'Djarum!　No news on that man yet!

　As soon as Vizier Val Moreau called the Third Knight Commander Jarm into his office, he shouted loudly.

''Mo, please wait a little longer ......!

　Djarum bowed his head.
　However, at present, there was only difficulty in gathering information about the second.

'What about the dog!　You said you had a dog.
I've been working on the falsification of documents... yes, ......... and I was wondering if you could give me a break.
Quickly, first priority. You may get over your suspicions, but know that there will be no peace here as long as that man is in the Court Martial Arts Division.
Haha. ......

　He had received an investigative report from his subordinate that the vital dog had "apparently turned", but Jarm couldn't say it, so he just bowed his head in a cold sweat.

　If we don't do something - we're not in a situation where we can choose our means at the earliest.

　After leaving the room, Jarm returned to his own room and gave his subordinate instructions with a divine look on his face.

'Call the tender,'

　It was a pseudonym for the head of the so-called "dark part". It's not hard to imagine why they called the man who controls the shadow of the Third Order.

''That little b*tc* ...... humiliates me, ......!

　The fist that clenched and slammed into the desk shook with a shudder.

　If that's what you plan to do - Jarm's mouth twisted into a grin as he raged.

'If you're going to say you're a turncoat, then I'm going to use that to my advantage.







Stupid, right? That's why they get caught like this.

　Not long after Tender received instructions from Jarm to begin his investigation of Sylvia Virginia.

　Suspicious that Sylvia was secretly reviewing documents from her second arrest, Tender took action by targeting Sylvia when she was out of the house to check the documents.

　...... not knowing it was a trap.

'A dark man, right?　And that's a very senior position. Maybe the top one?
............

　The man who was captured by the Firstest family's hand-picked group, the Eve Squad, was the very Tender himself.

　Why is the head of the dark part of the house moving directly to him? There were many reasons. He had to be capable of assuring that he would never screw up, he had to know the inner workings of the document well enough to understand its contents on the spot, and he had to be able to act alone and lightly. Only a tender can meet all of these requirements. And above all, Winfiled knew very well why he had to do so.

''I was being careless. I'm not sure if I'm being careless. You should have had at least one person under your command, you know.
............

　Winfiled says, smiling. Surrounded by several masked black-clad maids, the gagged tender remains silent.

'Who am I kidding. I know you. I'm on the lookout for your men, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Second, Ms. Sylvia and Mr. Vicide.
...... .......

　It was here that the tender finally showed just a slight reaction.

　The look on the tender's face was really quite obvious to Winfiled. If I had to put a subtitle on it, it would be this. 'Are you saying that you set all this up! And.

'That's right. To get you alone, I had Second and the First Court Magical Division conduct a military exercise, and then I sent Sylvia back to her parents' house to make a speech to Mr. Bicide. Then the dark part of the world would have to devote some of its personnel to that.
......!

　The surprise here is this. You can read minds!

　Winfiled didn't dare to deny it and smiled gently before opening his mouth.

I'm sure it's impossible to assassinate Mr. Bicide, by the way. You have an extraordinary shield by your side.

　It shatters any hope I may have had.

'I'm looking forward to the night, right?'
............

　Torture is pointless, he says. The tender's eyes speak.

"I didn't tell you that, okay?

　Huffing and puffing, he told her a few words, and Winfild left.
　It was still that night that the tender understood the meaning of those words.



　　* * * *



The second one. You're on.

　As soon as I came back from my teaching job, Winfiled approached me a lot closer.
　I guess the Silvia decoy operation was a success. So that means .......

'Finally, a brainwashing, eh?'
Yes.

　This is the brainwashing spell I've been waiting for.
　I couldn't stop being excited about the [magic] I was using for the first time, so I skipped along with Winfiled to the basement of the servant mansion.

　There was an old man in the latter half of 30 or so, bound in loincloths, lying surrounded by maids in all directions. Poor guy. But it didn't look like that kind of play.

"Let's just get it over with and let him go. Just do it like we talked about, please.
"Li.

　I responded like a lick-rotten young man, then approached the old man.
　I crouch down and touch my fingertips to its forehead.

　I know how to use it. While touching the opponent's face, I think of the matter I want to brainwash, and all I have to do is invoke the Brainwashing Magic.


''----!

　The old man looks like he's huffing and puffing.

　...... successful. Maybe.
　It's really dumbfounding.

　I take the gag off and ask him, "Who are you?

"Who are you?
"I'm Captain Tender, Ninth Division, Third Order. My real name is Rednet. Behind the scenes, I'm the captain of the assassination squad owned by the Third Knight Commander Jarmu.
How are you feeling?
'It's the worst. The floor is cold and the rope is tight.
Yeah. In case you haven't noticed, I don't allow suicide.
Yes, I know.

　The brainwashing was about absolute obedience. I reminded this guy to put me first in all of his thoughts.

　I busted off the tender's rope and untied it, and the tender knelt down and bowed his head. Roughly a surprised cry escaped from the maids around me.

Success, right? Mr. Second, I ordered you to do it.''

　It was so easy that I thought for a moment that maybe he was hitting a play, but Winfiled called it a success, so I guess it was a success. I was relieved when I gave the order.

'You know who tampered with the original official documents?'
Yes. There are two of them.
Pick up the older of the two and bring him to me alive. And bring me the original copy.
I'm sorry, sir.

　As we walked out of the basement, the tender bowed to me and then ran off into the darkness of the night.

　...... Foul, right? The 《Brainwashing Magic》 is. Even though there might be a limit to the number of times it can be used, it's too powerful.

