Chapter 192: Conviction
[El-Melloi II: "Based on this premise, Lord Byron probably doesn't know who the culprit is. At that stage, there are various possibilities, and there must be people pulling each other's leg within the Valualeta faction. At least from his point of view, almost everyone may have a motive."]
["But the second case is of a different nature."]
["The first case turned out to be a hoax designed to expose the death of the Golden Princess. The Silver Princess and the others had to escape during the chaos. Carina's death was completely unnecessary."]
[Gray: "What's going on?"]
[El-Melloi II: "A murder did happen. One was caused by Lord Byron, who caused the real Golden Princess's death by negligence. As for the other, the person who killed Carina was you!"]
[El-Melloi II's hand pointed directly at the pharmacist, Maio Brishisan Clynelles.]
["No, no, how could it be, it's me…"]
[Maio slumped down on the floor, trying to back away from the teacher, shaking his head.]
---
Illya: "This guy is really good at pretending."
Tohsaka Rin: "If I didn't know the answer, I wouldn't have thought that he was the murderer."
Caules: "You can't tell just by looking at the performance."
Fiore: "It's true that you can never know a person's heart from his appearance."
---
[El-Melloi II said coldly: "Do you want me to explain it in more detail?"]
["Flat!"]
["Yes!"]
[Flat eagerly took out a set of clothes and a bag. It was the clothes of the Golden Princess and a travel bag.]
["This was hidden near the fountain."]
[El-Melloi II: "Several legends of Siegfried also mention that the spring was where he washed away the dragon's blood and welcomed his death. On the one hand, it also has this kind of magical significance."]
["Yes, it's not difficult. I think nine times out of ten it's the case."]
["But I just became convinced that you are the murderer. After all, the only people that Regina and the Silver Princess would protect are you and Mr. Islo at most."]
["The reason why it's not Mr. Islo is because of Trimmau. If Aozaki Touko and Lord Valualeta can stop Trimmau from operating, maybe Atrum can do it too."]
[Atrum: "Maybe it's redundant."]
[El-Melloi II: "But, your abilities are too specialized in weaving and medicine. Let's not talk about repelling Trimmau, to stop her from functioning, we need to see the inner workings of the magecraft."]
["By the way, my student Flat is good at this kind of magic, but it's more difficult than expected. At least it's not a magecraft that I can do."]
["As for you, although it was a coincidence, your detailed investigation of Trimmau at the social gathering worked."]
["Although in this sense, it was my stepsister who was at fault at that social gathering."]
[Reines: "I was nervous."]
[El-Melloi II: "Besides, getting Trimmau's hands stained with blood is going too far. There is no need to go to that extent."]
["According to Reines's position, she will be trapped in this tower anyway. Because of this, I have room to think that the murderer of the Golden Princess case and the murderer of Carina may be different people."]
[Islo: "So, it really is..."]
[This time, Maio didn't continue to deny it. He sat down, laughed bitterly, and the trembling from earlier suddenly stopped.]
["Because...why not?"]
[His voice echoed through the hall, hollow and empty.]
["I... I've known her for so long. We've known each other for years, and I thought I understood her better than anyone else, but I didn't know she was like that…"]
["So, I wanted to at least preserve some trace of her... some fragment of her existence before she disappeared completely."]
[Before Reines, Gray, and Trimmau had followed the footprints, Maio had also been searching. Searching not necessarily for the murderer, but to collect the lingering traces of the Golden Princess before her death.]
[Perhaps, as he now admitted, he wasn't truly looking for the culprit. He just wanted to cling to whatever was left of her presence.]
["When I encountered Carina at the fountain, she was likely already prepared to escape from Byron."]
["I questioned her, and she said something shocking. She told me... that she was the Golden Princess."]
["At first, I couldn't believe it. But do you understand how happy I was at that moment? Because, even though Diadra was gone, the Golden Princess hadn't truly disappeared! That beauty remained intact!"]
["But then... she said she wanted to escape. She wanted to leave Lord Byron, take the Silver Princess and Regina, and run away from the Twin Towers."]
