CHAPTER 4
An Eyewitness Report
Um…
When was it that I met that man? Where was it?
It’s all a blur.
I’m not so sure.
I met him by coincidence, in an extremely unremarkable place. Well, since we didn’t actually speak to each other, I guess it would be better to say we crossed paths.
The place, if I remember correctly, was a road that connected one country to the next. I don’t remember any details of the place. Just that we were on a road. That’s all.
Oh, but I must have passed him on the road that leads out of the gate, since that is how I entered this country in the first place.
Now that I think about it, I’m certain I traveled here along that road.
The time was… That’s right, it was around twilight. No, maybe it was early morning… Yeah, probably, it was early morning.
I arrived here in the afternoon. And since that man crossed paths with me on my way here, it must have been morning.
How’s that? My deductive reasoning isn’t half-bad, huh? Oh, you don’t care? Ah, is that so…?
…?
Yes. I’m sure of it. I’m sure I crossed paths with that man on the road. What’s so confusing about that? You’re the one who asked me, after all.
And here I was planning to do some sightseeing, enjoy a leisurely visit…
As for the man you’re describing…I’m certain he was headed for the country over there—a normal country, nothing out of the ordinary.
I mean, sometimes normal is nice. I enjoy taking it easy every once in a while. And that place was about as normal as it gets.
But this country is different, isn’t it?
Huh? What’s with that face? Mm-hmm. You’ve got to be kidding.
You don’t expect me to believe that such an outrageously dressed fellow could come from a perfectly ordinary country, do you? This place must be holding some crazy secret, right? It’s awfully exciting.
Huh?
…Oh, now that you mention it, you’re all dressed rather normally. Why is that?
That man was abnormal? Oh, is that so…?
And then.
The soldier in front of me, wearing a particularly unpleasant expression, continued:
“I’m going to confirm one more time… You’re certain you encountered a man with these features? On the road outside the city?”
The soldier was holding a picture. It depicted, in great detail, the bizarre clothing of the man I had passed on the road. It was such an outlandish getup that I had trouble holding back laughter.
What is that? Seriously?
Just what kind of person would walk around wearing that ridiculous costume? If it were me, I would die of shame. If I wore something like that in public, the disgrace would haunt me forever.
However, in the drawing, one crucial detail—the man’s face—was an empty black void. It became no more transparent as I stared at it, and in the end, I couldn’t recall the man’s facial features.
Looking back and forth between the piece of paper and me, the soldier asked, “…Can you remember his face?”
“No, not at all,” I answered. “By the way, what on earth did this man do?”
“Theft. He swiped all the gold he could get his hands on from the vault of the country’s wealthiest citizens.”
“A person dressed like…this managed to do that?”
“Yes.”
“A man cannot be judged by his appearance, I guess…”
“His appearance is a costume.”
True.
Then, with a sigh, the soldier folded the piece of paper in quarters and put it away in his pocket. It seemed that the questioning was over. “Thank you, miss,” he said, giving me a salute.
I imitated his pose and said, “No problem. I just did what anyone would do—By the way, did I help as a reference?”
The soldier went back to his pained expression. “Well…I wonder. Knowing which way the criminal went could definitely be called progress, but…” His words were evasive.
“What’s wrong?”
He stopped saluting. “We’ve been collecting eyewitness reports, and unfortunately, not one person has been able to recall the criminal’s face.”
“……”
Ah, I see.
“That means, in other words—”
“Yes. The only thing anyone can remember is the man’s bizarre outfit.”
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