Translator: Pai_

「Yesterday morning, an unidentified agitator secretly planted explosives on their own cart. The resulting explosion and fire at the checkpoint killed the perpetrator instantly at the scene.」

「Three free citizens were subsequently killed, and one gatekeeper was left in critical condition, in what has become a devastating incident.」

Mun Su-ho's eyes went wide.

'This is a terrorist!'

It was no small matter. Granted, this kingdom was currently embroiled in an age of chaos where six rebel factions were actively respawning, but an outright terrorist attack on the Royal Capital's South Gate was genuinely rare.

And on top of that, one of the clan members had been left in critical condition.

「The Special Task Force was urgently dispatched to examine the scene, and their findings suggest the explosives were manufactured through illegal alchemy.」

「The perpetrator had originally been attempting to smuggle the explosives into the Royal Capital when they were detected by Mun Si-ah-ssi, a member of the gatekeeper clan. After being stopped, the perpetrator reportedly detonated the explosives in a state of agitation, according to the Special Task Force's statement.」

「Mun Si-ah-ssi, caught in the blast, suffered full-body burns and is currently in critical condition.」

「The clan head, Mun Geum-ssi, now faces the potential loss of his most reliable successor on top of being summoned by his liege lord, and is reportedly under extreme stress....」

"......."

Su-ho rested his chin on his hand.

His thoughts branched out in several directions.

He pruned them back. He needed to start with the most critical point first.

'The explosion happens this morning.'

'And I'm the only one in my family who knows.'

'Let's see. What time is it now......'

Su-ho pulled a gold coin and a copper coin from his pocket, stacked them together, then shone the dawn light through the square hole in their centers. The faint light and shadow mingled together, and the time appeared on the ground by itself.

[05:51]

The kingdom's gold and copper coins, called Sita and Bita respectively, were coins with holes in the center imbued with a basic enchantment. When light passed through the centers of stacked coins at once, anyone could check the current time.

In a world overrun by dragons and monsters, the Millennial Kingdom, humanity's sole domain, had not endured for nothing.

Though even that kingdom had only ten years left on its countdown to destruction, and today's terror attack might well be an event that moved that date up by a few days.

'Thankfully, I don't need to use the Deep Investigation subscription. The basic article already gave me the time and location of the attack......'

'What about the ad section? Any useful items?'

Aside from the terror warning, there were no noteworthy articles.

Su-ho's attention immediately jumped to the advertisements.

'If only the Smuggling Magnifying Glasses would show up in the ads one more time, this would be so much easier.'

Unfortunately, the Smuggling Magnifying Glasses were nowhere to be found.

That item wasn't an (Always Available) product like the upgrade ticket; it was tagged (Limited Sale), and when it would appear in the ads was entirely up to luck.

Instead, Mun Su-ho found something that, while not quite a pearl plucked from the mud, was at least a pretty seashell.

[Consumable] Customer Satisfaction Survey '1-Day Pass'

(10 Points) (Limited Sale) (Resale TBD)

* You, who search hundreds of passersby every day. Haven't you ever wondered what those people groveling befo⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌‌re you are really thinking?

* For one day only, the last page of the Prophecy Newspaper transforms into a 'survey sheet'. From now on, you can glimpse the surface thoughts of passersby and get a read on their mindset!

* This product is listed in the advertisement section for today only. When it will be offered for resale is undetermined. We appreciate your understanding.

"This is it!"

On any other day, he wouldn't have given it a second glance.

This time, he selected the item without a moment's hesitation.

If the Smuggling Magnifying Glasses had been available, he could have spotted the explosives in the cart at a g⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌‌lance and been done with it. But after reading the product description for the Customer Satisfaction Survey, Su-ho was confident he could use it to identify the culprit.

'Purchase!'

When he tapped the ad section, the ink burst with a pop. Black splotches swirled as the letters rearranged themselves.

【'Customer Satisfaction Survey' Daily Pass order complete.】

【10 Subscription Points will be consumed.】

【Thank you for supporting our advertisements!】

【Current Subscription Points: 5】

Su-ho grabbed the newspaper and hurried outside the checkpoint.

