Wayland and his companions offered a respectful bow.
The forest near the Tower of the Moon was a lush, vibrant green, shrouded in a persistent mist that made it feel less like a part of the English countryside and more like a realm from a fairy tale. The damp soil sent a chill through the air that seemed to seep into their very bones.
As they stepped deeper into the woods, the raw beauty of the primitive forest unfolded before them. The 'paths' here were nonexistent, buried beneath thick layers of uncollected autumn leaves. They navigated the narrow gaps between the ancient trees until the space suddenly opened into a wide clearing.
Standing by a natural spring were Inora Valualeta,dressed in her signature green formal gown,Touko Aozaki, Byron Iselma, and the remaining twin maid.
As the sound of their footsteps reached the clearing, all four turned to face them.
"Were you waiting for us?" Lorelei asked, her voice cool and carrying effortlessly through the mist.
"The play can hardly begin without the supervisor's arrival," Inora replied, a faint, shallow smile playing on her wrinkled face. She turned her attention to Reines. "I must ask: has the little princess of El-Melloi identified our killer yet?"
"Why don't we address the matter at hand first?" Lorelei countered, her voice devoid of any warmth. "I am quite curious to know why a mere maid was targeted. Ordinarily, she would be considered an insignificant bystander."
"Which suggests she was anything but insignificant," Wayland said, choosing that moment to step forward and finish Lorelei's thought.
Inora's gaze shifted to the young man. She had arrived late the previous morning and hadn't been present for his earlier deductions, and she'd been too focused on her power struggle with Lorelei to pay him much mind until now.
"Are you the new student Lord El-Melloi II has taken on?"
"I am." Wayland offered a deep, formal bow. "I am Wayland. If you would permit me, Lord Valualeta, I would like to examine the body."
"Wayland speaks for the El-Melloi house in this matter," Reines added firmly, lending him her authority.
"By all means." Inora watched him with a flicker of genuine curiosity in her eyes.
Wayland knelt beside Karina. Unlike the gruesome, artistic display of Diadra's remains, Karina's cause of death was obvious at a glance: a single, precision strike through the heart.
'Prana-Scan!'
The world around him dissolved into a web of swirling blue and green elemental patterns. The surrounding forest and the nearby spring were acting as magical white noise, scattering the elemental traces left on the body.
But as he continued his search, he finally found something that didn't belong.
A necklace.
It was a simple cord tied to a smooth stone carved with a intricate swirl pattern. A Celtic amulet.
Wayland picked up the talisman and walked over to the remaining twin maid. "I believe we haven't been properly introduced. Your name is...?"
"Regina, my Lord."
"Do you recognize this amulet?"
Regina remained silent for a heartbeat, her face etched with a grief that seemed too deep to fully express. "I do. It is a protective talisman our grandmother gave us when we were born. I have an identical one."
"I am sorry," Wayland said with a heavy sigh. "I know this is a painful time, but to find the one who did this, I must ask you a few questions. Please, answer as truthfully as you can."
Regina nodded, her eyes glistening.
"You understand how these amulets are triggered, correct?"
"I... I do." Regina sniffled, trying to keep her voice steady. "If my memory is correct... it is meant to trigger in response to an attack."
"Is it a passive trigger, or does the wearer have to activate it intentionally?"
Regina blinked, startled. "It... it requires an active internal trigger."
"My questions are finished."
Wayland turned back to the Lords. "I trust you both heard that. The amulet was never triggered. This suggests one of two things: either Karina knew her killer and trusted them so completely that she didn't realize she was in danger... or the killer's power so vastly outstripped her own that she was dead before she could even think to activate the defense."
"And what exactly are you implying?" Byron's cane struck the soft earth with a dull thud. "Are you suggesting the killer is a member of the Iselma household? We have no reason to murder our own servants!"
"Please, calm yourself, Lord Byron. I wasn't implying anything of the sort."
Wayland offered a polite, professional smile. "As my mentor often says, a detective must be comfortable with making bold hypotheses. It is equally possible that the killer's strength was simply on another level entirely."
Byron seemed to realize he'd overreacted. His expression shifted back to its usual mask of noble composure. "My apologies. I am simply... fiercely protective of the Iselma reputation."
"Of course. A magus treats their family's honor and their research as one and the same. I was deeply moved by the beauty of the Golden Princess yesterday; I truly appreciate the invitation to your banquet."
Byron's hand tightened around his cane. The boy's words felt loaded, like a hidden blade wrapped in silk, but he maintained his decorum and gave a small, haughty nod of acknowledgement.
Wayland's smile didn't waver.
He stole a quick glance at Inora Valualeta.
'What's going on? Why hasn't the Petroleum King made his move yet?'
According to the original story, Inora should have already reached an agreement with Atrum Galliasta,she would stand aside while he launched an assault on the Iselma towers. Atrum, driven by his obsession with the Holy Grail War and his desire for a powerful catalyst like the Bodhi Leaf, was supposed to be the main antagonist of this arc.
Inora was clearly using Atrum as a tool to uncover the secret behind the Iselmas' sudden leap toward the Root. In the Clock Tower, the relationship between a parent house and its branches was always a delicate dance of paranoia; the parent feared being surpassed, and the branch feared being consumed.
Wait.
Wayland finally realized what he'd overlooked.
Lorelei Barthomeloi.
No matter how arrogant or reckless Atrum Galliasta might be, even he wasn't suicidal enough to launch a private military operation right in front of the Vice-Director of the Clock Tower. Lorelei's presence had effectively paralyzed his plan.
Lorelei's hope of catching Inora in a compromised position was likely going to go unfulfilled.
'In that case... let's just reveal the truth now.'
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]