Investigation
I’m curious as to what they’re using the Bloodstones for, but first we should focus on the healing medicine.
「Offer live humans to an evil spirit… Sounds like something Georgis would do.」
「Yeah. They’re using belladonna for the medicine as well so the recipe should be pretty much the same as ours. Although our method is legal.」
「That explains why there’s no difference in the composition.」Count Meigis said, and pondered something. 「Circumstances clearly indicate that Cardinal Georgis is killing humans to make healing medicine.」
「Can all that data be submitted as evidence?」
In this kingdom, it’s a crime to kill even a slave. One or two can be covered up, but the data shows Georgis has killed almost a thousand slaves for his medicine. The sheer number would surely get him the death penalty, even though the victims were slaves.
「Cardinal Georgis is a powerful noble. Circumstantial evidence won’t be enough to convict him. If we can somehow catch one of his subordinates in the act of killing a slave, it could be enough.」
Sounds like investigating a noble’s crimes is difficult. Catching someone red-handed would be tough since the healing medicine’s production method is top secret. It’s not something that can be witnessed easily. The Cardinal should be using everything to hide his source of belladonna.
In that case, we’re back to the original plan. I will go.
「Someone just has to witness the actual scene of the crime?」
「No. That won’t be enough. Anyone can say they witnessed something. Someone has to record the scene using a magic item and bring it back.」
Oh, so they have an equipment specifically for gathering evidence, huh? It probably has some sort of spell that prevents fabrication of evidence. Hmm, this could be bad.
「Is that item heavy?」
「No. It’s only for single-use and about this big.」Marquis Maiar gestured with his hands, indicating the size of a smartphone.
If it’s only single-use that means one can not fail. Still the fact that it’s small and light is good news. Sure I have a Storage skill, but I can’t just take out a huge and heavy device out once I’m on the scene.
「All right. I’ll go.」
「You’re going yourself?!」Maiar asked, surprised.
「Yeah. I’m an adventurer, and I have some knowledge about infiltration. I should be perfect for the job. Don’t you agree?」
「I’m sorry, but I’d rather have an expert spy do it.」Meigis cut in.
The Count was against me going in myself. If Georgis’s security was really tight, someone not knowledgeable about Spells and Skills wouldn’t be able to get in. And people in this world certainly failed in that regard. I think it’ll be difficult to find someone else.
「Do you have an expert spy who can break through Georgis’s security?」I asked.
「We won’t know until we try.」
「I’ve tried it before. I sent about fifteen people these past few years.」Maiar said.
「What happened?」
「None of them made it back alive. We didn’t even get any information. Everyone in the spy business has a common understanding to stay away from Cardinal Georgis’s territory. No one will take the job for sure.」
As expected. If the Garden of Despair is in charge of security, then a spy who doesn’t know how to properly use Skills won’t make it.
「So I guess I have to go. Please get the device ready.」
「Okay. But if you think it’s too dangerous, you can retreat.」
「Gotcha. Just wait for my return.」
Count Meigis’s face seems to be saying “We can’t send you to a dangerous place like that”, but he eventually gave in when me and the Marquess closed the deal.
「Make sure you come back alive.」Meigis muttered instead of stopping me.
Three days later.
I was at the office receiving the magic item from Marquis Maiar. It had the seal of the royal family.
「This is the kingdom’s official device for recording evidence. Pouring mana into it will instantly activate it, recording everything in a 360-degree radius.」
「This is some high quality stuff.」
「It’s expensive, after all. But don’t hesitate to use it if necessary. If we get even one piece of evidence, we win.」
Maiar took all three items from a box and handed them to me. I don’t even want to imagine how much they cost. I gratefully accepted them.
「All right, then. See ya.」
「Good luck.」
Thus I left the Meigis Company’s office.