Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Five: A Twisted Boast
“So—that’s how it is. There were tons of people on this floor who fit the description of the culprit Isaac mentioned before he died, and the dungeon investigation team is crawling with folks related to them. I ran a preliminary investigation myself so that, if any of your relatives turned out to be the killer, the information wouldn’t leak. Got any questions?”
“Why are you holding that alchemist?”
At Boromias’ puzzled question, Karen, who was being carried in Thor’s arms, covered her face with her hands.
Thor answered nonchalantly.
“Sis was bedridden, so she’s all wobbly when she walks. It’s dangerous, so I’m carrying her around.”
“Haa… I see…”
As far as Karen could see through the gaps between her fingers, Boromias pretended to be convinced with a completely unconvinced expression, then moved on to the next topic.
“So you’re saying Julius went to meet one of them—a noble from the Ehlertt territory—and then went missing?”
“That’s highly likely. I don’t know if that person is the culprit, or if some other culprit did something because they thought Julius had caught on. You guys probably can’t wait to interrogate the nobles from your own territories, but don’t make the same mistake Julius did.”
Inside Boromias’ tent, the nobles participating in the meeting averted their eyes, looking uncomfortable. The people present here were the leaders of each knight order—the people in charge. Since it would be problematic if nobles from their own lands were involved in the dungeon’s abnormalities, they must be dying to take some kind of action.
Thor claimed he had kept quiet to prevent them from doing so, and his reasoning was successfully accepted. Karen quietly breathed a sigh of relief in Thor’s arms, glad that she wasn’t thought to have kept quiet for her own sake or for Ehlertt Earldom’s sake.
“Then, to eliminate any suspicion of relatives destroying evidence, let us conduct a public interrogation. I propose we begin the interrogation with Earl Brahm of Ehlertt, but does everyone agree?”
No one objected to Boromias’ words.
This would naturally be the case since Julius, the only one who could object, wasn’t present. Only Therese, who was participating as Waltride’s guard, wore a complicated expression, while the other nobles showed relieved expressions. Gunther observed the nobles’ faces with an expressionless gaze.
“Very well, we shall go to Earl Brahm and request his cooperation with the investigation—but are you coming along in that state, Crimson Thunder?”
“Yep.”
Thor responded cheerfully, and Boromias’ expression became one of suppressed headache. Karen closed her eyes to escape the prince’s appealing gaze.
Karen, who wasn’t directly related to the case, had no combat ability despite being a C-rank alchemist and didn’t hold a particularly high position, had no right to be present at the interrogation.
In order to be present at that scene, she stubbornly demonstrated her intention not to get down from the arms of Thor, a B-rank adventurer.
If Boromias wanted to kick her out, he had no choice but to persuade Thor.
“…Very well. Tristan, let’s go.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
As Boromias gave up, Karen—eyes still closed—made a small triumphant fist pump, which earned her a click of the tongue. When she opened her eyes slightly, the source of the tongue click was surprisingly Boromias himself. It seemed he’d seen her fist pump, but for a prince, it was awfully ill-mannered. He had probably picked it up in the Royal Knight Order. Maybe even from someone like Lyos.
Karen quietly closed her eyes and pretended she hadn’t seen anything.
“Sir Julius? I don’t know anything about him.”
Horst said this in a still-warm, freshly bathed state.
When everyone arrived at Horst’s location with Boromias in the lead, Horst had been in the middle of bathing.
Horst, who had been brought from the bathing area, excused himself, saying, "My knee is bad, pardon me," brought over one of the chairs from the changing room, and sat down. Though it couldn’t be helped, his slovenly seated posture, combined with his smirking grin, made him look terribly arrogant.
“From what I hear, Sir Julius has gone missing, and I’m suspected of being responsible? My, how amusing! Indeed, I am jealous and resentful of Sir Julius! I could even say I hate him. A beautiful, noble young man born with vast magical power—Sir Julius! How many times have I thought of tearing apart that perfectly arranged face of his! How much have I continued to wish I could make him suffer slowly and taste the sense of helplessness that we experience day and night?!”
Karen was startled by Horst’s frank words. Not just Karen—Boromias also looked down at Horst with a stern expression and took a guarded stance.
Seeing Boromias like this, Horst let out a loud laugh.
“But what do you think the likes of us could possibly do!?”
Suddenly realizing, she noticed that he had drawn the gazes of everyone around.
According to the information Thor had investigated, only those who complained about their misfortune due to having too little magical power were gathered here.
“To put your hand on your sword hilt! Someone like me—you, Your Highness, could crush with a flick of your finger! To think I’d be worth such caution—what an honor!”
“Don’t mock me, Earl Brahm. If you know something, spill everything!”
“Back in Ehlertt, this knee is believed to have been injured during an exploration to prevent a dungeon stampede.”
Horst said while rubbing his knee.
Boromias’ face contorted at Horst, who had suddenly begun talking about his personal history.
“What are you talking about!?”
“But in truth, I crushed my own knee! After the death of Lord Winfried, who was our party leader at the time, dungeon exploration was too much for me! I was merely a bard, a jester brought along just to sing of Lord Winfried’s achievements! So I pretended to be injured in the dungeon and deliberately didn’t heal it! To avoid being healed by whoever found me, I endured the pain of my crushed knee and hid for a week! All so I could keep being called a hero—what a miserable week it was. What do you think someone like me could possibly do to Sir Julius!?”
There was no lie in Horst’s words as he revealed his own weakness and ugliness. Even so, Karen—and everyone present—was convinced that Horst had done something.
Horst, laying everything bare, was triumphant with joy seeping through his beaming smile. It was as if he was boasting that his blade, such as it was, had reached even Julius.
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