Once I arrived at the Agency, I went straight to the Chief’s room. Mooks-san, Suou and I walked in succession, but we drew a lot of attention from the people inside, so we moved quickly. Naturally, all the attention was towards Suou.
When we arrived in the Chief’s room, Mooks-san sat at his desk while Suou and I sat at the sofa and table set. There were two sets of two-seater sofas with a low table in between. And now, for some reason we are sitting together side by side. No, it’s not like I was aiming to sit with him. When I sat down first, this guy just came and sat next to me. I thought for sure that he would sit on the opposite sofa. Normally, you wouldn’t sit side by side. Right? Mooks-san also seemed to be dumbfounded.
Since I couldn’t calm down, I stood up and decided to prepare some tea. Who would sit next to someone you just got acquainted with, and moreover with some idiotic guy I don’t understand at all.
「Mooks-san, I’ll go prepare some tea. I’ll return soon!」
I left the room without hearing his reply and headed towards the kitchenette on the same floor. Since I always used it, I had become familiar with it. I prepared the tea and immediately returned to the room. It was a little disappointing that there were no tea cake as this was unexpected.
When I returned to the room, nothing had changed since I went out, and so I put their teas before them and sat down on the sofa with the tea in my hand. Of course, I then sat on the sofa opposite of Suou! It’s no exaggeration to say that it was for this reason I went to prepare tea.
Despite that, this fool…! I don’t know what this fool was thinking, but he purposely moved next to me! My actions became meaningless!!
「A~z, give up. There are things in this world you can’t change. Then, since the tea has been prepared, is it okay for us to start talking? Sorry but please excuse me for handling paperwork while we talk.」
As he said that he looked at the mountain of documents on his desk, and sighed deeply. Is it alright if I also breathe a deep sigh? I understand there are things in this world that’s helpless, but is this also included in that? I definitely cannot accept that!? But, time is also valuable.
「I won’t mind you doing so. If there is something that I can help with I’ll help, and if it seems like I’m in the way, I’ll go to the restroom after we finish talking? N? Isn’t it better to talk after you finished working?」
「Well…I don’t need help…right now. Un. It’s better to finish the talk now for many reasons so let’s do it now. Is that fine with you?」
Mooks-san looked towards Suou and confirmed it with him.
「Ahh. There’s no problem.」
How conceited!! Who does he think he is!! Who is he in the first place!? While I was becoming quite annoyed, Mooks-san started to work on the documents just like he said he would. How skillful! It’s a trick that I would never be able to copy.
「First of all, it’s about the matter of Suzuella that Az was curious about. This time, it involves a top secret request from the country. Originally, I’m not allowed to tell you but there’s the matter with Suzuella and the two of you are slightly involved so I’ll tell the both of you as an exception, but it’s forbidden to disclose this to anyone else. Got it? However, I won’t be able to tell you everything. I hope you understand that.」
I unconsciously gulped. It was important to the point that it was a request from the country. Then the Knight Corps would naturally be involved…no, it was because it was a request from the country that the Knight Corps were there. It was within my expectations.
「I understand. I will definitely keep everything you tell me a secret.」
「Got it.」
From there, the story told was one that…was often a common story of a villain in a manga. No, since this world is a shoujo manga…is it normal?
To summarise Mooks-san’s story, the request from the country this time, seemed to be collecting information about a certain aristocrat and the subjugation of the people hired by that aristocrat.
After the encounter with the men in black and listening to Mooks-san’s story, I tried to conjecture but it seems like the aristocrat he spoke about was the owner of the mansion the men in black entered, and he was a Baron. Moreover, he seemed to be of a family lineage with a long history.
Although I wasn’t able to hear what the nature of his offence was, but from the Agency and country’s investigation, I learned that the Baron would be imprisoned and today was the day it would be carried out.
Originally, the Knight Corps was supposed to carry it out, but this Baron especially has a lot of money amongst the aristocrats, and by using money he seemed to be controlling the aristocrats within a wide range from behind. Also, one can’t say that someone wasn’t cooperating with the Baron from the Knight Corps since it was mostly filled with aristocrats, so the country secretly requested the Agency. It was such a pathetic story.
I understood the story but when I was wondering how this was related to Suzuella-san, I found that there was a proper connection! This Baron, it seemed like he was Suzuella-san’s business rival. To be exact, the Baron’s wife…was so. It was a common pattern, it seems that thanks to the marriage with his wife he never had to worry about money and became an extremely rich person. Furthermore with his wife’s resourcefulness even within Riestinne, it seems like they opened and expanded stores, establishing a firm position among the business people in this country.
