"A new day has come… yet I still have not figured out who the culprit is."
That was the first thing Lunan said, as he sat up straight in his bed.
"There just… isn't enough evidence!"
He tightened his grip on his head, balling a fistful of hair with so much intensity that strands were begging to fall out. Before too much fell out, he let go.
The day went by as normal.
.
"This coffee is awful. Distasteful and bitter."
Lunan sat at a table with a fellow general, holding the cup of coffee danglingly. The general that sat across from his was Ireciez van Vavuhul.
Like usual, Ireciez maintained a blank expression. His words escaped his lips monotonously and almost hesitantly.
"Then why do you always order it?"
Lyman placed the hot cup down, clearing his throat.
"There's nothing else to drink to wake me up. To keep me active. Jeez, it's like our kingdom doesn't even care about its soldiers, exporting bitter coffee like this."
"… How's that case you're working on?"
"It's horrible. There's not enough evidence for me to deduct anything."
"That's a shame."
Lunan's eyes began to wander, looking outside.
Most of the island was peaceful. The soldiers stationed here could enjoy their term.
But Lunan was stuck solving this impossible case.
. .
"Just call it quits, Lunan. I don't think you'll figure this whole thing out anytime soon. He probably died from some enemy assassin."
Lunan swung his feet, sitting atop a bookshelf. A few meters away from him, sitting at a desk, was Liluth Muradrus.
"You don't understand, Liluth. This isn't about punishment anymore. I have to solve this for my own conscious. Or I'll never be satisfied."
"I-I guess you can't always get what you want in life,"
She licked her finger, flipping the page of a paper. Suddenly, the light in her eyes changed, and she continued speaking.
"Although… I think I know a suspect."
Lunan's eyes shot toward Liluth. He slid down the bookshelf, landing on the carpet.
"Suspect?!"
"Yeah, a suspect. This really suspicious soldier. A young kid."
"Go on."
"At first, I just thought he was a peculiar kid with an interest in fighting. Until I observed him closely."
"…"
"He would find ways to kill or pick fights with his own comrades. It would never be an accident, either."
"N-no way. Really?"
"Yeah. His name is Bastle. There was no registered last name in the data base, when I checked."
Lunan eyed her.
"You don't understand… how much help you just gave me."
He stood up from his seated position, shaking her hand vigorously, an excited smile on his face.
"Thanks to you, I'll finally be able to resolve this thing!"
Liluth became flustered.
"R-really, it's nothing. I-I just did what I felt was right to do."
She turned her head to the side, avoiding his admiring gaze.