Chapter 19: Fluvia Investigates Again

Just when I began to mull the information over, a light tap sounded on the door.

Shoot.

Due to the sensitive talks, I had sent Mary outside.

Of course a lot more politely than Bolther did.

I made to stand up, but before I could, Sir Edgar had swiftly stood up, crossed the room, and asked,

“May I ask who it is?”

“H-her servant, the maid Beth, has arrived-!”

Ah. Beth sounds so flustered at the unexpected person responding.

She’s probably thinking, ‘Who is this man?!’

Sir Edgar opens the door and stood to the side to let Beth in.

She blinks several times, but like always, Beth doesn’t ask questions.

“Milady, I’ve brought what you’ve asked for. Lord Earl and the Lady would like me to inform you that they will arrive in the afternoon for tea.”

Normally Beth would hand the paper to Mary, who would hand it to me, so she debated a little before handing it directly to me.

“Thank you, Beth. You’re a great help.”

Bowing to me again, Beth quickly sees herself out, with Sir Edgar closing the door after her.

So we need to finish before tea, huh… ah, more like, before lunch!

As Sir Edgar takes his seat again, I fill an inkpen and began copying the names on the paper Beth brought me into my journal.

While I’m doing so, I say,

“I don’t think we need to concern ourselves with pinning down the perpetrator. That is something that should be done with Father’s authority. All we need to do is provide irrefutable proof.”

Sir Edgar thinks a moment.

“I see. As long as we have proof, there’s no need to keep our actions hidden. However, if I simply bring these out, they can say the Royal Reserve’s accounts were forged, which would bring the attention of the Royal Family on us, or the true masterminds can easily frame other people down the line of the Reserve Hierarchy.”

Indeed. Let’s keep the Royal Family’s attention as far away as possible until we’ve sorted this mess out. Anything to implicate the Royal Family’s authority in this mess would be near suicidal. It’s pretty much, like, 90% certain it’s a matter entirely within our own territory, after all.

I also agree with his second statement.

We want to rout the true criminals, not just give them a chance to blame others and cut their tails off to get away, like some tenacious lizard.

Especially the head lizard that I’m fairly certain is involved – Bolther can easily say he just didn’t catch it and frame someone else.

And I especially don’t want innocent people getting punished.

“If you can narrow it down to as high up the hierarchy as you can easily get, it should be fine? I think, at the very least you should be able to filter out the Governors and tax collectors. If you are able to send various people to a few key towns and the Guilds, as well as get an official report on our taxes collected, and then an official report on the amount of taxes we pay the Capital, you should be able to sufficiently show that there’s a difference between what’s collected and what’s reported.”

It’s drawing information from the bottom, the middle, and then the top, kind of.

Sir Edgar thinks a moment.

“How should I go about doing it?”

I give a snort.

“Isn’t that your job to figure it out? I’ll allow you the freedom to use any authority my name might have however you want, so figure it out yourself.”

Hello. I’m the five-year-old daughter. What are you expecting of me?

When I say that, Sir Edgar is startled, then he laughs.

“Of course, but full freedom to use your name?”

“Full freedom. Do as you wish until my business with the House of Healing is finished.”

Sir Edgar furrows his brows together, before setting his lips together firmly and saying,

“I understand.”

It seems he truly does understand.

That’s right, you have the freedom to do as you wish under my name for this endeavor.

Whether there’s a next time or not is a different story.

“Also…”

I tear the page of names I had just copied down out of my journal and hand it to him.

I was initially going to give him the paper Beth gave me, but it might be better not to get her involved at all.

I don’t know if people will recognize her handwriting, but let’s not risk it.

“I haven’t fully investigated these, but these are people who might be unlikely to report to Bolther due to personal reasons. Head Butler Garnoit seems the safest for now. Alright. I’ve given you all the help I can give. Officially, I want to know what products or resources you are planning on writing into the contract with the House of Healing by the end of the mont – by the end of Spring, and a draft written up to be shown to both Father and the Head Healer.”

Sir Edgar, who had been staring wide-eyed at the paper I gave him, quickly folded it and tucked it into his breast pocket.

He was trembling with emotion.

Were you that happy to get that list?

Although, if I think about it, for someone who didn’t have a single ally before our meeting… well. I’m happy for you, I guess.

He coughs and composes himself, saying.

“If you’ve given me this much, there’s no way I can allow this to fail. My Lady, do expect good results.”

Sir Edgar bows deeply before gathering his papers together and taking his leave.

—

There’s still some time before lunch.

Poking my head out the door… Mary isn’t around… eh!

It’s now or never!

I haven’t really needed the wheelchair for a while, and my stamina has greatly improved recently, so I don’t think there’s much risk in slipping out for a bit.

My aim?

That blasted cellar, of course!

I mean, I just assume the worst about that feeling, the Fluvia Sensor (self-named) but I really don’t know anymore after spending some time with Sir Edgar.

Slipping into the cool room, smelling of dust, I quietly go down the stairs and stand before the stone wall below the staircase.

“I don’t suppose it will go easily just by saying ‘Open Sesame’, huh?”

Nothing happens.

I place my hand on different parts of the wall.

Um… it’s magic after all.

How did [Yabukoi’s] Fluvia open this?

Ah. I’m just assuming she did, even though I don’t know.

Stepping back a little, I do the magic manipulation practice that Minister Wynchestor had taught me, then imagined it surging to my hands, like he told me would happen when I used spells.

Then, I touched the wall.

Oh! A shudder!

“Hm… I don’t know enough. How do I get you open?”

When I said ‘open’, there was a change in the feeling of magic flowing from my hands.

The wall shuddered, then, without making a single sound, part of it came away and slid out.

… How simple.

I suppose it’s not a hidden cave of treasure, then… more like a ‘hidden’ storage area that’s just out of the way.

Magic is often used in everyday living in this world, after all.

Although, the smell of mold and dust that came out make me think that it’s also ‘hidden’ because people had forgotten it was there.

You wouldn’t notice the door without carefully examining the wall, and who would do that if they didn’t have that uncontrollable urge to look?

There were books piled up in front of the passage entrance, too.

And no one except me and Mary even come here.

The Head Healer has even stopped buying books, at behest of the cleaning attendants, who neglect to clean this cellar anyway.

So basically, I’m not surprised that this has remained undiscovered despite being easily opened.

It’s dark inside, but from the light coming in from the cellar windows high up on the opposite wall, I can just make out a scurrying movement within the passageway lined with books and cobwebs inside.

Oh HELL no.

Even if I wasn’t terrified of rats and spiders, there’s NO WAY I’m going in there.

The only thing within is books lining the passage, even in what I can make out of the room in the back-!

Hahaha… now then, what do you think might be in there…?

NOPE.

I quickly close the magic door – if opening it was applying magic and saying ‘open’, then closing it would be applying magic and saying ‘close’ – and back away, sweat running down my back.

Hahaha… yeah, no.

With that annoying, gravitating feeling still going on, I fight my way back up the stairs and out of the cellar.

No way-!

No way, no way, no way-!

The feeling is pounding in my heart, even harder than before, and it’s all I can do to just flee back to my room.

I’m never going back to that cellar again!

When I returned to my room, I was still so unnerved that I didn’t even hear the scolding Mary gave me, after she had entered the room and found me missing.