Chapter 169 - <12>
“She was a fine woman, though,” Ritz murmured wistfully.
“She was a good person,” Anna sighed in return. Of course, she couldn’t have possibly known the true meaning behind Ritz’s words. Considering that, their relationship, which should have looked complicated from the outside, seemed rather comical between the two of them. Franz couldn’t help but let out a small sigh.
It had been about three hours since they’d parted with Edward. Franz had just finished explaining the progress of the investigation and the new incident to Ritz, who was still locked in a cell at the top of the Autonomous Guard headquarters tower. He’d had to repeatedly pull Anna’s meandering explanations back to the main point.
They had gone to the crime scene in the morning, so it was already noon. Before coming here, Anna had forced a reluctant Franz, who had no appetite, to buy bread from a bakery, and she’d brought the food with her.
Franz’s original plan had been to tell the Autonomous Guard about the bloodstain on the sculpture, leave Anna at the headquarters, and then guide them to the scene. However, the Guard had simply told him a guide wasn’t necessary, so he ended up staying put.
When Ritz was first caught, the Tashkur Autonomous Guard had been wary of him escaping, so visitors were strictly limited to one at a time. But now, with the possibility that the true culprit was someone else, they had easily permitted two visitors.
In fact, no one had even escorted them this far. It was probably because Anna was used to the route, but it was also easy to guess that now that a second incident had occurred, the Autonomous Guard—a self-defense organization for the peaceful city of Tashkur—was simply short on manpower.
“Why don’t we try organizing everything we know so far? I’m not good at thinking about complicated stuff like this,” Ritz proposed, scratching his head vigorously.
“Maybe we’ll remember or think of something else if we do.”
His gaze fell upon a stack of paper, an ink bottle, and a well-used pen.
“Are you going to write it down?” Anna asked.
“That’s a good idea. Writing it out might help us realize what we’re missing, right?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Franz agreed with that. For him, writing things down on paper was easier to understand than just thinking them over in his head. So, before Anna could reach for them, he pulled the chair from the writing desk over to himself and positioned himself in front of the paper and ink.
“I’ll write.”
“It’s okay, I can do it. See, my handwriting is better, right?”
“Your handwriting might be good, but your sentences are strange.”
When he stated it so bluntly, Anna pouted.
“They are not!”
“They are. I read your report to His Majesty. It was hard to read.”
As Franz stood his ground, Ritz burst out laughing.
“Franz has a point. It’s probably best to leave it to him this time.”
“What?!”
“Your writing style really isn’t suited for summarizing a case. It’s interesting to read, though.”
Franz nodded at his words. To summarize an incident, a sentence like Anna’s—When Ritz woke up, there was a bloody knife in his hand! He doesn’t remember holding such a thing, but he was so surprised!—would make reviewing it a nightmare.
Ritz was consoling the unconvinced Anna like one would a child… or rather, he was teasing her for his own amusement. Ignoring the two of them, Franz opened the lid of the ink bottle.
First Incident
○ Victim: Ashok (Anil and Kamala’s father)
○ Murder Scene: Tashkur assembly hall. It’s confirmed Ashok entered. There was a large amount of blood, so there’s no mistake (Autonomous Guard).
○ Motive: He had earned the resentment of people in the entertainment district (Autonomous Guard).
He was opposed to his sister’s relationship (Anil).
○ Suspect: Ritz
○ Murder Weapon: Small, decorative knife. Does not belong to Ritz.
○ Time of Murder: Sometime during the night. The blood on both Ashok and Ritz had completely dried by the time they were discovered in the morning.
○ How Ritz was transported: The murder scene and the place Ritz was drinking are far apart. The only one who could have transported Ritz was the bird-cleaning wagon that comes on the same day every week (Edward, Anna).
Second Incident
○ Victims: Dayaram, Unidentified Woman
○ Murder Scene: The lowest level of the Tashkur entertainment district. The room where Ritz spent time with the woman before he was caught.
