Chapter 305
Chapter 305
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 305
Chapter Title: Interrogating Charles d'Orléans
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After that, despite my report lacking any polite explanations, Abraham contacted them to investigate the members of the Orléans family who had left for the Austria-Hungary Empire that day.
Abraham was a man who based his actions entirely on rationality. For someone like him to make such a risky decision after hearing my flimsy explanation—one that had basis for me, of course, but could easily turn both France and Austria-Hungary against us—meant that his trust in my abilities was far beyond ordinary.
Of course, with three great powers involved and it being a time not long after the war, things could escalate quickly, so Abraham didn't propose an investigation based on my report. Instead, he casually suggested checking the Orléans family's entry and exit records.
'That's just the surface anyway.'
Austria-Hungary surely had those entry and exit records too. But Österreich-Este picked up on the signal from the German Empire—tasked with the joint investigation—pointing out such obvious information.
From my position of knowing what kind of guy Abraham was, his endorsement wasn't exactly gratifying. I was just surprised that the bastard had moved so boldly.
"Ah... And I was having fun."
Elias muttered as he clung to my back like he was hitchhiking.
Today was the day I was being redeployed to the field. The spring breeze felt refreshing. Coming back to reality from that crazy Extra Chapter where nothing but insane things happened made my body feel lighter today.
'Before I got into the occult, the evaluations were the opposite.'
Occult stuff really didn't suit my temperament... Those inexplicable events were the complete opposite of my nature.
Anyway, Elias saying it was fun now probably referred to the Hermetic Society. Before visiting Abraham, I'd heard from Narce and Elias that they'd nearly passed the initiation test there.
"Fun? You like the occult too?"
"No. They explained astral projection right there."
"...?"
I felt a chill run down my spine as I spoke.
"Why astral projection? Don't get interested in that stuff."
"So I can knuckle my uncle's head from behind. Ah, if I learn a bit more, I think I could join too!"
Would it really just be a knuckle? I seriously doubted it. Heike, who was following behind us, chimed in without knowing the context.
"I want to try astral projection too."
"You're absolutely never doing that."
"Why?"
"There's just... reasons."
I'm scared it might lower my chances of turning villain. Anyway, are they all still young enough to see astral projection as something to try once? I couldn't fathom why these kids were so bold.
Heike asked me.
"You went to see His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, right? So, is the jewel theft case over now?"
"Who knows. I'd say it's mostly wrapped up."
"Investigating was fun."
"Yeah?"
I'd grown used to Heike's out-of-the-blue comments. It hadn't been fun for me... more like shocking. Heike said, with a face that looked like half-smile to others—but it was a smile—
"Once this case is done, what'll we get assigned next?"
"If they give us something like this again, I'm resigning..."
"What?!"
At my off-the-cuff remark, Elias's arms around me tightened.
Abraham had assigned us this theft because even he judged it unsolvable. If they gave us another one like this, we'd go from Victim Response Team to Unsolved Cases Squad.
I shook off Elias, who was choking me. Meanwhile, Heike stared at the ground, chuckling to himself.
"Next time, I hope it's a mission all seven of us can do. Louise and Julia weren't here this time."
"You've gotten close to Ulrike, huh."
Calling her by her middle name said it all. I hadn't run into Ulrike much, so I couldn't call her that.
"Yeah. So the other day, I invited her to our house."
"What? You should've taken me too."
At my lighthearted comment while smiling, Heike visibly brightened. He opened his mouth right away.
"Then tomorrow..."
Beeeep—
[Can you hear me?]
The voice of a headquarters staffer came through the artifact in my ear. Along with it, a familiar alarm echoed through downtown Berlin.
[Notice to all subjects in the Mitte District.]
It wasn't just in my artifact. The world flashed red then bright repeatedly.
[A Rank-8 berserker has occurred at the Unter den Linden National Opera House in the Mitte District. Subjects, please do not approach the National Opera House until the all-clear signal and evacuate to nearby open squares.]
"Hmm, looks like we have to head that way."
Elias said, fiddling with his ear. Heike's face started turning pale.
"It's my first time going to a crowded, confined place like a theater."
