After finishing the investigation, Sylvia returned to the dining hall to treat the children who had collapsed.
I sat there, watching Yoon Si-woo conduct inquiries with the teachers to distinguish between fact and fiction in what people were saying.
The person currently being questioned was the academy’s chef, the one who would have the easiest access to the food, making him the pri suspect.
As the middle-aged chef, appearing to be in his 40s or 50s, sat down, the student advisor wore a stern expression and imdiately shot a question at him.
“First of all, I need to ask you this: Are you the one who caused the incident in the dining hall?”
“It wasn’t ! There’s no way I would do sothing like that!”
As the chef answered with an innocent expression, the teacher quietly glanced over at Yoon Si-woo.
Seeing him nod in agreent, it appeared the chef was not the culprit after all.
Feeling slightly relieved, the teacher softened his expression and reassured the chef.
“We don’t believe that soone like you, Mr. Jas, who has worked at the academy for so long, is the perpetrator. However, we need your cooperation to catch the real culprit. May I ask you a few questions?”
“Ask anything. As long as we can catch that despicable culprit, I’ll tell you everything I know!”
The chef seed quite fired up, evidently furious at the real culprit.
The teacher then calmly began to ask the chef questions.
“Were the ingredients used for today’s al delivered yesterday?”
“Yes. They ca in last night. We have refrigerated storage in the kitchen under magical preservation, so they stay fresh even if brought in early.”
“Hmm… Did you notice anything unusual while preparing the food today?”
“There shouldn’t have been any issues with the ingredients. I taste-tested while I was cooking to make sure everything was okay. If there had been a problem, I would have collapsed as well. I suspect soone tampered with the finished dishes…”
Upon hearing this, the teacher’s eyes lit up, and he quickly asked the chef.
“Was there ti for the culprit to tamper with the finished dishes?”
“I went to the restroom after finishing the cooking, just before transferring the food to the dining area. That was probably the only ti soone could have touched the food without noticing. But even then, I had locked the kitchen door. I do that to prevent any issues from happening, like what occurred today… But how…”
“Indeed, except for that locked door, there’s no other way in or out of the kitchen. It’s also secured against magical intrusion. However, it ans that the culprit must have accessed the finished food while you were in the restroom.”
Poisoning food in a sealed-off area?
Honestly, it seed impossible.
I couldn’t even imagine how it could have been done.
Would it have helped if I’d read more mystery novels…?
Yet here, in a world where people possess various abilities, it might have been accomplished in a way no one could fathom.
As I racked my brain trying to imagine how it could have happened, the investigation seed to be wrapping up, and the chef got up from his seat, his face twisted in frustration.
“If I had just checked more thoroughly until the very end, this wouldn’t have happened…”
“It’s not your fault, Mr. Jas. It’s the person who caused this who is to bla. We will definitely track them down.”
“Please, I beg you…”
After the chef made that plea to the teacher and left, the teachers appeared quite bewildered.
“Given this turn of events, it seems like everyone initially on the suspect list is not the culprit. We might have no choice but to question everyone once more.”
“There’s no other option. Until soone from the outside arrives, we should do everything we can. Yoon Si-woo, I’m sorry, but we are in dire need of your help. Please.”
Yoon Si-woo nodded in response to the teachers’ words.
At this point, the only way to find the culprit seed to be to ask every person whether they had done it, and then let Yoon Si-woo use the power of the Sword of Truth to determine whether their answers were genuine.
Ultimately, uncovering the culprit felt like it rested in the hands of Yoon Si-woo.
Since it seed like I had nothing to contribute here, I thought I’d head to the dining hall and assist with the healing of the injured.
With that in mind, I left the ongoing investigation classroom and, tapping Yoon Si-woo gently on the back for encouragent, said.
“Make sure to find the culprit. It feels like you’re the only one we can rely on right now.”
“Soone to rely on… Okay, leave it to . I’ll definitely find them.”
Yoon Si-woo, glowing with a sense of justice, as is typical for a protagonist, replied with bright eyes.
*
When I entered the dining hall, inside the protective barrier cast by Su-ho’s Holy Sword, healers and those with purification abilities were busily tending to the children who had been poisoned by magic.