○ Motive: To silence the female victim, who was feared to tell Dayaram about the culprit (Autonomous Guard).
Dayaram, an acquaintance, discovered the crime in progress and was killed impulsively (Anil).
○ Suspect: ?
○ Murder Weapon: Edward’s sword (Dayaram).
Unknown for the woman.
○ Time of Murder: Late at night. Several hours after Franz and Anil saw the lowest level, and before the time Dayaram said he would return.
“Is this about right?”
After finishing, he handed the paper to Ritz.
“Whoa, this is incredible.”
“Let me see, let me see!”
As if responding to Anna’s request, Ritz stuck both his hands out of the cell and held the paper so she could see it too while he read over Franz’s writing. Anna also let out a sigh of admiration and stared intently at the paper.
A short while later, Ritz, having handed the paper to the still-reading Anna, smiled at Franz.
“You’re really suited for administrative work. I could never do this.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“It is. If it were me, I’d just scribble my thoughts all over the place, and it would be a mess to read.”
“…Thank you.”
Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses. But when it came to handwriting alone, Ritz’s was far superior. Not that his sloppy personality and beautiful handwriting were related. It was because he’d learned to write late, after becoming an adult, and had simply memorized the examples exactly as they were shown to him.
“This is amazing. So this is how you organize it…”
Anna, seemingly deeply impressed, passed the paper back to Ritz with a sigh.
“This is a good lesson.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“I need to study up, too.”
Anna said it wistfully. Due to her work in agriculture, she was simply unaccustomed to writing, as she rarely needed to. She would surely be able to handle something of this level once she got used to it.
Ritz, holding the paper again, ran a hand through his hair while staring intently at what Franz had written. Naturally, Anna and Franz fell silent, watching over him. After a while, Ritz, who had been lost in thought while staring at the paper, spoke up.
“Considering the situation where I was framed, I get the feeling the first murder was meticulously planned well in advance.”
“Meticulously?”
“Yeah. Take the timing, for example. It’s a busy season, so it’s easy for outsiders to blend in. Maybe it was easy for them to find someone else to use as a scapegoat besides me, you know?”
“That’s true. They said there were a lot of merchants,” Anna nodded in agreement with Ritz. Recalling the scene in the city, she remembered how it had been filled with merchants and the distinct aroma of spices. At the same time, an idea came to Franz.
“But there are very few people besides merchants. There are tourists who come specifically for Tashkur, but…”
“Right. There are practically no travelers from other countries just passing through this city. And it seems the rate of combat-oriented guys entering this city is low. In that case, we must have stood out quite a bit, don’t you think?”
“Not ‘we,’ but you and Ed-san, right?”
“Exactly. There’s no way we look like merchants or tourists. I borrowed Ed’s sword when I was out drinking, but when we entered the city and were walking around, I was carrying my own sword on my back.”
He was right. Anna could pass as a merchant’s family member, and though it was vexing, Franz was very often mistaken for a merchant. That would make Ritz and Edward quite the unusual type of profession among the outsiders visiting this city.
“Do you think they targeted you because you’re a combat professional who stands out?” Anna tilted her head.
“From what I saw walking around the city, it’s not like we were the only combat types.”
Indeed, at the inn where they were staying, there were a few merchant guards who were clearly identifiable by their appearance, though they were few in number. But the person they had their eyes on was Ritz.
“You were targeted because you’re loose with women.”
When Franz muttered that under his breath, Ritz shot him a look of utter indignation.
“…Men in this line of work tend to be like this.”
“I doubt it.”
“You can’t have a virtuous mercenary.”
“Is that so?”
At Anna’s wide-eyed surprise, Ritz’s words came to a halt. He then cleared his throat pointedly and changed the subject.
“We’re getting off track. What I’m trying to say is, they might have chosen someone who’s a combat professional but wouldn’t be immediately punished by the Autonomous Guard even if they were caught.”
Franz and Anna both tilted their heads at his words. They didn’t quite understand what he meant. Ritz gave them a wry smile.
