Chapter 28 – Calculation (18)
Damn it.
I should have talked with Alice the day after the prince died, but I didn’t. I judged it was all over. And as time passed, after a month, there was no meeting after leaving the Lions’ Hall.
When I learned that the knights were reinvestigating the case, I should have met with her then to talk, but there was no time. The knights did not allow Chris to leave their side.
Alice felt the atmosphere change instantly. An ominous air was flowing.
Why is this happening?
She hesitated without answering.
“Answer me.”
Jan demanded an answer.
“Now!”
She opened her mouth, pushed by the shout.
“Yes.”
Then she spoke to Chris with her eyes.
‘Should I not have said that?’
Chris couldn’t answer. It was because Jan had moved. He kicked over the table, stood up, and rushed like a lion. He grabbed Chris’s neck and pushed him against the wall.
Thud.
Chris hit his back hard. Blood sprayed from his mouth.
“Did you think we wouldn’t know if you hid it?”
Alice shouted and rushed forward.
“Let him go!”
Then she was hit by Bianca and fell. Alice, who couldn’t properly use magic yet, was no match.
Chris held onto his fading consciousness.
“What are you talking about?”
“The magic helmet.”
“What is that?”
“I heard from Donna. You coveted a magic helmet sold at Brian’s Magic Shop?”
“Donna said that?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, that old hag has a loose mouth.”
“Did you harm the prince because you desired the helmet?”
“I have an alibi for that day.”
“You could have an accomplice.”
“Ah, that could be the case.”
“That morning, you learned that the prince owned the helmet you couldn’t buy because you had no money, the helmet you desperately wanted. You were greedy, weren’t you?”
“I was greedy.”
“Did you think you could feel mana if you just had the helmet? Did you think you would become a magician?”
Alice shouted from the floor.
“I was with Chris all day. Chris didn’t have time to plan and find an accomplice!”
“Alice, on the day the prince died! When giving your statement to the wizard, why did you hide the fact that the prince was using a magic helmet?”
Alice hesitated.
“Are you an accomplice too!”
Bianca grabbed Alice’s hair and dragged her like a dog. Alice’s face was covered in blood.
“Answer!”
She growled like a lion.
Still, Alice hesitated.
“I said, answer! You bitch!”
The answer came from Chris’s mouth.
“Because we felt sorry for him.”
Jan’s face twisted.
“What?”
“Do you know how pathetic the prince looked? The prince was truly desperate. Later, he was wailing while holding the helmet. We didn’t reveal that fact to anyone. We didn’t verbally promise to do so, but… We made an unspoken promise…”
Chris looked at Alice.
“Why did you tell them? I believed you wouldn’t say anything.”
Alice smiled. Her teeth were stained with blood.
“A lot of time has passed. The emotions from back then have faded. Maybe I relaxed because it was all over…”
Bianca shouted in agitation.
“You hid it because you felt sorry for him? Does that make sense?”
Chris said.
“We’re slaves. And Mark is the prince. How do you think the prince would feel if he knew slaves pitied him? How do you feel now that you know this fact?”
The hand of Jan gripping Chris’s neck tightened.
“Yes, that feeling. A lowly slave sympathized with someone as high as heaven. How dare I! Commander, do you want to kill me?”
The strength in Jan’s hand decreased slightly.
“You continued to covet the helmet, didn’t you?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Then why did you go up to the second floor when Carl was searching? Don’t lie that you were trying to get permission to use the bathroom. Carl might have been fooled, but I wasn’t!”
“Yes, I did go to find the helmet.”
“Explain yourself. If you don’t want to die.”
“When we were gathered in the reception room on Carl’s orders, I thought, ‘Why would the killer have killed the prince?’ From my perspective, there was no motive. We all liked the prince. Why? Because he’s the prince. Then the magic helmet came to mind. That’s when I realized. ‘The helmet is the motive!’ What the culprit was after was the magic helmet. So I went up to confirm if my thought was correct. If that was the motive, it would have disappeared. As expected, the helmet was not in the prince’s room.”
Jan continued to press.
“Why did you feel relieved when Carl reported that he found nothing suspicious after searching the entire second floor?”
“Thirty-two silver coins…”
“Do you want to die?”
Jan’s hand tightened. Chris gasped for breath. His face reddened and his skin swelled.
“I was relieved that the helmet was not found in someone else’s room.”
Jan raised his voice.
“Why? For what reason?”
Alice shouted.
“He’ll die like that!”
Blood vessels rose on Chris’s face.
“Answer!”
“Because I was afraid the culprit would be caught.”
Jan released Chris. Chris slumped to the floor, coughing. His snot and drool fell onto the floor.
“You know who the culprit is, don’t you?”
Chris raised his head. Tears flowed down his cheeks.
“Who is the culprit?”
Alice said.
“Chris, do you really know who the culprit is?”
Chris nodded.
“Who is the culprit?”
Chris’s mouth opened slowly.
“Smith.”
“What?”
“Smith is the culprit.”
Jan asked.
“Why do you think so?”
“You admit the magic helmet is the motive, right? Then finding the culprit is easy. Among the losers, who would most desperately want the magic helmet?”
“I think everyone would be desperate.”
“No, there were differences.”
