This marks the third year since “Let’s Try Managing the Tower” began serialization.
Thank you for reading for so long.
“What!?”
Benito froze in surprise upon receiving the report.
Beside Benito, Ademo wore an exasperated expression, as if to say, “I told you so.”
“No, but… that easily? Even if it wasn’t always on you, it was kept nearby, right?”
“Yes. It seems to have been in a different room from where she sleeps, but it was undoubtedly close.”
Even if it was a favorite tool, it was rare for people to bring their business tools into their bedrooms unless they were renting only a single room. Considering that, it would be unreasonable to expect her to bring it into her bedroom for safekeeping. In this instance, despite being in the adjacent room, the thief must have been highly skilled to have stolen it while the owner was present. Benito couldn’t possibly blame Dana, the owner, in such a situation.
Benito was pondering this, but Ademo seemed unconcerned. Without hiding his exasperation, he snorted and declared, “Hmph! That’s why she should have gotten rid of it sooner. If she had handed it over to us, she could have gotten money. What a fool.”
Benito glanced briefly at Ademo, who only thought of himself, but said nothing. Instead, he turned his gaze back to the reporter and confirmed the current situation. “So? You’ve filed a theft report, haven’t you?”
“It seems so. Although, since it’s a theft of a fortune teller’s belongings, it’s unclear how seriously the patrol will take it.” Of course, they would mobilize some people to investigate, but considering how perfectly it was stolen, it would be difficult to rely on the results. Furthermore, it’s possible it was taken to an organization that uses nose-plugging tactics to keep the investigation from reaching them. According to the common sense of this world, no one would expect it to return to its owner’s hands.
With that in mind, Benito placed a hand on his chin. “Hmm. Should I push the patrol, or would it be faster to investigate its flow through the dark routes…” Benito did not believe that the person who stole the water mirror from Dana this time did so for their own use. If they knew it existed, he believed they stole it on someone’s request, or for the purpose of reselling it. In either case, if the water mirror were to be found, it would come through illicit channels, so there were several ways to approach it. Benito began to consider how he could most smoothly make it his own, when he remembered something he had overlooked. “Ah, for now, please investigate the current whereabouts of that water mirror as much as possible.” He understood that since a skilled individual had stolen it, the search would be quite difficult. However, it was better than doing nothing and standing by. With that thought, the reporter bowed respectfully to Benito’s instruction. “Understood.” Benito watched the reporter leave the room after saying only that, and while casually brushing off Ademo, who was making a fuss beside him, he continued to contemplate future plans.
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On the way back from the station.
Dana walked with her head slightly bowed. She had realized this morning that her business tool, the water mirror, had been stolen. She had hurriedly searched her entire room and even returned to her fortune-telling shop, wondering if she had forgotten it there, but she couldn’t find it. It took Dana a while to realize it was a theft because only the water mirror was stolen, and no other money or valuables were touched. At the patrol station, she was repeatedly asked if she had really been robbed. Dana understood that the investigators would look at her with suspicion, even though she herself was still in disbelief. Nevertheless, she decided to report it, as it was better than doing nothing and giving up.
“Sigh… What am I doing? I should have just put it in my bedroom.” She hadn’t even realized it was stolen at first, so it was questionable whether keeping it in her sleeping room would have prevented the theft. Even so, all Dana felt at the moment was regret. Then, the following words came to mind: “…Maybe I should just leave town.” However, the words of her master that came to mind next erased that thought. “Listen, Dana. When you’re in pain or in trouble, you must not run away and leave town. The timing for leaving town should not be changed from what you initially decided. This is the iron rule.” Running away from town would inevitably affect her the next time she visited. Moreover, her master taught her that the memory of fleeing would also influence her fortune-telling in other towns.
She couldn’t escape from this town, nor did she feel like doing fortune-telling. Dana walked around with a heavy heart when suddenly a fortune-telling sign caught her eye. It was an inn run by Crown, and she had heard it had the best fortune teller in town. Dana decided to enter the shop to get her fortune told, hoping to change her mood. As expected, the most popular fortune teller was in high demand, and she couldn’t get a reading immediately; she was given a numbered ticket. While waiting for her turn, Dana wandered around town, and by the time her number was called, her mood had improved somewhat. Upon entering the private room where the fortune teller was, she found a female fortune teller seated, waiting for Dana, her customer. “Yes. Welcome. …Oh. This is a rare customer.” It wasn’t unusual for a fortune teller to have their fortune told, but they usually asked acquaintances for readings. Someone like Dana, who had just casually dropped by, was unusual. However, more importantly, Dana was surprised that the best fortune teller in town knew her. “Do you… know me?” Dana asked respectfully, addressing her as a senior in the industry. The female fortune teller laughed and said, “Didn’t your master teach you that a fortune teller’s ears are more important than their eyes?” It was true that her master had repeatedly told her to value information obtained from customers more than anything else. Dana had intended to conduct her daily fortune-telling based on that teaching, but the female fortune teller’s words made her realize how insufficient it was. The female fortune teller’s words made her feel as if she had been taught that there was information to be gained not only from customers in person but also from other sources. Dana felt a sense of nostalgia, but the female fortune teller she was facing shook her head. “Oh, my. No, no. Right now, you are the customer and I am the fortune teller. What kind of fortune-telling did you come for today?” Prompted by the other person, Dana finally remembered that she was there to have her fortune told. Flustered, she stated her desired reading. “Yes. Um… I’m embarrassed to say, but my important business tool was stolen, and I don’t know what to do…” “Oh dear, that’s terrible. Let me see, please wait a moment.” Dana carefully watched the fortune teller’s hands as she began shuffling the cards. Recently, she had only used the water mirror, but Dana could also perform fortune-telling using cards. “Oh my, you’re looking at me so intently, it’s embarrassing.” Even as she said that, the fortune teller shuffled the cards with practiced ease. Observing this, it was clear that she often received requests for readings from her peers. As she remembered how often her master had performed readings for her in this way, Dana was able to witness someone else’s fortune-telling for the first time in a while. She felt that she gained something from the experience itself, not just from the results of the reading. Dana realized that her water mirror had been stolen. The fortune-telling results might be briefly touched upon next time. (Still undecided)
