The Patient Wizard Chapter 26

Chapter 26 – Calculation (16)

Section 8 The Identity of the Culprit

The wizard Randall in the red robe walked through the cave with a cautious attitude. A fireball floating in front of his wand was driving away the darkness.

After a while, he came face to face with a bronze door with a bluish light surrounding it. Randall moved the knocker held in the mouth of the dragon head relief to make a sound.

Knock knock.

The heavy sound spread out, and the door opened.

Creeeeak.

Randall took a deep breath and stepped inside the door. He walked through the corridor where magical lights were on and proceeded to the altar. Behind the altar, on a platform, sat an old man with long white hair, his eyes half open.

Randall greeted politely and knelt before the altar.

“The investigation team from the kingdom is stirring up the case.”

“Isn’t it over?”

“They want to determine who among the dead suspects is the culprit. And they are also suspecting Alex.”

The old man clicked his tongue.

“The kingdom’s fools are wasting energy on a finished matter.”

“What should we do?”

“Leave them be.”

“What if they frame Alex as the culprit?”

“How is that fellow’s talent?”

“Based on the current stage, he is quite behind, but there’s a possibility, so it’s difficult to be certain.”

“Seed attribute determination?”

“His family has been supporting it, but it’s still failing.”

“Is that so?”

Randall felt that the elder seemed pleased about the failure. This was truly strange, and Randall felt suspicious, but he didn’t express it outwardly.

“Yes. As you know, Elder, seeds that go beyond the six attributes of water, fire, wind, earth, metal, and wood are difficult to identify. If we could only find out his seed attribute, his level would rise quickly…”

The old man cut him off.

“Should the Magic Tower bear the cost of determination?”

“Alex was the first among his peers to feel magic. Taking that into account, I think it’s worth considering.”

“Equity must also be considered. If we only support Alex, there will be considerable dissatisfaction.”

“The complaints of underlings can just be suppressed.”

“I’ll take care of Alex myself.”

“Yes.”

The old man paused for a moment before answering the question Randall had asked earlier.

“I would prefer if Alex did not die.”

It was meant to protect him even if he was revealed to be the culprit.

Randall bowed his head.

“I will follow Elder Richard’s command.”

*   *    *

Bianca entered the room where Mark had stayed and shed tears. Chris saw her crying and thought.

She cries at the drop of a hat. Is she an emotional character?

“You have rich emotions.”

Bianca wiped her tears.

“I got dust in my eye.”

The knights searched each room one by one. Since cleaning was already completed, no suspicious items were found. When searching Chris’s room, John looked up at the left corner of the ceiling and said,

“Did you keep silver coins here?”

“Yes.”

After the rooms, they searched the reception room. The carpet had not been replaced, so the burn marks remained. Bianca stared blankly at the burn marks. Chris thought she might cry again, but she didn’t. She just bit her lips tightly.

They looked around the reception room, rested for a while, and then came out. They went to search the place where the apprentices usually meditated. Jan looked at Chris, who was eagerly participating in the search, with a puzzled gaze.

“Your hands must be cold, yet you’re working hard. It’s not even your job.”

“It would be good if we could identify the culprit.”

There were no significant findings here either.

“Now, let’s go to the village.”

Chris pointed to the sky and expressed reluctance.

“A lot of time has passed. The sun will set soon.”

“His Majesty the King is anxiously waiting for results. We don’t have time to waste.”

There was nothing to say when the king was mentioned.

John said,

“You probably know the way from Lion’s Hall to Stratton the best. Please guide us.”

Chris nodded obediently.

“Yes.”

He stepped forward and asked,

“Do you have passes?”

“We do.”

They were knights, so they were skilled at controlling their bodies. They walked quickly on the snowy path without anyone falling. Even though they were wearing armor.

Chris had the lightest and most comfortable attire, yet he fell three times. He even rolled once. Only then did the knights slow down.

After walking for some time, Jan stopped and took out his pass.

“Something strange is caught. Is this the boundary of the Magic Tower?”

Chris nodded while taking out his own pass. It was a new pass issued from the blacksmith’s shop.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I see. There’s a barrier here.”

“Is this a barrier?”

“Yes.”

Michael added,

“It’s not a great barrier. It’s a very simple one that just notifies when a person has passed through.”

“When I first crossed the boundary, I felt a threat like I was going to die.”

“It just gives a feeling similar to killing intent as a warning. People with weak hearts may die of heart attacks, but most don’t get hurt.”

They all crossed the barrier.

John approached Chris and said,

“If there had been no pass record that day, you would have been the most suspicious.”

Chris was surprised.

“Me?”

“You’re of slave origin. It’s a good position to be suspected.”

It got dark on the way to the village.

“It will be too late if we investigate and return.”

Bianca said,

“We can stay in the village for one night.”

Buzz was standing guard at the entrance to the village with two colleagues. Michael called Buzz aside and talked with him. It seemed like he was confirming Chris’s alibi. Chris watched the two from a distance. He didn’t feel good about it.

After a while, they entered the village. Jan pointed to the fountain in the center of the square and said,

“You must be tired from walking in the snow. Sit over there and rest a bit.”