"Same here."
Elias whistled sharply and rubbed his gloved hands together. It wasn't that he was enjoying himself with a berserker on the loose; this was just how he showed tension. Elias licked his lips and continued.
"Let's get them to the hospital quick and wrap it up."
* * *
Even so, fortunately, we finished the job as usual. The tension was only momentary.
It shouldn't become routine, but berserkers appearing had become routine for the public. Bavaria had developed drugs to boost survival rates in response to Phleroma's advancements, leading to a sort of stability now. But statistics on deaths and injuries don't capture individual lives. For each person dying in a berserk rampage, "statistical stability" rings hollow.
In that sense, I had to be careful not to find comfort in this daily grind. No matter how insane things like astral projection seemed, or how relieved I felt returning to normalcy.
I glanced at Elias. He was splinting his wrist, broken by a victim's grasp. We'd faced an easy victim today, but the location meant we couldn't avoid injuries either. As I stared at his wrist, Elias grumbled awkwardly.
"Ugh, it's all sticky."
"Vitriol got in your boots?"
"Yeah. Feels like swamp mud was dumped in."
Elias whined and clung to Heike.
"Heike~ Wanna swap boots?"
"Should I?"
"What do you mean 'should I'?!"
I chuckled dryly and pried them apart. Elias was the one getting mad at his own suggestion.
"Yeah. You gotta refuse confidently in times like this!"
"I'm fine, though."
"That's not how it works~ If anyone asks to swap boots in the future, don't. I can just ride on Luca's back."
"Did I hear that right?"
Elias had already climbed onto my back without permission. First- or second-years from Class 1-A would be shocked seeing this. It was absurd, but I channeled mana to steady myself and warped us all to Eschet headquarters with them.
And right away, we ran into the jewel theft case again, one I'd thought was out of our hands.
"The Österreich-Este and Orléans families are looking for Deputy Commander Lucas Ascanien."
A rookie Newtype staffer said to me. He was nobility too, but not ruling house level, so his tension was obvious.
Even ruling houses would be flustered. The Austria-Hungary imperial family and French imperial family were looking for me, after all. Elias's eyes widened as he looked between me and the staffer. I had no info, so nothing to say. I followed the staffer to another room.
'Not just me, then.'
Narce Farnese was there, vitriol still on her clothes from just finishing a job.
A Foreign Ministry official I'd met a few times stood with a stiff face upon seeing me.
"We've been waiting."
"What's this about?"
"You've heard, but France and Austria-Hungary have requested an interrogation specialist from our empire."
What? I narrowed my eyes at Narce and the official.
"Interrogation specialist...? Why me? I'm not involved in interrogations."
"I'm not sure about that part either. But His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince ordered Excellency Narce Farnese to bring Excellency Ascanien."
The official emphasized with his eyes, as if urging us to understand quickly. The urgency of the order showed in his every flustered move.
"Last night, our Prussian Investigation Bureau sent entry-exit records of high officials and nobles to the Austria-Hungary bureau for cross-verification. Austria-Hungary pointed to the Orléans family and requested investigative cooperation, and the Orléans family then asked our German Empire for help. To prove their innocence, they requested investigators trusted by the imperial house..."
The official trailed off, looking at us.
His words seemed different from what I knew on the surface, but scrutinized, they weren't far off. It was just about the packaging—how diplomatically our and Abraham's decision was framed.
By the words alone, Germany just resent standard data everyone had, and Österreich-Este inexplicably fingered the French imperial house. Logically, one would infer some under-the-table signal.
In essence, the Orléans hadn't requested our help. Their intent: since Germany, joint investigator, shares blame for naming them suspects, come prove our innocence.
The official continued with a helpless expression.
"Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Elisabeth ordered Excellency Narce Farnese and Deputy Commander Excellency Lucas Ascanien to the Foreign Ministry immediately."
* * *
No employee protection? This guy's the one in charge but passing all the buck. Facing a massive diplomatic firestorm, I headed to the reception room with skeptical thoughts about Abraham.
Of course, Abraham hadn't said anywhere that 'I' first named the French Orléans. Even he had that much sense. He just sent investigators trusted by the Hohenzollerns when they asked for some.
