Today’s the day Flanne’s going to announce what’s going to happen to Ririna. This isn’t the kind of thing I can afford to miss, so I’m back in Rocky Ridges. I entered the town, and there was a big commotion in the air. The accident affected a lot of people, so everyone’s talking about it. I hope Ririna’s okay.

There weren’t a lot of people walking around, and the few I saw were heading towards the center of the town. They’re interested in the same thing I am, so I followed them there.

I get to the center of the town, and there’s a huge crowd gathered around a small wooden platform. Near the platform, there’s a gap in the crowd with some soldiers. It’s not visible from here, but Flanne might be among them. There are so many people here. Is this everyone from the town? Everyone’s talking to each other, and there’s anger in their voices. Scary… I don’t wanna be here…

“Is that you, Iroha? Over here!” Sarasa called out to me as I was making my way closer to the central platform. “Where have you been? I thought you weren’t coming.”

“Sorry, I’ve only just arrived. I haven’t missed anything, have I?” I hate having to push through people to get to places, but I need to talk to Sarasa.

“No… I guess you’re just in time.”

“That’s good. Say, does the crowd sound kinda mad? Or is it just me?” I whispered my question because someone might try to hurt me if they heard me, and that scared me.

“That’s par for the course. Everyone’s been living in fear since the monsters appeared, they need someone to take their anger out on. Hopefully, Ririna’s not gonna get targeted after Flanne announces the real culprit.” Yeah… I hope so too…

Flanne walked up to the platform, and everyone’s eyes turned towards her. The platform is a simple wooden platform for speeches, and Ririna is nowhere to be seen. That’s good. I’d be much more worried if there was a guillotine on top.

“Attention!” All the murmuring voices died down as soon as Flanne spoke up. “The investigation into the most recent farming incident has finished! The suspect, Ririna, the alchemist, has been found guilty and will be sentenced to death!” Eh?

The crowd erupted with cheers so loud that they drowned out my thoughts. They couldn’t be happier that they would get revenge for all the pain they suffered the last few days. They were exhilarated to be compensated with Ririna’s blood.

“No way… It wasn’t supposed to be like this… Wasn’t Ririna innocent?” Sarasa was just as shocked as me.

How did it come to this? It makes no sense… Wasn’t Ririna innocent? Why did they sentence her to death so quickly? It doesn’t make any sense! There’s something wrong here. Flanne’s not a bad person. She wouldn’t accuse Ririna if she were innocent, so why is she saying Ririna’s guilty? Is there something I’m missing? Did Ririna know what she was doing? Was she lying to us this whole time? I’m not sure… Ririna was always kind to me. She accepted me, a complete stranger, from the very beginning. Are you telling me that was all a lie?

“If anyone disagrees with this decision, consider this your last chance to speak up!” No one stood up to Flanne’s challenge. Was Ririna actually a bad person? We only met each other recently, but I got the feeling we could have become really close. Flanne waited to see if someone would contest the decision. She looked at the sea of people surrounding her, making sure there was no one foolish enough to ruin her announcement. Then, for a split second, our eyes met. Her face looked stern but also gentle, just like the Flanne I met before. That’s right… Ririna’s a kind person who genuinely loves alchemy. Ririna’s innocent! I believe in her!

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“Objection!”

The crowd turned to me, trying to find the source of the voice. Oh no, I’m gonna die, aren’t I? What am I doing? Wasn’t it a bad idea for me to get involved with stuff like this in this world? As their eyes locked on me, a path through the people started opening up in the direction of the platform. There’s anger in their eyes, but they’re too surprised to do anything right now.

Now I’ve done it. Is it too late for me to apologize and back out? I can’t really turn my back on Ririna though. Flanne gestures for me to come closer, and I have no choice but to make my way towards the center of the crowd. “Iroha…” Sarasa follows me with her head as I walk away from her.

I’m shaking so much… Can I even walk like this? All these people looking at me… I hate it! I walk up the steps of the wooden platform and stand in front of Flanne. She’s not being hostile to me, but her face looks a bit scary. What am I even going to say? I don’t have any evidence! This is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad! What do I do? What do I say?

“I applaud your audacity, girl! Tell me, what is your name?” Her voice is loud and frightening. Why can’t she speak softly like she did back at the Gathering of Flowers? Is this what she’s actually like? Also, why is she asking me for my name? We’ve met before. I can’t falter now, though. I gotta stand strong!

