episode_0023

I haven’t done anything yet, but it feels like I did something wrong.

Everyone around me is holding their heads and sighing, so I’m puzzled.

‘This is a bit awkward.’

Where can I turn to in times like these?

It’s obviously time to find the best GOAT in my network.

‘Flora, big sis!!’

I looked at Flora with pleading eyes.

-Sparkle sparkle

‘Please explain the situation.’

Flora, who noticed my urgent SOS, opened her mouth.

“Don’t worry. That child may look like this, but she is very clever.”

But the doubtful gazes towards me were still not withdrawn.

So,

‘Roughly, Flora said she called someone, I guess.’

She said she called someone who could solve this situation,

And since it’s a recommendation from the ‘Imperial Princess,’ everyone had high expectations.

‘But a little kid came.’

Hmm.

I’d sigh too if I were in their shoes, wouldn’t I?

Still, the good thing is that I’m not just any kid.

Having grasped the situation to some extent, I cleared my throat and opened my mouth.

“Ahem. Grand Chieftain, is it true that all of the World Tree’s Tears have been stolen?”

“It seems so.”

“And you haven’t solved it yet, right?”

“As you can see. Even if we ask the spirits, none of them can answer.”

Even the spirits don’t know?

“Does that make sense?”

“What the spirits are sure of is that it wasn’t the work of an outsider.”

Spirits usually know everything inside and out.

But they couldn’t grasp the situation other than ‘it’s not an outsider’?

‘This is more serious than I thought.’

It definitely seemed like it wasn’t a normal incident.

‘Still, it’s a relief that it’s not an outsider.’

I paused for a moment, resting my chin in my hand, and said.

“First, can you guide me to the place where the World Tree’s Tears were kept in order to resolve the situation?”

“Hmm….”

At my words, he glanced at Flora for a moment and then nodded.

“…I understand. I’ll guide you.”

* * *

A little while later,

Having put on an eye patch again, we arrived at the treasure vault.

Inside the huge vault, various treasures were piled up,

But conspicuously, only one spot was empty.

“That must be where the Tears were kept.”

“That’s right. As for the security devices, well, you can see for yourself.”

“Hmm….”

I carefully examined the neutralized security devices.

After examining the traces for a moment, I muttered quietly.

“This is interesting.”

There are two main ways to neutralize a security device.

The first is to spend a long time hacking the security code,

And the second is to destroy the security device itself by mobilizing immense physical force.

In fact, as a matter of course, the more important the security facility, the higher the grade of security devices used, so there were hardly any cases of destruction by physical force.

Therefore, most criminals tend to proceed by carefully hacking the security code little by little over a long period of time.

But this case was different.

‘The security device is completely destroyed.’

It’s not just destroyed,

It was completely wrecked.

‘It doesn’t seem like magic was used either.’

It was presumed that the security device was destroyed by injecting an excessive amount of magical power ‘purely’.

‘To destroy this level of security device with pure magical power alone… it doesn’t seem like an ordinary guy.’

But one question arose.

“Grand Chieftain.”

“Hmm? Is there anything you’re curious about?”

“This, even at a glance, doesn’t seem like something an academy student could do.”

This was something that even the elven investigation team could figure out, not just me.

That it was absolutely impossible to pull off by an academy student alone.

Nevertheless, they put the students on the suspect list and arrested them.

‘Why?’

At my question, the Grand Chieftain remained silent for quite some time.

How much time had passed?

An unexpected answer came from his mouth.

“There is.”

“Pardon?”

“Even among the students, there is someone who can pull off something like this. There definitely is.”

‘What is this supposed to mean?’

There is someone among the students who has the power to pull off something like this?

After being lost in thought for a moment, I suddenly realized one thing.

‘Ah.’

Why couldn’t I think of this?

The elves didn’t put the entire academy student body on the suspect list.

In the first place, only one person was on the suspect list.

A student who showed genius talent even at a young age.

A situation where it was obvious who they were suspecting.

I barely suppressed my anger and asked.

“Are you daring to suspect the Imperial Princess?”

“I don’t want to, but I’m just keeping the possibility open.”

“Grand Chieftain-!!”

In the end, unable to contain my anger, I revealed my hostility without holding back.

The magic power that leaked out around me caused a weak storm when I briefly lost control of my emotions.

-Patzztzzt…!!

“Eek…!”

“Wh, what is that?”

“On the surface, she was clearly just a cute little kid…?”

I heard frightened voices here and there,

But I ignored them all and continued, staring straight at the Grand Chieftain.

“Be aware that the words and actions you are taking right now can turn into a diplomatic issue.”

“Well… I think this is something we should be protesting about, don’t you think?”

-Click.

The Grand Chieftain’s still nonchalant attitude made me even angrier.

“Are you kidding me right now….”

“Serena.”

A voice a little more mature than I remembered.

A voice that made me feel comfortable just by hearing it mediated me.

“Don’t be so harsh. The other side has its own position.”

“But, big sis.”

“Uh-uh.”

Flora, who had come to me before I knew it, stroked my head.

“It’s a problem that will be solved by finding the culprit anyway, right?”

“…That’s, true.”

“Then let’s focus on that.”

