Knock. Knock.

"Come in."

I had just returned from the dungeon when I heard a knock. I had just stepped through the portal, so the knocking caught me off guard and I answered perhaps a bit too swiftly, the portal still closing behind me. I had been afraid that Marina was at the door. I was even more concerned that she knew I had left Jespain somehow.

I mean, I had absolutely no obligation to stay in this country. They hadn't put any restriction on me like I was required to stay or something. It was ultimately my own choice to leave and go as I pleased. Yet, I didn't want Marina and by extension, the rest of Jespain to know too much about what I could or could not do.

That's why I was a little surprised when a form walked through my wall. I realized then that the knock I had heard wasn't from the door, but from the wall of the room adjacent to my own, and the person who came had moved through the wall like it wasn't even there. I immediately recognize the maid's outfit as well as her purple hair. Most of the maid girls Astria had been experimenting on had colorful hair and strange abilities. They weren't quite fairies, but since they had fairy-like qualities, I simply called them fairy maids. I hadn't known this one could walk through walls like many of the other fairy maids.

"Cici? What is it?"

"Master, I waited for you to finish b-before coming." She responded her face a little red.

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"Ahhh… that, um, did Faeyna come?"

"No, Master." She cocked her head. "I came on your behalf?"

"My behalf?" I blinked. "Why?"

"I compiled as much information as I could." She handed me a notebook.

This was a notebook from my world. Since Chance and Cici were young, I knew they didn't quite have the patience of adults. During our travel down south to Knifefall on the ship, I had given the girls pens and notebooks to pass the time. As I flipped it open, I realized it had been written in.

"You can read and write?" I was a bit surprised.

"Yes, Master. Faeyna believes all maids should be able to do at least this much, so she has been teaching all of us." Cici nodded.

"But this is… notes about Jespain!"

"Master wanted me to collect information for him, remember?" She looked slightly worried like she might have done something wrong. "Although Faeyna keeps us busy, there wasn't much to do in the hotel, so I managed to slip away and spy on the various guests and gather information."

That was right. I had toyed with the idea of turning Cici into some kind of spymaster. I had mostly just wanted her to collect information in the capital so that I wouldn't be kept in the dark when some major event occurred. Since she'd be all but alone at my capital property with little to do, I thought it wouldn't be too difficult for her to leave her ear open.

I had never thought that she would take such orders to heart and set out to collect information so thoroughly. The book seemed to have the very information I had failed to gather earlier. There were notes about the appearance, behavior, and relationships of all ten lords, and three of them even included sketches. Cici's words weren't just neatly written, but her sketches were artful and accurate too. In comparison, Miki's handwriting was atrocious, and most of the other girls couldn't even read or write in the common language.

I noticed that she was seemingly waiting for something. I reached out and patted her head.

"You did a really good job." She beamed happily.

It was good children were easy to please.

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