Tyler carefully examined the area around the skylight, ensuring it wasn’t a trap, and then peered inside through the opening.
Regrettably, beneath the skylight was the house’s dining room, which was empty at the moment, offering no useful insight.
However, Tyler didn’t come away empty-handed.
Through the skylight, he could clearly hear the sounds from within the house.
At this moment, from a room inside, he could discern the unmistakable sounds of women moaning and groaning.
“That Nassar… he’s not as innocent as he seems,” Tyler thought as he heard the creaking of the wooden bed, realizing what was going on.
Nassar would certainly not want such a thing exposed, especially in his pursuit of Emilia. It was evident that his feelings for her were far from genuine.
As a long moan echoed through the house, the lascivious noises abruptly ceased.
– (Really? That wasn’t even five minutes.)
Tyler mused, smirking as his perception of Nassar shifted once more.
In any case, today’s discovery was a boon for Tyler. He appreciated Nassar more and more, considering him an excellent pawn to be used.
“Well done, Nassar. Keep up the ‘good work’,” Tyler thought as he noted the house’s location before leaving.
.
Having caught Nassar in the act, Tyler headed straight for The Quest Guild.
However, he didn’t intend to snitch to Emilia. Using Nassar as a simple pawn would be a waste.
Glancing at Emilia, Tyler saw that she was busy, which suited him perfectly.
He approached the front desk, swiftly placed a note for her, and left just as quickly.
By the time Emilia realized what had happened, Tyler was long gone.
After pondering for a while, Emilia recalled that the person who had left the note seemed to be Banning. She picked up the note and read it, confirming her suspicion.
The content instructed her to tell Branch Chief Oleg to meet at the designated location in half an hour. Banning had signed the note, but it made no mention of Emilia.
Emilia was frustrated, not because her name was absent from the note, but because Banning seemed to disregard her.
-(What’s with Banning? Does he think I’m just a messenger?) She thought indignantly.
Despite her annoyance, Emilia took a deep breath and returned to her calm working state. Not wanting to delay important matters, she dutifully went upstairs to relay Banning’s message.
.
“This kid is really full of himself, always wanting me to go out and find him. Doesn’t he know my office is on the second floor?” Branch Chief Oleg was busy and quite annoyed with Banning’s demands.
“Making it seem like I have nothing better to do. Telling me to be there in half an hour, as if I don’t have any dignity…”
Oleg was so agitated he stood up, seemingly ready to tear the note and stand Banning up. However, after standing for two seconds, he hesitated and sat back down quietly.
“Forget it, just this once. Emilia, I’m going out for a bit.” Despite his irritation, Oleg was well aware of Banning’s importance.
The young man wouldn’t be in such a hurry to find him if there wasn’t something urgent – that’s what Oleg thought.
Neither Oleg nor Emilia realized that they were, to varying degrees, already being manipulated by the newcomer.
.
A half hour later, Oleg encountered Banning in the tavern, where the young man was already waiting for him.
“Branch chief, time is of the essence, so I will be direct… What is your opinion of Nassar?”
— (Nassar?)
Oleg was taken aback; he could not fathom why Banning would inquire about Nassar with such urgency.
“Nassar is a fine young man… Although he lacks some ability in overcoming difficulties, he is still quite proactive in various matters concerning the guild.”
“What do you mean by lacking some ability to overcome difficulties?”
“It’s not a big deal, really. When he initially challenged the ‘Trial,’ I thought he could pass the ‘Level 2 Difficulty- Yellow Trials.’ However, he chose to be conservative and ultimately opted for the ‘Level 1 Difficulty: White Trials.'”
Oleg still felt a sense of regret for Nassar as he recalled the past.
“Oh… What do you know about Nassar’s family background?” Banning seemed uninterested in Nassar’s trial and continued to inquire about his background.
— (Nassar’s family? Although it’s a single-parent household, there’s nothing particularly special about it.)
Oleg was growing impatient and couldn’t understand why Banning was asking these questions.
“Lord Banning, may I suggest that you speak your mind?”
“My apologies, I’ll get straight to the point.” 𝒐𝔳𝒍xt.𝐂𝒪𝑀
Banning did not hesitate, and the words that followed completely exceeded Oleg’s expectations.
“Secret rendezvous in the western outskirts at night,” “an old man with white hair, leaning on a walking stick and wearing a dark green robe,” and “an item hidden within the Quest Guild”… When Banning mentioned these matters, Oleg’s entire body tensed with anxiety.
— (Impossible… It can’t be… Could it be that Nassar joined the guild to obtain the “Secret Saber: Blaze Steed”?)
— (But then again, Banning wouldn’t fabricate stories… He’s even less likely to know about the existence of the “Blaze Steed” than Nassar.)
— (Speaking of which, Nassar’s recent actions have indeed been somewhat different from his usual behavior…)
— (Furthermore, there’s the white-haired old man Banning mentioned… The person who knows about the existence of the “Blaze Steed” and can’t forget about it… It could only be Splurt… This immortal monster…!)
“Branch Chief? Did you hear what I said, Branch Chief?”
Banning’s voice seemed to come from a great distance, and upon hearing it, Oleg snapped out of his deep contemplation.
“Ah, yes… No, I’m sorry, I didn’t hear. What did you say just now, Lord Banning?”
“I was asking if you recall the item that Nassar was trying to steal, and if you could think of anyone who might be the mysterious old man,” Banning inquired.
Faced with Banning’s question, Oleg hesitated.
“Um… Lord Banning, first of all… I want to thank you for telling me all this… However, this information is too sudden, and I need to investigate further.”
After much deliberation, Oleg ultimately decided not to disclose the “Blaze Steed” and “Splurt” to Banning.
Firstly, he had not entirely trusted Banning, and secondly, if Banning were indeed a good person, Oleg would not want him to be involved in this dangerous situation.
— (If Nassar is truly a traitor, he is hiding it very well…)
The mere thought sent shivers down Oleg’s spine.
“Alright, if you need anything, you can find me at the inn across from the Quest Guild.”
With a look of regret, Banning stood up and left without pressing Oleg for the truth.
Oleg stayed in the tavern for a while, deep in thought, before returning to the Quest Guild.
.
(Secret Saber: Blaze Steed… Splurt…)
As Tyler walked towards the Catgirl Culinary Pavilion, countless thoughts raced through his mind.
Thanks to the mind-reading ability, he knew everything, even though Oleg hadn’t uttered a single word.