　If I'm hit by this, even I'm a stone's throw away, it's not good. Specifically, if Silvia is brainwashed, there is a possibility that she will be assassinated. I don't think Eco and Yukari have any problems in terms of the status difference between them and me, but there will be a chance when they are unexpectedly sniped by Silvia's 【Artsmanship】.

''It's okay, man. I won't let them do that to you.

　The thought was on my face, and Winfiled said that to me. You don't have to say anything.

I'm gonna go lean on Vinny's newspaper, okay?
Oh, then I can do it myself: ......
No, no, no. I'll go.

　Winfilled easily declines the maid's attentions. Then she glances over at me. I see. I take a guess and open my mouth.

"You've had a long day on the watch, I see. Get some rest.
'Yes, sir. Thank you, Master.

　The maids all bowed to me with happy faces and dismissed me.

　Winfiled is going to be a good wife who stands up for her husband. I don't think I'm going to be able to hide anything in return, though.

'Thanks,'
It's okay, sweetheart.

　A single kiss on the cheek and she was gone like the wind.


　I've always thought she had a thing for me, but ...... my love, she said.

............

　He said he loves you!






We've got him.
What's up?

　Early morning in the dawn.
　A tender arrived with a man in his late 40s. He was gagged and bound, just like the tender, and he was trembling and teary-eyed.

'The original is here.
You too? ......

　Worked too fast. Probably, they thought that they would never betray the tender. That's why things went so smoothly. Once again, we can see the cheatiness of the Brainwashing Magic.

"Oops. That was fast. I've just told them too, just now. Do you think we will be in time for the evening paper?

　Winfiled also came back at the right time, as I had expected.
　I ask the tender a question, which is good.

'Who's that old man?'
"I'm the director of the Royal Archives.

　Seriously? You're too corrupt: .......


"Well, let's do this to him, then. Then I'll take these two men and go to Minister Hailey.
You want him to confess?
Yeah. It's finally happening.
Are you coming too?
No, I'm just, you know, I've got a few things on my mind.

　What's on your mind?　Oh, I'm pretty sure it was "Sometimes the more the politics are spinning out of control with this kind of stupid fact-checking, the worse things are happening behind the scenes.

Isn't it obvious yet?
Yeah. Sorry?
'Don't apologize. I was just wondering if there's something even you don't understand.
Yeah. I think there's a lot of things I don't know, don't you?

　That masterful statement makes me feel even more "knowing".


'Master. I've put you in a chair, please come over here.
Oh. Thank you.

　I stand in front of the museum director with Yukari leading me. I feel a little sorry for her, frightened like a small animal.

'Winfiled. You and your master are in somewhat of a good mood, aren't you?
Wow, well, Master, what a surprise. I can't believe we're meeting here.
Wait. You're not going to... ......

　Yuck. They're about to find out that I have a slight crush on Winfiled. As expected from Yukari, she's needlessly perceptive. But this is where Winfild's clever storytelling comes in.

Now, now. I'm gonna have to go check it out, okay?

　You suck at it!

............ I need to talk to you when I get home.

　With a voice so cold that the whole room froze, Yukari looked away from Winfiled.

　The curator's trembling seems to have increased for some reason.

　However, unlike Sylvia, it's typical of Yukari to get angry at the other person and not me.


''Good. Then let's get back on track and brainwash them. ......

　I don't like something about my fingertips and the director's forehead ...... because it's sticky with sweat. I don't like the tip of my nose ...... because it's also greasy. Yeah, chin, okay? You can put your finger on your chin and do the brainwashing spell--


"Oh, you ...... tied up old man, that's ...... what you play ......?


　Sherry, who got up at the perfect time and came to the living room, gave me a terrible misunderstanding.

　It was only an hour later that I managed to excuse myself and finish casting the "Brainwashing Magic" on the curator.



　　* * * *



Whew. Master's as jealous as ever, isn't he? ......

　Winfiled, who ran away from Yukari's cold gaze, hid behind a planting near the entrance and took a breather. The reason why he hides so much is because he knows the quintessential master-slave relationship or Yukari well.

"Chit ...... did you miss it?

　Yukari comes out after Winfiled and, with a single click of her tongue, heads back inside the front door. She would lie and say, "I need to talk to you when I get back," to catch him off guard, and then she'd stake him out without the Second looking on. This was Yukari's usual method.

　The advanced and fierce psychological warfare between the two women was being waged on a daily basis, to the point where it was hard to believe that they were master and spirit.

Well. What shall we do, huh?

　Winfild tried to make his way to King's Landing, trying to figure out how to investigate something dark within the kingdom, and in parallel how to smoke Yukari when he returned.

　Then the carriage comes to us. It stopped in front of the house and two of them got down from the goshentai. They were the steward, Cubero, and the horse-dog just.

　If they stepped out from behind the planting now, they would startle the two men into mischief. Thinking that, Winfiled decided to sneak out the back and turn around.


　...... came to a halt when he heard their conversation unexpectedly.

But I'm worried about your brother Sobra's condition. But I'm worried about your brother Sobra's condition, he could be in trouble.
Yes, I'm worried too. Besides, I think he's been acting a little strange for a man who's simply been sick.
How about we talk to Second-sama about it?
Only, when he refuses to do so: ......
You wouldn't want to worry about that, would you?
I'd like to think so. However, we should also consider the possibility of a contingency plan, shouldn't we? After all, we do need to consult with you--

Hey.

　He appeared in front of them, calling out to them.
　It didn't matter at the earliest that he would surprise them.

'Tell me more about it, tell me more about it.'

　Her face was very grim as she demanded that, unusually, she had a very grim look on her face.