Published: January 4, 2026
“So, what did you tell them?”
Leaving the stunned man aside for the moment, I asked Zoe.
“I accepted. I figured, since you’re my master, you’d want to make use of it.”
“Hmm.”
As expected from someone who’s served me for a long time, Zoe understands me well.
This time, with the shop completely gone, it would be the biggest headache if they went underground and never came back out.
The fact that they tried to bribe Zoe means they surfaced to a place close to the surface, which is a blessing.
Zoe played a fine hand.
“What did you say we were?”
“We said we were here on a secret mission from Your Majesty the emperor.”
“Huh?”
The man was even more surprised.
“I see, well done, Zoe. That’s almost a perfect response.”
“W-what does that mean...?”
The man was so perplexed he was almost speechless, and even Zoe was slightly puzzled.
If it was just the man, I’d have ignored it, but I thought I’d explain it to Zoe.
“When deceiving people, piling on lies is what amateurs do.”
The man gave an “I see” expression, and Zoe nodded as if to say, “Yeah, that makes sense.”
“Intermediates tell the truth but lie only when absolutely necessary.”
“A-a professional?”
“They only tell the truth.”
“Only tell the truth...”
The man carefully pondered my words as if rolling them over his tongue.
Meanwhile, Zoe, who was a bit quicker to understand, said,
“As expected of my master.”
“Your answer was good too. So far, no lies. From their point of view, it’s a natural development, so they’ll accept it.”
“What should I do next?”
“Tell them everything about my movements without holding anything back. Since they came out to us, we’ll let them swim for the time being.”
“Understood.”
Zoe nodded.
She’d have no trouble handling something like this.
I thought about the other purpose of this trip—the reason I brought Zoe along.
It was to train and further strengthen her.
I racked my brain on what to do to make better use of this opportunity.
Zoe didn’t interrupt my thoughts; she just stood quietly, waiting for my next words.
During that time, I formulated my plan and first asked Zoe.
“Can you contact them?”
“Yes. They taught me how to reach them in emergencies.”
“Good. Then go meet them. Oh, and give Kate that 3,000 lien. When we return to the capital, I’ll reimburse you.”
“For my master, 3,000 lien is nothing… but why?”
“Tell them to ask for more money. The reason is what I just said—the 3,000 lien was spent on bribing Kate.”
“...”
“W-why would you do that?”
While Zoe pursed her lips in thought, the man asked me the question he had.
“What do you think, Zoe?”
“…To get closer to them, perhaps?”
“Half right.”
I smiled and reached out to pat Zoe on the head.
That much understanding was enough for now.
“Yes, during times like this, asking for more money has the effect of reassuring and gaining the opponent’s trust. But if you just demand greedily, they’ll look down on you at the same time.”
“To avoid being looked down on, you bribed Kate...?”
Zoe’s thoughts connected well but didn’t quite reach the next step.
I wasn’t trying to be mean, so I revealed the secret.
“At the same time, you gauge their capabilities. If they’re somewhat competent, when they find out you spent this large sum to accomplish the mission, they’ll respect you to some extent.”
“Respect.”
“Money is ultimately just a tool. Only those who can use tools effectively can acquire more wealth.”
“…Yes.”
Zoe nodded silently with a serious expression.
“You measure their ability by whether they give you extra money.”
“I see… as expected of my master!”
“Honestly, it’s the same as what we talked about before.”
“Huh?”
“You told me you got bribed with 3,000 lien, and I gave you 30,000.”
“Ah…”
“The essence is the same. Only the details and flow of money differ slightly.”
“I see!”
Zoe seemed fully convinced.
Well, since this was the second time she’d informed me about bribery, it was easier for her to understand.