“The information he brought was reliable this time as well.”
The secretary gave an oral report and submitted a report before me. It was all a list of things that Jack, that kid, had accomplished.
Jack was the most affectionate kid among the children I had picked up. It was partly because I had intuited the ability inherent in that kid, but even excluding that, I was strangely concerned about him. A soft emotion bloomed as if I were treating my younger sibling or child.
It was strange, but emotions are inherently an irrational domain. Enjoying such changes is also life.
In many ways, Jack was a unique kid. All the children wandering the streets had high mental barriers. It was common for them to not grow properly due to psychological wounds.
Among them, Jack, who seemed naive and dull, had mental barriers so high they were indescribable. Even I couldn’t enter that child’s heart. Even now.
“Right. Because Jack’s abilities are reliable.”
My face as I said that became like a proud parent even though I didn’t intend it. It was somewhat funny that I was acting like this even though I hadn’t actually raised him properly.
Jack’s abilities blossomed suddenly. Since growth usually takes steps slowly, this situation was surprising.
“I apologize for saying this, but Jack’s abilities are far too suspicious.”
“Suspicious?”
The secretary looked at me with a slightly tense face. Since he had worked by my side for a long time, he had also observed Jack for a long time. He must know that I had given my heart to him, yet saying this meant he was quite concerned.
“It’s strange that information with unknown sources comes out like that, and that the information matches so well.”
“So?”
“I wonder if he hasn’t joined hands with another large guild…”
I threw down the report I was reading onto the desk. At the thud, the secretary’s mouth closed like a clamshell.
In fact, the secretary’s words weren’t completely absurd. I wasn’t without questions about Jack’s abilities either. But saying he had crossed over to another guild was too much of a leap.
I had observed Jack for a long time. Jack had been incompetent all along. He was the least distinguished among the children I picked up. Compared to the children I had brought in until now, who all showed talent in at least one field, it was a dismal level. There were even rumors that the guild master’s abilities were finally on the decline.
But Jack’s hidden abilities were beyond imagination and satisfied my expectations at once. My judgment wasn’t wrong, and based on what I had observed until now, he wasn’t someone who would betray the guild.
First, Jack had no greed. No matter how incapable he was, he received my, the guild master’s, favoritism. No matter how dull, there was no way Jack wouldn’t know that. If he had greed, he would have already used that position to obtain something.
But he diligently did the hard work that lower-level guild members did and enjoyed small pleasures.
Also, there was no worry about betrayal. As long as I exist, Jack’s position is most solid here in Arbor more than anywhere else. Knowing that, there was no reason anywhere for Jack to betray this guild.
“Don’t be foolish. That child isn’t so bold. He won’t even feel the need to do so.”
“But… you might not know, guild master-nim.”
That’s true. But I believed in Jack and at the same time believed in my judgment. Therefore, I ordered the secretary in a firm voice.
“Stop. I don’t want to hear more about this matter.”
“…Understood.”
Like that, the conversation concluded and the day’s schedule began. Receiving information pouring in from various places, gathering it, assigning grades, confirming the children’s growth, and so on. The work I was responsible for wasn’t just one or two things. But it wasn’t difficult. If I had groaned in difficulty with just this much, it would have been hard to be inaugurated as guild master.
It seemed like the day was passing peacefully as usual.
“Guild master-nim.”
“What is it?”
“It seems you need to come out for a moment.”
Until the secretary with a somehow troubled face spoke to me.
Due to its nature, the information guild had to be secretive, so it was hard for any particular incident to occur. The business establishments owned by the guild mainly sold alcohol, so there were many accidents, but those were resolved at those establishments and weren’t brought to me.
When I looked at him as if demanding an explanation since I couldn’t guess, the secretary said.
“Jack’s… related person has appeared at the tavern. They’re looking for Jay…”
“Related person?”
Jack would disguise himself as someone named Jay to carry out missions. His skill in dressing up as if he weren’t himself was quite plausible, and after that incident, he reached an amazing level. Even I would mistake him for someone else. A related person of such a Jay… There was only one person who came to mind recently.
“Is it perhaps that serial killer guy?”
“No. It’s not that person.”
I can’t think of anyone else besides him.
