Prince Adrien sat behind the desk, nervously chewing on a cigarette. Not once in all the months I had lived in Farcrest had I seen anyone smoking, which was strange considering back on Earth, smoking was an activity enjoyed in every civilization I could think of. If the System registered smoking as a debuff-worthy activity, it wasn’t a surprise most people avoided it.

It wasn’t a surprise either that the Prince craved the bitter relief of the smoke. Sir Enric’s death was secondary to a more significant problem. Someone had managed to violate the sanctity of the Fortifier’s Barrier and the infallible detection skills of the Sniffers. If my intuition were correct, the incident would be enough for Lord Osgiria and the anti-royalist faction to force the Prince’s hand and disband the army.

For an instant, I thought about keeping my findings to myself. If the army disbanded, the kids wouldn’t get conscripted. However, if I chose that route, my credibility in front of the Prince and the Marquis would plummet. I wouldn’t kill the goose that laid golden eggs for a short-term gain.

“There are two sets of fingerprints in this glass. Sir Enric’s and Lord Vedras’.”

The cigarette slipped from the Prince’s mouth.

As expected, Sir Vedras remained imperturbable. “Come on, Robert. Even if I touched Sir Enric’s glass, that’s only circumstantial evidence. We were sitting next to each other. It isn’t strange to mistake glasses after a night of drinking.”

“Vedras is right. Even if his fingerprints indicate he touched Sir Enric’s glass, it might be an innocent oversight,” the Prince said, focusing his eyes back on me. Despite his words, his eyes said, ‘Give me something better to work with’.

Accusing a suspect was all about creating a cohesive and credible story.

“To link a suspect to a crime scene, investigators must determine three factors to establish a case against a suspect. Lord Vedras had the opportunity to commit the assassination; he was sitting beside the victim, and his fingerprints are all over the glass,” I said, locking eyes with Lord Vedras.

“Alright, I’ll entertain your little theory,” Lord Vedras said, “What was my motive then?”

I grinned. Defiant was never good. The more a suspect spoke, the more ammo they gave to the detectives. Lord Vedras might think he was clean of all suspicion due to the Fortifier’s barrier and the Sniffers working in his favor, but he overlooked a minor detail. I wasn’t conditioned to believe in the infallibility of the method.

“Lord Vedras’ motive is interesting, considering his background as an Alchemist. Despite our initial guesses, Sir Enric wasn’t murdered for political gain. He was murdered for vengeance,” I said.

“I do not harbor any negative feelings towards Sir Enric. In fact, we barely knew each other,” Lord Vedras said.

“You two might not know each other, but I think you did harbor ill-meaning feelings towards him. Let me explain. Due to the Osgirians' reluctance to participate in the Farlands campaign, they severely undermanned their army. Consequently, Sir Enric lacked the troops to reinforce the frontline, leaving Lord Herran's army on their own and causing massive casualties among Healers and Alchemists from Vedras’ troops. You might think Lord Herran also has a motive to kill Sir Enric; however, their allegiance sets Lord Vedras and Lord Herran apart. Lord Herran doesn’t benefit from killing Sir Enric because they have the same goal: stopping the new trade route from being completed. That’s not Lord Vedras' motive. He wanted vengeance for his fallen countrymen, non-combatants caught in some stupid political game.”

Prince Adrien's quick lesson on Ebros’ politics was coming in handy.

“Interesting,” the Prince said, leaning back. “I get why Vedras would want Enric dead, but that’s not nearly enough for a conviction unless you somehow find out how he fooled the Sniffers.”

This time, Lord Vedras remained silent. His expression was unreadable, and I couldn’t tell if he was starting to panic. Not that mattered. I was confident in my theory and my findings. However, ‘opportunity’ was the most challenging point to prove.

“Sir Enric has received death threats since the day the royal army arrived at Farcrest; this is relevant because Ashthorn poison isn’t an easy potion to come around. To acquire it through Farcrest black market, you must be a trusted buyer in those circles. Only a handful of Alchemists in Farcrest can brew Ashthorn poison, so it would be strange to sell it to someone who just arrived in town,” I explained.

“That’s true,” the Marquis said. “I can think of two local Alchemists who can brew it. It wouldn’t be hard to track Ashthorn poison to its source. The culprit must’ve arrived at Farcrest with the royal army.”

I glanced at Elincia, wondering if she had reached the level to brew something as dangerous as Ashthorn poison. Fame and levels came with a heavy burden. The good news was that Elincia didn’t have the motive, means, or opportunity to commit the crime. The only guest who satisfied the last piece of the puzzle was Lord Vedras.

“The culprit is an outsider who has their way of manufacturing the poison,” I said. “Every noble house has high-level Alchemists in their retinue; however, what sets the culprit apart is a skill that allows them to circumvent the Sniffer’s scrutiny.”

The Prince leaned forward like a cat about to pounce on a mouse.

