Episode 35
I Really Hope You’re Not the Culprit
(February 4, 2024)
As soon as I said I had a request, the Commander responded immediately.
“What is it?”
“Please allow me to choose the members who will be deployed with me into the rift this time.”
After seeing Hernant’s underground basement, I was left with one major question.
Where had Hernant gotten so many monsters?
He had either hired awakened mercenaries, or… someone within our own order had secretly been supplying him with monsters.
I strongly believed it was the latter.
To capture that many monsters, one would need to be an awakened with strong abilities—and the strongest awakened individuals were all gathered in the Silver Order.
Which could only mean one thing:
“Someone within our Order is working with Hernant. He must’ve been getting the monsters through them.”
I needed to find that person.
Before things got any more dangerous, I had to uncover them and stop them from continuing to supply monsters to Hernant.
So I had planned to narrow down the suspects and take them into the rift with me to keep an eye on them. But the Commander didn’t seem very pleased with my request.
“You want to personally select the members for the rift mission? Why?”
I had anticipated this kind of question, so I gave the answer I had prepared in advance.
“I overheard some noble ladies whispering at the ball. Apparently, someone is capturing monsters and using them as materials to create cosmetics that are now circulating on the market.”
“Wait, did you just say someone is distributing products made from monsters? Are you sure? If that’s true, this is a serious matter.”
“It might just be a baseless rumor spreading among the ladies, but I think it’s worth investigating. It’s even possible that someone in the Order is lining their pockets with such activities.”
“Hm…”
I couldn’t reveal that Hernant was the one using the monsters, so I made up a plausible lie.
Fortunately, the Commander seemed to take me seriously.
After thinking it over for a while, he finally spoke with a determined expression.
“This definitely needs to be looked into. We should request cooperation from the Imperial Palace—”
“No!!”
I quickly shook my head when he mentioned involving the Imperial Palace—meaning Hernant.
“It’s just a rumor I overheard. I don’t think we should escalate the situation.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I’ll look into it quietly on my own.”
“Hm.”
The Commander hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.
“Very well. Handle it quietly.”
“Thank you—”
“But there’s no need for you to watch the knights alone.”
“…?”
“I’ll accompany you in this investigation.”
Of course the Commander wouldn’t sit out something this serious.
His reaction was exactly what I had expected, so I calmly accepted it.
But what I didn’t expect came next.
“It’d be difficult for a regular knight to smuggle out monsters. If someone really did this, it’s probably one of the vice-captains.”
“What? The vice-captains…?”
“Yes, I mean Karl and Elma. Especially Elma—her ability would be perfect for sneaking out monsters.”
I didn’t want to suspect Elma. But unfortunately, the Commander was right.
Aside from the handful of monsters that had crossed over into this world, most monsters were beyond the rift. To capture them, you’d have to cross over.
But sneaking across the rift undetected is nearly impossible.
There are always small fortresses near the rift, with soldiers stationed to monitor it 24/7.
So, if someone wanted to smuggle monsters without being caught, there are only three ways to do it:
Bribe the soldiers guarding the rift.
Use a mind-control ability to brainwash the soldiers and sneak through.
Use spatial teleportation to bypass the guards entirely and access the rift.
Option 3 was the key point.
Those with spatial or teleportation abilities could move freely to any location.
If someone had that ability, they could sneak through the rift undetected and smuggle monsters.
“With Elma’s teleportation ability, it would definitely be easier to sneak out monsters.”
The Commander nodded at my words.
“She’s currently our most likely suspect. Keep a close eye on her until we have a more concrete plan.”
“…Yes, I’ll watch her carefully.”
Elma was as close to me as Karl was.
I could talk to her about things I couldn’t tell Karl—personal and sensitive matters.
And now I had to suspect and monitor her.
It hurt—but it couldn’t be helped. I left the Commander’s tent without complaint.
And just as I stepped out—
“Vice-Captain! There you are! I’ve been waiting—I have something I really need to tell you!”
Elma approached me, sounding as lively as ever.
Her face was flushed with excitement. She clearly had something juicy to share.
But I couldn’t greet her as warmly as usual, not when I had to monitor her.
“…What is it?”
Even though my tone was a little awkward, Elma didn’t seem to notice and launched into her story.
“Remember how you told me to be careful of that brown-haired man?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah. Did you meet him?”
“Yes! A man named Ollen with brown hair!”
As she said this, Elma grabbed my hand tightly, full of anger.
“Just like you warned, he asked me out—but turns out, he’s married!”
I simply nodded.
I wasn’t surprised. I had already known this would happen.
Ollen had approached Elma in my past life too—and the same thing had played out.
But back then, neither Elma nor I had known that Ollen was married.
So when I heard he had asked her out, I had even rooted for their romance.
Never once suspecting he was a married man…
Elma had been devastated.
Even though she was the victim, the gossipy nobles in high society pointed fingers at her.
A noble knight entangled in an affair? It was prime gossip for those shallow aristocrats.
That’s why I’d warned her this time—to prevent it from happening again. Thankfully, she listened.
Elma let out a string of complaints, her voice full of indignation.
“If you hadn’t warned me, Vice-Captain, I might’ve been in serious trouble! I remembered what you said and looked closely—and I noticed the mark on his finger where a wedding ring used to be!”
“Oh dear…”
“I confronted him, and he admitted it—he’s married! Ugh, it was so close!”
I nodded, comforting her.
“I’m so glad you didn’t get involved with that con artist. You deserve someone way better, so cheer up.”
“Thank you, Vice-Captain! But I am a little curious… How did you know? That Ollen would come after me? And that he was married…?”
“Oh, that…”
I couldn’t tell her I had returned from the future. That was my biggest secret.
So I made up another plausible lie.
“I overheard something about that married man showing interest in you. So I warned you just in case.”
“Huh? But… you rarely hear social rumors, Vice-Captain. You’re always beyond the rift…”
“Hmm, well… I do exchange letters with Johannes often. Through him, I end up hearing bits and pieces of what’s going on socially… So yeah, that’s how.”
I had never been good at lying, but ever since returning, I’d been forced to lie more and more.
I just hoped this improvised excuse didn’t sound too awkward.
Elma looked puzzled for a moment but seemed to accept it.
“I see! However you knew—thank you so much! You’re my savior, Vice-Captain!”
Her bright smile made me smile too.
In the past, Elma had been scorned and labeled “the woman who had an affair with a married man.”
But the Elma standing before me now was radiant.
So radiant that I wanted to protect that smile forever.
As I held Elma’s hand in return, I made a silent wish.
Please don’t be the one who smuggled those monsters.
If Elma turned out to be the culprit—
If she resisted even after being found out—
Then I might be forced to stop her with my own hands.
And that… would be more tragic than anything I’ve experienced in either life.
