Day two in the Temcha Region.
Today, our search for Philie-san's parents finally began in earnest.
After joining the others for breakfast at the orphanage, the three of us set off immediately for the Dravena Central District.
Our destination was the regional administrative office—in short, city hall.
It was the facility that managed taxes, family registries, and residency records, and the basic resident ledger for Dravena's citizens was kept there as well.
There was a strong chance the hospital where Philie-san had been born was recorded in it.
If her parents didn't actually exist and everything was a fabrication, all we had to do was trace where the lie began. Doing so should at least bring the contours of the truth into view... That was our immediate goal.
In truth, whether Philie-san's parents were alive, or whether they were even in Temcha if they were alive—the answer to all of it was simply "we don't know."
However, since Dravena seemed to offer the highest probability for now, starting by checking off this lead was the right way to go.
In any case, we had to steadily work through whatever we could, one step at a time.
For the sake of the real showdown my aunt would handle, we needed to take care of everything possible on our end.
"—Here is the birth certificate for Filiestra Adinson-sama."
Philie-san took the document handed across the reception counter, and Amae-san and I flanked her to look it over.
Her birthday was July 20th.
Her father and mother were indeed listed as Bailey-san and Leslie-san.
Her place of birth was St. Dravena Clinic.
It wasn't very far. Well within walking distance. That would be our next destination.
"By the way, Filie-chan, your birthday's next month..."
"Ah, yeah."
"What do you want for a present?"
"W-Well—wait, Amae-chan. Now's not the time for that."
With a wry smile, Philie-san brushed Amae-san off.
I had considered the possibility of a home birth, but our expectations were overturned in the best way.
In any case, if we went to this hospital, we'd probably find our next clue.
A thirty-minute walk after leaving city hall brought us to the edge of the Central District, where St. Dravena Clinic stood facing the main thoroughfare.
While not the absolute largest, it was a fairly substantial general hospital.
And from here on, the difficulty of our investigation would spike dramatically.
After all, our question boiled down to: We suspect the birth certificate you issued is a forgery, so could you tell us the truth?
Of course we'd sugarcoat it as much as possible, but if we just asked normally, it'd probably end with them saying "Please see yourselves out" or just telling us to get lost.
Well, even if we struck out here, we still had other leads.
For now, it was best to go in just aiming to secure an appointment for a later date.
The person who had issued Philie-san's birth certificate was the hospital's current director. Fortunately, he seemed to still be working there, so we spoke to the front desk first.
After some hesitation, I told them, "We'd like to hear about the circumstances surrounding the birth of Filiestra Adinson back then." We could have baited him under the guise of a student interview, but Philie-san seemed to want to ask him earnestly first.
"The director will see you now."
And so, less than thirty minutes after the three of us arrived at the hospital, we were granted an audience with our target.
"Pleased to meet you. I am the director, Kreisel."
The man who appeared was a middle-aged gentleman with an intellectual air and spectacles.
For now, he didn't seem particularly on guard.
The lobby had been packed with patients today.
While there were naturally other doctors on duty, he couldn't possibly be free of work.
The fact that he had prioritized us over other patients during clinic hours felt somehow suspicious.
"You must be Filiestra Adinson-san. It is wonderful to see you looking well."
"...Thank you."
"What business brings you here today?"
And with that, Philie-san broached the subject.
Though her shoulders trembled slightly, she spoke slowly, weaving her words in a voice that was firmer than usual.
"Did my parents really give birth to me at this hospital?"
"...Whatever made you think that?"
"From what I've looked into regarding my family registry, I recently learned there's a strong possibility my parents never existed in the first place. For a more detailed investigation, I wanted to speak with you, Dr. Kreisel, since you definitely met my parents in the past."
A dead straight, simple question.
It wasn't like Mercedes's method of deliberately letting the other party correct an intentional mistake, but because she hit him head-on, there was no room for evasion.
If this director ended up letting something slip, maybe...
"In other words, Filiestra-san, you doubt your own—or rather, the birth certificate that I issued?"
"No, well..."
At Dr. Kreisel's words, Philie-san suddenly averted her gaze.
He went and countered a straight question with another straight question. I'd been watching quietly, but maybe I should jump into the conversation here.
"Allow me to give you the conclusion first. Indeed, you were not born in this hospital."
"Huh?"
The one who blurted out in shock was Amae-san.
Beside her, Philie-san's eyes went wide in stunned silence. Caught off guard, I was at a loss for words as well.
"The birth records for Filiestra Adinson that I issued are, in their entirety, a forgery."
"........."
Philie-san completely froze.
He spilled his guts way too easily.
No, I mean, seriously...? Is that really something you say with such a straight face?
There's no chance he's gonna snap, yell "Yahoo!", and jump us, right? Better stay a little alert to our surroundings.
"...T-Then... what about my parents on the registry...? Bailey Adinson, and Leslie Adinson...?"
"At least as far as I know, they do not exist. As you suspect, they are likely fictitious people."
This time, Philie-san fell into absolute silence.
