A sweet aroma hung in the air of the room.
In the dining hall, a piping hot brown drink was served on the table easily capable of seating dozens of people. Everyone in attendance furrowed their brows and what had been presented to them.
And this is?” one of the magistrates asked. The main type of teas in Baltzar were tinged red with a clear and refreshing citrusy aroma. They had probably never seen a tea with such a sugary-sweet aroma in a shade so dark that you couldn’t see the bottom of the cup.
(Just remember; if this concludes without a hitch, you can hole up in my greenhouse with your bucket over your head...)
Rosemarie stood in the corner of the dining hall, positively frozen in anxiety. She was sandwiched between two knights of The Second Order at both sides, so it made it even worse.
“It is called ‘Kaola.’ They drink it regularly in Volland, and it is said to have fatigue-curing properties. However, it is apparently difficult to manufacture, and banned from export into outside countries.” Everyone who was listening with an earnest gaze at Claudio’s explanation, as he sat at the edge of the long table, were people who gathered to judge Rosemarie.
In the midst of Kastner’s overly long list of crimes coming to light one after another, today marked the third day since the inquiry. And maybe because everyone wanted to square things away quickly, Rosemarie’s charges were being judged.
“Do you mean to tell us that this girl brought an item banned from export into our country?” The badger-headed magistrate cast a judging pair of eyes upon Rosemarie, making her twitch her shoulders in surprise. Claudio then intervened.
“Listen to me closely. I said that it was difficult to manufacture. I’ve been told that since it’s becoming a scarce commodity, so it’s only consumed within Volland. A small enough quantity that they don’t allow distribution to outside nations. King Volland has been sending over a supply for his daughter who loves drinking it.”
Claudio shot a glance at the magistrate that practically asked, “Do you have a problem with that, good sir?” It was a glance that made the man hush up, feeling awkward.
“Putting that aside, Doctor? When you were summoned to the princess’s room, was this aroma not drifting through the air? I assume you remember since it’s a very specific aroma.”
The middle-aged doctor who sat opposite to Claudio closed his eyes in recollection. “—Well... Hmm, yes... I do indeed remember this sweet aroma. I also remember the brown liquid spilled atop the desk. Hence why I thought you drank something and passed out as a result...”
“You mistook that for poison?”
“Yes, sir.” The doctor gave a firm nod with tensed brows and Claudio nodded back. He then held out his hand to his audience, persuasively.
“You heard it for yourselves. That day, I went out on my survey. I simply drank the Kaola and fell asleep, most likely because of my fatigue over the course of several days. The princess just jumped to conclusions and summoned the doctor. —If you doubt this, I implore you all to drink the Kaola sitting before you.”
Silence befell the room. Everyone looked down at the Kaola, not budging a muscle.
(That’s right. It might be poisoned, so there’s no way they would drink it.)
They verified that, with the processing that Edeltraud put the Kaola through, it barely had any magic-stealing effects left. So even if there was someone who had mana here, there was no risk of it being stolen. Regardless, Rosemarie was still getting nervous.
Rosemarie made up her mind and inhaled.
“I will drink it.”
As soon as she said that, Rosemarie walked over to the doctor, who was sitting the closest to her, took the cup, and put it against her lips.
The unique bitterness and slight acidity spread throughout her mouth, leaving a sour aftertaste. A smile naturally drew itself across her face, and upon noticing that everyone was still staring at her, she quickly straightened that smile out.
“The princess seems to be fine after drinking it.” Amidst the stifling silence, the sound of cups clanging off their plates could be heard.
The Second Order’s captain set his sights on her as he sat near the doctor. His face was human, but he was most certainly the wolf-headed knight who took Rosemarie into custody. He slowly lifted up the cup, without a single shift in his brows, putting the cup to his lips, and drinking it down like it were nothing.
“—It has a unique taste. However... I can see myself getting a tad hooked.” The knight’s lips curled into a faint smile. Rosemarie was pleased on the inside.
(Yes! You get hooked!)
She was trying hard to keep her face neutral, but it seemed to be slipping a little bit. She felt that Claudio was glaring at her from afar, so she once again straightened herself out.
The others timidly put their cups to their lips, convinced after the knight drank the tea with no issues. While there were some that were firm in their refusal to pick the cups up, that hadn’t broken any expectations.
There were some that winced upon sampling the tea, and some that liked it enough to down the entire cup, but the general impression that started to roll out was positive.
Claudio cleared his throat to draw everyone’s attention.
“—So, gentlemen. What of the princess’s charges now?”