—–
Due to Nieve’s concerns and to follow the protocol of a knight, she ended gathering the soldiers and knights which we had spoken to. She explained to them that the culprit was probably Florie. The people was shocked. Florie seemed to be well known by some due to Nieve’s stories. She had told them to her fellow friends about her every day in her services as a soldier before ascending into a magic knight.
So they were surprised and even doubtful when she told them Florie might be the culprit. Nieve herself didn’t wanted to believe that either, but it was better to make sure it wasn’t by going there, capturing her, interrogating her, and using magic artifacts to see if she was saying the truth or not.
By then, all our doubts would be cleared. I was really hoping Florie wasn’t the culprit either. I honestly prayed to God for her to not be the one behind this. Even if this was a game, even if this might all be virtual reality, it is so realistic to all of us that we had ended getting involved into all of this drama… I’ve really grown to like Nieve, she’s a good person. And Florie as well… I just hope… I hope it is nothing like we imagine.
Rita and Titan were also dead serious with me, mostly silent while all things happened. I was also quite silent. It was clear that they were very involved into the story of this quest with me. It felt as if we were not just watching a movie, we were being part of it. It gave a whole different vibe to it I suppose.
After everything was set up, we went to Nieve’s home, it was a big home atop a large tree, even people of our size could fit inside the house, so we all walked with her towards the house’s door. We heard some noise inside the moment we got closer. The knights and soldiers hid around the tree, waiting for Nieve’s signal to enter and raid the place to not let Florie resist.
“Ah, big sis? Are you there? Wait a bit, I’ll go open the door!” Florie’s voice resonated, as she flew into the door and opened it, greeting us cheerfully as if nothing. “Oooh! Planta! Oh, and your friends are here too! You’re the saviors of the city! I am so happy to see you again safe and sound! Come inside, I am halfway through lunch!”
“Y-You made lunch?” Asked Nieve.
“Yeah… I was thinking about how you might be feeling lately after everything that happened yesterday, so I decided to make something for you, you’re always the one cooking, but I wanted to do it this time… I-it might not come too well though.” Florie sighed.
“I see… Thanks… for your generosity, Florie.” Nieve sighed, with a face filled with sadness.
We entered the room as we ended sitting down around the table. Titan was able to actually reduce his size to almost the same as us, so even he was able to eat in this large home.
Florie quickly served us food, it was a delicious stew with snake meat and potatoes with carrots. The snake meat was safe to eat and non-poisonous, only their fangs were poisonous, or scales, sometimes. There were various non-poisonous types too so the meat here was safe. She wasn’t trying to poison us, as I had originally thought about.
She seems to have no clue we think she’s the culprit. Is she shady enough to believe her acting will be enough, or is she trying to pretend to be the same as ever in hopes we’ll pity her and simply try to find somebody else that did the same things she did and that looks similar to her?
However as we were served the delicious food, we remained in silence until she came to sit down and eat with us as well.
“Huh? W-What’s wrong? Why are you not eating… It is yummy, right?” Florie asked, looking at us.
“Florie…” Nieve said, her face growing darker and… with grief.
“Huh? What is it?” Florie asked. “Why are you all so gloomy? I know yesterday’s incident was big but… we go through it, right? There’s hope-”
“Florie, tell me the truth.” Nieve said.
“Eh…?” Florie asked in confusion.
“I’ve raised you all this time, since I found you abandoned and poisoned in the forest, left to die… I… I’ve taken care of you as if you were my real sister since then, with all the love I could… Perhaps because I lost my parents at a early age, I needed someone with me. I’ve dedicated my life to raise you until now but… I am… I just want you to tell me the truth. Whatever it is, I’ll… find a way for you to survive.” Said Nieve, looking at Florie with pity.
“Eh…? S-Survive?” Florie asked. ．
“Florie… yesterday, you had your hands with oil, right?” I asked.
“Huh? I-I… did…” She said timidly. “I-It was because I was just cleaning something here and got it in my hands… It was nothing serious!”
“The soldiers in the walls saw you, a girl exactly like you, with black hands with oil playing around with the golems…” Nieve said. “Were you there?”
“Eh? Ah… I-I… It wasn’t me… It must have been somebody else…! Big sis, what are you even talking about? A-Are you implying something?!” Florie asked in disbelief, as her eyes seemed to grow with concern and fear.
“Florie! They saw you, there’s no way there’s someone that looks the same as you, wears the same dress, and had their hands black just a few hours before you went back home…” Said Nieve.
“But I was outside when that happened!” Florie said.
“No, you came back with Planta before that happened.” Said Nieve. “Planta was imprisoned until night, you had plenty of time to do all the things you wanted.”
“…T-That’s a lie! I was… I didn’t do anything bad!” Cried Florie.
“She’s lying…” I said, as I held within my hands a small black sphere, a lie detector artifact.
—–