The atmosphere felt so busy that I assud any attempt I made to help would just be a bother, so I quietly pulled out a chair in the corner of the dining hall and observed the treatnt process.
i, along with the children, hadn’t regained consciousness yet, but they appeared to be in much better condition than before.
Feeling relieved, I noticed the chef who had just been interrogated, Mr. Jas, sitting nearby, letting out a heavy sigh.
He was gazing at the treated children with a troubled expression.
Realizing that I was watching him, he glanced my way once and then opened his mouth slowly.
“…You’re the kid who was sitting there during the investigation. I heard you ate that food earlier… Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“I’m glad to hear that… Huh, kids collapsing after eating my food. And on top of that, being suspected of doing it… Today has truly been a nightmare…”
He appeared to be under a lot of stress over today’s events.
I couldn’t imagine how he felt when seeing people collapse after eating his food, and as I considered how to respond, a voice suddenly ca from behind .
“A person who loves cooking wouldn’t ss with their food, would they? Right, mister?”
Turning around, I saw Leonor waving her hand at with a smile.
When Jas spotted Leonor, his previously gloomy expression slightly lifted.
“…Yes, Leonor. You’re right. Sobody who loves cooking wouldn’t play around with their food.”
“I was really offended when soone asked if it was too. As the head of the cooking club, it’s impossible for to do such a thing!”
Seeing Leonor’s enthusiastic response, Jas seed to feel considerably better.
What an adorable blonde punk, being so charming with an adult…
What a remarkable gap in perception…
As I gawked at that scene, Leonor ca over and patted my head.
“This is another mber of the cooking club, mister. She’s one of the two new first-year mbers who just joined.”
“Oh, I heard that two first-year kids joined recently. So you’re one of them. Cooking is a wonderful hobby. Being able to make delicious als can bring joy to others.”
Jas said this as he looked at following Leonor’s introduction.
I’m mainly just there to eat in the cooking club but…
Well, since I don’t dislike cooking, I nodded, and Jas continued.
“Exactly, exactly. But you said there were two new mbers, didn’t you? I’d like to know who the other one is…”
Leonor visibly flinched at his words.
She had just worked hard to cheer him up, but if he were to discover that one of the kids who had collapsed was another new mber, it would all be in vain.
At that mont, Leonor’s eyes twitched, and she exclaid.
“Scarlet!!! You haven’t been introduced yet! This is Mr. Jas! There’s no official advisor for the cooking club, so he’s kind of taken on that role for us. He’s actually a fantastic chef and has been the academy’s cook for 20 years!”
While Leonor spoke, she eagerly blinked at .
It seed like she was hinting I should respond, so I joined her in exclaiming.
“Wow… Wow!! 20 years? That’s amazing! Uh… can I ask how you ended up in this position?”
“…If you’re really curious about that, I’ll share. The reason I started this job…”
Fortunately, it seed like we managed to shift the topic.
Nodding in approval at , Leonor returned to facing Jas, ready to listen.
“…When I was young, I worked at a famous restaurant, and back then, my dream was to open my own place. I was quite known for my cooking skills, so if everything had gone well, it could have happened.”
Jas spoke while gazing off into space with a nostalgic expression, like an adult recalling old tales.
“It’s been 23 years since that event. After spending late nights researching recipes, I accidentally set my house on fire and thought I had dood myself when a hero suddenly appeared and saved . I was imnsely grateful. After going through that, I realized sothing. If I could do sothing to give back to the kinds of people who helped , it would make my life more aningful, you know? So, the very next day, I quit my job at the restaurant and pleaded with the forr cook of the academy to let work here. I trained under him, and three years later, he retired due to age, allowing to take over. Saying it like that, it actually sounds pretty mundane.”
It was quite a magnificent tale to dismiss it so lightly.
Jas continued.
“Still, I believe I’ve made the right choice in doing this job. Soday, you too will beco great heroes, just like the one who saved . Being able to create als for such children is a truly rewarding experience. Oh, speaking of which, talking about it makes want to cook. Hmm, realizing that everyone is likely hungry because they couldn’t eat due to that bad guy, I should whip up sothing simple for them!”
He seed to unburden himself a little, smiling faintly, as he got up from his seat.
He was a truly wonderful adult who took pride in his work.
I actually regretted thinking for even a mont that he might be the culprit.
At that mont, Leonor turned to Jas as he made his way toward the kitchen.
