Maldini guided us to his quarters.
It was the same room at the far end of the fifth floor where we had stayed before—the largest in the entire lodging.
Nunes flopped onto the bed in the corner and stretched out with a groan.
"Ahh—! It's so warm. I feel alive again. You have no idea how much I was shivering out there."
"You made a mistake."
"What mistake?"
"You shouldn't have made that promise."
"And just leave those poor people behind? You really are heartless."
Nunes frowned and turned away from my gaze.
"I'm on a mission for the Emperor. I'll help if there's time after I finish my duty."
"With that attitude, who can you help? Sometimes you just have to dive in and figure it out as you go. Things will work out somehow, won't they?"
His reckless optimism grated on me.
Sure, he probably made that promise out of a sense of justice, but to those people, it was a glimmer of hope. If that hope is crushed, their despair will only deepen. It's better not to make promises you can't keep.
"'Things will work out'? Is charging in without a plan your way of doing things?"
"Why are you nagging me? First, it's about being an investigator; now this. If you weren't going to help, why did you even come along?"
"I said I'd help if I could. But dealing with corruption involving the mayor and the local militia will take time. Can you handle that?"
"What's so time-consuming about it? Just storm in and interrogate them! Did you forget I'm an investigator?"
"Is there no limit to your stupidity? You're still just a provisional investigator, not officially appointed yet. Do you think barging in will make them confess everything?"
"Of course! Don't you know how much authority an investigator holds in the Empire? One look at me, and it's over."
What arrogance.
If it were that simple, I'd be thrilled too. But corruption is like weeds—unless you pull them out by the roots, they'll grow back quickly. You can't just deal with what's visible; you need thorough investigations and solid evidence to arrest everyone involved. That takes time—there's no way around it.
"This is your mess to clean up. I've got more pressing duties for the Emperor."
"Ugh, you're as cold as ice! Fine! I'll handle it myself! Happy now?!"
A sigh escaped me. How did someone like him become an investigator? What was Cox thinking when he recommended this guy? He seems like someone who joined just for appearances.
"I'm going to sleep. Don't bother me."
"Tch! Fine, I'm going to sleep too!"
And with that, our conversation ended. We pulled our blankets over us and drifted off.
The Next Morning
After breakfast at the lodging, Nunes left immediately.
Was he really planning to storm in just like that?
I couldn't help but feel both exasperated and curious, so I decided to follow him discreetly.
'Let's hope he doesn't stir up a hornet's nest.'
The Emperor's orders would likely arrive by tonight or tomorrow at the latest. Until then, I had some time to spare.
'Who knows? Maybe he'll surprise me.'
Investigators receive training before fieldwork—basic principles of investigation and approaches to cases should be second nature to him by now. His confidence might actually be based on something solid… or so I hoped as I trailed him.
But when we arrived…
"Mayor's not here! How many times do we have to tell you?! Get lost!"
Even from a distance, I could hear the guards shouting.
All I could see was Nunes trying to force his way in while the guards blocked him.
'Of course… why am I not surprised?'
Even after flashing his investigator badge, the guards barely reacted. If he were officially appointed, they might have taken him seriously—but as a provisional investigator? Not a chance.
"So, you're the infamous 42nd investigator everyone talks about? Except… you're still provisional."
"Provisional or not, an investigator is an investigator!"
"Yeah, sure. Isn't your probation period three years? And even then, there's no guarantee you'll be officially appointed. What kind of investigator is that?"
"How dare you insult an investigator!"
"Look, why don't you make an appointment first? Do you think our mayor has time for every random peddler who shows up?"
"What?! A peddler?!"
At this point, it was clear—there was no hope for this approach.
However, Nunes seemed determined—or perhaps just stubborn—not to give up.
"Even a provisional investigator can mobilize the regional army! Must I bring the military here to clear the way?!"
"Pfft—! Sure, sure. If you can, go ahead and try. We're just following protocol."
The prestige of an investigator lies in their authority to command the Empire's military at will. However, provisional investigators can only mobilize regional forces, and in this case, the regional army of Le Mans is already colluding with these soldiers.
It was unfortunate for Nunes, but this outcome was inevitable.
"Tch…! Just wait! I'll personally bring the army here!"
"Hahaha! Sure, we'll be waiting. Pffft!"
The blatant mockery from the sentries made Nunes seethe with anger. His face turned crimson, his entire body trembling.
I followed Nunes as he stormed off and grabbed his arm.
"Nunes."
"Move aside! I won't let those bastards off the hook!"
"Ugh... Going to the regional army won't help. You know that."
"No! The Empire's military is obligated to cooperate with an investigator's request! That's imperial law!"
Should I just knock some sense into him?
After everything he'd endured, if he still didn't understand, it had to be a matter of intelligence.
I let out a deep sigh and trailed behind Nunes. He wouldn't grasp reality until he experienced it firsthand.
'He's completely clueless about how the world works.'
Nunes was only 23 years old—a neither-too-young nor too-old age to understand life. Raised like a sheltered flower in his family's estate, he seemed to have just stepped out into the real world for the first time.
I could only hope this wouldn't crush his spirit too much.
"I am Provisional Investigator Nunes Colt! I demand that the general of the regional army respond to my request!"
Nunes shouted loudly upon reaching the fortress gates. His voice echoed across the area, loud enough to shake the surroundings—but no one emerged.
Even the sentries guarding the entrance merely stared blankly at him.
