Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Taking Over the Golden Princess Case
[El-Melloi II: "Really? It turned out like this before I even noticed."]
[Reines quickly recovered herself and teased, "No matter what, you came here so quickly. Did you rush over just because of your lovely sister?"]
["How could I leave someone else to clean up your mess? I asked someone to take over my remaining classes."]
[El-Melloi II grumbled, "Even though I took the West Coast Main Line and arrived at Windermere Station right away, the city itself is hidden within a barrier. I couldn't ask the locals for directions. Because of that, I don't even know how filthy my shoes have gotten."]
[Reines: "Don't worry about it. I'll just have Gray clean them later."]
[El-Melloi II: "You should take a moment to reflect on how much trouble you've caused for others."]
Tohsaka Rin: "Whenever these two are together, they always end up bickering."
Caules: "He came here alone? The Iselma family didn't send anyone to escort him?"
Fiore: "Of course not. Look at Byron's expression, it's obvious he just wants to pin the crime on Reines as quickly as possible. Why would he let Lord El-Melloi interfere?"
[After their brief exchange, El-Melloi II's face turned serious as he looked toward Inorai.]
["Leave this to me. Do you mind, Lord Valualeta?"]
[Inorai: "Oh? You dare to say that to me?"]
[El-Melloi II: "Of course I dare. Regardless of our abilities, as Lord, we stand as equals, do we not?"]
["This case is now under the jurisdiction of my faction, El-Melloi II."]
[He looked composed and confident, even appearing somewhat impressive, if only his legs weren't trembling slightly.]
[After all, this was effectively a declaration of war.]
["Absolutely not!"]
[Byron immediately dismissed El-Melloi II's words without any regard.]
["We've already gone so far in our suspicions of your sister. Even if this is an order from a Lord, we cannot easily agree to transfer authority over the case."]
[But Byron was clearly overestimating his position.]
Sisigou: "This old man is obviously hiding something."
Kayneth: "Hmph, he's just a fox exploiting the power of the Baruyereta faction."
Kayneth: "Even if El-Melloi were to decline in the future, a Lord is still a Lord. How can a mere collateral family head oppose a monarch's decision?"
Tohsaka Rin: "But if he really is the murderer, why would he kill his own Golden Princess?"
Sisigou: "He's probably trying to cover something up—just like with the maid, Carina."
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "That explanation does make sense."
Waver: "But why frame Reines? Was it a spur-of-the-moment decision, or is there a deeper motive behind it?"
[Faced with Byron, El-Melloi II was no longer as reserved as he had been with Inorai. After a moment of silence, he spoke bluntly: "You weren't planning to keep the Golden Princess's secrets hidden, were you?"]
["You! What nonsense are you spouting?!"]
[Byron's reaction was immediate, like a startled cat bristling in defense.]
[El-Melloi II: "The Tower of the Sun, the Tower of the Moon, the Golden Princess, the Silver Princess. These are clear metaphors for alchemical rituals related to the sun and moon. In addition, the entire process appears to be based on alchemy. Using celestial bodies as metaphors is a common pattern, especially in Western alchemy."]
["Alchemy, at its core, seeks to transform base materials into gold and elevate mortal humans into beings akin to gods—a pursuit known as the 'Great Work.' This must be the underlying purpose of the Golden Princess and Silver Princess."]
["However, after seeing the Sun Tower and the Moon Tower, I was struck by how you achieved this. You introduced the movement of celestial bodies into the human form."]
["The connection between the microcosm (Mikrokosmos) and the macrocosm (Makrokosmos) is the foundation of magecraft. Yet, while many might theorize about embedding planetary movements into human life, few would have the means to carry it out."]
["The sun and moon represent the heavens, while diet and daily life represent the earth. Your practices likely incorporate this cycle. It's akin to the saying from ancient Eastern countries: 'Medicine and food share the same origin.' What we consume builds the human body."]
["For example, there's nothing inherently wrong with Qin Shi Huang consuming mercury in his quest for immortality. But without forming it into a planetary system, the mercury became poison."]
["Your family is deeply familiar with these concepts. You've aligned diet, lifestyle, and even the environment with the human body. Take the 'Ley Lines'—the spiritual veins of the land. By forcing yourselves to follow footwork patterns such as the Yu Bu techniques, you've drawn magic from the earth itself."]
["In essence, the Golden Princess and Silver Princess are incarnations of this land. And given that your family has been practicing this for generations, it follows that..."]
["Enough!"]
[Byron finally snapped, roaring to silence El-Melloi II.]
[El-Melloi II's method of revenge was as calculated as it was ruthless. By exposing the secrets of the Iselma family's magecraft in front of others, he essentially stripped them of their dignity.]
[For magi, the magecraft passed down through their families is akin to their lifeblood. It's a privilege that forms the foundation of their authority.]
