# 99
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It pricked my conscience when I opened this secret space on my own, but I had no choice but to be sure.
While I was biting my lip, I remembered something that happened not long ago.
〈I'll go finish work, so you can get some rest.〉
When Viscount Bardo and Lucio confront each other.
I became aware like a thunderbolt of the faint scent I smelled from Lucio as he passed by me.
The smell emanating from it was the same as the guild leader Daryl who entered my room last time.
When I visited the guild or met him in the Maze Garden, I didn't really notice him because of the distance, but I clearly remembered the day he entered my room because he was different from usual.
“Lucio was really....”
In fact, I was fairly sure, but after seeing it with my own eyes, I had nothing to say.
Once the magical energy was injected into the artifact disguised as a book, the bookshelf began to move with a clicking sound.
In the secret location that was revealed, there was a fairly large area that resembled a study.
Reports cluttered on the desk and papers taped to the wall contain information on the inside and outside of the Empire that appears to have been recently collected, and seals used when completing orders from Daryl have also been found in various places.
I couldn't help but admit it.
“Daryl……Elad.”
I realized, still muttering in shock, that only Darryl's spelling had changed to Elad.
Lucio is truly Darryl's owner.
At that moment, it seemed that my pride in being a high-ranking agent of Terenceum, the best intelligence guild in the Empire, was shattered.
“Just because I knew he was a sword master doesn't mean I knew everything.”
Now that I thought about it, I remembered how puzzled Lucio was when he saw that among the inconsistent books he was reading, there was a romance novel.
Why didn't I notice this sooner?
The Guilds often secretly exchanged information through popular novels that could be found in any library.
The same applies when notifying each branch of an emergency.
Of course, the encryption and decryption methods for each are different, so I don't know the details, but the way all guilds handle information is probably similar.
Aside from that, things like his unique tone of voice and his favorite tea to drink….
Now that I think about it, there were some hints, but now I realize it.
I sighed because I felt foolish.
〈Are you going to sign a contract with me or not? I'm a busy person, can you answer quickly? 〉
〈Is this your house? Why do you come and go like it's your home?〉
“Ah!”
At that moment, the ridiculous statements I had made to Lucio began to come to mind.
I was upset with my memory today when the dark history came to mind so clearly.
I barely suppressed the urge to lie down and cry on the spot and regained my composure by moaning.
I decided to organize the situation again.
“Why was the Alternative Information Syndicate created?”
The guild would have their own staff to collect information, but I don't know why they created a separate guild.
Looking back, Lucio was a political and quiet person.
This is because they took into account all the circumstances, guessed the relationship, and acted by calculating the roles and conflicts between the nation and the people.
So there must be a clear goal in this matter...
“…Emperor?”
An idea suddenly came to my mind that gave me goosebumps.
Nicholas quickly emerged as the next emperor by resolving important diplomatic issues in my previous life!
As usual, Duke Elad, like the Emperor, remained quietly neutral in the matter of succession to the throne.
Therefore, although it was suspicious, I could not establish a great relationship between Nicholas and Duke Elade….
“Is it possible that even the Duke doesn't know about this?”
So, you founded a guild without using the manpower within the Duke's house?
Although there was no confirmation, it was the most logical conclusion I could come to when I combined all the information I knew.
Lucio put Nicholas in the fight for the throne, avoiding the eyes of the Emperor and the Duke.
Nicholas may have seen himf as the most suitable person to be emperor under various circumstances, including the revival of Elad.
“Yes, Lucio can do that.”
This is the person who founded a guild while attending the academy and raised it to the point that it threatened Turnsium a few years later.
No matter how shattered my pride was, I became more and more confident because I had been dealing with the information for so long.
"Yes . … ".
Now that I thought about it, a new memory came to mind.
“Daryl has tried to scout me several times.”
Of course, I flat out refused because I had no intention of leaving Terenceum, but they were very adamant about contacting me.
I was upset because he was constantly harassing me, so I warned him, and he also said that if Rosero came and listened to my story just once, he would stop coming.
“If I had gone there then, I might have met Lucio.”
Of course, because he changed his appearance with an artifact, he probably had no idea that the guild leader was Lucio.
