Peter's Report
The day after returning from the ball, our usual daily life awaited us.
First, the early morning farm work.
Most of the villagers' source of income is agriculture, so we can't afford to slack off here.
The work, which was as bustling as the morning market in the capital, ended by noon. After a break, there was more work waiting in the afternoon. However, most of that work could only be handled by individuals, so Elina and I would be doing our primary duty—patrolling to maintain the peace of the village.
After finishing the morning work, when Elina and I returned to the station,
"I've been waiting for you both,"
There was a small bird on top of the post that spoke human words.
"Peter? What's going on?"
It was Peter, the familiar of Vice-Commander Bellows.
If he's here... does he have a message from the Vice-Commander?
As we approached, Peter cleared his throat with a "Ahem!" and then stated the reason for his visit.
"Shortly, the second Kingdom Council will be held. Depending on the outcome, the embezzlement suspicion placed on you might be cleared."
"! I see… So it's finally happening..."
I had forgotten amidst the ball, but the Kingdom Council was being held today.
"What's the situation?"
"To be blunt... Your innocence will almost certainly be proven."
"D-did you find decisive evidence?!"
Elina was even more surprised than I was and rushed toward Peter.
Despite being pressured by her, Peter carefully explained the situation to us.
"There are various factors, but the biggest one is that traces of tampering were found in the expense management records."
"Tampering with the records?"
Those weren't just ordinary records.
They were magical records, kept through a special magic tool that records the mana of the person who wrote it. The quality of mana is unique to each individual, much like fingerprints, and no one else possesses the same mana quality.
"But according to the report, the mana left on the records where the embezzlement was discovered was supposed to have been mine."
"That turned out to be a lie."
"A lie?"
"Most likely, a skilled magician was hired to fabricate it, but it was uncovered because the magicians of the Magic Corps were more skilled than the one who did the forgery. Though it took quite a while to uncover."
"At this point, how long it took doesn't matter. I'm just glad you can prove that I didn't do it."
This is probably decisive proof.
The issue now is... who hired that magician?
"Who was the one who hired the magician?"
"Unfortunately, I don't know that yet... Currently, the Magic Corps is putting all their efforts into investigating."
"The Magic Corps is?"
Honestly, I don't know many people there, and our connections are weak. Why are they cooperating so fully? When I asked, Peter gave an answer that sounded very much like something from the magical corps.
"It seems that Vice-Commander Bellows was also concerned about this matter and spoke with the head of the Magic Corps. As a result, it seems that many are outraged about the misuse of magic."
"I see..."
Using magic to frame their comrades—this apparently angered many members of the Magic Corps. From their perspective, it would feel like "they insulted magic!"
At any rate, it's a relief that my innocence seems provable.
On the other hand, Hank, the one who falsely accused me and caused my demotion, is in a difficult situation now.
As for me, I see the demotion as something that helped me grow. It made me realize many things while working in the Abbott region, so I'm trying to look at it positively... But now, I'll have to wait and see how the knights will handle this injustice.
What do you think about this chapter?
