Ardis who stepped in the capital once again walked towards his destination immediately, the place that is the cheap tavern that the information broker Chezare is always in.

   There were only sounds of preparation of lunch from the kitchen. The only guest in house was Chezare. But well, it’s not quite correct to call Chezare a guest since he’s just doing business as an information broker in the tavern.

「Yo. 」

   Although Ardis called out with a light and relaxed tone, Chezare who turned around was evidently shaken.

   Even his light brown eyes showed fear. After all, Ardis is the last person that Chezare wants to meet.

「What is it? 」

「What an attitude to have with your customer. Isn’t it a given that I have something that I want to know from you? Shouldn’t you be happier? 」

「Of course I wouldn’t be happy. It was a huge mess after that, you know. Because you told that guy that we were in cahoots and trapped him, I was put into various painful experience. 」

   It seems that Chezare had gotten himself revenged from the mercenaries that Ardis had done in.

「What’s up with that? I told them that it was a lie properly though……. That mercenary seemed a little idiot after all. Well, with that, of course he’s still not a veteran. 」

「……He’s still considered one of the veterans in the capital though. 」

   Although he has a weak brain that can only think straight, his abilities should be real, was what Chezare said.

「Hnnn, with that huh……」

   Ardis recalled the mercenaries from a few days ago. But even if he reappraised them, the impression they had on Ardis is still 『Third rate mercenary who can’t even gauge their opponent’s strength. 』

   Certainly, compared to Gresche’s party and the Mariules students that he had helped out before, the mercenaries certainly looked better. But since Ardis’s benchmark was Ted’s party which was considered strong even among mercenaries in Thoria, that level of strength couldn’t even be compared to anything.

「Well, that’s nothing important, let’s us move on to the business. 」

「It’s not nothing important for me though……. What business, do you mean you have something you want to know? 」

   Chezare had a skeptical gaze at Ardis.

「What else is there other than that. 」

「Well, I thought you were hating me. 」

「Hate? ……Aah, that. Well……, certainly that incident before wasn’t something insignificant and pleasant. But I have told you that there’s no next time, right? 」

   Contrast to Ardis who said lightly, Chezare’s cheeks seemed to be trembling.

「T-Then……」

「But your information is highly valued. Your news is accurate and detailed, and no one else in town has them, that’s why I’m trusting your work. 」

   What Ardis had praised was only Chezare’s business and the information he provides. Ardis didn’t judge Chezare’s way of living and personality.

「And so? Are there any new information regarding the mercenary woman? 」

「……Two silvers. 」

   Chezare who was fatigued mentally kept silence for a little while, before willing to deal with Ardis. Ardis grabbed two silvers from his pocket and put it on the counter.

「The fuss in Thoria, it’s slowly being known by information brokers here in the capital. For now, it’s just a rumor about the disappearance after a breakout with the soldiers but, the truth about the detain warrant will leak out eventually. Sir Thoria is trying to cover it up desperately but, it happened in the town. Even if it’s in the night, the neighbors who witnessed that probably leaked it out anyways. 」

「What about investigators of Thoria? 」

「For now, there’s no sorts of that. But it seems there’re people in Thoria who got the news of that and started pursuing after the mercenary woman, probably those that are hired secretly by Sir Thoria will also come here. There’s good news too. It seems that they are only pursuing the mercenary woman, they don’t have a sliver of interest in the black-haired young man beside her, the black-haired young man who has black eyes and wears a violet headband. 」

   With the young man in front of him having the exact appearance, Chezare said so while narrowing his eyes.

「Is that so. 」

「Also, it’s the same regarding the twins. Sir Thoria’s aim is purely on the mercenary woman. 」

   This time, it was Ardis’s turn to narrow his eyes.

   Ardis realized anew that, this man is exceptional as he thought. With just two days, Chezare even brought back information about the twins that he didn’t have before.

「Got it. Is that all you’ve got? 」

「Are you unsatisfied? It’s worthy of two silvers in my opinion though? 」

「There’s no dissatisfaction. Let’s move to the next. 」

   At the unexpected reply, Chezare had a suspecting expression.

「Next? What is it? 」

「The mercenary woman appeared three days ago in the capital, before headed towards the empire. 」

「What? What’s that? 」

「My information for you. 」

   Chezare had a surprised expression. Since he knew that the person in front of him wasn’t someone who would give out information to other people for free.

「That……, is that the truth? 」

「Whether it’s the truth or not, isn’t it the responsibility of the people who gets that information to find out themselves? 」

   While saying irresponsible stuff, Ardis took out a single gold coin on the counter.

「And this? 」

「The payment for you to spread that. 」

「You want me to spread fake news? Then that’s just――」

「A『Domestic Cat』, is it? 」

   Ardis stole Chezare’s words and said it first.

「Yes. 」

「Do you not fancy being a domestic cat? 」

   Ardis’s words blew away Chezare’s response totally.

「I still have my pride being a stray in so many years. 」

   『Domestic Cat』 was a phrase signifying a subordinate of someone in power, someone who does dirty work in the underworld. They’re people like investigator, assassins, proxies, and lastly information brokers like Chezare himself. What Chezare meant by being a 『Stray』was that he isn’t hired by anyone.

   On the other hand, there’s another saying, a『Domestic Dog』. It refers to those who serves the people in power in the normal society. Knights and soldiers, politicians and officials, civil servants and the sorts, they are abiding by the law on the outside, so they wouldn’t do any dirty work.

「There will be no one helping you if you’re a stray. You won’t even know when you will get stabbed. On top of that, strays who play pranks must get the death penalty. 」

   Ardis said the last line while smiling coldly. Having received Ardis’s lesson after playing a prank on him, Chezare’s mind probably couldn’t stay calm.

「T-Then are you saying that you will help me out when the time comes? 」

「Why should I help you? 」

「I mean, you told me to work for……」

「I never said anything like 『Become my domestic cat』. I just said that 『What’s wrong with being one』. 」

   The black-haired young man said so.

「I will pay you money. And you will do work befitting of that. This is the deal. As long as you don’t try to do anything to me, then I think that we can have a good relationship. 」

   Ardis is not asking for Chezare himself, but his exceptional talent in gathering information. If Chezare can provide Ardis what he wants, then all is fine.

「Well, that’s the situation. Pleased to do business with you. 」

   After saying that one-sidedly to Chezare who seemed to be on the verge of crying, Ardis left the tavern.