kscans

Chapter 32 - Confidential Documents and a Mountain of Potions

Leonhard carried the wooden box from earlier up to the table on the second floor and re-examined its contents in the brighter light.

--Just as I thought.

The parts describing the monsters' characteristics were in a different handwriting from the Supreme Commander's. However, the details about this land's geography and the base of what appeared to be the Tree Sea Defense Force were written in the commander's own hand.

"This isn't something I should take outside... But since I have it, I might as well use what information I can."

He let out a heavy sigh. He had come too far to turn back now. He had no choice but to steel his resolve.

The fact that such a confidential document was in a private residence was abnormal in itself. But if he reported it, Mireille would certainly be detained, and at worst, be treated as an accomplice. ...Though at this point, both he and Mireille were already like accomplices.

"...I should at least tell her about the risks."

He stood up and headed for the third floor. There, he found Mireille surrounded by a mountain of Potion and High Potion bottles.

(...Wait, is that starting to look like a mountain of cash?)

Mireille turned to him and gave him a bright smile.

"Ah, perfect timing! I used yesterday's magic herbs and water to make a bunch of Potions and some High Potions too. My master is amazing! There was powdered phoenix feather among the ingredients! You can't get that unless you're lucky enough to encounter a phoenix!"

Mireille chatted happily about alchemy. ...No, if you're encountering a phoenix, that's not being lucky, that's being pretty unlucky.

"By the way, Mireille. Have you ever heard how your master obtained her ingredients? You can't buy phoenix feathers in a regular shop."

He asked as casually as he could, and Mireille answered nonchalantly.

"Oh, I think my master defeated it herself."

"...What?"

He thought he had misheard.

"It's true. My master used to say, 'Phoenixes are easy to defeat, but the hard part is that they rarely appear.'"

"...No, listen, Mireille." Leonhard began, looking uncomfortable.

"There aren't many people in this country who can defeat a phoenix."

"What!? R, really!?"

Mireille's eyes went wide in panic.

"...I know some of this might be a shock, but could you come down to the second floor for a minute?"

Leonhard said, a mix of irritation and anguish in his chest.

A master who hides state secrets. A master who can easily defeat a phoenix. And a Supreme Commander who is complicit in it.

No matter how this turned out, it wasn't going to be good.

---

Leonhard showed the booklet to Mireille, who had come down to the second floor, and explained the situation step by step.

Mireille tilted her head in confusion at first, but her expression soon turned serious, and she began to read the booklet intently.

"Is this... really a state secret?" she asked, looking troubled.

"This land is the king's direct domain. Plus, with such detailed monster records and the Supreme Commander's handwriting, it's obviously a confidential document by any normal standard."

Leonhard replied, thinking she just didn't want to face reality. But her response was unexpected.

"...The monster descriptions are all in my master's handwriting. I don't recognize Darius-san's handwriting. But they were dating, so it wouldn't be strange for their records to be mixed together."

Leonhard was momentarily at a loss for words at Mireille's casual remark.

"And..." she continued, looking a bit hesitant.

"The recognition-inhibiting magic that's supposed to keep people out of the Tree Sea... I don't think it would work on my master. I mean, she makes recognition-inhibiting tools all the time. If anything, she'd probably be gleefully investigating what kind of recognition-inhibiting magic was being used."

"...I see."

From Mireille's description, he could vaguely picture what her master was like.

Are all alchemists like that?

"So I think she just entered the Tree Sea on her own, gathered materials, and recorded the monsters she saw. It's a habit for alchemists to keep a complete record of their experiments."

Mireille explained, pointing to the pages one by one. But at the end, she frowned and tilted her head.

"But... I've never seen this mark before."

The moment he heard those words, the tension left Leonhard's shoulders.

(...Maybe I was thinking too much on the dark side, assuming we were being pursued.)

Even the Supreme Commander, if she had entered the Tree Sea within legal bounds, might have simply left a note on the map to warn her not to trouble the Defense Force. That was a possibility too.

Of course, since it was treated as confidential, it wasn't something to be praised.

But if a dating couple were having a nice Tree Sea date without leaking any information, it wasn't exactly illegal, was it....

Remembering what had happened in the recognition-inhibiting tent that morning, Leonhard couldn't help but blush.