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“How’s the work going? I’ve been worried since the researchers have been working so hard lately. I hope you’re not overdoing it.”

“Thank you for your concern, but there’s no one who would collapse from staying up a week straight. No need to worry. The inspections are going smoothly.”

The Senior Researcher responded quietly with a smile.

Still, despite what she said, everyone looked pale and had dark circles under their eyes, but since they insisted they were fine, I didn’t know what else to say.

I nodded and scanned Giada Bianchi up and down.

After a moment of thought, I opened my mouth with a naive expression.

“Senior Researcher, could we possibly share a meal after the inspection?”

“A meal, you say?”

“Yes. I have something to discuss with you.”

She replied with a cheerful smile.

“May I ask why?”

“I have some questions and I’m a bit curious.”

Giada Bianchi paused, as if pondering, then nodded with a positive response.

“Sounds good.”

“Thank you.”

“Not at all.”

The Senior Researcher accepted the proposal and followed a colleague who was looking for her to the Inspection Room.

I watched her figure recede, then turned around the other way.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The sound of military boots echoed in the waiting room.

After a quick glance around and setting the timer, I exited the waiting room as naturally as I could.

“… Phew.”

There was just over an hour left.

I had to solve everything within that time.

—

As soon as I exited into the corridor, I ran toward the stairs and shouted.

“50 minutes left until the inspection ends! Report your positions!”

The responses were immediate.

-“This is Sergeant Samuel. Aaron and I are together in the suspect’s personal room in the Living Quarters. Did you manage to obtain the access pass?”

“Not yet.”

-“Then let’s hurry and meet up over here. We’ll start searching first.”

I quickened my pace, descended the stairs, and hopped onto the prepared tram.

Feeling jittery, I gazed out the window, but contrary to my nerves, the tram moved smoothly at top speed.

Research Facility 1, Research Facility 2, Research Facility 3, Admin Building, Medical Center.

The tram rushed hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye.

How long had it been? After quite a wait, the tram gradually slowed down and approached the platform. There were no announcements, but I sensed this was the Living Quarters.

Clank. The sound of the iron door opening made me dash onto the platform.

I crossed the platform faster than ever and headed for the stairs. I didn’t take the elevator; it was quicker to climb the stairs.

1st floor, 2nd floor, 3rd floor, 4th floor, 5th floor.

I raced through five floors and threw open the iron door.

Bang! The sound of the iron door crashing echoed in the staircase as I took deep breaths, glancing around the corridor.

Just then, down the distant corridor, a familiar face was waving at me.

Captain Gordon waved his gloved hand.

“What’s the update?”

“The motion detectors and listening devices are set up. Now we just need to search.”

“Gloves, gloves.”

I snatched the gloves offered by the Captain. They were the white cotton gloves you could commonly find at Daiso.

Even though fingerprints wouldn’t be a major issue, I put them on just in case. Shoving my drenched hands into the gloves, I said to the Captain.

“Don’t just stand guard, come in and search.”

“Understood.”

“There might be random codes, so search through the bookshelves and drawers thoroughly, check personal accounts, radios, authorizations or contracts, directives, reports, and any research materials that shouldn’t be removed.”

“Got it.”

“Any strange findings so far?”

“Nothing came down from above either.”

I repeated squeezing my gloved hand and closed the personal room door.

The Sergeant was busy ripping out storage media from various machines, while the Captain began to examine each book in the bookshelf. I approached the drawer to check my watch.

About 45 minutes left.

I had to find something.

—

My grandfather, who was a Counterintelligence Investigator, had a wealth of experience searching multiple houses, apartments, and offices for evidence collection.

Regardless of whether a suspect is a spy or not, people tend to believe that the place they spend the most time is the safest. This holds true for Information Agency Agents as well, because they are human too.

Even if one vows to investigate their most trusted individuals to the end, human errors cannot be avoided.

Thus, my grandfather always said, “Decisive evidence always comes from homes and offices, and arrests are made at home.”

Following the advice I’ve heard countless times from him, I decided to warm my hands up first.

“… Hah.”

Cold hands lead to dull senses. Searching primarily relies on touch, and if the senses are dulled, there’s a high chance of missing evidence.

Whether it’s scientifically or statistically proven doesn’t matter; ignoring the advice born from experience can only bring trouble, so I warmed my hands as much as I could before the search.