After saying that,

Flora turned her body and said, looking at the Grand Chieftain.

“Grand Chieftain. I also know the seriousness of the situation, so I haven’t said anything.”

“I know, Princess.”

“But.”

Flora, suddenly with a different glint in her eyes.

The gentle atmosphere suddenly changed and she said.

“If it turns out that I’m not the culprit… you will have to formally apologize.”

“…Of course. If we catch the culprit, we will do so accordingly.”

“Okay. Then shall we put more effort into finding the culprit again?”

Flora, who quickly wrapped up the situation, whispered in my ear.

“Thank you for getting angry for me, Serena.”

Feeling ticklish, my expression instantly relaxed.

“Hehe. This much is natural.”

Anyway, thanks to the Grand Chieftain, I have a new goal.

‘I’ll find the real culprit and get an apology, no matter what.’

Daring to suspect our Flora?

‘Thief, you’re dead.’

I’ll catch you with my own hands, no matter what.

“Hoo….”

Focusing my mind for a moment, I spread my magic power widely around me.

The first magic I learned in the Purple Magic Tower.

‘Read the memory of the space.’

That’s how I filled this vast warehouse with my magic power.

The people around me who felt my magic power were all surprised.

“I felt it earlier too, but how much magic power does that child have?”

“She’s covering this entire vast warehouse with magic power?”

“In terms of pure magic power, she even surpasses the elves.”

Having finally covered this vast treasure vault with magic power,

I carried out the next step.

‘Show me.’

The ‘memory’ that was in this space.

Blue magic power wriggled little by little and began to reconstruct the scene from a few days ago.

“L, look at that!”

“That’s… ‘World Tree’s Tear’?”

“What, what’s going on?”

“Is she reading the past…?”

The ‘World Tree’s Tear’ made of blue magic power filled the empty space in the warehouse,

And a human figure covered in a hood appeared.

“Wh, what is that.”

“The culprit! That guy is the culprit!”

‘It’s getting hard.’

Even for me, it was getting difficult to maintain such a large-scale magic spell.

But I couldn’t release the magic.

‘I haven’t confirmed the culprit’s face yet.’

Because his whole body was covered, I couldn’t identify who he was.

Moreover, perhaps he used other magical devices, the shape of his body was also blurry, making it difficult to recognize him properly.

Maybe it would have been difficult for ordinary people to track him any further.

But,

‘You met the wrong opponent.’

I released the magic that had been widely deployed, leaving only the part where the thief was embodied.

And I activated complex magic on the thief’s form.

[Tracking Prevention Magic Dispel]

[Figure Concretization]

[Unique Magic Power Extraction]

Living beings with magic power each have different magic powers.

It’s like a fingerprint.

What I did was the process of extracting that magic power.

It was difficult because the opponent was hiding it so tightly,

But I finally succeeded in extracting it.

‘Hoo, that was hard.’

I almost failed if the opponent had been just a little more advanced.

Having extracted the lingering scent of the culprit’s unique magic power, I said to the Grand Chieftain.

“Please summon a spirit. Preferably one that has lived here for a long time.”

At my request, he summoned a certain spirit without complaint.

The spirit he summoned was a little large.

-Grrrrrrr.

“I am Dressel, the Great Spirit of Earth. I will remember anyone who has ever been here.”

I approached the spirit and held out the lingering scent of unique magic power.

“Here. Show me who has this kind of magic power.”

After briefly feeling the lingering scent of magic power, the spirit soon created a form with magic power.

-Tzztzzt…

The blurry appearance gradually became concrete,

And it was realized to the point where it could be recognized.

The realized appearance was shockingly,

An elf estimated to be of a venerable age.

I looked at the Grand Chieftain and asked.

“It seems like this person is the culprit, but do you know who it is?”

But the Grand Chieftain’s reaction was a little strange.

“This can’t be. Huh….”

Who is it that he’s reacting like this?

While I was wondering, Marina shouted from the side.

“Oh! It’s Elder Grebo!”

Elder?

An elven elder stole the World Tree’s Tears?

I asked Marina, full of questions.

“Marina. What kind of elf is Grebo?”

“Umm, that is….”

Marina hesitated for a long time and began to look at me.

‘What kind of guy is he that she can’t answer like this?’

And Marina’s subsequent answer made me understand the reactions of the Grand Chieftain and Marina.

“He’s… the one who told me about humans….”

“Ah.”

So, in a word, Elder Grebo was,

A human-hating elf producer.

‘Huh? Wait a minute.’

But he was exiled, right?

‘Wasn’t he kicked out for instilling ideology in Marina?’

An exiled elven elder suddenly returned,

Stole the World Tree’s Tears, and then disappeared again?

‘Why did he do that?’

The Grand Chieftain’s head was aching as well.

“Huh… Grebo….”

In the midst of a chaotic situation.

There was only one thing I had to do.

“Let’s go for now.”

“…Go?”

“Yes.”

I said to the Grand Chieftain.

“We have to catch him before he goes far.”

Let’s catch the thief first.

Once he steals the goods, there’s no answer.

‘World Tree’s Tears, please wait just a little longer!’

I’ll go really quickly!