Chapter 150.1: Now then, who took the bait?

It was dinner time. We were eating at the castle today and the wildcat big sister was here as well. We are having a special medicinal cooking tonight, or so I heard. She’s grinning all over, is something about to go down?

The Christia’s nobles often carry a basic detoxification magic tool on them, but the poison-tasting Curtis was clearly grimacing.

“Everyone, don’t eat the soup. It’s got a neurotoxin.”

“Eh? It smells normal, though?”

Dirk confirmed the smell. Curtis nodded.

“True. It’s one of the tasteless and odorless poisons often used in assassinations. I’m quite tolerant of poisons, so my tongue just has gotten numb a little, but this would be deadly to children because of their small bodies.”

All of my classmates turned pale. There are no people who would continue eating after hearing their food is poisoned. Rather, Curtis is quite impressive! To think he would be able to detect a tasteless and odorless poison, is this the instinct of the wild? Super-intuition? Elder brother lowered Mandragora-kun who was on his shoulder onto the table.

“Mandragora.”

“Umu.”

Mandragora-kun dipped his feat into Elder brother’s soup. Those are roots after all, aren’t they? The amount of soup decreased and a red flower grew on his head.

“It’s poison. Namely the Lightning Puffer Fish. It’s deadly to children.”

Huh? The wildcat big sister turned blue-faced. Did she perhaps think it was something else? Jess’s face was ashen. It’s because the guests were served poison under his watch. Moreover, if something happened to us, Christia would go to war.

“Call the one who made the soup!”

A chef was brought over. It was a gentle-looking, plump, pig Beastman uncle.

“What did you put in the soup? The guests are saying there’s poison.”

“Ehh!? I, I made it like usual... ah, I used mushrooms that Myse, an assistant of mine, was entrusted with by her master....”

“Do you still have some leftover?”

“I, I will bring it right away!!”

Uncle Chef brought the herb in question unexpectedly fast. Mandragora-kun took it and nodded.

“This is not a herb. It’s a liver of the Lightning Puffer Fish. It’s a lump of poison.”

“Can we be certain of this creature’s appraisal?”

Alphage-sama confirmed with Elder brother. Mandragora-kun answered before Elder brother could.

“I am a spirit with Poison and Greenery attributes. There’s no way my appraisal of poisons would be incorrect.”

“It’s an expert’s opinion then. There’s no doubt, it’s poison. Call that assistant lass of yours.”

I was eating dinner at my own pace while listening to Jess’s orders. It’s necessary to prolong the situation so the enemy wouldn’t have time to retreat. I don’t like it when I get hungry when it matters, so I was eating in silence. When it comes down to it, I have my earrings to detoxify and solve the problem. It’s tasty, but I’m tired of the salty taste. I shall make something by myself tomorrow.

“You eat so well, Rosarin.”

“It’s not tasty when it gets cold. Milfi, can you lend me the detoxifying magic tool?”

“Sure. I don’t think that’s the problem here, though.”

“Lass, there’s no poison in other dishes. No need to worry.”

Hearing Mandragora-kun’s explanation, the classmates and teachers started eating timidly.

“I, I... didn’t know, I was told it’s good for nourishment...”

A mouse missy was brought a little while after. She’s completely frightened. If unlucky, she would be condemned with mass murder, after all. Since I ate most of the food on my plate, I lowered the knife and fork.

“Who was it who gave it to you?”

She tried to point at the wildcat big sister with her shaky hands, but she didn’t in the end.

“I, I did it on my own.”

I don’t know how strong her desire to protect the wildcat big sister is, but I would like to avoid stalling.

“Your master might have fallen into a trap. I will do my utmost best so that you can escape death, so tell me the truth. You are going to die in vain otherwise.”

“... Saintess-sama, please save my Ojousama.”

The mouse missy burst into tears and as expected, she was instructed by the wildcat big sister. I’m not a Saintess, though.

“It was Mikelle Ojousama who gave it to me. I was told it was a nourishing herb when I inquired. I knew of a similar-looking herb that is good for nourishment and misunderstood it for it.”

“Oh, the Light Puffing Mushroom? They certainly are similar.”

Eh? There’s something like that? I didn’t know. I saw it later since we were also growing it at home, but well, it was a somewhat puffy mushroom. It was shining. It’s apparently dried before use, but after drying... no, even before that, it looked gross. It had a stalk coming out from underneath a shining toadstool and roots underneath the ground like a normal mushroom, but it was groaning as if crying. Was this thing really just a mushroom... even Elder brother apparently doesn’t know.

“However, Miss Mikelle Cyatel apothecary apprentice. There’s no way she wouldn’t know.”

The wildcat big sister, Mikelle, turned blue in the face. Mike cat? Well, it’s not strange... I think? She’s such a big fool, yet she’s an apothecary apprentice. How surprising.

“I, I... I...”

“To try to poison our country’s Saintess is unforgivable! Restrain this fool at once!”

“Eh!? W, why!? I was just... release me!”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

I took out a knife from my pocket and threw it.

“Yes, that’s as far as you go.”

The Royal Guards froze in place. I did not hit them, okay? I’m quite good at throwing knives.

“There’s something I’d like to ask Mikelle-san. She wanted me dead, so I have the right to inquire why, right?”

The silver-haired fox bro who gave orders to have Mikelle arrested was making an obviously disgruntled expression.

“No, she would only dirty your holy ears. Quickly throw her into the jail! Don’t let that woman create even more bad memories for Saintess-sama. There’s no need to hear anything else from her.”

“I will do as I please. Could you not decide for me?”

You sure don’t want us to have a conversation, do you? But, too bad. I grinned. You made a promise to me, didn’t you? That I can fight back if they come at me. I made eye contact with Jess who nodded at me.