Chapter 183: Everyone is an Enemy

["Damn it..."]

[Byron gritted his teeth, consumed by the fear that his family's legacy of hundreds of years might be trampled upon.]

[Why had he been so proud before? Because, in terms of history alone, the Iselma family was older than El-Melloi. But due to their magic stagnating over time, they had been reduced to a mere subsidiary family.]

[In this generation, however, their family's efforts were finally paying off. The glory of the Iselma family, embodied in the Golden Princess and Silver Princess, had finally neared their ideal.]

[But they were still one step short.]

[Even so, this moment was their greatest opportunity to rise again.]

[This was why Byron had dared to challenge a Lord, even if that Lord was a fallen one.]

[Yet that detestable upstart, who had become a Lord purely by luck, had publicly humiliated him and caused him to lose face.]

[Byron had struggled his entire life, using every means at his disposal—even bowing his head to that blonde woman from the Far East, who had "usurped" her position—just to take the final step forward.]

[Even Lord Valualeta had praised the debut of the Golden Princess and Silver Princess. Even that blonde woman could no longer ignore him. But now...]

Kayneth: "Hah, I see it now."

Byron Valualeta Iselma, just wait. Kayneth would teach this man exactly how El-Melloi had earned its place.

Sola-ui: "Really, how do I even describe this? Inexplicably confident."

Sisigou: "That's right. I kept wondering where this guy's confidence came from, and now I see—it's all baseless."

Tohsaka Rin: "Saying one thing to your face and another behind your back. Disgusting."

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Hmph, he doesn't even know what he's talking about."

[From his words, it was clear Byron held a deep disdain for Eastern magi, even dismissing Aozaki Touko's title as a usurper.]

[Where did this arrogance come from? Aside from their long history, what else did the Iselma family have to boast about?]

Darnic: "I'm really curious what goal the Iselma family is chasing that makes him so absurdly confident."

Vlad III: "Hmph, this isn't just confidence, it's sheer madness."

["Lord Byron."]

[A voice interrupted Byron, snapping him out of his anger and resentment.]

[It was the maid, Regina, who had brought Maio and Islo into the workshop.]

["Oh, you're here."]

[Byron quickly donned his mask of hypocrisy and said slowly, "As long as the Silver Princess remains, losing the Golden Princess is not an absolute failure."]

[Despite the turmoil caused by the case, there was still a chance to salvage the situation.]

[The Golden Princess and Silver Princess, crafted from the Iselma bloodline, were designed to be each other's backups. Even if one was lost, it didn't necessarily spell ruin.]

["But what about your attire?"] Byron asked.

[Islo replied confidently, "My attire is perfect."]

["And your medicine?"]

["I—ouch!"]

[For some reason, Maio, flustered, bit his tongue in panic.]

["My medicine is also perfect. Just like Miss Diadra, please allow me to help Miss Estella become a proper Silver Princess."]

[Byron: "Even without Carina, there won't be any issue getting things ready."]

[Regina lowered her head and murmured, "...I think so."]

[Maio hesitated: "Um, Lord Byron, is there no need to find the murderer?"]

[Byron sneered: "Oh, you mean to imply that the girl named Reines isn't the real murderer."]

[Maio quickly backtracked: "...No, that's not what I meant..."]

[Byron cut him off sharply: "You don't need to concern yourself with that."]

[Maio: "But—"]

[Byron's voice grew colder: "I said, don't worry about it."]

[Maio lowered his head: "...Yes."]

Fiore: "Haha, this is hilarious—snakes and rats sharing the same nest."

Tohsaka Rin: "Two people from their family have died, and they're acting like nothing happened?"

Chihiro: "Haven't you seen their true nature by now?"

Sola-ui: "To them, the Golden Princess was nothing more than a tool…"

Illya: "What a bunch of bastards."

["Good."]

[Byron spoke in a low voice: "I don't know what conclusion that so-called detective monarch will come to, but it doesn't matter to us. We can only pursue beauty with solemnity."]

["Depending on how things unfold, we can hold El-Melloi accountable. Even though their assets were mostly seized after the previous generation's death, there are still other benefits to gain. After all, the El-Melloi Classroom is the rising star of the new generation."]

[This is the reality of magicians. Even in the midst of a murder case, their focus isn't on finding the real culprit.]

