"Wood, you must have been embezzling funds regularly, haven't you? Bringing me out to eat such good stuff—are you sure you'll be able to pay the bill later?"
Mine, munching on a high-class dessert, looked entirely satisfied, but soon, her expression turned to doubt.
Assassins of Night Raid do not receive any so-called salary, as the Revolutionary Army itself is dirt poor, often relying on Akame's hunting for meals.
When accepting commissions from civilians in the Imperial Capital, the fees are usually symbolic, just enough to cover the organization's basic operating costs.
The only substantial income usually comes from operations like raiding a wealthy merchant's home as they had done previously.
However, the assets seized from such raids are generally taken back to the Revolutionary Army's headquarters by Najenda to fund better equipment for the army.
Considering how Wood and Leone previously swindled Tatsumi out of money to drink, it was clear that most members of Night Raid were essentially broke.
Now, for Wood to be able to treat Mine to such high-end desserts, the only explanation she could think of was that Wood had embezzled some spoils during a raid.
"What nonsense are you thinking? I am a super VIP at this shop; I don't need to pay for the food here!
If you keep whining, I won't bring you here again. If it were Akame, she'd probably like the meat here better than the desserts anyway."
Hearing what Wood said, Mine immediately pouted, puffing up her cheeks like a bun, then guarded her cake protectively, saying, "Akame likes meat, not these sweets."
"Mr. Wood, it's been a while since I last saw you. This beautiful young lady here—whose noble daughter might she be?"
As Wood and Mine were chatting, a middle-aged man in a suit walked up to them, initiating a conversation.
When the stranger approached, Mine instinctively became wary, adopting a more ladylike demeanor.
"Arthur, don't waste your effort. This pink-haired tsundere loli is my friend, not a noble's daughter, but a fellow pauper like me.
We're just here for a free meal, so don't expect me to pay."
Hearing Wood's words, Mine first looked angry, then felt uneasy. She hadn't expected Wood to bring her into such an upscale dessert shop without money and openly declare he wouldn't pay.
What surprised her even more was that the middle-aged gentleman, exuding the demeanor of an old gentleman, didn't get angry after hearing Wood's declaration. Instead, he smiled warmly at Mine, saying, "How rude of me. I didn't expect Mr. Wood to have such a beautiful and charming friend.
I am the owner of this dessert shop. May I ask if the desserts suit the young lady's taste? Would you like to try some other selections?"
Hearing the gentleman's words, Mine was even more surprised. Despite Wood openly admitting they were here for a free meal, the man wasn't upset. Instead, he treated her even more courteously.
Perhaps noticing the confusion on Mine's face, the old gentleman took the initiative to explain, "Mr. Wood is a benefactor to my family.
Both my wife and daughter were saved by Mr. Wood. Moreover, this shop is thriving today because Mr. Wood often brings customers here.
These customers are all quite generous, and thanks to Mr. Wood, many have become regulars here, making our business prosperous."
He continued, "I just didn't expect someone as carefree as Mr. Wood to have a true friend, and such a lovely young lady at that."
Arthur, seemingly ready to delve into Wood's colorful past, was suddenly interrupted by Wood before revealing too much.
Wood glanced at Mine and saw her captivated by Arthur's compliments, entirely missing the subtext. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"Arthur, come here for a moment!"
Arthur, still curious about Mine—this being Wood's first time bringing a genuine friend to the shop—was promptly dragged aside by Wood to prevent any tarnishing of his "glorious" reputation in Night Raid.
"What are you scheming? Let me clarify one thing—Mine is just my ordinary friend, not the kind of relationship you're imagining.
And why on earth are you so fixated on marrying your daughter Sylvia to me? You know my identity and that getting involved with me won't lead to any good."
To prevent Arthur from considering Mine as a rival to his daughter, Wood explained directly.
"Mr. Wood, please understand a father's concerns. Since Sylvia was saved by you, she's been infatuated, and my wife and I are quite troubled..."
"Stop, stop! Let's leave this topic for now. I'll find a way to talk to her. Right now, I'm here to gather intel.
The Empire's strongest general, Esdeath, has returned to the Imperial Capital, right? Do you know her recent movements?"