“Ah! Impossible...”
At that moment, when I was dying, I remembered that Lucio was calling my name, which I had never told him.
“So you knew?”
I don't know if I realized that I was that ar child at that time.
However, he must have known that the person he was trying to scout for his guild was Detective Leia.
No, it was more likely that he knew that way.
I had already given up that I would never get an answer, but my question was answered.
But it felt weird.
I think I'm a little disappointed.
“...I thought you might remember already.”
Although most of my memories as a ar were miserable and wretched, I considered the time I spent with Lucio to be a very good memory.
So I guess I was hoping that maybe it wasn't just my memory.
“Heh, that's not important right now, I have to come to my senses!”
I shook my head and lightly patted both cheeks.
Old stories from the past are not important at all.
To be honest, the purpose of Lucio creating the Information Guild didn't matter much to me.
“Instead, I'm more worried about how I'll face Lucio, or rather the guild leader.”
I did reveal some of my abilities by saving the Duchess, but I know I also tried to do something different, so maybe this is good.
“What a wicked and strange child he must look like.”
Of course, he wasn't pretending to know I was breaking the rules of the contract, but I felt depressed for no reason.
“For now, let us rest today and think about tomorrow.”
After thinking about it for a while, she sighed, returned to the secret place, and left the library.
Suddenly I knew so much that I felt like my head was going to explode.
Honestly, I felt lost and depressed, but what could I do? Tomorrow's work will be my responsibility, right?
* * *
Time flies and it's been two months already.
The palace had been noisy since the morning.
It was normal.
“Because it's the day Lucio returns.”
Although there was still a graduation ceremony, the academy students scheduled to graduate this year had completed all the courses and ended their lives in the dormitory today.
When you think about it, it's a strange thing.
“Why did you graduate early?”
Of course, it's said that Lucio never missed the grand prize every year, so he could have if he wanted to.
But it seems that in the past he was still attending the academy when I was ten years old.
But I couldn't figure out why he returned to the palace a year ago.
'Okay, that's none of my business, let's not worry anymore.'
I quickly shook my head.
In the past two months, I had only met once with Daryl's Guild Leader, Lucio, who was not a master I served.
Originally, we were supposed to meet four more times, but after postponing and postponing it, it finally happened.
After much thought, this is the conclusion I came to.
〈I think I should cancel the contract. …This, I know there is still time left on the contract, but instead, I made five times as many magic stones as one month's worth, including work leave, so with this….〉
〈Impossible...〉
〈Of course, since I arbitrarily broke the contract, I will also pay a fine!〉
The more Lucio spoke, holding the magic stone that I worked so hard to craft with all my mana, the more somber his expression became.
I had no choice but to cough up blood and say that I would pay the fine, sighing louder.
It was strange.
Although the magic of appearance is applied, is it possible to know the truth? I felt as if I could see Lucio's face in the face of the unfamiliar older man.
〈I mean they did this again...〉
〈The punishment is good〉
I, who had been tilting my head at the words whose meaning I did not understand, was surprised by Lucio's words.
Perhaps because he was the heir of a great noble family, he had great courage.
However, he said that it would take some time to convert the jewelry he bought in advance into cash and l the magic stones he created.
Except last month, I was the one who asked for bail, and I was the one who arbitrarily terminated the contract, so I said I will wait without saying anything.
If the full payment is made next month as promised, my relationship with Darryl will be over.
'So now all I have to do is pretend not to know.'
Lucio is also in disguise anyway, so he'll never pretend to know me.
As we have done so far, it is best to pretend that we do not know each other.
then.
"Kyaa! Finally, I haven't been able to sleep a wink since last night because I was so excited."
“The sun and the moon rise at the same time, what if I die because I’m too high?”
As she left the room to pick up Diana, she heard the voices of excited maids.
Even though I was laughing at myf, I felt my heart beating for some reason.
Today was not the only day Lucio came to the palace.
This was the day when Grand Duke Pylos and Ascart also visited the Duke of Elade.
'And soon. ...Can he meet Bianca again!'
The news was that Archduke Bellus and his wife were visiting the Empire to attend their son's graduation ceremony.