I had realized then that this fact could prove very damaging to the upper echelon of the kingdom’s society. If I, the Prince of Ethenell, could expose this crime and present evidence as to its perpetrator, it could win me a great deal of favor with Sorcié. To that end, ever since coming here to study, I’d continued my investigation behind the scenes, but I hadn’t found any promising leads.
The wheels really started to turn again when I had asked the boy I met at the orphanage what the man he saw when he was brought to Sorcié looked like. The incident report I’d received from Sorcié had claimed that the man was “just a lowly goon,” but now I realized that I knew him. He was someone with whom I’d become somewhat acquainted in my time as a mercenary.
And I knew that he was not just some lowly goon. He was known for being shrewd and highly skilled, and for nearly always succeeding in the work he was given. I couldn’t believe that someone like him would have been working as a mere minion for morons. Using my connections from my mercenary days, as well as all the money I had, I searched for him.
Then, while I continued my work in Sorcié, visiting workplace after workplace, I awaited news of his whereabouts. And that very report had just arrived.
“I’ll be going out for a little while, late at night,” I said to Janne.
Janne understood exactly what this implied.
“Right, then I’ll make sure I’m ready too.”
This was an exchange we had often shared during my mercenary days.
“Yeah. I’m counting on you,” I said, then decided to take a short nap.
After entering my bedroom, I lay down on the couch and closed my eyes, only to see the face of the woman I’d just spoken with earlier that day.
“Cezar, could it be that you have someone special on your mind?”
She had asked this with the most innocent look on her face. If it had been calculated, she was one hell of an actress, but I was sure that wasn’t the case.
Jeez, looks like the girl I’ve fallen for is nothing but trouble, I thought to myself, even as a feeling of warmth spread within my chest, and I fell into a pleasant sleep.
In the dead of night, under cover of darkness, Janne and I slipped out of the castle and into town, just as we had planned. Taking care not to be noticed, we eventually came to a dimly lit tavern in a far corner of the town. Though the tavern wasn’t particularly large, we found there were still a few empty seats—perhaps the tavern was just too far out of most people’s way to get a lot of patrons. It seemed to be a place where regular customers came to drink their liquor in peace and quiet. No one was making a fuss. They all drank silently.
In one corner—in a spot I suspected was near the back door—I found a man sitting alone, nursing his drink. The man, plain-looking and of medium height and build, typically didn’t stick in anyone’s memory. I guess this was partly because he conducted himself in such a way as to avoid standing out. That boy I’d met in the orphanage, who had managed to remember him, must have keen powers of observation. He might be a major player in years to come.
I casually walked up to the man.
“Mind if I sit next to you?”
After looking carefully at my face, the man’s eyes widened slightly for a moment, but then he nodded slightly.
“I know you... You’re doing pretty well for a former mercenary. Though I guess it’s more remarkable that you ever chose that path in the first place, given your standing,” muttered the man softly, furrowing his brow at first, but following this with a wry chuckle.
Looks like neither of us needs any introduction.
“I’m honored to hear that you remember me,” I stated with a smile.
The man returned this with a frown that was deeper than before.
“So, what does a prince want with the likes of me?” he said, implicitly insisting that I get straight to the point.
Without delay, I obliged him. As he listened to what I had to say, the wrinkles in the man’s brow became steadily deeper, and when I was finished, he let out a long sigh.
“Guess they don’t call you the Golden Wolf for nothing. I doubt those nobles ever would have gotten this far on their own.”
“Thanks.”
“Given what you already know, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to make an enemy of the Golden Wolf, or the royal family of Ethenell more generally. But this will have an effect on the work I can do in the future. So I won’t talk for free.”
I had expected this answer, so I proceeded to offer up some information I’d gathered that I thought he might like to know about.
“All right,” the man said after pondering this for a spell. “You’ve got yourself a deal. But I can only tell you so much.”
“Sure, I’m fine with whatever you feel you can tell me.”
If he told me too much, he’d probably put himself in danger. But I did gain some new information from him. It concerned someone working behind the scenes in Sorcié.
“I’ve said a bit too much, so I think I’ll go live in another country for a while,” said the man as he got up to leave. I watched him depart, then made my next move, following the new lead I’d just acquired.
A few days after my discussion with the man in the tavern, I had finally determined the whereabouts of this figure who lurked behind the scenes. Just like the last time, together with Janne, I slipped out of the castle under cover of darkness, heading to a new destination in town.
This place was close to the center of town—and very brightly lit. It was so different from where I’d met my informant last time that I actually started to doubt it was the right place. Looking into the restaurant, I saw people eating, drinking, making noise, and having a good time. This was the exact opposite of the atmosphere in the previous place.