Maybe I should come back at night?

With my abilities, it should be no problem to get into the upper floor of the trading company without getting caught.

There should be a lot more information about their illegal businesses and maybe even about their connection to that viscount. If I really do this, should I take the documents with me? Or should I just report the information to the guild master?

I don’t really like using methods like this. But our safety is on the line, and we are up against a noble. So maybe it is valid to use more drastic methods? Ugh, I really hate that I am actually considering it, but it’s not like I want to rob that place for my advantage. Well, actually it is for my advantage, but… Ah, I don’t even know myself what it is…

Still… Isn’t there another way?

For now, I leave the store. It would be too suspicious if I would stay for too long. Especially if I am getting stressed out like this. Also, it’s about time for lunch.

I buy some sandwiches at a nearby stall and brood over my options. My improved senses are actually more useful in gathering information than I initially thought. But I am still lacking the training of someone who is doing investigations professionally. If I have more experience with investigations, I could probably come up with other solutions, but unfortunately I don’t.

I can’t just go in and steal the evidence, right? That would make me a criminal myself, since I don’t have the authority to do something like this.

So, if I just go in and look at the information without taking them with me…

Is there really a difference? It’s still trespassing. So, from a legal perspective, there wouldn’t be a difference. Not taking anything would be only for my own conscience. I feel like I am already treading on a thin path.

What should I do? I really don’t know.

I am up against a noble, so it’s not like I can just openly act against him. In my old world, I could have just gone to the police. But here? I don’t know how it works in this world. But considering it’s a monarchy, I don’t think a normal person like me can accuse a noble of his crimes. It doesn’t matter if it is true, they would just get rid of me.

It’s like I am forced to use underhanded methods. But is it really right to do something like this?

‘Calm down, Benji’, I almost order myself while pinching my nose. There is no way I can make the right decision when I’m this stressed. I take a few deep breaths.

There is no need for me to make this decision alone. Of course, I want to protect both of the girls from that guy, but that doesn’t mean I can’t rely on them to help me decide what we should do next.

For now, I return to our inn to take a nap to get some rest. After all, I slept little the last two nights. It should help me calm down. Then I can discuss our options with Rika and Thalia over dinner.

“Oh, you’re back early.”

The proprietress notices me returning to the inn. I don’t sense Thalia and Rika inside the inn, so I guess they are still busy.

“Yeah, to be honest, I am a bit tired, so I thought of taking a nap until dinner.”

“Alright. Should I send someone to wake you up later?”

“No, it’s alright. But thank you. I think Rika or Thalia will wake me up when it’s time for dinner.”

I enter my room and as soon as I slip into my bed, my consciousness drifts into the dream world.

When I wake up for dinner, I notice that Rika and Thalia are still not back. They are neither in this room nor in Rika’s room. At least, I can’t smell them nearby. What time is it?

Well, even if I didn’t smell Rika and Thalia, I can smell what’s going on in the kitchen. Or at least I can make a good guess. It’s not smelling like they are already cooking, but they are definitely preparing dinner.

I look outside, confirming my guess. It should be almost time for dinner.

Still feeling a bit sluggish from just waking up, I summon some cold water inside a bucket and splash it in my face. Ah, that feels good. Now, fully awake, I ponder over what I should do.

Unfortunately, I can’t discuss my thoughts with Rika and Thalia, since they are still not back. I try to actively focusing on my senses, but I can’t pick out their presence. My detection range is not that big inside the capital, because of the amount of people, but I guess they run late. I am still going to wait for them before getting dinner.

Now that I am calmed down, I take another look at my options.

My first option would be to just continue follow them, gathering information and report to the guildmaster. That way, I don’t have to think about the legal aspect of my actions. But I don’t know how long it will take until we have enough evidence.

The second option would be to break into the trading company and maybe even take the evidence with me. No, wait. I can’t do that. Setting aside the argument whether it is okay from a legal aspect, I can’t prove the validity of the documents, if I take them with me. They could just say that the evidence is forged. In other words, there is no reason to take the documents with me.

So even if I decide to break into the trading company, I am only looking at the evidence to report it to the guild master. She should have enough influence to get valid evidence.

I feel like this is the best option. But let’s wait for Rika and Thalia, so I can hear their opinion before I decide on my next course of action.

I wonder what they are doing. It’s now an hour later, but they are still not back. Somehow, I have a bad feeling about it. I am getting a bit worried. Did they maybe leave a message with the proprietress?

I walk down the stairs to ask her, but before I can even ask, she calls out to me.

“Oh, do you guys want to have dinner? I can send it to your room as usual.”

“No. Rika and Thalia are still not back, so I wanted to ask if they left a message, but I guess not?”

If she asks me to if she should send us our dinner, I guess she expected the girls to be back already.

“Oh, I thought I just didn’t notice them coming back.” She heads to the reception to check the notes. “Sorry, but they didn’t leave a message.”

“Yeah, I guess I just wait a bit longer.”

If they’re not back in an hour, I am going to look for them. But I don’t say that out loud.