After stepping inside, I had my work cut out for me locating the person I was after. This was more like a dining hall for large crowds, and was full of people—young and old, men and women. When I finally found the man I was after, I saw him grinning as he drank his liquor and ate his meal. He had a beautiful woman on either side, both fawning over him.
My reaction was difficult to describe. At first, I was just stunned, but then his utter nonchalance started to awaken an indescribable fear inside me. According to my information, this man had committed some fairly heinous acts, but you’d never guess that from his current appearance. In all my years as a mercenary, I’d never seen anyone who was deeply involved in criminal activity yet gave so little indication of it. After quickly wiping my now uncharacteristically sweaty palms on my clothes, I approached the man, smiling as I did so.
“A lady on each arm, I see. How enviable.”
“I bet,” he said, before reaching out with both arms to pull the women closer to himself.
The women both shrieked coquettishly, and smiles broke across their faces. I doubted that any ordinary drunk would have provoked this reaction from them, but anyhow, this man was good-looking. With his refined features and warm smile, he seemed like he’d be popular with women.
“I’d like to spend some time with these ladies myself. Mind if I sit across from you?” I asked, after noting there were a lot of other diners sharing tables.
“Hmmm,” intoned the man, inclining his head in thought before saying, “If I let a handsome fellow like you butt in, you might snatch them from me, just when we were getting close. So I hope you’ll accept my refusal.”
Though he said this in a jocular fashion, it was still a rejection.
I pondered how to deal with this obstacle, but before I could say anything, the girls chimed in.
“Goodness, don’t you know we’re both crazy about you?” said one, addressing the man. “We won’t be won over so easily by another man.”
“That’s right,” said the other woman. “So please, mister, feel free to join us.”
With smiles on their faces, they both encouraged me to sit down.
Though I don’t like to brag, women also find my face quite appealing. Looks like that came in handy.
“Thanks,” I said to the women, before quickly sitting down in the empty chair and ordering myself a drink and a meal.
“Mister, are you from another country?” asked one of the man’s companions with evident interest. I made sure to give noncommittal answers to their questions.
As I spoke with them, I learned the women had simply hit it off with the man when he came to this eatery, and had decided to keep him company. It wasn’t as if they’d known each other for any great length of time.
The very idea that he had managed to snag these two women in such a short period of time, and become familiar enough with them that they didn’t complain when he put his arms around them, told me that he was an even bigger womanizer than I’d been told. However, just talking with the man in this setting gave the impression that he didn’t have any skeletons in his closet. He seemed like nothing more than a cheerful fellow who just really liked women.
When I asked him what he did for work, he told me, almost absentmindedly, that he was employed by another nearby shop. His mannerisms, too, were like those of any ordinary commoner, giving off no impression that he was a former nobleman.
After we had spoken for a while, the women said that they would have to be heading home, and got up to leave.
With that being the case, naturally the man also stood up to accompany them.
“It’s no fun drinking with only men for company, so I’ll have to excuse myself,” he said, and started to leave the table.
If I let this man get away now, and he’s more cautious from now on, I might not get another chance to question him.
“We’re just getting to know each other,” I said, desperate to keep the man here. “Why not stay a little longer? Please, tell me more about etiquette in Sorcié’s noble society.” I thought this might get some kind of reaction out of the man, but he replied without moving an eyebrow.
“Ha ha ha, what are you talking about? Perhaps you’ve confused me for someone else? Or maybe you’re already drunk? If so, you’d better head back to your lodgings quickly.”
He really didn’t react at all. Could my information be wrong? Although, well, I really don’t think that man would have given me false information.
To test the waters, I decided to let slip one of the details I’d been told. If he really had nothing to do with the conspiracy, I doubted he’d even understand what it meant, so I saw no problem with saying it.
Even after hearing it, the man’s expression still didn’t change. But then...
“Looks like you’re cleverer than I thought,” he said, and grinned.
After seeing the look on his face, I finally felt certain that the information I’d been given was accurate.
“I can’t talk here,” the man declared. “Let’s go somewhere else.”
I followed him as he, with the bottle he’d been drinking from in hand, staggered out of the dining hall. After slipping down an alleyway on one side of the place, he leaned back against one of the walls. He noticed my wary look.
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to you,” he drawled, urging me to come closer.
After confirming that Janne was close enough that he could quickly run over to help me if needed, I joined the man, standing beside him and leaning back against the wall in the same way. Despite this apparently relaxed posture, I remained tense enough that I could move at a moment’s notice.