Chapter 163 - <6>
After safely dropping Anna off at the Tashkur Autonomous Guard headquarters, located in the middle tier of the city, Edward and Franz made their way to the entertainment district sprawling across the lower tier. The short time it took to ascend and descend the mountain had already left Franz exhausted, but with time being of the essence, he had no leeway to accommodate him, unfortunate as it was.
Unlike the area inhabited solely by the Birdfolk, the entertainment district was filled with a chaotic bustle, despite it being daytime. Among the lively crowd coming and going were not only the people of Sarnia but also a large number of Birdfolk dressed in vibrant ethnic attire. It was true that this country, unlike the lands of other demi-humans, seemed to be a melting pot of different cultures.
All the eateries had their doors wide open, spewing out unique aromas and warm steam. Despite the early hour, the sounds of drunken brawls could be heard from the taverns. Along the roadsides of this entertainment district, people of various races had set up stalls to buy and sell a motley assortment of goods.
Unlike the street stalls in the Yuresla Kingdom, most of the people here were conducting their business on cloths spread directly onto the cobblestones. The goods being bought and sold were not only from Tashkur, but also general supplies from the Sarnia Federation and dried seafood that would likely not be available in the mountains. People stopped at these stalls, and the streets were so crowded with people that it was extremely difficult to walk.
"It's so cramped."
Franz, who had been silent for a long time, muttered a complaint with a grimace.
"Do you dislike crowds?"
"Yes. But even more than that, this smell…"
"You don't care for it?"
"Honestly…"
The source of the smell that had caused Franz to grimace was the piles of spices stacked here and there. For Franz, who disliked spicy, pungent, and uniquely scented things, the mingled aroma of the spices might indeed be nothing but unpleasant.
However, spices were a specialty of Sarnia and one of its most important diplomatic commodities. A large quantity of spices was imported into the Yuresla Kingdom every year and traded as luxury goods. Edward was aware of this, but the sight of spices, which were sold only in small quantities in jars in the royal capital, piled high was nothing short of astonishing.
Being a special autonomous region of Sarnia with close ties, Tashkur also received a large quantity of spices, and the inn where they were currently staying served a fusion of Sarnian and Tashkur cuisine using many spices as its specialty.
"I want to get into a shop as soon as possible."
"Do you think it will be any better than this?"
"Yes. A little."
Smiling wryly at the somewhat pale Franz's delicate nature, Edward took out a memo on which he had written the location of the tavern he had heard about from Ritz. The tavern's name was apparently the 'Hopping Flightless Bird Inn'. Since it was run by a human in a Birdfolk country, the name seemed plausible. According to the memo, it was located on a back alley slightly off the main street.
Ritz preferred somewhat rundown, but good-food establishments over popular, large ones. Naturally, in such places, one could gather various pieces of information about the city that one couldn't in larger establishments, and one could also meet women who could satisfy the tastes of someone like Ritz. The problem was that such establishments were extremely difficult for anyone but the person himself to find.
In Ritz's case, he had a well-developed intuition for finding such places, and moreover, he had the special skill of never forgetting a path once he had taken it, so once he found a place, he could go there as many times as he wanted without thinking. But for them, searching for that place relying on a memo was extremely difficult.
They walked around in circles in the city, not even sightseeing, and by the time Franz had lost the energy to complain even once, the two of them finally found a sturdy wooden door with a single copper sign affixed to it.
Embossed on the sign was a pattern of a strange bird standing on two legs that he had never seen before. According to Ritz, this was the landmark of the 'Hopping Flightless Bird Inn'. It was said to be a design of a flightless bird that inhabited only the southernmost region of Sarnia, a region hotter than Yuresla.
He looked back at the exhausted Franz, who nodded with a vacant expression. Edward returned the nod with a small smile and opened the door of the 'Hopping Flightless Bird Inn'. A cheerful bell chimed.
"Sorry, customer. We're in the middle of preparations."
The man, who seemed to be the owner, said this without looking up from his work behind the counter. His skin was dark, but since his hair was also black, it seemed he was not a Birdfolk.
"My apologies as well, but we are not customers."
