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<Side Story 11>

'No—that can't be.'

"I am not doubting your abilities. But it doesn't make sense."

Herbert acknowledged Rianell's capabilities, but he believed this matter was separate.

How on earth could she locate those who had gone into hiding and were brewing potions? And on top of that, just from what she heard over breakfast?

Herbert knew all too well the exasperating nature of fugitive criminals.

'Those bastards are as insidious as cockroaches.'

They were cautious from the very moment they chose their hiding places, and they were quick-witted—the moment they sensed their trail was found, they would flee without hesitation.

You could make them disappear temporarily, but eradicating them completely was another matter.

"If the drug in question shares the same composition as holy water, then its raw materials are also highly likely to be the same. Therefore, by tracing the origin of those raw materials, we can pinpoint their base."

"I know that holy water's ingredient is sacred flower! But what can you do with that?"

"Unlike ordinary plants, sacred flower cannot be cultivated with just water and sunlight. It requires periodic nourishment from corpses to grow."

That was precisely why the priests of the Old Faith had risked exposure and committed kidnappings.

Without sacred flower, they could not collect offerings or expand their order's influence—so they had perpetrated crimes relentlessly.

"The criminals in this case would also have required a steady supply of corpses, so it is highly likely that they established their base near a communal cemetery."

Herbert thought Rianell's words made sense. But—

"I still think that alone is insufficient to conclude anything."

"Then let me ask you one thing. Has there been any large-scale loss of life in the east recently?"

"No."

Crime rates within the estate were information known only to those deeply familiar with its internal affairs, but Herbert had seen the relevant reports and could answer with confidence.

"The criminals would also need to stay hidden, so they would not risk causing a major public disturbance."

"Exactly. That is why I suspect a communal cemetery as their base."

"???"

"Of course!"

While Herbert was baffled and confused, Rupert let out a cry of realisation beside him.

"To obtain high-purity sacred flower, one must use either a recently deceased body or a child's corpse. But if they were using bodies from graves, the purity of the sacred flower would have been low. That is why the victims were able to break free from the brainwashing and come forward!"

"Indeed."

Only then did Herbert understand.

Rupert and Norman had also only broken free from their brainwashing after meeting Rianell. But this time, the victims had snapped out of it with relatively little shock—and there was a reason for that.

'Cemeteries are usually sparsely populated. Most people, except on memorial days, don't wish to visit the resting places of the dead.'

The clues were still fragmentary, but with this much circumstantial evidence, it was worth investigating.

Herbert checked that his sword was securely fastened at his waist and rose.

"Now that we know where the bastards are hiding, there's no reason to delay. I'll go and capture them at once."

"A wise decision."

"I thought you'd try to stop me—"

Herbert had expected Rianell to dissuade him, so he stopped in his tracks, startled.

"What did you say?"

"Concentrated sacred flower extract is a substance known to be hazardous. Since it can cause serious side effects in the human body, all of it must be recovered and disposed of."

"Y-yes, that's right! We must root out those scum so they can't infest this land!"

Herbert's voice rose with pleasure at having Rianell on his side.

"The essence of this crime lies in attempting to replace the effort of persuading others with a drug. To prevent similar crimes from recurring, it is important to leave a clear precedent by severely punishing all those involved."

"Those are sound words indeed—but on what charge can we punish them?"

There were plenty of loopholes for those who had purchased the drug. Even Herbert, not the sharpest thinker, could think of several excuses they might offer.

They didn't know what kind of drug it was. They thought it was a real love potion. Where's the evidence they were brainwashed? You were happy to be engaged, so why the complaints now?—and so on.

Holy water affected the invisible realm of human emotion. And this time, the drug's effect had been weak. Since it was difficult to prove, it was obvious the criminals would stubbornly deny everything until the end.

'The manufacturers are the same.'

They could insist they had only followed the doctrines of the Old Faith; they could claim they had only manufactured the drug and not distributed it.

The temples were allowed to remain in the form of the Old Faith because Emperor Tiren had permitted it. The criminals could easily exploit that, arguing that punishing them was religious persecution.

'Arresting them is easy enough—we can subdue them by force. But they won't confess willingly. What then?'

As he mulled it over, Herbert recalled something and asked:

"Surely you don't mean to say we should move quickly, arrest them, lock them up, and have deep conversations until they repent?"

"No."

The empire was a nation of laws. Rianell had no intention of extracting confessions through barbaric methods.

"That would constitute illegal confinement and coercion—and depending on the circumstances, the charge of confinement resulting in injury could also apply."

Rianell remained expressionless, but Herbert felt oddly embarrassed and averted his gaze.

"Then what do you propose?"

"Under the law enacted two years ago, sacred flower was designated as a regulated substance harmful to the human body. Therefore, cultivating, possessing, or transporting it constitutes a violation of the Narcotics Control Act."

"Is… is that so?"

"The unauthorised manufacture and sale of pharmaceuticals constitutes a violation of the Pharmacy Act. Furthermore, since they appear to have profited from selling the drug, they are subject to aggravated punishment under the Special Act on the Control of Health Crimes—"

A long list of relevant laws followed.

"As there is no record of income from the sale of the drug being declared, this constitutes tax evasion. We can confiscate the entire proceeds and levy back taxes on the unreported income."

"…Ah."

"…Hmm."

The exhaustive explanation finally ended.

Herbert stared blankly, mouth agape, before managing to close it.

'I've never felt so embarrassed.'

Rianell had resolved in an instant what the two men had been agonising over all night.

Without uttering a single word about holy water or the Old Faith, she had created the justification to arrest the criminals based solely on the fact that they had sold a suspicious pharmaceutical.

In this case, even if the criminals claimed the drug was a substance with no actual effect, it did not matter.

'Regardless of what it is—the act of selling it is itself a crime.'

What made Herbert most ashamed was that this solution was not some extraordinary insight.

It was an answer he could have thought of himself if he had only used his head a little more.

"Do you have some business with me?"

Rianell, noticing Herbert staring at her, asked.

"No—nothing at all."

He felt that if he spoke with her any longer, his own stupidity would be exposed. Hurriedly looking away, Herbert was relieved to see Rupert.

Rupert was still sitting there, not even having composed his own dazed expression!

---

Herbert set out together with Rupert and several dozen Vinchenheim knights.

Their first destination was the communal cemetery.

It was a place where one should pay silent respect to the dead—but as Rianell had predicted, the cemetery was crowded with outsiders, and various equipment was scattered about in disarray.

There were flasks and test tubes, tools for extracting concentrated sacred flower extract, and an unpleasant, cloyingly sweet stench stung the nose.

The decisive evidence was the sacred flower itself.

Though the flowers were noticeably smaller and more shabby than any he had seen before, they were unmistakably sacred flower.

"We've come to the right place."

Herbert deliberately made noise the moment the encirclement was complete. Only then did those inside notice the intruders and turn their heads.

They did not even think to destroy the evidence laid out before them—they simply screamed.

"Wh-who are you! How did you find this place!"

"There's a traitor among us?"

"Even if there is a traitor, what good will it do to find them now? Surrender quietly. If you resist, we'll make this your grave too."

And so Herbert and Rupert arrested the holy water manufacturers one after another.

Since they did not appear to have any means of communication among themselves, those working at other cemeteries—unaware that their comrades had been captured—fell helplessly to the surprise attacks.

'For remnants of the Old Faith, they seem rather sloppy…'

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