The moment he did, a list of 'people waiting in line to enter through the city gate' scrolled across the newspaper's pages all on its own.

That alone was already like witnessing astonishing magic.

"Oh."

But what was even more astonishing was that brief snippets of inner thoughts began appearing next to the names of the people standing in line.

-Passerby 023: 'There are way too many people here.'

-Passerby 011: 'The tariffs at South Gate s⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌‌eem reasonable.'

-Passerby 034: 'This line is absolutely disgusting.'

-Passerby 018: 'The roads maintained by the Highway Bureau were excellent!'

-Passerby 002: 'There's trash scattered all over this place.'

"......! Aha."

So that's how it works, Su-ho realized. He'd been vaguely unsure how the survey would display information, and now he knew.

'I feel like I've seen this in a tycoon simulation game before.'

In short, it was a UI that displayed customer satisfaction.

Since it only revealed simple surface-level thoughts, it was hard to call it especially useful in practice. Especially for someone like Mun Su-ho, who wasn't the type to get emotionally invested in other people's satisfaction.

'Somewhere in this endless line, there's a terrorist!'

But right now, it was the most desperately needed item imaginable.

Su-ho casually strolled along the waiting line, looking for all the world like some busybody official wandering around with a newspaper for no reason. Watching him from behind, his younger sister shouted.

"Hey! What are you doing! The gate opens soon!"

"......."

"Ugh, that guy. Seriously. Can't even smack him."

Every older brother is born with an innate switch in their eardrums that can turn a younger sibling's nagging on and off. As Si-ah's legitimate and lawful elder brother, Mun Su-ho naturally came equipped with the exact same function.

He kept up the act of ambling aimlessly while focusing solely on the Prophecy Newspaper's survey sheet. The thoughts of passersby who entered his field of vision beyond the newspaper streamed across the page.

-Passerby 181: 'I don't have money to spend on bribes.'

-Passerby 183: 'I've got revolution bubbling up inside me.'

-Passerby 187: 'I can't get caught.'

-Passerby 180: 'I feel like someone is watching me.'

-Passerby 189: 'I need to use the bathroom.'

-Passerby 183: 'I'm thirsty.'

-Passerby 195: 'I have to succeed no matter what.'

Every now and then, cart drivers shot uneasy glances his way. To them, a gatekeeper was someone who could block their passage at any moment, so it was only natural they'd get nervous.

'Where are you. Where are you hiding, terrorist.'

Some suspects were genuinely hard to tell apart, whether they were simply disgruntled with society or an actual terrorist. Like the passerby who thought, 'I've got revolution bubbling up inside me'.

But their thoughts shifted quickly enough, drifting to things like 'I'm hungry' or 'I'm thirsty'.

As Su-ho continued his careful patrol...

-Passerby 198: 'I want to kill them.'

-Passerby 198: 'I can set it off any time.'

At last, an ominous presence bled through the survey sheet.

"......."

Thud. Su-ho stopped in his tracks.

There was still distance between them. Thanks to his unusually sharp eyesight, the thoughts of passersby standing far back in line were being displayed on his survey sheet as well.

-Passerby 198: 'I want to kill them.'

The suspect, standing right in the middle of the cart line, hadn't even noticed that a gatekeeper was watching them.

Su-ho focused on the suspect. He needed to confirm whether the 'Passerby 198' shown on the survey was really that person, or someone else nearby.

Soon, Passerby 198's thoughts updated in rapid succession.

-Passerby 198: 'I want to smoke some Crystal Leaf.'

-Passerby 198: 'This kingdom is truly disgusting.'

-Passerby 198: 'Why can't I just set it off?'

-Passerby 198: 'I can't get caught.'

-Passerby 198: 'I wish they'd all just die.'

Su-ho's eyes narrowed. This was no trivial matter.

He still had no physical evidence, only suspicion. But since he had already resolved to throw in his lot with this backwater kingdom, the legal standards of his previous life were meaningless.

He memorized every detail of the suspect's appearance without exception, then returned to work immediately. Not to his own checkpoint, but to his sister's.

"My beloved little sister."

"Yeah, gate opens in one minute. Go back."

"One of the carts is carrying explosives."

"......."

