Chapter 184: Undercurrent

[In the forest east of the Sun Tower.]

[Inorai: "What should we do? You heard what El-Melloi said. Half of the truth has already been exposed. At this rate, who knows how tomorrow will turn out?"]

["What's the point of knowing who the murderer is?"]

[A voice echoed from a shadowy corner.]

["Neither you nor I are here to solve the murder. In this place, uncovering the truth is merely a card to play in the larger game of factional struggles."]

["Even the cards themselves may have their own motives."]

[Inorai chuckled quietly and said, "So, should we call that person over?"]

["Yes, the cooperation with you has already been finalized."]

[The man who had spoken stepped out of the shadows, running a hand over his buzz cut, and said, "After all, that person is my client."]

[It was Mick.]

---

[Meanwhile, in a hotel suite near Wintermere Station.]

["Then, there's no issue, right, Lord Valualeta?"]

[A brown-skinned young man spoke lazily, exuding the air of a wealthy aristocrat. A scantily dressed maid held his phone for him.]

[This man was Atrum, a known participant in the Fifth Holy Grail War.]

["Yes, that's correct. You should avoid any interference in this matter."]

[Atrum ended the call and quietly clenched his fist.]

["Now, let's reap the rewards. After all, victory requires methods. Let the Iselma family regret rejecting my offer."]

Kayneth: "Atrum? I didn't expect him to get involved in this mess."

Darnic: "So that spy Mick turns out to be working for him."

Waver: "This must be around the time when Atrum encountered my future self in the previous video."

Tohsaka Rin: "Looks like Atrum has a grudge against the Iselma family."

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Perhaps El-Melloi II can ally with him to deal with Iselma together."

Waver: "That's unlikely. Atrum is clearly a self-serving individual. Besides, what reason would he have to cooperate with my future self?"

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "True enough."

---

[The scene shifts back to the Second and his companions.]

[As the sky darkened, El-Melloi II sat outside, observing the changing shadows of the Twin Towers and taking notes in his notebook.]

["No, the sun and the moon really cannot coexist... Could it really have nothing to do with that hidden treasure?"]

[Reines frowned: "Onii-chan, are you still obsessing over that? If you keep this up, do you really think you can meet Byron's deadline?"]

[El-Melloi II sighed, "I'll think about it while I wait."]

["Wait?"]

[Reines raised an eyebrow.]

["Um..."]

[El-Melloi II avoided answering directly, clearly preoccupied.]

[Suddenly, Reines noticed something unusual in the shadows not far away.]

["..."]

[Without a word, El-Melloi II picked up his cigar, muttered an incantation, and released a small flame toward the shadow.]

["Ow, that's hot!"]

[A yelp rang out as a blond, blue-eyed boy jumped up, flailing to put out the fire on his backside. It was Flat Escardos.]

["Oops, looks like I've been found out!"]

[Flat slapped at the small fire on his clothes, looking more like a mischievous prankster than someone caught sneaking around.]

[El-Melloi II's face darkened: "What are you doing here, Flat?"]

[Flat grinned: "I'm here, sensei. Or as they say in Japan, yoroshiku! That Japanese greeting is so Buddhist—it's profound, really deep!"]

["Flat!"]

[From the nearby road, another young man came running, his expression thunderous.]

[Of course, it was Svin Glascheit.]

[Svin: "I told you to come ahead and inform the teacher that I'd be late!"]

[Flat: "Wow, doggie!"]

["I told you not to call me a dog!"]

[Svin greeted El-Melloi II without any shame, saying: "Ah, teacher, sorry for the delay!"]

["You..."]

[El-Melloi II covered his face with one hand, letting out the deepest sigh he had since arriving here.]

Illya: "Haha, these two clowns again!"

Darnic: "El-Melloi II, your students seem to trust you a lot."

Tohsaka Rin: "Yeah, it's completely different from Director Ken."

Kayneth: "…"

[El-Melloi II: "I just wish they would behave. If anything goes wrong, I'll have to clean up the mess."]

