The continent of Arond is known for its advanced mechanical civilization, particularly in the east, where the spirit of invention thrives. Despite the ingenuity of its technicians, there hasn't been significant progress for centuries.

Our group had journeyed to Seldea, a city with an airship port, but once again, we encountered that boisterous man.

"Ugh... Is he a stalker?"

"No, a stalker wouldn't be so conspicuous."

We were visiting Samuel Passenger Airship Company, a business operating airships for travelers. It was one of the leading firms in Seldea, reputedly owning the fastest airship. However...

"Do you know who I am?!"

The rotund man with the demeanor of a merchant was someone we'd met at Chacol Belfes's hotel entrance and again when boarding a passenger ship. It wasn't intentional, but he kept appearing wherever we went.

"If he were truly a stalker, he'd be subtler—and probably wouldn't cross continents to follow us."

"Bring out Toma immediately!"

"As I have repeatedly informed you, Sir Toma is out. If you wish to meet him, you must wait or return at another time."

I didn't know who Toma was, but demanding someone who wasn't present only perplexed the staff.

"Call him right now! I refuse to wait!"

The conversation was going nowhere, but his presence at the reception counter meant we couldn’t buy our tickets.

"Shall I deal with him?"

"No need; it looks like someone's ahead of us."

Before I could stop her, someone else intervened—quite dramatically.

"Nice flying kick, but a bit lacking in precision."

The rotund man was sent flying by a swift and agile man who had dashed in from the side.

"Ah, he avoided the vital spots on purpose."

The intruder’s blow was calculated, ensuring no serious harm.

"Wha-what are you doing?!"

"What am I doing? Quiet down, brother!"

"Brother?!"

Turns out the rotund man was the elder brother, and the one delivering the kick was his younger sibling. Even Pal and I couldn’t hide our surprise.

"Toma?!"

"Why are you here, brother? Didn't Father forbid you from ever stepping through our doors again?"

"Father is dead! As the eldest son, I must inherit Samuel Passenger Airship Company!"

"You were disinherited and stripped of that right! Father made it clear!"

Hearing about his disinheritance reminded me of my past life. However, I wasn’t as foolish or reckless as this man.

"Silence! With Father gone, it’s natural for me to inherit! Toma, return what you stole from me!"

"You squandered your inheritance on drinking, gambling, and debt before running away. Don’t blame me!"

A debtor who fled after burdening his family—he was clearly a lost cause. Moreover, as a disinherited man, he had no legal claim to the family estate.

"Remove this man from the premises and instruct security to handle him with force if he returns."

"Yes, sir!"

"Unhand me! Do you know who I am? Are you listening?!"

A troublesome sibling indeed.

"My apologies, everyone. The matter has been resolved."

It was entertaining, so I didn’t mind, but I doubted that man would stay away for long.

After buying our tickets, we checked into a luxurious hotel. With some time to spare, I decided to prepare a gift for Gesso. Pulling out a stack of paper and a pen, I began to draw.

"What are you doing?"

"A gift for Gesso."

"You don’t need to bother with a gift. It’s his turn to repay you for all you’ve done."

I didn’t think I had done anything warranting repayment.

"Thanks to you, he’s now revered as a master craftsman. He owes you more than he can repay."

"Don’t say that. Gesso has done plenty for me in return."

I continued sketching the gift on several sheets of paper, the stack growing steadily.

On the day of our departure, I had finished about 70% of the gift. I planned to complete it during the flight. However, the airship port was unusually tense, with guards blocking entry.

"What happened?"

I asked a soldier, slipping him some money for information.

"Toma, the head of Samuel Passenger Airship Company, was murdered."

I had a strong suspicion about the culprit. Likely the disinherited elder brother.

"Haha! With Toma dead, I am now the rightful head of the company! Why aren’t you serving me already?!"

Wait, he seemed too brazen. Could he really not be the killer?

"Despite his boasting, no one is paying him any mind."

"Don’t rub it in; he’s oblivious to his situation."

Legally disinherited, he was unrelated to the family and had no claim to the estate. Normally, another relative would inherit, or the assets would be seized by the state or feudal lord.

I approached the soldier again. "How was Toma killed?"

"By a sword. A deep slash from the left shoulder to the right abdomen. It was the work of a skilled fighter."

That ruled out the elder brother; he wasn’t capable of such finesse. But he could still have orchestrated it.

"Master, should we book another airship?"

"No. I can’t let the one who interfered with my plans go unpunished."

"As expected. I’ll get the tickets refunded."

Who killed Toma?

If not his brother, it could be another relative. Crimes motivated by inheritance aren’t rare.

It might also involve business associates. Without knowing Toma’s reputation, I couldn’t rule out subordinates or trading partners.

Lastly, there was personal vendetta—most commonly over romantic entanglements.

"How skilled was the attacker?"

"Very. It was a clean, deliberate cut."

That eliminated many suspects.

"Let’s split up to gather information."

After interviewing employees and locals, we regrouped.

"Employees admired Toma; there’s no sign of animosity."

"I found something. Toma’s sister’s husband is struggling with debt."

Her husband’s financial troubles could be a motive, though it felt insufficient. Further investigation was warranted.