Giving meaning (5)
?When I stopped by Lortel’s cabin to clean it, Belle looked more surprised than expected.
It has already been more than five days since Ed Rosstaylor left to attend a prayer meeting at the Cleric Monastery.
In the wild, five days is the time during which weeds grow, food rots, and drinking water dries up. This means that living in the wild, where every day is precious, is not something everyone can adapt to.
Therefore, I thought that Yenika might have a hard time while Ed, who usually takes the lead in camp work, is away.
However, the camp, which was surprisingly neat and well-maintained, was in a different direction from when Ed took the lead in managing it.
As befits Yenika, who has a more delicate personality than Ed, there were tools, ingredients, firewood, etc. neatly arranged here and there in neat rows.
And when Yenika, who was reading a book in front of the campfire, saw Belle come and look surprised, she said “Ahem” and put her arms around her waist and made a majestic expression.
“I was surprised that it was kept cleaner than I expected. “You’ve become very skilled at camp maintenance.”
“It’s been a few months since I started living at camp, but I can’t do anything like this!”
Then, he shows his triumphant appearance by exclaiming, “Ahem, ahem,” but honestly, I can’t help but feel that he is special rather than cool.
It is said that every three years of Seodanggae, Pungwol is recited. As Yenika also continued to live in the camp next to her Ed, she had accumulated enough skills to handle basic management without difficulty.
The spirits would have mostly taken care of the heavy lifting, but they couldn’t have been entrusted with anything that was delicate or required skill.
“I heard Ed is coming back today. “I have to show that I had a good time without any problems!”
“okay. however… that… ”
According to Ed’s original schedule, he was scheduled to finish the prayer meeting at Cleric’s Monastery today and return home at night.
The reason Jenica worked hard to make the camp even more tidy was because she wanted to see Ed’s surprise when he returned.
“Because something urgent happened within the monastery, your schedule for returning to school has been pushed back. “I also just received a call, so I came to tell you.”
“… .Yes? “Urgent?”
“It seems you are caught up in something complicated. I think he will resolve it well and come back… “I’m worried.”
“Well, I see… Ed… I’m worried. “You haven’t seemed to have much energy lately.”
“Is that so? “I didn’t get that feeling.”
“I felt like I had a lot to think about since the last time I was swayed by a strange medicinal energy.”
Yenika slammed the large book of elemental science on her lap and placed it on the stump next to her. Suddenly, the grimoire began floating in the air, and the spirits that were guarding around Yenika appeared and began to organize the grimoire.
“I wonder if it was really difficult… ?”
“Rather than that… I did say something that made me think a lot of unnecessary things. “Now that I think about it, I think it was a mistake.”
“What useless words… ?”
“just… “I have something to say to Master Ed, so I just told you a little bit about my past.”
There was curiosity in Yenika’s eyes.
It’s a story that Ed was confused about after hearing it, so I’m curious, and I can’t help but be intrigued by the fact that it’s mixed with the past story of Jean Belle Maia, the maid at Ofilis.
“What did you say… ?”
“It’s not a very pleasant story. and… There are some things I haven’t fully told you about. There is also some information about Master Ed’s personal history… It’s a bit too careless to share… ”
Anyway, my mouth is straight.
At Ofilis Hall, where everyone maintained a business-like attitude, such mistakes were never made, but when they came to camp, their shoulders became more relaxed and they often made mistakes.
But what can you do? It’s already late.
Yenika’s curiosity was already piqued to the core.
Yenika, who is poking out her mouth and making a clenched sound, will not cause any harm other than clenching her cotton-like fists if left as is. Herbivores are herbivores only when they get angry.
Still, it wasn’t very comfortable to leave her like that, so Belle sighed and sat down across from Yenica.
“Master Ed was so pessimistic about life that he once tried to commit suicide.”
As Belle took a stance and tried to explain the situation, Jenica’s face became as colored as a child’s.
However, as soon as I heard the first sentence, I immediately froze. He is a person who has always shown a strong side, so he never even thought that he would ever attempt something like that.
However, if you think about Ed’s past history, he is a person born with a background in which it is not strange to be pessimistic about life at any time.
“I had no idea… ”
“Aren’t you working hard and working hard now? That’s a good thing. only… “I just brought this up because I didn’t want you to think of something like that again.”
“I see… “Then what is Belle’s past?”
