I've Been Exiled, But I'm Alive and Well

Giselle, who said she was good at gathering information, gathered information from the town and narrowed down the time of the crime to midnight or before dawn.

“Still, where are they catching so many bugs from?”

“I think it’s from the nearby forest. I heard there are a lot of bugs the deeper you go.”

We were currently at a bar near the inn we stayed at.

Jed, Giselle, and I were having a strategic meeting.

“The reason the culprit does this every three to four days is most likely because they have to gather that many insects first.”

I chuckled at Jed’s words.

Probably the culprit is someone with a lot of time on their hands, but it would take a long time to find someone in the town who fits that criteria. Besides, we don’t even know if that criteria is really true.

The three of us twisted our heads, wondering what to do.

“Since the culprit is looking for bugs… ah, maybe we can get something by talking to the gatekeepers?”

“Certainly, we might be able to find something by asking them about people who frequently go through.”

Jed nodded at Giselle’s words.

It’s certainly a good idea to ask about people who are frequently leaving and entering the city, but Arburn is a place where many people come and go. I don’t know if the gatekeepers would remember.

Besides, if the culprit is wearing a disguise, there is a good chance that they wouldn’t be noticed.

“Anyhow, why don’t we go to the forest after talking with the gatekeepers? The culprit might just be there.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“Eh…”

I don’t want to go, I was letting out such aura.

If the culprit is in the forest, that means there will be a lot of bugs around.

I can’t go anywhere near!

The two voiced their concern when my face turned pale.

“Elle? Are you alright?”

I’m sorry for causing them to worry about me, but it’s not that of a big deal, so please don’t raise your voices so much.

I’m no good, but will Giselle be all right?

She has fainted because of bugs, so I’m worried if she really can go to the forest where there are so many of them.

“You don’t want to go to the forest, Elle?”

“I, I would like to avoid places with so many bugs…”

Giselle’s face paled, as if she hadn’t noticed until she was told, and she let out a “Certainly…”.

This means that two people have been eliminated. So the only one we can rely on is Jed.

I looked at him and he was looking down at us curiously.

“Jed, sorry to bother you, but… can you go take a look at the forest?”

“I don’t mind, but what will you two do while I’m away? Are you going to wait?”

“W, we will investigate around the city.”

“We can’t be idle while you are doing all the work, after all.”

Jed nodded his head and said, “All right. Leave it to me then.”

To be honest, I used to think he was a nuisance, but now he seems like a savior, which makes me seem like a self-centered woman.

“Alright, let’s make a toast to the fact that we’re definitely going to catch the culprit.”

“Yeah.”

Cheers, we clinked our glasses together.