To put the conclusion first: the record was still there.
Dragon King Calendar, June 13, 2009 — Day of Dia
Counter Visitor: Oswald
Withdrawal Amount: 300,000,000 D (drachmas)
When we narrowed down the search criteria and ran a query, it came up right on the mark.
Three hundred million, in a single lump sum.
Above all, the name was Oswald.
There was no longer any room for doubt.
"Normally, records like this wouldn't be kept, but in accordance with the Financial Audit Act at the time, records regarding cash movements of one hundred million drachmas or more were retained as part of voluntary compliance. When I checked with headquarters, they told me we could make an exception and cooperate on this occasion..."
The one nervously assisting us was the Finance Guild branch manager.
When we gave a limited explanation of the circumstances and requested cooperation with our investigation, he brought out the old ledgers far too readily—so smoothly it was almost unbelievable.
Honestly, I thought it had a chance of working, but neither Philie-san, Amae-san, nor I—the one who proposed the idea in the first place—expected things to go this effortlessly.
I had a feeling we could have pulled it off even without flashing my executive authority.
Even if it came from the state-affiliated Imperial Archmage Faculty, would they really show confidential customer data so easily to mere students? This was client information, for crying out loud.
Did they just assume that an old record wouldn't cause much of a stir?
No, the fact that the ledgers had been preserved in the first place was unexpected enough.
"Löwenthal... Central Hospital..."
Philie-san quietly repeated the name.
That was the corporate account name from which Oswald had withdrawn the three hundred million drachmas that appeared to be the donation.
"Filie-chan, Löwenthal is..."
"...Yeah. The largest medical guild."
Philie-san answered Amae-san's murmur.
Even I had heard of it.
It was one of the premier medical institutions in the medical city of Dravena. With branches across the Temcha Region, it maintained an enormous operating network. Calling it the undisputed king of medical service guilds wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"So someone affiliated with this hospital asked that clinic to forge Filie-chan's birth records?"
"...It's true that a place like this might actually have the power to do that."
Philie-san murmured softly.
It wouldn't be surprising if they had deep connections not just with medical personnel, but with the administration and the judiciary as well.
Löwenthal.
A lineage of doctors stretching back to ancient times.
During the era of the duchy, they were a prominent faction among the titled Temcha nobility, but after being conquered by Gleefia, their lands were confiscated and their titles revoked.
Even so, the clan quickly rebuilt itself, and today they had established one of the top medical guilds in all of Gleefia.
Their guildmaster, Zectromeo Löwenthal, was not only a master of medical arts but also an exceptional mage—a beloved hero of Dravena renowned for his sterling character.
In short, he was the current family head who had drawn the short straw in the war's defeat, yet worked tirelessly to rebuild both the Temcha Region and his clan.
Which meant this was the true origin behind Philie-san's forged birth records, and the organization that had left Philie-san at that clinic seventeen years ago.
Perhaps all the answers lay dormant right here.
"...Let's go."
With a solemn look, Philie-san quietly declared our next move.
From here on out was the real deal.
That was the unmistakable vibe.
Yet something didn't sit right with me.
Could the dots really connect and form a line this easily?
What was this persistent sense of incongruity I'd been feeling ever since hearing the director's story back at the first clinic?
"Wait, Philie-san. Hold on."
"Don't worry, Walker-kun. We're only going to review the publicly available information and set up an appointment for a meeting. What we're doing today is strictly laying the groundwork for when the guildmaster comes next time."
"Right... Yeah, that makes sense."
Philie-san was much calmer than I was, despite my worries that charging ahead would be reckless. Was I the one getting worked up? We were in the middle of an investigation. We could sort through the information once we got back.
"Still, asking Walker-kun really was the right call."
"Huh?"
"You're just so dependable."
As usual, Philie-san complimented me with total sincerity, leaving me thoroughly flustered. But seeing her familiar smile made the tension drain from my shoulders. Maybe it was because I'd been seeing her smile practically every day lately.
"Bren-kun's guess was right on the money, so this is definitely his win. Good job. I hereby grant you my praise."
"Good boy, good boy," Amae-san chimed in, playfully patting my head. Amae-san's casual physical contact was dangerous—it was easy to get the wrong idea.
"Huh? Isn't Bren-kun turning red? Is it because I petted you?"
"No, that's not it at all..."
"Ehh? You're way too innocent. Don't you think, Filie-chan?"
"...I suppose so."
Whatever.
Now that the tension had lifted a bit, our next stop was Löwenthal Central Hospital.
After thanking the bank staff, the three of us set off for what might very well be our final destination. That said, just as Philie-san said, today was only about doing the groundwork.
We'd already gathered a substantial haul today, so once this was done, we could all grab a bite together.
◇
Löwenthal Central Hospital was less like a hospital and more like a colossal white fortress.