The country, it appears had kept an eye on them, for the reason that they had the leading company in the empire, but since they hadn’t committed any crimes they could only keep alert against them.
It sounds like there were a lot of rumors and suspicious points until now. However, whether it was purely just rumors or they had skillfully hidden it, information that was strictly more than necessary never arose, and it appears that not a single piece of evidence ever came out.
Even the royal family it seems, couldn’t move recklessly against the Baron, who was from a powerful family lineage with a long history, the country’s leading company, the power of the wife’s family and so on. If they handled it badly, conversely they would get swallowed up.
But in the end, he seems to have done a lot of bad things.
「Even though they had conducted themselves well until now, they had taken a sudden turn right?」
As I spoke, Mooks-san nodded his head vigorously.
「[That’s right. Even I think this is strange. Even though there wasn’t even a single piece of evidence until now, during this half of the month, evidence started to continuously come out to light. Regarding the group of secret agents, they were one of the best groups in the underworld. For these guys to repeatedly make mistakes, normally it’s not possible. But that actually happened. I had suspected it was the opponent’s trap but it didn’t appear to look like it. He was present at the subjugation today.」
As Mooks-san spoke of the strangeness, I reflexively turned my face away. Because it’s so hard to endure to resist smiling! My magic was working properly! Alright!! I clenched my fists and put strength into my stomach to prevent myself from unintentionally making afist pump. Even so, I was surprised at the Baron’s house and Suzuella Company’s relationship. The world sure is small. But I feel that it’s unrelated to me?
「N? I somehow understand the relationship between that Baron and Suzuella-san, but I have nothing to do with it right? The only connection is really that I am employed by Suzuella Company, moreover it’s through the Agency.」
Mooks-san sighed once I said so. If you sigh that much, happiness will run away you know~? Though I can’t say it, since I’ll get scolded.
「You, that Baron kept an eye on you. Suzuella knew that and was worried that the Baron might harm you. It seemed that Suzuella knew the Baron was up to something today from his personal intelligence network. So he unnecessarily felt more anxious and because something had actually happened even if it was by coincidence after all, he was regretting it.」
「Eh? Haa? It’s not like Suzuella-san did anything bad, and also he was keeping an eye on me!?」
It’s no one’s fault that I encountered them by chance. Also I got involved in it myself when I came across them. If someone is at fault, it’s me.
At any rate, I was being marked by the Baron!? But it’s the first time I’m hearing this!? I didn’t do anything that would make me a target though!!
Looking at me, Mooks-san breathed a de~ep sigh again. So why?
「That face of yours is saying that it’s my first time hearing this! I didn’t do anything that would make someone want to keep an eye on me! Is what you’re thinking right!?」
Surprised that Mooks-san guessed correctly, I unconsciously strongly nodded.
「You are…haa, it’s because it’s you. I wonder how many times I will say “I give up” from now on. You, saying that you haven’t done anything amazing to be kept a close eye on, as if the things you have done aren’t enough. As you started to work at the company, didn’t you advise Suzuella to develop and release a variety of products? All those products are selling ridiculously well too.
By focalising the company with those goods, the current Suzuella Company has become one of the top companies in this country. Furthermore, without any backing from the aristocrats. Now, there isn’t anyone in the country who doesn’t know of the name Suzuella Company. Do you understand what I’m saying? You are the reason it became so successful.
There’s no way that Baron wouldn’t keep an eye on you. In other words, it’s not just that Baron but other aristocrats too.」
Haa!? But I didn’t give any suggestions. What Mooks-san is saying, I think, is that Suzuella-san got excited hearing my soliloquy, but the one who had actually developed and improved the products to a form that it can be sold was Suzuella-san. But if, by any chance, if I’m being watched by the aristocrats, isn’t it better if I quickly fly to Tournons! No, there’s no way an aristocrat would deal with a child like me. Yup.
「Y~o~u~haaaa! Then I’ll tell you. Clean out your ears and listen well!
First is the bento box!! That had destroyed the concept of bentos until now, that lbento box is amazing!! Moreover, your bento is also delicious! It’s exquisite! Especially…no, I’ll leave that for now.
Next is the black wooden board and white soft stone set! After that is the pen! Then there is still the alcohol lamp and also the chair and shelf that rolls! How is it, you understand it now right!」
Eh? Mooks-san! I haven’t said anything! I didn’t speak a single word on it though? But why is it that the conversation has been established??