How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 124

136. Just Business (8)

“That knife was poisoned… Oops, something else fell. A grown man shouldn’t be dropping things.”

“Kuaaaaaaak!”

As he thrashed, trying to escape, I increased the water pressure.

Pudeuk!

Something broke, but who cares?

I picked up what Nilen had dropped.

It was a communication artifact.

‘Jackpot.’

I was prepared for a bit of a wild goose chase, but I guess I’m lucky in this regard.

Strangely, I run into villains often.

No… considering I encounter villains, wouldn’t that mean I’m unlucky?

Or is unlucky the right word?

Anyway, now that this guy is confirmed as a spy, there’s only one thing to do.

“Go to sleep.”

I summoned the Sandman, the spirit of slumber.

Waves of sleepiness poured out, and though he resisted with some resilience, I had a sure method.

“I said, sleep.”

A stone fist rose from the floor and slammed into his abdomen.

“Keuheok!”

He let out a strangled scream and collapsed, limp.

For adults who don’t sleep, a beating is the best medicine.

Knocking him out and adding a sleep spell should keep him subdued for a while.

‘And all that’s left is to catch one more.’

That shouldn’t take long either.

* * *

I took off the imperial spy Nilen’s coat, put it on, and quietly waited in the same spot in the shop as before.

Soon after.

“…Did you wait?”

Someone presumptuously sat down at the table in front of me.

It was Nelvis.

However, his impression was slightly different from usual.

Slightly sharper, perhaps.

If I hadn’t seen his name, I might have wondered, ‘Is that a doppelganger [a person who looks exactly like another person].’

‘Ah, right, he said he uses an artifact to change his appearance.’

Of course, if he walked around with his bare face, some of the territory residents would recognize him, so disguise is essential.

It doesn’t change his face completely, but it gives a different impression.

And the Empire gave it to him?

‘So that’s what it was… it’s a mental interference type artifact… he’s carrying good stuff.’

Anyway, enough admiring, let’s act natural and plausible for now.

I simply nodded at Nelvis’s greeting.

He chuckled and started talking as he pleased.

“…Please convey my story well. The last mistake wasn’t my fault.”

Nelvis continued to talk, making excuses.

It wasn’t his fault, that mistake had nothing to do with him, mostly self-justification.

I didn’t care, so I just nodded.

“Anyway, deliver this to Duke Selond.”

Soon, he took out a bundle of parchment from his chest and handed it to me.

Probably classified information from here.

Records of the Grand Duke and Duchess’s correspondence, or their movements, detailed reports of everything.

‘Perfect as evidence.’

As expected, this part is the same as in the original story.

More importantly, doesn’t this guy have any suspicion?

I haven’t said a word since earlier and just keep nodding, but he’s handing me things so readily.

Come to think of it, he was ignored by the masterminds in the original story too.

“Hmm? Come to think of it, you’re quite taciturn this time.”

Ah, he is suspicious.

Since I’ve seen the evidence, there’s no reason to act.

I immediately stood up and grabbed him by the collar.

“Heo? What are you doing… Keuaaaaaaaak!”

Before he could finish speaking, I threw him.

Nelvis crashed through the shop wall.

“Hey! What are you doing! If you’re going to fight, do it somewhere else! What about the shop wall!”

The shop owner was startled and shouted, so I roughly took out two gold coins and tossed them.

Repair costs and hush money.

I threw them at his feet and waved my hand.

Meaning, don’t interfere.

“Yeah! So what, a man can have a fight when he’s had a few drinks. And break a wall or two. Yeah, fight all you want!”

…I think I’m starting to like this shop owner.

I’m even touched by his excellent change of attitude.

Alright, no more interference.

Now, shall we drag him away?

“Keuheok! Ugh! What are you doing…”

Nelvis staggered, trying to escape.

He must have realized that I intended to harm him.

I lightly chased after him and kicked him.

With just that, Nelvis rolled around pathetically without much resistance.

“Keuheok! What is this! Do you think you’ll be safe after doing this to me!”

No reason to answer.

I don’t want to let him hear my voice.

I want to deal with him without revealing my identity if possible.

The protagonist would leisurely take off his hood and reveal his identity, but I have no reason to do that.

I dragged Nelvis to the alley where I dealt with the spy earlier and dumped him on the ground like trash.

“Keuheok! Hiiiiiiik?!”

Nelvis screamed when he saw the man tied up in the corner.

He must have realized how foolish he had been.

“Y-You! Who are you!”

Again, no reason to answer.

I summoned the spirit of slumber and poured its power into him.

It’s better to save my voice now.

Because he’ll have to shout loudly in front of someone else soon.

Listening to your excuses isn’t my job.

The problem of a degenerate’s misconduct should be left to his family.

* * *

“What is going on…”

Elnea Mel Falzitania, a direct descendant of the Grand Ducal family, looked up, half in disbelief.

