I Start with a Bad Hand!

I felt an unsettling unease. It was problematic whether it was a disease or not. If it was a disease, how could I, an outsider, identify an illness that even the locals of this world hadn’t noticed? If it wasn’t a disease, then why?

With these troubling thoughts weighing on my mind, I came across something noteworthy.

(Walks.)  

I: What is this? (Tears it off.)  

‘This?’  

Sarah Hansen: Miss! Please don’t do this.  

August Hill: Calm down, calm down! Miss! They insisted that this be buried with them in the underground crypt…  

I: Hahaha. It was you.  

(…)  

I: I want to go back.

That was all. After this, Dietrich returns to the academy. Chewing on the end of my pen, I flipped back through the pages. I needed to extract any possible information from these brief lines.

‘Ah… there’s no answer.’

No answer at all. I sighed in frustration. But I calmly reread the highlighted, questionable parts from my translation.

I: What is this? (Tears it off.)

Dietrich did something specific—tearing something off. Not removing or breaking it, but tearing it off.

‘If it can be torn off, it can be stuck on. Things that can be stuck on include wallpaper, a picture frame, stickers… although those don’t fit the time period. Wall hangings, a mount….’

Moreover, if it was something valuable or significant enough to be buried in the crypt, it must have been precious. However, as far as I knew, there were no such heirlooms in the Degoph family that were valuable enough to be taken to the grave. There were more questions.

I: Hahaha. It was you.

‘Who is the “you” that Dietrich is talking about? What is “you”?’

From that sentence alone, it was impossible to determine if “you” referred to the butler, Sarah, or someone else entirely. But…

‘There’s not enough evidence to be sure of anything.’

There was no evidence that what Dietrich tore off was related to the death of the Degoph couple, and the identity of the “you” she mentioned remained a mystery. All my conclusions so far were mere speculation. Without concrete evidence, any hypothesis I could come up with was no better than a random guess, like ninjas suddenly appearing to kill them.

Surprisingly, the clue that seemed impossible to uncover came from the person involved.

***

It was after another long day of futilely racking my brain over the mystery when an unexpected visit occurred.

Dietrich herself appeared in my thoughts, or rather, in the fragments of the remaining soul within me. It was as if a hidden memory was surfacing.

In the quiet of the night, a clear vision materialized. I was standing in the Degoph manor, my hands trembling as I tore a piece of paper from behind a portrait. My breath hitched as I read the words scrawled hastily on the back.

It was a note from the Baroness.

“To whoever finds this, know that we were poisoned. Trust no one, especially those close to the family.”

The shock of the revelation hit me like a physical blow. The memory faded as quickly as it had come, leaving me gasping for breath.

I now had the key piece of evidence that connected the dots. The Degophs had been poisoned, and the note left behind was a desperate attempt to warn anyone who might find it. This changed everything. 

Armed with this new information, I knew what I had to do next.

After a sleepless night spent piecing together every possible hypothesis from the brief sentences, I found a thin letter tucked in the dormitory’s mailbox that morning. The letter bore the seal of the Degoph barony. With a sense of unease, I opened it and read through its contents, feeling an odd dissonance as I reached the end.

“To Dietrich,  

How are you? I received your letter well.  

Heylem’s short summer is ending, and autumn is arriving.  

I am curious about the joyous news you hinted at in your last letter, the one you couldn’t fully express in writing.  

But I won’t press you to explain.  

Even my curiosity becomes part of the joy of waiting for you.  

We are looking forward to winter.  

Stay safe.  

Beatrice Degoph and Droit Degoph.  

P.S. ….”

As soon as I read the postscript, I bolted out of the dormitory.

It takes two weeks to reach Heylem by carriage without rest, but I couldn’t afford to waste that much time. I ran straight to the academy’s main gate, panting and shouting for a carriage.

“To the Magic Tower!”

Ignoring the driver’s warnings about the dangers, I leaned halfway out the window and urged him to go faster. Once settled, I smoothed out the crumpled letter and reread it, now dampened with my sweat.

“……  

P.S. Autumn always brings us gifts.  

Just as you came to us in autumn, your academy friend came to visit us.  

With a bright smile, just like yours.”

Every line of that postscript was baffling. My friend visiting Heylem? Impossible. My friends were Irene and Agnes, but I had seen them constantly. And with a bright smile like mine? I hadn’t smiled brightly since arriving in this world.