I don't mean that it simply looked like a castle, either. Apparently, the ancestral seat of the Löwenthal family had literally been renovated and repurposed into a hospital.
With the pamphlet from city hall in hand, the three of us first took a walk around the hospital grounds.
The guild's clinical track record, orphan support initiatives, regional healthcare restoration, free treatment programs, medical awards... It was immediately clear that listing their accolades would take all day. In both sheer scale and public service, it was undeniably a massive guild.
The great hall had been converted into a spacious lobby, where numerous patients waited quietly for their turn.
Directly facing the entrance, an enormous portrait was mounted high on the wall. Painted with bold, heavy brushstrokes was a dignified woman in her sixties with pale blonde hair.
The plaque beneath it read: Anastasia Lutze Dravenia.
The last princess of the Duchy of Temcha.
The central figure behind the resolution of the Continental Unification War.
And this historic figure was apparently deeply despised by the old noble factions of Temcha.
During the final stages of the war, rather than backing the Temcha loyalists, she had maintained neutrality and focused entirely on securing a ceasefire, which had earned her lingering resentment.
Viewed objectively, Anastasia was merely the one forced to clean up the aftermath of a catastrophic terrorist incident.
Still, if she had fully cooperated with Temcha from the outset, there had supposedly been a real chance of victory, which made her a complicated figure in the eyes of the locals.
On the flip side, statistical projections strongly suggested that Temcha would have been obliterated regardless had the war dragged on, earning that perspective plenty of support as well.
Then again, others argued those statistics were fabricated after the fact just to justify Anastasia's folly. For what it's worth, my aunt offered her own profound commentary every time she saw this portrait: "Man, her rack is huge."
Zectromeo, the head of Löwenthal Central Hospital, seemed to hold deep reverence for Anastasia, as her presence was woven into every corner of the facility.
A doctor, a mage, an entrepreneur, and a peacemaker of impeccable character. He definitely sounded like the type who'd be popular with the ladies.
After a quick walk through the interior, I headed up to the main reception desk and started with a simple question:
"Excuse me, is there a staff member here named Oswald?"
I had intended it as a casual, low-stakes inquiry.
It was just that all the clues pointed back to a man by that name.
Yet the atmosphere at the desk shifted instantly.
"I will look into Oswald right away. Please wait just a moment."
"Thank you."
"I will show you to a room shortly."
"Wait, what?"
Under the vague pretext that the lobby was too crowded, we were escorted down to a reception room on the first basement floor.
"Please make yourselves comfortable."
It was a luxurious room appointed with deep-hued carpets and elegant furnishings.
Even though it was underground, magical illumination filled the space with a warm, inviting glow. A fireplace sat against the far wall, flanked by plush sofas and low tables arranged into a private lounge area.
I couldn't make sense of what was happening.
All we had done was ask whether a guy named Oswald worked here.
Once that was cleared up, our plan had been to book an appointment with a supervisor—or at least someone in a management position—and make a quick exit.
With an institution this massive, scheduling anything would take time anyway.
The whole point was just to pass the baton to my aunt when she arrived next month.
".........Should we make a run for it?"
Though her sleepy expression hadn't changed, Amae-san's guard was already fully raised.
The way this was unfolding was undeniably strange.
Had dropping Oswald's name been too reckless?
Even so, that was a record from well over a decade ago.
Even if the name set off alarm bells, this response was far too fast to be normal.
"Let's just wait and see for now."
Philie-san's voice was calm, but she wore a slightly bewildered look of her own.
This definitely wasn't the kind of treatment they gave to everyday walk-ins.
Not knowing what was happening was genuinely unsettling.
"If anything goes sideways, I'll handle it as smoothly as possible. Amae-san, just secure an exit route for us in the meantime."
"Got it."
I whispered the instruction, and from there, all we could do was wait.
Before long, the door to the reception room swung open.
"Thank you for waiting."
Stepping inside was the receptionist from earlier, accompanied by a woman with pale hair.
Her hair was a soft, pale flaxen hue that verged on white, carrying just the faintest glint of gold.
She was a stunning woman.
She looked to be in her mid-thirties.
Her white, lace-trimmed dress made her pale blonde hair stand out all the more.
She felt like the crisp morning of a day when the snows begin to melt.
The moment our eyes fell upon her, Amae-san and I froze.
The shock hit us so hard we couldn't even twitch a finger.
Because this woman looked identical to Philie-san.
It was as though seventeen years had simply been added to Filiestra Adinson's features. The resemblance was so striking that it was impossible to explain away as anything other than direct family.
"..................Huh?"
And as for Philie-san, her pupils dilated in absolute, overwhelming shock.
Paying no mind to our stunned silence, the pale-blonde woman approached, her heels clicking softly against the floor. A simple walk, yet infused with effortless, breathtaking elegance.
"Nice to meet you, Filiestra Adinson-san."
The woman spoke softly.
"I am your mother."