CH 72.1

“The one who possesses the Blue Tears of the Goddess is the betrayer, that’s what it means. It seems like you work together without even knowing your colleagues’ faces or voices.”

This was also a hint obtained from my fantasy. Seeing Kien’s reaction, it seemed like it was the right statement.

“How on earth did you notice that?”

“Just deduction.”

Now, how do we find that betrayer…?

‘So, does that mean the person I pointed out will end up dead?’

Well, that’s a bit… unsettling. I rubbed my arm.

I stood up straight in my newly worn shoes this morning.

Thump thump. I rolled my foot once.

Sigh. Deep breath.

Even in the tiger’s den, you can survive if you stay alert.

When Collen finds out, he’ll come to rescue me.

There’s an extremely important court meeting today. Maybe not immediately, but definitely at some point.

‘For now, let’s buy some time.’

I looked at Kien as if asking him to say more.

“You’re right. We become allies without knowing each other’s names or faces. The only commonality we have is our faith and thieving techniques.”

Hmm, that makes sense.

At the same time, it’s a strange structure.

So… Are you working only by receiving instructions from above without knowing each other’s identity?

“But you never meet each other?”

But they’re all gathered here now.

“During those times, we wear masks to conceal our faces. And we verify each other through a code and only part ways after completing the ‘mission’.”

“Is that all?”

“After stealing the item, we hide it in a secret location. It happened the same this time. Then, the next day, when we went to the hiding place and opened the treasure chest, it was completely empty. It’s evident that someone who knows our sect’s secret took the treasure.”

“Who knows about the secret hiding place?”

“I and my subordinates, a total of twelve people.”

I looked around at the thieves, including Kien. There were only eleven thieves.

‘As expected, there is one missing.’

So, is the remaining one, the betrayer, hiding their identity among us?

‘It’s 2 p.m.’

I recalled the image of 2 p.m. today.

The bright sunlight breaking through the glass ceiling and the sound of water flowing down below. The beautiful sight of the crystal fountain.

‘I need to think.’

Who could it be? The betrayer who agreed to meet with Viscount Yukler here.

‘The most likely culprit is Will or Dale…’

Young age, male.

Strong enough to run away with an entire jewel box.

It is closest to the criminal’s imagination.

‘If I think about it, Mr. Siebel…’

He’s a bit suspicious, isn’t he? but…

“The appearance of the Blue Tears of the Goddess, do you know how it looks?”

“I don’t know. I stole all the treasure chests as a whole. It’s probably a blue sapphire.”

I recalled the portrait of Countess Bartoli.

“Instead of making a list, the lady came up with an idea. She drew a picture while wearing all the jewels she owned. So, this portrait is a list of her jewelry.”

The blue necklace hanging around her neck.

‘Unless one is a magician, it’s impossible to hide a sapphire necklace of that size within the body and not be discovered until now.’

What would I do if I were the betrayer?

‘I would have arrived at the fairgrounds in advance and hidden the item in a safe place.’

Who would be foolish enough to carry it around in their embrace?

‘Where could the safe place be?’

Gems are durable. They don’t rust easily in water, nor do they break readily.

‘Something is starting to come to mind.’

I bit my lip. Something I’ve seen just passed by in my memory.

‘What could it be?’

It lingered uneasily in a corner of my mind. If I could find and extract it, the final piece of the puzzle would fall into place.

‘Let’s remember. I definitely remember. How the portrait looked…’

I recall the portrait of Countess Bartoli.

A blue gem necklace around her neck, rings on each finger. A large brooch on her chest, adorning the ethereal dress. And a multitude of jewels piled on her knees.

“That aside, the Blue Tears of the Goddess, you say.”

Suddenly, Siebel spoke up.

“I wonder how beautiful the tears must be to earn such a name.”

“Yes?”

I furrowed my brow. What did she mean by that all of a sudden?

That was the moment. I realized something I hadn’t noticed before.

‘Ah…’

So that’s it. Now I understand.

Splash. I leaped into the fountain.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Kien shouted.

Siebel was smiling gleefully as he watched me.

‘When the sunlight shines through the ceiling at 2 p.m….’

The sunlight will break apart. And the intricate little pieces surrounding the statue of the goddess. I smiled.

“I found it.”

I uncovered ‘it’ from the bottom of the fountain. A sparkling gem.

“This is the ‘Blue Tears of the Goddess’.”

I held up the gem for everyone to see.