The nonsensical postscript made me suspect that someone had visited Heylem impersonating me and my friends. I had to find out what had happened.

However, I encountered another obstacle at the Magic Tower.

“A trip to Heylem is 60 gold. One companion allowed. Please sign here to confirm you’ve been fully informed of the risks.”

A financial obstacle. Long-distance surcharges were not exclusive to my world.

“Wait… just a moment.”

“Yes, take your time.”

I needed to think this through. Could the lives of two people be worth only 60 gold? If I missed a clue that could save the lives of Baron and Baroness Degoph because I hesitated over 60 gold…

“Oh, and 60 gold is just for one way. Would you like to purchase the return magic circle as well?”

…Correction. Hesitating over a mere 120 gold despite discovering highly suspicious circumstances would be a pathetic move.

‘The hunting contest prize is 500 gold…’

About a quarter of that. In that context, it didn’t seem too bad. However, I wasn’t sure. Was it right to rush to Heylem based on a single suspicious postscript?

‘What if I’m wrong?’

What if it was just a real friend? What if they had visited secretly? I was pulling at my hair and laughing nervously, behaving oddly, while the tower staff looked away, pretending to clean magical tools.

‘How many crime documentaries and detective novels have I watched?’

All my accumulated theoretical knowledge was useless. It was barely even knowledge. I remembered none of the tricks or methods, just vague images of the culprits.

‘I have no idea. I don’t know what choice to make, whether this is a foolish move, or if this is the right timing.’

But I reconsidered the main reason for my hesitation: money. Money. Therefore, I had to go. The reason for my hesitation was too insignificant compared to the importance of going.

‘Spend when necessary.’

Finally, I spoke to the mage tower’s staff.

“Do you take checks?”

The tower staff answered with a polite smile.

“Yes, we do.”

And so, I arranged to go to Heylem.

***

“Ugh!”

“…Miss?”

The cook, Sarah, looked startled as I suddenly tumbled in from somewhere. I knelt down, trying to calm my insides, overwhelmed by nausea. It felt like I had been riding in a car at 300 km/h for about three hours.

“Are you alright? Why are you here at the estate instead of the academy…?”

Sarah helped me up as I sat, dizzy and disoriented. The smell of freshly baked potatoes filled the air.

“Where are Mother and Father?”

“They had some business to attend to at the neighboring estate, so they left early this morning. You came without any notice… What should we do? The butler went with them too. You must be hungry. I’ll prepare dinner for you soon.”

“But miss, are you eating properly at the academy? You’ve lost so much weight.” Sarah’s worried expression and kind words provided a small comfort as she helped me steady myself.

“No, it’s okay. Really, I’ll be leaving soon.”

“Leaving soon? The baron and baroness won’t be back for two days…”

“I have class tomorrow morning.”

That was another problem. In my haste, I had forgotten that tomorrow was not a weekend. I had to find whatever I came for and leave before tomorrow. Such an inefficient visit…

‘At least I’m lucky there’s no class today.’

I stretched my stiff neck and shoulders and walked towards the baron’s manor. Sarah followed behind, gasping in surprise. I could almost predict what she would say.

“Miss, your leg…!”

“I… managed to fix it somehow. It’s a long story.”

“What? Where did you get the money for that?”

“That’s also a long story. I’ll explain when Mother and Father return.”

Sarah, wide-eyed and full of questions, nodded reluctantly. As she picked up my luggage and headed to the kitchen, she asked,

“Would you like a snack?”

She looked back at me with her usual kind face. As I started to climb the stairs, I almost nodded absent-mindedly, but then I remembered a line from the book.

I: Hahaha. It was you.

My heart suddenly chilled, and I shut my mouth.

“No… It’s fine. Don’t worry about me. Go ahead with your work.”

“Alright. If you need anything, just call.”

I ruffled the back of my hair, feeling uneasy. This was strange. When Dietrich said “you,” both Sarah and the butler were present. Although it was unlikely, the mere possibility made it hard for me to look at Sarah the same way.

It’s always the seemingly harmless ones in movies and dramas who turn out to be the killers.

‘Media has ruined me.’

It’s instilled such distrust in humanity. I tried to calm my irrational suspicions.

First, Dietrich’s bedroom.