As he said that and approached the counter, the owner of the shop looked up with a suspicious expression, his eyes fixed on the approaching Edward. It was clear that he was being openly cautious, and he was gripping something out of their sight behind the counter.
On second thought, if two men, one with a sword and the other with some kind of weapon, were to walk into a shop before it opened, it wouldn't be strange to mistake them for robbers. In order to allay the owner's caution, he smiled as amiably as possible and lightly raised both hands.
"We are not suspicious individuals. We would like to ask you a few questions about the night before last."
"The night before last?"
"That's right. Actually, a companion of ours has been accused of murder."
"A companion?"
"Yes. We are investigating in order to prove that man's innocence, in cooperation with the Autonomous Guard. Would you be willing to speak with us?"
Finally convinced by the polite explanation, the owner put down whatever he had been holding. A quick glance revealed it to be the knife he had been using to cut ingredients. With a heavy sigh, the owner looked behind Edward.
"Hey, kid, would you close the door? It's hard to relax with it wide open."
Looking back, Franz was standing in front of the still-open door. It seemed he had missed his cue to enter and close it. As ordered, he sluggishly closed the door and stood slightly behind Edward.
"Just sit wherever you like. I'll get you something now."
With that, the owner began to tidy up his workspace. Having been walking since morning and feeling quite tired himself, Edward gratefully took a seat at a nearby table. Franz, who had been right behind him, also sat down next to him and let out a deep sigh. If this were their own room at the inn, he looked tired enough to collapse.
"Are you all right?"
"…I'm still all right."
"As long as you can put on a brave face, you're fine. That's a good thing."
After smiling at Franz, Edward observed the owner. Once his guard was down, it was clear that this man was a good-natured person. Come to think of it, one of Ritz's boasts was that he had never encountered an unpleasant owner when going to a tavern. That boast was not entirely a lie.
After a short while, the owner came out from behind the counter, wiping his hands on his apron. On the counter was a tray with three steaming cups, which had been placed there at some point. The owner brought it over to the table where the two were sitting side by side and placed the cups in front of them. Then he placed the remaining cup at the opposite seat and sat down himself.
"This is a specialty from the neighboring country of Tarnien, called green tea. It's a rare item that's only available this time of year, so please, have some."
Though he said that, for a moment Edward hesitated to touch the drink. If this man had some connection to the incident, there was a possibility that he could be drugged with some kind of substance, just like Ritz.
"Is something wrong?"
The harmless-looking owner, who had been savoring his own tea with a satisfied expression, completely oblivious to Edward's wariness, looked back and forth between Edward and Franz with a puzzled look. It would not be wise to offend him here.
He glanced at Franz, who was also showing hesitation toward the green liquid from which warm steam was rising. If this tea contained some kind of drug, his only option would be to have the remaining Franz flee to the Autonomous Guard.
As he brought the cup to his lips, a refreshing aroma, different from that of black tea, rose up. It was a fresh scent, closer to that of the tea leaves themselves than the depth of the tea. The bitterness that lingered in his mouth was also clean, and there was no scent of any kind of drug being mixed in.
"I see. This is the first time I've had it, but it is delicious."
"Isn't it? It's a pleasure that's only available this time of year, and I never miss it."
Perhaps pleased to have a customer agree with him, the owner wore a happy expression as he said that, then took another sip from his cup.
"Is there a reason it's only available at this time of year? Is it only harvested at this time?"
"No, this is the peak time for merchants to come in. Tashkur will be snowed in soon, you see. If we don't stock up on supplies for the spring, we won't be able to get through the winter, right? Especially things that are grown outside of this city become unavailable."
"I see."
"You've seen it too, haven't you? The hustle and bustle of that town. This time of year, just before being snowed in, both the Birdfolk and we immigrants from outside get all excited about buying up several months' worth of supplies."
"I see."
It seemed the considerable bustle of the town was not a usual occurrence. But in this situation, a feared event could occur.
"By the way, owner, I'm sorry to rush you, but would you mind if we started asking our questions now?"
"Sure. What do you want to ask about the night before last?"
"On the night before last, did a tall, young man with black hair come here? I think he gives off a cheerful and lighthearted impression."
"Tall and black-haired…"
After thinking for a moment, the owner nodded.