'...This guy's got no issue even if Nikolaus Ernst tries gaining Prussian support.'
His promise to back me was being fulfilled properly. Sure, annoying work piled up, but opportunities only shine when you hustle.
Anyway, Abraham wasn't the petty type dodging fallout. He called me thinking confronting the Orléans would ultimately help me—or for his own amusement. I hoped the former. If the latter, I'd scout ways to politically smack him.
Creeeak—
"The investigators from the Hohenzollerns have arrived, Your Highness."
As we entered the reception room, the Orléans aide spoke. There was the Orléans who entered Austria-Hungary around the incident—a Newtype with black hair and angular glasses. This was the French emperor's nephew.
"Charles d'Orléans."
He greeted with a vague smile, clearly annoyed at being called a thief.
"Lucas Ascanien. Pleased to meet you."
"Narce Farnese."
We shook hands briefly and sat. Now I saw he had a list of tiny French words in front of him. Upside down, hard for a foreigner like me to read. Noticing us looking, Orléans picked up the paper.
"This is a summary His Highness Charles prepared on the case progression, in case the Orléans honor is tarnished. Read if needed."
The interpreter translated to German. 'Honor tarnished.' Bold start. Narce smiled softly.
"It's fine. I understand it's material Excellency Orléans needs."
The unspoken prefix: 'not some weird document.' Charles d'Orléans gave a subtle smile and spoke to the interpreter in French, who gestured to Narce.
"He says to check it."
"......"
Narce kept her smile, staring at Charles d'Orléans.
It was warranted.
Charles d'Orléans was signaling he wanted to fight us. He clearly resented Germany. 'If you're suspecting me as a thief, then check everything.'
Narce stared piercingly into his eyes, took the paper, read it aloud, then smiled and returned it. A crooked smile rose on Charles d'Orléans's formerly blank face.
I took a deep breath and spoke.
"First off, the final investigation is with Austria-Hungary, so what brings you to Germany?"
"I heard you investigated the Österreich-Este jewel theft. Specifically, collaboration between the German government's bureau and Eschet."
"Yes. But we only assisted Austria-Hungary, and aren't parties to the theft, so..."
"You could at least be parties to the accusation."
As Orléans said it smiling, the interpreter jumped in.
"His Highness Charles expresses deep concern that the German Empire may have shared biased, misleading investigation results with Austria-Hungary's agencies."
A creative paraphrase, but we understood his French anyway. Narce and I were speechless at his bluntness. In central Berlin, no less—to investigators he'd begged the German imperial house to send?
Charles d'Orléans noticed the paraphrase but didn't rebuke the interpreter, continuing.
"Since you participated in the investigation, you know the German Empire told Austria-Hungary about me. I'm here to assert my innocence."
"......"
Narce stayed silent with a faint smile. Charles d'Orléans did the same, then continued.
"The Orléans investigation results will come soon. Österreich-Este's agencies requested to search my mansion."
"......"
"Any reason to refuse? Our family is innocent, and so is our France. I never even went near the Österreich-Este mansion museum, yet this happens. Quite baffling."
A prime suspect this brazen...
Impressive. Narce, sensing something off, activated her divine power.
—"That's strange."
"You're a divine power user, right?"
Charles d'Orléans said sharply as Narce finished. She replied calmly, unflustered.
"Yes."
"Good. How far did you investigate this case?"
"Not much progress. Checked auction ledgers and entry-exit records, used our Eschet mages' unique abilities to verify Österreich-Este mansion and checkpoint logs directly. That's it."
"Then do you know who first mentioned my name?"
"No. Tell us exactly what you want proven, and we'll help."
Narce answered steadily.
Charles d'Orléans forced a smile, then went blank. After about ten minutes, someone knocked. A tense French secretary spoke quickly.
"Your Highness Orléans, preliminary investigation results from Österreich-Este."
"Hm."
Charles d'Orléans gestured to pass the paper to us without looking. The secretary placed it before Narce and me, then cautiously left. At the end of the typewritten pages crammed with text, a line with special symbols stood out.