[At the same time, this incident highlighted just how quickly El-Melloi II's mind worked. He had deciphered the core structure of the Iselma family's magecraft in mere moments.]
Gordes: "Goodness, Lord El-Melloi II might be eyeing my magecraft next."
Kayneth: "Don't be ridiculous. Magecraft on Izeluma's level wouldn't even catch the interest of someone from El-Melloi."
Gordes: "That's you speaking. Don't forget that El-Melloi is said to decline in the future."
Kayneth: "Hmph. Even if that happens, its foundations will remain strong."
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "So, this is what Waver pieced together after arriving here."
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Terrifying. El-Melloi II managed to analyze a magic structure I spent years studying in just a few moments."
El-Melloi II: "They exposed too much themselves."
Iskandar: "But really, Qin Shi Huang consuming mercury in his pursuit of immortality—was there actually a technique behind it?"
The First Emperor: "I don't know. After all, the sorcerers avoided me because of the book-burning incident during my lifetime. After that, I had to conduct all the research myself. It's not surprising that I made mistakes."
["I see. So, this is Lord El-Melloi."]
[Byron bowed reluctantly, his expression bitter. The old man had finally conceded.]
[El-Melloi II: "If it's convenient, please call me El-Melloi II. I don't think I'm worthy of that title."]
[Since El-Melloi II now had the upper hand with evidence, Byron could no longer prevent him from taking over the investigation. However, he imposed a deadline—by tomorrow night at the latest.]
[El-Melloi II naturally agreed to the condition without hesitation.]
[Of course, as a suspect, Trimmau was taken away by Inorai.]
Illya: "Haha, look at that arrogant old man, reduced to a defeated quail."
Tohsaka Rin: "It's so satisfying to watch!"
Caules: "Although Trimmau is still considered a suspect, at least this gives us two days to figure things out."
Tohsaka Rin: "Two days should be enough. The real suspect is obvious now, after all."
Sisigou: "Hmph, I'm just worried that old man will secretly cause trouble. This is his territory, after all."
Waver: "Exactly. The head of the Iselma family clearly doesn't want me investigating any further."
[After Inorai and Byron left, another figure finally arrived.]
[Aozaki Touko: "Oh my, I rushed over to take a look, and I run into someone interesting."]
[The appearance of Aozaki Touko visibly startled El-Melloi II.]
["…Are you fixed?"]
["Hey, hey, is that really the first thing you have to say to me? Makes me want to kill you."]
[Aozaki Touko adjusted her glasses and said calmly, "Nice to meet you, El-Melloi II."]
[El-Melloi II: "Hello, Miss Aozaki."]
Tohsaka Rin: "What does 'fixed' even mean?"
Emiya Kiritsugu: "I think it's referring to her personality. This woman has displayed multiple personality traits in the past, it seems like she might have a split personality."
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "So, this Grand Magus's personality changes are uncontrollable?"
Emiya Kiritsugu: "That seems to be the case, at least for now."
Waver: "The title of Grand doesn't make someone omnipotent. They have their own flaws too."
[Aozaki Touko: "When I passed by Byron and the others just now, I overheard the situation. Are you in charge of this case?"]
[El-Melloi II: "That's correct. Although I'm not particularly knowledgeable, I'll do my best to resolve the case."]
[Aozaki Touko: "I see. Unexpectedly resourceful, huh? Is that a tradition in the El-Melloi family?"]
[Gray: "Um, isn't this the first time you two have met?"]
[Aozaki Touko: "Hahaha, while this is my first time meeting the Second Generation, I met the previous El-Melloi before. That man once commissioned me to create a pair of prosthetic hands for him."]
["That was during the Fourth Holy Grail War…"]
[Gray, surprised: "Wait, does that mean you also participated in that war?"]
[Aozaki Touko: "Don't misunderstand. I didn't participate in the war. This is my first official meeting with El-Melloi II. However, I did ask him to pay the balance owed to me by the previous El-Melloi."]
"Prosthetic hands? Could it be…"
Kayneth suddenly realized how he had been connected to Aozaki Touko in the original timeline.
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "It must have been after he was hit by Emiya Kiritsugu's Origin Bullet. The injury Lord El-Melloi suffered back then was likely more severe than what we saw in the video."
Emiya Kiritsugu: "..."
Darnic: "It seems the price for the work of a Grand Magus isn't cheap. Not only was the cost not paid in full, but even El-Melloi II had to cover the remaining balance."
Tohsaka Rin: "But what's this woman doing here? Just here to spectate?"
Waver: "Maybe."
[It seemed that Aozaki Touko was indeed just here to observe. She left shortly after arriving.]
[After she departed, El-Melloi II finally had the opportunity to begin examining Carina's body.]
***
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