reason to.  

When Shaterian turned back to the staff member, they gave an awkward smile.  

“The former Earl often visited the Marquisate, so everyone here knows about it.”  

“The people of the Marquisate must have liked Earl Nen a lot, then?”  

“No, not really. They liked the donations he made more than the Earl himself. The donations from Earl Nen significantly improved the Marquisate’s circumstances. Of course, we only found out where that money came from after Earl Nen was captured.”  

Donations.  

The source of that money was undoubtedly the illegal auction house.  

“So, because the donations stopped, they’ve been showing hostility toward us?”  

“Probably. Even though it was dirty money, when the economy suddenly worsened, their resentment was directed at the Imperial Family.”  

In summary, Earl Nen had been funneling profits from the illegal auction house into the Marquisate as donations.  

But even after Earl Nen’s capture, traces of dark magic could still be felt from the Marquis.  

“So the Marquis was behind Earl Nen all along.”  

No wonder the situation had unfolded so smoothly.  

It was because Marquis Kulnensi had cut ties with Earl Nen, making it easier for them to capture him.  

“Everything is falling into place now.”  

It was clear that the dark sorcerer who had been helping with the auction was the one who had left traces of dark magic on the Marquis.  

Back when they had captured people involved in the auction, there had only been ordinary mages and dark sorcerers, which had seemed odd. Who would have thought the real culprit would be found in such an unexpected place?  

“But is it okay to tell us something like this?”  

Shaterian asked the staff member, who, unlike others in the Marquisate, seemed friendly toward them.  

The staff member shrugged.  

“We’re immigrants who were outside the scope of those benefits.”  

Despite receiving unprecedented support from the Imperial Family thanks to immigrants, this was how immigrants were treated.  

“But once you’ve immigrated, wouldn’t you technically be residents of the Marquisate?”  

Such pointless discrimination.  

“Not all immigrants are treated the same. For example, the owner of this hotel donated a large sum upon immigrating and has received every benefit imaginable.”  

It was no wonder the Marquis was wary of them.  

If the Imperial Family were to investigate due to any misstep, not only would the Marquis’ poor governance be exposed, but also his ties to the illegal auction house.  

The staff member, who had answered their questions so candidly, left, and the group resumed their discussion.  

“I’ve also heard that there have been frequent disappearances in the Marquisate lately.”  

“Yes, I’ve heard about it. But other than the fact that the culprit hasn’t been caught, there’s nothing unusual.”  

“I believe a dark sorcerer is involved.”  

“A dark… sorcerer?”  

“A dark sorcerer?”  

The group sitting at the table looked at Shaterian in surprise, as this was the first time they had heard such a thing.  

“I sensed traces of dark magic from Marquis Kulnensi.”  

The dark sorcerer who had aided the auction and orchestrated kidnappings was behind the Marquis.  

If they could thoroughly investigate the Marquis, they could expose everyone involved, like unraveling a tightly wound thread.  

“We should gather more information and evidence first.”  

So that the Marquis would have no escape, like a slippery eel.  

Having roughly decided on their next steps, Shaterian turned her gaze to Lord Taltos, who had been bothering her since earlier.  

He was gulping down ale, his large Adam’s apple bobbing with each swallow. In the short time they had been talking, the table had filled with empty mugs.  

“Lord Taltos, are you an alcoholic? You should get treatment when we return to the Imperial Palace.”  

What was with him drinking ale like it was water?  

Though Shaterian knew he had always been fond of alcohol, this was excessive.  

“You should consider the staff too. If you’re going to keep making them run back and forth, you might as well sit next to a barrel and drink straight from it.”  

At her sharp words, Taltos sheepishly set down the mug he had been holding.  

“I don’t mind, Madame. It’s my job, after all!”  

The staff member, who had brought yet another mug of ale, placed it on the table and collected the empty ones.  

“…The Marquisate is known for its ale, after all…”  

“The ale here is indeed delicious. Especially the ale at our hotel—it’s the finest quality.”  

Shaterian glanced at the golden ale.  

Thinly sliced lemon floated atop the frothy white foam.  

As she eyed the mug, Taltos slid it toward her.  

“Would you like to try it? It’s sweet and smooth—a real treat.”  

