IBMH 05

“I’ve been imprisoned, but there is no malice.”

5.

“Huuuk… huff!”

The information broker, who had been acting like someone on the verge of death, suddenly stepped closer to Evelin and shouted with a fierce expression.

“Are you insane?”

“Pardon?”

Me? Not you? Evelin swallowed the words she almost said. It was her first time meeting this person, and she didn’t want to ask such sensitive questions right away. Wasn’t that basic manners? Even if the other person had no intention of being polite either, she didn’t want to become the same.

“You are insane! If you weren’t, you wouldn’t ask for that kind of information!”

The broker jumped in place, clearly agitated.

“Of all things… of all things you asked for that!”

“That information…?”

“That person.”

The broker looked around nervously before lowering his voice.

“The Grand Duke of Gracias?”

“Shh! You must not say that. It’s forbidden. Look at this!”

He suddenly opened his mouth wide and showed his teeth to Evelin. Evelin did not really want to look inside someone’s mouth, but the broker wasn’t letting her avoid it. Reluctantly, she leaned back and looked.

“Do you see it?”

“Uh… yes.”

There were clearly several missing teeth.

As Evelin nodded, the broker’s eyes turned red. He looked like he might cry at any moment.

“There are rules among brokers. A taboo, if you will. We do not buy or sell information about that person. Do you know why? Because if you get caught, you end up like me.”

He pointed at his mouth again.

“I’m actually lucky. Just some teeth gone and a couple of broken legs!”

“Pardon?”

Evelin realized the “person” he was talking about was probably the Grand Duke of Gracias.

But if this was considered lucky, what happened to the others?

She wanted to ask, but held it in. The broker looked pale, like he was about to collapse.

So the Grand Duke really was a terrible person. Evelin felt a chill run down her spine.

Maybe I’ll end up like that too someday…

She clenched her hands tightly and lowered her voice.

“So you mean… you were caught selling information about the Gra—”

“Shh! Just say ‘that person.’”

“…Right. So that person came and did this to you?”

“Exactly. So leave. I don’t sell that information.”

The broker pushed Evelin toward the exit. Despite being smaller, he shoved her with surprising strength.

“Wait, wait a second!”

“There is no ‘wait’!”

Before she knew it, she was outside the tavern. Through the closed door, loud crashing noises could be heard.

“Hmm…”

Evelin stood there blankly for a moment, then started walking again.

Just in case, she visited other information brokers too.

But the reaction was all the same.

Some prayed while holding holy objects. Some threw salt at her. Some even fainted.

“Huh? Uh…?”

Watching all this only made her more uneasy.

Grandfather… do I really have to save the Grand Duke of Gracias?

She looked up at the sky and sighed.

“You must repay kindness.”

It was something her grandfather often said when he was alive. And the same voice that had pressured her in dreams.

“…I guess I have no choice.”

It was scary. Really scary. But she couldn’t give up now.

If that was the case, she had to gather information herself.

It’ll be dangerous.

If she got caught, she might end up like those brokers.

So she decided to start small, carefully, without being noticed. Maybe then she could find a way.

That was what Evelin thought.

And this decision became the beginning of all her future hardships.

Sometimes, talent blooms in unexpected ways.

The information brokers refused to sell information.

Because of that, Evelin had to move on her own.

At first, it was hard.

She fell multiple times a day, got hurt, and chased shadows only to end up with nothing but dust.

But in the process, she awakened a talent she never knew she had.

Yes. She had a remarkable talent for gathering information!

At first, she could only barely follow targets from behind. But gradually, she became more skilled.

“Agh… another failure.”

She rummaged through the trash bins outside the Grand Duke’s mansion.

“Today he went to the blacksmith to sharpen his sword, then ate at that restaurant. Hm, the Grand Duke actually likes sweets. And he seems to prefer clean, precise strikes when punishing someone.”

She wrote everything down.

His routes, his meals, his clothes, the level of his punishments—everything.

She began collecting information no one had ever properly obtained before.

Everything seemed to go smoothly.

But a mad dog was called a mad dog for a reason.

“This is disgusting.”

Kaite frowned as he muttered.

He was usually a man full of complaints, but lately he had become even more sensitive.

“What seems to be the problem, sir?”

Seren, the deputy commander, asked cautiously.

She wondered if someone had angered him again. Should she call a doctor in advance?

Kaite continued.

“Someone has been following me recently.”

“Pardon?”

Seren blinked in confusion.

Kaite was strong and highly skilled—but his personality was terrible. Because of that, Seren often regretted becoming his subordinate.

But someone was following him?

“Is it Lord Olen?”

That was the only plausible answer. Someone who had his arm broken would definitely hold a grudge.

“No. That guy probably wet himself in fear last time. He wouldn’t dare.”

Alex, the red-haired man beside them, spoke.

If not him, then who?

There were too many candidates.

Still, one thing was clear. Whoever it was had a lot of nerve.

Kaite had already made examples of information brokers in the capital just for being annoying. Some had even been hung in the city fountain as warnings—barely alive at the time.

Because of that, the knights were deeply unsettled.

“Who in the world would dare do that?”

“Do they have a death wish?”

Kaite finally spoke honestly.

“I don’t know who it is yet.”

Seren’s expression changed.

“Should we capture them?”

If they sent enough people, even a skilled stalker could be caught.

But Kaite clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“No.”

There were too many complications.

At first, the follower had been clumsy. But recently, they had become noticeably more skilled—sometimes even slipping out of sight.

The tracking skills were improving rapidly.

And yet, he felt no killing intent.

So he decided to wait and observe.

But this only increased the curiosity of the knights.

“It’s not the commander.”

“Then they’re not a professional tracker.”

“Maybe it’s a woman who likes the commander?”

“What kind of crazy woman would—oh. Actually, there were some.”

In the past, there had been women who followed him.

With his looks and reputation, it wasn’t surprising.

But normal women usually gave up quickly.

“How long has it been?”

Seren asked.

Kaite answered.

“Two weeks.”

That was long. Even a week was long for Kaite.

And yet someone had been following him for two weeks.

Whether the person was male or female was still unknown, but it was interesting.

Then a man whistled.

His name was Alex. He had a rivalry with Rusen.

He was known for his different personality despite his appearance.

“I’ll take bets. Three weeks for one gold coin!”

At Alex’s words, Rusen frowned.