Chapter 177: Detective Reines (Part 1)

[The Golden Princess' room was protected by a magic lock—a type of lock that corresponds to the unique wavelength of an individual's magical energy. This same mechanism is often used to safeguard treasure vaults and other critical locations within the Clock Tower.]

[In essence, the door to the Golden Princess' room could only be opened by the Golden Princess herself.]

[With her body now lying mutilated inside and the magic lock still engaged, the murder presented itself as a classic locked-room mystery.]

[Aozaki Touko: "However, from a magician's perspective, killing someone in a locked room isn't all that difficult. For instance, one could easily use your own magecraft gift, Marrow of the Moon Spirit."]

[Aozaki Touko's sharp gaze fell on Reines.]

[Aozaki Touko: "It's a basic principle to suspect the first person who discovers the body. Besides, weren't you the last person to meet with the Golden Princess?"]

["!!!"]

[Reines felt her heart skip a beat.]

[How could Aozaki Touko possibly know what had transpired last night?]

[Aozaki Touko turned her attention to Byron, who calmly hung his cane from his wrist and clapped his hands lightly.]

[Two figures stepped into the room—none other than the twin maids.]

Kenneth: "Hmph, this is quite the setup."

Kenneth's tone dripped with disdain as he watched the scene unfold. To him, it was obvious that Reines had fallen into someone's carefully laid trap.

Kenneth: "It's outrageous. A mere Iselma family daring to scheme against someone from El-Melloi. Unforgivable."

[Aozaki Touko's eyes shifted to one of the maids.]

[Aozaki Touko: "You're Miss Carina, correct?"]

[Carina, the maid who had served the Golden Princess, hesitated before nodding.]

[Aozaki Touko: "What exactly did Diadra discuss with the representative from El-Melloi last night?"]

[Carina: "I… I left the room while Lady Diadra was speaking with her guest, so…"]

[Carina lowered her head, her voice soft as she tried to excuse herself from the question.]

[Aozaki Touko's tone turned colder.]

[Aozaki Touko: "I know you left, but you should at least have some idea of why Diadra reached out to El-Melloi. Or are you going to tell me you're completely clueless?"]

["..."]

[Carina's silence deepened, her head hanging lower.]

[Byron: "Carina!"]

[Byron's commanding tone left no room for defiance. Under her master's orders, Carina reluctantly began to speak, her words slow and hesitant.]

[Carina: "Lady Diadra… wished to flee to El-Melloi."]

["What!"]

[The room erupted in shock.]

[Reines: "Oh no..."]

[If she still didn't understand that she had been set up, she would truly be beyond saving.]

[It was meaningless to try to explain anything now. She was already stuck in the mud. No one would care about her excuses, and no one would come to her aid.]

Tohsaka Rin: "As expected, she has been identified as the murderer."

Gilgamesh: "Hahaha, this kind of plot, full of conspiracy and calculation, suits my tastes perfectly."

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "This was clearly a premeditated action. Even the Golden Princess's request for help was likely part of the plan."

Tohsaka Rin: "Ah! So, the murderer is this Byron, isn't it?"

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "It's hard to say, but given the current situation, he is undoubtedly the most suspicious."

Kayneth: "What a ridiculous display of deception."

Fiore: "It's revolting to see someone exploit others' sympathy like this."

Astolfo: "Are all magi such despicable beings?"

Everyone: "..."

If you want to complain, just complain, but please don't start shooting off baseless accusations.

["This is something that cannot be ignored."]

[Byron looked at Reines with feigned concern and said hypocritically, "I hope you can explain yourself, Miss El-Melloi."]

[He couldn't have just learned about this. From the moment he summoned Carina, it was clear that he had already pieced together the situation during the short time between learning of the Golden Princess's death and his arrival.]

[Reines: "Indeed, Miss Diadra discussed this with me, but I swear I didn't kill her. After all, there's no benefit to killing someone who suggested an escape plan, is there?"]

["Really? But if there was disagreement over the terms of the escape, wouldn't conflict arise?"]

[The dark-skinned man Mick suddenly spoke, launching an attack.]

[Reines clenched her teeth in anger but didn't dare act recklessly.]

[She understood that these bastards were just waiting for an excuse—any excuse to justify killing her outright.]

[Once she was dead, all the blame could be pinned on her. Without evidence, they could take advantage of the situation to seize what little remained of the declining El-Melloi family's power.]

[Gray was also furious. Her right hand gripped Add tightly beneath her cloak.]

[She wanted to act, but Reines subtly stopped her.]

[If she acted now, it would confirm their accusations, leaving no room for a reversal.]