“Each potion has a particular signature, which is determined by its ingredients and effects. Health potions, antidotes, and chilblain medicine have a similar signature because they all have a healing effect and are brewed with similar ingredients,” I explained, prompting a few quizzical glances. “Sniffers don’t use System prompts to investigate dangers like a Scholar would. They go by mana signatures. If an Alchemist manages to brew a poison with a similar signature to a healing potion, that would be enough to fool the Sniffers.”

“And that’s impossible!” Lord Vedras grunted. “You can’t brew a healing potion with poisonous ingredients, not a poison with healing ingredients. Isn’t that correct, Miss Elincia?”

Elincia bit her nail as she strained her mind for an answer. Suddenly, all eyes fell on her. Then, four words came out of her lips. “There is a way.”

“There is a way,” I repeated triumphantly. “Congratulations on getting your Prestige Class, Lord Vedras. You are a Transmuter.”

Lord Vedras’s mask cracked, and I knew I had won.

I seized the moment to strike while the iron was hot.

“Motive, means, and opportunity aren’t enough proof to convict a suspect, but to expand the investigation. Lord Vedras can still be an innocent man, so please, Your Majesty, have a Zealot check his Character Sheet,” I vehemently said.

“Even if I’m a Transmuter, there’s no proof it was me who poisoned Sir Enric,” Lord Vedras jumped from his seat and slammed the desk before the Prince. “I’m a damn duke. I want this man locked in a cell!”

Having a certain class might not prove anything, but a criminal confident of his victory wouldn’t scrub all incriminating proof. From a pure investigative perspective, Lord Vedras' crime was perfect. With the Barrier and the Sniffers, there wouldn’t be a reason to suspect him. It was a shame I was invited to the party.

“If hypothetically speaking, we have the Sniffers check on your chambers, would they find traces of Ashthorn?” I asked with a cold voice. Sniffers might not be available at the party, but nothing prevented us from using them with the barrier gone, and Lord Vedras was here where he couldn’t clean up the evidence.

The room fell into silence. All cards were on the board, and now only Prince Adrien could choose what to do. Even Holst, who had been watching the exchange with an apparent lack of interest, was sitting on the edge of his seat. Slowly, Lord Vedras raised his hands in defeat.

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“You got me. I was sloppy. I didn’t think anyone would suspect me.”

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“You are right. I didn’t,” I said. “Not until Holst accused you.”

Lord Vedras covered his face with both hands; however, a smile appeared on his face. Caught or not, he had achieved his vengeance. In a world where combatants had superpowers, it was hard for non-combatants to obtain justice. The orphanage was living proof of that.

“That was it? A facial expression?” Lord Vedras asked.

“It was a fifty-fifty gamble,” I admitted. The Book of Classes had saved me again, but I still had no clue who had tried to kill Captain Kiln.

Prince Adrien interrupted us. “The assassination of an Imperial Knight is punished with death, and Lord Osgiria will not forget about what happened tonight. Are you aware, Vedras?”

“I don’t think that would be necessary,” I said, to everyone’s surprise.

Vedras might be a murderer, but he also was a valuable asset.

“Think of it, Your Highness. What would happen if an Alchemist from another country became a Transmuter and discovered a method to fool Sniffers? This is a weapon anybody can acquire, and we need to be prepared to counter it,” I said.

I didn’t need to mention Lord Vedras' ability to perform stealthy assassinations for the Prince to understand the hidden connotations. Like a kid in front of a new toy, the Prince smiled greedily. Ultimately, he was pragmatic. As long as he could keep Lord Vedras under control, he would use his capabilities despite being a known murderer.

“We still have to find a culprit; otherwise, the army will disband. We can’t let them know Vedras managed to fool our protection,” the Prince said, chewing his cigarette with renewed impetus.

I nodded. We needed to convince the nobles that the Sniffers and the Fortifiers were enough to keep them safe; otherwise, the power dynamics in the kingdom would change forever, and the royalist faction would be the most affected. I rubbed my temples, forcing my tired brain to come up with something. A horrid crime needed to be punished for society to move forward.

The answer was quite evident.

“Sir Enric wasn’t poisoned during the party,” I said. “He was tricked into ingesting poisoned boluses before the party, probably by a jealous lover. The boluses then dissolved hours later, releasing the Ashthorn during the party and giving the impression he was poisoned right there.”

“That’s quite genius, actually,” Holst added with a wicked smile. It wasn’t surprising to see him so animated. He had the [Cunning] title, after all. “We can perform an autopsy to plant the evidence in his stomach, then scrub everything else.”

That only left one loose end.

“What about Raudhan Kiln?” the Prince asked.

“Raudhan, unlike Captain Kiln, has a faint heart. He just fainted at the sight of Sir Enric being poisoned,” I said, hoping nobody would remember Raudhan fell an instant before Sir Enric.

The Prince leaned back in the chair with a satisfied smile. “You are a tortuous person, Robert. Have you considered becoming a spymaster?”

The Marquis choked on his own saliva.

Robert Clarke the Spymaster. It didn’t sound half bad, but I couldn’t accept such honor. There was only so much I dared to lose. Becoming a spymaster would endanger everything I loved. Spymaster was a title for a ruthless person, not someone with a weak spot for children.

