My name is Anton. Born and raised in a small trading town near the northern border, I came from a family of professional errand runners. Delivering messages here and there, hoping we’ll return alive to deliver a few more.

Back then, I couldn’t have possibly imagined that my journey would lead me to this job.

My family never had the prospect of earning enough dough to buy a Talent Scroll, not even close. Maybe if we gambled it all away, we might be able to afford some by luck. But my family wasn’t too keen on chances, which was probably a good thing.

I had enough to live by. Proper food, proper bed, proper parents as well… that was more than enough.

But when I started running errands of my own, I discovered something about myself.

I was really good at finding people.

Whether they were lost in the forest or blending in with crowds of lookalikes, I could sniff them out in almost a heartbeat.

Not literally sniff them out, mind you. But I always had a gut instinct where the person I’m looking for might be.

It came in handy on a couple of errands, especially escort ones. Say I was guiding a merchant through the always crowded market, and then they suddenly decided it was a great idea to wander off toward a stall without telling me.

Next thing I know, they’ve vanished into a sea of bobbing heads. But I’d always find them, maybe give them an earful if they hadn’t paid me so well.

In around a year’s time, I was confident in assuming that I had a Talent relating to that.

It was a common way for folks like me to discover our Talents.

Have something you’re good at? That’s probably a Talent.

Something weird is happening more than once? Yep, that’s a Talent.

Picking up something and instantly knowing what to do with it? Boy, do I have some news for you.

Anyway, I told the people I knew about my Talent, and sure enough, I got recommended for honorary service under the local knights, mostly to help find missing folks. It sounded nice on paper.

I joined out of respect for the good pay. That was before I read the fine print, at least. Turns out, I only got paid per case I worked on. And surprisingly, even in a trading town like mine, people didn’t go missing all that often.

I spent more time scraping the bottom of my pouch for change than actually finding lost folks.

Still, I was stubborn. I wanted to make a living off this Talent, just like everyone else who finds out their Talent isn’t useless like [Enhanced Smelling] or something. So I asked the knights I often hang around with if I could be transferred to the capital.

I paused for a couple of minutes when they told me that my request was approved. I wasn’t sure if the knights had even listened to me.

Figuring it was a scam or a human trafficking ring scheme, I demanded an explanation. That was when I learned that a certain family was looking for people with my kind of Talent.

I was still suspicious, of course, but when they told me of the potential pay, I was on board before they even finished their sentence.

A few days later, the family sent a carriage to fetch me. Without any delay, I was off to the capital. I didn’t even get to enjoy the sights; the moment we arrived, the carriage took a hard turn straight to their estate. And what an estate it was. They could probably build another estate in their garden.

The interview was nerve-wracking, and it felt more like an interrogation than anything. But… I somehow got the job.

And that… was how I started working with the Sareids.

They brought me on for my tracking skills—runaway knights, merchants trying to swindle them, suspicious new hires. That sort of thing.

From what I could gather, the duchess was the vengeful type. You crossed her once, she would hunt you down until you grovel for forgiveness.

The cases I had were even fewer and farther between, but they paid me monthly, so that was already a huge step up from the previous job.

At first, they wanted me to moonlight as a knight while I waited for new assignments. That idea died fast. I’d never even held a sword properly.

Eventually, I convinced them of my service skills. Due to years of experience attending to snobby merchants who paid top coin, I had honed quite the skill at appearing classy… The keyword being “appearing”.

So, I was given a suit, a servant quarters, and everything I needed to become a butler.

Despite the job being there mostly to hide what I actually do, I was still given tasks like the other servants, which I reluctantly did.

I did catch the head maid’s quiet wrath after slacking off once, though. These days, I do just enough of my butler duties to stay on her good side, take my breaks when I can, and pass the baton the second my shift ends.

I never bothered about being uptight about etiquette or formalities. I kept it professional, of course, but I wasn’t the type to know how many times I needed to bow or be overly formal around others.

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They knew well enough not to send me to attend to an esteemed guest, and I knew for a fact they wouldn’t even let me near their office for cleaning duties. But they trusted me where it counts.

Besides, they weren’t going to fire me. Not when I was the only one who could do what I did.

Anyway, that was my day-in, day-out routine.

I expected that I would be doing this every day until I decide to retire, preferably with tons of coins and before my hair strands started to fall.

Then came that day, when the Duke called me in for an urgent task after a sudden commotion in the manor.

When I arrived at his office, I spotted the Duke sitting on his desk, something heavy weighing over his eyelids as he glared into nothing, and Feyt, leaning over the desk with sweat dropping down the side of his face.

I didn’t expect to see the kid there, thought he would be holed up in his room by now. But I couldn’t risk joking around with an atmosphere that tense.

Closing the door with a click, I asked the Duke why he called for me.

With no delay, he ordered me to track the Duchess around the capital, see where she ends up on her sudden outing.

It had been some time since my Talent had been of any use, and I for sure needed a change of pace. But tracking the Duchess? If I get caught, I would die from her stare before her blade would even reach me.

But then…

“Anton, you’re the only one I can rely on in this matter.”

I let out a long sigh and scratched the back of my head. I knew what it meant when the Duke said something like that. It meant no questions or excuses. If I refuse, I’d get fired on the spot.

