"But you were Diadra's personal maid. Surely you must know something about her state of mind before she died?"
Karina remained silent for a long moment, her eyes downcast. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely audible. "Lady Diadra... she wished to defect to the El-Melloi family."
A wave of murmurs rippled through the assembled magi. This was a bombshell,the Golden Princess, the culmination of the Iselma family's centuries of research, had planned to switch allegiances.
Reines' face went pale. She bit her lip as the realization hit her: this entire situation, from the secret visit to the high-stakes offer, had been a calculated trap.
"I believe you owe us an explanation, little princess of El-Melloi."
Byron Iselma's voice flared with a performative rage as he loomed over Reines, his gaze questioning and hostile.
"I admit," Reines said, taking a deep, steadying breath, "that I did speak with Diadra about the possibility of asylum." With Karina's testimony, there was no point in denying it. "But why would I kill someone who was about to bring her entire pedigree and research to our house? There is no motive."
"There is if the terms of the defection were rejected," Byron countered coldly.
The air in the room suddenly grew heavy as the surrounding magi began to target Reines with their magical senses. Gray's hand surged toward the hidden scythe beneath her cloak,towards Add, the legendary holy spear.
"Wait."
Wayland stepped forward, his hand raised to still both the room's tension and Gray's impulse. To strike now would be as good as a confession.
"There is no definitive evidence to name the El-Melloi family as the killers," Wayland said, his voice carrying the authority of one used to settling disputes. "Now is not the time for summary judgments; it is the time for seeking absolute proof. After all, the El-Mellois are not common magi. They have the right of self-defense and a full inquiry."
"He's right," Reines added, her voice regaining its steel. "Stake the El-Melloi name on it,we will find the true murderer!"
It was a desperate gamble. To a magus, reputation was as vital as life itself; to stake it was to put their very existence on the line.
"Hahaha!"
A sharp, clear laugh rang out,not a sound of mockery, but of genuine amusement. Touko Aozaki stepped forward, her dark eyes glittering. "Lord Byron, what do you think of this proposal?"
Byron remained a perfect gentleman, though his eyes remained cold. "It is a reasonable request. However, as they are primary suspects, they will require supervision."
"I shall act as their chaperone," Touko offered.
"Regrettably, Miss Aozaki, you are also a suspect."
"Then... what if I were to do it?"
Inora Valualeta entered the room, her voice calm and measured as she scanned the group. "I trust no one has any objections?"
"I certainly do."
A new voice cut through the room like a blade, following closely behind Inora. An invisible pressure cascaded outward as Lorelei Barthomeloi entered, a faint, predatory smile on her lips. "As the current head of the Iselma's parent family, you are far too close to this case to act as a neutral observer."
"And what exactly are you implying, Lord Barthomeloi?"
"Nothing at all," Lorelei replied casually. "But as this is a murder investigation involving high-profile magi, the Bureau of Policies shall take command."
Inora's expression didn't waver, but internally, her thoughts were racing. If the Policies department took control, the investigation would be pulled entirely out of her influence.
"El-Melloi is a member of your own Aristocratic Faction," Inora pointed out. "If you intended to shield them..."
"Shield?" Lorelei laughed, the sound as brief and brilliant as a night-blooming flower. "The word 'shield' does not exist in the Barthomeloi vocabulary."
The room fell silent. One could ignore the falling El-Mellois, but no one dared ignore the Queen of the Clock Tower.
Inora looked at Lorelei and offered a polite, hollow smile. "If Lord Barthomeloi is willing to take on the burden personally, then I shall not interfere."
With the matter settled, the other guests were ushered out. The only ones who remained were Reines, Gray, Wayland, Lorelei, and Hishiri Adashino.
"Wayland," Lorelei said, her gaze turning to him with a newfound interest. "I heard from Elena that you possess a keen mind and an eye for detail. So... where do you intend to begin?"
'Elena, you really set me up for this one!' Wayland thought.
He met Lorelei's evaluating gaze and felt a moment's hesitation. 'Wait, isn't this the part where Lord El-Melloi II usually does the talking?'
He remembered the original story,Waver was supposed to arrive the next day.
Wayland rubbed his forehead and sighed. "The first step of any investigation is to examine the crime scene. Miss Reines... I believe I'll need your assistance."
"Just call me Reines," she said with a faint smile, the tension finally leaving her shoulders. "I'm used to Flat's chaotic style of address anyway. Whatever you need, just ask."
"Understood. I'll need Trimmau to begin collecting the various... remains."
***
Trimmau set to work, her liquid metal form shifting as she meticulously gathered the scattered pieces of the body. Wayland and Reines, meanwhile, began a thorough sweep of the room.
The space was sparsely furnished: a bed, a desk, a bookshelf, and a few hanging paintings. Aside from the single door and the window, there was little else to see.
Wayland narrowed his eyes, activating his magical perception. Multi-colored elemental patterns bloomed before his vision. Under his prana-sense, the body itself was silent,nearly all elemental traces had been wiped clean.
He moved to investigate the rest of the room. At the base of the damaged door, he spotted a faint, peculiar glimmer.
Wayland knelt down. Amidst the splinters of wood, he found a fine, grey powder.
It looked remarkably familiar.
He immediately recalled the scene of Touko Aozaki refining the Bodhi Leaf in her workshop; the residue left behind had been nearly identical to this ash.
"Why are there no mirrors?" Reines asked in a low voice, her attention focused on the bare walls.
Wayland stood up, carefully collecting a sample of the powder. "Perhaps," he suggested, "Diadra simply didn't want to see her own face."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]