Bell thought for a moment about how far he should go, but then showed a relieved face as if he was okay with it.
“Actually, I didn’t tell Master Ed everything. In some ways, I left out the most important part. “Even the same story has a completely different meaning depending on how you tell it.”
“… okay?”
“… Would you like to hear it?”
*There was silence among the nuns.
The wooden coffin leading towards the central corridor is piled with wreaths praying for the soul of the deceased. Age 109. The old man, who had boasted that he would live at least another 100 years, ended his life without any warning.
The death of an elderly man who had devoted himself to the Telos Church for 80 years. It was even the death of the abbot in charge of the Cleric Monastery.
Even though the prayer meeting at the Cleric Monastery was an important annual event attended by distinguished guests, it could not have preceded the death of Abbot Austin. She is respected by all church members and has always maintained her faith nobly.
He could have risen to the rank of saint and served as a high-ranking priest in the Holy City, but he was at the forefront of the monastery and raised the nuns, who each had their own circumstances, as if they were his own daughters.
I have never worn a high-ranking monk’s habit with lots of fancy decorations. When working in the field, there was no need to wear high-quality clothing because it would get dirty quickly.
The sleeves of my clothes were always rolled up, so they were completely wrinkled. The only furniture in the room was a desk, chair, bed, bookcase, and wardrobe, and it was all shabby.
The only personal property he had was a few spare monastic robes, a Bible, and a brass bowl for prayer. For someone who lived for over a century, he was extremely frugal.
Just like that, the coffin containing the saint’s remains was slowly taken out of the corridor.
The nuns pulling the coffin and the nuns watching the scene all had tears in their eyes.
*
“There are clear signs of murder.”
It was a report from Auxiliary Bishop Melinir.
Melinir, a nun in charge of business who had neat and gentle hair, spoke briefly and boldly from the podium.
After lunch, Saint Clarice summoned all the distinguished guests, senior nuns, and outside visitors to the chapel in the center of the monastery.
As I entered the magnificent chapel, I saw all kinds of tables, relics, and prayer supplies prepared for the VIPs’ prayer meeting.
Originally, a grand prayer meeting was scheduled to be held, but all events were canceled.
“This… “It is a top secret that must never be spread among the nuns.”
The podium of the chapel. Outsiders were sitting in places where high-ranking clergy would normally be seated to preside over prayer services.
The sudden death of the abbot created an atmosphere of confusion, but the exact cause or circumstances were not announced.
In the first place, the duty to take the lead in investigating and making an announcement fell on the bishop of the diocese who manages the coastal area, including this monastery.
However, the diocese of this monastic district was also in charge of Abbot Austin. Since the person concerned cannot be briefed directly about the person’s death… It was inevitable that there would be some confusion in the management system of this monastery.
In the end, there was only one person who had the rightful power to handle this confusing situation and organize the situation.
Three representative people were sitting on the podium.
Melinir, an auxiliary bishop and practitioner of the monastery, managed the nuns under Abbot Austin.
The second princess, Persica, has the authority to take over the public power of the imperial family and directly resolve the situation.
And, Saint Clarice, who has authority equivalent to final approval for all matters of the Church of Telos.
A report about a death inside the monastery has already been reported to Margrave Zahoor.
The imperial family will soon dispatch additional investigation personnel. Until then, control over the situation inside this monastery… It was safe to say that the three of them were sharing their hands.
All you have to do is calm the insiders down so they don’t panic, and then hand over authority to the imperial investigation personnel when they arrive.
However, Saint Clarice did not bother to single out only outsiders and gather them in the chapel. For she had heard Melinir’s report, and she judged that she must do so.
“I checked the scars left on Abbot Austin’s remains. A stab wound from a dagger remained. The cause of death was excessive bleeding, and there were traces of struggling in pain at the scene… “I cannot possibly think of it as a natural death.”
He is 109 years old. When it comes to someone dying inside a room, the first possibility that comes to mind is natural death.
However, Auxiliary Bishop Melinir completely denied that possibility.
“The abbot was always a person who took perfect care of himself and took care of his health. “He always did not shy away from physical labor, and even when I checked his physical condition every day, I did not notice any abnormalities.”
Auxiliary Bishop Melinir knew what kind of repercussions his next words would cause, but he gritted his teeth and continued his story.
“The nuns living in this monastery are all lambs who are indebted to Abbot Austin. To put it simply, these are people who have no reason or motive to harm the abbot.”