["She said... she said, 'Maio, please help us.'"]
["How could I allow that to happen!"]
[To Carina, Maio must have seemed like a dependable childhood friend. Perhaps she believed he would help her even after learning the truth. But their views... no, their very values, were diametrically opposed.]
["Even if she dies, she should preserve that beauty! Even if I have to kill her, she must remain eternal! The research on the Silver Princess must continue!"]
["Because I... we... we've already glimpsed the end!"]
["Having tasted the fruit, we must press forward! As a magus, I must do so!"]
[The hall fell into an oppressive silence once more.]
---
Illya: "What kind of reasoning is this?"
Sisigou: "It's truly tragic when the one you trust most turns out to be the most untrustworthy."
Leaticia: "Magus... is there even one among them who's normal?"
Chihiro: "This is a matter of perspective. You grew up in a different world. Trying to understand a magus's worldview with the logic of an ordinary person is a waste of time."
Tohsaka Rin: "...Is the Root really worth all this?"
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "The Root is the ultimate dream of every magus."
Chihiro: "And it's a dream that drives people to madness, making it almost impossible to reach."
---
["…What you said is absolutely correct, for a magus."]
[El-Melloi II's voice was cold. "You were willing to sacrifice your childhood friend to achieve your dream. That's only natural for a magus."]
[Maio: "If... if that's the case…"]
[El-Melloi II: "But, if that's truly the case, why didn't you just ask her to die for you?"]
---
Tohsaka Rin: "???"
Illya: "What's he talking about?"
---
[Maio: "What are you saying…"]
[El-Melloi II: "Before you killed your childhood friend to preserve her beauty, why didn't you simply ask her to die willingly for you? Why didn't you beg her, plead with her, to allow you to dissect her in pursuit of your desire to witness ultimate beauty once more?"]
["If you truly believed in the impossibility of your dream, why didn't you proudly demand the Silver Princess and Regina serve as your sacrifices?"]
["That's absurd..." Maio stammered, his voice faltering as though he might collapse at any moment, his mouth opening and closing in disbelief.]
[El-Melloi II: "Absurd? You're saying such a proposal is ridiculous? Is that all your conviction amounts to?"]
["It's not just personal ambition, unbacked by gods or justice, that drives one to crush nations beneath their feet. It's not mere delusion to seek to gaze upon the sea's end, stripping honor and pride from countless gods of war and kings to place them on equal footing with yourself."]
["But even with all that ambition, this level of self-delusion is laughable. And yet you dare to claim your dream is worth pursuing?"]
["Whether magus or not, the self is absolute for every person. Whatever good or evil deeds you commit, we cannot know whether you truly saved or harmed others."]
["But if you claim this is your way of life, then at least stand tall."]
["If you're going to fight for yourself, then at least infect others with your belief, however misguided it may be."]
["Instead, before dragging us into this absurd murder-hunting charade, you should have boldly declared, 'I killed Carina to stop her from escaping.'"]
["Your actions? Purely despicable."]
[The judgment was delivered, sharp as a guillotine blade falling. The air was heavy, and everyone seemed to hear the metaphorical execution.]
[Maio stood frozen, his face pale and blank, unable to process what had just been said.]
---
Sisigou: "What sharp words."
Emiya Kiritsugu: "Yes, no matter how much this kid tries to justify himself, it doesn't erase the fact that he's a murderer."
Kayneth: "If he had truly believed in his convictions, he would've convinced Carina to sacrifice herself willingly."
Leaticia: "I'll never understand magi... I truly can't."
---
["…Hah…"]
[El-Melloi II exhaled a long breath, the faint glow of his cigar dimming as he turned his gaze toward the Silver Princess and her servant.]
["Why did you protect him?"]
[The Silver Princess's expression remained hidden beneath her veil, but at last, she spoke.]
["…If Maio hadn't killed Carina, we would've reunited with her and escaped that night."]
[El-Melloi II: "If that's true, then why?"]
[Silver Princess: "You already know the reason. Regina, tell him."]
["Yes."]
[Regina finally broke her silence.]