Chapter 63
And so, after a brief rest, the group of four departed from Patrick’s house.
The three previously disguised individuals remained in disguise, and now Princess Muriela was disguised as well.
With a few quick touches from Florina’s disguise kit, she was soon transformed into an ordinary neighborhood girl.
Of course, they had also brought plain clothes to wear instead of her usual ornate garments, making them all look like average citizens of the capital.
Since Princess Muriela had appeared at the recent combined wedding and Foundation Day event, disguise was not optional.
There were certainly citizens who would recognize her face, so for safety and secrecy, it was essential.
Naturally, being in disguise also meant they had to act the part.
“Ahem. Where shall we go first? Why don’t you pick, dear?”
Sir Hamilton, reading his lines like a stiff schoolbook, clearly felt awkward using informal speech toward the princess.
But it was Princess Muriela herself who had insisted, so he had no choice.
Meanwhile, Solinor was positively giddy, excited by the rare chance to play dress-up again—a game he hadn’t indulged in since his adventuring days.
“Okay! Let’s see… How about we go here, Daddy?”
In contrast to Sir Hamilton’s stiffness, Solinor performed naturally and confidently.
From his voice and behavior alone, he seemed just like a carefree child out for a stroll.
Although it was all to avoid suspicion from bystanders, he was clearly enjoying himself a little too much.
“Yes, my daughter! As expected, you chose well. I think Mommy agrees that the place sounds like fun!”
Bianca, swept up in the mood, was also delighted.
Though still unmarried, she often thought of Muriela like a daughter.
Now that she had a legitimate (?) chance to act like a mother, she was as happy as a fish in water.
Of course, if we’re being technical, this entire outing was problematic from the start. They didn’t even file a travel notice!
“That’s right, big sis. My niece has good taste.”
Florina’s role was admittedly vague. So they decided she would just be the “aunt.”
As a result, Florina had to treat the younger Bianca as her senior and even call her “big sis.”
If she didn’t like it, she shouldn’t have joined the undercover mission.
But of course, for a spymaster, this was nothing.
“Hmm… It should be around that way?”
Solinor compared the address Patrick had given him with the capital map Bianca brought.
Their first destination was the home of a relatively conscientious official.
A few words might be all it takes.
This official lived in a slightly pricier area than Patrick, but it still wasn’t exactly a luxury neighborhood.
He was definitely living modestly for someone taking bribes.
Just as Patrick had said—not a completely bad person.
The only issue was the distance.
Looking at the map now, there were definitely closer homes they could’ve gone to first.
‘But why does Patrick live in such a small house?’
Solinor suddenly found himself wondering about that.
Patrick’s house was just too small, even for someone honest.
Bureaucrat salaries weren’t that low, and considering his rank, it made even less sense.
Because of this, his house was quite far from the others, making the journey rather inconvenient.
‘Hmm… Could it be because he’s just that loyal? Maybe he has the money but chooses not to show off? I really don’t know.’
Of course, this was a mistaken assumption.
The real reason Patrick couldn’t save money was because of his drinking.
Yes, he was honest. He didn’t indulge in luxury or accept bribes.
But alcohol—especially premium spirits—was expensive.
And since he insisted on buying the good stuff, it was no wonder his house was small.
His wife constantly nagged him about it, but he always claimed he’d die without his drink, so it was a losing battle.
‘Still, it’s fortunate to have a loyal official like him. When I take power, I’ll have to promote him to a higher position. That’s right—he’s Anton’s friend, too. He’ll be an excellent choice.’
Would Patrick ever know that his fondness for booze and connections were earning him a future promotion?
If he did, he might’ve bragged to his wife—“Ha! I got this post thanks to drinking!”—and laughed it off.
Patrick was loyal and sincere, but he also had a playful side.
‘Wait a second… there’s no real reason we have to visit that guy first, right? It’s such a long walk…’
At that moment, a bright idea popped into Solinor’s mind. Let’s change the visit order!
Yeah, no need to start with the farthest one. It’d be better to stop by the closer homes first.
The biggest reason? Walking too far with these short, weak legs was exhausting.