Chris stood up, touching his neck. There were fingermarks on his neck.
“First, these people are excluded. There’s no need for a helmet that makes you feel magic when you’ve already sensed magic.”
He smiled bitterly.
“Unfortunately, our Alex is off the list of suspects.”
“Next?”
“Alice and I, who have clear alibis, are also excluded.”
“Good, next?”
“Then Tony, Smith, and Faye remain. Let’s examine Tony first. Tony is a nobleman. He was the only person who was close to the prince. Would the prince refuse if a friend asked to borrow the magic helmet? Given their relationship, he would have lent it.”
Bianca nodded.
“He would have.”
“Now only two suspects remain. Smith and Faye. Faye is small and fragile. It’s hard to believe that the prince, who spent his life surrounded by knights, died at the hands of a frail woman. If we exclude all these suspects, Smith remains. The culprit is Smith.”
Jan pointed out.
“Smith could also borrow the helmet.”
Chris laughed.
“Are you serious?”
“…”
“Let me say it again. Smith and I are of slave origin. The nobles and we shared a hatred for Alex and had a sense of solidarity as losers. But… But! We couldn’t be friends. No matter how lonely the prince was, would he befriend a slave? When he had a good friend like Tony. Commander Jan, Vice Commander Michael, Knight John, Knight Bianca, please answer honestly. Would you allow a slave to share something you value?”
The knights couldn’t answer.
“The prince was someone who used separate plates, knives, and forks from us.”
“…”
“Whether Smith asked to borrow it, was insulted, got angry and did the deed, or whether he, like me, thought it was impossible from the start and immediately wielded a dagger, I don’t know.”
Alice muttered.
“Smith… Smith…”
Chris looked at Alice and said.
“He was the most desperate. When they all failed, the prince could return to the palace, Tony to his estate. Even Faye had a home to return to. But Smith, being a slave, had nowhere to go. You and I were slaves too, but we found a way to survive. I saved thirty-two silver coins and was looking for a job. You had silver coins too and were exploring employment. Only Smith had nowhere to go.”
“He could have given up and looked for a job like us.”
“Smith thought he would become a wizard… No, he believed he had to become one until the end. He had no intention of giving up.”
Jan asked.
“Where is the magic helmet?”
“Probably in the forest around the Lions’ Hall.”
“Forest?”
“Smith isn’t a fool. He wouldn’t keep the helmet in his room.”
“Then why were you relieved at that time?”
“Because he might have kept it in his room. When people get excited, they don’t think clearly.”
John said reproachfully.
“Why did you protect Smith? If you had revealed Smith was the culprit earlier, Lord Tony wouldn’t have died. The commoner girl Faye would have lived too.”
Chris bit his lip.
“I hoped Smith wouldn’t be caught.”
“Why?”
Chris started crying again.
“Because he’s my friend. The only friend I’ve made in my life. I wanted Smith to become a wizard.”
Chris slumped down. Alice ran to him and embraced him.
“Don’t cry, you fool. Don’t cry.”
“Alice, if I had spoken, would Faye have lived?”
“No.”
Bianca asked from behind.
“Why do you think not?”
“Wizards are arrogant. Even high knights like you are barely noticed, so what’s the point of talking about aspiring wizards? We weren’t even treated as people. Even if we made valid points, they would certainly have been verified.”
Chris said.
“Memory extraction magic.”
“Yes, they would have used it. And become idiots.”
“Harvey said half would be unharmed.”
Alice snorted.
“Ha!”
The blood scab covering her nose flew away with the snort.
“Harvey was desperate to do practical training. Why? Because he was inexperienced. If Harvey’s master had used the magic, about half would have been safe as he promised. But not Harvey. All would have become idiots.”
Alice looked at John.
“From the moment they became suspects, they were already dead.”
Bianca touched Alice’s shoulder and said,
“I’ll heal you.”
Alice coldly shook her off.
“No thanks.”
Jan said.
“If you don’t want treatment, then you may leave.”
Alice looked at Chris with worried eyes. Chris patted her hand.
“It’s okay.”
Alice reluctantly stood up.
“If these guys bother you…”
Jan interrupted.
“What will you do if we bother him?”
Alice had no way to handle it. She anxiously bit her lip.
Chris said.
“It’s really okay. Come visit Montgomery’s Blacksmith shop later. Let’s just drink water together.”
“Water?”
“In our situation, we can’t afford expensive tea.”
“You idiot, at least you should treat us to a meal.”
“I will.”
“You promised.”
“Yes, I promised.”
Alice glared at the knights one last time and left, causing a cold wind.
Michael asked.
“Are you two dating?”
“In the knights’ eyes, Alice and I might look like the same slaves, but reality is different. She is a contractual sir, and I am just a worker. The difference is as vast as heaven and earth.”
“You seem close.”
“Let’s assume you have a commoner friend, Commander. Could you marry your son to that commoner’s daughter?”
“No, that’s not possible.”
“See?”
Jan said.
“What should I do with you? Execute you for the crime of deceiving nobility?”
“Did I deceive?”
“You concealed, deceived, and lied.”
“Don’t exaggerate. I just didn’t mention a few things.”
“Sometimes what’s not said is more important than what is said.”
“Do as you wish
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