SOLIRF~51

Chapter 51

On-Site Investigation

“Yes, the Minister of Finance has informed me.”

It seemed that during work hours, he preferred to be addressed by his title rather than teacher. He clearly separated public and private matters.

“Yes. We’d like to update the contract for the capital’s main road construction project. I’ve been told the same version has been used for years, and I’d like to include a few overlooked improvements.”

When the attendant — likely one of the Duke’s men — placed the tea on the table, the Duke lifted his cup with graceful indifference, took a sip, and set it down quietly.

“I’d call it a waste of effort.”

“What do you mean by that?”

The Duke’s voice carried a chill, his tone curt and dismissive.

“Why bother drafting a new contract when no one knows when it’ll take effect — or if anyone will even follow it? Even if there’s an old one, this is the Ministry of Justice. Writing a new contract consumes both time and energy. We’re not exactly idle here.”

It was a stark contrast to the relaxed man I’d seen in the tea house — even different from when I’d met him at Daijo’s store. But I hadn’t come all this way to shrink back just because the Supreme Judge decided to be cold.

“Then, since no one follows the current contract anyway, just add a few clauses to the existing one.”

“As the head of the Ministry of Justice, do you think I’d allow such sloppy work? The contract currently in use was drafted with great care by my predecessor and senior officials. Every contract used by the central departments carries the Ministry’s guarantee.”

All the better.

“In that case, now that the Supreme Judge has changed, I suggest reviewing all the contracts that need updating.”

“I didn’t take you for someone so bold.”

He was referring to our previous encounter — when I was simply Chiara’s assistant at Daijo’s. But just as his demeanor had changed, mine had too. I wasn’t here as a shop clerk anymore.

“It won’t take much of your time. I only want to add a clause covering circumstances under which a chosen contractor’s agreement may be nullified.”

A hint of curiosity flickered in his once-apathetic gaze. He uncrossed his legs, picked up last year’s contract from the table, and began to skim through it. I continued speaking.

“The current contract merely states that ‘if the agreement cannot proceed, another company shall take over.’ But there’s no clear standard for determining when that applies, nor any indication of which company replaces it. It’s full of loopholes.”

“I see. But so?”

“I intend to specify concrete reasons for contract termination. You might think it’s unnecessary now, but one day, this clause will prove decisive.”

“Hmm.”

The faint crease between his brows made his sculpted face look almost human for once — not that I had time to admire it. He stayed silent for a long while, idly tapping the contract with his pen.

Wait… that’s the fountain pen I gave him.

The sight secretly pleased me and eased my tension a little.

“Let’s hear it.”

So far, his reaction wasn’t bad. I drew in a steady breath and presented my proposal.

“The reasons I’d like to include for contract termination are as follows…”

“First, when any clause of the contract is violated without prior discussion or consent.

Second, when the company’s actual state differs from the information listed in the documents.

Third, when bribery or undue solicitation occurs during the contractor selection process.”

“Hmm.”

He tilted his head slightly, as though intrigued, but said nothing further.

Seeing that, I rose, bowed politely, and left the Ministry of Justice with a lighter step.

It had been a productive visit.

Now then… which reason shall I use first?

As expected of the Duke, he revised the contract swiftly and sent it back to the Chancellor’s Office.

Since the Minister of Finance had already ordered that all old contracts be reviewed by the Ministry of Justice, no one questioned the updated version.

“What exactly was changed?”

Lucius murmured, flipping through the pages — only for a sly hand to snatch the contract away.

“Why are you wasting time checking every line? Just stamp it.”

“First-Class Secretary! We still need to confirm—”

“It’s pointless. Totally pointless.”

With that, Huhwang tossed the contract toward Elicia.

“Just say it’s been checked and deliver it to the Minister of Finance.”

“Yes, sir.”

Elicia accepted the document, her face stiff, and quietly left the Chancellor’s Office.

Exactly as I’d expected — no one would bother reading it carefully.

Once that bastard’s gone, this department might finally start functioning properly again.

After finalizing the contract revision, the next step was an on-site investigation.

First, I needed to confirm whether the company’s actual conditions matched what they’d written in their application. Of course, even if I found discrepancies, it wouldn’t be enough to make sweeping changes right away — but every trail starts small.

“I told you not to follow me.”

“And you think I’m just going to let you do something this dangerous alone?”

“It’ll be less suspicious if people think I’m with others from the same trade.”

When Pinea and Nicola turned down an invitation to hang out that weekend, saying they had work to do, I hadn’t expected them to cling to me like burrs instead.

“If we get caught, you’ll both be in danger!”

They were as stubborn as ever — same as back in our rookie days.

“Lady Chiara will protect us if anything happens,” Pinea said with absurd confidence.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“She’s right about one thing,” Nicola added. “Cornelia, you’re not exactly familiar with construction materials. Since I work at Daijo’s and handle those all the time, I’ll be useful.”

They’d both grown a lot. I opened my mouth to send them back, but the determination in their eyes made me sigh in defeat.

“You two… what gives you this much faith? Fine. Just be careful. Understood?”

“Don’t worry!”

Pinea glanced through the contractor’s application form in my hand. Thanks to all their studying, both of them could now read and write quite fluently.

“Linus? That name sounds unfamiliar… yet kind of familiar.”

“It’s a small company, but strangely, they win big government projects every year.”

“Oh-ho. So this is the prey for today?”

“Prey? That’s a bit much.”

“Yeah, Pinea — that’s harsh,” Nicola said awkwardly.

“There’s another one involved too — Huhwang.”

“Of course there is…”

Pinea looked exasperated but unsurprised. Nicola’s face was the same.

Surprisingly, the two turned out to be a huge help.

When Pinea flashed her Daijo employee badge, claiming she was here on business, the guards let us in without suspicion. Her acting skills were flawless.

“See? I told you we’d draw less attention as fellow workers.”

The inside of Linus Company was quiet but disorganized. Unlike Daijo, which was tidy and efficient, here the materials were scattered all over the place — clear signs of poor management.

“The information’s all wrong,” Pinea said. “It says here they have over seventy employees, but there can’t be more than thirty. And they’re supposed to specialize in architecture, yet I don’t see a single skilled craftsman.”

Nicola pointed to a pile of stacked materials.

“The quality’s terrible. The Empire’s main road’s supposed to use these? They’ll wear out within a few years. Even Daijo wouldn’t use these for basic household items.”

Then, in a grave tone, she added,

“And none of the premium materials listed in their application are here. They’ve substituted them with cheaper lookalikes.”

They weren’t just embezzling — they were outright defrauding the Empire.

Just then, the door opened. A worker entered, heading straight for our direction. The three of us quickly ducked into a hidden corner.

The man stared at the stacked materials and sighed deeply.

“Ugh, what disaster are they planning this time?”

Another worker stepped beside him and whispered,

“Careful what you say. Someone might hear.”

In that instant, Pinea, Nicola, and I locked eyes.

Got them.