DPAA 50

chapter 50

No, but this is for real.

The moment I awakened, still dazed, I thought, “Could I maybe have an inventory or something?” — and just like that, a space opened up.

Other magic I gained from falling into this world was definitely useful in some ways, but the inventory was a fundamental skill I’d had since my previous life, like breathing. It wasn’t a matter of convenience—it was just… normal.

Nothing particularly special about it.

At least, nothing special for me.

Apparently, it was special for them.

“Uh, um… could it be… no, wait… now that I think about it…”

The man who had been watching me put monsters in and out of my inventory stammered, completely frozen.

“Those… eyes… that hairstyle… it looks exactly like the former Princess of Luxelord…”

The former Princess of Luxelord.

Since no child has married into the current Luxelord Duke family and changed her surname, he must be referring to the time before the current Duke received his title.

But there’s no reason to indirectly call the current duke’s sister the “former princess.”

So the “former Princess of Luxelord” he remembers is the current Luxelord Duke’s sister, who after marriage became Princess of Escliff.

“Princess Kanis Escliff…?”

It would be her biological mother.

When I nodded, the man’s mouth dropped open.

What came next was so obvious that there was no need to say anything.

Once he regained his senses, the man told me his name.

“I am Marquis Carif. Originally, I was the second son of Baron Dien’s family, but I was fortunate enough to catch the eye of Marquis Ainser and even meet His Majesty the Emperor.”

Second son of a baron.

Technically nobility, yes, but his position was as precarious as it could get.

One barony to inherit. If there’s more than one child, the rest either marry into the gentry class or live as unmarried dependents in the family estate.

But there’s always an exception: if the emperor personally recognizes one’s talent, a new surname and title could be granted.

“I was lucky. I had the talent to weakly wield dark-element magic, which others lacked. But…”

He explained that after receiving the marquisate, he worked as a dark magic researcher in the royal palace, but due to getting caught in palace politics, he had been demoted here.

“Oh, and this is my niece. My elder brother’s eldest daughter.”

“Oh, hello…”

The woman, realizing my identity, bowed her head politely.

She must have been passed over in the succession order too.

Even a minor baron wouldn’t send grown heirs to such a department lightly.

Since she was the eldest daughter, it was clear she had one or two older brothers.

And my guess was correct.

Baron Carif’s elder brother, Baron Rien, had many children: three older brothers, two younger brothers, and a baby sister who couldn’t even walk yet.

Unlike her brothers, she lacked magical talent, but having graduated from the academy and finding no particular employment, she had come here.

Of all places, she ended up in the Dark Magic Administration Office.

Carif explained with a wry smile after noticing my uneasy expression.

“The Dark Magic Administration Department is basically a meaningless department. Nominally, it’s placed within the citizen complaint center to handle public reports, but it mostly just takes on work from other departments.”

“Is your rank within the department low?”

“Low doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

There was bitterness at the corner of his mouth.

“Even routine inspections don’t bother coming. Well, the internal branch at the palace seems to be the exact opposite.”

“The opposite?”

“If the department assignment at the public complaint center is exile, the same department inside the palace is basically a vacation.”

He answered my question crisply.

“I’ve heard that only those connected to the Empress are assigned there. High salary, benefits equal to other departments, and almost no work—truly the sweetest posting.”

“Huh.”

“No complaints have been filed for nearly fifty years, so it’s also out of the emperor’s direct sight.”

Hearing this, I roughly guessed the situation.

“You’re probably right about what I think.”

Aiden confirmed my suspicion.

I whispered to the man, just low enough so he wouldn’t hear.

“The Empress is scheming, isn’t she?”

“Yes. A tricky scheme.”

He agreed openly.

“And it’s a very effective one.”

Indeed.

Even as an illegitimate child, Aiden was registered under the imperial family. He couldn’t just wander outside the palace freely. At least during his early childhood before entering the academy.

In such a situation, it would have been impossible for young Aiden, no matter how close, to even find the complaint center outside the palace.

“So there’s evidence, but no report could be made.”

Most dark magic evidence disappears quickly. Collecting it is nearly impossible.

Aiden nodded at my assessment.

“Exactly. And after I entered the academy, I didn’t need to use such tricks anymore.”

He added:

“Until now.”

He probably assumed the monster’s corpse couldn’t be brought all the way here.

And he wasn’t wrong. Even if Aiden killed the monster, dragging such a massive corpse into the capital would immediately draw attention. Any minor obstruction could erase the evidence in a single day.

Yes. That’s logically how it would be.

Until an entity beyond common sense appeared.

“By the way…”

“What is it?”

Aiden’s sharp question prompted Marquis Carif to nervously respond.

“Could you… perhaps show the corpse again? I was too shocked earlier to see it properly.”

“Ah.”

“Ah.”

Our sighs echoed through the department.

Back to the present.

I tossed the coin purse I’d laid out into the extra-dimensional space inside the carriage and recalled what happened afterward.

“Wow… I’ve never seen such a clean reversed containment before. It looks like an illustration in an old tome.”

“The traces of dark magic are clear, right?”

“Quite sure. I’ll need to call a priest in the capital for verification, though.”

He explained it was for academic purposes, took out a vision orb, photographed the corpse, and immediately sent a letter to the temple.

Then, in a chilling voice, he declared:

“If this gets out, blood will spill across the empire.”

A statement I found quite satisfying.

Turning the empire upside down once wouldn’t be bad.

Actually, the Escliff Duke and the Empress… weren’t on bad terms at the moment.

Good. Everything is going smoothly.

Even if the monster’s corpse were to vanish due to the Empress’s interference, it didn’t matter. It would just make her either more cautious or provoke an aggressive reaction—a useful trigger either way.

I’d prefer the aggressive reaction—it’s more fun… but as long as we reach Seoul, it doesn’t matter how we get there.

I smiled faintly, and Aiden suddenly spoke.

“Are you not worried?”

“About what?”

“That Marquis Carif might be lying to you.”

There was no hint of humor on his face.

“Perhaps he’s an agent of the Empress, passing information that Princess Escliff favors the troublesome third prince.”

“Oh, no, that’s not the case.”

I quickly dismissed his paranoia.

“…How can you be so sure?”

How can I be sure?

[Eye of Truth (S)]

[Discerns lies from the words of others.]

Even if I can’t read thoughts precisely, at least I won’t be deceived.

Of course, if someone knew this skill and intentionally twisted their words, they could evade detection.

But…

Would anyone even want to talk to someone who can partially read thoughts?

I would never.

“Well, I have my ways.”

I smiled faintly and made an excuse. Aiden, for some reason, looked slightly moved.

…Why?

I feel like I just caused a misconception.

I don’t know what it was.

Hmm. Doesn’t matter if I don’t know.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Ignoring Aiden’s expression, I looked out the carriage and felt something off.

Outside the window, the scenery was much the same as before.

Grand buildings befitting the capital. Nobles dressed extravagantly. Commoners mixed in. Children running errands and multiple carriages.

…Carriages?

Come to think of it…

I stared at a carriage several dozen meters away.

That carriage… has been following us all this time, hasn’t it?

It was tailing us.