Chapter 78

A few days have passed since the branch office burned down.

During this time, without a place to work, we gathered in Erika's room for remote work, discussing the reconstruction of the branch office and studying for exams.

"I'm so bored... Dorothee, when are you going back?"

Dorothee went to the military outpost yesterday and gave a detailed account of the crime scene she witnessed.

"Well, I think I can go back now, but someone from headquarters is coming, right? I'm thinking of getting a ride on their airship when they leave. Chris-sama said I could fly back, but it's tiring, you know."

It's a long way from here to the capital.

Even for a bird, it's tough.

"Dorothee, I don't know much about it, but can familiars be away from their masters?"

Leonor asks.

"Normally, they can't, but I do as I please, and Chris-sama has said I can be free. Being a bird, I fly around a lot, you know."

"You're not loved, are you?"

Helen says this with a smug look and comes closer.

She's so cute, I pet her.

"Zig, you're the symbol of bad luck for carrying me on your back! We respect each other and are ideal partners!"

"Crows are the symbol of bad luck! And what makes you ideal partners? It's the fatigue of a loveless relationship!"

"Kee!"

Kee...

Isn't your call supposed to be 'caw'?

"Stop fighting!"

"You crybaby! Leonor likes crows better, right!?"

This guy really likes Leonor...

"Calm down. Each relationship is different, and it's better not to compare. It's just the two of you."

But the conversation sounds like a married couple.

"Leonor is mature. How about being Chris-sama's wife?"

"Sorry, I have a husband and two wives."

Us?

"Too bad."

Dorothee lands on Leonor's shoulder while saying this.

"...Why does she like Leonor so much? Is it because she looks like a witch girl?"

I ask Helen in a low voice.

"...Because she has blonde hair. You know, crows."

The habit of collecting shiny things...

Thinking about it, Chris has blonde hair too, when the doorbell rings.

"Is it a customer?"

Erika stands up and goes to the front door, opening it. A sign in front of the burned branch office reads, "Please visit the apartment in the back if you need anything."

"Hey, Erika, how are you?"

"Oh, Lutz."

Hmm?

"Really. He's Yuriana's boyfriend."

"Really?"

Lutz, in his military uniform, stands at the door.

"Can you stop that? I told Yuriana, didn't I?"

Lutz smiles wryly.

"Sorry, sorry. So, what's up?"

"Of course, it's about the fire."

Well, that makes sense.

"Lutz, come in."

"I'll come in, then."

Lutz enters the room, and Adel and Leonor put away their study materials and move to the sofa.

"Studying?"

"We can't really work right now. All the magic grass you gave us burned."

We are currently on hiatus.

"I wanted to talk about that, too."

"Alright. Sit down."

"Is this your house?"

"It's Erika's house."

It looks like a woman's room, doesn't it?

"Alright, then."

Lutz sits across from us, and Erika brings coffee.

"Lutz, here you go."

"Thanks. First of all, thank you for your cooperation in catching the culprit. It was a mess, but it was resolved quickly."

"Thanks to that, our castle burned down."

"I'm sorry. We were patrolling, but we were focusing on the guild's warehouses. We didn't think they would target the branch office on the main street."

No one would think that.

"I understand. We don't blame the military."

"I'm sorry."

"So, is Adolph the arsonist for the other fires as well?"

There's still a possibility he was just taking advantage of the situation.

"Adolph is definitely the arsonist for the other fires. He still denies it, but the guild's employees confessed easily."

Can't say much about him; he's not well-liked.

"What about the connection to the councilor?"

"There were documents in the ship. The councilor instructed the branch office to be burned. We arrested the councilor yesterday."

Don't rely on merchants.

What a foolish councilor.

"Will both of them be executed? The councilor might have connections and could be pardoned."

"Unlikely. Setting fire to the alchemist guild's branch office is too serious. It could be considered treason. Besides, you guys were featured in the newspaper recently. If he were pardoned, the townspeople would be upset."

Indeed, that would be impossible.

If the arsonist who burned our branch office, which contributed to the town by volunteering for firefighting, were protected, it would cause a surge in dissatisfaction with the government.

"Alright, then. I don't want to be targeted by revenge."

Go to the other world.

You might be reborn like me.

"By the way, we're still patrolling this area for a while."

"Thanks. Yuriana said she hasn't had a day off recently."

"Really. I've been so busy, I might not have a day off for a while."

That's true.

"Good luck. And about the recovery ointment request..."

"Right, right. The magic grass you gave us burned, didn't it?"

"Yeah. It was in the third-floor warehouse."

It was dried grass, so it probably burned quickly.

"Well, we can't help it, so we've extended the deadline for the request."

"Sorry. What about the magic grass?"

"That's the problem... The market hasn't recovered yet. Magic grass is hard to identify, and only a few people can collect it, so once it's gone, it takes a while to recover."

Magic grass is difficult to identify without being a mage.

And mages don't go out to collect it.

Those who can fight have money, and those who can't fight don't go into the forest.

"Maybe we'll have to go collect it..."

"Are you okay with that?"

"Well, it's not too deep."

"I'll try to gather some here, but I might need your help. If you do, I'll provide guards."

Guards...

Soldiers are strong and can shield us if necessary, giving us time to escape.

"Got it. I'll see how it goes."

"Alright. You guys are having a tough time, too. That's all I wanted to say. I'll get back to work."

Lutz finishes the remaining coffee in one gulp and stands up.

"Let me know if you're tired. I can make potions or sedatives for you."

"Thanks. You're the best mage in the country, after all."

Did you read the newspaper too...

Thank you for reading.

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