Chapter 116
“The man asked Reno to remove his hat, and Reno gave an excuse, saying it would look unsightly. The man then revealed he has severe scars himself and is showing them to Reno.”
It seemed like an unexpected situation, but Reno had handled it well. That was a relief, though…….
‘Scars, huh?’
Out of curiosity, I glanced toward Reno and the man sitting with him. The man had rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, resting his arm on the table.
The direction he pointed at revealed clear, dark scars visible even from here.
“How did he get those?”
“They say it’s been about three weeks.”
“If it’s been that long…… then it can’t be because of the coquo.”
The coquo distribution had only started a few days ago.
But three weeks ago? It was obvious it wasn’t the coquo.
‘It doesn’t seem like something orchestrated by the Futurum Ducal House either.’
With the doubts I had been harboring cleared away, I became curious about the man’s intentions. Was it pure malice? Or was there another reason?
“I’ve heard it’s not entirely a lie.”
“What?”
Not a lie? What did that mean……?
Isaac’s words left me bewildered.
“Are you saying it is because of the coquo?”
“While it’s not something I can say with absolute certainty, as the author, it seems reasonable enough to be suspicious. I heard he participated in the previous verification test.”
For a moment, my heart sank.
‘He participated in the verification test? Then is this really my fault?’
But…… it didn’t make sense. Even if someone drank rust-tainted water, their health might deteriorate, but it wouldn’t lead to death.
“Did his younger sister participate as well?”
“That’s what they say…… However, we should confirm by checking the list of participants.”
“Has it been long since the testing ended? Would the records still be there?”
“They should be. Valuable data is preserved for a certain period.”
“Can I access those records?”
“As a related party, Lady Thea, you should be able to.”
That was a relief, but…… it wasn’t exactly a situation to feel relieved about.
Even though I knew it was unlikely, I couldn’t shake the fear that I might be wrong. My heart pounded nervously.
There was no time to waste. I decided to wrap up this outing quickly.
“Reno, can you find out the man’s name? And, if possible, his younger sister’s name too.”
Was that enough of an explanation?
I trusted that the spirit would deliver the message, but I wasn’t entirely sure.
“Do you think Reno heard it?”
“It seems so. He’s asking the man now.”
“Good. Once we get their names, let’s prepare to leave.”
I hadn’t even finished my drink, and the food hadn’t arrived yet, but I didn’t have the leisure to sit and enjoy.
‘If that man really participated with his younger sister…….’
It would be a major problem. Not only would I have to track down everyone who participated in the testing, but I’d also need to resolve this immediately.
“I have their names. The man is Cliff, and his younger sister is Bailey.”
“Cliff and Bailey…….”
I repeated their names several times, committing them to memory.
“Reno, let’s start preparing to leave.”
Just as I said that, Isaac’s untouched oak mug suddenly released a puff of white foam. The foam floated in the air, forming words on the table.
―Go back first.
Was this the spirit’s way of communicating without drawing attention?
It was fascinating, and I appreciated the thoughtful gesture.
“Be careful on your way back.”
Assuming Reno understood, I rose from my seat.
When we returned to the royal palace, we headed straight to the archives. As a related party, I was able to access the records from the previous testing phase immediately. Just as Isaac had said.
“Cliff and Bailey, Cliff and Bailey…….”
I murmured the names I’d heard at the tavern as I sifted through the documents.
Since there were only fifty participants in the verification test, it didn’t take long to go through the list.
The result was unexpected.
‘One of them is on the list, but the other isn’t……?’
I checked again, but it was the same. The name ‘Cliff’ was on the participant list, but ‘Bailey’ wasn’t.
Thinking I might have overlooked something in my haste, I asked Isaac to confirm, but his answer was the same.
“As Your Highness said, there doesn’t appear to be anyone named Bailey among the participants.”
“They definitely said his younger sister participated, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then why…….”
She wasn’t there?
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