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“Oh, Sister it tickles!”
Diana couldn’t help but wriggle with her whole body and burst into laughter.
Morning kisses and friendly greetings on both cheeks, and even a light trick tickling her stomach.
I just did what I wanted my parents to do for me if I had one someday, but I was proud because Diana liked it so much.
But behind the smile on my lips, I was actually a little sad.
It was because the shock of learning the secrets of the Tessar Orphanage still lingered.
A few days ago…
After putting Diana to sleep and perfectly hiding my presence, I headed to the empty director’s office.
Even though there were only helpless children at the orphanage, the director locked the door every time he went out, and it was the same even today.
However, it was not much of a problem for me, who came and went casually to the noble’s mansion, which was properly guarded and secure.
First of all, I lightly blocked the noise around the director’s office and set a barrier so that no one could approach near it, and I took out the needle I had prepared in advance during the day.
The needles that received the moonlight glistened and reflected the light for a while.
Tic-tac, click, click~
After inserting the needle into the hole of the doorknob and lifting the fixed pin of the rotating device with several movements, the door to the director’s office opened easily.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been infiltrating like this…’
In fact, I was more accustomed to going in and out through the window after hiding my presence with mana.
However, unlocking this level of lock was not a problem, and setting up a barrier around it for a while takes much less mana consumption.
‘I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I have to save my mana as much as possible.’ Lia thought for a moment.
Although the amount of mana increased suddenly, it was difficult to control as detailed as lines because my current body wasn’t not used to handling mana yet.
Moreover, from the beginning before going back here in the past, it was a custom to use fewer manas efficiently.
“Now, then, let’s find out what the director has been hiding.”
Entering the director’s office, Lia put her short arms over her waist and squinted inside the room.
From the day I returned to the past, I was instinctively convinced that the director was hiding something.
Just as expected. I burst out laughing when I found the orphanage operation report and accounting books on the director’s desk, written for the purpose of applying for a subsidy needed by the orphanage.
“Sigh… I can’t believe it.”
If someone didn’t know the letters, they wouldn’t understand this. After joining the guild, it was my job to sort letters, and learn simple accounting from Lope, an executive in charge of management.
There was no way that I wouldn’t be able to read such a sloppy book.
“Compared to that time, prices right now must be lower, so how come we spend so much money on food?”
Even a passing dog wouldn’t believe it.
“What, books and toys for the water bill?””
Even the children’s clothes were from the village so that the children could get dressed.
“Well… It’s not that I didn’t expect this to happen, but where’s the real thing?”
Such a book would not be a secret hidden by the director. I looked over again, from the desk drawer to the underside, not missing anything.
But strangely enough, I could not find anything.
At that moment, I closed my eyes with a thought that came to my mind.
There was something that touched my nerves sensitively when I raised the mana and activated the detection magic.
Only then did I find a mana stone the size of a fingernail attached to a lamp.
“…Why is this here?”
My mouth went agape when I saw the artifact equipped with the magic stone in question.
The artifact had a spell of cognitive impairment.
The illusion magic that deceives people’s perception and sight was one of the most difficult psychic magic.
I never thought I’d find something with such expensive magic in an old orphanage located in the remote mountains, not even in a mansion of a nobleman or wealthy aristocrat.
“How bad is the situation going to be?”
Unable to hide my absurdity, I immediately lifted the magic on the artifact and looked around the room again.
Then I pounded my little foot on the floor just below the desk. I felt a subtle difference from the other floors.
I quickly crouched down and pressed down on the hooked part with my fingertips, and the safe was finally revealed.
“…!”
Inside the safe, I found a book and sealed documents that were incomparably thicker than the previous one. At that I froze coldly.
Inside the ledger hidden by the director were the names and ages of the children who had stayed at the orphanage and left.
And the many familiar names written next to it…
I have prided myself on being the best among the top informants in Terencium.
I was also good at reading mana and stealth magic, and was able to perform several simple magics with the same skills as my male colleagues.
But, above all else, I was confident in my observation and memory.
Thanks to this, I was able to perform my duties well even when I couldn’t bring documents or information.
This means that I can clearly remember the names of the criminals who shook the Empire with their slave auctions.
“These bastards…”