Realizing Arthur was about to launch into his grievances, Wood quickly interrupted, stating his true purpose for visiting.
Unlike Leone, who gathered intelligence from the city's underbelly, Wood's sources were rooted in high society.
While Leone relied on mingling with common folks to pick up rumors, Wood garnered information from the nobles during their gatherings and exchanges.
Arthur's dessert shop, frequented by noblewomen and young ladies, became a hub for gossip, with Arthur overhearing many tidbits while serving.
When they left the dessert shop, Mine had packed several high-end desserts, claiming she wanted to share them with others at the base.
It was perhaps the happiest time Mine had experienced, with an endless supply of delicious desserts she didn't have to pay for, and even some to take home.
Walking out with their loot, the shop owner himself escorted them to the door, warmly inviting them to visit again.
"Wood, Arthur said you often bring customers here. Do you have a lot of friends, and are they all wealthy?"
Full and satisfied, Mine tossed the packed desserts into Wood's hands and skipped ahead, her curiosity suddenly piqued by Arthur's earlier words.
Hearing her question, Wood froze for a moment. Did he have many friends? Not really—excluding his Night Raid comrades, he could count them on one hand.
As for Arthur's mention of customers, most of them were noblewomen or young ladies.
Even Lubbock knew Wood was a smooth talker. With his good looks and mastery of noble etiquette, combined with top-tier flirting skills, few women could resist him.
When courting women, Wood would often bring them to Arthur's shop.
Since these women were nobles and didn't lack money, they spent generously, which made Arthur's shop flourish.
"Don't be fooled by Arthur's gentlemanly demeanor; he's quite the slick talker.
He meets countless noblewomen and young ladies daily. Don't let a few compliments go to your head."
"But he doesn't seem like that kind of person..." Mine, with her experience as an assassin, trusted her judgment of people.
"Arthur's intel isn't enough. We need to visit a clothing store and a jewelry shop next. Are you coming along?"
Before Mine could press further, Wood changed the subject, successfully distracting her.
"Clothes! And jewelry… ahem, we're partners, so of course, I'll join you for intel gathering."
It turns out that women, even tsunderes, can't resist desserts, beautiful clothes, or jewelry.
After visiting the capital's renowned jewelry and clothing stores, Wood ended up carrying numerous packages, while Mine looked utterly content, her earlier questions forgotten.
All these goodies were also free of charge, thanks to Wood's influence.
By evening, Wood and Tatsumi met up at an inn. However, seeing Wood exhausted and carrying a mountain of packages, Tatsumi and Leone were stunned.
"Are you sure you were gathering intel and not sneaking off on a date?"
Hearing Leone's words, Mine's face flushed crimson, and she glanced nervously at Wood before retorting, "We were working seriously today. Ask Wood if you don't believe me."
Wood smiled bitterly, knowing full well that while Mine enjoyed herself, he was the one doing all the work.
"Did you? Then tell us what intel you gathered. Let's compare and see who got better information."
Leone's competitive nature was triggered by Mine's defiance.
Mine felt guilty, having been too engrossed in enjoying the day to focus on their mission.
"Wood, tell them what we gathered today," she urged, hoping he would cover for her.
Shrugging, Wood explained, "We were indeed working and gathered some valuable intel..."
Afterward, they organized their findings, surprising Leone and Tatsumi with the comprehensiveness of Wood's intel.
Their side even uncovered Esdeath's intention to request marriage as a reward from the young emperor.
Such information could only come from someone with connections inside the palace.
Seeing Leone and Tatsumi's shocked expressions, Mine folded her arms triumphantly. "Hmph, don't assume we were slacking off. We worked hard!"
While Tatsumi apologized with an awkward smile, Leone, knowing Mine well, understood that most of the intel likely came from Wood, with Mine tagging along for the ride.
Still, seeing Mine cheer up after the recent gloomy days caused by Sheele's injury, Leone felt genuinely happy for her.
"This 'Jaegers' group... although we've gathered some information, it's all fragmented. If we could learn more about their strength and Imperial Arms, it would be better."
By piecing together intel from Wood and Leone, they compiled a nearly complete list of Jaegers members, though much about their capabilities and Imperial Arms remained unknown.