“Thank you, Your Majesty, but I'd rather remain a teacher,” I replied.

The Prince laughed. “I figured as much. Well, Vedras, I hope you understand you owe your life to Robert. I like his proposal. Nobody will know about this incident as long as you use your abilities as a Transmuter to serve the kingdom.”

Lord Vedras fell into his chair; his expression was a mix of defeat and relief.

“Why?” he asked.

“I don’t think Sir Enric was free of all guilt, and I frankly like you. Alchemists don’t become Alchemists to brew poisons but to heal others,” I said, looking at Elincia from the corner of my eye. “Nonetheless, you took a man’s life today. You have incurred a debt with the System and should work to repay it.”

The whole room looked at me as if I were an extremely wise person when in reality, I was just trying to make sure Lord Vedras wouldn’t interfere with the orphanage any time soon. I had enough already with Kellaren Odrac-Aias lurking in the shadows.

“This is a royal order. Nobody here will talk about the events that occurred tonight. All we talked about in this room is a state secret, and everyone who breaks the confidentiality pact will be considered a traitor,” the Prince said. “And for you, Vedras, you know I have the best hunting hounds in the kingdom. Don’t try to escape. Don’t do anything reckless.”

I sighed, relieved. In the end, everything went according to plan.

“Captain Kiln and Darius Holst are loyal to our cause. They will keep the secret, I swear on my honor,” the Marquis said, taking a kneel.

Holst, Elincia, and Lord Vedras imitated him.

“It seems Lyra Jorn is the only one who isn’t kin to our faction,” the Prince pointed out.

Lyra jumped in her seat, her expression suddenly overrun by panic.

“I’ll vouch for her,” I said as Elincia dragged me down to my knee. “From now on, Lyra will live at the orphanage as my apprentice and be part of the Rosebud Fencing Academy. Lord Sellen Jorn has already agreed.”

The Prince nodded with a broad, genuine smile. For an instant, he looked several years younger. “Tomorrow, I’ll announce the investigation results to the main houses. For now, you are free to go… and Robert, think about a reward suitable for your great act today.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I said.

I bowed goodbye one last time and exited the room, followed by Elincia and Lyra. Under the Rosebud Academy uniform, I was covered in cold sweat. I walked like I was in a dream until we exited the Marquis' private quarters into the audience room. If I kept running into situations like this, maybe I would take up smoking too.

We walked silently, processing the events of the past hours, as Lyra guided us toward the guest quarters. When we arrived, Lyra turned around and gave us a deep bow. I cringed a little, as I wasn’t used to receiving such demonstrations of gratitude.

“Are you staying in the guest rooms?” Lyra asked.

“No, our carriage is waiting for us outside,” Elincia replied, just to finish the sentence with a great yawn.

“Well, I’ll stay here tonight, I suppose. Goodnight, Master Clarke, Master Rosebud,” Lyra said, bowing again. I was too tired to tell her to drop the formalities. Too late I realized she had used the forbidden word.

A vein popped out of Elincia’s forehead.

“Elincia. Call me Elincia,” she grunted, and I grabbed her hand just in case she wanted to test her knuckles against Lyra’s head. In the end, Elincia laughed. “When you are ready, send your belongings to the manor. We are ready to welcome you any day you decide to move in.”

Lyra smiled back before crossing the doorway. “I’ll do my best. You’ll not regret hiring me.”

Elincia gave me a playful tug and guided me to the entrance. I was physically and mentally exhausted, so I let her lead the way. Dealing with nobles would shorten my lifespan even more than the kids.

“All this time together, and you keep surprising me,” Elincia giggled, leaning over my shoulder. “When you accused Lord Vedras, I thought we were done for.”

“It was a measured gamble,” I replied, too tired to explain further.

A voice answered from the darkness.

“Like dismissing me from the Investigation? That was a bold move that paid out,” Holst said, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Elincia’s body stiffened and she looked like a cat about to hiss.

“I know it's late, but I have questions about Raudhan’s situation. Do you truly have no leads on the identity of the culprit?” Holst asked.

A spark of understanding suddenly illuminated my mind. The attacks on the orphanage, the framing of the Aias family, and the discontent among the City Guard; all seemed connected. And Holst was part of the scheme. He had poisoned the orphanage’s crops so Elincia would send the kids into the army.

“I already gave Captain Kiln all the relevant information. It’s up to her to share it with you,” I replied cautiously.

Holst grinned. “I will not go against Izabeka’s desires, then.”

Hols turned around and walked into the Great Hall. The memory of the dying crops and the starving orphans was still fresh in my mind, but I refrained from doing anything reckless. Elincia and I approached the main gate when she suddenly pushed my hand away and turned around.

“Why did you poison the crops?” Elincia asked. “Answer me. I saved your cousin’s life. You owe me.”

Holst stopped walking and slowly turned around. “I had to repay a favor.”

“To whom?” Elincia asked.

“That I can’t say, Governess,” Holst replied, pointing into his mouth.

I understood his gesture right away. On the back of his tongue, there was a hex of silence.