Just as we finished cleaning up the living room and the remnants of the broken window, Fogas returned. Then, Rudok and Father were called to a place slightly away from us.
「Eh, is that true?」
Hearing Father’s surprised voice, I turn my gaze and see him looking pale.
「What is wrong?」
Onii-chan looks at Father and the others with an anxious expression.
「It might be about the master carpenter」
Was the one who escaped at the master carpenter’s place, and was his identity revealed? If so, it is a happy result for me.
「Did something happen to the master carpenter?」
「Eh?」
Something happened to the master carpenter? Why did you think of that?
「Hmm? Rina said it was about the master carpenter, but what did you mean by that?」
「The master carpenter is an accomplice of the captured men… Um…」
Oh no, I said it.
『Ah, you spoke』
I glance at Yuu, who looks disappointed.
「So that was it」
Eh, just that?
I tilt my head looking at onii-chan’s reaction.
「It might be painful for Father, but I am glad we know the truth」
「Yes. I think so too」
Seeing that the conversation has ended, Mother goes to Father’s side. And after hearing the circumstances from Father, Mother hugs him.
「It is best to leave Father to Mother」
Looking at onii-chan, I nod while smiling.
「That is right」
「May I talk for a moment?」
Fogas comes to where onii-chan and I are.
「Yes, what is it?」
Onii-chan looks at Fogas with a slightly nervous expression.
「Who told you that the Bishop is coming to the neighboring Trus Village?」
What should I do? How should I answer?
「I do not know. I found out by chance」
I look at onii-chan, who answers too normally.
「By chance?」
「Yes. We received a curse, and the family of the one who used the curse came to our house. Even if we wanted to ask someone for help, the priest was on their side. At such a time, on the way to school, I heard that the Bishop was coming to the neighboring Trus Village. I do not know who said it」
「I see」
Fogas nods with a solemn expression. When Fogas’s gaze shifts away, onii-chan looks at me and smiles brightly.
He helped me. I convey 「Thank you」 with the movement of my lips, and onii-chan smiles happily.
「Was it a man’s voice? Or a woman’s voice?」
「It was a woman」
「A woman, huh. Thank you. Sorry for asking various things at a time like this. Actually, the fact that the Bishop is coming to Trus Village was a secret. Therefore, we need to investigate where the information leaked from」
It was a secret. If they investigate in detail, will onii-chan’s lie be exposed?
『The problematic priest. He left the documents containing that secret on his desk, didn’t he?』
Was that so? I have not heard such a story from Philia. Could it be that he only told Yuu?
『If Fogas finds out about that, it might mean that the priest leaked the information』
I glance at Yuu.
Wow, what a cunning face. But it is more convenient for me if it turns out that way.
「Agus, Rina」
Called by Father, I look and see Father smiling sadly with Mother leaning against him.
Father seems depressed. Is he okay?
「What is wrong?」
At onii-chan’s question, Father lets his gaze wander for a moment, but then nods slightly and looks at us.
「It seems the master carpenter who works with Father has been caught. It appears he was an accomplice of the men who broke into our house. In other words, he was a bad person」
Father speaks with some pain. Mother holds Father’s hand.
「You have met the master carpenter before, haven’t you?」
Since he is Father’s work partner, I suppose we have. Hmm, huh? Usually, words trigger memories, but I cannot recall anything. When I hear the word 「master carpenter」, if I remembered him, would I not recall him? Eh, could it be that I do not remember the master carpenter at all?
「Yes. I thought he was a good person. So, he was a bad person」
Onii-chan seems to remember the master carpenter clearly. But no matter how hard I try, I cannot remember.
「I… do not seem to remember」
I say it awkwardly, and Father and Mother look at me.
「Well, is that so? We met him at the beginning of this year」
No way! If that is the case, I must remember him.
「The beginning of this year… Does that mean the day of celebration?」
The day to celebrate the start of a new year. On this day, we go to the church, offer the first prayer, and then go around greeting acquaintances. Did I meet the master carpenter then? But since I exchanged greetings with many people that day, I do not remember. I only remember my friends and their families.
「You might not remember because you met so many people」
I nod at Mother, who says this with a smile.
「I see」
Father is also smiling slightly. I am happy that Father, who was depressed, has become a bit more energetic, but…
「Rigus-san. Companions have arrived」
When I turn my gaze toward Rudok’s voice, I see three men and two women dressed as adventurers. Among them, one man and one woman are pulling a handcart.
『Ah! It is the guy who said he would drink alcohol and burn Rina’s house』
Eh? Is he among the adventurers?
「Garos. What is that?」
Rudok looks at the adventurer he called Garos.
「Is someone not carrying someone on their shoulder?」
At Father’s question, onii-chan also nods.
「Yes. That is a person, right? They are unconscious, but what happened?」
Is the guy Yuu is talking about the person being carried on the shoulder?
「This is a criminal we found on our way here」
At Garos’s explanation, Rudok tilts his head.
「A criminal? Was he doing something?」
Garos rolls the man he was carrying on his shoulder onto the ground.
「We found these guys hiding in the trees and were about to call out to them, but something they were holding caught my interest, so we observed them. Then we realized they were trying to burn down the house, so we captured them」
『Were they seriously trying to burn it down? Not just in the heat of the moment while drinking?』
When Rudok checks the man’s face, he makes a disgusted expression.
「He smells strongly of alcohol」
『As expected, he was drinking. Huh? Where is the other one who was there at that time?』
「This guy is also his companion」
The adventurer who arrived slightly later rolled another man next to the one Garos had thrown on the ground.
「Iga, thank you. By the way, what were these guys holding?」
When Rudok looks at Garos, he takes something out of his bag.
「It is a bottle with some alcohol left, with cloth stuffed into it. From the smell of the alcohol, I think the proof is high」
『Whoa, it’s a Molotov cocktail. Just having one is illegal, right?』
That is the law in the world I came from, not here. I wonder how it is here?
「These guys were planning to light this on fire and throw it at the house. They were laughing, saying it would burn well」
At Iga’s explanation, Rudok looks at the two men rolling on the ground with a disappointed expression.
「Do they not know that its use is prohibited except against specific monsters?」
Is that so?
『Monsters! Speaking of adventurers, it is about monsters, right? I want to see them fighting. That is right, let us go see!』
I glance at Yuu with a disappointed expression.
『Eh～ Does that expression mean no? But I want to see! Let us go～』
I will absolutely not go.
「These guys will probably say they do not remember because they were drunk」
I nod at Rudok’s mutter.
They will definitely say that.
「This is evidence」
Garos shows a round wooden board with a palm-sized hemispherical glass embedded in it.
「Did it record video?」
Rudok looks at what Garos is holding with a surprised expression.
So, there is such a tool.
「Yes, because it would be troublesome if they tried to deny it」
Garos, nice!
「If there is video evidence, the excuse that they just said it while drunk will not work. Let us take them to the Adventurer’s Guild along with the others we captured」
When Rudok explains the situation to the gathered adventurers, they cheerfully load the captured men onto the handcart.
「Then, we will take these guys away」
When Garos says this with a smile to Father and Mother, the two bow their heads slightly.
「Please take care of them」
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