Chapter 52

“What?”

As the light coming through the warehouse door disappeared, the view became dark.

“Uh, what’s going on?” Joan asked, confused.

It was all planned, but he responded naturally.

“Well, the warehouse manager didn’t know we were here and closed it? Hmmm, I’ll have to scold him later when I come out.”

“… … .”

“Don’t worry. The maids know I’m here, so they’ll come to find me.” I reassured them both.

“… that’s a relief then.” Diane sighed in relief. “It gets dark. Be careful not to fall, Marchioness.”

“Thank you for your concern. It’s definitely dark― oh my!”

Pretending to stumble, I pushed a nearby sack.

White powder poured out of the sack that had been opened beforehand.

“Cough cough!”

“I must have accidentally bumped a sack of wheat flour.”

I said in trouble and looked at the two of them.

“It’s dark, it’s definitely dangerous. Can you use a little fire magic? I need to light up the surroundings.”

“Yes, I will―”

“Wait!”

It was Joan who interrupted Diane.

“Why, Joan?”

“No, I thought it would be dangerous to start a fire in this situation,” he stuttered.

“Don’t worry, you can keep it floating a little in the palm of your hand. Isn’t that basic?”

“Still, how if it will spread around… … .”

“You’re not a freshman, so you won’t make that kind of mistake. Besides, wouldn’t it be more dangerous to stay like this?”

As Diane cast a spell to use fire magic, Joan covered her mouth.

“Eub!?”

I pretended to be startled.

“What are you doing?”

“If you light a fire here, it will explode!” he shouted in panic.

I smiled slightly.

‘I got you, bastard!’

“What do you mean?”

“Well, that, it’s dangerous if there’s a small spark in the flour… .”

“You mean the flour catches fire? It’s the first time I’ve heard it. Please tell me more.”

“Th-that’s not something you should care about!”

His voice confused anyone who heard it.

“That is for me to decide. Tell me more quickly! Flour catches fire, how do you know that?”

“In the past, in the academy lab, I accidentally … … .”

If you make up a lie in an agitated state, there will be a pause in speaking.

“Have you ever accidentally caused an explosion at the academy? Where, how, and with what kind of flour did that happen?”

Especially the more you add lies to the details.

“I can’t remember what kind of flour it was.”

“Then, did you report it to the professor?”

“No, I’m afraid of being scolded, so I’ll keep it a secret―”

“But I’m sure your friends, Diane or Shuna, know. Get your hands off Diane right now. I want to hear the story.”

“No, no, neither of them knows. I did it alone! Probably no one knows!”

“There was an explosion inside the academy, does it make sense that no one knows? At least someone has heard of it.”

He closed his eyes and shouted. “It could be! It happened when I was alone in the dormitory during vacation―”

“You just said it happened in the lab.”

“… … .”

Caught you.

“It’s hard to keep telling lies, right?”

“Well, that’s… .”

“Stop making excuses, Joan.”

I stared at him expressionlessly.

“You’re the culprit, aren’t you?”

“… … .”

“After you set off the explosion, you put the handkerchief you stole from Shuna at the scene.”

His breath became ragged. It means that he was agitated.

“Damn it… !”

Joan suddenly pushed Diane towards me.

“Damn!”

She bumped into me and I fell.

“Ouch… … .”

“Both of you just die like this!”

Joan threw a small fireball he had made in haste and wrapped himself in a small Shield.

“… … .”

Of course, nothing happened.

I put out the small embers thrown by him by stepping on them.

“You tried to kill just the two of us in the explosion, but nothing happened, so it’s weird, right?”

Joan muttered blankly.

“How come… ?”

“It’s not flour that’s in storage here.”

-bang!

At that moment, the locked warehouse door opened and people waiting outside appeared.

“Catch that guy.”

At my command, Aren subdued him to the floor.

“Ugh… … .”

Aren seems to have suppressed him with a rather strong force. A painful moan escaped Joan’s mouth.

That doesn’t create any sympathy. He sent his innocent friend to the brink of death.

Joan still didn’t fully understand the situation, so I explained briefly, “Not all flours cause explosions.”

There are also conditions.

One of them is that it must be composed of a compound that is prone to combustion reactions.

