Chapter 189: True and False Golden Princess
Caules: "Two separate cases… so these two incidents are completely unrelated?"
Darnic: "An unexpected revelation, to say the least."
Fiore: "According to this, Byron's murder of the Golden Princess and Maio's murder of Kalina were entirely uncoordinated events."
Sisigou: "This case is getting more and more interesting."
Kayneth: "So, the murder of the Golden Princess was indeed a scheme devised by that despicable old man."
Waver: "What a despicable individual."
Kotomine Shirou: "I'm curious, how did you figure it out?"
Chihiro: "Why should I tell you?"
---
[The video resumes.]
["Remarkable magic."]
[In the lobby of the Moon Tower, Inorai was already waiting. When he saw El-Melloi II entering, he gave him an approving nod.]
[El-Melloi II: "A magus shouldn't use the word 'magic' so lightly."]
[Inorai: "No, what you've just performed is truly magic. It's not simply the manipulation of reality through thaumaturgy. Rather, it's the act of making the impossible possible."]
["Atrum must not have expected to be fooled in this way."]
[Atrum: "I won't deny it. The immediate benefits caught my attention. On the other hand, I've never heard of a Lord in the Clock Tower making such a foolish gamble. I feel as though I've been swindled."]
[Aozaki Touko: "Well, for me, seeing something so entertaining is reward enough for now."]
[El-Melloi II: "Silver Princess, how are you holding up after receiving the projection?"]
[Silver Princess: "I'm fine. Strictly speaking, my body was just a vessel."]
["I'll go along with your explanation for now," Byron said solemnly. "Well then, El-Melloi II, you boasted earlier that you would share your deductions after everyone was gathered. Let's hear it."]
[El-Melloi II: "I wouldn't call it reasoning, it's speculation. After all, none of this makes sense."]
["But first, Lord Byron, I'd like you to fulfill your promise."]
["Tch."]
[Byron clicked his tongue in irritation, snapping his fingers reluctantly. The magic circle on the box his follower had been carrying was immediately severed. Then, a mercury-like liquid flowed out of the box and coalesced into the form of a maid.]
[Reines lit up with excitement. "Trimmau!"]
[Byron: "But let me warn you—any unnecessary moves, and I'll take her back immediately."]
[Reines smirked. "Go ahead and keep monitoring me, Lord Byron. At least you're good at pretending to care."]
---
Tohsaka Rin: "This old man is still so arrogant. Does he even remember who just saved his life?"
Waver: "If he had a shred of conscience, this entire situation wouldn't have happened."
Caules: "Once the truth is revealed, Byron will probably do something desperate."
Kayneth: "Hmph, a cornered dog might bite, but Byron lacks the strength to do anything meaningful."
---
[Atrum: "So, are the preparations finished?"]
[El-Melloi II: "Not quite. We're still missing two people."]
["We're here!"]
["Sorry for the delay."]
[Flat and Svin entered at that moment, carrying Carina's body with them.]
[Regina: "Sister…"]
[Svin carefully placed the body down, and El-Melloi II immediately began another autopsy.]
[It was a scene that seemed redundant, as if everything had already been examined, but he appeared to have a new thought in mind.]
["I see…"]
[After a moment, El-Melloi II murmured, "The eardrum was peeled away. This is deliberate deprivation of hearing. If this was performed thoroughly, it would render her unable to hear anything at all. With magical assistance, it wouldn't even be noticeable in everyday life."]
[Islo frowned and asked, "What does that mean?"]
[El-Melloi II stood up slowly, lit a cigar, and spoke with calm authority.]
["I'll start with my conclusion."]
[He pointed at Carina's lifeless body and declared, "This is the Golden Princess."]
---
Tohsaka Rin: "What does this mean?"
Waver: "The maid… is the Golden Princess?"
Kotomine Shirou: "Could it really be…?"
Darnic: "Ah, I see. What a clever twist."
Fiore: "Uncle, what's going on?"
Darnic: "Just watch. The truth will be revealed soon enough."
---
["What nonsense are you talking about?"]
[After a stunned silence, it was Mick who first broke the tension.]
["It means exactly what it sounds like."]
[El-Melloi II replied in a steady tone, "Although I wasn't at the banquet myself, the Golden Princess who made her debut at this social gathering was her."]
