Chapter 52
Shoddy Construction
“What kind of accident are they planning this time?”
We held our breaths, straining to catch every word of the two Linus employees’ conversation.
“Anyone working here would know. Just by looking at these materials, if you don’t know, your brain must be a lower-grade material too.”
“What can you do? They want us to leave a lot behind.”
“At first, I didn’t think much of it, but ever since that time… ah… I just don’t feel like it.”
“Even if it sucks, we have to do it if the higher-ups order it. If we quit now, we’d be left penniless. And who knows if they’d even let us go willingly.”
“He’s got someone backing him, huh…”
A colleague beside the gloomy employee patted his shoulder and dragged him off to get a drink, ending the conversation. Most likely, the employee’s cryptic words meant this:
‘Shoddy construction.’
Of course, their application didn’t mention any history of poor-quality work.
‘More investigation is needed.’
We quietly left Linus, deciding to continue later.
“Leaking from the front, leaking from the back.”
That was my impression after visiting Linus in person. If even the low-level employees were openly complaining, it meant the company had been skimming for a long time—without shame, without fear. They ran the business brazenly.
The next morning, I headed to the Imperial Palace Library early. There, newspapers from past years were stored.
‘They said it was an accident.’
They probably tried to cover it up, but if people had been injured, there had to be some record. I scanned the newspapers from last year, the year before, and another year further back—finally, I found an article. And it was on the front page.
I had assumed it would be a small buried notice due to the cover-up—but the headline told otherwise.
“Gaho Bridge Collapse: Over 100 Empire Citizens Dead or Seriously Injured.”
It was an incident too severe to hide. A ridiculous, inflammatory subheading claimed: ‘Divine Wrath?’
‘The gods must have jumped out of their seats in surprise.’
The article explained that the bridge had been structurally sound, but the main deity supposedly became angry because prayers had been insufficient. The temple had responded with all-night vigils and confessions. In a world with both magic and divine power, such explanations were taken seriously.
“So… they’re going to do the same thing again?”
The previous Chancellor and the crown prince must be out of their minds as well. They treated people’s lives like flies.
“Disgusting. Smells rotten all over.”
What began as a personal grudge now took on the weight of undeniable reason.
Between managing tasks at the Chancellor’s Office, enduring Duke Huhwang’s scolding, and hunting for clues to expose that bastard, my schedule was packed—but the side business of uncovering corrupt companies continued to flourish.
“Why are you here today, little lamb’s friend—?”
The Duke came and went like someone with endless free time, visiting whenever he had an opening. He might soon outdo even Mr. Ox in terms of persistence.
Most of the time, he didn’t have important news. He just needed to vent emotions, suppressing the urge to hurt his subordinates with blunt truths, or sought reassurance about his actions. Occasionally, he seemed genuinely cheerful.
‘When I cursed at the crown prince for him.’
Though he could have done it himself, he seemed uncomfortable doing so due to his noble upbringing. Thanks to the voice-modifying artifact I got from Aiden, I could speak freely at the Ministry of Justice with less tension.
“Let’s hear your thoughts, Master Quokka.”
Today, however, his tone carried a different atmosphere, as if lost in deep thought.
“Gladly. Shall we hear your friend’s concern—?”
“It’s not really a concern. Hmm… I’d call it unusual. And a bit troubling.”
I pointed at him with both index fingers, teasing him with a playful grin.
“Oh~~~ Could it be… romance? Our little lamb has a crush~~~ Someone caught your eye? Woohoo~~~.”
Wow… I really risk my life for this line of work.
“Don’t say such nonsense. It’s about a new recruit at the Chancellor’s Office who came to me recently.”
I froze. No matter how brazen I was, hearing my own story from the youngest Supreme Judge, Duke of Ariadne, and future Grand Duke made it impossible not to be taken aback.
“…Huh?”
“Disappointed?”
“Ah, no! My throat just feels a little scratchy—.”
“Oh dear. Are you alright?”