[Inspected three mansions owned by Duke Charles d'Orléans, his social clubs, and major visits in the past two weeks. No evidence found implicating him in the Sapphire Peruer theft.]
A smile flickered on Narce's face. Charles d'Orléans too.
"You don't seriously think you need to search the entire Orléans family, do you?"
Asking if we'd escalate. They'd only searched his properties so far—as French imperial kin—so room remained to mend ties with France. Go home without flailing. That's what he'd been saying. Gesturing at the paper, he said.
"'No evidence of guilt.' Grateful this clears some of my injustice, though I doubt many will trust the results. Even I think gaps remain. Just smuggle it elsewhere outside my mansion, done. Suppose they investigate everything. If innocent, the agencies close the case... but for my personal life, it's a lingering stain."
Won't trust the results. Spot on.
In a post-magic world, hiding crimes abounds—whether magic concealment, subspace spells, or faking commoner ID to sell on black market. Knowing the Peruer was an artifact, the latter seemed implausible, but...
Most accurate verification: mind probing.
"Of course, I understand the Österreich-Este grievance. That's why I cooperated, but I deserve a chance to restore honor."
Charles d'Orléans eyed us expectantly and continued.
"Your interrogations are trusted by all, right?"
"...Yes. Done under the Hohenzollern name."
"Then prove it with divine power."
"......"
Charles d'Orléans said coolly, looking at Narce and me.
"I tried understanding this as a major theft, but this inference tarnishing Orléans is astounding. Just for visiting Austria post-Pentalon, I'm the thief of that priceless heirloom?"
Eclat Lireteur members knew Grand Duchess Maria used the Peruer as an artifact. But others might've learned later. His travel timing could be coincidence.
Though Josephine d'Orléans immersed in magic studies till old age and frequented her homeland to mingle with Eclat Lireteur, even if her occult relics stayed only in her Orléans family safe and Eclat Lireteur, the family might not have systematized occult formulas into 'real' magic.
That's the hole in my reasoning. I deemed it low probability, but it existed. So was I wrong? I'd always factored that, but if totally off, Narce would've negated my earlier question. Her expression now matched mine—ambiguous.
"I'm not saying you framed me. Just that you pass accurate records to the German bureau."
Charles d'Orléans gestured to Narce. She glanced at me, drew her wand, and stood. Her face hovered between blank and faint smile, but I caught faint doubt in her eyes. Stroking the wand, Narce said.
"As you wish. Close your eyes."
He dismissed the interpreter, leaving just us three. Narce touched his forehead with the wand.
—Enter by the narrow gate.
The tension in Orléans's body melted away.
"Did you touch the Österreich-Este Sapphire Peruer?"
Orléans grimaced, slowly shaking his head. A weird expression, like demanding what this was.
Narce gripped his chin, lifted his eyelids. After staring into his pupils, she smiled.
—"You really don't know?"
"......"
He didn't.
If that low-probability possibility was true...
'Weird.'
—"This can't be."
Narce echoed me. She pondered briefly, then spoke.
"Do you know the Hermetic Society?"
I instantly grasped her angle. She'd reached the same inference as me. Or read what I wanted to ask Charles d'Orléans.
He reacted the same. Narce gripped his chin, pressing.
"Ever studied occult magic even a little?"
"......"
Same. No occult ties apparent. Narce persisted despite the nos, gazing thoughtfully.
Flip—
I took his paper again, scanning the words: family magic, entry-exit records, Österreich-Este Sapphire Peruer. All familiar.
"......"
A verification method occurred to me.
"Narce."
"Yeah."
"Ask about Josephine d'Orléans?"
"......"
Sudden, but she nodded.
"Do you know who Josephine d'Orléans is?"
Charles d'Orléans grimaced, head down, slowly shaking side to side. Same reaction as before...
But the interpretation differed now.
"...Ah~"
Narce, eyes fixed on his, stroked her chin and smiled.
For ruling houses, genealogy is essential. They study roots as diplomacy and virtue; they can't not know a not-so-distant ancestor's name—especially a neighboring queen.
Looking at his furrowed brow and word list, I said.
"Memories erased."
All memories of the Peruer.