When the two people whose movements had been restricted were released, Jared put away his knife. However, Pfeil, who didn’t know them, remained wary.
He wouldn’t be convinced no matter how much I told him it was fine.
“Jared… what are you doing here?”
“That’s what I should be asking you. Laurentz, Bertha, what business do you have at Kevin Harrington’s mansion?”
Laurentz’s expression turned bitter when I threw the question back at him.
“Kevin Harrington is my Master.”
“No way?”
According to information from Duke Alway and the Mage Association, he had no connection with Laurentz.
“It wasn’t a formal master-disciple relationship, but my relative Kevin taught me the basics when I awakened my Magic Power. Since then, whenever I had time, he would give me magical training and consult with me when I was struggling. He was like an older brother to me.”
“…Is that so? This is truly a regrettable situation. Please accept my condolences.”
“Thank you. Kevin would surely be happy to hear that.”
Laurentz looked as if he were about to cry, and Bertha gazed at him with concern.
“So, what were you two doing in this mansion? You shouldn’t be able to visit without permission from the bereaved family or the Mage Association, right?”
“…Indeed, I came here without permission. But, thinking of Kevin’s regret, I couldn’t just stand by.”
I understood his feelings. His relative, who was like a master to him, had been murdered. His grief was palpable.
I wanted to leave him to his sorrow, but I couldn’t. Jared might be targeted by the culprit who murdered Kevin. If they could take the life of a Court Mage Candidate, they should be considered as strong as or stronger than Jared.
“I’m sorry to bother you when you’re grieving, but please tell me. Laurentz, did you know Kevin Harrington was a Court Mage Candidate?”
“I didn’t. I only found out yesterday when I was informed of his death.”
‘Do you have any idea who the culprit might be?’
“How could I! If I did, I would have already killed the culprit with my own hands!”
“Sorry.”
All I could offer were apologies.
Certainly, Laurentz, who mourned Kevin’s death, would have gone to confront the culprit if he knew who it was, given his emotional nature.
This meant that he, too, had come here seeking some kind of clue.
“No, it’s fine. I apologize. I just can’t control my emotions right now. So, why are you and the others here?”
“You’ll find out eventually, so I’ll tell you, but please don’t mention it to anyone. Besides Kevin Harrington, other Court Mage Candidates have been murdered. I’m the only one left.”
“—Impossible.”
Not only Laurentz but also Bertha was stunned.
“Since I could also be a target, I can’t just do nothing. That’s why I came here to examine the scene and find any clues, however small.”
“I see, that’s why we encountered each other.”
Jared himself hadn’t expected Laurentz to be there, so they were equally surprised.
“You said your name was Laurentz. I’m Pfeil. I’m staying at Olivier Alway’s mansion. I have one question for you, is that alright?”
“Ask me anything.”
“What was the cause of Kevin Harrington’s death?”
“Pfeil, you… that’s too direct, don’t you think? Can’t you ask more gently?”
“It’s fine. Pfeil, was it? It’s better to ask directly. As for the cause of death, he was stabbed with a bladed weapon without any resistance.”
Hearing that there was no resistance, Jared felt a doubt. Could a Magician, especially Kevin Harrington, who was said to specialize in offense, be killed without putting up any resistance?
The use of a bladed weapon indicated a close-range attack. It seemed too easy for a Magician with combat experience to be killed.
“No, wait a minute. Laurentz, did you by any chance see the body?”
“I did. I saw it. I will never forget the sight of Master Kevin, such a remarkable Magician, being killed with a single stab to the chest. He must have had so many regrets. To be killed by a bladed weapon without being able to resist, as a Magician—”
Laurentz’s voice held more anger than sadness.
“Jared, you’re a Magician too, you understand, right? If you have pride as a Magician, you’d want to die using magic. To be unable to fight, and worse, to be killed by a weapon—it’s the ultimate humiliation!”
Bertha supported Laurentz as he wept with grief.
Although Jared took pride in being a Magician, he didn’t quite understand Laurentz’s anger, as he only saw magic as one of many tools.
Jared believed that when people die, they die. Magic has nothing to do with it.
“Jared, have you noticed?”
“Even if you don’t say it, I have. Being stabbed in the chest means he saw the culprit’s face. But there was no resistance. That’s strange.”
Pfeil and Jared both wore perplexed expressions.
If he was attacked from behind, it would be understandable that he couldn’t resist. With trained individuals like Pfeil, there were no absolute certainties, even for experienced Magicians.
However, if he was attacked head-on, the situation would be different.
“Hey, Laurentz, did Kevin Harrington have any defensive wounds? Were there any marks on his arms or anything from being cut by a bladed weapon?”
“…No, there weren’t. Master Kevin was simply stabbed in the chest.”
“I see. Well, this has become quite troublesome.”
“What do you mean, Jared? Please tell me too.”
I hesitated to say it, but I knew that whether I told him or not wouldn’t stop Laurentz’s actions. In that case, perhaps it was best to provide him with information to take precautions.
Since the culprit’s motive and identity were unknown, Laurentz, who was close to Kevin, could also be targeted.
“The absence of defensive wounds means, needless to say, that he didn’t resist. But if an unknown person or an enemy appeared before you, you would be on guard. If you’re on guard, you can take some action even if you’re suddenly attacked. It’s not that easy to end up with no resistance. Therefore, the culprit who murdered Kevin Harrington—is someone he knew.”
Although it was just one of the possibilities in the current situation, Jared judged that he wasn’t entirely wrong.
If this assumption was incorrect, the attack must have been a complete surprise. By monitoring Kevin and attacking when he was in a moment of carelessness, it wouldn’t be impossible to kill him without resistance. However, if that were the case, the mansion would likely be in disarray, but it didn’t look like it.
Unless the culprit had gone to the trouble of tidying up before leaving, which was unlikely.
“Someone he knew? Who could it be?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know Kevin Harrington.”
“Jared.”
Pfeil called out in a low voice, unheard by Laurentz, who was holding his head.
“This incident is not our doing. I may not have been informed about the request to murder Court Mage Candidates, but at least there are no Waalthe members in the Capital City. If there were, I would know immediately.”
“Then, it really was someone he knew?”
“The highest probability is as you predicted. However, there are other assassination organizations besides Waalthe, and you of all people know that Adventurers also take assassination requests.”
“But I don’t think an ordinary Adventurer who takes assassination jobs could kill a Court Mage Candidate.”
There are no first-rate Adventurers who take on kill orders. If there were, Hannelore and Olivier would have died long ago.
The possibility of an assassination organization could not be ruled out, but the reason for Kevin Harrington’s lack of resistance still led me to believe it was someone he knew.
“We won’t reach a conclusion here. There’s nothing in the mansion that could serve as evidence for the culprit. There’s only one thing.”
“What is it?”
“The murder by weapon, which is humiliating for a Magician. Wasn’t that done intentionally?”
“Even more so if it was someone he knew, is it? If you think about it that way, it’s resentment.”
The letter from the Mage Association contained their findings, but they concluded that the culprit was not a Magician.
However, both Jared and Pfeil felt that the crime must have been committed by a Magician.
It made sense if they considered that only a Magician could orchestrate such a humiliating death for another Magician.
“We need to get more information from Dennis. What we have now is insufficient.”
It was likely that the Mage Association was also investigating with all their might. In that case, there was a possibility that a suspect had already been identified.
Jared decided to visit the Mage Association.
