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So, after a day at the office of the private detective agency, it probably wouldn’t make sense to list all the things Soren went through. Finding a lost cat for a rich kid, delivering letters and gifts between men and women in a love triangle, and so on. It was just a series of small, repetitive tasks that took a lot of effort but didn’t amount to much.

By sunset, Soren returned to the office, completely exhausted, and plopped down on a chair, leaning back and stretching.

“Ugh, ahhh… Whew, another day of being a workhorse.”

As he stretched, he cracked his knuckles and shook his hands, then tilted his head back. The stiff muscles along his spine from his neck down felt like they were being squeezed, and the sensation, almost pleasurable, woke him up a bit. He let out a sigh, releasing the fatigue of the day.

“Still, I’ve almost saved up enough money. Tomorrow, I’ll rest properly and start preparing to leave this damn city.”

He believed that after working hard, he deserved a good rest as a reward. Embracing the strictness of reward and punishment like a legalist philosopher, Soren planned to take a day off the next day and habitually twitched his nose.

“My sinuses are tired…”

The technique he had mastered, ‘Synesthesia,’ was a method of combining fragments of information collected through the five senses into a meaningful form and manifesting it through his most confident sense.

This technique, precariously balanced between Reverse Muscle Technique, Reverse Brain Method, spells, and psychic powers, required the practitioner’s reinterpretation of the manifested sensation to understand its meaning. Yet, for the Hiltman Clan, who ran the detective agency, it was an invaluable secret art.

In truth, very few in the Hiltman Clan had mastered this technique. Soren, who had mastered it in his early twenties and used it effectively, was considered a genius within the clan.

For Soren, the technique manifested through his sense of smell. It wasn’t something he had intended; it just so happened that his innate sense of smell was the most suitable for the technique.

After mastering the technique, he gradually learned to detect the “smell of events” through the synesthetic information manifested by his sense of smell.

However, there was one drawback to this ability. By concentrating all the comprehensive information that should be dispersed across the five senses into his sense of smell, overuse could easily fatigue the related organ.

If he had fully mastered the control of the technique, he might have been able to manage it better, but for Soren, who was still inexperienced, dealing with his easily fatigued sense of smell was a major headache.

“Still, without this, I wouldn’t have thought of leaving this city.”

A few months ago, a strange smell started coming from the direction of the port. The moment he smelled it, Soren realized what it meant for his sinuses to go completely numb. And he instinctively knew it was best not to get involved with whatever was causing that smell.

That day, his sinuses were completely numb, so he couldn’t take any more cases and had to go home. Two days later, when his sense of smell started to recover, he became obsessed with money like never before.

The reason was simple.

“To leave København as soon as possible. That smell is dangerous.”

The sticky, ugly smell of an event that had numbed his sense of smell for two days. If he stayed around where such a smell was coming from, he would surely not live to see the end of his natural life.

Instinctively making that judgment, what held Soren back from leaving the city immediately was, of course, money.

Even if he left the city and moved to another country, he would need money to rent a room and a space for his office.

He hadn’t inherited the agency from his parents that long ago, so he didn’t have much savings. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have bought a house when he opened the agency in København. Selling the house and office now wouldn’t fetch a good price.

Some might suggest he could just move first, live on the streets, and work odd jobs to save money, but if Soren heard that, he would laugh at them.

Wherever you go, your body is your asset. Especially for someone like Soren, who had inherited a technique related to the senses, this was an undeniable truth.

Soren’s main job was running the detective agency, and his work heavily relied on his synesthetic sense of smell. If he ended up homeless and something happened to his precious nose, it would be like losing his livelihood to save a little money.

So, even after moving, he needed to prepare at least the minimum funds to continue using his special skills.

For months, he diligently saved money by managing his time and expenses. His financial situation was now close to his initial target. And…

“I can’t wait any longer.”

Soren could feel the troublesome smell creeping closer to his workplace and living space. This meant there was a high chance he could get caught up in a city-wide incident.

“I’m a bit short of my target, but it’s better to move as soon as possible, even tomorrow.”