Therefore, wheat flour, sugar, coal powder, etc. are flammable, but on the contrary,

“Limestone and glass don’t explode. And all that’s in the warehouse here is lime powder.”

“… … .”

Lime is used in the modern world as a raw material for cement and for making chalk.

It is not difficult to obtain as it is commonly used as a hemostatic agent in this world.

“Looking at your expression, you must not know this. I don’t think you came up with this method by yourself. It seems that someone has informed you about the dust explosion.”

Of course, it wasn’t my job to find out who ordered Joan.

I asked what I was personally curious about. “Why did you put everything on Shuna? Aren’t you friends?”

He could have found someone else.

He stared blankly into the air and stuttered. “Because, because it’s unfair… she’s a lowly person… but why is she always better than me… ? Me too… .”

A sense of inferiority and jealousy flashed through his eyes.

I was able to get a rough idea of ​​the situation with that alone.

Sometimes in life, there are times when someone you trust will hit you in the head.

It could be a colleague, friend, family, or lover. Surprisingly, betrayal between people occurs easily.

‘I mean, can you have true love? Isn’t that only possible for the main character in a story?’

In reality, the relationships that people build are not as simple, sweet, or eternal as in fairy tales.

I walked out and ordered,

“My husband will do a better job of interrogation. Take him away.”

***

So Joan’s transfer was decided, and Shuna was released from prison.

She came to me right away.

“Thank you, I was able to clear the false charge, thank you very much.”

“I’m glad things went well.”

Shuna bowed deeply and raised her head again. She is looking at me with a slightly shimmering gaze.

“I heard about how you solved it. How wonderful you are, Marchioness,” she said.

Her eyes staring at me in awe made me feel a little overwhelmed.

‘Do you think I’m your lifesaver?’

I was just using common sense of science, so this admiration was a burden.

“It’s not a big deal… Do you have any idea why Joan did that?”

She shook her head with a sad expression.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know. Did I do something wrong to Joan?”

“Don’t blame yourself. The one who crosses the line, for whatever reason, cannot be justified.”

It probably wasn’t because he didn’t like Shuna.

After receiving the order, he needed someone to frame, but it must have been that his feelings of inferiority and jealousy towards her that he had been building up all this time gushed out.

Whatever the case, it doesn’t change the fact that she was betrayed by her friend.

“… … .”

Shuna was still looking somber, and I decided not to bother her with this topic anymore.

“So what are you going to do next?” I asked brightly to evoke the atmosphere.

“Actually, right after I graduated, I was on my way to the estate where I decided to work as a wizard, but… … .”

“But?”

“I got a notice that they canceled it right after I was imprisoned.”

Argh, I stepped on a landmine while trying to solve it well.

“Now that you’ve been acquitted of all charges, can’t they just accept you again?”

“It can be. But I was wondering if I could work in a place that left me easily without properly checking the facts first.” She laughed awkwardly. “Simply put, I’m unemployed.”

I felt sorry for Shuna, but actually, I was a little moved after hearing this.

“Then will you come to my estate?”

She was taken aback by the sudden proposal.

“In Ainel estate? But I am a commoner. Is it okay?”

“My husband doesn’t really care about status as long as you have skills. You can also become a member of Raven Knights if you have the skills.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of the Raven Knights.”

I decided to omit that there is a bit of a picky side.

“By the way, I’m not as evil as the rumors.”

She smiled. “It is enough for me to know just by the fact that you cleared my name. Seriously, I can’t believe the rumors. Marchioness is truly a good person.”

Actually, it was a fact-based rumor until recently.

“Thank you for saying that.”

Well, I’m not trying to hire Shuna out of my mere sympathy.

Currently, among the subordinates of the Ainel estate, there is no one who fully supports me.

No matter how close I get to the Raven Knights or Ordin, they will always follow Rupert when something important happens.

‘But if I take Shuna with me… … .’

Judging from her answer in prison before, she’s a loyal person. Also, her skills as a wizard are excellent. She is a perfect talent to have as an aide.

I am in a favorable condition. She even owed her life to me. She will be by my side even in the Ainel mansion.

‘Because there are limits to working alone.’

In short, it is a great opportunity to extend my side.

“So what do you think of my offer? Do you want me to give you time to think?”

After a moment of contemplation, she smiled.