* * *
The knife struck the plate with force.
With a little more strength, it might’ve snapped clean in half.
Klen glanced at my plate, and I instinctively looked down.
The knife gleamed coldly beside the juicy piece of meat.
Despite being from a family renowned for swordsmanship, I had completely butchered the simple task of cutting the steak.
“……”
“……”
“Does it not taste good?”
“Ah, no… It’s not that.”
If I said yes, Klen would probably summon the chef right now and scold them.
The chilly air settled heavily around us.
I hurriedly sliced the steak properly this time and stuffed it into my mouth.
As expected, it was delicious enough to make my lips curl into a smile.
It tasted great, but that infuriating scene from earlier kept flashing before my eyes.
Just imagining it was enough to make my stomach churn.
I quickly cut another piece of steak and shoved it into my mouth, chewing as if to drive away the sour mood.
The perfect texture of the meat and the rich juices spreading across my tongue helped calm me down a little.
I swallowed quickly and asked before the conversation could veer off track.
“S-so… what exactly did the report say?”
In my rush, my voice almost cracked, but thankfully I managed to get the words out without biting my tongue.
Finally, Klen’s eyes left his plate and met mine.
“I’m sure you already guessed, but the culprit was that knight.”
“You mean the one who caught the wyrm near the forest?”
Klen nodded slightly.
The answer wasn’t hard to figure out.
Back then, there were three suspicious people — two of whom were Klen and me.
If it wasn’t us, only one person remained.
He was the culprit.
A neatly sliced portion of steak from his plate was placed onto mine.
He paired it with a salad mixed with beans, vegetables, and herbs before finally beginning his own meal.
“That’s correct.”
The meat was still tender, juicy, and flavorful, but all my attention was focused on his words rather than the taste.
I recalled that knight.
His wavering, unreliable eyes.
Judging by the time he spent fighting the wyrm, he didn’t seem particularly skilled with a sword.
And besides—
“He didn’t strike me as someone capable of using magic.”
That knight had seemed like just an ordinary swordsman.
It was hard to believe he could also wield magic.
Besides, hadn’t the investigation revealed that no one there had drawn a magic formation?
“He didn’t do it himself. Apparently, he hired a guild for that.”
“…I see.”
“They drew the formation near the forest entrance, thinking no one would approach that area. But when they saw us heading that way, they panicked. After dealing with the wyrm, he followed us immediately.”
Calling it ‘immediately’ feels like quite the exaggeration though…
I put a bite of salad into my mouth.
Maybe because I’d been chewing on meat so much earlier, the refreshing crispness of the fresh vegetables wasn’t bad at all.
It made my mouth feel pleasantly clean.
“It was probably because you were snooping around near the spot the guild told us about. I must’ve gotten anxious. You caught me, so in the end, the three of us ended up together.”
Judging by how he knew every detail, he must’ve finished investigating the magic circle and even interrogated the knight already.
It had to be a minor act driven by greed, but I doubt he expected it to blow up like this.
He probably panicked and spilled everything.
“It was also revealed that the reason the magic circle was so obvious was because he didn’t have enough mana.”
“I see…”
I zoned out for a moment, lost in thought.
If we hadn’t interfered, what kind of monster would that knight have summoned?
The spell calls forth a random monster weaker than the caster’s own abilities… so definitely not a gargoyle.
‘Could he have won with that?’
Probably impossible.
I tilted my head.
Whatever he managed to summon, the ogre captured according to Klen’s plan would’ve earned more points.
“In a few days, my father will summon you.”
“Me?”
My mouth hung open just as I was about to take another bite of meat.
With the investigation wrapped up, why bother calling me now?
I could guess the reason, but still, what a hassle.
“…”
And then, I let out a faint smile.
Count Valuncio probably just intended something formal.
Something necessary, of course.
It’d likely help me as well. But the fact that I called it a hassle…
Isn’t that a word the man sitting across from me uses all the time?
They say married couples grow alike, but… have I already been influenced that much?
“What do you plan to do?”
“If he calls, I have no choice but to go.”
If I naturally thought that, then Klen must find it troublesome too.
He stared quietly at me.
A small smile crept onto his face before he asked again:
“Are you going to collapse?”
“…!”
Only then did I understand what he meant.
He was asking if I planned to act weak.
I blinked, finding it strangely amusing that we could now openly discuss this sort of thing.
Do I no longer need to agonize over everything alone?
Somehow, the thought made my chest tingle with unfamiliar warmth.
“No, I don’t intend to.”
But hearing his suggestion, it didn’t seem like a bad idea to make use of the rumors that I had been on the verge of death.
A frail, sickly person bedridden for days…
It wouldn’t do to look too healthy.
“What if your steps stagger just a little? Like you’re still dizzy.”
“That’s a good idea. Wouldn’t it be more effective to hold out bravely through everything, only to falter slightly at the end?”
“…”
Indeed.
I couldn’t help but be impressed.
If I appeared too weak, it would spark doubt and controversy.
But this event is meant to celebrate the hunting competition victory.
If I grit my teeth and endure when it matters, only to collapse the moment I step down from the stage, it would leave quite the effective impression.
Is this the mark of someone with years of acting experience?
He paid attention to details far beyond what I considered.
“What do you think?”
With cold, gleaming eyes, he wore a faint smile.
Meeting my gaze, he slowly sipped his wine, the image reminiscent of some villainous mastermind.
All we were doing was exchanging acting tips to avoid trouble, yet…
For a brief moment, I couldn’t help but feel relieved this man wasn’t my enemy.
“It’s a good idea.”
So this makes us perfect partners in crime now?
After suffering alone in silence with this exhausting act, it felt like I could finally breathe a little.
The tension eased, and the meal was nearly over.
Yet, I kept staring at his lips.
We’d discussed nearly everything, but the most important thing I wanted to hear still hadn’t left his mouth.
“…”
“…”
“So, what about the other magic circles?”
Growing impatient, I finally asked first.
Up to this point, I could piece things together even without detailed explanations.
The real issue starts now.
Were there any other magic circles?
“The other circles…”
As Klen slowly spoke, I swallowed hard, my throat dry.
“Nothing was found.”
“…!”
My eyes widened at his next words.
Nothing?
“N-Not even one?!”
“There were traces suggesting some experiments, but nothing significant. It could’ve been practice from when they first drew the circle for the guild.”
I hurriedly grabbed my glass and washed the dryness in my throat down with wine.
‘Experiments?’
That was the only noteworthy piece of information that slipped out.
There were traces of experimental magic circles.
The mages involved in the investigation seemed to believe the guild was responsible, but I thought otherwise.
It had to be the spy’s doing.
Could it have been teleportation magic practice?
* * *
