After returning home, Elliot went straight with Conrad to see the old duke.
The old duke was reading correspondence in his study. At the sound of footsteps, his mechanical eye slowly turned, swept over Elliot, and then he gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"You did well."
Elliot had come straight from the factory, but the old duke had clearly already received word about him. It seemed he had been keeping an eye on things all along. Elliot hesitated, then voiced the question on his mind. "I'm... a little curious. This wasn't difficult. It was actually very simple. Why did you specifically ask me to do it?"
The problem with the factories in the Hearthfire District had, in fact, already been resolved the moment he set foot in the area.
He did not need to do anything. As long as the factory owners in the East District knew he was paying attention to the matter, those frightened birds would naturally flock to him for protection.
Whatever he chose to do after that, the matter could be resolved properly. There was no difficulty to speak of.
No wonder the old duke had given him no resources beyond that map. He really had not needed any.
"Because you are the heir to the Sterling Family." The old duke leaned back in his chair. "Most of what you deal with in the future will be just like today. Give your surname, and every problem will resolve itself."
Elliot opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.
"All you need to do is find a reliable subordinate"-the duke's mechanical eye swept over Conrad by the door-"then make sure your opponents have no deeper connections or complications behind them, just as you did with your investigation these past few days. Finally, stand before them and