"Oh, that friendly young fellow? He was drinking at the counter and talking with me. I think it was his first time in Tashkur, and he didn't seem to know anything…"
"Yes, that's the man. Could you tell us the time he arrived and the time he left?"
"The time he arrived… well, I wasn't looking at the time, but the dinner rush was mostly over, and it was a relaxed time, so… around eight o'clock standard time."
"I see."
"And then… right, a woman who looked for all the world like a street prostitute came in."
According to his story, that woman must have been the one Ritz had said he spent the night with. By the time the woman and Ritz began their flirtatious conversation, the owner had moved away from the two of them and started a conversation with another individual customer at the counter, so he hadn't heard the content of their conversation.
After that, the two of them were in the shop for no more than two hours before leaving. It was likely around ten o'clock in the evening, by the owner's standard time.
"Is that woman a prostitute who works around here?"
"No. She was a woman I don't remember seeing before. She was wearing Birdfolk clothes, but she clearly wasn't a Birdfolk, nor was she one of the women from the shops around here. It's not unheard of for women to come over the mountains to earn money just for this season, so I thought she might be one of them, but…"
The owner said, tilting his head. He seemed to be thinking for a while, but eventually shook his head as if giving up.
"I really don't remember her at all. Maybe the madam of the brothel that runs the shops around here would know."
It seemed there was nothing more to be learned from the owner. Edward drained his now-cold green tea and stood up.
"I'm sorry to have taken up your busy time. Thank you."
"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help. By any chance, is the murder suspect that young man?"
"Yes."
"In that case, was the one who was killed the prostitute he was with?"
"No. An influential Birdfolk named Ashok."
"…Ashok! In this entertainment district!?"
The owner's eyes widened. At the unexpected reaction, Edward stared at the owner.
"No, in the town's assembly hall."
"I thought so… there's no way he would come to a place like this."
From his reaction, it was clear that the person named Ashok did not have a good reputation in the entertainment district. Even this good-natured owner didn't seem to like Ashok.
"Do you know Ashok?"
As he asked that with a gentle demeanor so as not to arouse suspicion, the owner sighed.
"Know him? He's the man at the forefront of the anti-immigration movement in Tashkur. He's the one who's trying to get rid of this entertainment district in order to drive the immigrants out of the city."
"Oh…"
"He's trying to kick us out with trumped-up charges like harboring the Tashkur Liberation Front or being a breeding ground for liberation movement activists. We just want to live in this city, surrounded by its beautiful environment, that's all."
"I see… does everyone living in the entertainment district share that sentiment?"
"…I don't know if it's everyone, but the majority do. Especially the immigrants and mixed-blood children, they don't think well of Ashok. I hear his son Anil and daughter Kamala were also fed up with their father's stubbornness."
"Anil and Kamala…?"
"Yes. Otherwise, why would Anil be working as a tour guide? That's a job that encourages immigration, after all."
His impression from meeting Anil and the impression of Kamala clinging to her father that he had heard from Ritz didn't suggest that at all, but it seemed the parent-child relationship was not as smooth as he had thought.
"Then, owner, do you think that the residents of the entertainment district are the ones with a motive to kill Ashok?"
At Edward's direct question, the owner fell silent with a perplexed look. It was written all over his silent face that he didn't want to be suspected. Still, Edward continued to gaze at the owner's averted, bitter-looking face. Eventually, the owner muttered weakly.
"The immigrants and mixed-blood children are more likely to be involved in the incident than the Birdfolk. Moreover, I don't think a tourist who just arrived would have any reason to kill Ashok. As long as you're in the entertainment district, you wouldn't even meet Ashok in the first place."
In other words, Ritz, who had been in the entertainment district, could not have even met the victim. Then why was he being slandered as Ashok's killer? At this stage, he had no idea.
"…I see. I'm sorry to have taken up your time."
With the intention of conveying that he did not suspect him, he smiled softly and patted his shoulder, and the owner laughed weakly.
"That young fellow, from what I saw, he's not the culprit. He didn't seem like a bad guy."
