TRETTHD 21

Chapter 21. The Value of Information

Belia pulled her hood down further to better conceal her silver hair.

Tap, tap, tap—Ben quietly followed behind her as she briskly walked ahead.

What in the world is going on this time?

“Princess.”

“Shh! Don’t ever call me that.”

Without explaining anything and only instructing him to follow quietly, Belia left Ben worried.

‘I hope this isn’t something dangerous…’

Lately, Princess Belia had changed—so much that he could hardly adjust to it.

‘She must have her reasons.’

Still, as her loyal knight, Ben simply stayed alert and kept watch of their surroundings.

They arrived at a tavern located in a residential district.

He remembered them visiting various shops in this area before. The memory of unexpectedly running into the Second Prince surfaced in Ben’s mind, and his face gradually went pale.

Lately, every time Belia moved, incidents seemed to follow. It was no surprise he was filled with concern again now.

Despite being well aware of Ben’s worry, Belia walked on in silence.

“Welcome!”

A man who seemed to be the tavern owner greeted them warmly as they stepped inside. He had a kind and gentle demeanor.

This place functioned as both a bar and an inn, so it was bustling with noise.

There were people drinking beer, dining, newly arrived travelers, and mercenaries alike—all sorts of people chatting happily.

Amid the commotion, Belia smiled and stepped closer to the owner. She leaned in and whispered quietly enough for only him to hear. Though her voice was soft, her tone was full of certainty.

“I’m here to find the diamond on the third floor.”

Having already checked all the other candidate locations, she was confident the person she was looking for would be here. The owner studied her face briefly, then nodded in understanding.

“Yes. I understand.”

Then, he grinned and shouted aloud,

“Now then! How about some food? Everything is good, but the stew is truly exceptional!”

“Then I’ll have the stew too. Could you bring it to the room?”

“Of course!”

Belia received a key from him and began ascending the stairs at a leisurely pace.

Ben followed after her.

‘Was that a code?’

He recalled Belia saying something similar on a past occasion.

While Ben was still trying to figure things out, Belia stopped in front of the last room on the second floor.

“Sir Ben.”

“Y-Yes?!”

He flinched and responded in surprise, as if caught doing something wrong, when she suddenly called his name. Seeing his reaction, Belia let out a soft laugh and spoke gently.

“Please wait here.”

“…Will you be alright?”

“Of course. Just remember what I told you before we left the palace.”

Ben replayed her earlier words in his mind.

Before they departed, Belia had told him: If I come out of the room later with a bright smile, don’t hesitate—draw your sword immediately.

It was a cryptic warning he still didn’t understand.

“You remember?”

“…Yes.”

“Then I’m counting on you.”

After confirming his nod, Belia opened the door and walked in—without even knocking.

The room was no different from any ordinary inn. A bed, a desk, and a few simple items were all that was there.

Belia stood in front of a dresser with a mirror. She unlocked the third drawer using the key the owner had given her.

‘Just as I thought…’

Inside was a small statue. Without hesitation, she pushed the statue back. A soft vibration followed, and the dresser shifted to the side, revealing a hidden passage.

She ducked down and passed through. On the other side was a small chamber.

As soon as she entered, someone inside greeted her with a meaningful remark.

“So, you’ve finally found this place.”

Though it sounded welcoming on the surface, Belia could sense the veiled implication.

He was likely referring to all the places she’d rummaged through—restaurants, bookstores, and more—trying to locate him.

“Well, no matter. Have a seat.”

Inside sat a young-looking man.

Belia smiled faintly at the familiar sight and sat down.

“So then, why is a noble princess seeking out the humble branch manager of a second-rate information guild?”

“Humble? That’s some excessive modesty.”

Being a branch manager of the continent’s top information guild was no small feat.

Belia remembered how this man had helped her in her past life—even when everyone else mocked the “abandoned empress,” he had quietly supported her behind the scenes.

“Haha. I’m flattered to be so highly regarded by a noble princess.”

The man sneered.

But Belia didn’t mind.

She had already assumed he knew she was a princess. If he couldn’t even figure that out, there’d be no point in working with the guild in the first place.