Take a moment to hold your breath and list out only objective facts.
“Even at the time of his death, it was a prayer meeting period with many outsiders coming and going. The fact that a person who corrected himself when he had been in contact with the nuns for several years was found dead while outsiders were visiting… The circumstances are so exquisite… ”
After that, Melinir was speechless for a moment, trying to choose his words carefully. However, the conclusion of the story has already been conveyed sufficiently well.
VIPs and ladies from all over were sitting at the prayer table in the chapel.
The daughters of counts and viscounts are the basics, as well as the heirs of the Tolles Company, the only daughter of the imperial chancellor, and even the disciples of a famous magic tool craftsman.
These are people who converted to the Telos Church and traveled a long distance to show their faithfulness.
To such people, Melinir speaks.
“Probably, several people… I think he might be a suspect due to the circumstances. “This is a necessary doubt.”
– Bang!
At those words, the Lady of Viscount Locest stood up from her seat. At the same time, all the other noble ladies stood up.
“What now?! “I came a long way to show respect to the Church of Telos, and now I’m being treated like a murder suspect?!”
“Are you kidding me?! Even if you are a member of the monastery, what guarantee is there that you will not harbor a grudge against the abbot?!”
“I will send a letter to my family! “You can’t come to a place like this and be treated like a murderer!”
“Calm down. “It is in the presence of the saint and the princess.”
At those words, all the noble ladies held their breath. Because I was young and had immature judgment, I forgot about it for a while.
Behind Melinir, two girls sitting on either side. 2nd princess Persica and saint Clarisse.
If you combine the authority of the two people, even if you combine the authority of all the noble daughters gathered here, they cannot even be compared.
That’s why all the ladies had no choice but to hold their breath.
There was silence for a moment, and then Saint Clarice raised her voice from the podium.
“It is difficult to identify a suspect simply based on motive. Because Abbot Austin was a person who gave to everyone and was merciful to everyone. Not only that, he was a person who lived quietly in the monastery, just praying.”
Clarisse’s story struck a blind spot.
“How can you hold a grudge against someone like this? At least there won’t be any personal, personal feelings or resentment. Since he is that kind of person, it is difficult to find a motive for murder… It’s going to be hard… ”
There is absolutely no possibility of impulsive murder due to emotion. So, is it a political or ideological reason?
There is only one person here who will benefit from Abbot Austin’s death.
An abbot who fully supports Princess Fenia. If such a person disappears from the world, her rival, Princess Persica, will be able to enjoy a reflection in her competition for the imperial power.
Some nobles, as if their thoughts had reached that point, swallowed dry saliva and looked at the Princess of Persica on the podium.
The Princess of Persica, who was sitting in a noble posture… Her eyes closed gently and then opened them.
“There are ladies who look at me with disrespectful thoughts. Is she the daughter of Viscount Locest, Count Flosin, or Baron Kelcus? “I remember you.”
The Princess of Persica made a threat like that, as if she could read her thoughts with just her eyes.
All the ladies from noble families who looked at him with suspicion just by saying those words were startled and shook their heads. There were mutterings denying it, but Princess Persica stood up as if it was enough.
This girl knows how to control a crowd. As if to prove that fact, he speaks in a high voice that comes from his stomach.
“There is no need to hide the fact that I am working hard for the imperial throne. But the murder of Abbot Austin… “Do you seem like the kind of person who would make such a foolish move?”
There was silence in the middle of the room.
“You put your hand on the life of a great elder of the Telos Church in order to reduce one powerful person who supports my sister Fenia. If I seemed so clueless that I couldn’t even judge profit and loss, in a way, it was my fault. He seemed like such a shallow monarch. “It makes me reflect on myself!”
The act of murdering Abbot Austin out of blindness to imperial power is no different from simply turning the entire Telos Church into enemies.
At least if he was going to do something like that, he wouldn’t have been aiming for a time when he would have no choice but to be considered a suspect.
“In the first place, what meaning is there in the power gained by putting people’s lives on the scale? I am a person who knows how to keep morals. “I hope you don’t insult me.”
In the meantime, they do not forget to appeal for moral justification. Princess Persica was a rational person.