Nothing is more precious than life.

First, he would tidy up the office so he could leave at any time, and after work, he would start packing lightly. The next day, he would load the office equipment onto a rented cart and leave the city immediately.

While making these plans, Soren didn’t know…

“Sorry to bother you while you’re busy, but how about delaying packing for a bit?”

A gentle yet authoritative voice reached his ears at an unexpected moment.

At dusk, Soren Christensen Hiltman had to welcome an unwelcome guest.

+++++

“Hmm, this is truly the mystery of genetics.”

Swallowing the rising sense of caution and discomfort, Sophia felt an inexplicable urge to smile as she looked at the young man scrutinizing her.

He looked just like Paul Hiltman, the head of the Strasbourg detective agency, and Joseph Hiltman, the head of the Ravenna agency. Seeing a young man with such a distinctly “Hiltman Clan” appearance, still with a youthful look, warily watching her, she felt an oddly warm feeling.

“Anyway…”

Sophia smiled wryly at the young man, who clearly wasn’t welcoming her. Perhaps this part was also just like the other agency heads she had met before.

But she had come here for a reason. She couldn’t just leave because he was wary. Ignoring his glaring eyes, she cleared her throat and spoke.

“Ahem, as for me…”

“I know. What business does a Paladin of the Church Order have with this humble agency?”

Soren cut her off before she could finish. But Sophia, unbothered, continued calmly.

“Calling the Hiltman Clan’s detective agency a humble business is something only those who use their heads as decorations would do. Don’t be so modest. But how did you know about me?”

Soren, still looking displeased, answered half-heartedly.

“Though the Kingdom of Dane has accepted the Church Order, the Church’s history in this land isn’t that long. So, clergy wandering the city are still a rare sight. Moreover, the Kingdom of Dane is the only country in the Baltic region that has embraced the Church Order…”

He trailed off, implying that the rest was obvious. But Sophia wasn’t about to let it end there.

“But even so, you managed to get information from within the Solms family?”

“! …How did you?”

Soren’s eyes, now filled with a sharp glare, locked onto Sophia. But even as he glared, he was frantically trying to assess the situation.

‘How did she figure that out? No, that’s not important. What does she want? Why did she come looking for me?’

She was suspiciously out of place. But when he tried to sniff her out, he couldn’t detect any unusual smell from the nun knight. Instead, his sinuses were filled with a strange, unfamiliar scent.

It was like a mix of flowers and something burning, a peculiar aroma that wavered like an aurora, disrupting his synesthesia.

Noticing Soren’s state, Sophia smiled faintly.

“Hmm, it seems you’ve mastered a synesthetic technique. But don’t bother. Such tricks don’t work on those who have achieved the Celestial Axis through willpower.”

“…Willpower? Celestial Axis? What’s that?”

Hearing something profound about esoteric knowledge, Soren’s ears perked up. Willpower? What’s that? Celestial Axis?

From the context, it sounded like human intention or thought could wield some kind of power. But how could mere mental activity, confined to the human mind, exert any force?

It was a series of words that made no sense from a conventional perspective. But Soren instinctively felt that this might be the key to taking his abilities to the next level.

‘But even so, it’s still just an unconscious instinct. He hasn’t realized anything on his own. This is why…’

Even if she explained, he wouldn’t truly understand and would just end up confused. Seeing Soren’s state, Sophia decided not to reveal any more about higher realms and closed her mouth.

‘Hey, say something!’

Soren, unaware of her thoughts, was frustrated as Sophia seemed to slip away without explaining. But Sophia, having made her decision, drew a clear line.

“It seems it’s not yet time for you to know. You’re not ready. If the opportunity arises later, I’ll tell you then.”

‘So what is this preparation you’re talking about?!’

As she drew the line and dropped another hint, Soren’s frustration boiled over. But his anger quickly cooled when Sophia made her request.

“Anyway, the reason I came to find you is simple. Let’s work together on something.”

The moment she spoke, the same smell from the port wafted past Soren’s nose. The young detective’s face turned as hard as stone.

 

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