The owner said this, defending Ritz. But he had not seen through the fact that Ritz was a skilled mercenary captain. If he knew Ritz's position, what would he think? That was a fruitless thing to consider now. The culprit who framed Ritz was probably not walking around with the face of a bad guy. There were plenty of people who only looked like good people.
"Owner. Would you mind introducing me to the madam of the brothel?"
"With pleasure. I will show you the way."
Despite having said he was busy before opening, the owner said this and took the lead to stand in front of the door. Perhaps the fact that Ashok had been killed and that the one framed for the crime was a customer of his had moved his heart, at least a little.
Just before leaving the shop, an idea occurred to Edward, and he asked the owner.
"By the way, do you know Kamala's lover?"
The owner's hand, which had been about to open the door, stopped.
"There is some talk that he might be suspicious, but we have not yet met him."
"…I see, so it's Barat."
The owner said this and, without turning around, answered with a sigh.
"Barat is… a mixed-blood child who lives in the entertainment district."
"A mixed-blood child…"
"Yes. I've heard that's why Kamala's relationship with Ashok became strained. I don't know anything more than that… it's all just rumors, you see."
"I see."
"Yes. Now, please come with me."
"I'm sorry to trouble you."
"Not at all."
From that point on, the owner fell silent as if lost in thought and guided Edward and Franz in silence. The path he took from one back alley to another was devoid of the lively crowds of the main street. For Franz, who disliked crowds, this was probably a welcome relief.
After a short while, they arrived in front of a building with a calm atmosphere. This was apparently the brothel. When the owner opened the door of the establishment without hesitation, a young girl, still too young to be in a brothel, came out to greet them. With hair of a dark brown, almost black, and light brown skin, she did not seem to be a Birdfolk. Nor was she a prostitute. From her clothing and age, it was clear that she was a helper in this mansion.
"Please call the madam. There are some customers who wish to speak with her."
"Yes."
The helper girl cheerfully said this and disappeared into the back, then reappeared after a short while.
"The madam is calling for you, so please, customers only, come this way."
Upon hearing those words, the owner smiled and turned around.
"She is a very friendly person. Please, go ahead."
"Thank you."
As prompted by the owner, Edward and Franz turned their backs to the door to proceed deeper into the brothel. At that moment, the owner quietly called out to the two of them.
"What is it?"
"This is just my personal feeling, but… I don't think it was Barat."
"You don't think he is the culprit?"
"No. He is… too gentle a man. Yes, to the point of being timid."
After saying only that, the owner gave a slight bow. He had probably been pondering just how to say that since a moment ago. Giving the owner a small nod, Edward began to walk toward the back of the mansion. He heard the sound of the door closing behind him. He knew without looking back that the owner would no longer be there. He would probably have to ask the owner about Barat again at a later date.
He walked side by side with Franz over a deep, soft carpet. The atmosphere was calm, but Franz's gaze wandered uncomfortably at the somewhat suspicious decorations and the occasional statues of nude women with bodies one would not normally see.
"Have you ever been to a place like this?"
"No."
"Then it must be a novelty for you."
"…Yes. Though I have no desire to come here."
He smiled wryly at the extremely thorny reply. In direct opposition to Ritz, Franz was probably not the type to frequent such places in the future. Even Edward himself had not come to such a place in decades.
In the royal capital of Sears, there was a long-established brothel. Both Ritz and Edward had frequented it often. The reason was not what Ritz was up to now. It was because, during the civil war, it had become the hideout of the anti-royalist resistance.
Because of that, the worldly-ignorant Ritz had, at some point, become accustomed to women and brothels. Before he knew it, a fine womanizer had been born. That was why Edward felt a slight sense of responsibility for Ritz's current behavior. It was none other than Edward who, for a certain operation during the civil war, had him infiltrate the royal capital and stay for a long time at a brothel.
The girl who had been walking ahead of them stopped in front of a single room. She knocked on the double doors, which were the color of deep wine.
"Madam, I have brought the customers."
In response to the girl's cheerful words, a mature woman's voice answered.
"Very well. Have them come in."
"Yes."
The girl turned around and smiled brightly, then put her hand on the door. Beyond the opened door was a canopied bed, decorated with thin cloth. On top of it, a single, well-fed elderly woman was reclining.
"Please come in."