“And I’m sure I’m not the only one weighing the pros and cons of the imperial power competition. The distinguished guests gathered here… Although we don’t say anything, we all probably have at least one person in our hearts who holds the throne, right? There are many people whose family’s rise and fall and political strife are intertwined with who becomes the next emperor. “It would be troubling to think that I am the only one bound by the structure of the imperial power.”
Saying that, Persica slowly moved on to the next story.
“We have already received reports on Abbot Austin’s movements. “They say he came into the monastery last night at low tide with the count’s daughters, completed the basic procedures, went to his room, and never appeared again in public.”
After that, Persica organized the details she had received and clearly announced them.
The last witness testimony came from a nun who was heading to the bathroom late last night. She testified that she was seen walking out of the cloister of the monastery, leaving behind the words, ‘She is going to catch a ghost.’
In other words, Abbot Austin was alive until late last night.
“You’re going to catch a ghost?”
Princess Persica answered Clarisse’s question.
“There was a rumor going around among the nuns that there was a ghost wandering around the cloister recently. Well, it could simply be a wild animal making a noise, or it could be an aberration like a naive nun’s night walk.”
“That kind of thing… There was… ”
“Anyway, such a disturbing incident shouldn’t happen at a time when there are so many outsiders, so the abbot must have gone to confirm the identity of the ghost.”
He was then found dead in the next room.
I felt kind of uneasy at this point.
If ‘ghosts’ have become a hot topic, there is a person who cannot help but be mentioned here.
“I was concerned that I would be suspected of this, so I investigated the circumstances through an escort driver in advance. However, for some reason, all outsiders who visited the monastery were accompanied by escorts, or the location of the private rooms was clear, so it was easy to understand their movements… “The ‘uninvited guests’ who came into this monastery were a completely different story.”
“… gate crasher?”
The loud noise spread through the crowd.
“Did you know that at the time of Abbot Austin’s death, there was an uninvited outsider whose exact movements were unknown and whose exact movements were not even known to have entered the monastery?”
Persica didn’t hesitate and immediately called the name.
“Lucy Mayril.”
Some people know the name, and some do not.
He is the head of the entire Sylvania Academy Magic Department and has made a name for himself as a rare genius wizard… Recently, he was an archmage whose name spread even to the central part of the empire by defeating the evil god Mebula.
“Her existence was confirmed during the circumstantial investigation this morning. From what I heard, she was walking around the monastery in a carriage as she pleased… Is she here now?”
The noisy crowd began to turn their attention to the surroundings. They seem unable to believe the story that the rare genius wizard Lucy Mayril is in this monastery.
Could it be that he is mixed in with this crowd? Such a conversation was going on.
– Hwiik.
Small body and sleepy eyes. In addition to the large witch hat, the academy uniform does not fit the size.
A girl with a now familiar appearance stands up from the corner prayer pew. I stretched my soggy body and… She got off the prayer seat as if she was running and stood up straight.
All eyes in the audience were focused on that.
Lucy walks out slowly. Stepping on the red carpet stretched over the podium in the very center of the prayer pew… I look up at Persica with indifferent eyes.
“In reality, of all the outsiders, you are the only one who had the easiest access to Abbot Austin and was able to completely disappear.”
The voice of the Princess of Persica spread throughout the quiet chapel.
Lucy Mayril quietly looks up at her, her expression showing no change at all.
He is being framed as a murder suspect.
However, with an indifferent attitude as if he didn’t care about that fact… The audience even feels a sense of discomfort.
At that time, it was Saint Clarisse who got up from her seat. She was the only human who could respond with authority to the Princess of Persica.
“wait a minute! Lucy Mayril has no reason to harm Abbot Austin!”
“Wasn’t the story about motive concluded earlier? Holy woman. It is more difficult to find someone with a motive to harm Abbot Austin in the first place. In this case, we need to narrow it down using the elimination method and identify the most likely suspect among the remaining suspects.”
I also felt a sense of discomfort.
I completely agree with the fact that Lucy Mayril had no reason to harm Abbot Austin.
However, even if we give a hundred steps and say that Lucy attacked Abbot Austin… What is the reason for remaining in this position?
It’s obvious that if you stay still, you’ll be accused of being a criminal, so why bother sitting in this monastery?
“At least you should cooperate with the investigation. If you wanted to, escaping this monastery would be no problem, but you yourself know very well that such an act would only be admitting your crime.”
The guards guarding the podium, if Lucy swings her arm once, they will all be gone.