“Daddy! I changed my mind. Let’s go here first! This place is the closest.”
Princess Muriela beamed as she pointed to a new location on the map. The plan kept evolving.
The three adults who had been swept up in the princess’s whims since morning—well, Florina had kind of expected it.
Sir Hamilton nearly slipped and answered incorrectly, caught off guard by the sudden shift.
“Y-yes, th-that sounds fine. I think that’s a good idea too, dear.”
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Hamilton’s neck. A passerby walking nearby gave him a strange glance.
It wasn’t every day you saw a huge man speaking so politely to a child—definitely suspicious behavior.
Thankfully, Bianca jabbed his side just in time, and he corrected his speech.
If not, he might’ve raised alarms.
“Yes, dear. That sounds good. Let’s get going and stay focused.”
It was a subtle jab from Bianca, calling out Hamilton’s earlier slip. Hey! Get your head in the game!
Of course, a slip of the tongue wouldn’t necessarily get them in trouble, but they had to be careful.
This entire covert outing was a walking disaster to begin with.
Honestly, it was all the princess’s fault anyway.
“We’re here. I hope the conversation ends quickly.”
The first official they visited lived in this house—neither particularly good nor entirely corrupt.
He didn’t have a strong sense of duty, nor was he an outright scoundrel.
Just an average citizen swept up by the times—exactly what Solinor had expected.
‘Right. This is what’s normal. A regular person unable to overcome the limits of the system.’
It wasn’t a matter of talent, but of capacity. Those with small vessels are easily swayed.
If those around him are honest, he can be honest too.
But if everyone is corrupt, he’ll naturally follow suit.
Just like how schools filled with studious students naturally foster good academic atmospheres.
“Wh-Who’s there…!”
“Gah! I apologize for not recognizing you!”
“I swear I’ll never accept bribes or submit rigged budgets again!”
“Y-yes, I’ll take your visit to my grave. I promise to keep it secret.”
The infiltration began with Florina’s lockpicking skill. The surprise attack was entirely intentional.
The official, mentally shaken, was confronted with evidence and pressed until he confessed.
Hamilton’s intimidating presence and Muriela’s eerie charisma sealed the deal.
It was more than enough to subdue a spineless bureaucrat. They secured a promise of secrecy and left swiftly.
“Nice! That’s one down! Next up… I think this one looks good!”
The group adjusted their disguises again and headed to their next target.
Since they were now in a high-end neighborhood with few people passing by, there was little need to act.
But Solinor kept playing his role anyway—because it was too much fun.
One wonders how he ended up a king instead of an actor.
The next target also lived in the luxury district, so it didn’t take long to get there.
This was why visiting clustered targets first was smart.
They could alternate walking and resting, so Muriela’s dainty ankles never became a problem.
After all, they could rest on the target’s couch after giving them a proper scare.
At this point, it was hard to tell whether they were royalty and attendants or a gang of thugs—but it worked.
They were restoring order to the kingdom and stealing tasty snacks. A win-win situation.
Within just an hour, two officials were dealt with. Only two remained.
One was a decent man swept up by circumstance. The other—a depraved, decadent official.
It was obvious who to visit first. The depraved one, of course.
Why? Because right now, he’d be at a luxury bar. And it just so happened to be close to the high-end neighborhood.
The honest one, on the other hand, lived on the opposite side of town. Walking there would take at least thirty minutes.
Frugality was good and all, but his location choice was questionable. Commuting must be a pain.
Imagining a high-ranking official walking that far to and from work every day, Solinor was genuinely curious.
‘Why does he live so far from the palace? Does he ride a horse to work?’
Come to think of it, when Solinor was king, many of his friends also lived far away—but they always rode horses, so it was fine.
‘Well, I’m sure he has his reasons. I’ll ask him later. For now, let’s deal with this irredeemable scumbag.’
But could they really straighten out someone who squandered bribe money on booze and women?
You can’t repair something with no foundation. If he was that far gone, there was little hope.
‘In that case… we’ll just have to remove him.’
With that chilling thought, Solinor turned his steps toward the entertainment district.
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