Chapter 32

So, it would seem we crossed 500 by a fair bit. Y'all can be seriously insane sometimes. Unfortunately, I was asleep when we did cross so a little late, but here's your extra chapter.

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Without a word, I stepped up to the impaled corpse and gently prodded one of her hands. They were stiff and rigid, fixed in place... That certainly was not supposed to be the case for someone recently killed. Then there was the congealed blood staining the sword and floor.

"Rigor Mortis already set in, this corpse isn't fresh." 

That statement should've been a repeat of an obvious truth, but for some god-forsaken reason, it wasn't.

One learnt a lot when they spent copious amounts of time online to alleviate boredom. Of course the information was typically the sort that'd never come in handy for such a person but there were always the exceptions. Like, right now, for instance.

It seemed the Professor had a similar idea as mine regarding the culprit. He retrieved a number of different vials from his black suit, and knelt down on the floor next to me, brows creased.

"You here to interrupt again?" I questioned with a small grin.

The dusty red that shaded his cheeks really didn't look right on a man of his advanced age. Wiping his face, he murmured a weak apology, "I-It was an honest mistake."

"It was you, wasn't it?" Orlocke's raspy words cut through the air. He pointedly eyed Luviagelita as his 'caretaker' rotated the wheelchair to face the Edelfelt Princess. "I wouldn't put it past you filthy cretins."

Luviagelite tossed her hair, meeting his accusation with faint annoyance. "Please, as if. If anything, this sort of underhanded activity is exactly what I'd expect from an old bag of bones with nothing in the way of honor like you. What's your proof?"

For a moment, it looked like they'd attack each other. Gray stiffened beside Waver, her hand involuntarily clutching at her hood. She tended to do that a lot in these types of situations, I noticed. Almost as if there was some kind of hidden safety measure, or a weapon.

Shaking my head, I pushed the thought away. My classmate's eccentricities could be explored at a better time. Instead, I considered this situation through the eyes of these nobles, through the eyes of people who lived to sabotage, put down, cut corners and do anything to gain the upper hand against their competitors.

Suddenly, their suspicion made sense.

If someone intended to forcibly take the workshop that was the Adra Castle through less than savoury means, then ideally, they'd target the person responsible for maintaining order and 'law' before anyone else, to have free rein in their activities.

"I was drinking with Lord El-Melloi well into the night." Orlocke Caesarmund nodded at Waver, "He can confirm this."

"I..." For a brief moment, Luviagelita's face faltered and reddened, but she was quick to gather herself, "I was with Henry."

"I was lookin' after lil' Rosalind!" Jiroubou waved his hand with a steady grin. The younger of the Istari siblings nodded shyly at his words. Then, he cast a strange glance at Heine before continuing, "Heine was with us too."

I saw no need to intrude. Hell, I saw this whole alibi thing as a waste of time. This was a world of the supernatural, and my mind refused to accept that this was a simple murder. So, I lowered my aviators and eyed the body.

The mana of every magus had a unique wavelength to it, even a normal magi could sense this given the proper education. To my eyes, the difference between each might as well have been the difference between the ground and sky with the detail I could directly observe each of these wavelengths in.

In the literal blink of an eye, the truth of the matter became clear.

Perhaps, I'd given away something on my face with the way the Professor immediately turned to me with narrowed eyes, still crouched. "Did you notice something?"

"Nah."

I lied as easily as I breathed, rubbing my nose. 

Truth be told, I felt bad for lying to the dude, but for this one matter alone, my allegiances were in direct conflict with helping him. Hey, I'd even count it towards what he owed me for his cockblocking last night.

It was as I figured, the gathered magi were so wrong in blaming one another that it was terribly hilarious.

With an amused smile, I looked at the silent Flueger. The mercenary sipping tea from a cup that was comically small compared to his thick, muscle-heavy stature. His dirty fingers gripped it with a delicacy you really wouldn't expect from him.

"What's your explanation, big guy?"

"I... was asleep." He said embarrassedly. "Okay no I wasn't, I was drinking! Sometimes a man's gotta do it you know? It's been a while since I've been in a place this nice."

Luviagelita regarded the mercenary with unveiled scrutiny, arms crossed under her breasts... Boy, they were really nice. Especially now that I'd seen-... Ehem, sorry, this wasn't the time to be distracted.

"Your reputation and that flimsy excuse don't quite mesh well. You must realise this, yes?"

"I don't know what to tell you... It's the truth."

I snorted, "You want my help with that grave you're digging for yourself right now?"

"If the truth leads me to death then so be it." He said seriously, then he laughed, "...Wouldn't it be cool if I said something like that? But no, you can ask one of the butlers that poured me drinks the whole night."

"This is why people hate you rich fuckers."

"...You're one of us, too." Luviagelite pointed out with a smile.

"You're supposed to be on my side! What the hell is this betrayal? After all we did-"

"S-Shut up."

Waver cleared his throat, interrupting our 'talk'. He rose to feet and pocketed his different vials before putting his cigar to his mouth again.

"I believe... I may have found the culprit."

"Oh?!" Jiroubou shouted. "That fast? Gotta say I thought you were just some sleazy old dude."