But Lucy does not resist. He quietly placed his arms and accepted the restraints.
At this point I was deeply concerned about whether I should get up and defend Lucy.
As I said, Lucy Mayril could have murdered the abbot and run away if she wanted to. Even if no one else knows, Clarisse and I, who were together at the academy, will know.
It is rumored that Lucy Mayril is strong, but Lucy Mayril’s strength is beyond the realm of imagination.
To be honest, even the long sea route between the monastery and the coastline could be easily bypassed with high-level spatial magic. Even without making a single noise or light.
Since it is a method that requires an astronomical amount of magical energy, it may be difficult for the average person to even imagine.
A closed monastery that can only be entered during low tide. A pile of eyewitness testimonies and VIP guests whose movements were all checked. As it is a place where communal living is assumed, it is an environment where it is difficult to recklessly plan a murder.
A human being free from all these background factors. An exceptional being who plays on the machinery behind the stage.
What is the reason for such a person to remain here and be framed as a suspect?
… If you actively express that fact, you may be able to avoid this situation. He may not be able to rid himself of the blame of being a prime suspect, but at least he will not be treated as a criminal and arrested.
Not only I but also Clarisse seemed to be puzzled by that fact, as they narrowed their eyebrows on the podium, deep in thought. But the reason we didn’t mention that possibility… It’s clear.
Lucy’s expression is as peaceful as the calm waters of a lake… I sensed there was some intention.
Was there something that wasn’t told to me, or couldn’t be told?
Lucy accepted the restraints with the most calm expression in the world and walked across the podium, led by the soldier’s hand.
There was a look of disbelief in the ladies’ eyes as they looked at her. It was a great shock to learn that the rare genius magician of whom there were only rumors was a prime suspect in the murder.
He doesn’t even utter a word to defend himself. He just maintains a grumpy expression.
I sat among the VIP seats, looked up at the podium, and was lost in deep thought.
The rare genius wizard who represented Sylvania was arrested by the imperial guard on suspicion of sneaking into the monastery without permission and murdering Abbot Austin.
The next day, new recruits will be handed over to the investigation team dispatched by the imperial family.
Although she was a girl who could not be controlled even if she was restrained in the first place, becoming a criminal was a completely different story.
*- smart.
After the chapel meeting was dismissed, the distinguished guests were ordered by Saint Clarice to return to their respective rooms.
As the situation was urgent, the message was to make sure to check the movement lines and pay attention to each person’s safety until the investigation team arrived. In any case, if there was a distinguished guest representing each family, there would be one or two escorts.
I was just sitting quietly in my shabby private room, organizing the situation in my head.
When it got so late at night… There was a sound of someone knocking on the door. At this point, there won’t be any nuns visiting from outsiders… Puzzled, I opened the door and saw a familiar face.
“Sorry for being late at night. Ed Rosstaylor Prince.”
The person standing in the dark hallway was a priest who had just reported on the circumstances of Abbot Austin’s death from the podium during the day.
Auxiliary Bishop Melinir. Abbot Austin’s closest associate during his lifetime, and the person who virtually managed the monastery’s affairs.
She had a complicated expression and looked nervous, as if she had been having a hard time knocking on my door.
“What are you doing at this hour?”
“I came here because I had something I wanted to say to Prince Ed.”
Due to the circumstances, there is no benefit to walking around late at night.
There was no way Melinir didn’t know that fact, but it was clear that he wanted to come here while avoiding other people’s eyes.
“I will start with the conclusion. I believe that the culprit who killed Abbot Austin… “I know it’s not Lucy Mayril.”
“… ”
As I stared at Melinir, she continued speaking with a hesitant expression on her face.
“I am… I think I know who the real culprit is… For sure… One of those inside… but… but… . Is it okay to make this public? What impact will this have on the Church of Telos? I can’t make up my mind… ”
Suddenly, I looked at Melinir’s forearms and noticed that they were trembling slightly.
“Speak calmly. “You can breathe slowly.”
“… .To Abbot Austin… There is a big secret that cannot be told to others. It is a secret so big that it may even be related to the existence or closure of this Cleric Monastery… Now who among the nuns knows the secret… “There is no one else..”
Melinir’s tremors went beyond her forearms and into her voice.
“please… Before what happens to me… Could you please report my story to the saint… ?”
It was an unexpected situation.
I narrowed my eyes and listened to Melinir’s continued story.