[The core issue lies in the factional struggles and proxy wars among magicians. The murderer of the Golden Princess and her maid is merely a pawn in this larger game.]

[Although this pawn is important, without decisive evidence, the matter will remain unresolved.]

[What truly matters is the ripple effect this case will cause.]

[If El-Melloi falls, the aristocratic Bartholomei faction will take a significant hit, tilting the balance in favor of the Tramberio faction—potentially even sparking a war among magicians.]

[From a cold war to a hot one.]

Kayneth: "Hehe…"

[Kayneth had already passed judgment on Byron in his mind.]

[If he didn't destroy the Iselma family, there would be no chance for him to reclaim his position as the Lord of El-Melloi.]

[As for Valualeta, he was curious to see if they'd risk war over the Iselma family.]

Tohsaka Rin: "Wait, what does he mean? Didn't he say he'd give us two days?"

Ishtar: "How revolting. His words mean nothing."

Kotomine Shiro: "That's human nature. Interests always come first, and everything else can be discarded."

[Meanwhile, in the Moon Tower, within Aozaki Touko's laboratory...]

[Although she was officially a guest residing in the Sun Tower, she had arrived before the banquet and had an undisclosed collaboration with Byron.]

[The laboratory was a chaotic mess, filled with antique globes, disorganized stationery, old gossip magazines, philosophy books, magecraft tomes, and a variety of clockwork and tin toys—many of which were nearly indistinguishable from scrap metal.]

[It was clear from the state of the room that Aozaki Touko was the type of beauty who lived in organized chaos.]

[At this moment, she was seated at her desk, tinkering with an old film projector.]

["The Iselma family really knows how to preserve things. This projector is over a hundred years old. Its value as an antique is undeniable, though it's clearly fallen into disrepair."]

Waver: "I didn't expect her to be interested in such things."

Tohsaka Rin: "She should at least tidy up a bit. How does she find anything in that mess?"

Illya: "Gossip magazines? She reads those?"

Kayneth: "…"

[It was a rare glimpse into an unexpected side of Aozaki Touko.]

["What have you shown so far? What do you plan to show next?"]

[She seemed to be talking to the projector but suddenly shifted topics: "You'd better come out now."]

[In the previously empty room, a figure appeared near the door.]

["Oh, it's you."]

[Aozaki Touko removed her glasses and said with a calm yet sharp tone: "I didn't expect you to come here at this point."]

[Removing her glasses wasn't just a habitual action; for her, it was a deliberate switch in her attitude toward the world.]

Tohsaka Rin: "What is that?"

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "The screen doesn't show it clearly, and the text doesn't elaborate either."

Emiya Kiritsugu: "It's likely some kind of magical projection."

Waver: "Judging from her tone, it's probably someone from the Iselma family."

Caules: "I doubt anything good will come of this."

[Aozaki Touko: "You're saying you're not the murderer? Well, that's irrelevant to me. I'm not interested in finding the culprit. Isn't that the sentiment shared by most people here?"]

["Teacher Inorai seems particularly fixated, though. Hah, magicians truly never change."]

["So, how do you feel? Does his presence make you tremble in fear?"]

["That man may be a mediocre magician, but as a researcher, he's exceptional. He's also unnervingly good at analyzing other people's magecraft."]

[The figure murmured a few words, seemingly making a proposal and naming conditions.]

[Aozaki Touko: "Oh? You're really going all in."]

["Well, there's no need to explain your reasoning. The reward is more than sufficient."]

["Since you've made this offer, I'll become his enemy—that El-Melloi II."]

Waver: "!!!"

Tohsaka Rin: "Oh no, another enemy for no reason at all."

Illyasviel: "We were already enemies. Don't forget the automaton that attacked earlier."

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "That shadowy figure is definitely from the Iselma family. It's either Byron or that young man, Maio."

Tohsaka Rin: "Yeah, that Maio guy seemed very familiar with Aozaki Touko."

Emiya Kiritsugu: "Using someone else as a tool to kill—it's a simple but effective strategy."

Kayneth: "Though I dislike Aozaki Touko, I have to admit she's incredibly dangerous."

Sola-ui: "Even knowing this case will be solved, the appearance of another top-tier enemy is still unsettling."