99. joint investigation (3)

“Actually, there aren’t that many things you have to do in this inspection.”

Early in the morning, knights gathered in front of Count Benning. Dennis and Charlotte were reading through the material handed out on the table, keeping their eyes open for mistakes. However, the Count really had the intention of starting an investigation into the Mage Tower, and there were no errors in the document that revealed the corruption.

Leon Benning gave orders to the knights with the same inorganic eyes as always.

“In fact, most of the work is for people who struggle with paperwork. All you have to do while visiting the Magic Tower for a few days is to find the information the inspectors want and to cut out any obstacles that may come in the way. It can be summarized in these two things.”

Dennis asked, raising his hand.

“… Isn’t it a bit lacking in staff to have to scan the entire Mage Tower?”

Dennis, Charlotte, Maxim, and Adeline. Even the knights of Ikkidangcheon couldn’t help but lack manpower to tour the entire Mage Tower.

“This time, it is not a search and seizure, but an investigation in the form of an inspection. If we can detect solid evidence, then it won’t be too late to mobilize a large number of people.”

Leon Benning continued his instructions.

“There are two main things to investigate. These are the financial data of the Mage Tower and recent research achievements and research items.”

Leon Benning spread his fingers.

“-I will divide the number of investigators into two. Dennis, what you said makes no sense, so it would be much easier to search in two groups than to search in groups.”

The Count reached out in the direction where Dennis and Charlotte were sitting.

“As for the financial data, I’ll leave it to you and Sir Charlotte. I heard from His Majesty that the two of you often performed missions together.”

Charlotte answered with a frown, wondering whether it was because she was unhappy about being singled out by Count Benning or about being involved with Dennis.

“… That’s right.”

“You should take orders from one of the inspectors and act. And on the research side… .”

The count’s gaze turned to Maxim. Maxim could not help but think that he had somehow fallen into a trap.

“Did you say Arsene? You act together with Adeline. Adeline, are you okay?”

Maxim glanced at the knight approaching him. I couldn’t tell what kind of light the eyes were covered with black cloth.

“Yes, I will.”

It was an uncomfortable inside, but the only option given to Maxim was to answer that he would.

“… I will.”

Maxim responded to the Count’s words with a feeling of swallowing poison. If someone had to be with the count’s servant who didn’t know what to do, it was right that that person was himself.

Maxim had no choice but to peek at Adeline sitting next to him. A cloth covering his face as he turned his head towards where the Count’s voice came from. Maxim frowned slightly at the sight of him even nodding his head from time to time as if he could see ahead.

“Okay, then, with the above being the composition of the inspection team… The rest is up to you to do. I won’t interfere with everything you do on the spot, so feel free to use your abilities to investigate.”

Silence fell in the room after the count left with the inspectors. In the midst of everyone hesitantly looking at each other, only Adeline, a knight who didn’t seem to have judged the situation very well, turned her head toward the people with a tilt of her head.

Adeline tried to stare at people with her invisible eyes. Maxim looked at Adeline, Charlotte looked at Maxim with a worried look, and Dennis looked at all three with a worried expression. If no one said anything, he was ready to spend the night like this.

“… So, we have to set a course of action among ourselves.”

Dennis was the first to summon up the courage to speak up. At times like this, his outspoken personality helped quite a bit. Dennis called out to Charlotte, who looked uneasy at where Maxim and Adeline were sitting.

“Charlotte, you must remember all the instructions the inspector general gave you, right?”

Charlotte reluctantly took her eyes off them and nodded.

“Did you have any instructions? All we had to do was obtain the ledger details, if available, and compare them with our separate ledgers to find out the odd part. Regarding the inspection, it is better to raid without notification, so they said that we should take good care of the inspection cards given to each of us.”

Dennis let out a short sigh and fluttered the paper summarizing the ledger.

“I also told them to match up with the person who investigated the research materials, and to narrow down any oddities. We’d better start investigating right away this afternoon. The more time, the better.”

Then he turned his eyes to Maxim and Adeline.

“Arsene, what are you going to do?”

Maxim looked away as if he had heard a difficult question to answer. It was also a question that was difficult to answer. Maxim was not so sociable that he could talk openly about the strategy with someone who would not be strange if they stabbed each other with the point of a knife and stabbed their throats.

As Maxim continued to hesitate, Dennis regained his original voice and began to tease Maxim subtly.

“You don’t look so sukmac. Are you ashamed, Arsene?”

Knowing that those words were a pointless provocation to get him to open his mouth, Maxim tensed his temples.

“… First of all, it doesn’t seem like they’re going to hit the magic tower right away. After sneaking into the mage tower, I think it would be a good idea to keep an eye on the mage’s movements for the next two days.”

“Why do you think so?”

Relieved that the conversation had moved right away, Maxim answered Dennis’ question.

“Because if the seniors rush in to investigate the finances, it’s obvious that the wizards will try to destroy the research materials that ‘shouldn’t be seen’ or hide them somewhere we can’t find them.”

Maxim then nodded slightly towards Adeline.

“I probably won’t work as well as my seniors, so I don’t think I’ll be able to get the research data out quickly even if I start at the same time as the seniors.”

As if agreeing with Maxim’s words, Adeline’s head slowly nodded up and down.

“… It won’t be easy to fool the wizards’ eyes. Especially if you’re wearing a conspicuous outfit like that knight. It can get pretty dangerous.”

