episode_0156

Episode 156. Gray Tower Tower (1)

****

The sun set sooner than expected.

Is it because the imperial capital is at a high latitude?

It had been a very long day. I was out having dinner with Mint, and the princess was sitting next to me with a scarf wrapped around her face.

“It’s colder than I thought.”

“The weather is a bit changeable.”

It’s almost winter. The princess took off her scarf and let it down. I looked at Mint for a moment. Mint’s white neckline was revealed under the scarf.

“So. You met with the Baron Alard family this time? I heard a rumor that he was taken away. I didn’t hear the details.”

Mint sipped her black tea.

“This is a story about a murder case investigation.”

“Really?”

Because I can’t talk about the patient.

“A headless body was found in the family home of Baron Allard. So the Public Security Bureau was called in to help with the investigation.”

“Ugh.”

Mint’s eyes sparkled.

“I was able to prove that this was not a murder case, but a natural decomposition of the body. The Baron was grateful.”

Mint tilted her head at these words.

“How can I make it like that?”

“It’s complicated. It might be hard for your highness to hear… … . Is that okay?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Can I tell you?

Mint isn’t a kid. It’s not that serious. It’s just a story about a person dying, so you might not think much of it.

“When someone hangs themselves, the neck starts to rot, right? Then the head and the body are separated. The police misunderstood that there was a decapitated body in the house.”

Mint nodded.

“But. Was that all you could do to convince the security forces? If the body was found, it would have been hard to get away with it.”

There is no presumption of innocence. It is common sense in this world that the police simply have to disprove the conclusion they think is most reasonable.

But. Even if you are a noble, you can’t just get away with the power of a baron, right? I guess they gave you some convenience while you were hospitalized.

“There is a characteristic cervical fracture that remains when someone hangs themselves, right? That remains even after the body has decomposed. That proves it.”

“I didn’t know there was such a thing.”

“As with everything in the world, in the end, what you see about a corpse is what you know,”

Mint stared blankly into space for a moment.

“Teacher, are you an expert on dead people too?”

“Rather than that, if you treat a patient wrong, they will end up dead. In the end, it’s just a difference of one point.”

“I’ll take back what I said about following Wang Jin. It was harder than I thought… … . It could be dangerous.”

“That would be better.”

If you’re not careful, you might catch a disease. Anyway, there are a lot of things that can go wrong when you go out.

I ran my fingers through Mint’s hair. It’s a bit of a boring expression, but the princess’s hair was as soft as silk.

****

Amy lay in her graduate dorm, scratching her head. It had been a long and tiring day.

Oh, I’m jealous.

That thought struck me the most. As soon as Mr. Asterix got out of the carriage, he linked arms with the princess and disappeared somewhere.

Amy sighed.

If Amy studies, becomes successful, and becomes a professor, will she be able to live like Mr. Asterix? It didn’t seem like that would happen. Anyway, it was a thought-provoking sight.

Since Amy’s name is on many of the studies conducted by Professor Asterix, it wouldn’t be difficult for Amy to become famous too.

No, but honestly, that’s true.

There are times when I feel envious just by seeing an ordinary couple on the street. How much more so when a teacher takes a very pretty princess on a date…

It wouldn’t be strange if my judgment was distorted for no reason while watching. Amy blinked.

You have to live hard, is there any other way?

****

The next day.

When I opened the door to the lab in the morning and went in, Violet was lying on the sofa. What the heck. It was a sight that made me laugh out loud.

I sighed.

“No. You still haven’t come back?”

“It hasn’t even been a week yet. I was exploring restaurants near the academy, and meeting people I know.”

“It’s… … It’s amazing in so many ways.”

“So. I’ve been making a list while I’m out and about. Which restaurants near the Academy are good? If you’re going on a date with the princess, don’t you need those?”

“Ah.”

That was so true that I had no answer. Instead of answering right away, I sat down at my desk in the lab and put my bag down.

“I’ll give you a list.”