“Better now after drinking some water. Go on—.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Did this new recruit do something that bothers you…?”
“…Perhaps.”
“…!”
My heart skipped. The Duke, unaware of my internal panic, tilted his head thoughtfully before speaking.
“Seems it doesn’t bother you in a bad way.”
‘Phew, thank goodness.’ Even though I live my life as I please, I don’t want one of the Empire’s top authorities marking me.
“She came to prepare foundations for the future, even though I had partly given up. I only thought of stopping her immediately, not of a way to handle it.”
I vaguely explained her actions in work terms, but as the person involved, I understood his words perfectly.
“Honestly, even now I think her actions were almost futile. Yet by listening to her, I might have done something pointless myself.”
“Do you regret helping her?”
He slowly uncrossed his arms and rested his chin on the table. With the little lamb mask closer than usual, I could see him clearly.
“Perhaps. Maybe it was shocking.”
“Shocking?”
“Yes. She acted differently than I expected.”
He remained thoughtful, silent. Perhaps he was recalling me as a Daijo employee. If so, I could only say:
“That’s just who she is. Watch her. Who knows? She may surprise you even more.”
“Perhaps.”
He chuckled softly.
“I look forward to that.”
After visiting Linus, Pinea, Nicola, and I each conducted our own investigations, then gathered at a log-cabin tavern in Lesera, known for its cuisine.
“Nicola said something came up, so he’ll be a little late.”
I felt a sudden pang of worry.
“Make sure he’s not overworking himself again.”
“Is he really like that? He’s docile, but not a pushover.”
“Are you sure?”
“…He volunteered to work overtime in my place before. Pinea sighed and said she’d check on him herself.
While waiting, I shared our investigation with Pinea. I explained the truth behind the Gaho Bridge collapse three years ago. She was shocked—having lived in Ophel, she had no idea about this incident in the capital. Her jaw practically dropped for ten seconds.
“How could so many people…?”
Her shock quickly turned into anger.
“Even if the gods were angry, killing innocent people is insane!”
“I don’t know much about the temple or doctrine, but logically, this is unacceptable.”
“No, the chief deity is supposed to be benevolent! That can’t be true!”
Though it was the first time I’d heard the story, I nodded along subtly. Pinea’s anger boiled over, then turned serious.
“Could we expose this? But covering it up is dangerous, Coco.”
“That’s why I told you not to come.”
“I didn’t know it would be this serious! Isn’t now the time to blame you? You’re telling me it’s dangerous.”
“That guy’s my superior. I can’t let it slide.”
We couldn’t serve someone who killed innocent Empire citizens. My own life might be at risk later.
Having come this far, I had no intention of quitting. Even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to sleep properly.
“Ha… even you can’t… haah.”
Pinea downed her beer in one gulp and slammed the glass down.
“Is there a way?”
I grinned at her, seeing how quickly she switched tactics when determined. One of the reasons I liked Pinea was:
“If you leave a trail, you’ll get caught.”
“Tra… trail?”
“I mean, if you keep doing something wrong, eventually it will be exposed.”
“Never heard that before.”
“It’s a foreign proverb.”
“Working at the palace made you smarter. So?”
“It’ll take time, but if we dig through this, surely…”
“Guys!”
Just then, Nicola burst in, out of breath. He had never seemed so urgent before.
“Why are you running? Take it slow.”
“I just wanted to tell you quickly.”
Surprised, Pinea and I stared at him. I pressed for details.
“What is it?”
Nicola wasted no time.
“I was checking products and got talking to a colleague. I heard that Linus was chosen for the Lesera Main Road construction. He said he hoped they’d make a decent road. But then he sighed heavily, called it trash… and said he used to work there. As an employee.”
This was important information.
“At Linus?”
“Yes, technically before they changed the name to Linus.”
“Wait… they changed the name? No way…”
Nicola swallowed hard and nodded toward Pinea and me.
“They were investigated for shoddy construction.”
Our anger erupted in unison.
“Damn it!”
Unlock soon!~