Chapter 48: First Double Flight (4)

Chapter 48: Square 42: A Small Newspaper Article

Bugs, buzzing loudly. Mosquitoes, maybe.

"Ugh, seriously, shut up!"

I sat up in bed, and outside was still sunk in darkness. Checking the watch by my pillow, it was a little past 3:00. Woken up at an awkwardly early hour. Well, waking early just means more time to think.

"Guess the early bird really does catch the worm."

By the time I noticed, the bug had wandered off somewhere. Bothering me while I slept, gone the moment I wake up. Insects have it easy, honestly.

"Alright, what now. The summit plan was airtight, so stopping it really is the only option. But as things stand, I’ve got no way to actually weigh in..."

...So then, what if I made myself into someone worth listening to?

"But how?"

I threw that question at myself. What came to mind was, of course, Nest. Taking down someone that dangerous should count for something, at least a little. Which meant I just needed one more push.

"Not saying I need someone on Nest’s level, but catching some criminal might earn me at least a bit of standing. But what criminal could I actually catch... ah!"

The first thing that came to mind was the string of murders Shiran had gotten tangled up in. If I could solve this, getting an audience with the king might not be entirely impossible. Alright, decided, kill two birds with one stone, solve Shiran’s "ghost" mess and earn myself some standing at the same time!

"Well, no time like the present. Let’s dig into that case properly."

I pulled on my suit and tied my tie. If I searched the library, there might be some records on the case. I stepped out of the room full of energy, but at this hour, the mansion was pitch dark and dead silent. A mansion this massive was still a maze to me.

"Um, which way was the library again?"

Would’ve been nice if I knew how to turn on the lights, though I wasn’t even sure if this world’s lighting worked on switches to begin with. Not sure either way, I made my way carefully by moonlight through the windows and the flame of my lighter. Probably easy enough to stumble onto during the day, but the scenery looks completely different in the dark.

"Right, this is the dining hall. Which means the stairs should be this way?"

The library was near the entrance on the first floor. Once I got down there, it should be easy to spot. I turned to head for the stairs, when...

"What brings you out at this hour?"

"AAAGH!!"

My whole body jolted like I’d taken an electric shock.

"S-S-Selva!?"

There stood Selva, holding a lit candlestick.

"Ah, my apologies. Did I startle you?"

"...Well, somewhat."

I tried to play it cool, but that reaction had genuinely scared me. Nearly dropped my lighter from the shock. This guy’s habit of appearing out of nowhere is a real problem.

"On patrol or something?"

"Yes. There’s an intrusion detection spell array in place, but given how many enemies the Beyonetta family attracts from all directions, there’s no such thing as being too cautious."

Fair point, but when does this guy actually sleep?

"By the way, is there somewhere you need to go? I’d be happy to guide you."

"Ah, then, mind showing me to the library?"

"Understood."

The lighter I’d been using as a light source had been getting hotter and hotter, so this worked out perfectly. I’ll let him handle both the lighting and the guiding from here.

"Right this way."

The moment the door opened, every light in the library switched on at once. Definitely not some modern motion sensor setup, so what exactly was the mechanism behind that?

"Please call for me right away if you need anything. I’ll take my leave now."

Selva bowed deeply and started to leave.

"Ah, wait a second. Does this place keep back issues of newspapers?"

"Yes, about three months’ worth are kept on that shelf over there. Doing some research?"

"Something like that."

At that, Selva said "take your time" and left the room. Anyway, whatever I needed had to be in the newspapers here. Information about the string of murders Shiran was tangled up in.

"Alright, let’s get to it!"

"Found it, here!"

After an hour of digging, I’d found three articles total. One buried in the third page, about a male knight murdered. One splashed prominently across the front page, a noblewoman murdered. And finally, one about Shiran’s classmate being killed. That last article was oddly small, hard to find at all. But I’d heard five people had been killed in total, so two were still missing.

"Said they only keep three months’ worth. Guess the articles on the other two might’ve already been discarded."

Still, finding three out of five was pretty good progress. Hopefully this gives at least some lead toward the culprit.

First, the knight’s case from the third page.

The victim was in his early forties. A skilled swordsman, one of the Knight Order’s finest. The crime took place in an alley with few witnesses, sometime within the one-hour window between 6 and 7 PM. The victim had chased a purse-snatcher into the alley and vanished. An hour later, the worried victim of the theft reported it, prompting a search. Five minutes into the search, the body was found propped against a wall, with a deep gash carved into the throat. Investigators are treating it as either the work of the known serial killer, or a copycat.

"No witnesses likely with this one. Could just as easily be some random opportunist. I’ll set this aside for now."

Next, the article prominently featured on the front page. This one had gotten a much bigger spread; must have been someone fairly famous.

The victim was a figure well regarded even by the king himself, Lady Marie Eltrick of the Eltrick household. The crime occurred in the victim’s own bedroom, on the third floor. The only access points were the front door and a small window; there was no balcony, and the window, though open, was barely large enough for a small child to pass through, effectively leaving one usable entry point. The crime occurred within a short window between 2 and 3 AM. The victim had been reading a novel until 2 AM. A maid brought tea at her request around that time, confirming she was alive then. When the maid wasn’t called back within the hour to collect the tea set, she assumed her mistress had fallen asleep and entered on her own to clean up, only to discover the victim already dead, in an unrecognizable state. The only disturbance in the room was a broken window. Based on the wounds, this has been confirmed as the work of the known serial killer. Investigation is ongoing.

"...What does that even mean? If a call would bring the maid running, their rooms must be close by. And in the middle of the night, a scream should’ve been heard easily. No way she could’ve struggled or fled without anyone noticing. A silent spell? Cast without even an incantation? ...This might actually be a real clue."

And finally, the last article. The one behind Shiran being branded a ghost. For some reason, this one was oddly small, barely any information at all.

The victim was the son of a certain noble family. The crime occurred around 4:30 PM. Witnesses were the victim’s classmates, but their accounts were inconsistent, and the investigation has stalled.

"Inconsistent accounts? But that girl at the park had a pretty detailed memory of it. Maybe kids’ testimony just isn’t considered reliable enough? ...Not sure."

Alright, at least I’ve got a direction to work with now.

"Once I’m out of this mansion, guess I’ll head to the Eltrick residence. Maybe there’s still some evidence of the culprit left behind."

Bit by bit, a path forward was starting to take shape. But there wasn’t much time to investigate properly, and this whole thing risked turning into nothing more than playing detective. Thinking that brought out a sigh. That sigh slowly turned into a yawn, and as the sky began to brighten, I nodded off. Hours later, I finally woke to the sound of Selva’s voice announcing that breakfast was ready.