"Damn it…! The general of the regional army must come out immediately!"
As Nunes shouted again, passersby began to stop and watch. Finally, one of the sentries reluctantly ran toward headquarters.
Soon after, a middle-aged man in white armor strode toward us with firm steps.
'This is bad… Things are about to escalate.'
That man must be the general of the regional army. Judging by his irritated demeanor, trouble was brewing.
Preparing for any unforeseen incidents, I subtly closed the distance between us—just enough to activate Zeninization and escape instantly if needed.
"You must be—ack?!"
What the hell?!
The man grabbed Nunes by the throat as soon as he got close. Even though Nunes was only a provisional investigator, this was clearly crossing a line.
Caught off guard by this sudden turn of events, I froze momentarily.
"Urgh…! Let go of me!"
"What kind of rat dares disturb my nap?"
"I-I'm Investigator Nunes Colt! Release me immediately—ugh!"
Thud!
The man's fist landed squarely on Nunes' abdomen. As Nunes collapsed limply, he effortlessly lifted him into the air before tossing him aside like garbage.
"Ugh!"
"Get lost. If you keep causing trouble, you won't escape death."
"How dare you treat an investigator like this…!"
"An investigator? Where? Surely you don't mean this brat."
"Ugh! This incident will be formally reported! Do you think you'll escape punishment after insulting an investigator like this?!"
"Pfft—! A pesky fly keeps buzzing around."
The man's gaze suddenly turned cold and menacing.
He slowly began walking toward Nunes.
Eyes glinting with murderous intent.
It was clear I couldn't just stand by any longer.
"Stop. That's enough."
"?!"
I intervened at just the right moment.
The man narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow.
As I helped the fallen Nunes to his feet, the man asked curtly, "Arahan… What brings you here?"
"On imperial orders. Seems the news hasn't reached you yet."
"Ah, so you're the one carrying out that mission order. Didn't expect to meet you like this."
Nunes coughed up a small amount of blood—likely from internal injuries.
When I glared at him, the man didn't flinch or avert his gaze. His demeanor was anything but what you'd expect from a provincial general.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Why should I tell you?"
"You're out of your mind. Even as a provisional investigator, resorting to violence?"
"You showed no respect first. It's only natural to respond in kind. Who do you think you are, summoning people like that?"
What could he possibly be relying on to act so brazenly?
Perhaps LeMans is even more rotten than I thought.
'The aura he gives off… seems like a 6th or 7th circle mage.'
Either way, staying here any longer would be pointless.
Nunes must have understood that too.
When I extended my hand, Nunes stared at it blankly.
"Get up. Let's go."
"..."
Lowering his head as if to hide his gloomy expression, Nunes reluctantly took my hand. I half-forced him to stand, and he rose weakly to his feet.
As we turned to leave, the general's voice rang out behind us.
"Where do you think you're going? Don't you still have business here?"
"Let's not make this worse than it already is. Ending it here benefits both sides."
"Hah. Running away with nothing but words? And you call yourself an Arahan?"
The soldiers chuckled mockingly.
Under the watchful eyes of many onlookers, Nunes and I ignored their blatant jeers.
Clenching his fists tightly, Nunes muttered under his breath. I spoke softly to him in return.
"There will be a chance for revenge. Let's go for now. This isn't the time."
"…You mean it? You acted like you wouldn't help before."
"I swear on the name of Arahan."
Nunes looked at me for a moment before nodding silently.
Back at the lodging, I called for a healer to examine Nunes' condition.
Fortunately, his injuries weren't severe, but his wounded pride was another matter entirely.
"The provisional investigator isn't eating?" someone asked.
"Leave him be. He probably has no appetite," I replied.
"…I've heard about it," Maldini said as he brought food over and sat across from me. "It must be hard for him, but LeMans has always been like this. For us, it's nothing new."
He continued after a pause: "That man's name is Merlin. A general in the provincial army."
"This sort of thing happens often?" I asked.
"He's insufferable—completely lawless. Neither imperial law nor provincial regulations mean anything to him."
"He certainly seemed lacking in principles," I muttered.
"The mayor is just a puppet; Merlin is the real villain here. He's taken hundreds of citizens and publicly executed more than twenty."
"Public executions? That's only allowed for treason."
"That's why he's scum. We've sent countless petitions to the imperial palace, but nothing ever comes of it. Who knows if they even get delivered…"
Could there be forces intercepting those petitions? The stench of corruption seemed to permeate every corner of the empire—from incidents like York's case to this one in LeMans.
If things are already this rotten now, what will happen later?
'The game never revealed these details,' I thought grimly.
I had assumed only the branches were decayed; perhaps the rot had spread all the way to the roots. Every person I encountered seemed steeped in corruption.
The empire might need a purge before assigning missions like this one…
'Or maybe they're deliberately ignoring it.'
At that moment, Maldini suddenly stood as if something had occurred to him.
"Oh! There was something delivered for you earlier—I completely forgot! Let me fetch it right away."
He returned with an elegantly wrapped box and handed it over.
Inside was a familiar document—an imperial decree.
"What is this…?" I murmured as Maldini watched curiously from behind me. Carefully unfolding it, I read its contents with growing apprehension and anticipation.
And then—
"Ha…"
In the center of the pristine white paper were just a few handwritten words from the Emperor himself:
Jed Arahan is hereby ordered to eliminate all bandits near the city of LeMans.
I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh under my breath.