She had received the report and prepared herself, but seeing it in person, she couldn’t find the words to describe it.

The central fountain of the Grand Ducal castle.

A roughly carved wooden stake was driven into the middle of the fountain, the face of the castle, and two men were tied to it, hanging limply.

“…Uncle Nelvis?”

She didn’t know one of them, but the other was definitely Nelvis.

How did this happen?

A knight cautiously spoke to her, who was in confusion.

“Elnea-nim, this was also found here.”

He held out a leather pouch containing a jumbled mess of parchment.

It looked like some kind of document.

“……”

The Duchess’s face grew even darker.

The contents included the Grand Duchy army’s additional supply plans, the number of troops currently stationed here, and who was active, among other things.

Everything was recorded, and the thought of any of it leaking out made her head spin.

Elnea couldn’t help but be certain.

In the end, this degenerate betrayed us.

“…Be careful that this doesn’t become the talk of the other soldiers. Give the first discoverer a suitable reward and keep them quiet.”

“What about Nelvis-nim…”

“Take him to the underground prison for now. Forbid anyone from contacting him. He’ll say all sorts of things when he wakes up, but don’t listen. That’s my order.”

While the Grand Duke was absent, he had directly ordered Elnea to lead the family.

No one could disobey.

But even if Nelvis’s collusion was certain, Elnea couldn’t arbitrarily interrogate him.

Still, the circumstances were clear, so she had to isolate him for now.

“I need to send a messenger to Grandfather. Right now.”

Since it was an urgent matter, she had to ask for Grand Duke Nilpas’s intentions, even if only by letter.

“But does anyone really know who put him here like this?”

“…Unfortunately, no soldier seems to have seen anything.”

The knight seemed quite frustrated.

Whoever it was must have wanted to expose Nelvis’s betrayal.

Regardless of their intentions, the fact that they had freely entered and exited the Grand Ducal castle was infuriating.

Such a mistake would not be tolerated, especially in these troubled times.

“Should we search now? We will find and capture him without fail.”

“No. This matter alone is giving me a headache. More than anything, it’s already too late… What about that boy.”

However, Elnea seemed to be stopping the knight from searching.

“Leave it for now.”

“…Yes. Hmm? For now? …Um, what does that…”

The knight seemed confused, unsure how to respond to her ambiguous tone.

“It’s nothing.”

Elnea just shook her head, looking as if she genuinely had a throbbing headache.

* * *

A few days after that incident.

I hoped to have an audience with Duchess Elnea because I had a request.

Fortunately, she had been keeping an eye on me, so she readily granted me an audience.

And as soon as she saw me, she sighed and complained.

“Haa… It’s really nothing but troublesome things.”

“You seem to be in deep contemplation, Elnea-nim.”

“It’s nothing. I just have a lot to think about…”

She probably sighed on purpose just now.

She’s not the kind of person who can’t hide her feelings that much.

“Oh dear. Whatever could be the matter…”

Well, I know even without asking.

It must be about Nelvis.

Although rumors haven’t spread yet, I can tell that the atmosphere in the castle has clearly changed since that day.

I’m guessing he’s isolated somewhere in the underground prison, just like in the original story.

“Actually, Eilon, it seems they’ve caught a spy.”

“A spy… that’s a very serious matter.”

“Thanks to that, I’ve learned all sorts of things. I can’t stop worrying.”

She’s probably bringing this up to see my reaction.

‘Am I suspected? No, is she almost certain?’

Well, if you examine the circumstances one by one using the process of elimination, I’m the one with the most suspicious aspects.

It would be strange if she didn’t notice.

More than anything.

Your actions are creating influence.

Acquired Influence Points: 24pt

Remaining Influence Points: 525pt

About three days after that day, this message appeared.

It’s probably about exposing Nelvis’s betrayal.

Still, she’s not pressing me because she wants to be cautious.

At least she won’t ask me directly for the time being.

“I’ve been saying useless things. Anyway, Eilon, I heard you wanted to ask me for something.”

“Yes. I thought only Elnea-nim could grant this.”

“Oh ho? Don’t tell me you want me to buy more of your leftover goods?”

“Of course not. I’m not that shameless. Besides, it’s still a long way off before the ship arrives again.”

That negotiation was then.

I’m going to rip you off, so be prepared.

“Alright, what’s the request? I’ll grant it if it’s not too excessive.”

“Then, without being presumptuous, I’ll tell you. Actually, it’s nothing else but…”

I brought up the matter, vaguely anticipating her puzzled face.

If I had a chance to ask a noble for something within reason, there was one opportunity I had wanted to request from before.

“I would like the opportunity to read the books in the Grand Ducal family’s library.”

“That’s really unexpected.”

She made the face I expected.

Well, I’m probably the only one who would make such a request after creating an opportunity like this.

Even the protagonist wouldn’t do this.