The Noble Lady Without Magic Aims to Become an Adventurer! - Chapter 87

“Good morning, Captain. I need to consult with you about something…”

“Good morning, Roa. Have you made contact with Elman?”

“Yes, and here are the documents he sent.”
I handed over the ring and documents I’d received from Elman.

“What is it you need to discuss?”

Captain Jennise asked while reviewing the documents.

“Actually, while I was contacting Elman yesterday under the guise of purchasing a dress as a noblewoman, I ended up meeting Count Kuccola Berelmar, the owner of the Gombot Trading Company. He invited me to his estate’s salon… What should I do?”

The captain paused her reading and turned her sharp gaze toward me. Hendrick, who was also in the room, decided to chime in.

“Roa, isn’t this your first undercover mission? Impressive that the enemy came to you so quickly!”

“U-undercover? I’m not capable of something like that!”

“Well, that’s true,” Hendrick said with a laugh before returning to his paperwork.
Meanwhile, Captain Jennise appeared to be contacting someone. I watched silently until she finally turned back to me and spoke.

“Roa, you’re going to let yourself be kidnapped.”
“…Captain Jennise, wouldn’t that be a fatal move for a noblewoman?”

“It’s an order, and it comes directly from His Majesty. You’ll be fine.”

What!? Was I seriously being used as bait?
Even though I questioned her again, the answer remained the same: I was to act as bait. At least they assured me that proper magical tools and preparations would be made for my safety.

Not wanting to miss this opportunity to uncover the enemy’s plans, Captain Jennise and other relevant members convened a meeting to finalize their strategy. In the meantime, I was instructed to continue my noblewoman persona and compile the information Elman sent me.

I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. I’d need to prepare for the worst.

Having nothing else to do, I returned home after submitting my documents. Over the next few days, I occupied myself with the marquisate’s guard duties and training. The academy was on break, and my seniors were all busy, leaving me with far too much free time.

…Maybe I should go hunting.
But Fars was likely tied up with his work, so I’d probably go alone.

While I was debating this, Anna burst in with an envelope in her hand.

“My lady, it has arrived! You can brag about this to the other noble ladies!”

“It has?”

“Yes! Being invited to the salon is incredibly rare!”

“Which ladies have been invited before?”
“My maid friends mentioned Lady Charlotte from the Earl of Bell’s family and Lady Isabella from the Viscount of Chute’s family. They say only beauties so striking they’re likened to flowers at balls are invited.”

Anna’s maid network never ceased to amaze me. I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to the ladies who had attended before. After probing Anna for more names, I secretly jotted them down.
It was possible that some of the invitees had gone missing. However, any overt snooping on my part would likely draw attention. For now, I recorded the names and rumors in a confidential letter to the captain.

This was a method Elman had taught me.
Why doesn’t Elman send information directly to the Zero Division, you might ask?

It’s simple: if it became known that the royal palace was involved, the enemy might destroy evidence or flee. By routing the information through various intermediaries, it was harder to trace back to the kingdom.

Additionally, the Zero Division didn’t have the manpower to process raw, unorganized information. My job was to organize Elman’s findings and report them to the dark division in an actionable format.

An interesting side note: the royal princes are always under constant surveillance by the Zero Division. The assigned guard meticulously documents every detail of their actions and conversations, delivering these reports directly to the division every few days.

While most people imagine Zero Division work to be thrilling—shadowy guards clinging to rooftops, traveling across nations for espionage, or foiling kidnappings—the reality is far more mundane. Most of the work involves staying unnoticed and quietly recording facts.

As the salon invitation day drew near, I spent my time training discreetly.

The day before the event, Lydia arrived with a dress and accessories sent by the Zero Division for me to wear.

The accessories were adorned with high-grade gemstones—or rather, magic stones—clearly showing the division’s commitment to this mission.

The dress was also tailored with a discreet pocket designed to hold my custom dagger. Anna was utterly shocked when she noticed the items were provided under the name of Marquis Levain Ashul’s son.

Her reaction was understandable.
Such lavish gifts would normally be given only to a fiancée, yet here I was, receiving them for a mission.

I reminded Anna to keep this information to herself.

As for Lydia, she had disguised herself as a maid. She would accompany me as my personal attendant.

Having Lydia at my side was a tremendous relief.
The day written on the invitation has finally arrived.

The preparations for the magical tools are perfect. Anna has been enthusiastically getting everything ready since morning. Personally, though, I’m already exhausted from the tightness of this corset.

Once everything was in place, the carriage arranged by Count Veilmar’s household arrived. Normally, we’d head to the venue ourselves in a carriage, but it seems things are different for the Count’s salon.

I climbed into the carriage and, while engaging in casual conversation with Lydia, took a careful look around the interior. I need to make sure I leave solid evidence using the ring. This time, I’m also wearing a bracelet.

Apparently, the bracelet is a commercial item designed for those with little or no magical power. It uses magical stones in its design to supplement magic energy and allows the wearer to use magic. Providing this must mean they want to make it seem as though I have no magic power.
So, the merchant associations and the Count are targeting individuals with low or no magical power, after all.

I’m also wearing a necklace made by Senior Yele, specifically for “emergency situations.” If something were to happen, I’m sure Senior Yele would come to my aid. Lydia laughed at me for wearing it, though.

Additionally, I’ve been granted permission to use ear cuffs today. They’re intended to ensure that help can arrive immediately if something happens.
It seems I’m going into this fully prepared.
“Miss Efsee, welcome. I am Moss, the butler. Please, this way.”

When the carriage arrived at the Count’s residence, the butler greeted us. The mansion is likely even larger than the royal palace, which is said to be the wealthiest building in the country. From the entrance hall to the salon, every corner was lavishly decorated.

Although I was a bit overwhelmed, I allowed myself to be guided to the salon and sat down on a sofa.

It seems I’m the only guest invited today.
Even with Lydia standing behind me in her maid’s attire, I couldn’t shake a sense of unease. I activated the ear cuffs to check the communication channel.

It appears to be working fine. I waited for a while, but no one showed up. Just as I was debating whether to drink the tea the butler had offered, I heard a voice.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Welcome, Miss Marloa Efsee.”

“Good day, Count Veilmar.”

The Count entered the room with several maids, speaking to me in a cheerful and friendly tone.
“Thank you for inviting me to your salon. Am I the only guest today?”

“Yes, unfortunately, no other young ladies have been invited. The reason I called you is that I wanted to design a dress inspired by you.

Last time, when I sketched a rough draft, I felt even more compelled to create something. Ah, it may take some time, so please, enjoy some tea while you wait.”

Since he specifically encouraged me to drink the tea I had been hesitating over, I suppose I had no choice.

This is only the second time we’ve met, so there’s no way he’s planning to kidnap a marquis’s daughter, right?

Thinking this, I took a sip of the tea that had been served.

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