The woman urged them on with a voice and tone that oozed sensuality. The Franz next to him froze, but the girl who had guided them this far urged the two on with a bright smile.
"Don't be so timid. She's a good person."
"That's right. I won't eat you, little boy."
Perhaps annoyed at being treated like a little boy, Franz glared into the room with an openly displeased expression. Pushing Franz from behind, Edward entered the room. As soon as the two had entered, the door was closed by the girl.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Faye. I am called Madam Faye."
With softly waving black hair, black eyes, and lips painted a deep crimson, the woman had a skin color that was rare in this country. Not quite brown, but a yellowish skin tone. This skin color was common in Tarnien, the neighboring country of the Sarnia Federation. If one were to describe Edward and his companions as having white skin, hers was yellow. Perhaps noticing Edward's gaze as he observed her, Faye smiled gently.
"I am from Tarnien, so my skin color probably seems unusual to you, doesn't it? Mister…?"
To Faye, who tilted her head as she asked, Edward also returned a smile as he answered.
"Baldia."
"Mister Baldia. Welcome. Welcome to my humble abode. Please, have a seat."
From her small, though plump, body, one could glimpse the beauty of her youth, and her eyes still held a deep intelligence.
"I'm sorry to have you let us into a place like this for such a trivial matter."
Smiling, Edward sat down on the soft sofa as he was urged. The stubborn Franz stood by Edward's side, his displeasure on full display. Perhaps intending never to accept the hospitality of someone who had treated him in a way he found unsatisfactory, he seemed to have no intention of sitting down.
"I would come out if I could, but my legs are not what they used to be due to my age."
Come to think of it, Faye's legs seemed to be bad, and there was a wheelchair placed by the bedside. That was probably why she received all her guests in this room. Since there was no time for long, idle chatter, Edward straightforwardly asked about the woman Ritz was thought to have spent time with.
Information about the Ashok murder case had already reached Faye's ears, so the trouble of explaining the details was spared. But she seemed not to know the story that the person arrested as the culprit had just arrived in the city and, moreover, was supposed to have spent time with a prostitute but was found in the upper part of the city. Her narrow eyes, half-buried in flesh, widened in surprise.
"So that's why you're looking for a prostitute."
"I'm sorry to trouble you, but do you know her, Madam?"
"Let's see…"
But as expected, the answer was not favorable. Basically, the prostitutes in this city were under Faye's management. It was Faye who provided them with housing, and even when a street prostitute came to town, that did not change.
"But you see, there are girls who operate without permission this time of year. I generally have a grasp of them, but a girl with that appearance… I haven't gotten a handle on her yet."
Faye sighed with a perplexed look.
"Judging by her appearance, that child is probably a girl from the Sarnia Federation, or a mixed-blood child, but I don't think there are any prostitutes who are mixed-blood children with that appearance."
"Then, what are the possibilities that can be considered?"
"I don't want to say it, but either it was a mixed-blood woman who posed as a prostitute to frame your companion, or a foreigner like myself. Or a prostitute in the employ of a merchant, who is hiding and earning money so as not to be found by me."
"Are you able to identify that woman, Madam?"
"Let's see… it's impossible to find an ordinary girl who posed as a prostitute. But if she is a merchant's private prostitute, I think she will be caught in my net. There is no way she can get away with operating in this city without my knowledge."
"Does that mean we can expect a positive answer from you in a little while?"
"Yes. If that girl is a prostitute, that is."
Saying that, Faye showed a bewitching smile.
"Then may we visit here again?"
"Yes. A person like you is most welcome at any time."
"I would be grateful if you have taken a liking to me."
"Oh, most certainly. Your noble atmosphere makes even this old heart of mine leap."
"I shall gratefully accept your flattery. Then, Madam, if the woman is found, we would also like an opportunity to speak with her."
"I will send one of my young girls to the inn where you are staying. May I ask the name of the inn?"
From his impression of her, Faye seemed to be trustworthy enough. When Edward told her the name of the inn, Faye repeated it several times in her mouth with a languid air. She probably memorized everything that way.
