Chapter 202

【At this moment, another maid appeared behind Inorai, looking at the corpse in the spring and murmuring.】

【Her words also identified the deceased.】

【"Could you please explain the situation, Miss El-Melloi?"】

【A third figure appeared; it was Byron of the Izayoi family.】

【"That mercury maid looks like she killed Karina and then attempted to throw the body into the spring to destroy the evidence. Was she preparing to tie a heavy object to it?"】

【Byron was aggressive and unceremonious from the start, even directly defining the nature of the incident.】

Danic: "As expected, there is no better eyewitness than a Lord."

Illya: "This disgusting, limping old man, he must be the murderer!"

Waver: "Indeed, we previously thought that automaton was made by Aoko Aozaki, but we forgot that the Izayoi family is also proficient in doll-making."

Tokiomi Tohsaka: "Because she was the victim, we subconsciously overlooked it."

Rin Tohsaka: "But why? The Golden Princess is their family's masterpiece. Could they have cruelly killed her just because they knew she was going to escape, and then framed another Lord's family?"

Waver: "Indeed, this case looks premeditated, not a crime of passion."

Kayneth: "And that spy, Mique—the words he said before leaving, combined with the current situation, don't you find them intriguing?"

Shishigou Kairi: "This is a real headache. Now there are three suspects directly."

【Hearing Byron's words, Reines was already on the verge of exploding with rage. She couldn't be bothered to waste words on this guy and looked at Inorai: "I have my own Reverse Reverse Reverse Reverse Side of the story. For the sake of clarification, could you please release Trimau?"】

【Byron said loudly: "Is anyone stupid enough to hand a bomb to a murderer?"】

【Inorai did not move; her attitude was already clear.】

【Reines was at a dead end. Even if she told the truth about what just happened, this guy would just say she was spouting nonsense to escape guilt.】

【Byron pressed on step by step: "What's wrong, Miss El-Melloi? Have you accepted your fate?"】

【"Haha, you're joking."】

【Reines's pride had been completely shattered; she could only force a laugh.】

【Being plotted against and framed one after another, the case had no leads, as if she had fallen into a quagmire.】

【Everything that happened today was a huge blow to Reines's confidence.】

Kayneth: "Hmph, the Izayoi family, what a grand display of power."

Caules: "Turning their backs on people—it's perfectly embodied in this old man."

Rin Tohsaka: "Father, I'm increasingly feeling that this old man is the murderer."

Tokiomi Tohsaka: "Hmm, me too. This guy's reaction feels too eager, as if he's in a rush to define the nature of this case."

【"Seriously, what on earth are you doing?"】

【However, at this moment, a familiar figure appeared from a different direction than the one Inorai and the others had come from.】

【That's right, the Second finally arrived. He came just in time.】

Illya: "Yo, the protagonist has finally entered the stage."

Rin Tohsaka: "He arrived right on time, but why so late?"

Feng Xi: "It's not late. Don't forget that it took Reines and the others four or five hours to reach the Twin-Faced Tower."

Tokiomi Tohsaka: "Indeed, he probably rushed here without stopping."

【"... rother..."】

【Seeing the only person she could rely on finally arrive, the grievances Reines had accumulated were about to erupt.】

【However, the Second's perpetually grumpy face and his mouth, which was incapable of comforting anyone, directly dispelled her sadness.】

【The Second: "Seriously, you let things get into this state the moment I Matsuwanko Matsuwanko Take my eyes off you."】

【Reines quickly returned to her usual self and teased: "Regardless, you came really fast. Did you rush over in a panic for your cute little sister?"】

【"How could I leave your trouble to someone else? I asked Mr. Charles to substitute for the remaining lessons."】

【The Second complained: "Although I arrived at Windermere Station immediately via the West Coast Main Line, because this city itself is located within some kind of barrier, I couldn't ask the locals for directions. Thanks to that, I don't even know how dirty my shoes have gotten."】

【Reines: "You're just going to leave it to Gray to clean, right?"】

【The Second: "I want you to reflect on the trouble you've caused others."】

Rin Tohsaka: "These two start bickering as soon as they get together."

Caules: "He actually came by himself. Didn't the Izayoi family send anyone to pick him up?"

Fiore: "Idiot, just look at that old man's demeanor. He only wants to pin the crime on Reines as quickly as possible; why would he allow the Lord El-Melloi to intervene?"