Besides, if Khalid was to ascend the throne, she would absolutely need this man’s help.

“I have a request.”

“Let’s hear it, then.”

Belia began explaining her request—to spread a rumor among the people of the Empire.

The rumor? That the Second Prince, Khalid, had discovered a gold mine.

And not in the jointly investigated territory between the Ingot Empire and the Kingdom of Ronica, but somewhere completely outside of it. Legally, this meant full ownership would fall to the discoverer.

Thus, although the mine belonged to Khalid, knowing it would be unfair to monopolize it entirely, he was willing to grant shares to both countries.

The man folded his arms and fell into deep thought.

“To be honest, everything you’ve just told me is extremely high-grade information.”

The Second Prince had found a gold mine? And not in the east, where Prince Raul and Ronica had searched, but in the south?

This was a very valuable piece of intel.

With the Empire’s crown prince still undecided, both princes had viable claims. While the First Prince currently had more support, the nobility was still quietly balancing between them.

The implication of Khalid gaining a major financial resource could be huge for the nobles.

“But you seriously just want this spread as a rumor?”

“Yes. Spread the story to the public when I say so.”

“Hmmm. That won’t be too difficult.”

Belia continued.

“And while you’re at it, mention that he saved Prince Raul and defeated a magical beast. You know I’m engaged to him, right? Mix it all together—turn it into an epic tale.”

The man smiled.

It wasn’t a difficult job. If anything, the information he had just received was worth far more than the reward.

But before calculating the fee, he needed to consider something important: this information was now compromised once spread, diminishing its intrinsic value.

‘She’s aiming to undercut the First Prince’s position, no doubt.’

But with Belia directly involved, it was likely the First Prince—currently residing in Ronica’s capital—would catch wind of it before the rumor truly spread.

To prevent that, she’d chosen to use the information guild.

‘A clever princess indeed.’

And if this was her way of testing the guild’s capabilities and trustworthiness, it was a shrewd move. He nodded.

With the intel value offset, it was time to talk compensation.

“How will you be paying for this request?”

“I’ll pay with information.”

The man let out a hearty laugh.

He had assumed she’d pay in coin. But information?

“As you probably know, our guild deals in highly advanced intelligence. It’d be easier to pay in gold.”

“You’re dismissing my information without even hearing it?”

Belia’s tone turned cold.

He responded with a smirk.

“Could it be that you’re underestimating us? There’s a reason the Runes Guild is the best on the continent.”

Now wasn’t the time for a battle of pride, but neither of them wanted to back down.

Belia smiled slyly and said quietly:

“Now, what kind of information would you really need right now?”

What would catch his interest?

After some thought, Belia smiled and locked eyes with him.

She had many cards to play—but decided to go with the most direct approach.

“You’re looking for the illegitimate child of Marquis Sellon, aren’t you? I know where he is.”

At that, the man’s expression turned ice cold.

“First question. How did you find out we were looking for that child?”

“Oh, I don’t think I need to explain that. Isn’t the accuracy of the information what matters?”

When dealing with the guild, how the information was obtained didn’t matter—only how reliable it was.

“Oh, and don’t worry! I didn’t get it from one of your agents. Only you know about the request to find the marquis’s illegitimate child, right?”

The man grew more agitated.

There was only one other person who knew—the client. But he wouldn’t have spoken to anyone. The request had been extremely secretive.

The man stared at Belia with cold eyes.

“Derrick. Work with me.”

His face hardened at the name.

“Where did you hear that name…?”

Derrick furrowed his brow and rubbed his temples.

Not even members of the guild knew that name. How did Belia?

Still calm, Belia continued.

“As you can see, I know things even you couldn’t anticipate. You won’t regret working with me.”

She had information even the guild didn’t.

Secrets only she, who had come from the future, could know.

“Then here’s my second question. Tell me where the child is.”

His tone sharpened.

“We already know the child’s whereabouts. So if you’re lying… the guild will never accept another request from you.”

Derrick would not usually say such things—but this time was different. Because…

“He’s right here. Derrick Sellon.”

It was a secret that could never be revealed.