The Cause May Be Reversed
This wasn’t the look he gave me during work—those quiet, pressing eyes that said “Hurry up and give me an answer.”
He was simply watching me with calm eyes.
As I opened my mouth, thinking I had to say something, he spoke before I could form any sound.
“Please give me your answer before His Majesty arrives.”
“… To you?”
“If you’ve already made your decision, you don’t need to tell me. However… I suspected you might not have an answer to my question yet.”
“…………”
He was exactly right.
That’s precisely why I fell silent.
A hush fell between us, but it wasn’t an awkward one.
The stillness in the air gave me time to think.
After a moment, Lord Runken spoke again, as if to stir the stagnant air.
“Returning to the earlier topic—this odd weather began two months ago. The forbidden zone was opened up… also two months ago.”
His sudden pivot caught me off guard, but I steadied myself and responded calmly.
(That’s right—first, we need to deal with this issue.)
If we didn’t, His Majesty would arrive.
And with him would come a mountain of other problems—starting with Count Belnette’s self-serving machinations. If those escalated into the whole Veronica situation, it would be an unmanageable mess.
I shifted my thinking and gave my reply.
“… I don’t think that’s a coincidence.”
It hadn’t rained in three months.
That must be having a serious impact on local agriculture.
I spoke aloud, trying to organize my thoughts.
“They say spirits are messengers of the dragons. And in our founding chronicles, the dragon is described as a water dragon…”
That said, I was still only half convinced spirits actually existed.
Until now, I had lumped dragons in with myths and fantasies.
I didn’t dare say such a thing aloud—not after Lord Runken’s confident assertions yesterday—but…
(It’s all a bit too fantastical.)
Yes, this is a world with magic, but magic—at its core—is closer to science or physics in how it functions.
Spirits, on the other hand, were something far more vague—less grounded in reality.
I began listing out the abnormalities occurring in Nympée.
First, the rise in temperature.
Second, the odd weather.
Third, the opening of the forbidden zone.
And fourth, the concealed income.
(Every one of them is a pain to deal with…)
My head throbbed just thinking about it.
For now, I turned my attention to the heat and drought, and searched for some possible solution.
“… It’s not impossible to create rain using magic.”
But even as I said it, I realized it wouldn’t solve the root problem.
“… But it would only be a temporary fix.”
Like pouring water on a burning rock, as the saying went.
Lord Runken must’ve agreed, because he responded quietly:
“Let’s go to the forbidden zone. We’ll speak to the gatekeeper and enter.”
“We’re going in?”
That was unexpected.
If he believed in the spirits, I thought he’d avoid entering altogether.
But he gave a nod in reply.
“Yes. We’ll take a receipt—make it undeniable evidence.”
(How thorough…)
He said it so casually, it was terrifying.
Definitely someone I wouldn’t want to have as an enemy.
I followed after him.
☆
“The entrance fee is five ponds.”
“F-five…?”
Five ponds!?
I was left speechless by the price.
Next to me, Lord Runken calmly handed over the money.
Considering the annual salary of a high-ranking servant is around fifty ponds, it was an outrageous fee.
After taking the money with calculated politeness, the gatekeeper let us through without a fuss.
Inside, we were immediately enveloped by cool, refreshing air.
Once we were far enough from the gate that we couldn’t be overheard, I turned to Lord Runken.
“I’m sorry for making you pay. I’ll reimburse you later.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll write it off as a business expense.”
Well, of course he would.
The forbidden zone—once touted as a bathing place for spirits—was pleasantly cool. It felt almost like being inside a cave.
We proceeded in silence.
Confirming the two knights were behind us, I spoke quietly to Lord Runken.
“Still, five ponds is quite the scam.”
“They must’ve decided it was worth that much. In fact, since opening this place, Count Belnett’s coffers have grown considerably.”
“… It is a strange place.”
The moment we stepped in, the air turned crisp and cool.
Even though the rest of Nympée had become hot, it was chilly here. Why?
It was odd—unsettling, even.
Maybe spirits really did exist.
I was a firm nonbeliever in things I couldn’t see, but even I had to admit… the air here reminded me of the feeling you get when visiting a shrine.
As we continued forward, we reached what must’ve been the bathing lake.
But its surface—
“It’s… murky.”
“… Strange. This lake was supposed to be famously clear and beautiful, a sacred place for spirits.”
“In the last three months, there’s been no rain. But there haven’t been any landslides either…”
Looking at the lake’s muddy surface, I could tell it wasn’t just dirt or algae—there were likely microbial remains, too.
It wasn’t just unclean—it looked cursed.
And then it hit me.
“The ‘wrath of the spirits’…”
“Yes. It may be manifesting here, in this lake.”
Lord Runken nodded without hesitation.
“It was far more beautiful when I saw it before.”
“You’ve been here before?”
Come to think of it, Lord Runken had often visited Nympée.
Still, the forbidden zone had only been opened recently.
Even as a duke and finance minister, it wouldn’t have been easy to enter.
When I asked, he answered quietly, as expected.
“I read about it in records.”
“I see…”
With proof of the illicit profits (undeniable evidence) in hand, we decided to wrap up the on-site investigation.
(I came all the way to Nympée, and I just want to enjoy the cats already…)
Working even here—was I lucky, or unlucky?
Back at the inn, I collapsed into bed and instantly sank into sleep, like a stone dropped in mud.
Apparently, I was exhausted both physically and mentally.
Just before I lost consciousness, a thought passed through my mind:
(That lake must’ve once been incredibly beautiful.)
It was called the “spirits’ bathing ground,” after all.
But now it was terribly polluted.
And then, the thought came to me—
(… Could it be that we’ve got the cause and effect backwards?)
Assuming the spirits do exist—
What if the lake didn’t become dirty because the spirits were angry…
… but rather, the spirits became angry because the lake became dirty?
If so—then maybe there’s a way to fix this.
That was the last thought I had as I drifted off, receiving an oil massage from Sarasa and Mary.
☆
Meanwhile—
Back at the royal castle, something was happening.
Veronica had gone missing.
What do you think about this chapter?