“You two, you’re polar opposites, but sometimes your reactions are identical.”
Was he making fun of them for both being naive? Franz found it disagreeable, but Anna just looked puzzled, so he let the comment slide. Ritz shrugged, as if to say his joke hadn’t landed, and continued as if nothing had happened.
“When I was first nabbed by the Autonomous Guard, they beat me pretty badly. One of their own was killed, so it’s no wonder the Birdfolk, who aren’t used to crime, would fly into a rage. Well, once they found out I was the former minister of the Yuresla Kingdom, the assault stopped right away, and a doctor even treated me.”
This was the first they were hearing of this. Anna’s eyes widened with surprise and anxiety as she asked tentatively.
“…Were you okay?”
“Hmm? Yeah, it wasn’t a big deal. It’s not like they were trying to kill me or anything.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Don’t worry. I was perfectly fine when you came to visit, right?”
“…Yeah.”
Smiling gently, Ritz reached out to Anna, who was watching him with concern. Franz let out a small sigh and averted his gaze. He sincerely wished they would save their lovey-dovey moments for when they were alone.
Now that he knew the dynamic between the oblivious Anna and the brooding Ritz, it was somewhat painful to watch. To think that if he hadn’t known, he could have just brushed it off, he now resented Edward for telling him.
“And the rest?”
Feeling that if he left them alone, they would sink even deeper into their own world, Franz brusquely prompted him to continue. Ritz gave Franz a smile that seemed to say, You’re jealous, aren’t you? Not in the slightest. He wasn’t jealous at all.
For Franz, Anna was outside the realm of possibility as a romantic interest. She was fine as a companion, but he wanted no part of that personality that trampled all over one’s heart. If Ritz were to ask what kind of woman he did like, of course, no clear vision would come to Franz’s mind.
Suddenly, the image of a woman appeared in his head. A pained expression, one that seemed strong-willed yet pleading, and at the same time, deeply resigned.
The Diva?
He had that thought for a moment, then snapped back to reality, dismissing the woman’s face that had surfaced. That face didn’t belong to a woman from a past illusion, but to a woman who currently lived in this city. He had only met her once, yet she was strangely on his mind. Perhaps it was because her eyes resembled the Diva’s.
“Something wrong?”
Despite having teased him, Ritz asked suspiciously, concerned by Franz’s strange expression as he fell silent. Pushing away the sad female face that had appeared before him, Franz gave a small shake of his head.
“Not at all. I was just thinking how the topic keeps changing.”
He wasn’t sure if he’d successfully deflected, but Ritz gave a wry laugh and continued his story.
“I don’t have any proof, and it’s just speculation, but I have a feeling the culprit knew my status.”
Realizing the implication of those words, Franz was momentarily at a loss for words. But Anna, completely clueless, just stared at Ritz and asked.
“What status?”
“The fact that I’m the former minister of the Yuresla Kingdom, and the man with me is the former king.”
“Could that be true?”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense. From what I’ve heard, the murdered Ashok wasn’t someone hated by the Birdfolk, right? Among the Birdfolk, he seems to have had a reputation as a respectable man. An outsider who killed such a person would be considered an outrageous criminal.”
“That’s true.”
“What do you think would happen if they pinned the crime on a merchant who’d come to the entertainment district, or one of their guards?”
A chill ran down Franz’s spine at Ritz’s jokingly asked question. Ritz had said the violence stopped because his status was revealed. That meant…
“The beating wouldn’t have stopped, and they might have even been killed?”
“Yeah. Even if they didn’t intend to kill him, it’s possible he could have been killed by an enraged member of the Autonomous Guard.”
“Even though they’re the Autonomous Guard?!”
“Even so, they’re an autonomous organization of Birdfolk created for the sole purpose of protecting this peaceful city of Tashkur. It’s wrong to think of them in the same way as our Military Police, isn’t it?”
