Chapter 42 - Undercover at the Cabaret

Suppapan

Son of the older brother of the current Queen, Laevateinn III.

Age: 33 years old.

Criminal Record: None.

Marital Status: Married. No children.

Occupation: Instructor at the Royal Academy.

Position: Grade Dean.

Currently in his 8th year of service. He holds a decent position and appears to be on a steady track for promotion.

He is deeply devoted to Elitism, believing the aristocratic class to be supreme. He has brought these views into the workplace, which has become a point of concern.

Specifically, in his privately established "Suppapan Seminar," he hand-picks only the noble students who meet his personal preferences. He practices blatant discrimination by granting these students special evaluations, which has resulted in multiple warnings from the Academy’s high-ranking officials.

However, due to his status as a member of the Royal Family, he has never been subjected to actual punishment. Currently, he is treated like a "sore thumb" at the Royal Academy...

◆

I read through the report Dark-chan handed me, letting out a whistle of pure admiration.

 "...You really looked into him this deeply!?'"

"I did ask her to dig into that idiot teacher as much as possible, but this exceeds my wildest expectations. It’s incredibly detailed...!"

"It is my Master's command, after all," Dark-chan said, her friendliness reminding me of a dog that had just fetched a ball.

"As an assassin, one must absolutely eliminate the target, which means investigating their behavioral patterns thoroughly. My past experiences have proven useful!"

"Oh, right... I see... Well, it’s good that those skills are being used to help the world instead of for killing."

"By the way, Master...?"

"Yes?" Somewhere along the line, she had started calling me 'Master.'

"Is it really alright if this is the only mission given to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"There was another suspect, wasn't there? Lespar, the Commander of the 8th Knight Order."

Ah, that guy. For this investigation, I had only asked Dark-chan to look into Suppapan, specifically forbidding her from investigating anyone else. I hadn't let her touch the Lespar case at all.

"If it is my Master's command, I do not mind how many people I must investigate. Besides, aren't you, Master, the one who suspects Lespar the most?"

"You've got sharp intuition."

The thing is, Suppapan’s suspiciousness is just too blatant. While it's possible this kind of villain is just a massive moron who makes fatal mistakes, if Suppapan really were the culprit, his methods are far too sloppy. It feels like someone has put up a giant arrow pointing at him, saying 'Here's your culprit.'

I have this unpleasant feeling like I'm being played, which is why I can't fully buy into the 'Suppapan as Mastermind' theory.

"If Suppapan is not the culprit, then the only other suspicious person is the other candidate for succession, Lespar! Investigating him should be the priority!"

"No, we’re not at that stage yet."

Precisely because I suspect he's the real mastermind, I have to be extremely cautious about moving in on him. If Lespar really is the true culprit and has laid out multiple layers of conspiracy to direct the eyes of the investigation toward Suppapan, he’ll have prepared defenses to ensure no suspicion falls on himself.

"If there’s a trap waiting, it would put you in danger, Dark-chan. That's why we’ll refrain from any careless moves."

"Master...! You're worried about my safety...!?" Dark-chan looked a bit smitten.

"And to catch a tail as slippery as Lespar's, I want to keep moving with the Suppapan investigation for now."

"Why is that?"

"If we assume Lespar is the true mastermind and wants to pin the crime on his rival, Suppapan, then suspecting Suppapan plays right into his hands. Framing someone else probably isn't his ultimate goal. But if his scheme goes well midway, he’s bound to get overconfident and make his next move."

"And that’s when we catch his tail!"

Besides, to reinforce my own theory, it's better to finish the investigation on Suppapan. If he’s confirmed to be 'clean,' the suspicion toward Lespar will finally deepen.

"So, let's just keep building our case steadily starting from the obvious parts."

"Understood!"

An investigation isn't about finding the one 'win' card among the face-down deck; it’s the work of confirming that the other 99 cards are 'losses.' Steady accumulation is what matters.

"So, I’m thinking of pushing the Suppapan investigation further, but did you notice anything else, Dark-chan?"

I decided to leave the specifics to this excellent investigator.

"As you suspected, Master, I believe this man is 'clean.'"

"And your reasoning for that?"

"I followed him day and night. His basic lifestyle cycle involves going to the academy, working as a teacher, engaging in a bit of social interaction after work, and going home. This repeats constantly. There was no sign of him making contact with dangerous types like the Neo-Assassin Guild."

I see. The ones who almost harmed the Queen were a group of professional killers. Even if Suppapan were the client, if there's no contact, making a request would be impossible.

"But this is right after the crime. Maybe he's just cutting off contact to be safe?"

"Even so, I can state with certainty that the man has no connection to the organization. Have you forgotten, Master? I was originally hired by the Neo-Assassin Guild."

(Though she betrayed them incredibly easily.)

"That is why I know. Anyone involved with that underground organization, even if they've gained the slightest profit, carries a lingering scent of rot. Even if they didn't dirty their own hands while committing a crime, a coward's trepidation always clings to their behavior. Suppapan doesn't have that."

"And you don't see that in him?"

"No."

I see. By the way, I wonder if Dark-chan, who was a grunt in the guild, ever met a client directly?

"Never!"

(Man, how much of this story should I believe!?)

After all, if the perpetrator—Dark-chan—could identify the client, we wouldn't need to do this investigation at all!