Jack wouldn’t care, but I had already taken measures so that killer guy wouldn’t approach Jack. If it had been such a guy, I wouldn’t have handed documents to Jack, tsk.
“They said they’re family.”
“Family?”
Jack had no family. I discovered him during the time he was being exploited as a beggar. Usually, it’s hard to find out such children’s pasts. Not only does no one care, but the organization itself doesn’t care either.
Such children existed in the world yet were as if they didn’t exist. But there’s no child born alone in the world. No matter how hard it is to find their past, the parents who brought them into existence must exist.
“…Guide that bastard to the room.”
But what kind of case is it to be begging without parents? There are examples of exploiting orphans or luring lost children to exploit them, but the worst is when parents sell their child.
I don’t know what kind of person this so-called family member who came looking is, but what’s certain is that I’m Jack’s guardian now. On paper, Jack was Jack, not Jay, and was under my, Rose’s, protection.
I don’t know what kind of bastard it is, but if they’re trash, I should dispose of them. That would be the action I should properly take.
## Chapter 7: The Lily’s Coffin (1)
“Connubium? This isn’t an open period, is it?”
The man standing crookedly in front of the ship frowned. He wasn’t the only one showing hostility toward Jay.
The Sonof dock where soldiers were guarding sternly. The soldiers there were watching Jay. Between that sharp and brutal atmosphere, Jay broke out in a cold sweat.
Connubium. It was a marriage training school with a reputation throughout the continent. Only children from families with titles could enroll, and it was famous for making both men and women modest. A school like a single lily flower that commoners looked up to. In such a school, there shouldn’t be any threat whatsoever.
To the soldiers guarding that school, the man, Jay Doe, was nothing but suspicious. It was now May. Connubium was in the middle of the semester. Unless there were other special schedules, Connubium was a closed school where there was almost no reason to go out or for anyone to enter.
Moreover, to the guard’s eyes, Jay must look very sloppy. His long black hair was loosely tied with stray hairs sticking out, and his shirt hem was crumpled and sticking out of his pants. In Connubium where even professors were cultured nobles, such attire didn’t fit.
But Jay, not caring about such gazes, took out a letter from his chest. On the blue sealing wax that sealed the letter, the lily flower symbolizing Connubium was engraved prominently.
“I’m someone hired by Connubium. Will this be proof?”
The man took the letter and checked with an artifact whether it was a forged document. And only after confirming several times that it wasn’t forged did he step aside to let Jay board the ship. But even then, his face held doubt.
The small yacht Jay boarded was so small that even 5 people would have difficulty boarding, but it was sturdy.
“Is there no more luggage?”
The man who had spoken insolently until just now asked in a much more polite manner. Jay showed the luggage bag in his hand and said. The square bag was old but sturdy.
“Yes. This is all.”
“Then we’ll depart.”
The ship slowly headed toward Connubium like that.
In the middle of the Sonof Kingdom, Philina Kingdom, and Rono Kingdom, there was a giant lake. Though it was called a lake, the water was salty, and the size was so vast and deep that one could easily mistake it for a sea—it was an inland lake.
In the middle of that inland lake was an island larger than any ordinary city, and Connubium was established on that very island. A place where you couldn’t leave or enter without a ship.
The massive gray school was like a fortress made by renovating a huge old castle. It also looked like a prison that thoroughly restricted entry.
But the huge old castle beautifully surrounded by ivy was nothing but beautiful in Jay’s eyes. All he knew about Connubium was only the reputation widespread among commoners. In the end, people only see as much as they know.
“Wow…”
Jay, who let out a small exclamation, firmly believed without doubt that his future life would be rosy, pleasant days.
However, the documents that he, flushed with excitement, faced upon arriving at the school were of a different kind.
[Confidentiality Agreement]
“…Confidentiality?”
“In this Connubium, you cannot work even temporarily without signing this contract.”
If there were a person molded from inflexibility, it would be this person. Her black hair was pulled up without a single stray hair, and her black dress with not a single blemish showing, though simple-looking, was stiff without a single wrinkle. Everything was in contrast to Jay Doe.
Jay felt slightly intimidated by such a person and hesitantly read the contract. Well, since it’s a place with many nobles, it must be like that. He tried to think that way.