Indeed, considering they were a guard unit for self-governance, Ritz’s opinion was understandable. Moreover, he had heard they were unaccustomed to crime, and that there were people who did not look favorably upon the immigrants living in the entertainment district. For some reason, he had a dreadful feeling about what he was about to hear next. But Ritz continued speaking in a matter-of-fact tone.
“What would happen if they framed a merchant who came to this city, or a guard, and killed them without any investigation? It would earn them the resentment of the immigrants in the entertainment district and the merchants, right?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s not all. The Sarnia Federation is a country with strict laws. If one of its citizens was killed, do you think Sarnia would just stay quiet because Tashkur is a special autonomous region?”
“…I don’t think so.”
“Right? That’s why they needed a scapegoat who wasn’t a Sarnian citizen, and who, due to their status, had the lowest chance of being beaten to death. And that was me.”
If that was fact and not just Ritz’s imagination, then the culprit was someone who could know Ritz’s status.
“How many people would know?”
“The Autonomous Guard members guarding the fortress at the entrance, and the Birdfolk official who processed our entry. That much is certain. But if it’s someone in the entertainment district getting information from them, it would be impossible for us to track them down.”
“You’re right…”
For a moment, Faye’s face came to mind. She might be exchanging information with one of them. As an informant in the entertainment district, she must have sources somewhere.
“And then there’s Anil. Anil knows our status, and if Anil talked, it’s not strange for Kamala or Barat to know too.”
“Are you suspecting Anil?” Anna grabbed the iron bars, her expression one of genuine shock.
Ritz placed a hand on Anna’s head with a wry smile.
“I’m not saying Anil is suspicious. I’m saying the culprit might be among the people Anil casually mentioned our status to.”
“Yeah…”
“You should ask Anil. Ask him if he’s told anyone about us.”
Anna, gently admonished, took a deep breath to calm herself and let go of the bars.
“You’re right. Ed-san also says it’s important to gather information little by little.”
“See?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright, I’ll continue. The other thing that puzzles me is that even though they planned things so meticulously, the second murder was so sloppy.”
“Sloppy?”
“That’s right. Unlike the first murder, the second one wasn’t staged, and there’s no sense that they tried to hide it.”
The cheap inn where the second murder took place was paid for by the day, a situation where the bodies would absolutely be discovered the next morning. And it didn’t look at all like it had been staged to make Dayaram seem like he had murdered the woman.
“In the first incident, they couldn’t afford to be caught. That’s why they set up a scapegoat who wouldn’t be killed, so they wouldn’t be caught. But in the second incident, it’s like they weren’t afraid of being caught.”
“Their objective was accomplished, so it was okay to be caught?”
“No. It could also be taken as, their objective was accomplished, so they could make a quick getaway. But a question remains. Why did the culprit cover the body with a sheet after killing them?”
In both the first and second incidents, the bodies were covered with a cloth. But the second incident was handled more carefully than Ashok’s; the hands were folded.
“And they treated the body with care.”
As Franz muttered that aloud, Anna nodded.
“That’s right. And the dead woman’s eyes were properly closed and her clothes were straightened. It was just like they had neatly prepared her appearance before a funeral.”
Anna said wistfully, as if recalling the scene. At her words, Ritz ran a hand through his hair, as if he’d realized something.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hey, Anna, isn’t it usually family who properly prepares a body?”
“It is.”
“It’s completely bizarre for someone who killed a stranger out of hatred and then impulsively killed an Autonomous Guard member to properly prepare the body for burial. It’s like a contradiction.”
With that, Ritz let out a groan and fell silent. Franz also crossed his arms and fell silent. It certainly felt like a contradiction. It was as if there were two culprits.
…Two?
“Ritz, what if there were two culprits?”
“Two?”
“Yes. The one who killed, and the one who covered the body. And they’re not communicating with each other.”
“…What do you mean?”
“The biggest question in the first incident is who covered the body. Ritz and the victim were covered in blood, and if the goal was to frame Ritz, the sheet would have been in the way. And yet, the sheet was left there.”
