chapter 37
Smile Fair – 4
As I held back the disgusting texture and swallowed the paper, I felt the eyes of the first section chief staring at me from the side with my eyes wide open.
“Why, do you have something to say?”
“Ministry of Information?”
The always bright guy asked with a rare frown. Oh, he also had contact with the intelligence department.
The victims of this bizarre tradition are widespread. The Inspection Department is no exception, so if there is something to contact the intelligence department, the officers try to go to the intelligence department, but if the situation is not going well, the intelligence department agent comes.
If the agent comes in person before going to the intelligence department, well, just like me, you should swallow the paper and destroy the evidence.
“Yes.”
“Ugh, why are they still like that? You can just use the communication tool.”
“Don’t ask the intelligence department outright about that. They hate it more than we do.”
Once upon a time I asked because I couldn’t stand it and I couldn’t stand it. A person who protests by looking at such eyes is a person without a heart.
“We don’t have that tradition, and I don’t know why the intelligence department does that.”
“All of us who remember our traditions have disappeared.”
Chief laughed at the grumbling of section 1. The Treasury Department, including the Inspection Department, was overturned really spectacularly two years ago and much of the tradition has been lost. I heard that there are quite a few bad habits, but it doesn’t matter since no one remembers them.
At my words, the head of section 1 shuddered as if he remembered what happened at that time. I understand that when I think of that time, my teeth tremble. How many times did the rope flicker before my eyes? In severe cases, he would carry a poisoned canteen with him. Fortunately, I didn’t have anything to write about.
“Isn’t it enough for the manager to go?”
“Do you want to go too?”
Chief 1 shook his head vigorously, as if he was reluctant to meet with a person from the intelligence department. It would be really nice if you treated the manager as difficult as the intelligence department thinks. Because even half of it is good.
“They are docile only in front of the manager, but are very strict with us.”
“Isn’t that the difference between virtue?”
“Wow…”
I was very offended by the appearance of section 1, who quietly looked away.
The person from the intelligence department was the last customer, so I had plenty of time to go to the main building. He must have come looking for that time in the first place.
“Let’s get away for a while.”
If you leave now, you will arrive at the main building on time. If you go early and stay at the main building for a long time, you will only get suspicious, so it’s better to go on time.
“Huh? Older brother, what’s wrong?”
Louisé, who was making the dough, came running. I wanted to sell the principal or the principal at the moment, but it would be a headache if I sold it without kissing it for no reason.
“Just to get some fresh air. I’m tired from continuing to say hello.”
“It seemed like a lot of people came to see my brother.”
Louise smiled at my words and nodded. Was it too much for you to see? There are so many trainers aiming for semi-legendary Pokemon.
“I’ll be right back. Don’t worry.”
“You can come leisurely.”
“Everyone is having a hard time, but I’m resting alone. Oh, keep an eye on him.”
“Manager, do you know what labor law is?”
“Ahaha…”
I approached Villar after watching Section 1 grumbling and Louise laughing awkwardly. It is disrespectful and embarrassing for me to leave without saying a word when I called.
“If anything happens while I’m gone, please contact me right away. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
“Okay. We will focus on training while you return.”
“Thank you.”
I nodded at Villar’s answer and turned my back. That’s enough, so we can go to the main building now.
***
Villar looked at the inspector’s back as he walked away, then looked away.
‘Something will happen.’
The appearance of a woman called the Inspector’s subordinate, the delicate reaction of the imperial nobles, and finally the Inspector’s sudden absence. All circumstances suggest that an incident is about to happen.
The inspector said that his subordinates were academy graduates and came to enjoy the fair, but of course that is not to be trusted. A high-ranking official who can deal with the inspector, the head of the inspection department, without hesitation, came to the academy simply to play? Nonsense.
‘I’m telling you not to care.’
Anyway, he came to the academy by chance, so he meant that there was nothing to worry about in the Three Kingdoms. If you put it more blatantly and harshly, ‘Shut up and don’t care about the empire’s affairs.’ Saying. What can I do, if the empire comes out like that, there is nothing I can do.
Imperial nobility is concentrated in the imperial territory and the imperial educational institution. No matter how much the negotiations with the three countries have led to the withdrawal of some of the imperial power from the academy, even in such an unusual situation, raising objections to the empire’s moves is risky. If you make a mistake, it will interfere with your internal affairs.
The inspector must know that the Three Kingdoms do not believe the inspector’s words. He will know that there is nothing he can do without believing. It’s just a conversation in which each other builds a justification for each other.
