"Young Master Sung Yujin, what is the matter?"
I gazed at the elderly butler standing rigidly before me.
Hassent Portan.
The Head Butler of the Prucus family, holding the title of Baron.
In his sixties, his snow-white hair was neatly swept back from his forehead. Though his face was etched with wrinkles that couldn't be concealed, not a single crease marred his impeccably tailored black butler's uniform.
Hassent had served as the Prucus family's butler since the time of the Late Lord. Even the current Lord and his retainers treated him with utmost respect.
He was also an assassin who silently carried out the Late Lord's dirty work.
He had been the master of the now-defunct assassination group, Fatal Sting.
"In the original story, he's described as incredibly powerful, but he retires without any significant achievements."
The only reason given for his retirement is old age. After that, he's never mentioned again in the original work.
"Head Butler Hassent, I have a request."
Hassent is a neutral figure within the family, uninterested in internal politics, but he can't be ignored. The thought of incurring his displeasure and turning him into an enemy... there could be nothing more terrifying.
"To me?"
"Yes. Actually, while reading in the study... I discovered Head Butler Hassent's true identity."
I tensed up at this point, fearing Hassent might show displeasure.
But contrary to my expectations, he didn't even twitch an eyebrow. He simply nodded calmly.
"I see," he replied flatly, his tone so devoid of emotion it made me wonder if he felt anything at all.
But his next words startled me.
"Young Master Sung Yujin, do you wish to become an assassin?"
"...What?"
"There's a faint assassin-like aura in your gait. My apologies if I'm mistaken."
He wasn't mistaken.
Lately, I'd been moving around using a modified version of the Yeongcheon Sytle's Hidden Step Technique.
Jin Seyong had taught me this as a way to practice in daily life. But the training effect seemed minimal, and I was considering giving it up.
"...It's true I'm interested in assassins, but that's not why I called for the Head Butler."
"Then what is the reason you summoned me?"
"Head Butler, are you well-acquainted with the underworld?"
"...Young Master, the underworld is not a pleasant place. Do you perhaps have someone you wish to kill?"
Hassent spoke these brutal words without a flicker of emotion.
"No, it's not like that. I simply wish to use the Information Guild for personal reasons."
At my words, Hassent's gaze shifted slightly the first time I'd ever seen him show any change in expression.
"...The Information Guild is not a reputable organization. Even the mere association with them could damage your reputation."
I knew that.
Though it was called the Information Guild, in reality, it was nothing more than a criminal syndicate. If rumors spread that a noble had used the Information Guild, it would inevitably tarnish their reputation.
"But the funny thing is, everyone secretly uses the Information Guild. Some nobles even sponsor the guild outright."
The bottom line was: if you don't get caught, it doesn't matter.
"I'm aware of that, Head Butler. But there's no place as convenient as the Information Guild, is there?
I find the mansion stifling. I want to know what's happening outside."
"If Young Master wishes, the servants can tell you stories about the outside world. We could even hire adventurers or mercenaries to share their tales."
"Those would be shallow, superficial stories. I want to know about the world's deepest secrets."
"..."
The Head Butler stared at me, his gray eyes sharp as a finely honed dagger.
"...Understood. Since you wish to utilize the Information Guild, I will personally visit them and purchase the information you require, Young Master."
"The Head Butler himself will take action? I only need a single butler assigned to me."
"Unfortunately, among the butlers under my command, only a few are truly trustworthy. It would be better for me to handle this personally."
This was somewhat unexpected, but I quickly nodded.
It was only natural that the Head Butler would be more reliable than most others.
"However, accessing the Information Guild will require a considerable sum of money."
"Will this suffice?"
I pulled a money pouch from my inner pocket, opened it slightly to reveal its contents: glittering gold coins and blue-silver coins.
One gold coin is worth 500,000 Nergo, and one silver coin is worth 300,000 Nerda.
Eight gold coins and four silver coins totaled 5,200,000 Nerda.
Considering that the average monthly income for the middle class is around 2,500,000 Ner, this was a substantial sum.
"That's quite a lot of money. May I ask where it came from?"
"I sold some of my inventions to the knights of the Plum Knights Order."
I had been selling cigarettes and beer. The cigarettes, in particular, proved far more popular than I had anticipated. One pack sold for 50,000 Ner.
In real-world currency, that's roughly 80,000 won per pack.
To me, the price seemed absurd, but the knights bought them without complaint. Since rolled cigarettes didn't exist in this world, they had no reference point for a fair price.
"I could have sold them for more, but cigarettes aren't just for knights they're also popular among middle-class customers, so..."
Once someone's addicted to cigarettes, there's no turning back.
They'll keep buying them steadily. If I could get them smoking ten packs a day, that would be ideal.
"...With this amount, I can get you some decent information. What kind of information are you looking for?"
"I want information on the current political situation in the Rapelli Kingdom and details about House Helbrit."
"The kingdom's political situation is stable, but... with this amount of money, I can only get you limited information about House Helbrit. At best, I can provide publicly known details."
"That's enough."
That was exactly what I wanted. I had no interest in the kingdom's secret intelligence even if I obtained it now, it wouldn't be of much use.
Besides, I already knew most of it from the original novel.
The Magic Tower doesn't require immediate attention.
"Understood."
"Ah, and I want to get someone."
"By 'someone,' do you mean...?"
"I need a professional torturer."
"...What?"
Hassent's eyes widened in surprise. My request seemed genuinely unexpected.
"I want to hire a torturer, not on behalf of the Count's House, but as an individual."
"Is there a reason you need a torturer?"
"There might be."
"...This matter must be reported to the Lady."
"I'll inform Mother myself."
I might face some scolding, but it's not a problem. After all, most noble houses with any real power employ torturers.