"To confirm these speculations, we must move the investigation forward."

"Right."

"To that end, I have one request for you, Master."

"What is it?"

Come to think of it, I've just been letting Dark-chan do all the work while I do nothing. If I don't do at least one job, I don't know what the Queen will say to me later.

"Anything, I'll do it! Give me your orders, Chief?"

"No, you are the Master. ...However, within Suppapan's lifestyle cycle, there is one place I simply cannot enter...!"

Ho. And where might that be?

"It’s an upscale lounge in the Capital's entertainment district. It has a very 'for men only' atmosphere, and as a woman, I would stand out far too much. If my presence were detected, the tail would be over."

So that’s where I come in! Me, as a man!?

"The subject eats and drinks at the same establishment four out of every seven days."

"Almost every day!"

"Given the nature of the shop, there is a very high possibility that secret talks are held inside. If contact is being made with the Neo-Assassin Guild, this is the prime candidate."

Secret talks always happen over drinks! Exactly!

"Fine. I’ll pose as a customer, infiltrate the place, and keep an eye on Suppapan's movements!"

◆

And so, I actually arrived—the upscale lounge where Suppapan is said to be a regular.

I made sure to dress the part so as not to look suspicious; today, I’m sporting the look of a proper gentleman. I successfully passed the check at the entrance and stepped inside. High-end establishments are a lot of work with all these formalities.

But it really is high-end. As expected of a place frequented by important people, everything is luxurious. Inside, the interior is dimly lit, and I can see several tables and sofas lined up.

There’s an old guy sitting on a sofa. Next to him is a woman. Old guy, woman, old guy, woman, old guy, woman...

That’s how the seating is arranged. Furthermore, the women don't have the air of guests; they look like employees entertaining the customers. In other words, hostesses. A place where you drink while accompanied by hostesses.

If that's the case, then this is...!

"A Cabaret Club!?"

To think that cabaret clubs existed in another world!

I see an old guy slipping his hand around a hostess's shoulder under the cover of the chaos, then ordering a drink—an expensive one—to play it off when he gets scolded! It’s a total cabaret club!!

Well, I never actually went to a cabaret club in my previous world, so I don't know exactly what they're like. But I feel like this is exactly what a cabaret club would be.

Timidly wandering into such a place, experiencing my first cabaret club, I was shrinking back like a cat that just moved into a new house when...

"I'm Lisa. Nice to meet you~"

She’s heeeeeeere!!

A hostess sat down right next to me! Well, of course she did—that’s the kind of shop this is! The hostess who arrived wasn't dressed in anything overly gaudy... actually, she looked quite normal. I guess since it’s another world, materials for clothes and types of makeup aren't that abundant!

"Oh? What’s wrong, young man? You look so nervous."

"S-s-s-s-sorry! It’s my first time in a place like this, or rather, I’m just not used to it!?"

"Oh, it's your first time? I’m worried about your future, picking up expensive hobbies like this while you're still so young."

The hostess, Lisa, was a quiet, modest-looking woman with unrefined long black hair and plain clothing.

"Our shop is pretty expensive, is that okay? Just opening one bottle will cost quite a bit...!"

"It's fine! I have money!"

I have plenty of cash entrusted to me by the Queen under the name of 'investigation expenses'! I could even open a bottle of Dom Pérignon if I wanted to!

"Rich despite your age... are you a young master from some wealthy family? How envious, being able to play in a place like this so early on."

"Um, since it’s my first time, I don't really know what kind of place this is...! If you wouldn't mind, could you please give me a lecture?"

Rule Number One of conquering adult establishments: Never act tough to hide your lack of experience, or you'll likely embarrass yourself later.

Though, a cabaret club isn't exactly a brothel.

"Oh, really? Then big sister will give you a lecture on the manners of a Capital-style high-end lounge, okay?"

'Capital-style high-end lounge.' It seems the word 'cabaret' doesn't exist here.

"This is a place where gentlemen gather. You enjoy a wonderful time surrounded by first-class food, first-class alcohol, and first-class furnishings. You can think of us hostesses as just the side-dishes that assist in that experience."

No way. I definitely think the ladies are the main course here.

"So, unlike a brothel, this isn't a place for enjoying women's bodies. Because of that, there are a lot of 'No-Go's,' so please bear with us, okay?"

"No-Go's... for example, what kind of things?"

"Let's see, for example, touching like this..."

As she said that, the hostess took my hand. And she brought it... right to her chest.

"Fweeeeeeehh!?"

"You're cute, so this is a service for your first time only. It’s forbidden starting next time, okay?"

The sensation of a breast through clothing... what an exquisite feeling!

Cabaret hostesses are amazing! I thought it was a place where you just talked, but they’re so bold!

"And of course, kissing or taking off clothes is also a No-Go."

"What about shoving my dick into a pussy?"

"That’s obviously forbidden!!"

Well, yeah. Honestly, why did I even think that would be okay?

"But, those are strictly the shop rules. Once you step outside, it has nothing to do with the shop. There is a system called 'After' where we can go out together after closing time. Bad girls will use that as bait to make you order a lot, so be careful, okay?"

"Yes!"

This is deep...! So this is the kind of tactical bargaining that makes the fathers of the world so obsessed with cabaret clubs...!?

...Wait. What did I come here for again?

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