"Oh, Mr. Investigator!"
Flynn turned at the familiar voice. Tergio emerged from the tent where the merchant group members were being questioned separately and waved.
"Mr. Teo?"
"Mr. Investigator, that uniform..."
"Mr. Teo, where have you been!?"
Flynn hurried over and grabbed his hand. Teo looked at him with mild surprise, then lowered his gaze to the hand Flynn was gripping tightly. Noticing Teo's discomfort, Flynn quickly let go, flustered.
"Ah... I'm sorry. I've been looking for you for a while..."
"For me?"
"Yes. Where were you?"
"Ah... well, after we parted ways, Mr. Investigator, I was tired, so I napped in my quarters to slack off a bit. Haha, I didn’t expect it to get this dark..."
Teo replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
"When I woke up, I heard all the members were being questioned at the square, so I came here too. They say the merchant group was really distributing monster corpses?"
Teo spoke casually, as if it were nothing, but Flynn couldn’t shake his doubts. Still, worrying alone wouldn’t solve anything. He decided to confront Teo directly.
"Mr. Teo. No, Mr. Tergio."
"Yes?"
"From now on, answer every question truthfully. Understood?"
"Ah, of course."
"You must tell the truth."
"I will."
Flynn's serious tone created a tense atmosphere. Teo nodded, visibly nervous. Flynn took a breath and asked:
"The storage we visited earlier... did you happen to go there again?"
"That storage? No, I haven't been back there since we went together, Mr. Investigator."
"...Is there anyone who can confirm where you've been until now?"
"A witness?"
Teo scratched his cheek awkwardly. Flynn eyed him suspiciously.
"I was asleep the whole time, so proving it might be hard... but I greeted the owner of my quarters when I went in and out. Would that count?"
"...Possibly, for now. In that case, would you consent to a search of your room?"
Flynn sensed no trace of mana from Teo—he seemed entirely ordinary. But with tools imbued with mana or teleportation artifacts, even someone without innate power could travel elsewhere. If that were the case, Teo likely had already hidden the evidence.
Flynn regretted his suspicions but reminded himself—he was part of the Council. Even the smallest doubts had to be pursued to solve this case.
Teo hesitated at the question, merely staring at him. Something in his gaze felt... unfamiliar. A chill crept over Flynn.
Finally, Teo spoke softly.
"Mr. Investigator, are you suspecting me?"
"What? No, it’s just routine investigation."
Flynn tried to mask his unease, brushing it off as a mere formality. Teo nodded slightly.
"I see. You can search if you like. If it helps clear your doubts, I’m happy to cooperate."
Though Teo smiled, his words carried a subtle sting, making Flynn feel guilty. Still, he couldn’t back down. The situation had too many strange elements, and Teo was a likely suspect.
Earlier, when Flynn asked Delberg's members where Tergio stayed, everyone gave a different location.
Flynn investigated all of them and confirmed Teo had indeed stayed in those places—but his frequent moving was odd. Almost like he didn’t want anyone to know his exact whereabouts.
Teo told Flynn his current address. Flynn immediately dispatched other investigators to search the room, then asked another question:
"Mr. Teo, you said earlier the place we visited was a storage facility used by Delberg Merchant Group, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} correct?"
"Yes."
"But that location isn’t marked on the official storage map."
"A map of the storage locations? That exists?"
Teo sounded genuinely puzzled. Flynn hesitated—Teo, after all, was just a low-ranking member unlikely to have access to such information.
"Ah... right. It’s a document only senior members possess. If you didn’t know, let me rephrase—are you certain that place belongs to Delberg?"
"As far as I know, yes. Why? Is there a problem?"
Flynn frowned, frustrated by Teo’s obliviousness.
"Then, who instructed you to move the boxes there?"
"Do you remember when we met at the tavern? There was another member beside me. It was him."
"That person?"
Flynn checked the supplementary list of members, matching the name to the face.
"Elijah Tennen?"
"Yes, that’s him."
"Wait here a moment."
Flynn instructed a nearby investigator to confirm whether Elijah Tennen had given Teo those orders. The investigator left for the square, where members awaited questioning.