Of course, Count Prucus's Household also has a torturer. However, he's currently stationed at Utrecht Castle on the frontier, accompanying Count Prucus, the Lord of the House.
"Understood. Is there anything else you require?"
"I need to know the locations of Artel Village and the Pfrek Mercenary Group."
"I've never heard of those names before."
"Artel Village is a fugitive settlement located on the outermost fringes of the Sea of Evil's Misfortune."
"A fugitive settlement? Young Master seems to know quite a bit about this place."
"...I only heard the name in passing."
I offered a vague explanation. Hassent nodded without pressing further.
"Understood. However, I'll likely need additional funds."
"How much more?"
"That depends on the Pfrek Mercenary Group's capabilities."
"They're nothing special at most, C-rank mercenaries."
"Then I think we'll need about 3 million Ner more."
"Here you are."
I immediately produced another money pouch containing 5 million Ner. Combined with what I'd given Hassent earlier, this represented my entire fortune.
"3 million should be enough."
"The Head Butler can keep the rest."
Money could always be earned later. If a few million Ner could buy the Head Butler's favor, it would be a bargain.
"I can't accept that. I'll be sure to return the remaining balance."
My words fell on deaf ears.
"Ah, Head Butler, I heard there's a prison near the Order of Knights' training grounds."
"There is, but it hasn't been used for forty years."
Originally, I had planned to use the Illusionist to sneak into the prison alone.
But I was stopped right at the entrance. The gate was locked, and the key was in Hassent's possession.
"I'd like to take a look inside," I said.
"We clean it occasionally, but it's mostly ceremonial. It's not a particularly sanitary place."
"I just want to look around. The prison is the only part of the estate I haven't seen yet."
"..."
Hassent gave me a suspicious look. I had just expressed interest in recruiting a torturer, and now I wanted to visit the prison too. It was only natural for him to be suspicious.
"...Very well. But you must be accompanied by a butler."
"Thank you, Head Butler."
***
"Young Master Sung Yujin, you're just looking around, right? If you stay here too long, Lord Hassent will scold me."
The young butler said this in front of the prison. He looked no older than seventeen, and he was trembling nervously.
I understood. The prison gate leading underground had been neglected, radiating a chilling, ominous atmosphere.
"Alright. I just want to take a quick look around and leave."
"You promise?"
The young butler inserted the key into the lock and disengaged the security mechanism.
With a grunt, he pushed open the heavy iron prison gate. Surprisingly, he was quite strong.
A staircase leading downward came into view. It was pitch-black, with no light at all.
"Ugh. I came here two years ago, and nothing's changed."
The butler slowly descended the stairs, holding a lamp.
Squeak.
A rat, startled by the sudden appearance of a person, darted out of sight.
"Aaaah!"
The butler screamed in fright.
I clicked my tongue in annoyance.
Why had Hassent assigned such a dimwit to me? Was he trying to mess with me?
Had I done something to offend him?
"Y-Young Master... it's dangerous here. W-would you like to hold my hand?" the butler asked, turning to me.
I waved my hand dismissively, signaling him to stop talking nonsense and keep moving.
"Hurry up," I said, scowling and speaking with irritation.
Hold hands with some man? As if I'd do something so ridiculous.
"Ugh..."
The butler finally trudged forward, his face crumpled in a pout.
The atmosphere grew increasingly gloomy as we descended. Though there seemed to be some ventilation, the lack of maintenance had led to a proliferation of insects and rodents, particularly cockroaches and spiders crawling across the walls and floors.
Even if they occasionally cleaned, it must have been a superficial job, since the place was never used anyway.
The Territory has its own prisons within the Guard Corps and Tribunal facilities.
Most criminals were taken to these prisons for processing. There was no separate prison facility.
Heinous offenders were executed, while minor crimes usually ended with fines. In ambiguous cases, criminals were often demoted to slave status.
From a noble's perspective, slavery is ideal. Labor is a precious resource.
I didn't come to this prison just to look around. I'm here to obtain an ancient artifact hidden deep within its depths.
Originally, this was the first ancient artifact acquired by the protagonist, Kyle Pruker.
I plan to keep it for myself and occasionally lend it to Kyle around the time of the original story. It's a significant item for him, after all.
I need to avoid turning Kyle into an overpowered, unbeatable character.
Still, aside from enhancing Kyle's combat prowess, the artifact has limited practical uses. Kyle needs to become strong enough to challenge Gent, the eldest son.
When they clash, I'll seize the opportunity to reap the benefits. Heh heh heh! A flawless plan!
I can already imagine the Pruker Territory falling into my hands.
"Young Master! You seem to have looked around enough. Shouldn't we return now?"
My happy fantasy circuit ground to a halt. I frowned and glared at the butler, displeasure evident in my eyes.
"We haven't reached the end yet. Keep going."
The deeper we ventured into the prison, the filthier it became clear evidence of the servants' shoddy cleaning.
Before long, we arrived at the innermost cell, the very one where Kyle from the original story would eventually be imprisoned.
It was also the largest cell in the entire prison.
The rusty iron bars stood unlocked, the gate ajar. I wondered if this prison could even function properly.
Well, Kyle was only formally imprisoned in the original story anyway.
I entered the prison.
"Young Master?!"
"No. I was just wondering what it feels like to be in a prison. Come in too. It's quite a peculiar sensation."
"Ah, no, thank you. I'll wait here."
The terrified butler shook his head vigorously. I chuckled softly and headed toward a corner, thankfully out of the lamplight's reach.
There must be a gap in the wall somewhere.
Found it.
I reached my small hand into the gap and retrieved the tiny key hidden inside, tucking it into my robe.
"So this is what a prison looks like~. I think I get the gist of it. Let's go back now."