[Everyone's faces seemed to share the same incredulous expression, as if they were asking, "Are you insane?"]
[Atrum: "Are you suggesting that projection trick worked because she naturally resembled the Silver Princess?"]
[El-Melloi II: "The methods were different, of course. But even before all of this, there was something I never quite understood. Flat!"]
["Yes! I've finished the drawing."]
[Flat held up a detailed illustration for everyone to see.]
[Reines immediately activated Trimmau's magic. The mercury maid's arm shimmered, creating a hazy mist that began to absorb the surrounding light. Moments later, the mist coalesced into a vivid projection of Flat's drawing.]
[What emerged was the Celestial Palace Map, a precise rendering of planetary alignments.]
---
Avicebron: "An exquisite piece of work."
Illya: "This mercury maid is so versatile! She's even a projector."
Kayneth: "What have you turned the Marrow of the Moon Spirit into?"
---
[As planets and orbits appeared in the air, the display shifted to various planar diagrams.]
[El-Melloi II explained, "This may not perfectly match the geocentric theory or scientific astronomy, but these diagrams reflect the observational needs of magical rituals."]
["Everyone here, please recall the celestial map relevant to this time period."]
["The Tower of the Sun and the Tower of the Moon, the Golden Princess and the Silver Princess—Iselma's ritual is built entirely on the alignment of the Sun and the Moon. However, if Iselma used the cursed body they obtained during the auction to complete the Golden Princess, the timing doesn't add up at all. The celestial alignment necessary for the ritual passed months ago."]
["The best timing would've been during the solar eclipse at noon, when the Sun and Moon are perfectly aligned at the same ecliptic longitude. The next best time would've been during the Sun-Moon opposition, with Saturn forming a 120-degree trine aspect. But both of those opportunities have already passed."]
[Byron: "You!!!"]
[Byron's face darkened with anger, his composure cracking.]
---
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Haha, El-Melloi II has completely unraveled the core of Iselma's magic."
Sisigou: "Now that the truth is out, there's no need to save face for the Iselma family."
Kayneth: "Ever since Byron framed Reines, Iselma and El-Melloi were destined to clash."
---
[El-Melloi II: "But what if something else were compared to the Sun? Then the problem disappears."]
[Atram: "Something else? What could that be?"]
[El-Melloi II: "In magic, other celestial bodies are sometimes substituted for the Sun. Venus, for instance, is often compared to the Sun because it is the brightest planet in the sky."]
["For this reason, Venus is revered in the Far East as the 'Golden God.' In the Bible, it is called Lucifer—the Morning Star and the Evening Star. Venus is also the planet of the goddess of beauty, Venus-Ishtar, from Mesopotamian mythology. It's the perfect celestial analogy for a magical ritual centered on beauty, such as this one."]
---
Ishtar: "Hmm, I'm flattered."
---
[Silver Princess: "Your Excellency El-Melloi II, I still don't understand. What does this analogy have to do with the cursed body? And what about Sister Tiadra's body? Isn't it still in her room?"]
[El-Melloi II: "That body is indeed the Golden Princess, but not the one who attended the debut party."]
[Gray and the others: "???"]
[Inorai, now smiling faintly, said, "Ah, I see. If the roles were reversed, I would've done the same thing."]
[El-Melloi II nodded and continued, "That's exactly it. The real Golden Princess died long before the social gathering. The dismembered corpse was preserved and later scattered throughout the room after the debut party."]
---
Caules: "So the Golden Princess has been dead all along."
Fiore: "How ironic. Iselma's crowning achievement died before it could even be unveiled."
Darnic: "And to maintain appearances, Byron orchestrated this elaborate charade."
Waver: "He even framed Reines and sought to profit from the Golden Princess's death. What a despicable man."
Kotomine Shirou: "But then there's Kalina's death, which wasn't part of his plan."
Sisigou: "Ah, so that's why this is considered two separate cases."
---
[The room fell into stunned silence as El-Melloi II's deductions sunk in.]
[Byron, visibly panicked, shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting!"]
["There's no point in denying it now, Lord Byron."]
[El-Melloi II's voice was cold as he continued, "The intervention of Atrum and his group has already exposed the cracks in your plan. Even if scientific forensics aren't used, a professional magus of the Clock Tower will easily uncover that the timeline doesn't match."]