Chapter 136

“…I don’t want anyone else to hear.”

As the customer leaned back against the chair and looked at me straight on, they said this while pulling their hood even further over their face and lowering their voice.

What’s up? You’re giving off major suspicious vibes. Trying to avoid something?

“Hmm, you’ve always been a customer with plenty of secrets, but you’ve never been THIS thorough before, have you? What’s going on today?”

“I have my reasons. If you can’t accommodate me, I’ll take my business elsewhere.”

“Ah, got it. Come on in then. I’ll show you to the inner chamber. That work for you?”

“…Alright, lead the way.”

With that quiet command, the innkeeper shrugged and stood up to walk inside. The customer waddled awkwardly after them.

No matter how ragged the hood, some things can’t be hidden – like body shape. Hips and height don’t disappear under fabric.

Clomp clomp…

Hmm, definitely a woman. The faint sighs she’s been letting out since she arrived, the deliberate lowering of her voice… yeah, it’s definitely a woman.

If someone from the academy had only ever seen me, they’d logically fear Aru more than me. But this customer was clearly afraid of ME.

Does she know I’m a demon? Let’s set aside HOW for now and consider the possibilities.

There are two: Either she knows I came from the Demon Realm, or she recognizes me as the tyrant who once terrorized Demon Forest.

Realistically, the former is unlikely. While it’s true I vanished without a word one day – something the other demons know about – that was 500 years ago. In human terms, FIVE centuries have passed.

Even Beatrice, who set up my new identity, doesn’t know I came from the Demon Realm. There’s no logical way to connect the dots… unless someone’s experienced regression like me.

So does this customer have ties to Demon Forest? I wasn’t aware there were any humans regularly residing there besides our group…

“Hey, Aru! Sniff this person carefully.”

“Huh?”

“I mean it, sniff. So you can recognize them if we meet again.”

“Can’t do it. Can’t smell anything.”

WHAT? My eyes widened at this unexpected response.

“What do you mean you can’t smell anything? Is your nose broken or something?”

“Ever since you told me to smell earlier, they’ve been masking their own scent.”

“WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING BEFORE?!”

“You never asked! Woof woof woof!”

Sigh… This useless mutt is good for nothing when it counts.

Rubbing my forehead, I sighed deeply. Meanwhile, Aru was busy chewing and savoring some meat.

“But you remember the scent from before, right? I can count on you for that much.”

“Huh? Nobody told me to remember. Already forgot.”

“W-WHAT?! Just try to recall it! You can’t even do that?!”

“Grrr… How far are you expecting a wolf’s memory to go?! Don’t make unreasonable demands!”

“Shut up, you useless dumb dog!”

“Grgh! I’m not dumb! I’m actually pretty smart!”

Further conversation was pointless. Both the customer and innkeeper had already disappeared into the inner room, and barging in would be too obvious.

Leaving Aru behind, I stepped out of the tavern. Unlike the bright noon earlier, drizzling rain now fell steadily outside.

***

Frey wiped cold sweat from her neck. She wanted to leave her seat immediately, but feared drawing more attention.

This was problematic. Frey had come to the information broker precisely to investigate suspicious individuals within the academy – but Evans and Aru themselves fit that description.

Why is he staring so intently… Could he have recognized me? No… Based on what Joker said earlier, he probably hasn’t figured it all out yet… Though I can’t be completely sure.

How could I possibly ask ‘Please investigate Evans and Aru’ while they’re watching me right here?

Still biting her lip in frustration, Frey thought hard.

At least I’ve learned something. Evans doesn’t know about the Half-Eye Teacher, which is why he’s seeking information here. The problem is, neither do I… So who exactly IS this Half-Eye Teacher?

Her mind raced despite the situation. In front of her, a long-haired woman urged her to hurry with the request, while behind her, Evans watched intently with wide eyes.

Things were complicated. Her thoughts were in complete turmoil.

Her stomach ached too. It had been twitching uncomfortably since several days ago due to constant tension. And just moments ago, she nearly got caught by Evans grabbing her book.

Thud.

The feeling of being watched pierced through her very soul. It felt like her hood had been torn off, leaving her standing exposed before him.

Evans’ gaze was chilling enough to make her skin crawl.

Her heart sank. If Evans were to discover her identity now, and learn about everything that’s happened…

That future must never come to pass. Knowing the truth, ‘he’ wouldn’t follow her plans willingly anymore.

Frey tightly closed her golden eyes and spoke bravely.

“…I don’t want anyone else to hear.”

The innkeeper showed slight surprise upon hearing this.

“Hmm, you’ve always been a secretive regular customer, but you’ve never been THIS thorough before, have you? What’s up today?”

“I have my reasons. If you can’t accommodate me, I’ll take my business elsewhere.”