“…Understood,” I said, rolling my shoulders.

Just as I turned to leave and mentally rehearsed how I would even stay out of sight, a voice cut in behind me.

“I’m going too.”

“Huh?!” I blurted out instinctively. I stared at the boy, his eyes locked on me. “Kid, this isn’t a game. I have a job to do here, and I’m tracking someone you don’t want to get spotted by.”

He didn’t flinch, in fact, his eyes narrowed. It almost looked like a pout, kind of like a kid adamant about getting a toy at a market.

I was about to shoot him down even more, but then, the Duke nodded.

“Bring Feyt with you.”

“Huuuh?!” I was even more shocked than before. “Seriously? You want me to bring him along for this?!” I asked, one eye nearly twitching.

“Trust me,” he said. “Just bring him along.”

I paused, not sure if I had another “Huh?” in me. I sighed louder than I ever needed, my hand massaging the back of my neck.

“…Alright, fine. But listen here, kid,” I muttered, turning to him. “Stay behind me, alright? If she so much as glances at us, I’m using you as a meat shield.”

Still, his gaze held firm. Whatever he was thinking, wanting to risk his life tagging along with me, he was sure determined about it.

I couldn’t even joke about it.

And with that, we slipped out of the manor.

Time to follow who was probably the scariest lady in the capital.

—

The kid kept up with me surprisingly well. He knew how to be quiet as well.

Didn’t expect that out of him.

Anyway, I was briefed that the Duchess might be heading for the Scented Rose Inn. Why was I needed when he knew where she was going, you might ask?

It’s simple, really.

I was the backup plan. If she made an unexpected turn… ducked into some alley… or vanished while no one was looking, I could still track her down. Worst case, if someone nabbed her, I’d be the one tailing them, too… But let’s be honest, that last one was unlikely.

We tailed her from afar, which I was confident in doing due to my Talent. I didn’t need a clear sight of her to track her; just a general sense of where she might be would guide me enough.

Then, before long, we finally reached the destination. The Scented Rose Inn, a fine establishment for fine gentlemen. This was where I was told to bring Feyt had the plan of kicking him out went through.

I wasn’t sure if I should pity him or not. Had he truly been moved to a room here, he would’ve probably enjoyed a life of luxury, unlike the basic old guest room he was currently staying in. Good food, beautiful maids, nice wines… He missed out, really.

The Duchess was already inside the building by the time we saw the swinging sign. I had a feeling she wouldn’t be moving anytime soon, so I figured this would be the best time to discreetly scribble down a report.

As I jotted down the route she took and how long it took for her to get there, I tried to strike up a conversation.

“So, kid. How was your—”

“Shhh,” he interrupted with a hiss.

I blinked.

The kid shushed me?

His eyes were locked forward. Tracing where he was looking, my eyes fell upon a window on the second floor, showing nothing more than the room’s ceiling. Even though it showed practically nothing, my gut was telling me that was the room the Duchess was in.

How did the kid even figure that out, I wondered. For him to be so focused as well…

What was he seeing up there? Or could it be that he was hearing something?

The noise around us consisted of carriage wheels rolling by, horses neighing, and people chattering. There was no way he could hear anything from that room, let alone any words.

“…So that’s how he—” the kid murmured to himself.

Whether he was hearing things or he was actually hearing something, I didn’t know. But before I could ask, he walked forward. I figured he was trying to get a better look.

I watched as he blended into the crowd. Before long, a figure approached the window he was staring at, a distinguished-looking gentleman.

The gentleman waved downwards, possibly at the kid.

The kid got spotted! What a pain—!

I immediately pushed through the crowd and approached the kid. I pulled him to the side, blending in with the sea of the crowd once more. I took a peek over my shoulder, and the gentleman was already walking away from the window.

“What were you thinking?! Are you trying to expose us?!”

The kid looked at me straight in the eye. “We should hide. She’s coming down.”

I froze for a good second. This kid was telling me what to do now?

But before I could even berate him, my senses were tingling. She really was coming out of the building.

—

As we were rushing our way back to the manor, the kid told me, “I heard everything! That man is trying to kidnap Carine!”

What?!

I nearly tripped and head butted someone’s shoulder.

Forget getting caught in the act; this kid’s comments were more dangerous for my heart.

“Kid. What are you even—?!” I started, but stopped myself.

I looked at him.

He wasn’t flinching. His words didn’t stutter.

It was like he knew what he had heard and was sure of it.

Now, I’d normally chalk this kind of thing up to overactive imagination. But…

He had spotted the right window.

He did sense the Duchess was coming down before I did.

Then the Duke’s words flashed before my mind.

“Trust me. Just bring him along.”

Was this what he meant?

Don’t tell me… This kid has a better tracking ability than mine?!

I’m not losing my job, am I??

Slowly, it all clicked in my mind.

Why the Duke saw him as his personal protégé.

Why the Duchess hesitated to kick him out.

Why Lady Carine was so close to him.

At first, I thought he was just some lucky kid in the right place at the right time.

Now though? I found myself unable to joke or blurt out anything.

My job… it was seriously on the line now.

…Maybe I need to act more professional around the Sareids.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep