* * *

Kai Tsukeer, the president of the Tsukeer Trading Company.

This imposing giant of a man, after glancing at the crowd surrounding him and his unconscious son, and then at Akashiterika—

Took a deep… breath.

“I deeply apologize… for the trouble my foolish son has caused…!!”

He apologized, bowing deeply, his voice so loud that it made their skin tingle!

President Kai’s physique, despite being a merchant, is that of a fighting man, and Akashiterika, who had been prepared for the possibility of a fight, was a little taken aback… but his actions were perfectly reasonable.

After all, his son tried to falsely accuse an innocent traveler for a very selfish reason.

It’s only natural that he apologize.

Akashiterika let out a small sigh of relief.

“Beautiful Girl Detective Akashiterika-sama… I also listened to your deduction… and as you said, we, at the Tsukeer Trading Company, are currently holding a competition between my three sons. A competition to see who can sell the most Borooberries.”

And President Kai, raising his head, started talking about the internal affairs of the Tsukeer Trading Company.

His voice is low and clear.

As expected of an experienced merchant, his voice is captivating.

He might even be unconsciously imbuing his voice with mana.

But Akashiterika is “used to” such vocal techniques.

Although impressed, she calmly replied with a question.

“…Itchamon-san said something about ‘proving his qualities as a successor’… Is that competition to decide your successor?”

“No, although I will take the results into consideration, I won’t decide my successor based on a single competition… Regardless of what my foolish son thought.”

President Kai, smiling wryly, answered that.

It seems that this merchant is willing to answer the detective’s questions.

Akashiterika decided to ask one more question… to clear up her doubts.

“I’d like to ask one more question. With all due respect, Itchamon-san didn’t even understand the Borooberry cultivars he was selling. That’s a problem even before the competition… So, why did you let him participate in this competition?”

“…I wanted him… to face reality.”

At Akashiterika’s question… President Kai, with a sorrowful fatherly expression, looked at Itchamon, lying on the ground.

“I thought I raised Itchamon… and the other two, the same way, but he’s always been lazy… And yet, whether he convinced himself, or someone put the idea in his head… he believed that he would unconditionally inherit the position of president of the Tsukeer Trading Company. And no matter how much I told him, he wouldn’t change his mind.”

“Even though it’s not true?”

“Of course. I’m responsible for the livelihoods of everyone who works at the trading company. I can’t entrust the Tsukeer Trading Company to a fool, and leave my employees out on the streets.”

President Kai clearly declared that.

At his words, showing his concern for his employees, gasps of admiration rose from the crowd.

It’s probably half performance.

But even so, Akashiterika felt a liking for President Kai’s words.

“That’s why I wanted Itchamon to experience a crushing defeat, so that he would understand that ‘he can’t become president in his current state’. That’s why… That’s precisely why…”

“You let him participate, even though he had no chance of winning.”

“Yes… But I never thought…”

Here, President Kai clenched his fist, his face flushed with anger.

“That this foolish son of mine… would try to falsely accuse someone completely unrelated just to run away from the competition… just to make an excuse for not winning…!”

And then, turning to Akashiterika—

“I deeply apologize for the trouble we’ve caused you!! We would be honored if you would continue to be our patron…!!”

He bowed deeply again, and apologized.

And that apology… erased the slight admiration Akashiterika had for President Kai.

“…I’m fine. It wasn’t any trouble at all. I stuck my nose in, of my own accord. But…”

“Please!! Please, regarding the business transactions with your family as well!! Although it’s a shameless request, please continue to—!!”

“I’ve already left home! It has nothing to do with me anymore, and that’s not what I’m trying to say!”

Akashiterika… clicked her tongue softly at President Kai, who apologized, sweat slightly forming on his forehead.

He knows Akashiterika’s background very well.

That’s why he gave that… ‘misguided’ apology.

It’s incredibly annoying.

“Shouldn’t you be apologizing to… someone else?”

Akashiterika, with her arms crossed, her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes narrowed, urged President Kai to take the next step.

“Yes… You’re right. That’s true.”

President Kai looked puzzled for a moment, and then immediately put on his sincere merchant face, lowered his eyebrows apologetically, and nodded deeply.

And then this time, he turned to Emi, the victim of the false accusation.

President Kai looked straight at Emi… and flinched for a moment, his expression contorted, at her black hair and black eyes…

“I am truly sorry for what happened!!”

He bowed deeply again, and apologized to Emi as well.

Now, Emi, having received the apology—

“…………”

She was silent for a while, tilting her head slightly.

Staring at President Kai, with her usual expressionless face, she didn’t move.

She was silent for so long that President Kai involuntarily started to raise his head, but seeing Emi still staring at him silently, he hurriedly lowered his head again.

“Okay.”

And then, after a few more seconds, Emi finally spoke, nodding deeply.

“It’s fine.”

And she accepted President Kai’s apology.

“Thank you…!”

President Kai, a heartfelt merchant’s smile on his face, grateful that his sincerity got through, quickly raised his head.

And then, seeing Emi’s still expressionless… and eerily jet-black eyes, he froze.

He couldn’t read any emotion from those eyes.

Not even President Kai, who prides himself on being a first-class merchant!

He was surprised by that fact, and for some reason, he felt a great sense of unease… perhaps instinctively.

“But apologies don’t fill my stomach.”

President Kai, overwhelmed by the unique atmosphere created by Emi, suddenly froze.

But Emi, not caring about his reaction, said—

“So, as an apology, give me all those Borooberries.”

She made that demand.

“H-…?”

“I’ve been curious about those Borooberries. They smell really good. So good that I even forgot about my 【Presence Concealment】, and just stared.”

“But they’re not for eating raw…”

“I’ve heard. It’s fine. You can’t sell them anyway, after all this commotion. Right?”

“Well, that’s… Yes, that’s true. I understand. Then… if you’ll forgive us for our blunder… Please, take all these Borooberries.”

“Thank you.”

Emi, calmly, expressionlessly, continued to negotiate, and finally got those words out of President Kai.

And then, she walked towards the Borooberry stall.

She effortlessly lifted the box, overflowing with Borooberries, which would probably be difficult for even several adult men to lift.

And then, she put her mouth to the corner of the box—

“Gulp, gulp, gulp…”

As if drinking juice… she started swallowing the Borooberries in the box!

An amount of Borooberries that clearly wouldn’t fit in her body flowed into her… but her stomach didn’t swell at all!

“No… weren’t they supposed to be incredibly sour!?”

“Can she eat all of that… !?”

As the surroundings were dumbfounded by that bizarre sight, Emi quickly finished drinking the Borooberries.

And then, she put the box down on the ground with a clang.

“That’s more proof that I didn’t steal and eat any.”

To Akashiterika, who was as dumbfounded as the crowd.

“I wouldn’t be satisfied with just a little snack. If I were to do it, I’d eat it all like this!”

For some reason, she declared that confidently, puffing out her chest!

Anyway, that’s the end of the Nigyakka Grand Market snack theft case.

And that’s how the beautiful girl detective, Akashiterika, and the traveler, Emi Rune, met.

【Such vocal techniques】

Techniques to draw people’s attention, and make them agree with what you’re saying, by imbuing your voice with mana.

Often used by politicians and other leaders.

It’s assumed that Baron Martz, who appeared in Arc 5, also used this technique.

The name has not appeared.

(Greetings below)

That concludes the introductory part of Arc 24.

I’m planning to add a short story before starting the main story of Arc 24.

I hope you enjoyed it.