After completing the investigation, Silvia returned to the cafeteria to treat the children who had collapsed.
I was sitting, watching Yoon Si-woo and the teachers conduct the investigation to determine the truth of what people were saying.
The person currently being questioned was the academy's cook, who had the easiest access to the food and was therefore the most likely suspect.
As soon as the middle-aged cook, who appeared to be in his 40s to 50s, sat down, the teacher in charge of the students, with a stern face, asked a question.
"......First of all, did you do this? The incident in the cafeteria, was it your doing?"
"It wasn't me! I would never do such a thing!"
The cook answered with a look of indignation, and the teacher quietly glanced at Yoon Si-woo.
Yoon Si-woo nodded in response.
It seemed the cook was not the culprit.
The teacher, looking a bit relieved, said to the cook in a reassuring tone.
"We don't think that someone who has worked at the academy for so long, like you, James, would be the culprit. However, we need your cooperation to catch the culprit. Can we ask you a few questions?"
"Ask me anything. I'll tell you anything if it helps catch that scoundrel."
The cook was clearly very angry at the culprit and was burning with enthusiasm.
The teacher began to ask questions methodically.
"Did you bring in the ingredients for today's meal yesterday?"
"Yes. I brought them in last night. The kitchen has refrigerators with storage magic, so the ingredients stay fresh even if they're brought in early."
"Hmm...... Did you notice anything unusual while cooking today?"
"There shouldn't have been any problems with the ingredients. I tasted them during cooking to make sure they were fine. If there were any issues, I would have collapsed too. I suspect someone tampered with the finished dishes......"
At this, the teacher's eyes widened as he asked the cook.
"Was there any time when the culprit could have tampered with the finished dishes?"
"I went to the bathroom to cool off for a bit after finishing the cooking and before moving the food to the cafeteria. The only time they could have tampered with the food without me noticing would have been then. But I locked the kitchen door. It's where the food for the students is stored, so I wanted to prevent any issues like today...... But how......"
"......The kitchen has a locked door and no other way in or out. It's also protected against magic. However, it seems the culprit managed to tamper with the food in the kitchen while you were in the bathroom."
Poisoning food in a sealed room.
Honestly, it seemed impossible.
I couldn't even imagine how it was done.
If I had read more detective novels, maybe it would have helped......
But this was a world where people had all sorts of abilities.
It was possible that someone had used an unimaginable method to make it happen.
While I was racking my brain trying to figure out how it was done, the investigation seemed to have ended, and the cook, James, got up, his face contorted with frustration.
"If I had been more thorough in my final checks, this wouldn't have happened......"
"It's not your fault, James. The culprit is to blame. We will catch them."
"Please......"
After the cook left, the teachers looked quite confused.
"If this is the case, it seems none of the original suspects are the culprit. We might have to question everyone individually."
"There's no other way. We should do everything we can until someone from outside can help. Yoon Si-woo, I'm sorry, but your help is desperately needed. Please."
Yoon Si-woo nodded at the teachers' request.
It seemed the only way to find the culprit was to ask everyone if they did it and have Yoon Si-woo use the Sword of Truth to determine the veracity of their answers.
In the end, it all came down to Yoon Si-woo.
Since there was nothing I could do here, I decided to go to the cafeteria and help with the treatment of the children.
With that thought, I left the classroom where the investigation was taking place, and as I did, I patted Yoon Si-woo's back, who was still sitting, to encourage him.
"Find the culprit. You're the only one we can rely on right now."
"Someone to rely on...... Yes, I understand. Leave it to me. I will definitely find them."
Yoon Si-woo answered with a determined look, his eyes sparkling, as if he was the protagonist and full of righteousness.
*
When I arrived at the cafeteria, inside the protective barrier created by the Sword of Protection, magicians and ability users capable of healing or purification were busily working to treat the children who had been poisoned by mana.
I didn't want to get in the way, so I pulled a chair from a corner of the cafeteria and watched the children being treated.
Mae and the other children hadn't regained consciousness yet, but they seemed to be in much better condition than before.
I was relieved by this when I noticed James, the cook who had just been questioned, sitting nearby, sighing.
He was looking at the children being treated with a troubled expression.
Noticing that I was looking at him, he glanced at me and spoke slowly.
"......You were the one sitting there during the investigation. I heard you also ate that food...... Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
"At least you're okay...... Phew, the children who ate my food collapsed. And to be suspected of doing it myself...... Today has been a nightmare......"
He seemed quite stressed and distressed by the events of the day.
I couldn't imagine how he felt when the children who ate his food suddenly collapsed, so I was at a loss for what to say. Suddenly, a voice came from behind me.
"Someone who loves cooking wouldn't tamper with food. Right, sir?"
I turned around to see Leonor waving and smiling at me.
James's expression, which had been gloomy, brightened slightly when he saw Leonor.
"......Yes, Leonor. You're right. Someone who loves cooking wouldn't tamper with food."
"I also felt quite offended when someone asked if I did it. As the head of the Cooking Club, I would never do such a thing!"
Leonor's energetic response seemed to lift James's spirits considerably.
A blonde, tanned, and smooth-talking delinquent......
What an incredible contrast......
As I watched this scene, Leonor patted my head and said,
"You're also in the Cooking Club, sir. One of the two new first-year members who joined this year."
"Ah, I heard two first-year students joined. You're one of them. Cooking is a good hobby. If you can make delicious food, you can make others happy."
James said this, looking at me as Leonor introduced me.
I'm in charge of eating in the Cooking Club......
But, I nodded anyway, and James continued.
"Yes, yes. But you said there were two new members? I'd like to meet the other one......"
At this, Leonor seemed to flinch.
I had lifted his spirits, but if he realized that one of the children who collapsed after eating the food was the other new member, it would all be for nothing.
At that moment, Leonor's eyes trembled as he shouted,
"Scarlett! Haven't you met him yet? This is Mr. James! He doesn't have a specific advisor in the Cooking Club, so he takes on a similar role. He's been the academy's cook for 20 years, you know!"
Leonor winked at me while saying this.
I understood what he meant, so I shouted back,
"Wow, wow! 20 years, that's amazing! Um, can I ask how you got into this job?"
"......If you're that curious, I'll tell you. The reason I started this job......"
Fortunately, it seemed I had successfully changed the topic.
I nodded at Leonor, who seemed to approve, and listened to James's story.
"......When I was young, I worked at a famous restaurant. My dream was to open my own restaurant. I was known for my talent in cooking, so if nothing had happened, I might have achieved that."
James looked into the distance with a wistful expression, as if reminiscing about the past.
"That was 23 years ago. One night, while researching a dish, I accidentally slipped and set my house on fire. I thought I was going to die, but a hero suddenly appeared and saved me. I was so grateful. After that, I thought, wouldn't my life be more meaningful if I could do something to repay such people? So the next day, I quit my job and begged the then-cook of the academy to let me work here. I learned from him and took over his position three years later when he retired due to age. That's all there is to it."
It was a much more impressive story than he made it out to be.
James continued,
"Still, I think it was a good decision to take this job. One day, you'll become great heroes like the one who saved me. Being able to cook for such children is a fulfilling job. Oh, talking about it makes me want to cook. Hmm, now that I think about it, everyone must be hungry because of that scoundrel. I should make something simple."
He got up with a faint smile, seeming to have lifted his spirits.
He was a truly admirable adult, proud of his work.
I regretted even for a moment thinking he might be the culprit.
At that moment, Leonor asked James, who was heading to the kitchen,
"Sir, what's with the bandage on your neck? Did you get hurt?"
As he stood up, the bandage on his neck, visible under his chef's collar, was tightly wrapped.
"It's just that I've been scratching it a lot lately because it's itchy. It's nothing serious."
James replied nonchalantly and entered the kitchen.
Leonor, who had been holding me back, let go and said with a smile,
"Haha, I wanted to see you during the Cooking Club activities, but we met like this. Last week, you were sick, right? Mae was really worried. I was worried too."
"......Is that so?"
"Yes, so I promised Mae that I would make up for it this week......"
His eyes were on Mae, who was being treated.
I sighed, looking at him.
He was such a sentimental person.
There was no need to pretend to be cheerful in front of me......
Feeling frustrated, I whispered to Leonor,
"It's okay to be angry."
"......Does it show?"
"......A little."
Leonor's expression, which had been smiling, suddenly twisted with anger.
His eyes were full of rage.
I had told him to be angry, but his face was terrifying......
Leonor growled through gritted teeth,
"I don't know who did it, but if I catch them, I'll kill them......"
I patted his back and said,
"Don't go too far. I need my share too."
Leonor looked at me in surprise and said,
"......You surprise me. I didn't think you had such a temper. You do get angry, huh?"
I chuckled.
You don't know me, but I do get angry.
"You might not know, but I'm always angry. It's just more so today."
Leonor laughed and said,
"I see. I hope we catch the culprit soon."
"Don't worry. An incredibly capable person is looking for them, so it shouldn't take long."
I spent time with Leonor while waiting for Yoon Si-woo to find the culprit.
Honestly, it was just a matter of time.
While the Sword of Truth can be deceived, it was unlikely that anyone here knew how to do it.
So, the culprit would definitely be caught.
That's what I thought.
But the news Yoon Si-woo brought, looking serious as he entered the cafeteria, was shocking.
*
"You didn't find them?"
"......No, I asked everyone in the school. The only ones I haven't asked are the children who are still unconscious. That's why I'm here. The other teachers are checking for any signs of an outsider entering through another route."
Yoon Si-woo said this, looking dejected.
My head started to hurt.
Could the culprit have poisoned themselves to avoid suspicion?
It wasn't an impossible scenario.
A terrorist act where the culprit was prepared to die from the poison was a possibility.
But I didn't want to think that.