Villars’ gaze, recalling the inspector’s words, turned to the white-haired woman. She has lived her entire life as a knight, and was recognized for her ability and experience and joined the Royal Knights. That’s why she was able to have a little knack for grasping the opponent’s capacity and atmosphere.
‘It’s terrible.’
And Vilar’s senses warned him that the subordinate woman was dangerous. She smells like blood. Even her red eyes looked like puddles of her own blood. For a person like that to come to the academy, what a terrible thing to happen.
‘…Not particularly new.’
Even though she tried to be wary of the appearance of a dangerous being, she felt futile as she thought of a more dangerous higher being.
Villar’s gaze turned to where the inspector had disappeared. A more dangerous being than anyone else is staying at the academy, and it seems like he was worried about something new.
A terrible smell of blood? A pool of blood? That much is rather aegyo. Because the inspectorate is more than that. How freaked out I was when I first met the inspector. It was to the point where I wanted to protest, saying that it was against the rules for a monster like that to come to the academy.
It’s fortunate that he’s the one with whom I can have normal conversations. It was even more so because he was the direct and honest type. There is nothing closer to disaster than a monster that hides its true intentions.
‘Kagan slayer hides his true feelings.’
A monster who defended the kingdom’s mandate, and one who comes to mind the word bloodshed rather than a puddle of blood. If such a monster hid its true intentions and made fun of the three kingdoms, it would be a disaster.
Villars let out a small sigh and shook his thoughts. Fortunately, the present Inspector General is not such a monster. That’s enough. At least that blade won’t go to the Three Kingdoms.
***
The main building was quite quiet, probably because everyone had gone out to enjoy the fair. As I went up to the second floor, I didn’t see anyone. At least, the place where people can stay is higher than the second floor, so it’s perfect for private meetings.
As I waited quietly on the second floor, the meeting place, I saw a middle-aged man approaching from a distance. He is a completely different figure from the young man who handed over the piece of paper.
‘I just changed that.’
But they are the same person. He is a person who changes his appearance from time to time, so an hour is enough time to change and come back. It doesn’t mean much to me because he’s still a young man in disguise. I’ve never seen that person’s real face. Have you ever seen the Chief of Intelligence?
“Chief Inspector General. How are you?”
“Yes. See you in an hour. How’s the deputy director of information?”
Unlike the extreme indoor fine information department chief, the extreme outdoor fine information department deputy chief. Along with the head of the information department, he is a public official at the station who updates the record of absenteeism from time to time.
“I’m always the same.”
That word is ‘always bad.’ It contains the meaning.
Usually, the deputy chief is the second-in-command who assists the manager and coordinates the department, but the deputy chief of information is a wanderer who frantically wanders outside for the crime of having specialized intelligence skills. He certainly couldn’t have gotten along. I know, but I asked politely.
“You’re busy, so I’ll be brief.”
“Okay. What’s going on?”
“The body will appear tomorrow around 5pm.”
I nodded at those words. Of course, it’s not particularly surprising since they’re coming. There are other things that are more important than that.
“What about support?”
“Your Excellency has dispatched the Mukgwangdae.”
“Oh.”
Involuntarily, I let out a short exclamation. I heard that the Minister of Special Affairs was specially selected, so I expected it, but I didn’t know that they would really send the ink clowns. Among the units belonging to the Ministry of Special Forces, it is a unit located at a fairly high level, so there is a bit of a waste to send it to this kind of work.
“His Excellency has paid a lot of attention.”
“Isn’t it perfect for the ink clown to move with the manager?”
“Did you take it from the Ministry of Special Affairs knowing that?”
“Haha, I’m sorry. But didn’t the reorganization work like that? We can’t refuse the imperial family’s order.”
He laughed at the deputy chief of information. I know that. I also had to send the Muk Gwangdae to the Ministry of Special Affairs because of the royal family’s order.
“Mugwangdae will contact the manager first. Of course, it’s okay for the manager to send it first. I’ll be happy to hear from you.”
“Let’s do that. Thanks for letting me know.”
“It’s not my job to be a messenger like this.”
Well, there are too many things to be called a messenger.
Anyway, the deputy information manager finished his remarks and disappeared with a greeting, and I also moved to return to the booth.
‘Mukwangdae.’
My steps toward the booth became lighter than before. I can’t help but feel better now that I’ve seen guys I’m glad to see.
Mukwangdae (墨光隊), one of the special forces. To call it by a name familiar to me, it’s the former Division 4 of the Inspection Department.