I Don't Know the Original, I'm Too Busy Trying to Make a Living-Chapter 198

Susan didn’t hesitate. She slid her fingers into the groove and pulled.

Creak.

"...!"

The hidden door opened. Susan shivered in disbelief.

‘This really is an emergency exit!’

The passage led to a staircase descending into the unknown. It had to lead somewhere safe.

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Quickly surveying her surroundings, Susan spotted a candlestick and grabbed it along with some flint. Without a moment’s hesitation, she descended the stairs. She reached up to pull the door shut behind her.

Clunk.

The door closed seamlessly. A simple magical mechanism under the carpet restored everything to its original state, leaving no trace of the passage.

At that very moment, the security force stormed the gambling den.

"Jeff, take your squad to the emergency exit! The rest of you, search this place thoroughly!"

"Yes, sir!"

The security officers moved with precision, following orders without delay.

They began confiscating the gold coins, betting chips, and roulette wheels the gamblers had left behind in their haste. It was undeniable evidence of illegal gambling.

As the search continued, the officers examined every inch of the space. Even the smallest items were collected as potential evidence.

One officer smirked mischievously.

"How did these people end up getting caught by our lord herself?"

"Apparently, the lord was looking for a restaurant and stumbled upon Jack’s gambling den."

"Jack has no luck, does he?"

"On the contrary, he’s lucky. I heard he’s only getting a fine."

"In exchange for ratting out every other scumbag operating on this street."

The officers carried on their conversation as they searched. Many of them were locals who had grown up in Halo and had been frustrated for years by the state of Hamp Street.

The rapid development of Halo had brought them pride, rivaling even the duchy of Pellos. Protecting Halo gave the officers a strong sense of purpose and pride.

Hamp Street, however, was a blight. It was like having their own home overtaken by criminals.

‘To think the lord would sweep it clean in one go. She really is remarkable.’

The lord’s popularity had soared to imperial levels. Her leadership had transformed Halo into a thriving territory.

Just last winter, people in Halo had starved or frozen to death. Some had ventured into the northern forest in desperation, only to fall prey to monsters.

The previous lord had led hunts to survive, selling monster carcasses for gold. But the reckless approach had cost many lives, including his own and those of countless young men.

The current lord, however, had brought a different kind of hope.

"Of course, our lord wouldn’t just leave this place as it is."

"She saved my family. I’d give my life for her."

"Same here."

The officers smiled as they worked tirelessly through the night. They didn’t care about missing sleep or delayed shifts. Cleaning up Hamp Street was worth it.

"Who’s gossiping over there?! Get back to work!"

The squad leader’s shout spurred the officers into action. But even he couldn’t hide the grin on his face—he was a Halo native, too.

Thirty minutes later, they discovered the secret door under the carpet.

***

As Sir Ralph had promised, Hamp Street was thoroughly cleaned up by the time the sun rose.

The number of arrests was so high that both the security force’s detention cells and Halo’s outer prison were filled to capacity.

Penelope observed it all and returned to the lord’s manor at dawn. She immediately summoned the judiciary official to her office.

"Dismiss the judge responsible for overseeing Hamp Street immediately. Fire everyone connected to him, too. Cut them all out."

"It will be done," the judiciary official replied, his face red with anger.

Reviewing Ralph’s report, the official confirmed that the judge had been taking hefty bribes from Hamp Street’s criminals in exchange for turning a blind eye to their illegal activities.

"I’ll take this opportunity to investigate every judge in Halo. If I find even a hint of corruption, they’ll all be dismissed. These parasites are a disgrace!"

The judiciary official was more outraged than Ralph had ever been. Known for his upright nature, he despised corruption, particularly among public officials.

"If anyone so much as thinks about embezzling funds or keeping secret ledgers, let them come to me. I’ll cut off their hands myself!"

Few in Halo dared to ignore the judiciary official’s stern warnings.

‘How could the lower ranks be so corrupt when the higher ranks are so clean?’

...But the truth was, it had already happened.

The sudden influx of people into Halo made it impossible to hire only locals as judges and enforcers. Positions requiring higher education had to be filled with outsiders, and there was no time to vet their ethics.

Halo was growing so rapidly that even keeping up with day-to-day operations left the officials overwhelmed.

Outwardly, the territory seemed to be thriving, but hidden beneath the surface, some were siphoning funds.

It was an unavoidable side effect of the territory’s explosive development.

‘I suppose it’s impossible to catch every instance of corruption in just a few months.’

"My apologies, my lord. I should have been more vigilant. I take full responsibility and will resign—"

"Enough of that. If you leave, I’ll be the one who dies."

"My lord..."

The judiciary official’s eyes reddened with emotion.

Seeing the elderly man, his hair stark white, on the verge of tears, Penelope cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Could you summon the treasurer, the administrator, and the chief steward for me?"

Before Penelope even finished speaking, a knock came at the door.

"My lord, the chief steward is here. The others wish to meet with you as well."

"Let them all in."

At her command, the officials entered the office, their faces drawn from lack of sleep.

"I’ve heard the news. Thank you for your efforts throughout the night."

"To think such depravity was festering in our territory. It’s shameful."

"How could such scoundrels have established themselves in Halo?"

The officials, all Halo natives, expressed their indignation.

Despite dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to the territory’s development, they had been unaware of the criminal activities taking place. The realization was both infuriating and humiliating.

"We should increase the Chief of Security’s authority and give him more say in council meetings."

"A wise decision."

"We must ensure that no misconduct goes unnoticed. Sir Ralph’s recommendations should be taken seriously from now on."

"Agreed. No matter how much Halo develops, it means nothing if we lose our moral foundation."

The officials unanimously agreed.

Penelope nodded decisively.

"Promote the Chief of Security to Commissioner of Public Safety and have him join the council meetings."

As the meeting concluded, Penelope collapsed onto the sofa. She hadn’t slept all night, and dark circles shadowed her eyes. Ahwin, of course, ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) had retreated to his room long ago to sleep.

‘How could he be so indifferent just because it’s not his problem? That annoying Tower Master...’

The thought came unbidden.

Though she knew she had no right to complain, her feelings couldn’t help but be petty.

Lecter, the foreman in charge of manufacturing irons and dryers, entered the room with a sheepish expression.

"Busy, I assume?"

"As you can see, I’m ready to pass out," Penelope replied.