༺ Sisters Are The Closest Friends! (4) ༻
Freesia Academy’s Deputy Headmaster and researcher, Ilgast.
This is what he told me.
His wife got caught up in an accident.
But that accident may actually have been a premeditated ‘murder’.
“Professor Brigitte is not completely irrelevant regarding this matter.”
On top of that, there’s a chance that Brigitte might be involved.
I can’t afford to not listen to him.
But.
I first looked around.
Usually, during an important and serious conversation, there was always some kind of interruption.
I don’t like it when stories get cut short.
“Ah, Dr. Ilgast!”
“Did you not receive our call? It’s about Molumolu, a strange creature we discovered–”
See?
Even now, some researchers came out of nowhere and were heading towards us!
I knew this would happen!
We can’t talk in this situation.
“Let’s go somewhere else.”
Ilgast and I left the area.
Then Iglast said, “I know the perfect place.” and led the way.
The place we arrived was inside one of the lab rooms, with a bunch of soft cushion-like things lining the walls.
Like some kind of recording room.
“This is a room for testing the level of soundproofing. Absolutely nothing will leave this room.”
A soundproofed room.
I’m not a fan of absolutes- but there was a certain coziness to this quiet and isolated place.
“So, what did you mean by Brigitte being involved?”
“You probably know that the Walpurgis family and Graham Academy had a business agreement together. It’s why we hosted the Walpurgis Night here in Freesia a few weeks ago.”
“Well…”
Well, of course, I knew.
We suffered a lot during that event.
I was wondering why he was bringing this up when Ilgast kindly explained the reason.
“Graham Academy collaborated with the Magic Tower because of a specific technology. A Technology needed in order to create an artificial, man-made organism… the homunculus.”
Homunculus.
I knew a little bit about its existence.
I even saw one in person.
Though it had been more a teddy bear than an organism.
“Headmaster Elle hiring Brigitte as a professor is related to that technology. To create a being. It’s no ordinary endeavor. It’ll be dangerous.”
“Danger, hm…”
I recalled Brigitte’s friend, Aru.
It hadn’t seemed that dangerous.
Rather it had been friendly.
Although I was a boy who preferred transformers over dolls, I even thought that I’d have enjoyed having a teddy bear like Aru.
However, that was because his creator, Brigitte, had good character.
That’s why it had remained a teddy bear that liked giving hugs to others.
And if such a creation-technology were to fall into evil hands like that of the former Thief King, Judas, and artificially mass-produced children like Salome?
It would definitely result in something horrific.
I was deeply pondering over that when Ilgast added something.
“… The technology might already be finished to some extent. You can tell by looking at Tywin.”
“Tywin? What about her.”
“This is a copy of the birth registration form submitted to the city hall 6 years ago when Tywin was born. If you see here, the section for biological father isn’t recorded.”
Indeed.
The line in which one fills in the father’s name on the form was left blank.
This would be common for single mothers who couldn’t reveal who the father was or just didn’t know.
Was Elle Cladeco also a single mom–I was thinking when Ilgast said seriously.
“She has no father. Tywin, that is.”
So that’s the case.
It was suspicious in many ways.
It’ll be worth an investigation.
“Alright. The quickest way to find out is to ask them in person. They likely won’t answer, though. On that note, I found that the truth potion you made before was pretty effective.”
Ilgast was a proficient pharmacist.
If I get the truth potion and feed it to Elle, I’ll be able to hear all sorts of things easily.
Swoosh—
Ilgast pulled a medicine bag from his pocket.
It was a familiar medicine.
I was ready to take it when Ilgast paused.
Holding the medicine bag in his fist, Ilgast said as he shook.
“My wife, Batory, was good friends with Elle. Because they were siblings.”
“…….”
“But 2 years ago, my wife said that Elle was acting weird–after saying that she left and didn’t return home. When she came back, it was as a cold…”
I see.
If your wife became like that then of course you would go mad.
The fact that his daughter Elizabeth had high princess rank and had a cute appearance meant that Ilgast’s wife, Batory must have also been a great beauty.
In his situation, he couldn’t simply get over his wife’s suspicious death.
“Anything else to say?”
I figured it was time to end the conversation soon.
At that, Ilgast fell into thought for a while and then spoke as if he remembered something.
“According to what my wife, Batory said… Elle seemed to have prepared for a wedding about 10 years ago. Though the man went missing and the marriage failed to happen.”
“… Missing.”
“It may not be related, but afterward Elle distanced herself from men. From then on she madly immersed herself in research.”
“I see.”
“It should be free time for the children soon. This soundproof booth is also part of the tour so we should leave. Take this terminal.”
Pat—
I received a device that looked like an early-model smartphone.
Made out of crystal, it looked pretty expensive but Ilgast looked determined as if the price didn’t matter.
“Any other information I can think of later will be delivered through this terminal.”
“Sounds good.”
Due to his intelligence, Ilgast knew about many things.
To the point that he overloaded me with more information than I wanted and so I needed to organize all of it.
So, what I heard today could be summarized like this.