A first-rate prostitute was probably a far cry from what the scowling Franz next to him imagined. They were knowledgeable and exceptionally skilled in human relations. Their memory, in particular, was superb; they would never forget a client they had once spent time with, and no matter how many years passed, they could recall them immediately. If her memory was that good, she could be trusted.
"If I find anything out, I will call for you again. Please do come. Of course, that includes the sullen boy over there as well."
Faye, who had grinned, sent a sticky, clinging wink to Franz, who turned his face away with a look of utter disgust. But from the perspective of a woman in the business, Franz's innocent attitude was endlessly amusing, and she laughed in a good mood.
Just as they had settled matters and were about to rise from their seats, the sound of a violent argument could be heard from outside the door. It escalated into a shouting match between two women.
"Oh, what could that be?"
Just as Faye muttered that, the door was thrown open violently, and the young girl from before came tumbling into the room. Pushing the girl aside and forcing her way into the room was a woman with a furiously blazing anger in her hazel eyes.
With brown skin and silver hair, and dressed in ethnic clothing, the woman was recognizable at a glance as a Birdfolk. In appearance, she seemed to be a few years older than Franz, probably around Ritz's age.
The girl stood up again and was desperately trying to stop the woman from entering the room. For a moment, he was taken aback by the sudden scuffle between the two women unfolding before his eyes, but in the next moment, the madam's single word was thrown at the two women.
"What are you doing? We have guests, you know?"
The voice that was raised was neither loud nor filled with anger. But in that voice, filled with the dignity of the mistress of the house, the girl stopped moving. But the Birdfolk woman seemed not to have heard the voice at all and, pushing the girl aside, approached Faye.
"Where did you hide that person?"
The Birdfolk woman pressed Faye with a voice full of anger. Faye looked at the woman without flinching at all. The girl, who had backed down at Faye's single word moments ago, once again moved to the front of the woman and stood between the two as if to protect Faye.
"Please stop, Kamala!"
The girl raised a shrill voice at the woman. Her voice made him start. Kamala was the daughter of the murdered Ashok and Anil's sister. Wasn't she supposed to be attending her father's funeral today? But this uproar, storming into a brothel, didn't seem like someone on their way back from a funeral.
"You're so noisy, get out of the way!"
"I will not get out of the way!"
"Get out of the way! My business is only with that whore!"
"H-how rude! Kamala, there are things you should and shouldn't say!"
"I'm just telling the truth! You're keeping him locked up somewhere, aren't you? Release Barat now!"
Gently moving aside the girl who stood in front of the furious Kamala, Faye looked at Kamala head-on. There was no rebuke or displeasure in her eyes. On the contrary, something like pity was floating there.
"Kamala. Barat is not here, you know."
"Lies! That's an absolute lie! There's no way Barat wouldn't show himself to me. I can't think of anything other than that you people are hiding him!"
"We are not hiding him. Why don't you search this mansion to your heart's content? It will be easily proven that he is nowhere to be found, you know?"
To the余裕のある笑みを浮かべるフェイに、カマラは掴みかからんばかりの勢いで食って掛かった。
"Then you've already hidden him somewhere else, haven't you!? Where is it! Tell me!"
To the completely irrational Kamala, Faye let out a small sigh, took a thin wooden pipe from a stylish small table by the bedside, filled the tip with tobacco, and lit it. A unique aroma rose from the pipe as a single wisp of smoke. After exhaling the smoke with relish, Faye smiled leisurely and looked back at Kamala.
"Isn't it your father's funeral today? What are you doing in a place like this?"
"Don't play innocent. It was one of your people who killed my father, wasn't it?"
"Oh, how hurtful. We certainly didn't like Ashok, but we had no intention of killing him."
"Lies, all lies. The people of the entertainment district all wanted my father to die, didn't they?"
"Well, I can't say that's entirely true."
"I was wrong. The entertainment district is just this kind of place after all. You killed my father and stole my lover."
"How dramatic. No one has done any such thing."
With an air of余裕, but looking somewhat fed up, Faye blew a thin stream of smoke from her full lips.
"So why do you suspect me of hiding Barat?"
"Because you're the central figure in this entertainment district, aren't you? Now that you've killed my father, the fact that Barat and I are lovers has become an inconvenience, so you've locked him up. I'm a Birdfolk, and he's a mixed-blood, after all."
