With two lists in hand, ticulously comparing each entry was a massive undertaking. Minister Colin was so busy he even skipped his coffee, scrutinizing each piece of parchnt until his eyes nearly crossed:
"This one only visited once... this one too... this one never went to the public water source... neither did this one..."
The number of nobles attending the party and going hunting wasn’t large, making the check relatively straightforward. However, Minister Colin doubted that a necromancer casting a curse would use their real identity to blend in with the group. It was more likely they disguised themselves as servants or guards, or perhaps they snuck in undetected?
He had already inquired with the staff monitoring the situation for any abnormalities in the past few days.
Archmage Edgar also reviewed the lists with him. Although there were necromancers in Nevis City he hadn’t t, he was familiar with most by na. As they went through the lists, Edgar suddenly exclaid:
"What was this family doing here?"
"Which family?"
Johnny Colin imdiately leaned over to look. Edgar pointed to a line of nas:
"Baron Hopman’s wife? She had the leisure to attend a party? —Their eldest son just died!"
"…Perhaps the baroness and her son were not close?" Minister Colin speculated. "Why does this particularly concern you?"
"They have a grudge against little Garrett!"
To prevent any retaliation from the baron’s family, they had reported the enmity to their teacher imdiately upon returning from the party. After hearing Edgar’s account, Minister Colin stood up, determined:
"…Indeed suspicious! This clue must be thoroughly investigated!"
The investigation results, however, were not optimistic.
Baron Hopman’s eldest son, Knight Hopman, had recently passed away, leaving his frail and inconspicuous younger brother to be hastily pushed to the forefront. To familiarize him with the noble circle, the baron and his wife, along with their son and daughter-in-law, had been actively participating in social events around the area since Knight Hopman’s funeral. The party at Viscount Calrend’s was rely one stop in their social endeavors, showing no signs of irregularity.
According to the recollections of the viscount’s butler and servants, there was nothing unusual about the baroness’s entourage at the party...
"Could it really not be them?" Edgar pondered, putting down the report. Minister Colin shook his head, frowning:
"No, keep digging. I have a gut feeling there’s sothing off about them—"
He delved back into the docunts. Personnel lists, movents, past records, family relations... Suddenly, he slamd the table:
"Got it! The baroness has a sister who is a mage!"
Next door in the Mage Managent Departnt, where information on mages’ family mbers was kept—mainly for inheritance purposes—Mage Slynn had previously registered the baroness as her heir when applying for her mage emblem...
And when mages investigate cases, they don’t care whether their thods are legal or not. —Or rather, they don’t have a concept of "legal thods."
Archmage Edgar checked Slynn’s magical lineage in the Black Crow Swamp’s archives, accompanied by her ntor. To prevent Slynn from fleeing or refusing to speak the truth, they even brought a level nine mage from the divination school. Minister Colin, along with a level seven enchantnt mage from the Ergency Managent Departnt, set off for Slynn’s secluded mage tower in the mountains.
"Uh..." At the entrance to the mage tower, several apprentices faced the formidable group with trepidation:
"Our ntor left a few days ago to search for a rare herb and hasn’t returned..."
"Is this fleeing from guilt? Chase!"
Edgar scoffed. After searching the mage tower and confirming Slynn’s absence—she had left over half a month ago—they departed. The eldest apprentice watched them go, then hurried to the tower’s top and released a large crow.
Half an hour later, the crow landed in Johnny Colin’s palm. The experienced mage examined the ssage bird for a mont, not bothering to open the ssage cylinder, but simply gestured lightly. A deep black haze appeared around the cylinder.
"A specific ssage to be delivered, huh." Johnny Colin smirked. He handed the crow to his subordinate, pointing in a direction:
"Deploy a team to follow discreetly, see who receives the ssage, and where the recipient heads next!"
The team split into two. Johnny Colin, with two squads from the Ergency Managent Departnt, followed the crow’s trail to Baron Hopman’s territory. They disguised themselves and lay in wait for two or three days before intercepting Baroness Hopman, who was hurriedly boarding a ship that had already set sail.
anwhile, guided by the divination mage, the other group tracked their quarry. With magic leading the way and secret eyes scattered everywhere, they successfully intercepted Slynn
. She had been lurking near the mage tower and had just missed crossing paths with the search party!
Had the Ergency Managent Departnt been even slightly slower, the ship bound for the New World would have already departed!
After much running around, the grand mages were drenched in sweat. On the tenth day following the outbreak, a magical wall rose in the prison of the Ergency Managent Departnt. On either side of the wall, two groups began their interrogation:
"Magus Slynn, the Ergency Managent Departnt suspects your involvent in the recent plague incident as a poisoner. By order of the review committee, we’re here to ask you so questions. You may refuse to answer, but then we have the right to use enchantnt magic for a coerced interrogation."
"You may also lie, but be aware, each of your answers will be judged for truth by a divination mage. If deed false, it will increase your guilt in the upcoming trial."
"Of course, you could choose suicide... but as a necromancer, your soul would be captured for continued interrogation, sothing you’re surely aware of?"
"Now, please answer the first question:
In the past two weeks, have you left the mage tower and visited the vicinity of Nevis City?"
Magus Slynn clasped her hands, trembling slightly. On the other side of the magical wall, two nobly born mages solemnly questioned the baroness:
"Magus Slynn has confessed. She claims it was at your instigation that she committed the acts of cursing and poisoning, intending to harm the citizens of Nevis City. Baroness, do you admit to your sister’s accusations? Why did you instruct her to do so?"
"—I didn’t! It has nothing to do with ! I haven’t seen her in over a decade!" Baroness Hopman shrieked:
"I demand treatnt befitting my status! You have no right to detain and interrogate
based on her accusations!"
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