The first place I touched was the drawer.

I made sure to place the contents neatly on the floor, ensuring everything was in order as I opened up Giada Bianchi’s favorite cosmetics one by one.

I meticulously examined lipsticks and powders, checking their insides, while tilting the mirror under the light. Then I moved on to writing instruments like pens and fountain pens, shaking each one to see if anything else was hidden inside.

Nothing suspicious had turned up yet. I closely inspected photos and notebooks inside the drawer, but they were all ordinary items.

After a long examination of the contents, I found no evidence. Anxiously, I pulled out all the drawers and carefully checked every nook and cranny.

Meanwhile, the Captain, rummaging through the bookshelf, spoke up.

“Found some cash here.”

The Captain came over, holding a thin bundle of banknotes and a handful of coins.

“What kind of money is this?”

“It’s in shillings; it seems to be emergency funds.”

Even if I added up the banknotes and coins, it didn’t even amount to half of a citizen’s average monthly wage. It wasn’t an insignificant amount, but it was far from sufficient compared to Giada Bianchi’s hefty salary.

This meant it was far too little to be considered operational funds, and this currency was only valid within the Kingdom.

When the Information Agency provides funds to operatives or agents, they primarily use foreign currency, and not just any foreign currency—chief currencies like dollars.

For reference, the most influential currency on the continent is the denarius issued by the Cult. Of course, the southern part of the continent has different prevailing religions, so the Cult’s influence is less.

The top currencies include the following:

Kien Empire’s Tacron.

Abas’s Shilling.

Magic Tower’s Minat.

Republic of Patalia’s Escuna.

Lushan Federal Kingdom’s Dukat.

Though Tacron and shilling are treated as common currencies on the continent, considering the strong influence of religion, they fall short compared to the denarius.

Thus, each country’s information agencies have made it a practice to mix the local currency with denarius when providing funds.

The Sergeant seemed to have a similar thought, examining the bills and coins while speaking.

“Any denarius in there?”

“This is all we found in the bookshelf.”

“This seems more like emergency cash…”

The Sergeant twisted and rattled the coins around, but eventually shook his head and moved on.

I too scrutinized the coins and the bookshelf but found nothing particularly noteworthy.

“Just put it back where you found it.”

The Captain licked his lips, carefully placing the banknotes and coins back, returning the books to their original positions.

“What places haven’t we checked yet?”

“Bookshelves and drawers are done; we just need to check the wardrobe, desk, and bed.”

No sooner had he finished than a voice came from below the desk.

“I’ll search here, so you check the other areas.”

The Sergeant waved his hand holding a screwdriver. When on earth did he slip in there?

The Captain said he would check the wardrobe and asked me to search the bed. I glanced at my watch again. Time was running out.

The Sergeant began to unscrew the screws to peek inside, while the Captain was rummaging through the pile of clothes looking for anything suspicious.

Zziiip.

The sound of a zipper opening revealed the pure white mattress. I kneeled down, using my hands to feel around the mattress like a blind person reading Braille.

“…?”

“What’s wrong?”

“This feels odd. Everyone, gather around for a sec.”

I pushed the blanket aside and called the Captain and Sergeant over to remove the mattress cover.

With the three agents working together, the thick mattress cover came off seamlessly. I stepped onto the mattress with my military boots and continued to feel with my hands. As I ran my fingers slowly over the surface, I felt something unusual catch the tip of my finger.

A seam.

Staring at it intently, I pulled a knife from my left sleeve and—

-Whoosh!

I cut that seam clean through.

The Captain and Sergeant jumped in shock, eyes wide in horror.

“What are you doing? They’ll notice if you do that!”

“… I don’t think so.”

“What do you mean?”

I reached my hand into the torn mattress and pulled out everything that came into contact with my hands.

Thud. A thickly wrapped item landed loudly on the floor. I bent down and sliced open the wrapping with my knife.

Plastic, fabric, padding, and more plastic.

With each layer I peeled away, a strange silence fell upon the room.

Finally, when I tore off the last layer of plastic, I spilled the contents onto the ground.

Dozens of shilling coins clattered noisily as they fell. The investigators observing the scene picked up the fallen coins with frozen expressions.

The coins were perfectly split in half, one side completely empty.

I picked up one of the coins and matched the two halves together. The coins fit together seamlessly, without any obstructions.

This was it.

A diversion coin.

 

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