Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Suspecting Ouriel
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I suspected that Ouriel was the murderer who killed Kenneth.
The biggest reason was her image.
Ouriel was someone who truly spared no means or methods.
It was completely different from how Zephyr used connections and money to compensate for his lacking abilities.
Suppose, for example, she ran into someone with 10,000 credits in a dark alley, and it was a situation where a perfect crime could be committed without anyone finding out—Ouriel would kill them without hesitation and take the 10,000 credits.
I believed she was the type who wouldn't hesitate to commit murder even for such trivial gains if it benefited her.
My words were in no way an exaggeration.
I knew her true nature.
From childhood, Ouriel had no brakes like morality or ethics.
She would ignore it and pretend not to know even if a younger girl was falsely accused of theft and faced being beaten to death, just to avoid getting scolded herself.
To get what she wanted, she would use her status to make a commoner child her age steal it for her secretly, employing cunning threats and any means necessary.
Of course, after she grew a bit more mature, Ouriel stopped committing such misdeeds.
It wasn't because she repented her sins and became a new person.
She simply refrained because getting caught later could shake her position and image.
There were many times when the real face hiding behind her ever-smiling mask felt chilling.
-Young master. The last person to contact Young Master Kenneth was Lady Ouriel.
It was information Dalpi had given me right after destroying Dargishkal's egg.
Kenneth had been standing among the soldiers, and when he asked what that meant, Dalpi explained that the last person the "human" Kenneth had met was probably Ouriel.
-Jumping into the hellfire just now wasn't Kenneth's will. It looked like he was being manipulated by someone, like a puppet.
『It's something similar to magic.』
Dalpi said something akin to Nob AI.
With a voice full of conviction, she insisted her nose couldn't be fooled, and the last scent on Kenneth was definitely Ouriel's.
There were other suspicious circumstances as well.
Like the fact that I'd never seen the wanderers Ouriel brought eating food or drinking water.
Of course, it could be confirmation bias.
But intuition couldn't always be dismissed.
Anyway.
For those reasons, on the day the Polar Anomaly ended, I asked Zephyr to keep a close eye on Ouriel.
He accomplished the mission splendidly.
I looked at Zephyr's letter.
It stated that among the famous wanted criminals in the terrorist organization Wonderland, presumed to have caused this Eastern Anomaly, Zephyr had confirmed that Ouriel had secretly met the Pastry Witch—a magician who betrayed the Illusion School and was accused of brainwashing and murdering numerous people.
After the Polar Anomaly ended, Ouriel had hurriedly left the territory with the wanderers.
Zephyr had secretly pursued her, and though there were a few close calls where he nearly got caught, he evaded them safely—the details were embellished like a heroic tale.
Anyway, to summarize.
Ouriel and the Pastry Witch met at a checkpoint on the way from the East to the capital.
He didn't know the exact details of their conversation, but Zephyr had caught signs that Ouriel paid the Pastry Witch a considerable sum of money and informed her of the location where the demon corpses subjugated during this Polar Anomaly were buried.
The letter stated that he had obtained solid evidence as well.
The moment I received the letter, I urgently contacted Bimark.
It was a sort of tip-off that a family member was deeply involved with terrorists.
Upon hearing the situation, Bimark quickly delegated the matter to the Minister of Security.
The Minister of Security dispatched three knight出身 security officers to arrest Ouriel and promised to deal with her strictly according to the kingdom's laws through trial.
If caught, it would probably be the death penalty.
Anyone connected to the organization disrupting the kingdom met that end.
She wouldn't be an exception.
I was about to use the recording orb to instruct Dalpi to tie Ouriel's feet with Zephyr.
But Dalpi didn't respond.
Even after waiting half a day, there was no reply.
It was an extremely rare occurrence.
Even if she couldn't receive the contact, Dalpi always replied within an hour.
Something must have definitely happened.
Of course, neither Zephyr nor Haniel were people who would fall to Ouriel so easily.
But with Ouriel allied to terrorists, who knew what tricks she might have, so I was hurrying back to the Tristy Autonomous Region.
I tried not to worry too much.
There wasn't much that could threaten a maid who could lift a massive, heavy helltank with one hand without even using aura.
In terms of pure skill, Dalpi could toy with Ouriel like a child.
