Fate: Question And Answer System of Traversing Heroic Spirits

[El-Melloi II carried Carina's body from the spring to the shore and began examining the wound.]

["The cause of death was a single blow to the heart."]

[Then, he found an ornament under Carina's clothing. It looked like a necklace made of broken stones strung together with rope. Swirl patterns were engraved on the stones, hinting at some magical significance.]

["It looks like a Celtic amulet, but it's a pity it wasn't activated."]

[After collecting Carina's body, El-Melloi II moved to the Golden Princess's room to conduct a thorough investigation there as well.]

[Once the investigation was complete, El-Melloi II took Reines and the others to the grasslands outside the tower to rest.]

[Reines: "Honestly? I thought I was dead."]

["Can you please not say such discouraging things right after the investigation?"]

[El-Melloi II, his face weary, replied, "I stayed up nearly the entire night. After Gray's call, I had to find a substitute teacher and then rushed here immediately."]

["I couldn't get any proper sleep on the train. With no transportation from Windermere Station, I had to run the entire way here. After meeting you all, I didn't even get a chance to rest—I had to start the investigation immediately. So, I hope you'll at least appreciate my efforts."]

Tohsaka Rin: "Thank you for your hard work."

Illyasviel: "I feel tired just listening to that."

Sisigou: "No wonder his legs were shaking earlier. I thought it was because he was scared of the other Lord."

Waver: "How absurd. I'm not that scared—yet."

["Anyway, let's try to sort out what we've learned so far."]

[As he spoke, El-Melloi II lit a cigar, the smoke curling around him as if to ease his fatigue.]

[Reines: "Didn't I already tell you everything about the case?"]

[El-Melloi II: "No, what I want to piece together is how the Golden Princess and Silver Princess attained such extraordinary beauty."]

["Huh?"]

Caules: "Is that really what you care about right now?"

Fiore: "He's not a woman, after all."

Darnic: "No, it's still relevant to the case. If we understand this, we might uncover why the Golden Princess was killed."

[Reines, initially stunned, then smiled faintly, hiding a sharpness in her gaze: "Wait, Onii-chan, aren't you here to help me find the murderer?"]

[Gray: "Teacher..."]

[El-Melloi II: "Don't misunderstand. This is necessary for solving the case."]

["Really?"]

[Reines stared at him skeptically.]

["Fine. I'll trust you for now."]

[El-Melloi II then launched into an explanation about the origins of makeup and cosmetic surgery, as well as some news he had learned on the way—specifically, that the Iselma family had auctioned the Leaf at an underground auction house.]

[However, they still didn't know the true purpose of the Leaf.]

[What made El-Melloi II suspicious was that the final auction price far exceeded the Iselma family's financial capacity.]

Waver: "This ties into what I mentioned before—the support Heartless provided to the Iselma family."

Kayneth: "Heartless would never invest in a losing proposition. He must have gained something valuable from the Izeluma family in return."

Waver: "But what could the Iselma family possibly have that Heartless would want?"

Kayneth: "I haven't figured that out yet. Could it be their expertise in doll-making?"

[When the Leaf was mentioned, Reines also thought of Mick, the dark-skinned spy.]

[El-Melloi II speculated that the Iselma family's intense desire for the Leaf was likely connected to the magecraft used to create the Golden Princess. However, the timing didn't add up.]

[Earlier, when El-Melloi II had analyzed the Golden Princess's magecraft, he was also testing whether his understanding was flawed. The results confirmed his suspicions.]

[As dusk approached, Reines and the others uncovered new clues.]

[The Twin Towers, which resembled a screaming, sinister face, cast shadows that formed both a sundial and a moondial.]

[El-Melloi II had likely chosen this spot to rest in order to confirm this detail.]

[This discovery further supported El-Melloi II's theory that the timing of the ritual didn't align properly.]

[A bold hypothesis began to take shape.]

Darnic: "So the entire Twin Tower is part of a spellcasting ritual? That's an intriguing idea."

Kayneth: "Using sundials and moondials to channel the power of the sun and moon is a clever concept."

Tohsaka Rin: "But why does El-Melloi II keep insisting that the timing is off?"

Chihiro: "Because a moondial can only function properly on a full moon night. Any ritual based on it would have to align with that."

Tohsaka Rin: "I see. Since it can only be activated under a full moon, the timings don't match."