"Unfortunately, there is no need for that. There are plenty of Birdfolk and mixed-blood lovers in this city, you know. I can't be bothered to intervene in every single one."
"But my father is special in this city. So you prevented Barat from coming to his funeral, didn't you?"
"Why?"
"Barat promised he would come to my father's funeral. That way, he could ascend to the Birdfolk's holy land. There's no way he would break his promise."
"If he said he would come, why don't you believe in him and wait?"
"I did wait. I waited long enough! But he didn't come."
Kamala's face twisted in frustration.
"I see. In that case, that is not something I know about. I have a policy of not interfering in matters between men and women."
Faye, who blew out a puff of smoke from her pipe, deliberately aimed it at Kamala and, with a bewitching smile, looked back at her.
"You're not a child anymore, are you? You should be able to understand what that means."
At Faye's composed smile and words, Kamala froze for a moment, but the instant she understood the meaning of Faye's scathing words, she began to tremble slightly. It was not out of fear or sadness, but out of pure anger.
"…Are you trying to say that Barat abandoned me?"
"Am I wrong?"
Overcome with anger, Kamala was at a loss for words and glared at Faye. But Faye was puffing out smoke with relish, looking as if Kamala was not even in her line of sight. Kamala and Faye were in different leagues, and Kamala was no match for her. Not understanding that, Kamala, trembling with anger but unable to speak, saw Faye once again raise the corners of her mouth slightly to form a smile.
"Now, leave. I believe I said I was with a guest."
Elegantly pointed toward the door by the pipe, Kamala finally noticed that Edward and Franz were there and glared in their direction.
"…Outsiders…"
In Kamala's mumbled words, there was more disgust than surprise. Kamala, who had taken a position opposite her father, seemed to harbor some complex feelings toward outsiders. There was no need to provoke her further here, so Edward remained silent and gave a light nod.
He wanted to hear her story at a later date, but in this situation, it would probably be impossible for a while. It seemed better to give up on asking about Barat directly.
In the midst of this situation, a man burst in through the still-open door.
"Sister!"
The man who burst in was Anil. Anil looked at his sister, who was filled with anger, and then his eyes widened as he saw Edward and his companions in his sister's line of sight. But before he could speak, Kamala turned around and spat coldly at Anil.
"What do you want, Anil?"
"What do I want? Father's funeral isn't over yet. To just leave like that…"
"The rest is just a drinking party for the stuffy Birdfolk. It doesn't matter if I'm not there. You can entertain them, Anil."
"Sister…"
Ignoring Anil, who groaned with a bitter expression, Kamala glared coldly at Edward.
"Were you asked by that woman to take Barat out of the city?"
"Kamala, our guests have nothing to do with this."
Brushing aside Faye's stern voice of restraint, Kamala approached Edward. She slammed both hands on the table that had been placed by the sofa.
"Is that it? Answer me."
In her faintly deep hazel eyes, there was a determination to stubbornly refuse to listen to anyone's words. It would probably be useless to say anything to her now. But it didn't seem to be a problem that would improve by remaining silent either.
"I'm sorry, but we have never once met the man named Barat."
"…Lies."
"This is the first time we have met the madam. I don't know what kind of misunderstanding you have, but we are not the kind of people you think we are."
"Then what are you? Why are you in a place like this in the middle of the day?"
For a moment, he hesitated in choosing how to answer the questioning Kamala. But hiding the fact that they were investigating the case would be found out if he asked her about it later, and considering her personality as he had seen it so far, he judged that it would not be advantageous and decided to answer.
"We are searching for the person who killed your father."
For a moment, as if taken by surprise, Kamala fell silent.
"For that purpose, we are seeking the madam's cooperation. It is not what you think."
"The culprit is…"
"What is it?"
"The culprit has already been caught. Don't tell such poor jokes."
A look of mockery appeared on Kamala's face. She probably felt he was trying to deceive her with a poor joke. But as Edward remained silent and simply gazed at her quietly, Kamala's mocking smile became strained. She probably felt firsthand that they were serious.
"So you're defending a murderer?"
"No. We are not defending him. We are convinced that he is not a murderer."