Just then, Flynn's communication device buzzed—it was the team searching Teo's quarters.
"Yes, report?"
"We spoke with the owner. He confirmed Tergio returned in the afternoon and stayed inside until about ten minutes ago. The owner also informed him about the investigation gathering."
"Anything unusual in the room?"
"We found nothing of note. No teleportation devices either."
"I see."
"We’ll sweep the surrounding area and trash bins, then update you."
"Understood. Thank you."
Ending the call, Flynn paused, deep in thought. His gaze drifted to Teo, who remained expressionless but smiled faintly when their eyes met.
No one likes being a suspect—but was Teo’s smile to ease tension, or conceal something?
Soon, the investigator returned after speaking with Elijah.
"It’s true Elijah instructed him to move the materials. However, the location you ordered us to check isn’t an official Delberg storage site."
"Meaning, he knowingly went to a place outside merchant group property."
"So it seems. But storage sites are scattered everywhere, and for low-ranking members, it can be confusing. Elijah admitted he’s made similar mistakes before—Tergio likely did the same."
A mistake? Possible. But it all aligned too conveniently.
While Flynn mulled it over, another call came from the team at Teo’s quarters.
They confirmed no sightings outside the stated timeframe, signs the windows had remained shut, and no teleportation tools found nearby, even after searching trash disposal areas.
Flynn stood silently, weighing it all. His eyes locked onto Teo’s as he approached, a strange sense of déjà vu creeping in.
Eventually, Flynn bowed politely.
"I apologize, Mr. Teo. It seems I misunderstood. I’m truly sorry."
Unable to raise his head, Flynn remained bowed. Teo, flustered, waved his hands.
"No, Mr. Investigator, please, raise your head. I’m fine."
Flynn looked up, guilt clouding his face.
Teo had risked himself to report suspicious activities, helping the investigation.
Yet Flynn had suspected him solely for arriving late—he’d searched his quarters, interrogated witnesses—and found nothing connecting him to the escaped grand master.
Flynn's shame deepened.
Moreover, Teo had revealed the existence of an unused teleportation zone, suspecting it might be exploited for escape—if he were aiding the grand master, he’d never have shared that.
Thanks to Teo's tip, they arrested the fire mage posing as Leonardo Blaine.
Teo had returned voluntarily for questioning, enduring scrutiny. By all accounts, he was just an ordinary, low-ranking member.
"What’s happening here?"
A deep, commanding voice interrupted them. Flynn and Teo turned. Commander Hugo Agrizendro approached, eyes sharp.
Flynn straightened, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.
"Ah, Commander. There was a misunderstanding with this man—I was apologizing."
"A misunderstanding?"
Hugo's gaze shifted to Tergio, who tensed but offered a greeting.
"Ah, hello?"
"The one I saw at the tavern..."
"Yes, Commander. This is Tergio. His information led to discovering the Delberg group burying monster corpses, and exposed the unused gate the fire mage tried to flee through."
"I see."
Hugo studied Teo closely.
With brown hair, freckles, and ordinary brown eyes, Tergio was a little taller than Flynn but shorter than Hugo. His build was slender but not frail; his features were plain, forgettable—an unremarkable face.
So ordinary, one might pass him by without noticing.
"What was the misunderstanding?"
"Ah... well... it’s embarrassing..."
Flynn hesitated under Hugo’s piercing gaze. Finally, glancing between them, he confessed:
"Mr. Teo arrived late from his quarters. I suspected... he might be involved in the grand master's disappearance. Mr. Teo, I’m really sorry again!"
"No, no. It’s understandable. Haha... but the grand master is still missing?"
Flynn nodded and explained—the executives were apprehended, but the grand master had vanished.
Hugo watched Tergio silently as he listened. When Teo sensed his gaze and looked up, Hugo removed his glove and extended his hand.
"As Flynn Levernil's superior, I apologize as well."
"What? Commander—"
The Commander himself apologizing? Flynn flushed with shame.
Teo, startled, looked from Hugo’s hand to his face, visibly unsure. He awkwardly wiped his palm on his sleeve, hesitating.
Hugo quirked an eyebrow, smiling faintly.
"Are you going to offend my hand?"