The annoyance that had been dripping from his younger sister's eyes sharpened to a blade in an instant. But the edge vanished just as quickly, leaving only the familiar look siblings wore when talking to each other.

A perfectly natural mask.

"How do you know?"

"Don't ask where I got it."

"That's not very trust..."

"All I'll say is it seems like gunpowder mixe⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌‌d by an alchemist."

At that, Si-ah's scolding stopped cold.

It was a small bit of misdirection. Just the day before yesterday, Su-ho had seized a large quantity of Crystal Leaf and leveraged it into negotiations with a staffer from the Alchemy Fortress.

In Si-ah's sharp mind, the possibility that he had exchanged information about 'illegal explosives' through that deal would have been inferred automatically.

Su-ho easily buried her suspicions about the source of his information and pressed the discussion forward.

"Where? The location?"

"I'm not sure if it's within your line of sight."

He shared every detail of the suspect's appearance and the look of the handcart. Si-ah memorized each one without missing a beat and nodded.

"What do we do? Rush them right now?"

"No. They've probably prepared a device that can detonate immediately. We can't arouse the suspect's suspicion. For today, we swap checkpoints and work each other's posts. When the suspect approaches, I'll draw their attention while you watch the surroundings."

"Watch?"

"There's no guarantee the culprit is acting alone. There could be an accomplice hiding somewhere. If so, you take them out."

Su-ho put his faith in the Prophecy Newspaper, but he did not believe it had shown him everything.

For that, he would have needed the Deep Investigation subscription, which he couldn't afford this time due to a shortage of points.

The possible existence of an accomplice not revealed in the basic article had to be considered. There could also be variables the survey sheet had failed to filter out.

That was why he had brought Si-ah in as his backup.

"What about the other adults?"

"Don't tell them. Their acting is terrible."

"Right. And if there is an accomplice? Kill them?"

"Your call. You decide."

"Got it. Just give me a clear angle."

After saying that much, ah, Si-ah belatedly realized something.

Without even noticing, she had been talking back and forth with this illegitimate child like they were tactical partners. Worse, she had ended up actively deferring to his lead!

Ever since he'd busted that illegal drug shipment and bailed her out of a nasty situation, this kind of dynamic had been creeping in more and more often.

For some reason, a surge of defiance welled up inside her.

"Now that I think about it, do we really have to do this ourselves? Why not just request backup from the Guard? Or ask the Baron's household for troops..."

"No. We're not acting on advance knowledge here."

Si-ah blinked.

The response came back far more firmly than she had expected.

"Huh?"

"As far as anyone knows, we responded on the spot. With nothing but the abilities of two people."

"......Wait, you want to take all the credit?"

"It's about time we started climbing."

An exchange of glances. A brief pause.

Si-ah chewed at her lip for a moment, then spoke.

"......This time, when we handle the seized goods, it's a fifty-fifty split."

"Deal."

Su-ho grinned easily.

His gaze fell on his sister's face. The skin she had painstakingly maintained without a single blemish. The skin that, if fate ran its original course, was destined to suffer full-body burns today.

"Wh, what are you staring at?"

"My dear sister should take good care of her skin."

"Huh? My skin? What's this about my skin all of a s⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌‌udden?"

"Your big brother worries about you, you know."

"You're creeping me out......."

Six in the morning. The bell rang from the bell tower at South Gate.

The two siblings swapped checkpoints and got to work.

The waiting line thinned out one group at a time. Mun Su-ho and Mun Si-ah processed entrants as they always did, sometimes meticulously, sometimes loosely, accepting bribes along the way as they granted people passage into the capital.

Every time they exchanged glances from across the way, the two confirmed once more that neither had lost focus.

And so, as the sky grew bright...

Clatter. A cart drew near.

-Passerby 198: 'I want to kill them.'

It was the cart being pushed by the very suspect in question.

-Passerby 198: 'This kingdom is truly disgusting.'

-Passerby 198: 'I can't get caught.'

From the outside, it was a handcart as unremarkable as could be. Yet loaded upon it were illegally manufactured explosives, primed to take four lives including the culprit's own, and to burn one member of his family.

"......."

"......."

In that instant.

Mun Su-ho's eyes met the suspect's.