After confirming that Ritz and Anna were nodding silently, Franz continued.
“In the second incident, the body on the bed is also covered with a sheet. And the fact that it was pure white means that, just like the first incident, the sheet was placed after the blood had dried.”
“So, you’re saying after the first culprit kills, the second culprit goes around covering the bodies with sheets?”
“Exactly.”
“…Would the second one really risk going to the scene just for that?”
As Ritz tilted his head at that, Anna suddenly shouted.
“That’s it! A family member!”
“Huh?”
“I forgot, but Susir from the Autonomous Guard said that when a body is covered with a cloth afterwards, it’s often a crime committed by a family member.”
“A family member?”
“Yeah.”
To summarize what Anna said, the first victim, Ashok, had no defensive wounds, and since a sheet was placed over him, it was possible a family member was involved in the crime. And the second victim, the woman, was also covered with a sheet and similarly had no defensive wounds, so it was thought that the culprit could be a family member as well.
“And since the second person was treated more carefully, they must be a very close family member! And if there are two people, like Franz is thinking, maybe the one who covered them with the sheet is the family member, not the one who killed them?”
“So if we find a common family member between Ashok and the female victim, the culprit is among them?”
“Yeah.”
There was certainly some logic to it, but unless they could identify the woman, it didn’t seem likely they would find the culprit. Realizing this, the three of them sighed in unison. They had to start by finding out the woman’s family, and in the end, they were just going in circles.
Ultimately, after talking for a long time, the only things they could vaguely surmise were that the culprit knew Ritz’s status on the day before he got involved, that they were likely a relative of both Ashok and the female victim, and moreover, someone close to the female victim.
Looking at the clock, it was well past noon. Looking up at the high window, the sunlight streaming in was beginning to slant.
“It’s already so late.”
When Franz murmured that, Anna and Ritz also looked up at the high window.
“I was just thinking I’m hungry. Should we have a late lunch?”
“That’s a good idea. Can’t think straight on an empty stomach.”
Watching Anna happily start to unpack her things and Ritz watching over her, Franz noticed something.
“It doesn’t look like they’ve brought you lunch.”
“Come to think of it, you’re right.”
He had wondered if lunch was skipped in the prison, but Anna had said she ate with him before, so that couldn’t be right.
“That’s strange.”
“The Autonomous Guard must be busy. I’ll go get it!”
Anna darted out nimble-footed and returned a few minutes later with two members of the Autonomous Guard. One was an elderly man wearing an ornate decoration over his loose, robe-like clothing, and he appeared to be of a rather high rank.
As Franz and Ritz braced themselves for what was to come, Anna’s face broke into a wide smile.
“They found out that the bloodstain on that roof could only have been made by a Birdfolk! You’re not allowed to leave the city, but Ritz, you can get out of jail!”
“Really?!”
“Really!”
In front of the rejoicing pair, the elderly man stepped forward.
“I am the chief of this Autonomous Guard. With the involvement of a Birdfolk confirmed in the second incident, and your own involvement unconfirmed, we will grant you a temporary release. However, you have not been fully exonerated, so I must ask that you do not leave the city under any circumstances.”
With a grim expression, the elderly man bowed his head. He probably didn’t want to release the suspicious Ritz, but perhaps he decided he couldn’t hold him any longer due to Ritz’s status.
“His Majesty and I have our positions to consider. We will absolutely not try to sneak away.”
When Ritz declared this boldly, the man let out a sigh and motioned with his chin to the man standing behind him. The man behind him walked up to Ritz’s cell, selected a key from the heavy-looking key ring at his waist, and inserted it.
As everyone watched, the lock was opened.
“Finally, I’m free from this cramped space!”
Ritz stretched his tall frame and took a deep breath. A smile filled with a sense of liberation spread across his face, and Anna jumped on him. Seeing this familiar scene, Franz finally felt a sense of relief.
And thus, Ritz’s seven-day life in prison came to an end.