Her small mouth remained half-open in pure shock.
Her face had drained of color.
Her shoulders were trembling, completely unable to hide her agitation.
It was an exceedingly rare expression for her.
"Let me explain from the beginning. About eighteen years ago, in June. You were brought to our clinic by a woman with white hair."
Without seeming particularly remorseful, the director continued speaking in a flat, matter-of-fact tone.
"The woman vanished immediately after leaving you in our care. The following day, a letter arrived requesting that I falsify birth records for Filiestra-san in exchange for a large donation, which I accepted. Sometime later, Lord Magnolia Amastel appeared and took custody of you, and I believe you know the rest."
"That woman with white hair... who was she?"
"I do not know the details. What I remember is that both mother and child had pale blonde hair... a color rarely seen outside of Temcha. And as for the mother's appearance... to be frank, she was the spitting image of how Filiestra-san looks now. The donation receipt ledger from that time still remains. If you would like, I can hand it over to you at a later date."
"............"
Hearing that, Philie-san wore a deeply conflicted expression.
She looked simultaneously elated and crushed.
Thinking about it logically, the white-haired woman from that story had to be Philie-san's mother.
Yet Philie-san had no reaction.
It felt as though she couldn't fully process the information.
Amae-san had also gone straight into high-alert mode.
Guess I'll press him for the rest.
"Excuse me, but Dr. Kreisel, why did you take part in such a lie?"
"To speak frankly, this clinic was facing severe financial distress and was on the verge of bankruptcy at the time."
You're being way too frank, pal.
Are you messing with us?
"The reason I am confessing everything now is out of pangs of conscience. I was prepared for a day like this to come eventually. Though I never expected you yourself to show up."
The director quietly stood up and continued.
"If you wish, I will accept being reported. I sincerely apologize for having had such a massive impact on your life, Filiestra-san. I am truly sorry."
Saying so, the director—Dr. Kreisel—bowed his head deeply.
Philie-san, on the other hand, said nothing, completely dazed.
Even though she had considered it as a possibility, having the existence of the parents she had believed in for seventeen years explicitly denied to her face had to be agonizing.
"Philie-san. We can decide what to do with this guy later. For now, let's ask everything we can."
"Walker... kun... Right. Yeah."
In response to my words, Philie-san put on a brave front and replied. But her distress was still plain to see. Being as sharp as she was, all sorts of possibilities were probably flashing through her mind.
"More importantly, do you really know nothing about the people who left Filiestra-san with you?"
Dr. Kreisel slowly shook his head.
"...Unfortunately, they never revealed their identities to the very end. The only one who appeared before us was a proxy who handled the delivery of the donation."
"How much was the donation?"
"My memory is a bit vague, but at the time, it was three hundred million drachmas."
Amae-san let out a quiet, surprised "Whoa."
So that was about how much was needed to keep a hospital of this scale afloat.
"How was it received?"
"It was all brought in as cash by the proxy. A young man named Oswald."
Oswald?
If I remembered right, yeah, that was the proxy who had applied to meet with Philie-san twelve years ago.
The one who came to see Philie-san under commission from her mother, but was turned away by the orphanage director.
That happened when Philie-san was around four or five years old, so he'd been in contact ever since she was a newborn?
"Anything else?"
"...I am sorry. That is all I can tell you for now."
For the first time, Dr. Kreisel's shoulders slumped with genuine remorse. It seemed like there might still be more to extract, but Philie-san wasn't in any condition to push further.
I secured a promise from Dr. Kreisel to meet again at a later date, and we left the director's office for the time being.
The revelations were shocking, but hearing "It's all a lie" directly from the person who issued the certificate was a solid haul. In particular, the eyewitness account of a woman who looked just like Philie-san was huge.
While sorting through the information in the hospital lobby, I needed to figure out our next objective with Philie-san. Amae-san was currently asking around to see if there was any other useful information to be found.
But before that—
"Philie-san, want to take a breather?"
"...No, I'm fine."
Philie-san shook her head.
It had been a shock, but she had also obtained testimony that directly pointed to her birth mother. It wasn't all bad news for her.
"...Walker-kun. I think I'll try going to city hall one more time. If Dr. Kreisel's story is true, there should be traces left somewhere of whoever forged my parents' registry. What... do you think?"
It made sense, though the chances of old alteration logs remaining were slim. Still, if we could track down the culprit behind the forgery, we'd take a massive leap toward the truth. Even if it took time.
"In that case, let's look into your grandparents too, Philie-san. If your parents really are fabricated, then that side of the family should be fake as well. There's a chance it was doctored even more sloppily."
"That's... true. Yeah, let's do that."
"Though before that, there's a place I want to visit—"
Right then, Amae-san returned from her questioning.
"Hey, you two got a sec?"
"What's up, Amae-san?"
"Apparently, someone saw an unidentified baby being carried in eighteen years ago."
"For real?"
"Yeah."
Amae-san added, "Though it sounds super sketchy," and led us back toward the reception desk.