“I’m Iroha Shinohara.” I wanted to match her energy, but it was completely hopeless. It took everything I had just to squeeze out those words. At least there weren’t any voice cracks…

“Iroha Shinohara, very well. What is the reason behind your objection? Do you believe you have found something our investigation hasn’t found? Tell me.” Arghh! Dammit! I have no idea what they have and haven’t found! They clearly missed something. Otherwise, they would have found Ririna innocent! What am I doing? I shouldn’t have left my room today. I don’t even know where to begin. Flanne then followed up on her previous question. She spared me from having to come up with something on the spot. “We’ve determined that the source of the monsters was a special type of dirt. This dirt attracts monsters due to its magical nature. We’ve also confirmed that it was the alchemist we arrested who created this dirt. Do you disagree with any of this?”

“No…” I hung my head, disappointed. I don’t have any evidence. I don’t have a way to prove Ririna’s innocence. I have to clear up this misunderstanding, but I have no idea how. This is my only opportunity. If I don’t say anything, both me and Ririna are screwed! “But… It’s not Ririna’s fault! She didn’t want to do it! She was forced! The request for that job was made to the alchemist’s guild. It just happened to be assigned to her.” Does it really matter? No matter what I say, it doesn’t prove anything, does it?

“The recipe too! The recipe she followed to make that dirt wasn’t hers. It was given to her by her client. It was a merchant named Armand Lech who gave her that recipe. And then she gave the dirt to him. He was the one who actually used it! He knew what he was asking for and what it was gonna do. No matter how you look at it, Ririna’s innocent! She was just being used. She was used by someone who wanted to harm this town!”

Flanne didn’t say anything. Of course she wouldn’t. In her eyes, I’m just throwing out wild accusations and standing up for my friend. As the crowd digests this new information, the murmurs start again. They’re not sure what to think, and they are turning to each other, looking for answers.

“Silence!” Flanne once again quiets the town. “Unfortunately for you, what you’re saying is not possible. The alchemist made similar claims, and we could not confirm them. We contacted the alchemist’s guild, and they’ve denied any connection with this incident. And that merchant you’ve named does not exist. No one besides the alchemist has ever seen that man.”

Doesn’t exist? How is that possible? There’s no way that’s true! I met him! I saw him! Was that a hallucination? There’s no way that’s possible. Unless the ointment Ririna used on me had that kind of effect… That would mean our whole relationship was a farce. Could it really be? Was I wrong about Ririna? No… That can’t be… I almost forgot about it, but… I have a certain skill that would protect me against a hallucination. Psychological Attack Resistance. I still have no idea where that skill came from, but I’m glad to have it now. That hallucination idea makes no sense. I can’t doubt myself now. I have to find a way to prove Ririna is innocent! But how? How do I get myself out of this hole? There’s no way out. “Unless, of course, you’re claiming to have personally met this so called Armand Lech. The existence of a witness would change everything.” The crowd’s anger was about to return when Flanne’s question made everyone hold their breaths. The tension was palpable.

Flanne’s face showed a small hint of satisfaction. Why? Was she actually on our side? “I have! I have personally met Armand Lech! I accompanied Ririna three days ago when she was on her way to meet him. He’s definitely real! He disappeared to put the blame on Ririna!”

Flanne stays quiet again. The crowd gets rowdy again, but she doesn’t stop them. She closes her eyes, like she’s deep in thought. Meanwhile, everyone is speaking over each other. They ask every question that pops into their heads, all at the same time. It’s pure chaos.

This would be so much easier if I had some kind of proof of his existence… Is this going to work? I can’t exactly prove anything. I’m so nervous…

A tiny smile breaks through Flanne’s stern mask. “The appearance of a new witness calls into question the results of the previous investigation. As such, today’s decision has been annulled, and the investigation into this matter will reopen. Thanks to this brave girl, we may be able to find the true perpetrator of this incident and bring them to justice!”

It took a moment for everyone to understand what was going on. Not everyone was pleased with the new decision, but the majority was happy. They believed that whoever ended up being named as the culprit after this was more likely to be the one who actually caused them harm. Whether it was due to their sense of justice or their desire for revenge, the crowd mostly cheered for Flanne’s decision. The problem hasn’t been solved yet, but maybe this is a step in the right direction…