That's why I'd deliberately left Dalpi at the mansion for such a situation.
With Ian there too, they could protect Haniel no matter what happened.
I teleported to the Red Tower.
This was a request I'd personally asked Noctias for.
“Eek, you startled me!”
In the lobby was Professor Aria, whom I hadn't seen in a while, blinking in great surprise.
She was in pajamas.
With a toothbrush in her mouth, it seemed she'd set up new lodgings here.
“...I definitely heard you were diligently making medicine at the Blue Tower, so what brings you here?”
She took the toothbrush out and looked at me.
“I finished it long ago. Anyway, Professor Aria, why are you at the Red Tower instead of the Academy?”
“There’s a plague spreading, so I evacuated temporarily… Classes are impossible in this state anyway. Of course, after completing the one-week quarantine period following the hygiene guidelines you announced, Young Master, I’m staying at the Red Tower, so rest assured!”
Hm.
As expected, incidents at the Academy are a national rule.
But it wasn't the genre where students solve the case—it felt more like a blockbuster disaster movie where they desperately survive, so it was quite pitiful.
I wondered if Etilla was okay. I hoped she stayed healthy and illness-free.
Anyway, I got straight to the point.
“I’ll borrow the Tower Master’s workshop. No time to apologize to Erfs now. If you have some spare time, could you help me?”
“Y-Yes? Uh, um, sure….”
Time was tight, so I skipped detailed explanations.
Despite the bewildering request, Aria complied.
“Young Master Ester has free pass. I’ll explain to Erfs separately.”
She led the way and opened the workshop door.
When I listed the needed materials, she fetched them swiftly one by one—much faster than the two apprentice mages from before.
Professors are good at odd jobs too?
“Oh, by the way, thanks to the medicine you made this time, many people in the East are being treated. How did you develop such a miraculous drug in such a short time….”
Aria groomed me with praise full of flowery words, along with questions about how I developed the plague cure.
I cut her off and asked.
“How’s the territory situation?”
“At first, with the timing and consecutive hardships, it was chaotic and hectic, but as expected, hope makes people human again.”
Initially, people trembled in fear and chaos like the early Black Death, but the moment my medicine was distributed, things calmed down.
“Everyone sees you as a hero, Young Master. My friend told me some people even paste drawings of your face on walls and pray to them.”
“Hard to believe.”
I’m no saint or bishop, and she’s laying it on way too thick even for an Msg.
“You’ll feel it if you walk through the crowded cities in the East once. Hehe, it’s that great an achievement.”
Hm.
I should never go there, ever.
Anyway.
I quickly made a new invention in Erfs’s workshop.
As expected, Erfs’s workshop, capable of controlling numerous golems, was still the best environment for development so far.
When I build a house later, I should set up a workshop like this.
Money would soon be overflowing anyway.
Of course, it wasn’t as grandiose as the helltank from last time—it was a self-defense weapon prepared for unexpected situations.
“What is that….”
“Better to have it just in case. Anyway, thank you for the help. Have a good day.”
I gave a suitable reply to Aria’s question and quickly said goodbye.
Time wasn’t plentiful, so I hurried.
Then, on the way to the mansion, I stopped.
A barrier blocked the path.
『Nob AI can break it easily.』
With Nob AI’s help, I safely shattered the barrier and proceeded straight.
It was a barrier that attempted mana jacking on all lifeforms inside and blocked approaches, and Nob AI said that since such a barrier was made, there must be someone skilled inside.
Of course, compared to the barrier guarding the Necronomicon, it was an easy difficulty, so no great effort was needed.
People were visible in front of the main gate.
They weren’t servants working at the Tristy mansion.
They were from the group of wanderers Ouriel had brought to the Polar Anomaly before.
They were flustered seeing the barrier shatter, but upon spotting me, they drew their weapons.
Thanks.
For reminding me once more that you’re the enemy.
I easily knocked them down just by emitting electricity from my hand.
Since they fell so pathetically, the one who made the barrier wasn’t among them.
Ignoring the fallen ones, I advanced.
The smell of burning wafted to my nose.
Flickering flames entered my sight.
The Tristy mansion was ablaze.
“Tsk.”
Fortunately, the fire hadn’t spread too much yet.
It must have just started not long ago.
I hurriedly quickened my steps.