“Well…”  

Though tempted by the thought of tasting the specialty, Shaterian was abstaining from alcohol.  

But the refreshing look of the ale kept catching her eye, making it hard to resist.  

“A glass or two is basically just water.”  

“Is that so?”  

In the end, Shaterian gave in to Taltos’ coaxing.  

What she failed to consider was that she didn’t know how to stop once she started.  

Her resolve to only take a sip disappeared the moment the ale touched her lips.  

The ale, as Taltos had described, was sweet and smooth, sliding down her throat effortlessly.  

One glass brought a sense of cheer, four glasses brought endless laughter, and by the sixth glass, her vision began to blur.  

Taltos’ hearty laughter echoed around the table.  

Mugs clinked together, their contents disappearing into their throats as if by magic.  

Before long, everything went dark.  

When Shaterian woke the next day, bright daylight greeted her.  

She was lying on the same bed she had slept in the night before.  

Her back ached from lying in one position for too long, so she rolled onto her side.  

Her body felt heavy, like a waterlogged sponge, but it wasn’t unpleasant.  

Considering how much she had drunk, it was a relief she didn’t have a hangover.  

There were no other sounds in the room. It seemed Eched had gone out.  

How had I gotten back to the room last night…?  

The only memories that came to mind were the taste of ale and laughing with Lord Taltos.  

As she smacked her lips, a sharp pain stopped her.  

“Ah…”  

Startled, she sat up and looked for a mirror.  

Her hair was a mess, and her face was swollen.  

But what puzzled her most were her lips.  

Puffy and a deep red, they looked as though they had been kissed and bitten repeatedly.  

‘What on earth happened…?’  

If this was evidence of a kiss, the only person who could have done it was Eched.  

Shaterian tried to recall the events of the previous night but couldn’t remember anything clearly.  

She vaguely remembered being carried to bed in Eched’s arms.  

While she couldn’t recall the details, she remembered having a conversation with him.  

“So what happened next?”  

Her mind was foggy, like a clouded mirror.  

She gave up trying to piece together the night and went to find Eched on the first floor.  

Eched was sitting in the dining area with Orgon.  

“You’re awake.”  

Eched greeted her as she approached, while Orgon, for some reason, looked delighted, his eyes curving mischievously.  

Shaterian felt self-conscious about her disheveled appearance compared to their neat and composed demeanor. She pressed her hair down with her palm.  

“Terry, you look better than I expected. Considering how much you drank, I thought you wouldn’t get up at all today.”  

“I didn’t drink that much…”  

“You did.”  

Eched firmly corrected her.  

“Terry, I’m glad to see you getting along so well with the Knight Commander.”  

Before she could respond with a confused “What?” Orgon’s gaze lingered on her swollen lips, making her close her mouth.  

This is so embarrassing… 

If only she could remember what had happened, it wouldn’t feel so mortifying.  

Feigning nonchalance, she sat between them.  

“The knights are investigating the marketplace, but there haven’t been any significant reports yet. It seems like it’ll take some time to uncover anything.”

Although this was a somewhat disappointing update, Shaterian nodded, as she hadn’t expected to hit a major lead on the first day.  

“Let’s eat first and then head out.”  

“How about taking a break today? Rushing around doesn’t guarantee we’ll find anything.”  

“Still, if we move, we might find at least something. I want to go home as soon as possible.”  

No matter how comfortable the accommodations were, nothing could compare to home.  

“When I finally resolve everything and return, I’m going to demand a long vacation.”  

If she got her vacation, she planned to spend three full days lying in bed, doing nothing but pretending to be a cocoon.  

“Who told you to stay here for so long?”  

“……”  

It felt unfair. It wasn’t as if she had come here because she wanted to.  

‘Well, I did want to come, but if I’d known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have.’  

But in the end, it was her decision to come. She merely shot a brief glare at Orgon before letting it go.  

After a simple meal, they prepared to investigate the marketplace and set off.  

Their first destination was 5th Avenue, where they intended to check if any of the immigrants had gone missing.  

Accurately identifying the number of missing persons was one of the most reliable ways to catch the culprit.  

When they arrived at 5th Avenue, it somehow appeared even more rundown than it had the first time.