“Mister, what’s that bandage on your neck? Did you get hurt?”
As he stood, I noticed his neck was wrapped in bandages sticking out from under the collar of his chef uniform.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ve just been scratching it a lot lately, and it got a bit irritated. Nothing serious.”
Jas waved it off dismissively as he entered the kitchen.
After he went into the kitchen, Leonor turned to with a smile.
“Haha, I wish I could have seen you at the cooking club activities, but sohow we et like this. I heard you were sick last week? i was really worried about you. I was worried too.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes, so this week, i and I promised to make it up to you for missing last week…”
As she said this, her gaze drifted toward i, who was receiving treatnt.
I sighed as I watched her.
Really, she was such a foolish person.
There was no need for her to pretend to be cheerful in front of …
Feeling frustrated, I slyly whispered to Leonor.
“If you’re mad, it’s okay to just be mad.”
“…Is it that obvious?”
“…A little.”
At that, Leonor’s previously cheerful expression twisted into one of anger, her eyes afla with rage.
Although I had told her it was fine to show anger, she looked absolutely terrifying…
Grinding her teeth, Leonor muttered in a growling tone.
“I don’t know who the bastard is, but if I find out, I’m going to kill him…”
I gently patted her back while saying.
“Just don’t go too far. I need my share too.”
Hearing what I said, Leonor looked at in wonder before speaking again.
“…That’s surprising. I didn’t think you had such a side. You really do get angry, huh?”
I chuckled.
It was amusing to think she believed I never got angry.
“You might not realize it, but I’m always angry. Today, I’m just particularly so.”
When I said that, Leonor laughed heartily.
“Really? I hope we’ll find the culprit soon.”
“Don’t worry; there’s an extrely capable person searching, so they will be found soon.”
As we waited for Yoon Si-woo to discover the culprit, I spent ti with Leonor.
Honestly, it was just a matter of ti before the culprit was caught.
It wouldn’t be possible to deceive the Sword of Truth, and surely the culprit would be found.
That was my train of thought.
So, when I saw Yoon Si-woo enter the dining hall with a serious look, the news he brought was even more shocking.
*
“You couldn’t find them?”
“…No, I asked everyone at the school. The only ones left to question are the kids who are currently collapsed. That’s why I’m here. The other teachers are checking to see if there are any signs of an intruder from the outside.”
Yoon Si-woo said with an oddly defeated tone.
A headache began to form.
Could it be that the culprit had poisoned themselves to avoid suspicion?
That wasn’t an entirely unreasonable scenario.
A terrorist who knowingly risks death through magical poisoning—there was potential there.
But I preferred not to think that way.
Most of the kids who had collapsed were supposed to die in the gymnasium.
If this incident had occurred because I kept them alive, and it was a situation that my intervention created in this world…
If soone I saved was willing to sacrifice their own life just to harm soone else…
That would just be too tragic.
So I decided to entertain other possibilities.
First possibility.
Soone who knew the flaws of the Sword of Truth was exploiting it.
From what I could see, that didn’t seem likely.
Even if soone else knew the original story like I did, that person wouldn’t have a reason to commit an act of terror.
So I set this thought aside for now.
Second possibility.
Sobody, unaware of the Sword of Truth’s floor, unwittingly deceived it.
It was a slim possibility, but nonetheless, it existed.
After all, sothing similar had happened in the original story when the truth of the Sword was discovered to be flawed.
In that case, soone had committed murder, and everyone insisted they had not done so.
However, it later turned out that it was the act of a person with a split personality who had no mory of their alter ego’s actions.
It was during that case Yoon Si-woo learned that the Sword of Truth does not determine root truths but judges according to a person’s thoughts or feelings.
Such individuals with split personalities aren’t common, but…
However, just to test this dubious option felt like sothing I didn’t want to pursue, as I couldn’t bring myself to that notion.
I wished for there to be no culprit among the collapsed students.
So, I grabbed Yoon Si-woo’s arm.
“…Can you follow for a mont? We have so ti before the kids wake up, don’t we?”
While he was looking blankly, Yoon Si-woo eventually nodded eagerly, allowing himself to be led.
To be honest, saying I was dragging him wasn’t quite accurate; we were headed straight towards our next location.