To Edward, who said this without averting his eyes, Kamala burst out laughing. The laughter gradually grew louder, eventually turning into a mocking laugh that shook her body. In the midst of everyone's gazes fixed on Kamala, the laughing Kamala eventually raised her face. Tears were shining on her face.
"…Don't mess with me! How can you say that man isn't the culprit in that situation? I don't know what that man is to you, but how can you make excuses when he was in the same room, covered in blood? If you defend a murderer, you're just as guilty as he is."
"Sister!"
"You murderer! On top of being a murderer, you're a heartless person who helps to steal my Barat! Get out of this city before you take everything precious from me!"
"Stop it, sister!"
"Anil! Are you taking this murderer's side!?"
"Sister, I beg you, just listen to me."
"No! I don't want to see your face either!"
Brushing off her brother who was trying to hold her back, Kamala strode quickly toward the door. As she was about to leave through the open door, she turned and glared at the room.
"I'll search for Barat in this filthy city as I please. No one has the right to stop me."
Kamala, who had said this as if a parting shot, turned her hair and disappeared from sight. Anil, who had been standing there stunned, hastily rushed after her. As Anil was also leaving the room, he turned and bowed to the room.
The storm had passed, and in the room, the guide girl was bowing her head to Faye.
"I'm sorry, Madam. I couldn't stop her."
"It's all right. Kamala is a girl who gets tunnel vision once she gets an idea in her head, so it can't be helped. Please make some new tea for our guests."
"Yes, Madam."
As the girl left, Faye dropped the fire from the pipe she had been holding into a nearby ashtray and toyed with the pipe. With a look of pity completely different from the one she had shown Kamala, Faye looked at Edward.
"Kamala is a straightforward and single-minded child. But Barat is a child who thinks things over and ends up running away. I wonder why the goddess brought those two together."
At the relationship between the two, which sounded familiar from somewhere, Edward smiled wryly. Perhaps it was because they were so different that they were drawn to each other.
"Speaking of which, Madam, do you really not know where Barat is?"
When he asked as if it were a side note to their conversation, Faye laughed sadly.
"The thing is, I really don't know. If he wanted to hide, I think coming to my place would be the best option, but it's a strange story."
"Do you remember when you last saw Barat?"
"Yes, I remember. Barat has not been seen by anyone since the day the incident you are investigating occurred. For a boy who was born and raised in this city, that should be impossible."
In other words, Barat had disappeared after the incident. Perhaps that man had a reason to be suspected by Anil. Whether or not he was the culprit, it was certain that he might know something about the circumstances.
"If possible, I would also like to hear what Barat has to say. If he appears, could you arrange a meeting for us?"
"…Well. If the boy agrees."
Though she was thinking it over, Faye nodded. It seemed he had earned a certain amount of trust from this formidable woman. Prompting the somewhat confused Franz, who had been thrown into disarray by the various things that had happened at once, Edward stood up this time to leave the mansion. Faye did not try to stop him either and saw the two off with a tired expression, a complete change from when they had arrived.
"Madam."
As a thought occurred to him, Edward turned around and looked at Faye.
"What is it?"
"A mixed-blood child, what kind of existence is that in this city?"
At that, the madam's gaze wandered with a clearly bewildered expression, and then she let out a small sigh.
"Among the mixed-blood children, although it is rare, a new kind of human sometimes appears. That is why mixed-blood children are the most feared beings in this Tashkur."
"…Feared beings?"
"I can only say this much for now. I haven't quite figured out if I can trust you that far."
In other words, if he could be trusted, she would tell him the secrets of the races in this city. Edward knew that he should not push in such a situation. Lightly patting the shoulder of the dissatisfied Franz, who wanted to hear it, Edward urged him to go outside.
The outside of the mansion was as dim as ever, and he walked in silence with Franz to the main street. When they reached the main street, as if the previous exchange had been a lie, a lively scene spread out before them.
"That was tiring."
"Yes, it was."
Although he sighed at the lack of progress today, rushing would not get them to the truth. They had no choice but to settle in and do it slowly. After all, they were not professionals.
With a sigh, Edward looked up at the holy land towering in the center of the city. That destination was, for now, still quite far away.