“I appreciate this, but… … . Even looking at it again, Ms. Violet only says the right things.”

“I guess so?”

Violet handed me a piece of paper.

“Oh, thank you.”

It was exactly as Violet had said. A list and scores of restaurants inside the Academy and nearby.

“Did you eat four meals a day?”

“We each ordered half the amount of food.”

As expected, the more I look at him, the more strange he becomes. Violet looked at me as if she had something to say, and then smiled slightly. As if she had thought of a joke.

The eerie feeling passed for a moment.

“Ah. I wish I could meet a decent nobleman like Professor Asterix and live comfortably. Is there anyone you can introduce me to?”

No, how comfortable are you going to live? You’ve been collecting taxes for a week and going on a food tour. I sighed again.

I can introduce you.

There will be many poor souls who are interested in him. His age, his looks, his job, there’s nothing to find fault with. His personality… well, that’s it.

I thought about it for a long time.

I met the Baron’s family just yesterday. If I just send them a few letters, it won’t be hard to find out. Thinking about it, I felt pity for that person I didn’t know.

“None.”

“Really?”

“I don’t like it.”

“If you change your mind, please let me know.”

I shook my head anyway. I’m a person who saves people. Not someone who sells poor souls to a madman.

I thought you would find it on your own even if it wasn’t me. That’s how it has been so far, and it will be that way in the future.

“Yes.”

“See you next time, Professor.”

Violet stood up from her seat.

****

one side.

Anything related to Professor Asterix is one of the hottest topics in the Imperial Capital right now. And it can’t help but be so.

The relationship with the princess that the nobles would be interested in, the squabbles of the academic world, the solution to the plague, the opinions of the temple regarding the production of medicine, etc. There was a constant stream of new news every day.

So famous that it became famous even among people who had nothing to do with healers.

And a new case added today.

A locked room murder case in the Baron’s mansion. The newspapers were literally in an uproar. Of course, it wasn’t a locked room murder, but that wasn’t important to the story that was becoming a legend.

‘What the heck. What kind of person are you?’

Gray-haired Matoub, Canatus, was leafing through the newspaper. The newspaper was full of nonsense. There is a limit to forced deification.

How many are there anyway?

Developing new drugs, solving epidemics all over the empire, the princess’s lover, and making many discoveries that would turn the academic world upside down. I couldn’t understand why people were so praising this professor.

Canatus is a veteran wizard.

I’ve seen many self-proclaimed geniuses.

People like this are not born, they are made. It may not be all false, but it may not be all true either. If you look closely at other achievements, there is room for refutation.

Canatus turned the page. What on earth was this murder in the locked room of Baron Allard? Another line was added to the long, long list of nonsense.

-The mystery of a locked room murder in the Baron’s mansion that has been plaguing the security forces for the past few days has finally been solved by the Academy professor.

Matapju sighed.

– It was proven that the case was suicide, not murder, and that the head and neck can be separated during the natural decomposition process of a hung body. Thanks to this, Baron Allard was cleared of murder… … .

No, then it’s not a secret room or murder. Anyway, it’s a trash newspaper.

anyway.

The reason Matapju was heading to the Academy was simple. He was going to meet Professor Asterix and ask him to explain the battery he had discovered last time.

I also had some personal curiosity.

I’m going to check how much of it is true and how much is false regarding the professor. There will definitely be some truth and some falsehood mixed in there.

People love to create heroes.

They might want to see the myth of this Professor Asterix figure solving all the empire’s problems.

“Sage. What are you so worried about?”

Canatus’ assistant, the wizard Oster, tilted his head. The magician continued to look at the newspaper with a serious expression.

“We were looking at who we were going to meet. There were so many unique backgrounds.”

“He’s a really famous person. He doesn’t even show up in social circles or imperial events.”

The assistant roughly agreed.

It was also a matter of pride for the tower.

The discovery related to batteries is quite remarkable. Isn’t it strange that it was made by someone who is not from the Matap or any academic circles?