I decided to consider other possibilities.
First possibility.
Someone who knew in advance about the flaw in Yoon Si-woo's Sword of Truth and used it.
This didn't seem likely to me.
Even if there was someone else who knew the original story, they wouldn't have a reason to commit such an act.
So, I set this aside.
Second possibility.
The culprit didn't know about the flaw but lied unconsciously.
This was a remote possibility, but it existed.
In the original story, when the flaw in the Sword of Truth was discovered, a similar incident occurred.
Someone had committed a murder, and everyone claimed they didn't do it.
But it turned out to be a person with dissociative identity disorder who had no memory of the other personality's actions.
When Yoon Si-woo learned this, he realized the Sword of Truth determined the truth based on the person's thoughts and feelings.
While such a case was rare......
I didn't want to test this unlikely possibility.
I hoped the culprit wasn't among the unconscious students.
So, I grabbed Yoon Si-woo's arm.
"......Can you follow me for a moment? We have time until the children wake up, right?"
Yoon Si-woo, who had been in a daze, nodded and followed me obediently.
Honestly, it was just the next room, so it wasn't much of a "bringing" him.
We went to the kitchen attached to the cafeteria.
The person I wanted to question was the important witness, James the cook.
Honestly, I didn't think he was the culprit.
I just wanted to do something.
The kitchen door was closed, but since it was only separated by a wall from the cafeteria, we could communicate.
"Mr. James, can you hear me? I'm the first-year Cooking Club member we talked to earlier."
I knocked on the wall to get James's attention.
"Ah, what is it?"
"Nothing much, I just have a quick question."
"Sure, sure. Go ahead and ask."
Yoon Si-woo, who was standing next to me, looked confused but stayed quiet when I asked him to.
It was nice that he didn't interfere.
My question was simple.
"Mr. James, have you felt anything strange recently?"
A question to see if he was a dissociative identity disorder patient who didn't remember the other personality's actions.
"For example, have you ever noticed time passing without realizing it, or have your memories been blurry in places? Think about it carefully."
"Ahahaha, do you think I have dementia already? Let me think......"
James thought for a moment, and then,
"Umm, no matter how I think about it, nothing comes to mind. I'm still healthy. I'm not old enough to have memory problems yet."
......So, he wasn't the culprit.
Just as I was about to leave,
I changed my mind and shouted again,
"Sorry for asking such strange questions!"
"Ahahaha, it's fine. You can ask me anything like that."
"Really? Then I have one more question."
"Is it you?"
There was no response.
"Did you do it?"
Still no response.
I ran to the kitchen door, but it was firmly locked.
You damn bastard......
I pounded on the kitchen door and shouted,
"Answer now! No, open the door! Open the door, you bastard!"
The people in the cafeteria turned to look at the sudden commotion.
Yoon Si-woo, trying to stop me from pounding on the door, asked,
"Scarlett! What are you doing!"
"That person might be the culprit! We need to open this door now!"
The room became chaotic at the mention of the culprit.
"......Mr. James is the culprit? What are you talking about?"
Leonor, who had followed me, asked in a low voice.
I shouted back at her,
"Where are the keys to the kitchen door!"
"......He took them with him. But, I think there's a master key in the faculty office."
As soon as she said this, I tried to run to the faculty office, but Leonor held me back.
"Don't rush. The kitchen only has one entrance and exit. I'll get the key. When I bring it, explain why you think Mr. James might be the culprit."
"......I understand. Please bring the key as quickly as possible."
I nodded, and Leonor, biting her lip, ran out of the cafeteria.
My heart was racing so fast I felt like I might vomit.
Shit, stay calm.
The kitchen is a sealed room, after all.
If that person is really the culprit, we can catch them as soon as we open the door.
They can't escape.
But, I hope, I hope to hell it's not him.
My hands were shaking.
They were shaking so much I couldn't even bite my nails.
As I was trembling with anxiety,
Yoon Si-woo muttered,
"......What's that sound?"
"......Sound?"
"......No, is it the sound of a machine running?"
At that moment, goosebumps ran down my spine.
My mind was filled with ominous thoughts.
No, it can't be.
Despite this, my breathing quickened, and my chest felt tight.
Stay calm.
Leonor will bring the key soon.
But the time it would take for her to return was enough for the worst to happen.
So, I made a decision.
"Yoon Si-woo, do you trust me?"
Yoon Si-woo nodded.
"Break down that door."
The door was silently sliced open.
*
As we rushed into the kitchen, the steam from the dishes he had just been cooking rose up.
But there was no one to be found.
It was too late.
As if mocking this fact,
the only sound in the kitchen was the loud hum of a large grinder in the corner.
Vroom, it went.
Author's Note
Boom, this time it was vroom.
I warned you in advance in case you were shocked, so this should be okay, right?
The serious part of the story is about to begin.
For those of you who are having scary thoughts, the grinder is for food waste disposal......
It was mentioned in episode 37 that it was used to dispose of chicken bones......