“Ah, got it. Come on in then. I’ll show you to the inner chamber. That work for you?”

“…Alright, lead the way.”

Tension made her speech slow. Fortunately, the innkeeper didn’t press further, and Frey followed as they stood up and entered deeper into the tavern.

Walking carefully inside, she first checked her surroundings. Though Evans and Aru were no longer in sight, they could still be eavesdropping somewhere.

Fortunately, there was no sign of them. They must have left the tavern. Frey let out a sigh of relief as she settled into the private room the innkeeper led her to.

“Alright, no need for tea, let’s get straight to business. What brings you here?”

“…Person investigation.”

“Like the customers who just left? How many people are we talking about?”

“Five. And…”

“And?”

“The two who just left, include them too.”

At this, the innkeeper paused briefly. Her red lips moved slightly.

“It’s not unprecedented for a customer to be an investigation target, but having JUST-LEFT customers as targets is a first for me.”

“As long as it follows principle, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“That’s true. But… Is your budget okay with this? Five people is quite expensive, and those two who just left definitely weren’t ordinary folks.”

The innkeeper’s somewhat suspicious question met with Frey silently producing a check from her robes.

‘Fortunately, the knowledge I brought back allowed me to make big profits through blind investments. If it hadn’t been for Joker’s insight, I might have invested openly… Thankfully, this is an era where currency values fluctuate wildly.’

“Whoa. That’s a lot of zeros on that check…”

“That’s how accurate the information needs to be. Otherwise, I won’t be able to hire you for such big jobs in the future.”

“So you’re saying… If this goes well, you’ll be coming back often?”

“There’s a lot I need to know, and you guys are the most reliable.”

“Great, great! This works out perfectly for us. So, do you know the names of the people you want investigated? I didn’t catch the names of the two who just left.”

While skillfully tucking the received check between her cleavage, the innkeeper smiled brightly. Her face lit up with pleasure.

Watching this innkeeper quietly, Frey called out the names of her investigation targets.

“The two who just left are Evans and Aru. The boy is Evans Grant, a student at Eden Academy, and the dog partner is also an academy student named Aru. However, there’s a strong probability they’re using aliases.”

“Wow, interesting. Didn’t know students these days use Black Points too.”

“Third target’s name is Isaac. He’s a teacher at Eden Academy. Characteristics include a slim build and half-closed eyes.”

“Huh? Isn’t that who the previous customers were investigating?”

“That’s right. So while completing their request, inform me too. It won’t harm you guys, right?”

“Okay. That shouldn’t be difficult. Next? Two more to go?”

“The remaining two are also teachers at Eden Academy – Physical Education teacher Yohan and Swordsmanship teacher Beatrice. You should know Beatrice, she’s famous.”

“Of course! We’ve had requests about her before! Still have info on the Iron-Blooded Teacher!”

“…Since I paid so much, deliver accordingly. Bring back detailed, meticulous information, including recent activities and relationships. That’s why I’m spending this much money.”

“Got it, got it. I’m taking notes, don’t worry. We’re Black Points. Beatrice, Yohan, Evans Grant, Aru, and Isaac. Correct?”

The sound of charcoal scratching against paper filled the air as Frey nodded briefly.

“Wow, this commission is quite large compared to usual.”

“It’s important. Especially regarding Evans, investigate thoroughly. Even find out who cooked his dinner last night.”

“…Impressive. Definitely not wasting money then.”

The innkeeper smiled as she spoke. Despite receiving a complex request, her smile never faded.

Thud.

“I’ll be leaving now.”

“Oh dear, going already? Anything else you’re curious about? As a regular customer, I could offer some service.”

“Not necessary. You know that.”

“Heheh, so taciturn.”

Turning away from the cheerful innkeeper, Frey immediately headed toward the tavern exit. The cautious girl maintained her vigilance until the very end.

After opening the wooden door, Frey didn’t immediately step outside. Instead, she peeked out first, turning her head left and right to scan the surroundings.

The narrow alleyway was empty. An eerie silence enveloped the area.

Confirming this scene, Frey let out a sigh mixed with relief.

“Hmph… They’re gone.”

“Uh? Are you talking about me? I haven’t left yet?”

“!”

BOOM!

Just as Frey tried to retract her head into the tavern, something atop the door grabbed her neck. Then, a powerful force pressed down on her, easily suppressing her resistance and slamming her face into the ground.

“AAH!”

“Hahaha, I was just about to leave, but your overly cautious behavior made me too curious to resist. Now~ let’s see what’s underneath that hood, shall we? Let’s confirm who’s listening inside?”

“S-Stop it! Don’t do this!”

“Tsk, if a few weak words could stop actions, there’d be no such thing as crime in this world. But don’t worry too much. I probably won’t cause you serious harm… probably?”

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