【The small talk ended, and the Second's expression became solemn as he looked at Inorai.】

【"Leave this to me to handle, you don't mind, do you, Lady Baluleta?"】

【Inorai: "Oh, you dare say such things to me?"】

【The Second: "Of course I dare. Putting aside ability, as a Lord, I am your equal, am I not?"】

【"This case is now taken over by me, Lord El-Melloi II."】

【He looked quite tough and even a bit cool, as long as his legs weren't shaking.】

【After all, what he was doing now actually counted as a declaration of war.】

【"That won't do!"】

【Byron gave no face to the Second as a Lord and directly refused.】

【"Our suspicion of your sister has exceeded the limit. Even if this is a Lord's order, we cannot easily agree to transfer the leadership of the case."】

【However, he clearly thought too highly of his own status.】

Shishigou Kairi: "This old man has basically shown that he has something to hide."

Kayneth: "Hmph, he's just a fox borrowing a tiger's might, relying on the influence of the Baluleta faction."

Kayneth: "Even if the future El-Melloi has declined, he is still a Lord. How can a branch family head oppose a Lord's decision?"

Rin Tohsaka: "But if he really is the murderer, why would he kill his own family's Golden Princess?"

Shishigou Kairi: "Probably to hide something. The maid named Karina being killed was likely the same."

Tokiomi Tohsaka: "Indeed, that makes sense."

Waver: "But why frame Reines? Was it a spur-of-the-moment decision or was there another purpose..."

【"..."】

【Facing Byron, the Second did not have the bluster he showed Inorai. After staring at him for a moment, he said unceremoniously: "You have no intention of specifically hiding the Golden Princess's magecraft, do you?"】

【"You! What are you saying?"】

【Byron suddenly bristled like a cat.】

【The Second: "Sun Tower, Moon Tower, Golden Princess, Silver Princess—this is clearly comparing the magecraft of the sun and moon to gold and silver. Furthermore, the foundation of the magecraft seems to be centered on alchemy. Using the sun and moon as metaphors is a very common pattern, especially in Western alchemy."】

【"The original purpose of alchemy was to turn base metals into gold, regarded as the 'Great Work' to transform secular humans into beings comparable to gods. This means the ultimate beauty of the Golden Princess and Silver Princess is exactly that."】

【"But after seeing the Sun Tower and Moon Tower, I was filled with admiration. In actually forming the Golden Princess, what you did was introduce planetary motion into the human body."】

【"The correspondence between the Microcosmos and the Macrocosmos is the foundation of magecraft. However, even if someone could conceive of introducing this into their daily living space to make human life itself a planetary motion, very few would actually implement it."】

【"The sun and moon are the powers of heaven; diet and life are the powers of earth. Most of your eating and sleeping habits likely follow this cycle, just like the famous saying from the ancient Eastern country, 'medicine and food share the same source.' It is precisely what is ingested through the mouth that builds the human body."】

【"For example, Qin Shi Huang taking mercury in pursuit of immortality was not wrong in itself; it's just that if one does not simultaneously form a body like a planet, mercury becomes poison."】

【"You are very clear on this theory, letting diet and life, and even the environment, become one with your own body. Taking a Ley Line on this land as an example, you likely force yourselves to use footwork that introduces mana from the earth, such as the Yu-step of the Middle Kingdom or unique Tibetan techniques."】

【"In other words, the Golden Princess and Silver Princess could also become existences that should be called the incarnations of this land. Not to mention that your lineage has been accumulating such behavior for generations, so then..."】

【"Shut up!"】

【Byron finally couldn't help it and roared to stop the Second from continuing.】

【The Second's retaliation was indeed ruthless enough. Dismantling someone's ancestral magecraft to their face is equivalent to exposing their soul.】

【The magecraft patents held by various factions are the very privileges that can be called the lifeline of a magus.】

【At the same time, it also indirectly shows how fast the Second's brain turns, figuring out the magecraft structure of the Izayoi family so quickly.】

Gordes: "Good guy, don't tell me Lord El-Melloi has been eyeing their magecraft for a long time."

Kayneth: "How is that possible? Magecraft of the Izayoi's level is something we El-Melloi wouldn't even look at."

Gordes: "That's you. Don't forget that the future El-Melloi has already declined."

Kayneth: "Hmph, even if it has declined, the foundation still exists."

Tokiomi Tohsaka: "So, this was analyzed by Waver after he arrived here."

Tokiomi Tohsaka: "It's too terrifying. Lord El-Melloi II, the magecraft structure they painstakingly studied was analyzed by you in less than a moment."

The Second: "It's that they exposed too much themselves."

Iskandar: "But Emperor, you took mercury in pursuit of immortality—is there such a trick to it?"