Chris did as suggested. He sat by the fountain and watched the knights walk around the shops surrounding the square. They visited the restaurant, Stan’s general store, and Brian’s magic store. Chris’s expression gradually worsened. He was subtly concerned.

The Investigation took about 5 hours. Many shops were closed because it was late at night, but they pounded on the doors until they were opened.

Chris was cold and hungry. Thinking about it, more than 14 hours had passed since breakfast.

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

He ran around the square to warm up. After running one lap, Bianca called him.

“We’ve found an inn. Follow me.”

Stratton had many inns because merchants who wanted to trade with the Magic Tower frequently visited. They rented rooms at what appeared to be the most luxurious inn. Because it was late, they couldn’t have a proper meal. There was only bread and stew.

They quickly finished their meal and dispersed to their rooms. Chris also received his own room. Exhausted, he washed only his feet and lay down on the bed. He fell asleep in no time.

*   *    *

Uncharacteristically, Chris overslept. It seemed that not only his body but also his mind was very tired. Chris quickly washed and got dressed.

The knights had already finished their meal and were waiting for him.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. Have your meal.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Chris grabbed two baguettes and said,

“I can eat while we walk.”

“Then let’s depart.”

Chris walked while tearing off and eating the bread with his mouth. The outside was crispy, and the inside was moist, which made it delicious. They passed through Lion’s Hall with quick steps and moved to the VIP Hall.

After arriving at the VIP Hall and catching his breath, Carl entered. Time had passed that quickly.

Carl saw Chris and asked,

“Did you eat bread?”

“How did you know?”

“I knew by magic.”

Chris thought for a moment and then laughed.

“You guessed it because I often eat bread with breakfast.”

“No, you ate a baguette.”

It was amazing that he even got the type right. Chris opened his eyes wide.

“Is it really magic? What kind of magic is it?”

“It’s a secret.”

Making people curious and leaving it at that.

While Chris was grumbling inwardly, Bianca brushed off his upper clothes. The bread crumbs that had fallen on his clothes while he was tearing and eating the baguette dropped down.

“Ah.”

It wasn’t magic or anything. He had guessed by seeing the baguette crumbs on his clothes. Chris cleared his throat in embarrassment, and Carl laughed heartily.

A little later, the knights, the wizard, and the worker gathered in the living room.

Carl took the initiative to start.

“Let’s start from when I met Smith that day. As I was walking, Smith suddenly popped up and said someone had died at Lion’s Hall. I asked,

‘Who is the supervisor of Lion’s Hall?’

‘It’s Wizard David, sir.’

I sent a sound-transmitting bird to David with the news that someone had died. To be honest, I wasn’t very interested at the time. Frankly speaking, I thought, what’s the big deal if one apprentice dies. So, after sending the sound-transmitting bird, I was about to go on my way, but Smith stuck with me.

‘What?’

‘Please come to Lion’s Hall.’

‘David will go.’

‘But still…’

I was a bit annoyed.

‘Who died that’s causing all this fuss?’

‘The prince died. He was murdered.’

A prince couldn’t be ignored, and he was even murdered. So I sent another sound-transmitting bird to David and followed Smith to Lion’s Hall.”

He then talked about gathering the senior apprentices in the reception room and searching. When he got to the part where Chris entered the room, Jan interrupted.

“Why did Chris come up? And alone?”

Carl clicked his tongue.

“He needed to urinate… He came to ask permission. It was a habit from having to get permission from the slave supervisor. Slave mentality. Slave mentality.”

“I see.”

When Jan looked at him, Chris blushed.

“No suspicious items were found in the search. After that, the wizards came…”

This time, Bianca cut in.

“While finding suspicious items in a search is important, there are times when we should pay attention to items that should definitely be there but aren’t.”

Carl’s expression hardened.

“What item should definitely be there?”

Bianca didn’t answer. Carl resumed his testimony with a feeling of uneasiness, like having something stuck in his wisdom teeth.

This time no one interrupted him. After finishing his statement, Carl asked for water and drank it.

Bianca asked,

“Who is the wizard who saved Alex?”

“As I said yesterday, I don’t know.”

“Could it be Elder Perez?”

“It wouldn’t be Lord Perez.”

“Why do you think so?”

“If he had intended to save Alex from the beginning, he wouldn’t have ordered all suspects to be killed.”

“Who do you think is the culprit, Wizard Carl?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is there no one you suspect?”

“I thought about it carefully last night… but I don’t know.”

“Is it because you’re excluding Alex?”

Carl’s eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You said yesterday that we should be careful of monsters. That we should live with our eyes closed and ears plugged. The one who took Alex away was a high-ranking wizard. Is that why you’ve removed Alex from the list of suspects? Because you’re afraid of the high-ranking wizard?”

Carl asked back,

“Do you suspect Alex?”

“A little.”

To Chris, it didn’t seem like just a little.

Even if he’s revealed as the culprit, will they be able to punish him?

It seemed difficult if the Magic Tower protected him.

Jan suddenly directed a question at Chris.

“Who do you find most suspicious?”

“I don’t know.”

“You must have your own thoughts. Don’t hold back; tell us what you think.”

“…”

Jan’s voice grew louder.

“Speak!”