Chapter 536: [Beautiful Girl Detective Akashiterika!]The Nigyakka Grand Market Snack Theft Case 3
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"Beautiful girl... detective!?"
The green-haired, unshaven Borooberry stall owner muttered, his mouth agape, looking dumbfounded.
"Beautiful girl..."
"Certainly, a beautiful girl..."
"But... does she call herself a beautiful girl? Normally..."
The stall owner, the girl with black hair and black eyes, and the crowd surrounding Akashiterika, all exchanged glances, and started murmuring.
"S-So, what do you want, Beautiful Girl Detective!?"
The stall owner was the first to regain his composure, and asked Akashiterika that.
Perhaps because of the summer heat... he wiped the sweat that had suddenly started to form on his forehead with his hand and glared at Akashiterika.
"As a detective, I have to do what I have to do. That's why I'm here."
"W-What you have to do?"
But Akashiterika isn't fazed by his hostile gaze.
Smiling gently, she slowly turned to face the stall owner.
"Yes. In other words... first, let's organize the situation. Stall owner, what's your name?"
"Itchamon... Itchamon Tsukeer! As you can tell from my name, I'm the son of the president of the Tsukeer Trading Company. You know about the Tsukeer Trading Company, don't you, Detective?"
"Yes, yes, I know them very well. They're the largest fruit and vegetable seller in this Old Imperial Capital. All their products are incredibly fresh... and I'm also a regular customer."
"Hmph!"
Itchamon, his pride boosted by the praise for his family's business, puffed out his chest, snorting.
"And what about you?"
"I'm a traveler. Emi Rune."
"Thank you for your answer."
The girl with black hair and black eyes, on the other hand, remained calm.
Her expression unchanged, not moving at all.
But in this girl, Emi's eyes... there's something like wariness towards Akashiterika.
That's how Akashiterika felt.
Well, there aren't many people who wouldn't be wary of someone who suddenly interrupts them.
Thinking that, Akashiterika stopped observing Emi.
"Now then, now that we know each other's names, Itchamon-san. You said that this girl, Emi-san, stole and ate your Borooberries, but when did this happen?"
"Huh!?"
"A minute ago? Five minutes ago? Or an hour ago?"
"Ah, no, well..."
Akashiterika asked Itchamon those questions.
Itchamon, perhaps because he hadn't expected those questions, panicked...
"I-I don't remember the exact time! But it was just now! Just now, this cursed child stole and ate my Borooberries! That's why I caught her!"
He shouted angrily.
"I see, thank you... Now then, how much?"
"Huh!?"
"I mean, how much did she steal and eat? Was it just one or two berries? Judging from your reaction earlier, Itchamon-san, you must have suffered quite a loss?"
"Th-That's right! Like this... she grabbed them with her hands... and ate them, over and over! It's a huge loss!"
Itchamon, shaking with anger, made an exaggerated gesture of grabbing the Borooberries and bringing them to his mouth, repeatedly.
"I see."
Akashiterika, hearing his testimony... sighed softly at Itchamon's 'shallowness', and then smiled again, turning her gaze to the Borooberry stall.
There she saw a box packed to the brim with Borooberries.
It's completely full of Borooberries, like a mountain, but they're perfectly balanced, not a single fruit spilled on the ground.
"That girl... Emi-san... stole and ate from this box?"
"That's right!!"
"I see."
Akashiterika, putting her hand on her chin, pretended to think for a bit, and then turned her gaze to Emi.
"Itchamon-san said that."
"I didn't steal anything."
Emi's response to Akashiterika is the same as before.
An assertion of her innocence.
"Lies! Don't you lie!"
Itchamon yelled at Emi!
"That's right, that's right!"
"You lying cursed child!"
"Catch her!"
"Get out of here!"
"Die!"
The onlookers also started shouting, whatever came to mind!
After all, one is the son of the president of a powerful trading company, and the other is an ominous cursed child, wearing a dirty robe, whose identity is unknown.
Naturally, the crowd... sided with the president's son!
Although unconsciously... what they value isn't the truth.
...It's to eliminate this foreign object—the cursed child—from before their eyes!
"............"
Emi silently endured their verbal abuse.
Her expression unchanging.
But, too excited, the crowd didn't notice.
Emi is emitting an unsettling aura... from her whole body.
And the jet-black clothes covering her wriggled ominously.
If this continues.
Probably.
It'll be bad.
"...[The Emperor's Footsteps Echo Throughout the World]!!"
But it was the next moment!
Akashiterika stomped on the ground!
DAAAAAAN!!
She made that... incredibly loud footstep sound!
"""""!?"""""
The noisy market fell silent because of that sound, and everyone's gaze turned to Akashiterika!
"Yes... Right now... there's a liar here..."
Akashiterika muttered, in a quiet, but clear voice.
"But it's not Emi-san... It's you!!"
She forcefully pointed at Itchamon Tsukeer!
Now then... Akashiterika!
She's going to strike down injustice, with the power of truth!