Chapter 53
Vault Heist
I couldn’t help but curse out loud.
“So they just changed the packaging?”
This company was crazier than I thought.
Nicola nodded with a serious expression.
“They said it used to be called Innus. Looks like it had plenty of issues even before that.”
Why did they bother changing the name? Innus, Linus… what’s the difference?
Pinea’s face darkened with anger.
“That means more innocent people could get hurt—or even die. How can anyone do this…?”
Even though I wasn’t exactly a paragon of justice, even I knew this had to be stopped immediately. It was like a dam about to burst—just like the many projects we’d handled in the past.
“We need evidence.”
They must have import lists, building plans—documents they couldn’t easily destroy or entrust to someone else. The corrupt would keep records for themselves. The question was, where?
The answer surprisingly came from Pinea.
“When I worked at the Ophel branch, the branch manager kept important contracts and items in a personal vault. From what I heard, branch leaders generally think keeping them on the upper floor is safest. Since it’s a place they pass through every day, it’s easy to check directly.”
That made sense. Nicola backed her up.
“My colleague said he saw the vault in Innus’s office.”
Then it was the most likely spot. Still, I needed to see for myself.
“Alright. Then it’s a break-in.”
I clenched my fists without realizing it.
The operation was lightning-fast.
Though Nicola and Pinea strongly opposed it, I decided to go alone—more people meant higher risk of being caught. They would watch the area and create distractions if needed.
“Be careful, Coco.”
“Signal immediately if it’s dangerous.”
“I will.”
I put on a Linus employee uniform, hid my short hair under a hat, and slowly entered the headquarters. I also wore the danger-alert brooch Aiden had given me. Fortunately, everyone else was busy with work and not paying attention.
“Third floor.”
I had gathered as much info as possible beforehand. Through the Information Guild, I learned about Linus and its building layout. Being a small company, there wasn’t much, and unfortunately, I couldn’t locate the shoddy construction plans.
Quietly, I stopped in front of the manager’s office and turned the doorknob. He had an important schedule today.
“Thanks to the finance minister’s favor, he agreed to let me sneak a look at Linus.”
Of course, I hadn’t mentioned the vault heist.
Click.
Huh? The door was locked. I hadn’t expected that. Locking the office door too… this was getting fishy.
“What now?”
This was a rare opportunity; waiting for another chance wasn’t ideal.
Then I heard a sound.
“Who are you?”
A Linus employee approached suspiciously. My heart sank—but I recognized his face. The guy who had cursed at the construction materials.
“You’re new. Who are you?”
He frowned, scrutinizing my face. Reflexively, I stepped back and smiled politely.
“The manager sent me. He went to the Imperial Palace, but apparently left some construction plans behind. I only started yesterday, so the locked door surprised me. Could you open it, please?”
He stared at me, then said:
“Wait. I’ll use the master key.”
He pulled out a key from his pocket. A master key meant he was a trusted employee, likely conflicted inside.
I smiled in gratitude, trying to look harmless.
“I don’t know much. Could you check where contracts and plans are? I’ll wait outside.”
A pure gesture with no ulterior motive. It worked—he muttered and went inside, less suspicious than before.
“Still giving orders without context… should’ve told me to come get it myself.”
Luckily, the manager’s usual irrational behavior helped reduce suspicion.
“Come in.”
I carefully entered the office like a diligent newcomer. At the bottom of a large bookshelf behind the desk, the vault door was open. The conflicted employee handed me a stack of papers.
“Is this what you’re looking for? Check it.”
I accepted them with a grateful smile.
“Oh, this isn’t what I need.”
“Then what do you want… ugh!”
The conflicted employee collapsed instantly. I quickly closed and locked the door, removing the sleep-scented handkerchief from his mouth. He wouldn’t wake for at least two hours.
“Well, that’s convenient.”
No need to fuss with the vault; I could examine the contents.
I checked envelopes marked confidential. There were order lists and blueprints for the current construction, but since work hadn’t started, the evidence was weak.
‘Claiming it’s being revised would be enough.’
Unfortunately, nothing related to the Gaho Bridge collapse from three years ago appeared. I wanted concrete evidence. I searched not just the vault, but desks, drawers, and all storage in the room. Still nothing.
“Guess this is it for today.”
I pushed the unconscious employee into a corner and sighed. I should leave before the owner returned, but curiosity kept me rooted.
‘This is a magical world.’
Perhaps the vault had more than just a physical lock. I had prepared for this, trying to pull a book to see if the shelf would move—but nothing happened.
‘The vault holds the key.’
Determined not to miss even a tiny clue, I leaned into the vault. It was small, so I bumped into things constantly. As I tried to move, I hit my head on the ceiling.
“Ouch…”
Then I sensed a shift. Looking around, nothing seemed changed. I pushed my head back in—there was a red button on the ceiling. I must have pressed it when I hit my head. Suddenly, everything felt strange.
‘Crazy.’
A drawer that had supported a plant by the window had transformed into a vault.
“If I hadn’t noticed, I’d have been doomed.”
I rushed to the secret vault and pulled out the magic scroll I had brought.
“Miss, I’ll put this to good use.”
When I had asked her for a scroll to unlock vaults, she had seemed hesitant—but two days later she delivered it, saying she’d check with Aiden. She even came to my home with the young master of the Magic Tower.
A scroll made by the next tower master was guaranteed. With a click, the vault opened.
‘Jackpot.’
It was a magical vault with a huge hidden space, filled with gold, silver, and treasures—likely mostly illegally acquired.
I entered, focusing on the piles of documents. Soon, I found them:
‘Gaho Bridge blueprints. And the material order list.’
Stamped with Innus’s seal—perfect proof. I also grabbed any other suspicious documents.
‘These… letters with the Crown Prince.’
The villain hadn’t destroyed evidence that could implicate the Crown Prince.
I patted my now-heavy bag and headed for the vault exit, satisfied. Finding the second vault took longer than expected; Pinea and Nicola were probably anxious.
“Still, got everything somehow.”
Thinking of ways to use the evidence, I moved out—only to see a shadow in front of me. My heart dropped.
I instinctively checked the brooch on my chest—no reaction.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.”
‘That voice…’
I looked up to see a dazzling, wolf-like, sculpted man—the Empire’s super elite, Duke of Ariadne.
I blurted out without thinking:
“Little lamb?”