[Reines: "Onii-chan, didn't you say you weren't going to involve students?"]

["This is what happens when you give them autonomy."]

[El-Melloi II said, exasperated: "I only told them to send the investigation results."]

[Flat: "But teacher, little Reines is in trouble, right? How could I miss such an interesting event?"]

[Reines: "…"]

[Kill him. I'll kill him when this is all over.]

[Svin: "I'm here to keep an eye on Flat."]

[El-Melloi II: "Fine. What's the result of the investigation I asked for?"]

["Here it is."]

[Svin handed over a piece of paper immediately.]

["...I see."]

[El-Melloi II read the paper's contents and nodded thoughtfully.]

Tohsaka Rin: "We can't see what's written on it!"

Caules: "Damn it, maybe it holds some vital clue!"

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "It's a classic storytelling trick—leaving the audience in suspense. I've gotten used to it."

[Reines: "What's the plan? Do you have a secret move to turn the tables?"]

["Yes, although there are still missing pieces, we have to act quickly."]

[El-Melloi II said seriously: "Alright, let's prepare for the battle first!"]

[Afterward, El-Melloi II confirmed details of the events with Reines while Flat and Svin started bickering again.]

[The argument revolved around whether El-Melloi II was a detective and whether he could use the Baroque technique.]

[Flat: "Sherlock Holmes is romantic! And Jack the Ripper, too! Although he's scary and cruel to his victims, he's a superstar who's enriched London's history!"]

[Svin: "Don't compare teacher to a murderer. And Sherlock Holmes or Napoleon—they're people with literary and historical achievements. Teacher is incomparable!"]

Reika: "Hey Jack, it seems you've got a lot of fans."

Jack: "I don't care about fans. I just need my mom."

Reika: "Yes, my dear daughter."

Atalanta: "..."

["Quiet."]

[El-Melloi II, who was still analyzing data, interrupted them: "Someone's coming."]

["Did you discover anything?"]

[A pleasant voice echoed nearby.]

[The Silver Princess approached, with her maid Regina following closely behind.]

[Silver Princess: "Nice to meet you, Lord El-Melloi II. I've heard rumors about you."]

[El-Melloi II: "I doubt there are any good ones."]

[Silver Princess: "What do you know about the deaths of my sisters, Diadra and Carina?"]

["I offer my heartfelt condolences to the deceased," El-Melloi II seriously. "But it's because of their deaths that finding the true culprit is essential."]

[Silver Princess: "Do you believe your adopted sister isn't the murderer?"]

[The Second: "Yes."]

[Silver Princess: "...You're a good brother."]

[Reines: "Yes, I think so too."]

["Is this your sister's personal belonging?"]

[El-Melloi II took out the amulet he'd found earlier and showed it to Regina.]

[Regina: "...Yes, this is indeed my sister's."]

[El-Melloi II: "The design looks Celtic."]

[Regina: "Yes, our grandmother gave it to her when she was born."]

[Suddenly, a chilling sensation enveloped everyone—a clear indication that a barrier had been activated.]

[Reines asked sharply: "Silver Princess, is this Iselma barrier?"]

["Goodbye."]

[The Silver Princess hastily bowed and retreated.]

Tohsaka Rin: "Interrupted at the critical moment again!"

Illya: "It's so frustrating to keep being left in suspense!"

Kayneth: "The barrier's been activated—someone is attacking."

Darnic: "It must be Atrum."

Caules: "Yes, there doesn't seem to be anyone else it could be."

Waver: "But my future self and the others are outside—it's very dangerous."

Emiya Kiritsugu: "Indeed, if they're not careful, they'll get caught up in it."

Kayneth: "Humph, Galliasta—an upstart family from the Middle East that flaunts its wealth and ignores rules."

Chihiro: "Haven't you heard the saying, Kayneth? 'If you have money, you can do anything.'"

Gilgamesh: "Hahaha! I didn't expect such words from you, but they do resonate with my heart."

Tohsaka Rin: "For some reason, I want to agree with that statement too."