Tohsaka Rin: "Well, this just confirms it's a trap."

Emiya Kiritsugu: "No, this case isn't as simple as it looks."

Waver: "I think so too."

Tohsaka Rin: "Hey, hey, isn't it obvious from their actions?"

Chihiro: "No, this is just their vile nature showing."

Chihiro: "Their first instinct, no matter what happens, is to suppress their opponents and secure benefits for their own families. They don't care who killed the Golden Princess."

Chihiro: "Even the victim's family doesn't care, do they?"

Tohsaka Rin: "...Stop talking. My impression of the Mage's Association keeps getting worse."

Artoria: "How can such despicable individuals be fit to hold leadership positions?"

Darnic: "Exactly. A corrupt organization like the Mage's Association should have been dismantled long ago."

Chihiro: "Haha, as if you're any different from them. Don't be so quick to judge."

Darnic: "..."

[Byron: "In any case, it seems necessary to investigate you thoroughly."]

[Reines maintained a composed expression and said, "I hope you'll be polite, especially since I can only enjoy delicious black tea and scones for breakfast. Anything less would ruin my mood for offering my assistance."]

[Byron: "Assistance? And what kind of assistance do you intend to provide, Reines El-Melloi Archisorte?"]

[Addressing someone by their full name was a clear sign that all pretense of civility had been dropped.]

["Of course, Byron Valualeta Iselma."]

[Reines responded in a mocking tone, "I'll find the murderer and present them to you. The honor of House El-Melloi is at stake."]

Kayneth: "Haha, Iselma. How entertaining."

Waver: "Teacher, please calm down."

Kayneth: "Don't worry. I'm perfectly calm."

Illya: "So, it's up to Miss Reines to play detective this time."

Emiya Kiritsugu: "Impossible. She's not suited for this kind of task. She'll probably have to rely on the El-Melloi II in the end."

Emiya Kiritsugu: "If it had been El-Melloi II involved from the start, he wouldn't have fallen for this so easily."

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "With such a significant incident, there's no way El-Melloi II, as the head of the family, can remain uninvolved."

Kayneth: "Although Reines seems clever, she's still no match for those cunning old foxes."

[After some time, everyone dispersed, leaving only Reines, and the Lord Inorai.]

[Yes, Inorai had volunteered to stay and observe Reines personally.]

[Originally, Aozaki Touko had offered, but Byron refused, citing her status as a suspect as well.]

[Inorai, who arrived last, seemed very interested in the matter and volunteered to oversee things.]

Kayneth: "Hmph, Inorai… that woman is relentless."

Tohsaka Rin: "She couldn't possibly be the murderer, could she?"

[After Aozaki Touko's earlier display, no one dared to take Inorai's actions at face value anymore.]

[These magi were all experts at betrayal.]

[Inorai: "So, where do you plan to begin your investigation?"]

[Reines: "If I may, I'd like to start with the layout of the room and the body."]

[Despite her calm tone, the sight of the gruesome corpse and the stench of blood nearly made Reines retch.]

[Inorai: "I see. Go ahead."]

[After taking a moment to compose herself, Reines began her investigation of the scene.]

[The room was about the size of a small café. The main furnishings included a canopy bed, a table with a jellyfish-shaped lamp, a few impressionist-style paintings, and a simple bookshelf containing a few introductory magic texts labeled "Grimoire."]

[Each item was a luxury befitting the Golden Princess's name, but the collection felt minimalistic.]

[The room had a window, a door, and a skylight. However, the skylight's structure was not suitable for human entry or exit.]

[If the skylight were to be considered, it would be more plausible to assume some kind of magical trick allowing passage through walls.]

[Finally, there was the corpse.]

["…The cuts are so clean that I can't even identify the murder weapon."]

[The victim's body and limbs had been neatly severed, with such precision that the cross-sections were disturbingly smooth.]

[There were no signs of resistance on the body, suggesting that the victim had been killed before they could even react.]

[After the investigation, the task of collecting the remains was naturally handed over to Trimmau.]

Illya: "Hmm, it seems like there are no clues."

Emiya Kiritsugu: "The clean cuts, the lack of resistance, and the activation of the magic lock, all of these are clues."

Emiya Kiritsugu: "But since the murderer is a magus, these clues may not lead anywhere significant."

Tohsaka Rin: "Exactly. When a magus commits a crime, there's nothing they can't do, only what they can imagine."

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "It's impossible that there are no signs of resistance. Could it be that the Golden Princess was restrained or rendered unconscious before being killed?"

Waver: "Most likely unconscious. There's no sign of struggle or pain on the body."