“If you get caught, you can use the identity of an investigator. Of course, you won’t find out, at least until you figure out what they’re trying to hide.”

Dennis shook his head slowly in disbelief.

“… Arsene, talk to me for a minute. Charlotte, will you wait here for a moment?”

Dennis stood up with Maxime before he could see Charlotte nod. Without knowing why, Maxim was led by Denis to the hallway outside the room.

“what’s going on?”

Dennis scanned the surroundings with a sharp gaze, as if alerting eyes and ears everywhere, and spoke to Maxim in a low voice as if warning.

“We still suspect that this whole investigation may be a trap for the Count.”

“Will the Count take this much effort to deal with us?”

“Possibilities are always something to be embraced, Arsene. The skills of that Adeline knight… As you may have noticed, it’s quite strong. I don’t know where the Count picked up such a monster.”

Dennis glanced back at the door behind him.

“Furthermore, the area assigned to you is to investigate research results. This is the area where wizards can react most sensitively. You never know what they will do to protect their research.”

Dennis’s expression was half contorted, as if he didn’t like it at all.

“You can’t come all the way here and say you’re giving up on the investigation, so be careful. As His Majesty said, if you feel anything strange, investigate unconditionally, slap them away and run away.”

“… I will be careful.”

With Dennis’ short sigh, their conversation ended. When Maxim opened the door again and entered the room, Charlotte’s expression, unable to bear the awkwardness, visibly relaxed.

“Well then, Charlotte and I are going to plan a strategy over lunch, what do you guys do?”

“You go first. We might as well start off.”

Charlotte and Dennis left the room, leaving behind Maxim who waved his hand, saying not to worry. The only ones left in the empty room were Maxim and Adeline sitting quietly.

“… .”

“… .”

A suffocating silence passed. Maxim was straining his posture so that he could reach out at any time, but he didn’t feel any sign of anything from his opponent. He was confused about whether he should relax and talk to him, or whether he should move on his own.

“Are you not going to move?”

The sudden voice raised Maxim’s vigilance. A cold, cold voice escaped from between those lips.

“What are you so surprised about? I am blind, not deaf or mute.”

Maxim responded to Adeline’s words in a voice that showed a hint of bewilderment.

“… He hadn’t said a word until now, so he was surprised when he suddenly spoke.”

“I just thought there was no need to say anything. It seemed like I was having a strategy meeting with my colleagues, but I can’t suddenly intervene, can’t I?”

Adeline turned her head precisely towards Maxim, as if she were seeing, and moved her head as if she was scanning him up and down.

“So, are you thinking of not going out?”

“Exodus, what is that… .”

“Ever since my co-workers left the room, it seemed that their bodies were not relaxing. It seemed to be prepared so that I could get my hands on the sword at any time.”

Maxim laughed at Adeline’s words as if she was absurd. Signs were being picked up. It would have been difficult for even a blind person to notice, but Adeline was able to see Maxim’s actions simply by feeling the wind.

“… You can’t see ahead, can you?”

“As the Count said before, because I am blind, I can feel emotions much better than others. It is not difficult to find out what kind of person the opponent is wearing.”

Would you like to try it out?

Adeline tilted her head as she asked, and Maxim relaxed. That knight seemed confident enough to stop Maxim even if he stretched out his sword without warning. Maxim shook his head and replied as if making excuses.

“… I had no intention of leaving. Unless you reach out your sword to me first.”

Adeline’s head tilted the other way. Her dark blue hair was flowing and gently swaying along her head.

“Why do you think I will attack you?”

Maxim frowned. Was that question really a question of pure intention, or was it simply a question to sarcastic yourself? The monotonous voice, without pitch, did not reveal any fragments of emotion.

“Aren’t we close enough to have a pleasant chat about how to shake off the magic tower?”

Although the body’s guard was released, Maxim said with a raised voice. Adeline answers Maxim’s words with cold words, like a metal doll.

“Yes. Of course, they would not be foolish enough to point their swords at each other over a common enemy.”

The target to be vigilant right now is you, but what. Maxim couldn’t bring himself to answer and sighed.

“You are calm. You should be wary of me too.”

When Maxim replied sarcastically, Adeline shrugged.

“Because it was the count’s order. To act with you.”

As if that were all, Adeline’s answer was firm. Maxim was very uncomfortable with that answer. The silence lengthened. If we continued like this, instead of starting the investigation of the mage tower, it seemed like we would end up running out of time fighting each other. Thinking that even the initiative in action should not be taken away, Maxim got up from his seat. Adeline’s head turned as Maxim made a sound as she stood up.

What are you doing? Maxim answered the question with a sigh.

“Aren’t you eating?”

Adeline tilted her head again, as if she had heard a strange question. Somehow, it seemed that her invisible expression could be seen at least a little.

To her who was sitting without standing up, Maxim said as if he was looking at a pitiful person.

“Let’s have lunch and discuss it in detail. Does the Count make you work without feeding him lunch?”

At Maxim’s blunt words, Adeline rose from her seat. Although shorter than Maxim, he was a rather tall knight. A lot taller than Marion and a bit taller than Theodora. Adeline raised her head towards Maxim. Eyes that do not exist meet in the air.

“… You’d better be careful with your mouth.”

Adeline warned Maxim, who was talking badly about the Count. There seemed to be a little bit of emotion in his toneless voice. Maxim let out a small sigh. How long to continue sleeping with the enemy, it seemed that my eyes were at a loss.