I pulled Yoon Si-woo into the kitchen adjacent to the dining hall.
I intended to ask Jas, the chef, an important question.
Even while thinking this, I felt he wouldn’t be the culprit.
It was rely sothing to occupy my mind while I tried to figure everything out.
Though the kitchen door was closed, the walls separating it from the dining hall only offered a single partition, so a basic level of communication was still possible.
“Mr. Jas, can you hear ? It’s the first-year cooking club mber you spoke with earlier.”
I knocked on the wall to get his attention.
Then, I heard a response from the kitchen.
“Yeah, what’s going on?”
“It’s nothing serious; I just have a quick question.”
“Uh, okay. Sounds like you have sothing on your mind, go ahead and ask.”
Yoon Si-woo seed puzzled watching my actions, yet when I simply asked him to stay, he suddenly beca serene.
At least, it was good that I wasn’t disrupting anything.
Regardless, my question was straightforward.
“Mr. Jas, have you felt anything strange lately?”
It was a query aid at determining whether Jas was a split personality who wouldn’t recall when his identity changed.
“For example, sudden ti loss without noticing, or feeling like so mories are hazy. Think carefully.”
“Aha, you think I’m already showing signs of dentia? Nonetheless, I can check. Let consider for a mont…”
Jas said that, and then seed to pause while thinking, he went quiet from the other side.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
Fifteen seconds.
Then finally,
“Hmm, no matter how hard I think, I can’t recall anything. I think I’m still quite healthy. If this were the age when mory starts to go, I’ve still got so ti.”
The answer ca back.
…It seed like I’d guessed wrong.
Turning to leave, I almost did so imdiately, but I changed my mind and shouted across the wall.
“Sorry for asking sothing odd!”
“Ahaha, no problem. You could ask anything of that sort.”
“Really? Then let ask one more thing.”
“Is it you?”
There was no answer.
“Are you responsible?”
Silence t my query once more.
I dashed to the kitchen door, but it was tightly locked and wouldn’t open.
That bastard…
I started banging on the kitchen door, shouting.
“Answer right now! No, open the door! Open the door, you bastard!”
The sudden commotion drew the gaze of everyone in the dining hall.
Yoon Si-woo caught my arm, trying to stop .
“Scarlet! What are you doing?!”
“I think he might be the culprit! We need to get that door open now!”
The ntion of a culprit caused a stir around us.
“…You think the mister is the culprit? What do you an by that?”
Leonor, who had followed when I brought Yoon Si-woo, asked in a low voice.
I shouted back at her.
“Where’s the key to the kitchen door?!”
“…Mr. Jas took it with him. But, to my knowledge, there should be a master key in the teacher’s office.”
Right after hearing that, I was about to run toward the teacher’s office, but Leonor managed to hold back.
“Don’t rush things. Regardless, the kitchen only has that one entrance and exit. I’ll go get the key. Once I have it, explain to why you think Mr. Jas might be the culprit.”
“…Okay. Please bring the key as fast as you can.”
When I nodded and said this, Leonor bit her lip tightly before dashing out of the dining hall.
My heart pounded so quickly that it felt like I was going to be sick.
Damn it, stay calm.
After all, the kitchen is a sealed room.
If that person truly was the culprit, once the door opened, we’ll catch him.
He can’t escape.
But if he’s not, no… actually it’s probably better if he’s not.
My hands were shaking.
So badly that I couldn’t even bite my nails.
As the anxiety felt suffocating, at that mont, Yoon Si-woo murmured.
“…What’s that noise?”
“…Noise?”
“…No, I an, it’s kind of the sound of a device running.”
At that mont, I felt a chill run down my spine.
Visions of the worst scenarios raced through my mind.
No, it can’t be true.
Despite telling myself that, my breath beca ragged, tightening at my throat.
Calm down.
Just hold on until Leonor brings back the key.
But during that ti, the absolute worst could happen.
That’s when I made up my mind.
“Yoon Si-woo, do you trust ?”
Yoon Si-woo nodded in response.
“Break that door down.”
And with that, the door was silently shattered.
*
As I dashed into the kitchen, I saw several dishes steaming, as if they had been cooking just monts ago.
But no one was in sight.
We were too late.
Mocking us, only the sound of a large grinder echoed in the corner of the kitchen.
Wheeeeee…
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