"...I'm not that old."

Waver narrowed his eyes, and for a second I thought he was going to show his famous iron claw, but instead, the Professor just sighed. He took a deep pull from his cigar and exhaled a small cloud of smoke.

"No one had a hand in this, at least none of us here. No, I believe it may be related to Lord Geryon, and the angels presiding over this castle. What was Miss Hishiri's Angelic Name again?"

"I believe it was-..."

I tuned the conversation out entirely at that. Differing from my rather direct approach, Waver arrived at the same conclusion through means of occult symbolism and connections. Funnily enough, both of us suspected the same culprit. The castle itself... well, at least, those were my thoughts until I actually lay eyes on the 'corpse'.

Such symbolism and hidden meanings were ultimately a means of 'communication' with a thaumaturgical system, or rather, a means of influencing said communication by the beliefs steeped in centuries of occult beliefs. For someone like myself, who could perform this perfectly through understanding, there was no need for such dilution of what I considered to be a most incredible phenomenon.

That belief was strange for magi, I knew, for a world so immersed in technicalities, spirituality and those very hidden meanings. Hell, even the act of deciphering a spell was wrong because a spell was a mystery enacted. If deciphered so completely, it was no longer a mystery right?

Not in my case, because every fiber of my being fundamentally refused to accept that just because I could put in terms, it was no longer a mystery. For me, the very act of performing a spell, even one that caused a spark weaker than a matchstick, was the greatest mystery in itself. It wasn't magecraft. In my eyes, this incredible thing was... magic.

So yes, when Waver began to link it to spiritual meanings and whatnot, I decided to take my leave. There really was no need to dilute my 'understanding' with such meaningless things.

Thoughtlessly, I snapped my finger, gesturing for Luviagelita to come along. The strong-headed woman unconsciously put a hand over elbow, and nodded demurely. It was an expression I'd never seen on her before... but it was hella cute anyway.

Before we could actually leave though, Orlocke called out again. This time, to me.

"And where do you think you're going? You are not excused yet." Serenely, the wheelchair-bound fossil with a sunken face antagonised me.

Holy shit, I'd never heard more agitating words.

I narrowed my eyes, "I don't need you to excuse me."

"I'll stop you by force if I have to."

"I bloody well dare you to try, you old fuck."

Behind him, Heine quietly closed the distance between them, a hand on his necktie pin... While I appreciated his 'friendship', I really couldn't understand why the guy was always so willing to help me out for no apparent reason.

Flueger cackled at the exchange. "You going to take that, Orlocke? Me personally, I wouldn't."

I didn't know this dude personally but it was rather clear at this point that he enjoyed causing trouble almost as much as I did. Jiroubou too, but his was a more harmless kind where he didn't actually do anything meaningful so he was like the dog that quit barking the second you stopped for the smoke it asked for itself.

"Oi, don't fan the flames." Jiroubou chided with a closed eye, hands locked together. "We all know he can't get it up-... wait, I mean, we all know he can't get up."

"Well... I just thought it'd be an interesting clash."

Orlocke... backed off with a huff, turning his head aside. "Youngsters these days... Consider yourself lucky I'm more interested in hearing Lord El-Melloi."

Oh my fucking God.

As if she'd read my mind, Luviagelita grabbed me by the shoulder, holding me in place just before I could take off running at the geezer. She shook her head. "Don't dropkick the elderly."

My eyes widened. She hit the nail right on the head.

"How'd you know I was gonna do that?"

She gave a defeated smile as we slipped into the corridor. Rooms lined either side, fixed with plaques carrying various angel names. There were also the copious amounts of angels but I'd noted that enough times that it was getting pretty annoying to even consider their presence.

"So... how ya feeling?" I asked when we were alone.

She shyly averted her gaze, "F-Fine. You know... that... that was my first-"

"Oh yeah, I know. Same."

"Wha-... really? But then... so good-... how..."

Why'd she look so happy about that? Wait, no, nevermind, I understood. I was pretty happy too.

I snorted.

"Internet."

Ah, it was going to be so much fun teasing her about this whole thing. Well, at least until she got used to it and started quipping back like usual... which, knowing her like I did, would be pretty soon.

Anyway, it was time to lock in.

"That corpse..." Luviagelita became serious the second those words left my mouth. "It wasn't Hishiri Adashino at all."

She just groaned lightly. "It's never simple with those Policy people." Then, a slow smirk crossed her pale face. "But it doesn't matter, you're ready to hijack this workshop, aren't you?"

I grinned at her.

Unlike the rest, this wasn't even a quest or puzzle or some difficult task with me on her side. In fact, I'd even go so far as to call the sole matter of 'taking hold of the angels' as a vacation. A rather fruitful vacation considering what had happened last night. Because, taking hold of the angels meant taking hold of this castle. A workshop working on magical energy, woven through spells and rituals.

"Luvia~, won't it be more fun to swoop in and take it the second someone else is about to~?"

"My... How naughty." She laughed her rich girl laugh, with the back of her hand hovering over the edge of her... soft lips. "Ohoho..."

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Hope you enjoyed.

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