[El-Melloi II: "Is the one who died truly the Golden Princess?"]

[Reines: "???"]

[El-Melloi II: "To take it a step further, could one of the Golden Princess or the Silver Princess be a doll? That's the question I want to ask."]

[Reines: "A doll… But the Golden Princess we saw was undoubtedly…"]

[El-Melloi II: "Yes, but one that seemed human."]

[Normally, this question would seem absurd, but one must not forget who currently resides within the Iselma family.]

["Aozaki Touko—she achieved many things during her time at the Clock Tower, but two accomplishments stand out in particular."]

["First, she reconstructed the declining runic system as a magical foundation. Second, she became an exceptional puppeteer."]

[Gray: "A doll… I remember that's a type of magecraft that mimics the human body, right?"]

["Correct. Although distinct from Rune Magecraft, the concept of creating human-like constructs through magecraft has also been in decline."]

[El-Melloi II continued slowly: "In other words, she successfully revitalized both these declining forms of magecraft in modern times."]

[It was undeniable that Aozaki Touko's title as a Grand Magus was well-deserved.]

Caules: "I didn't expect that woman to be so accomplished. Reconstructing two declining branches of magecraft is remarkable."

Diarmuid: "Rebuilding Odin's legendary runes? That's incredible."

Gordes: "It's all about the era she was born in."

Gordes: "She accomplished this when she was around twenty years old."

Fiore: "That's the talent of a true Grand Magus."

Darnic: "…"

Sola-ui: "Aozaki Touko… her talent is truly enviable."

Kayneth: "Hmph, as much as I dislike admitting it, I have to acknowledge her genius."

[Gray: "Then, does that mean the automaton that attacked us earlier was also…"]

["Generally speaking, yes, but…"]

[Reines hesitated, struggling to understand why Aozaki Touko would be involved in such a way.]

[After a moment, Reines shifted the topic: "So, your earlier theory suggests that the dead Golden Princess was actually a doll created by Aozaki Touko, and the real Golden Princess might still be alive?"]

["Yes, exactly."]

[El-Melloi II frowned. "I've also considered whether this could be part of an elaborate scheme by the Iselma family. However, the risks and rewards for such a move are too unbalanced. Byron wouldn't engage in something so thankless."]

[This was the same issue everyone in the group couldn't wrap their heads around.]

[All the evidence pointed to Byron as the culprit in this case. But what was his motive? What could he hope to gain?]

[As El-Melloi II noted in the video, this was a completely thankless endeavor.]

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Could it be that he harbors a personal grudge against El-Melloi?"

Kayneth: "Impossible. The El-Melloi and Iselma families have no connections whatsoever."

Kayneth: "That said, I can't speak for the events in this timeline. After all, I've been dead for nearly ten years in it."

Waver: "…"

["That's right."]

[Reines suddenly remembered the powder she had secretly collected earlier. She took it out and handed it to El-Melloi II.]

["Brother, can you take a look at this powder?"]

["Hmm? Let me see."]

[El-Melloi II retrieved a magnifying glass from his leather bag and began examining the powder closely.]

["This looks like ash."]

[He stared at it for a moment before suddenly picking up a pinch and putting it directly into his mouth.]

[Reines was startled: "Hey! Are you insane?"]

Tohsaka Rin: "Wait, did he seriously just put that into his mouth?!"

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Calm down, Rin. If he did that, it means he's already determined it isn't poisonous."

Illya: "Even so, it's disgusting!"

["Ptooey!"]

[El-Melloi II didn't swallow the powder. He simply tasted it briefly before spitting it out, muttering, "Now I have a clue."]

[Reines: "Excuse me, Onii-chan?"]

[El-Melloi II: "Stop complaining. Let me think for a moment."]

Tohsaka Rin: "Good thing he didn't swallow it. Otherwise, I'd probably throw up just watching."

Caules: "Still, being able to figure it out just by tasting it… that's impressive."

Emiya Kiritsugu: "It must be some kind of herbal or alchemical ingredient. It's difficult to discern just by appearance alone."

Illya: "I hate all this suspense. Why not just tell us already?"

Chihiro: "Isn't that how all mystery stories go?"

[Meanwhile, in the workshop on the top floor of the Moon Tower…]

[Byron was puffing on his meerschaum pipe.]

[El-Melloi II's earlier comments, which had cut straight to the core of his family's magecraft, still left him shaken.]

***

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