1. Elle Cladeco is suspicious.
2. Brigitte might become involved.
3. The children are going to have free time soon.
The end.
Too simple?
Simple usually is the best.
* * *
Freesian Research Institute’s garden was a place full of beautiful greens.
The flowers, fields, and trees were planted in a well-balanced ratio of 1:2:7.
Honestly not understanding what that ratio meant, Salome just watched the clock.
Noon.
12 hours and 0 minutes.
The start of lunchtime.
It was soon time.
Clap– Clap–
Salome clapped to get the attention of the children running around the field.
“Okay! Let’s gather! It’s now lunchtime. After having lunch, you’re free to go around the lab until 2 o’clock!”
Swoosh—
Just then, someone lifted their hand.
It was a black-haired girl.
“What is it, Naru?”
“I just wanted to raise my hand…!”
“Then keep holding it up.”
“Hiiiiik…!”
The children heartily laughed.
Salome felt a bit tired.
But she also had free time from noon until 2.
In the 2 hours, Salome planned to roam freely around the facility and gather information on ‘Elle Cladeco’.
During that time, it’d be good to assign a supervisor so that nothing happens to the children.
“Caesar. Caesar Von Freesia.”
“Teacher, did you call me?”
The golden-haired boy ran to where Salome was.
In a purposefully stern voice, Salome spoke to Caesar.
“I did, so you will be able to lead the children well during lunch and free time so that they don’t get lost or hurt, right?”
“Ah, but my free time…”
“Think of this as further training to become a king. The reason why I’m assigning this to no one else but Caesar. The grandson of the Duke must surely understand?”
“Ohhh, I get it! I can gain experience as a ruler!”
Kids are so easy to deal with– Salome thought as she walked off.
And as the scary teacher went away-.
“Waaahhh!”
“Let’s eat!”
“Lunch!”
The children acted wildly.
Children in their free time with the teacher gone were louder than a colony of wild rabbits.
They all jumped around the field of the park and Caesar’s warning of “You’re being too loud.” was ineffective.
They only focused on having lunch with their good friends in their favorite spot!
Naru was the same.
Naru spread a picnic mat underneath a huge tree.
Cecily and Elizabeth sat together with Naru.
“Naru’s lunch was packed by Brigitte! Strawberries, pork cutlet, sweet and sour pork, plenty of Naru’s favorite things!”
Naru laughed.
She was happy thinking about eating the lunch that Brigitte packed in the morning.
Elizabeth saw Naru’s colorful lunch and made a long, nasally hnnnnnng-.
“Lucky. Mine is a sandwich from a nearby ready-made meal store. My dad isn’t good at cooking so he can’t pack me lunches. He’s also really busy.”
“Then, let’s share with Naru! What did Cecily bring?”
“I have here cooked by the head maid butter lobster, steak with saffron on top…. truffle….” “Wow, holy shh…! So bougie…!”
Kyaa— Kyaaa—
As the three kids were deep in conversation.
Naru’s eyes discovered a girl suddenly sitting in front of the tree.
It was Tywin.
Tywin was sitting alone under the tree reading while everyone else was grouped together.
Considering how at the beginning of the semester there were many students who flocked toward the genius Tywin, it was a fairly gloomy sight.
“Tywin is eating alone again?”
“Her attitude is too cold.”
“Hmph, she’s too arrogant!”
The children talked without any intention to hide it.
At their words supposedly intended for her to hear, Tywin inwardly snorted.
‘They’re all morons.’
Isn’t there somewhere quiet to read-.
As she searched around with that thought, Tywin locked with black eyes.
‘… Let’s pretend I didn’t see her.’
She quickly turned her head but it was too late.
Naru was already heading towards Tywin!
“Tywin! What are you reading?! 「The Ecology of Raccoons」? Naru knows a lot about raccoons! On the way to Ordor Kingdom, I lived with them for a bit! There was even one as big as a house!”
“Live with raccoons? As big as a house? Don’t lie.”
“Did you know? If you read platypus backwards it’s still platypus!”
Platypus….
Tywin flipped the word in her head.
Supytalp.
“… No, it isn’t!”
“Wow, holy shh…! It wasn’t!”
Snap.
Tywin glowered.
She felt something like ‘standards’ dropping whenever she talked with Naru.
But Naru spoke as if it didn’t matter.
“So actually Brigitte made Tywin’s lunch, too! Let’s eat together!”
“I’m not going to eat! Skipping lunch induces self-digestion and helps with concentration, okay?
“Then Naru will eat Tywin’s lunch, too!”
Grooowl—
Right then, Tywin’s stomach growled.
If she didn’t have lunch then the cerebrum may not function properly due to lack of nutrition, thus lowering her concentration.
In the end, Tywin sat together on the picnic mat with Naru, Cecily, and Elizabeth.
It was questionable as to why Professor Brigitte would pack lunch for her, but she recalled that Thief Judas asked her yesterday if her lunch was packed.
‘Mom left for work yesterday and didn’t come home.’
Tywin felt very conflicted at the moment.
Just then, Naru spoke up.
“Then, after we eat let’s all go find Molumolu! I think I know where Molumolu is!”
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