Chapter 91 The Truth, Part III
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I returned to White Lily Cafe from Lana’s mansion. I had to come back, no matter what. The travel time was less than an hour if I used a horse-drawn carriage, which was a relief.
When the sun had tilted slightly to the west, I arrived at White Lily Cafe. I told Claire about the conversation I had with Lana and the hypothesis I couldn’t explain earlier.
After hearing that, Claire… her voice was calm, but her tone was tinged with sadness.
”…So this is the truth, huh?”
”Probably… I think it’s the most likely hypothesis.”
There were still many uncertain elements regarding Moon Moss. However, there was no room for doubt about the dishes. After all, they reacted to lead detection magic.
”Aide developed symptoms right before Dupont Corporation opened a mine. I think that mine caused the problem. Dupont Corporation brought the necessary metal to the capital, and Aide made the tablewares… which ended up containing lead.”
From Aide’s perspective, it was just an extension of his long years of making tablewares. If he didn’t know about the harm of lead, he wouldn’t have been able to prevent it.
”So, Zarek was… innocent, huh?”
”…Probably. But, no, I think he’s innocent.”
I didn’t say anything extra.
Where did Zarek get the Moon Moss from? If it was from the Great Forest, it’s possible that the Moon Moss he prepared also contained lead.
But it’s already pointless to investigate. The ratio of Moon Moss, tableware, and counterfeiting… it’s impossible to investigate.
The only thing we can infer is that Dupont Corporation might have released a harmful amount of lead. That’s all.
”We’ll continue investigating Zarek for now. Aide’s medical records might have some clues.”
”I understand… I’ll leave it to you.”
If Zarek’s Moon Moss came from the Great Forest, it could become material to support the hypothesis. Well, I’m not expecting much, though…
Claire seemed calm, but she looked tired. I might have explained too much at once, but there’s no choice but to accept it.
”I’ve answered your questions. The truth is almost clear now. I’ll investigate a bit more, but there’s not much I can do.”
”What about Sword Dupont Corporation… what will happen to them in the future?”
”Well, we still lack evidence to hand them over to the authorities. The elves in the Great Forest should gather that evidence――it’s not my job.”
Lana and her family will pursue Dupont Corporation as much as possible once the evidence is gathered. If the court recognizes their responsibility, Dupont Corporation will have to pay a massive compensation.
”Even if my hypothesis is correct, it’s hard to predict what kind of punishment Sword Dupont Corporation will receive. If they’re found to be extremely malicious, Sword might even face imprisonment.”
”…Do you think Sword knew how far it went?”
”That…I don’t know.”
There’s no certainty about that. Considering the situation in the Great Forest, the lead contamination has been going on for years. Did they really not notice, or did they know and ignore it?
”I tried to buy the tablewares here because I had a hunch…or maybe it’s evidence of the forgery. At this point, there’s no way to know.”
”……”
Claire is a wise woman. Even when she’s silent, her mind is working.
It’s clear. Right now, it’s almost impossible to corner Sword with the materials Claire has.
”…Anyway, I think we can uncover the whole truth if we cooperate with the Almira family, who rule the Great Forest, in their investigation.”
”Thanks. If we have Meer, who’s good with finances, mediate for us, it’ll be less of a hassle.”
Meer is also on good terms with Lana. She’ll handle it well. Putting aside the forgery and other issues, this is the best way to pursue the lead contamination.
”Once again, thank you for everything.”
”…Are you satisfied?”
”Yes, I am. It’ll take some time to digest, but…if you meet Mr. Zarek, can I ask you to tell him that I’d like to visit my father’s grave with him?”
”I got it. If we meet again, I’ll definitely…”
My conversation with Claire had ended. Even I, who’s usually confident, was getting tired. I’ve been using up a lot of physical and mental energy over the past few days.
”…Master.”
”Hm?”
Claire stood up from the sofa and came around behind me. I wondered what she was going to do, but Claire started gently massaging my shoulders.
”You seem really tired, don’t you?”
”Yeah, I am… Ah, this feels good.”
Mmm, mmm, Claire’s massage was amazing… My stiff shoulders were loosening up, and I was feeling more relaxed.
”…Would you like to take a break for a bit?”
There was a hint of sweetness in Claire’s voice. Her slender fingers gently touched my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
Lana crossed my mind, but that was a different story. This was a different situation. I’m a guy who’s weak to girls. I answered with a dreamy tone.
”Yeah, I’d love to be taken care of.”
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Report Error Chapter
Tags: