A corpse.

Micah still couldn’t believe what she was looking at. Having already murdered someone herself in this world, she knew it wasn’t the sight itself that had her so stunned, but the implications of what the sight meant.

Someone other than Barnabel had been killed. The very thought turned her mind on its head, throwing every ounce of confidence she’d had coming in out the proverbial window.

Even among the panicking guests, all she could do was stare at the body, and the red pool slowly growing from beneath it.

“Micah?!” Meanwhile, Aurelia was equally shocked to find that Micah had vanished from her side, and whipped around in a panic while searching for her.

“My lady, are you harmed-” In moments, her bodyguard Stefan had appeared by her side and began checking her over for injuries, but she irritatedly smacked his hands away and ignored him.

“Micah?! MICAH!!”

“I-It’s alright, Bernadetta. Calm down. I’m sure Micah’s fine.”

“B-But-!” The nuns were also in distress, with Bernadetta hysterically calling for Micah while Henrietta tried to calm her. Josefine was uncharacteristically silent, staring at the body with wide eyes.

“Everyone, please be calm!” It was Altheon who came to his senses first and silenced the room with a clear, yet polite shout. “Everything is alright. Young miss Micah is in our company, unharmed, and will be returned to her family at once.”

Micah blinked, then opened her mouth to protest as he ushered her towards the table where the nuns sat.. “What? But what about-”

“Be at ease,” he responded. “The assassin would not dare to strike with the room in such a state. Go to your family and calm their nerves for now. We shall see about that villain another time.”

Though she wanted to insist on staying with them for their own safety, Micah couldn’t find an argument against his words. Reluctantly, she nodded and headed for the table, only to be encased in a tight hug by Bernadetta once she arrived.

“You idiot! What were you thinking?!” Aurelia rushed over there too, shouting. “Where in the world did you disappear to during the blackout?! My heart nearly stopped when I found you missing!”

“Ah, um…” Micah fumbled for an excuse from within Bernadetta’s embrace. “I… got so scared that I ran away in a panic. Somehow, I ended up with Lord Altheon and Lord Barnabel.” Even she knew her explanation was fishy, but it was all she could think up at that moment.

Luckily, Aurelia seemed to buy her excuse. “Hm… Very well. Still, you should know better than to go running off during a blackout! Don’t do anything so foolish again, understand?”

“Y-Yeah, I get it…”

“You better, because if you do something like that again, I’ll-... eh?” In the midst of her chastising, she noticed the body lying a ways away from them.Oddly enough though, her reaction wasn’t quite the same as everyone else’s. Her eyes widened in surprise momentarily, but quickly narrowed with suspicion moments later as she began to scan the room.

For Micah, the idea that someone other than Barnabel would be targeted had never even crossed her mind. And yet the sight of one of his butlers lying dead with a knife in his side in the middle of the room sent her mind spiraling in many directions.

Why did the killer choose to kill someone other than Barnabel? Why a butler? Are they still here? No, of course they were; she’d have heard if someone left the room during the blackout. Even now, [God’s Blessing] was still activated, ready to detect even the slightest mistake on the killer’s part that could give them away.

There were simply too many things to consider about the murder, and the chaos of the room wasn’t helping her get her thoughts under control.

“Everyone, may I please have your attention?” The one who cut through the hysteria was Leonard Reed, the military commander Irene had introduced to Micah earlier during the banquet. Speaking with an utterly calm stoicism, he says, “I ask that you all stay where you are and refrain from panicking. The killer is most likely still in the room.”

His words, which would normally have incited even further panic, produced the intended effect as everyone reclaimed their seats and quieted down, though their fearful expressions remained.

Reed walked over to the corpse and knelt down to inspect it. “...The knife punctured his lung, and it would seem he died rather quickly. The knife itself is straight and buried to the hilt. It seems the killer knew what they were doing and didn’t hesitate to use their full force to stab him.” he deduced. “However, because of the blackout, they couldn’t have known where, or who, they were attacking in that darkness. The most likely suspect in that case, would be whomever was closest to him before the blackout.” He turned, posing the question to the room.

However, the guests only glance at each other in confusion. No one could have been expected to remember the position of a random, forgettable butler during a banquet that had been in full swing.

“Can no one say they saw this man just before the blackout?”

“I truly cannot say. I believe that I remember seeing him, and I believe that I do not remember seeing him.”

“It is somewhat regrettable... I recall being served a cup of tea by this man upon my request. If only I’d had the mind to ask his name.”

“Aha! Did we not just hear a confession?! He interacted with the butler prior to the blackout!”

“D-Don’t be foolish! I did nothing of the sort! The events I spoke of occurred at least a full minute before then!”

“How suspicious... Are you sure it is as you say?”

“Of course! I ask that you refrain from making strange accusations towards me!”

“Bite your tongue! To speak so defensively, I’ve half a mind to say you really are the culprit.”

“Why you-!”

“Enough!” Barnabel’s voice ended the bickering before a full-on argument could break out. “I can scarcely believe my ears, that two honorable members of the nobility would behave so unprofessionally at a banquet.” The guests under his scrutinizing gaze all averted their eyes shamefully. “Commander Reed, the floor is yours. Please do as you wish.”

Reed offered his thanks through a brief nod, then turned to address back to the rest of the room.

“First, I must apologize to you all. As long as the killer remains among us, I cannot allow anyone here to leave. Therefore, all I can do is suggest that you all resume your festivities to the best of your ability and try to ignore what’s just happened. In the meantime, I will conduct my own investigation in the hopes of discovering the murderer’s identity.”

Micah hadn’t expected for a second that his suggestion would work. I mean, how could you ask someone to just pretend like someone hadn’t been killed just a few minutes ago, especially when their body’s lying a few feet away from you?

However, much to her and the nuns’ surprise, many of the guests didn’t seem to have nearly as much trouble returning to their conversations as she’d been expecting. Was it just discipline? Or were they really that jaded?

Shaking the thoughts away, Micah pondered what her next move should be. She watched Altheon and Barnabel as they did their best to calm down the more jittery guests who still hadn’t recovered from the shock as she went over the facts in her head.

Aside from them, she was the only other person in the room who knew that someone had been targeting Barnabel’s life. Did that mean the assassin killed someone else by mistake? It wasn’t unthinkable, but it raised a glaring question: Why did they fail? Was it because they couldn’t see him? If that was the case, then did that mean the blackout was a coincidence? Though it was an easy conclusion to make, she couldn’t help but feel like there was more to it than that.

Speaking of the blackout, it was extremely suspicious as well. Was it really a coincidence, or was it somehow orchestrated by the assassin? It would be worth confirming that with Irene, the Light Crystal expert, later.

And she would confirm it. As long as they were trapped in here with everyone else, the assassin was likely to make another attempt on Barnabel’s life. As one of the only ones privy to that information, she of course had to do what she could to stop them before they could make a second attempt.

As the room began to regain a fraction of its previous atmosphere, Micah suddenly stood up from the table.

“Micah?”

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” Bernadetta and Henrietta reacted immediately, the latter with a glare and the former with a look of concern. “Sit down, Micah. Just stay with us and don’t do anything unnecessary.”

Though she appreciated their concern, Micah waved them off with one hand. “It’s okay Mama, Auntie. I just want to talk to the commander. Don’t worry, I’m not scared at all.”

Bernadetta leaned forward. “That isn’t what she meant-”

“I’ll go with her then.”

Everyone turned to see that Aurelia had stood up as well. She bowed politely to Micah’s family before continuing. “If Stefan and I accompany her, he can protect the both of us. With that, there’s no need to worry anymore, right?” Bernadetta’s brows furrow, betraying her hesitation. “Miss Stronoff, was it? Please, I ask that you trust me. As a member of the Brightwind family, I assure you that I will keep your daughter safe.” She looked to Micah. “Besides, I’m also curious about a few things. Rather than sitting and waiting for another attack, I’ll also participate in the investigation too. You feel the same way, don’t you Micah?”

The group turned to Micah who, after a moment of stunned silence towards Aurelia’s support, nodded determinedly.

In the face of Micah’s resolution, Henrietta looked at them frustratedly, then suddenly sighed. “I swear, you two… Are you even kids…?” she muttered to herself.

Aurelia smiled smugly at what she clearly interpreted as praise, while Micah’s smile was more awkward as she laughed nervously from Henrietta’s unexpectedly accurate question. What none of them noticed, however, was Bernadetta staring wide-eyed at Micah after having heard what Henrietta said.

Th-There it is again… This-, this feeling about Micah… No matter how I look at it, she really isn’t a normal child. But if that’s the case, then… what exactly is she?

Suddenly, the words Madam Brunhilde had told her back when Micah was four years old resurfaced in her mind:

‘...If such a thing has been plaguing your heart for so long, then perhaps you ought to put it at ease, and ask her yourself one day. The child understands more than you think, Bernadetta.’

You knew all along, didn’t you Madam Brunhilde? That Micah was different. That there was something strange about her. I… I don’t think I can stay silent for much longer. At this rate, I… I might…

Oblivious to Bernadetta’s inner turmoil, the two girls took her silence as her relent along with Henrietta and made their way towards the body with Stefan following from a short distance behind.

“Commander Reed,” Aurelia greeted as they approached his side. “Micah and I would like to participate in the investigation.”

“No,” The man answered immediately. “Children have no place investigation a murder.”

Aurelia seemed unperturbed by his refusal, and instead persisted. “Hmph. Who do you think I am? I’m Aurelia Brightwind, one of the most recognizable names in all of the Circle. Don’t compare me to a commoner like Micah.”

“Hey!”

“As a practitioner of support magic, I may not be exposed to the dead very often, but I’ve seen more than my fair share of gruesome injuries. A simple stabbing is nothing compared to the wounds I’ve healed in the past.”

And I mean… I DID stab someone to death myself before, so…

But instead of voicing that thought aloud, Micah wisely nodded along with Aurelia’s words. “Yeah, I’m not scared either. More than that, I wanna catch the bad guy so my family won’t have to worry.”

“...” Reed looked at the both of them in silence for a while, then eventually reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Since when did the youth grow such a backbone? Maybe I’m just behind the times…”

In response to their expectant gazes, he finally relented. “Fine. You want to participate in the investigation, you said? Very well then. However, I still have a conscience, and I can’t simply let you do as you please around the crime scene. Instead, I’ll allow you to assist me in my investigation of the room and the corpse, on the condition that you don’t touch it.”

He crossed his arms and leveled a hard gaze at the both of them. “You’re to never leave my side or try to do anything on your own without my knowledge. If you find anything of note, you’re to report it to me immediately, and in return I’ll do the same. Finally, if you find yourselves in danger, you’re to run away as fast as possible. Do NOT under any circumstances try to engage the suspect. Understood?”

“Hmph. Very well then.” Aurelia reluctantly agreed, not at all happy with being treated like a child, unable to investigate on her own, but understanding that she likely wouldn’t get a better deal under these circumstances.

“Yes, sir!” Micah on the other hand agreed without too much trouble, happy to let the one with more experience handle the physical work while she kept an eye on Altheon and Barnabel.

“...Alright then. Have a look.” Having received both of their agreements to his terms, Reed nodded and returned to inspecting the body as the two girls peeked over his shoulders.

The butler was laying halfway between on his side and face-down, with a kitchen knife lodged to the hilt between his ribs. A grisly method of killing, but an extremely efficient one.

“The stab from the knife is what killed him.” she noted aloud.

“Wow, really?” Aurelia responded dryly. “You see, I wasn’t sure about that, so thanks for clarifying.”

“What I mean is, the killer only stabbed him a single time, and in a place that killed him no less. But how could they have known where to stab in the dark?”

“Oh, I think I see what you’re getting at… If we’re factoring out random chance, then perhaps they memorized the positioning beforehand? If they were right next to their target, it wouldn’t be impossible to remember where to stab in advance, would it?”

“An interesting theory, but that would only work if they knew the blackout was coming,” Reed cut in. “And even then, the amount of skill it would take to pull something like that off is almost unimaginable.”

“Well if the killer was an amateur, I doubt they’d have had the idea to hide amongst the crowd after committing the murder. And even if they did, they’d be a panicking mess and we’d have spotted them right away. As far as I could tell, everyone was fairly shocked by the scene. I didn’t notice anyone looking unreasonably suspicious or fidgety.” said Aurelia.

“I’ll admit, you make some good points. Though we shouldn’t rule anything out, the killer most likely isn’t an amateur.”

“I think so too.” Micah said. They were quite clearly dealing with a professional, of that she had no doubt. After all, there were a few more bits of information that proved it.

“An amateur or random killer would never be able to get into a party like this. With Barna-, er, Lord Barnabel’s guards and all of the servants managing things, it’s impossible that a commoner somehow snuck in and killed someone without getting caught.”

Aurelia nodded in agreement. “And about the blackout itself, Lady Irene lit up the room very shortly after it had gone dark, right? It couldn’t have lasted more than… ten seconds I’d say, give or take. That definitely isn’t enough time for someone to sneak in, murder someone, then escape, especially if they’re just some street knife.”

On that note, Micah hadn’t heard anyone leave in the first place during or after the blackout, so the notion wasn’t even worth considering.

Reed shut his eyes, joining in once again. “In other words, the killer couldn’t have been someone from the outside. Then that just leaves Lord Barnabel’s staff and the guests, who were already inside the banquet at the time of the blackout.”

“Plus there’s still the issue of just how they managed to kill someone in a single stab in total darkness. If the weapon is a kitchen knife, anyone could have gotten their hands on one during the banquet, but that mystery is still a bit tricky.” Aurelia added.

Micah gripped her chin in thought, weighing all of the different possibilities against each other.

Any of the nobles at the party could have a number of reasons for wanting Barnabel dead, but why would any of his staff want to kill him? And why send a threatening letter? Was their ultimate goal really to prevent the banquet from taking place?

“...”

All of a sudden, Micah found her thoughts drifting to the many crime shows and detective manga she’d seen back on Earth, and to one of her friends from so long ago.

...Mio really loved mystery stuff.

She found herself thinking about how her former classmate and close friend Mio would often check out mystery novels from the library and circle the name of the killer in the first chapter as a prank. The memory brought something of a bitter smile to her face as she suddenly found herself wishing her friend could be here to experience the murder-mystery situation she’d suddenly ended up in.

However, she quickly shook those thoughts away, knowing that they didn’t mean anything now since Mikasa was already dead. It was better to focus on the situation at hand rather than dwell on the unchangeable past.

While the questions she’d posed just now were all valid questions, that line of thinking ultimately brought her back to what was probably the toughest mystery of them all: With all of those factors taken into consideration, why had they killed someone other than Barnabel?

Unless the first murder was meant as a distraction to keep everyone’s eyes focused on a single point while they…

Micah’s eyes shot to Barnabel worriedly, but Altheon was already in the process of ordering all of the guards to stand no closer than five feet from the two of them. Thankfully, it seemed he had the same idea.

Turning back to the others, she mulled over it some more with a troubled expression before coming to a single conclusion.

“...Are they a mage?”

“Eh?” Aurelia looked at her in confusion. “A mage? Where did that come from?”

“No, I just-... I was thinking about possible reasons why the killer was able to stab someone so expertly in the dark, and that was one of the things that came to me. There’s a spell that gives you night vision, right? What if they used something like that during the blackout?”

Aurelia nodded, deep in thought. “I see... It’s a simple spell that even a beginner can learn, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think that that’s what happened. Being able to see in the dark would certainly explain a few things too, like how they knew where to stab and how they were able to blend in so well afterwards. And if they distanced themself from the victim after committing the murder, then the theory about the prime suspect being someone nearby doesn’t hold true anymore.”

Reed nodded along with her, but Micah merely pursed her lips. While the theory was a good one worth considering, it still didn’t explain why the killer chose to kill someone other than Barnabel. But unfortunately she just couldn’t figure that part out no matter how much she thought it over, so she decided to hold off on thinking about it until a few more clues were uncovered.

“A mage, huh… That would suggest they were behind the blackout,” Reed said. “If so, then it’s worth confirming with Lady Irene. The mana crystals that were illuminating the room seem to have failed, so she’d know the most about that.”

“And if the killer really is a mage… then the suspect list just got a whole lot narrower.” Aurelia added, glancing about the room. Micah followed her gaze as she elaborated.

“There are only five mages at this banquet. Jervil, the entertainer. Lady Irene. Commander Reed too. And of course Stefan and myself.”

Micah’s eyes widened slightly as she turned to Stefan, still standing stoically a short distance away. “Wait, you’re a mage too?”

He looked to Aurelia, who nodded for him to speak. “Yes, I am. All of Lady Aurelia’s bodyguards are trained in attack magic, for the purpose of working alongside her in situations where she is forced to fight an opponent. Even with just a single one of us, the combination of our attack magic and her support magic would make us a formidable team.”

Aurelia crossed her arms and smiled proudly. “Hmhm, good answer. That’s why I have no doubts that this killer won’t succeed if they make a second attack. With me and Stefan here, it’s only a matter of time until we find and defeat them.”

“But what about your alibi?” Micah asked. Aurelia gawked at her incredulously, but she ignored her and continued. “I was with Aurelia on the dance floor when the blackout happened, but where were you? Commander Reed too. If we’re going to do this investigation together, it’s better if we confirm our alibis right now.”

“Are you insane?” Aurelia snapped. “There’s no way my bodyguard would want to murder a random staff member, and neither would a respected military commander!”

“No, she’s right,” Reed interrupted. “We can’t rule anyone out here, especially now that we’re suspecting that a mage is involved. In my case, I was speaking with a few guests when the blackout occurred. I wasn’t near the butler that died, both before and after it happened. Those guests can attest to that.”

When everyone looked to Stefan, he nodded before speaking. “As for me, I had already finished serving food per Lady Aurelia’s instructions, and I had taken it upon myself to assist the staff in cleaning up dishes from other tables. I too was far from the victim both before and after the blackout. The staff members can attest.”

Reed nodded, looking to Micah. “And if Lady Aurelia was with you during the blackout, then all of us have rock solid alibis. In that case, it should be okay to assume that the killer is someone besides the four of us-”

“...Wait.” Everyone paused, turning to Aurelia as she fidgeted in place. “A-Actually… There is one person whose alibi can be considered suspicious.”

“What? Who?” Micah asked. Her eyes went wide as Aurelia turned to her, a mixture of fear and uncertainty on her face.

“You.”

“M-Me?”

“It’s true that you were with me right up until the blackout, but after it was over…” she paused, gaze flickering about. “You’d disappeared.”

…

…

...Well shit.

Micah had been so focused on preventing the killer from killing Barnabel that she hadn’t even realized just how suspicious her actions were during the blackout. It was honestly a miracle that they still weren’t aware of the fact that the killer had been targeting Barnabel’s life, or it would have made her sudden appearance next to the brothers even more suspicious, perhaps even damning.

For now though, she could at least talk her way out of suspicion using what they already knew. “Yeah, but I still wasn’t near the butler who died when Lady Irene lit up the room. Like I said before, I got so scared from the sudden darkness that I panicked and somehow ended up over by Lord Altheon and Lord Barnabel. It really was just a coincidence.”

“A coincidence…” Aurelia echoed. “Well, Lord Altheon did confirm that you were with them. More importantly, the angle of the stab wound is too high for either of us to comfortably reach, so… I suppose it’s safe to rule you out.”

Micah nodded slowly in response, unable to break her gaze away from Aurelia even as she turned to continue theorizing with Reed.

I can’t believe she was really suspecting me. Not just that, but she’s been really on the ball even in this kind of discussion, despite the fact that she’s the only actual child here. This kid is something else…

Reed sighed, interrupting her thoughts and gaining the attention of the entire group. “Well with that out of the way, it looks like the next task is clear. Those remaining mages need to be interrogated. The possibility that the killer is a mage is too likely to not consider, so their alibis need to be confirmed as well before we move on.”

“It’d also help to get Lady Irene’s take on how the blackout was caused in the first place,” Aurelia said. “If it has to do with the mana crystals in the room, she’d be the one to ask about it.”

The one that interests me more is Irene. If the killer really did tamper with the Light Crystals somehow, then naturally the prime suspect would be her. In that case…

“Okay, then how about we split up?” she offered suddenly. “Aurelia and I can talk to Lady Irene while you talk to Mister Jervil. We can meet back here when we’re done to share what we found out about each of them.”

“Absolutely not,” Reed answered immediately, leveling a glare her way. “What did I just say about doing things on your own?”

Oh, that’s right. I forgot about that.

She quickly searched her memory for the terms of Reed’s agreement to let them participate in the investigation, and it wasn’t long before she found a loophole.

“Ah, but you only said we couldn’t do stuff ‘without your knowledge’,” she responded, smiling innocently at him. “Which is why I’m telling you now.”

“More to the point,” Aurelia cut in, narrowing her eyes slightly at Micah before turning back to Reed. “The two of us have spoken to Lady Irene already this evening. Perhaps she’ll be more inclined to share what she knows with those that she’s familiar with. If she really is guilty, that is.”

Reed went silent as he contemplated the request. Ultimately, he came to an answer and sighed, then pointed to Irene. “Fine. Go talk to her and see what you can find out, both about the crystals and her own alibi. If something happens, call for me right away.”

His gaze focused on Aurelia. “Especially if the situation turns into a violent confrontation. I know you won’t go down without a fight Lady Aurelia, but I would rather not risk your safety, nor the safety of the general public. So promise me that you won’t engage the suspect.”

Aurelia, like before, looked unhappy to be forced to hold back, but eventually lowered her head in a slight bow of acceptance. “Yes. I promise I won’t do anything drastic if the suspect appears.”

“Good. I’ll go and interrogate Jervil. Report back here when you’re finished on your end.” he said. With one final nod, he headed off to speak to the entertainer, leaving Micah, Aurelia, and Stefan behind.

“Alright, let’s get going too. I’ve got a few theories I wanna confirm with Lady Irene.” Micah said before starting for the blonde noble.

However, Aurelia didn’t immediately follow. Only after a few steps did she begin to walk as well, falling into step with Micah as they make their way over.

“...I’m impressed with how well you contributed to that discussion,” she said after a short pause. “Can I ask where you were educated? You must’ve had a great tutor to possess a vocabulary like that at your age.”

Micah shrugged, putting a hand to her chin as she thought about how to best answer the question. “Hmm… I guess I just spent a lot of time reading growing up, and I always made sure to keep up with my studies. It was the only way I-” She suddenly paused as she realized what she was about to say.

It was the only way I could keep spending more time with Yuu. My parents would only let me help him with his schoolwork after I finished mine, so naturally I did the best I could. It was only natural I’d get high grades and test scores with how hard I worked.

“...Well, it was important to me.” she said instead. Aurelia nodded at her response, muttering out an ‘I see.’

Realizing that she might have gotten a bit too personal, Micah quickly opted to follow up with something more relevant to her time in Magi. “Oh, but in terms of direct tutors I had, my Big Sis taught me most of what I know.” She gestured over to the table where the nuns sat. Specifically, to Josefine, who was in the middle of telling a joke to Bernadetta and Henrietta in what seemed to be an attempt to cheer them up. However, her own expression was shaky, and as she told the punchline with trembling lips, she let out a strained chuckle to help carry it across. No one laughed with her.

It was only after realizing that she could hear the entire conversation that Micah realized she may have been keeping [God’s Blessing] on for too long. She turned it off with a sigh as the thought of how the situation may have been affecting the nineteen-year-old more than she cared to admit made her worry just a little more for her family.

“Your Big Sis, huh…” From her side, Aurelia’s spirits also seemed to fall a bit, but after letting the word simmer for a short while, she suddenly smiled and turned back to her. “She must be quite gifted for you to have turned out the way you did.”

“Yeah, you could say that.” Micah answered neutrally, returning the smile. Technically, most of what she learned from Josefine were things that she already knew, so she hadn’t really lied per say. Still, she chastised herself for almost slipping up and speaking about her experiences from Earth.

Suddenly, Aurelia’s lips pursed in a small pout as she stared flatly at Micah. “Well even so, aren’t you a bit too learned for a seven-year-old? I was honestly surprised to see you so engaged in a complex conversation like that.”

“Pfft, you’re one to talk.”

“Yes, but I received my education from some of the greatest tutors in the Circle. Kids like you should learn to enjoy life a bit more before delving into more complicated things.”

“...You mean you’re pissed that someone your age who isn’t even a noble is still on your level?”

Aurelia went silent for a while, but eventually muttered, “...I really do hate you.”

Micah let out a few chuckles, to Aurelia’s anger, but didn’t say anymore. The rest of the walk was silent between the two until they reached Irene, who was standing near one side of the room while in the process of examining a broken lamp.

“Lady Irene,” Aurelia greeted with a light bow. “I hope you weren’t too disturbed by this evening’s events.”

Irene glanced over at the sound of her voice, then returned the greeting with her signature bewitching smile. “Yes well, it has been a rather exciting night so far. Who would have thought someone would make use of the lack of windows in this room to commit murder? Yet another example of the importance of having proper Light Crystals.”

“What do you mean?” Micah inquired.

“Look here.” She directed their attention to the lamp she’d been inspecting. Specifically, the mana crystal that sat inside of it. “See this poorly-cut shape? This sloppy infusion? Clearly no crystal of mine. I’m almost offended to see Lord Barnabel flaunting my competition in my face.”

Both Micah and Aurelia found themselves at a loss for words in the face of Irene’s complaints, watching as her cheeks puffed in a pout that seemed unsuited for her elegant features.

“Only it’s strange,” she continued, eyes narrowing. “The last time I attended one of these gatherings, the Light Crystals in the lamps were those of my family’s creation. I checked them thoroughly, as I always do by habit whenever I’m around Light Crystals.”

“Eh? You mean the crystals were changed sometime between when you were last here and now?” Aurelia asked.

“That’s not all. These have clearly been tampered with. It’s a standard way of doing so that any mage who knows their mana crystals would recognize.”

She removed the crystal from the lamp, holding it up to show them. “It’s extremely difficult to tell just by looking, but the way the crystal is designed suggests it was altered from its original shape. From what I can tell, it seems like the purpose of the redesign was to decrease the maximum lifespan of the crystal.

“Decrease the lifespan?” Micah blinked, ideas flooding her mind just from that one statement.

“Yes. I already confirmed on my way in that the Light Crystals in the lamps outside of this room are my family’s. I would say our killer replaced all of the crystals in this particular room in advance, then waited for the moment the mana infused into them depleted during the night to make their move.”

“So the blackout was intentional after all. Then that just lends more credence to our theory that the killer is a mage.” Aurelia said, looking to Micah with a smile on her face.

“Ara, the killer is a mage?”

“Oops…!” Her eyes widened as she realized her mistake. But Irene’s expression only brightened as she continued.

“If you’re suspecting a mage… then does that mean you came here to interrogate me? How cold~ And here I was thinking we were allies, working together on this investigation.”

“Uh, th-that’s not what I-! I-I mean-!”

“Fufu~ I was only joking, Lady Aurelia. It’s only natural to suspect a mage in this situation. I’m not offended in the slightest.”

“I… I see. That’s good then…”

Irene put a finger to her lips in thought. “Now then, I’m assuming you’ll want my alibi? If you were both working with Commander Reed, then I suppose I should also assume you’ve already cleared each other’s alibis as well.”

“That’s right. I can’t say I suspect you as the killer Lady Irene, but there are certain suspicious facts that can’t be ignored.”

“Eh? Is that so? Then out of curiosity’s sake, what might these ‘suspicious facts’ be?”

“For starters, you were completely alone when the blackout ended, right? Not only that, you were the one who illuminated the room yourself. If you hadn’t, we’d likely still be in darkness unless someone else had come up with another solution.”

“Ah, I see. You’re saying that the situation seems to be set up so that I have complete control over the light in this room. And with my knowledge of Light Crystals, it’s almost too easy to name me as the prime suspect.”

Aurelia nodded, then held one finger up. “But that’s not all. It wasn’t something I found suspicious at the time, but looking back on things, it was rather odd…”

“Ara? Do tell.”

“It was just after the band began to play, and the guests began to move to the dance floor. I offered to have Stefan bring you a plate of food, but you declined my offer. After going off on your own, it wasn’t too long before the blackout occurred.”

“So that’s how it is~” Irene seemed almost too amused by Aurelia’s explanation. “So rather than the prime suspect, you’re trying to name me as an accomplice.”

“Am I wrong? If you have a rebuttal, I’d be happy to hear it.”

“Hmm… Sorry, but you’re completely wrong.”

“Eh?”

“First of all, if I was working with the killer, how would I know when to light up the room after the murder is committed? Rather, why would I light up the room at all? At the very least, it would have made more sense to wait for someone to ask me to do so first. After all, if I’d done it too quickly, I would risk revealing the killer before they’d finished with the murder.”

“W-Well, that’s true, but-”

“Furthermore, why would I agree to become complicit in the murder of a mere butler in the first place? Had the target been, say, Lord Barnabel or another noble, then perhaps you could make a case about me being an accomplice. But even in that circumstance, I still have no reason to want anyone here dead.”

“That’s… You-, you have a point there, but…”

Irene’s smile had somehow become oppressive, shutting down all of Aurelia’s attempts to retort. “Hmhm~ Then it seems my innocence has been cleared. Well, even if I was an accomplice, that would just mean I wouldn’t tell you the identity of the real killer. In any case, your primary goal should still be to search for that person.”

“I… I guess so.” With most of her options cut off, Aurelia could only reluctantly agree.

“Very good. In that case, I’ve told you all I know about the circumstances of the Light Crystals. Go ahead and report your findings to Commander Reed. I hope to hear of your success.” She waved them off with that same impenetrable smile, and Aurelia walked off with a feeling like she’d been thoroughly defeated somehow.

She was stopped when Irene suddenly spoke up once more. “Ah. Actually, there is one more thing I forgot to mention.”

“There was? What was it?”

The woman’s lips pursed, as if she were unsure of the answer herself. “Well, the truth is I wasn’t sure if it was worth mentioning or not, but I suppose I should just put it out there. Even though I told you the crystals were tampered with, the reason they went out and caused a blackout isn’t related to that.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“There are hairline fractures running along the body of each crystal. You remember that strange noise we all heard before everything went dark, yes? These fractures were likely caused by the same thing that produced that noise.”

“I see… So even though the crystals were tampered with, the actual cause of the blackout was a sudden fracturing of each crystal?”

Irene nodded, her usual smile returning. “So it would seem. Do with that what you will. I hope the rest of your investigation proves fruitful.”

“Yes, so do I. Thank you very much for your help, Lady Irene.”

Now with their business well and truly done with, Aurelia turned to ask Micah for her thoughts on what they’d learned.

“Eh? Micah?” Though she hadn’t realized during her conversation with Irene, Micah had moved off a ways and was currently deep in thought, looking slightly troubled. Aurelia approached her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. “What is it? Did you think of something?”

“...The killer tampered with the Light Crystals in advance,” was all she said.

“Yes, so it seems,” she answered, one brow raised as she regarded Micah’s steadily paling face.

“...Aurelia. The killer is someone who tampered with the Light Crystals in advance.”

“I-I know, you already said that. What’s your point?”

“...” Micah’s mind was racing a mile a minute as a horrible possibility planted itself into her brain. It was the moment she learned that the Light Crystals had been tampered with that she began to see that blocked off path to the question that had been plaguing her this whole time begin to clear, little by little.

Why did the killer kill someone other than Barnabel?

“...I need to check something. C’mon!”

“Ah, wai-!” In order to confirm her suspicions, she grabbed Aurelia by the wrist and pulled her along to where she was sure she’d find her answers.

“The... body? Commander Reed already examined it. What are you trying to do here?”

“...” Micah was so focused on the corpse before them that she hadn’t even heard Aurelia speak. Instead, she crouched down and began to investigate the body of the stabbed butler, slowly. From the side, Aurelia watched, brows furrowed but saying nothing more as Micah worked.

Nothing here… No, not here either… It’s got to be somewhere…

Minutes passed as she dug through his pockets, flipped him back and forth, and even checked inside of areas like his socks and pants.

Aurelia, understandably disgusted, glared at her from the side. “You… What the heck are you looking fo-”

*Shink!*

A sudden sharp noise cut her off, and she found herself going quiet in response to Micah’s own lack of a reaction. Moments passed in that silence until she heard Micah whisper, in utter disbelief,

“Oh my god.”

“W-What is it?” She couldn’t help the shakiness in her voice at Micah’s foreboding tone.

“Look…” She shifted out of the way to give Aurelia a good view of the man’s forearm, raised up by her hand. A thin blade, shimmering in the light Irene had cast onto the room, jutted out from his wrist.

“What… What am I looking at?” Aurelia said breathlessly as she leaned closer.

Micah’s answer was as hard as her stare. “...The killer.”

“Th-The killer?!” Aurelia echoed in disbelief, stumbling away and nearly bumping into Stefan, who moved to catch her and prevent her from falling.

“This… is a hidden blade. It looks like the blade of a knife was removed and concealed in his sleeve, then used with a mechanism to deploy it by tensing a certain muscle in his arm.”

It completely resembled a certain tool of the same name in a popular video game franchise from Earth. Based on Aurelia’s reaction, it seemed a device like that didn’t exist in Magi, or at least wasn’t common enough for a daughter of the Brightwind family to recognize it.

“A hidden blade… So it’s a tool used for covert assassination? But why does one of Barnabel’s butlers have something like that?”

The answer was so simple that Micah was almost angry that they hadn’t found such a crucial clue earlier. “This man- this… butler. He wasn’t just a victim in this incident. He was the killer all along.”

“I-I see, so that’s why you said that. And now that you mention it, a butler would be one of the few people that would have access to this dining hall before the banquet took place, so it’s likely that he was the one who tampered with the crystals. It… makes sense.”

It made a startling amount of sense. But not just for the points she’d already made. Micah didn’t say it aloud, but the revelation that the butler was the killer indirectly answered the question she’d been so stuck on since the investigation began.

Why did the killer kill someone other than Barnabel? Well, they didn’t.

The killer was killed before they could attack Barnabel in the first place.

Meaning there wasn’t just one killer at this banquet. There were two.

“But wait, if that’s the case then… why is he dead?” Aurelia seemed to have caught onto the main issue with Micah’s theory, and was quick to voice it. “The butler can’t be the killer, since he himself was killed by the actual killer. You do see the knife in his side, don’t you?”

Unfortunately, if Micah were to tell Aurelia the truth, it would raise the question of how she knew about the assassin targeting Barnabel’s life in the first place. And she highly doubted the girl would believe it if she said the brothers personally entrusted her to keep him safe, and that the whole reason she and her family were even invited to the banquet was to do just that.

So, she opted to just string her along instead. “...You’re right. Maybe it’s just a coincidence then. Anyway, whoever killed the butler is still hiding somewhere here, so we’ll have to find them. And I think I have a way to do that.”

“Eh? How so?”

“Just watch.” Ideas flooding her mind once more, Micah wasted no time in heading towards the area where Altheon and Barnabel sat. The guards surrounding them tensed and prepared to draw their weapons, but Altheon waved them off.

“She’s a child, you fools, as well as one of our honored VIPs. Surely you don’t believe someone like her poses a threat to our lives?”

Barnabel began to mutter something under his breath, but a single look from Altheon silenced him. Instead, he faced Micah as she squeezed through the line of guards and made her way to their table to sit down.

“Micah,” Altheon greeted cordially. “I noticed your participation in the investigation. Have you learned something of note regarding the attempt on Brother’s life?”

“Actually, I did.” she answered. Her eyes found Barnabel’s. “But first, let me ask you something. Do your butlers carry hidden blades on them?”

“Excuse me? Surely you jest,” the noble scoffed, offended. “Of course I wouldn’t arm my servants with blades. I have my guards for that.”

“I don’t just mean any regular sword or knife. I’m talking about a blade used for discreet assassinations. Deployable, and hidden on the wrist. You sure your servants don’t have anything like that?”

“What are you trying to imply?” Barnabel’s brows dropped, angling his offended glare towards her. It warped into fear a moment later when Micah returned the glare, reminding him of his place in their relationship. “...No. I assure you, none of my servants were ever instructed by me to bear a weapon of any sort in order to claim the life of another.”

“May I ask the reason for such a strange question?” Altheon said. “Surely you didn’t find something to that description on one of the servants?”

“Not just any servant. I found it on the corpse.”

“You WHAT!” Barnabel exclaimed in shock as he stood up, drawing stares. Altheon waved them off with a disarming smile and eased his brother back into his seat.

“I’m saying your butler, the one who was supposedly killed by the assassin, WAS the assassin,” Micah continued once the attention from the crowd left them. “Do you know what this means?”

“You mean aside from the fact that I cannot trust my staff any longer-”

“The assassin hid himself among the staff? Were we to be served a poison hidden in wine or simply approached by a servant to be stabbed, we likely would not have thought him suspicious until it was too late. Truly, a bold yet clever tactic.” Micah nodded along with Altheon’s words, ignoring the distressed Barnabel.

“It also means that there are two killers at this party. The person that murdered the butler is still hiding among the people here.”

“A second killer? And why in the world would they stay hidden after something like this?”

“Think, Brother,” Altheon said. “What would you do if you’d killed a man in cold blood, in a room full of armed guards and even a military commander? Even if your cause was just, an unnecessary misunderstanding would be quite troubling and perhaps even fatal in the worst case.”

“Hmph. I would say this whole investigation is even more troubling, especially if my life was never in danger from the start of it.”

“...” Micah stayed quiet, letting the two brothers come to their own conclusions based on the information she’d provided. For the sake of her plan to work, she needed them to follow this line of thinking without catching onto the fact that the second killer could never have known that the butler was targeting Barnabel’s life in the first place.

That was honestly the main reason why Micah was so suspicious of this so-called “just cause”. The murder of the butler felt just as premeditated as the assassination attempt, and she just couldn’t shake the feeling that something more was beneath the surface of these discoveries. That was why she needed a way to meet with the murderer face-to-face.

And so, she put her plan into action. “I have an idea for how to draw them out while avoiding violence. If you announce that you know they did a good thing by killing the assassin, they’re likely to reveal themselves willingly. If they really are a good person who was only trying to protect you, they shouldn’t have a problem coming clean as long as you ensure their safety.”

“A brilliant plan. As expected of someone of your nature.” Micah couldn’t tell what Altheon meant by ‘your nature’, but accepted the compliment for what it was. “Hopefully with that, this whole matter can be settled peacefully and the night can return to its former atmosphere, without the anxiety.”

“Hm, very well.” Barnabel let out a sigh and stood from his seat while holding his teacup and spoon. He did the same tapping motion as before.

“Excuse me, may I have everyone’s attention? I would like to inform you all of a matter of utmost importance.” He began to path towards the center of the room and, after exchanging glances, Micah and Altheon moved to follow him.

“Although it is regrettable and a tad embarrassing to admit, my life was thought to be in danger this evening. I had reason to believe an assassin planned to infiltrate this very banquet and slay me, but I’ve been informed that the assassin was the very man that lay dead just over there.”

A series of gasps travel through the crowd as Barnabel speaks, but he keeps going. “It would seem that I was saved by someone among you, and it is obvious now that this savior is hiding for fear of misunderstanding, happy to just have done their kindness and not suffer any misunderstood retribution. But now I see it for the truth that I was indeed protected.” He scans the crowd with a careful eye. “May I humbly ask the man or woman responsible for carrying out this act of heroism to reveal themselves? I would like to personally thank them for their good deed. I assure you that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, and that you won’t be held accountable for the crime.”

At first, the room was silent. No one said a word or made any attempt to come forward as the one Barnabel was addressing. And just when it seemed that no one would come forward…

“...It’s me. I am the one who killed the butler.”

“Ehh?! S-Stefan?!” Aurelia’s face was of absolute shock as her bodyguard stepped forward to present himself before Barnabel. “You…! What do you think you’re doing?!”

“So the killer was you?” Barnabel asked him, eyeing the man critically as he dipped his head into a respectful bow.

“Yes.”

“H-Hold on! Stefan, what in the world possessed you to lie like this?! Stand down at once!”

“...”

“Stefan, I am ORDERING you to-”

“One moment,” Commander Reed said, cutting her off as he moved to stand beside her, facing Stefan. “You already gave your alibi during our conversation earlier. Are you saying it was a lie?”

“...Not entirely.” Stefan answered. “It’s true that I helped the staff deliver more dishes to other tables. However, once the blackout began, I immediately worried for Lady Aurelia’s safety, as she was on the other side of the room from me, and activated Night Vision to locate her. I happened to notice the butler acting suspiciously, so I hurried to attack him before he could do harm to anyone, as I assumed Lady Aurelia would have ordered me to do were she in a position to. I undertook an unnecessary overstep in my duties as Lady Aurelia’s servant and bodyguard, and for that I deeply apologize.”

“S-Stefan…” Aurelia looked on in disbelief as Stefan concluded his confession.

“Hm, I see…” Barnabel mused. “In that case, you are more than forgiven. By killing that man, you saved not only my life, but the life of your mistress, as well as the lives of everyone else in attendance here. To that end, I would not say it was an unnecessary overstep. Surely everyone else here agrees, yes?”

A few moments of silence passed before the entire room suddenly filled with respectful applause from the guests, aimed towards Stefan. Aurelia obviously did not participate, and neither did Commander Reed.

And especially not Micah.

It’s just like I thought. After having been trapped in this room for so long with the investigation on their trail, the killer would likely take the first opportunity to escape, as long as it ensured that they wouldn't be incriminated. But for it to have been Aurelia’s bodyguard of all people? Something’s definitely fishy.

First of all, it seemed unlikely that Stefan was able to do all of that in the short time frame the blackout took place in. According to Aurelia, the blackout couldn’t have lasted more than ten seconds, give or take. And yet he claimed to have activated Night Vision, noticed the assassin’s movements, intercepted him to stab him with a knife, then retreated back to his original position to pretend as if nothing happened.

The only way he’d be able to react quickly enough to make it possible would be if he knew the blackout was coming…

Secondly, it was strange that Stefan had even decided to commit murder in the first place. If a dangerous situation occurred while Aurelia was around, wouldn’t it make more sense for a bodyguard to rush to her side first and foremost? Perhaps this was just Micah’s own misunderstanding in some way, but it seemed strange that after being plunged into a blackout, with screams everywhere and everyone panicking, a bodyguard with Night Vision wouldn’t use it to immediately head for the one he’s supposed to protect.

I mean, even I rushed for Altheon and Barnabel right after the blackout happened. I was there in almost an instant. Well, if I didn’t know that there was an assassin after Barnabel’s life, I probably would’ve gone to Mom and them first.

But the idea still stood. It was strange to not think of those closest to you first in a scenario like that.

However, that presented a problem of its own. If Stefan was indeed lying about his actions during the blackout, then what was he doing in actuality? And how would he have known the blackout was coming?

If the answer is something I can only guess at based on what I know… then the only thing that makes sense is…

Micah fell into deep thought, sifting through everything she’d learned in order to construct an answer. It took several moments, but eventually an idea came to her.

“...It’s a lie.”

“Eh?” Everyone turned to Micah, who’d spoken unconsciously once the realization dawned on her. Barnabel looked at her questioningly as the applause died down. “A lie… you say?”

Her gaze locked onto Stefan’s. “You… don’t even have Night Vision, do you?”

“...”

“You don’t, do you?” she repeated, stepping forward. “Everything you said about your actions in the dark was one big lie. You didn’t kill the butler in an act of heroism. You’re just a murderer!”

“M-Micah, what are you saying?!” Aurelia shouted, marching up to her to stand face-to-face. “Stefan isn’t a murderer! He… killed that butler as a part of his duty towards me!”

“You knew from the start though, right? That that guy doesn’t have Night Vision.”

“Th-That’s… well…” Her gaze faltered for a moment, before warping into a glare. “There’s… no way I could know for sure, is there?! He could have learned it without my knowledge!”

“...Then I’ll prove it.” Micah ignored the seething Aurelia and turned back to Stefan. “I’ll prove you don’t have Night Vision. That it’s impossible for you to see in the dark.”

“...May I ask how you plan to-”

“Lady Irene.”

“Roger~” Irene spoke with a playful tone from her position near the wall. “In that case, how about I dispel the Illumination I cast earlier? The room will go back to being pitch black if I do that.”

“That should work. When everything goes dark, I’ll give you ten seconds to tell me which action I’ve just performed. If you can’t tell me what I did, then your lie will be revealed. Does that sound fair?”

“...” Stefan was silent for a moment, but eventually bowed his head. “Yes. That sounds fair. I accept your terms.”

“Hey… Just what are you trying to do here?” Aurelia gripped her arm, asking quietly. The fire in her eyes had dimmed, and she looked more concerned than furious. In response, Micah simply smiled at her.

“Everything will be okay. Just trust me.” Her eyes traveled until they found a nearby table, with the thick guest manifest sitting on it. “Here, can you go stand by that table? I promise, I’ll explain everything after this is over.”

“...You better.” she replied before making her way over to where Micah had pointed.

At the same time, Micah walked in the opposite direction, until Aurelia and the table were a few meters away. “Okay, I’m ready. Go ahead, Lady Irene.”

With a nod, Irene waved her hand through the air, dispelling the light spread across the room and instantly returning it to the darkness of the blackout. Amidst the panicked voices of the guests, Micah remained perfectly calm as she put her plan into action.

1… 2… 3…

[God’s Blessing] was activated.

Immediately, she leapt forward.

4…

She felt the cloth of the table, indicating that she’d reached it.

5… 6… 7…

Her arms shot out right as she felt an impact.

8… 9… 10.

Light returned to the room once more as Irene cast Illumination once again.

And a series of screams filled the air.

“You… what…”

“...Gotcha.”

From her position in front of Aurelia, holding the large book up with both hands, Micah smirked at the stupefied Stefan as everyone marveled at the kitchen knife stabbed into the front of it.

“H-Huh?!” Barnabel looked just as shocked as everyone else in the room. “What-, what is that?! What happened?!”

“What happened? He just tried to kill her, that’s what happened.”

“Th-That’s impossible!” someone shouted from the crowd. “He’s standing all the way over there! How could he possibly have stabbed that book?”

“I don’t really know the details, but I came up with this little experiment in order to try and simulate what might’ve happened during the blackout.” Micah smiled, feeling quite proud that her gambit had paid off. “This guy, he can’t see in the dark. He couldn’t have caught the fast-moving assassin as he was moving to attack Lord Barnabel. He didn’t even try. No, he was targeting someone before the lights went out. He knew the blackout was coming and made sure to take note of both their position and his own, then attacked while using the darkness as cover. As for his target, well…”

“It was… me…?” Aurelia’s expression was hard to describe. It was too fearful to be called ‘shock’, and yet too heartbroken to be called ‘fear’. But as she gazed at the knife embedded into the book that would’ve gone right into her neck had Micah not put it in the way, the truth was impossible to deny.

“Hold on, that doesn’t…” Altheon was the one who stepped forward to question her, but it was clear by his tone that he meant no disrespect, and was speaking merely out of confusion. “Rather, I still don’t understand how it is he could have made an attack on Lady Aurelia when he claimed to have been on the other side of the room. Or was that also a lie?”

“It wasn’t a lie. It was just part of his trap. In order to create a situation where he could secure his own alibi, he attacked her using a spell from a distance.”

“But if he used a spell in that darkness, surely we would have seen it. Attack spells are hardly known for their diminutive natures,” said Barnabel.

“Yup, that’s why he used a spell that wouldn’t be seen in the dark.”

“A spell that-... Does such a spell exist?”

“I can’t say for sure.” Micah answered truthfully. “But you know, don’t you Aurelia?”

She turned to her friend, who’d been stunned silent the entire time. Judging by her expression, Micah could tell that she’d caught onto everything including what Micah had been trying to show her and everyone else. “Shadow… Stretch…”

“Shadow Stretch?”

“What’s a ‘Shadow Stretch’?” The guests voiced their confusion about the unfamiliar term.

Luckily, Commander Reed came to their aid with an explanation. “Shadow Stretch is an advanced spell that many mages find difficult to properly utilize,” he said, bringing the room’s attention to him. “I myself only know a handful for people that can say they’ve mastered it.”

“That… What does it do?” asked someone.

“It allows the caster to create an appendage made from shadows. The appendage is elastic, and the size and length can be manipulated by the caster.” He turned to Stefan. “It’s the perfect spell to be used when one wants to attack an opponent from a distance, with the dexterity of close-quarters.”

“Then it’s just like I thought,” Micah said. “He made note of Aurelia’s position on the dance floor before the lights went out, then used a spell to thrust a knife towards her from across the room. But there was something he couldn’t account for even with all of that pre-planning.”

Altheon’s gaze could only be described as ‘wide-eyed wonder’. “What was it?”

Micah grinned, holding up the stabbed book. “Well, just like this book… something got in the way.”

“Something…” Aurelia’s gaze traveled, and everyone followed it to the body of the butler lying in the center of the room, a single knife embedded in his side. “...Oh my gods.”

“No… no way!”

“It makes complete sense! Look, the angle of the knife even lines up with the dance floor!”

Micah’s pride was through the roof as the guests exploded with shock over her claims. She felt so much like a prodigious detective that she couldn’t help but push things a bit further. “Hehe. How about I go over the events of the crime from the beginning, to make sure everyone’s on the same page? And once I do, there won’t be anywhere left for you to run, Stefan!”

“...” Stefan, who’d been noticeably quiet, narrowed his eyes slightly as a bead of sweat ran down his cheek. The sight only served to spur Micah on further as she began to explain.

“From my understanding based on everything I learned in the investigation, this is what I think happened. During the banquet, the assassin intended to darken the room by causing a blackout in order to provide the cover they needed to kill Lord Barnabel and escape the manor. They tried to accomplish this by undertaking a series of events to create their setup.

“Firstly, the assassin wasn’t a noble, and so they couldn’t simply enter the banquet using their normal identity or they’d be suspected immediately. Instead, they probably killed and disguised themselves as one of Lord Barnabel’s butlers sometime in advance.

“Using the time they had while the staff prepared for the banquet, the assassin went around the dining hall tampering with all of the mana crystals powering the lamps, replacing them with crystals they’d also prepared in advance that were all nearly drained of mana. According to Lady Irene, the crystals were designed so that the mana infused into them would deplete entirely at a specific point during the banquet, which is when the assassin planned to make their move.

“Now, during the banquet itself, the assassin would have waited patiently for the crystals to deplete, then used the spell Night Vision to navigate the darkness, kill Lord Barnabel, and escape before anyone knew what was happening. However, what they weren’t expecting was the existence of the murderer; a second party that also had plans to commit an assassination of their own. The murderer’s plan involved a similar setup, and it was by sheer coincidence that they acted first.

“You see, Lady Irene also mentioned that despite the crystals being tampered with, the actual cause of the blackout was something else. Specifically, the crystals in the room all being fractured at the same time. So after positioning themselves at one end of the room, the murderer did just that, and prepared to cast a spell that would allow them to kill their target, Aurelia Brightwind, from a distance.

“At the same time, the assassin was likely very confused as to why the lights had gone out prematurely, as they probably weren’t in a proper position to act yet. However, seeing the opportunity for what it was, they quickly rushed for Barnabel, preparing to kill him with the hidden blade attached to their wrist. But on their way there, they inadvertently ended up right in the path of the murderer’s attack.

“As soon as they’d fractured the crystals, the murderer cast the spell Shadow Stretch, which allows the caster to create an elastic appendage made from shadows. I’m guessing the appendage is black in color, which would mean it’d be completely invisible when used in total darkness. That would explain why the murderer chose this particular method when planning their crime.

“From their position, which was probably chosen in advance to ensure that it wouldn’t hit anyone based on their positions before the blackout, the murderer thrusted the appendage towards Aurelia at such a specific speed and angle that it would kill her in a way that made it appear as if the killer had been right next to her when she was attacked. The idea behind their plan was to establish an alibi for themselves by creating a situation in which they, who were far away from Aurelia, couldn’t possibly have been the one to kill her, thus preventing them from falling under suspicion.

“But unfortunately for them, the assassin had run right into its path as the appendage was launched towards its target. Because of that, the assassin was stabbed at full force in his side, killing him near-instantly in a freak accident that ruined both of their plans at once.

“The murderer must have been extremely confused and panicked at the idea that they’d hit someone other than Aurelia, and when Lady Irene used Illumination to brighten the room, everyone was shocked to find the corpse of one of Barnabel’s butlers, including them. And because they’d failed to eliminate their true target, the murderer was forced to maintain their act and pretend to not know what was going on, returning to Aurelia’s side as everyone continued to freak out.

“At first, they probably planned to just lay low until they could find a chance to either escape or make a second attempt, but with Barnabel’s speech just now, they saw a way to get out of the situation scot-free. It was a gamble, whether they’d take the bait or not, but the anxious and the desperate just can’t afford to pass up an opportunity like that if it’s offered to them. And because of that, I was finally able to sniff you out.

“So you see, the real killer wasn’t a hero that killed with good intentions. Instead, they planned to kill Aurelia and ended up killing the assassin instead. And the one who did that... was you, Stefan the bodyguard!”

Micah ended her explanation by pointing her finger at Stefan and shouting in a loud voice.

“A-Amazing…”

“What a spectacular child…”

The guests seemed to be in awe of Micah, and she found herself reveling in the attention even more than before, smiling smugly as she crossed her arms.

That is, until she’d double-taken back to what someone had said. Particularly, the word ‘child’ that was mentioned.

Eh? Child? But I’m not…

Somehow, her gaze traveled to the table where the nuns sat. Henrietta, Josefine, and Bernadetta all had looks of absolute shock on their faces, all aimed at her.

That was when she realized her mistake.

God damn it! I got so caught up in solving the mystery that I totally blew my cover!

While panicking over her own stupidity and attempting to figure out a way to salvage the situation while somehow keeping her cover intact, a small voice spoke.

“...Not bad.”

The voice belonged to Stefan, whose head hung low, his eyes obscured by his bangs.

“To think I’d planned so much, waited so long for a time like this to come, only for it all to come crashing down in an instant… It’s so funny I could almost laugh.”

“S-Stefan…?” Aurelia eyes were tilted upwards as she spoke in a fearful tone.

Despite the fact that his face was completely devoid of humor, Stefan began to chuckle. “Ha, hahaha… No really, it’s actually hilarious. I mean, I even ended up killing someone else entirely. The plans, the preparations, the timing, the execution… In the end, was it all just one big joke? Well if that’s the case, I suppose that makes this the punchline… And the only fool who didn’t get it until the very end was me.”

“You… So have you decided to confess?” Commander Reed asked warily.

“Confess? Confess to what? Certainly not killing my target. Even after I’d done my part perfectly and made sure almost nothing could go wrong, something as moronic as luck stopped me. Luck!” It looked as though he’d suddenly start shouting, but instead his face fell, turning his smile into a rueful one. “...I guess someone like me is just destined to be a failure, no matter how hard he tries, hahaha.”

No one could muster a response to his bitter words, and the room fell into silence.

Silence that was eventually broken by the sharp words of Aurelia. “...Why.”

“Huh?”

“Why?” she repeated, marching to stand in front of him. “What was your motive? If you wanted me dead so badly you would go to these lengths, then surely you had a reason. You’ve served me faithfully for almost as long as I’ve been alive, Stefan. So why!”

“...Served you faithfully…? Ah, you really had no idea, did you. About how much I hated your existence.”

“E-Eh…?”

Stefan glared down at Aurelia with such intense eyes that she flinched involuntarily. “Lady Aurelia… I’ve hated you from the first day I met you. Every time I had to hear your voice or see your smile, I could only think of… of…” His head dipped down as he struggled to continue, but Micah had already caught onto what he was trying to say.

“Did you... know Wilhelmina Brightwind?” she asked, eyes wide.

“...Yes.” He answered solemnly. “I met her during the time she spent as a member of the Regalian Military. As a young practitioner of magic, I ran a small shop in Regalia with my parents. We sold potions and other magic items, and though it wasn’t much, we made a humble living. But one day we were robbed at knifepoint by some scoundrel in a hood, in broad daylight no less.” His fist clenched at the memory. “He… stabbed my mother. He stabbed her in the chest because she told him she would call the guards. I watched her lifeless body drop like a sack of rocks. My father cowered like a fool after that, urging the man to take what he pleased in exchange for our lives, but as I watched my mother’s blood run through the cracks in our floor, I decided that I wouldn’t simply sit there and let him do as he pleased. I thought to smash a potion bottle and deliver him the same fate he forced upon the woman who raised me, but someone entered the shop before I could.”

“My sister…” Aurelia breathed.

The bodyguard nodded. “It seemed like she intended to purchase a few items for herself and other magic users in her squadron, but she’d inadvertently walked in on the crime instead. But even so, she didn’t cower like my father. No, she leapt forward and tackled the man to the ground, disarming him. Can you believe it? A support mage, doing something so reckless! I’d never seen anything like it before.”

“And what’s your point?” a more impatient guest asked. “Surely you don’t mean to say you fell in love at first sight.”

“That’s exactly what happened.” Stefan replied, silencing them.

“I fell completely in love. The kind words she’d spoken to me as she gave her condolences over my loss made me fall so madly in love that I begged her to come again, and offered her a permanent discount on anything she wished to purchase. And yet, she declined, not willing to spend any less than the normal amount for someone who’d just lost an important family member. I fell further still.” His expression became more genuine as he recalled the pleasant memories.

“From there she occasionally visited the shop to buy supplies, and the two of us talked quite a bit. When she retired from the Regalian Military in order to become a Hero, I was there to congratulate her and send her off with a few of my best potions. When my father suddenly committed suicide, leaving me to run the shop alone, she was there to comfort me the very next day. Not that I needed it, of course; any love for the foolish coward had left me when my mother died. But I appreciated the sentiment and even put on a false act of grief so she would have reason to stay longer.

“I’d meant to confess to her several times over the years we knew each other, but was only able to build my courage on one fateful day.” The same bitter smile returned once more. “Which was, of course, the very day she went missing along with the other Legendary Heroes. I mean, why would it have been any other day? No, of course it had to be the one that would hurt me the most.”

A somber mood pervaded the dining hall as Stefan’s story began to take a darker turn. “An investigation was launched, and even I was questioned as a recurring point of contact for Wilhelmina. But unfortunately neither she nor any other members of her team were found, and over a decade passed with no news. The world had already started to forget about them, and after so much time even I admit to having lost hope. As I trudged through the dreary days that followed, wondering whether or not I should follow the way of my father and leave this world which had taken everything from me, I was suddenly given a new reason to live.”

He looked to his mistress. “That is, because Lady Aurelia was born.”

“...”

“As a service to my first love, I immediately offered myself to the Brightwind family as a caretaker for Lady Aurelia, abandoning my shop and the memories that were slowly killing me as each year without Wilhelmina went by. After a rigorous screening process, my magical talents allowed me to be chosen as one of her four personal butlers doubling as bodyguards. However, as time went on I found it harder and harder to look at my lady’s face, which grew to resemble the woman I loved more and more as she grew older. Eventually, I could no longer continue to serve her with a kind smile, as all I could think of was the woman whose existence she’d been birthed to replace. As much as I tried to help it, I started to see her as a living symbol that Wilhelmina would never return. And it… broke me.”

Despite her having no fault in the turn of events, shame was evident on Aurelia’s face. She looked like she wanted to speak, but could not find the words in time before Stefan continued.

“Even so, I served her while keeping these feelings to myself. I was lost, unsure of how to deal with them in a way that would make the guilt and anxiety plaguing me disappear. That is, until it was decided that Lady Aurelia would be attending Lord Barnabel's banquet in place of her other family that were too busy with other matters to go, and that she would only be taking a single bodyguard with her. Once I’d heard that, it was like a light had turned on inside of my head. The answer came to me, and I knew how to relieve myself of the negative feelings that were bottled up inside of me.” He smiled, speaking with an unsettling ease. “I simply need to get rid of the one causing them.”

His next movement was a blur, a fluid motion that Micah could only describe as a “quick cast” of some sort of earth spell, as three thick stalactite-looking objects were suddenly flying in her direction.

Or rather, as she realized a moment later, in Aurelia’s direction just past her.

But unlike the others in the room, Micah had much more time to react thanks to having [God’s Blessing] activated. With her enhanced reflexes, she realized what was going on much sooner than everyone else, and was thus able to form a counter-strategy.

Firstly, what she was about to do was going to give her a lot of explaining to do. And not just to the adults, but to her family, who were all still watching from their table with slack jaws. She definitely wasn’t looking forward to that.

But as far as she could tell, it was the only way to save Aurelia. Dodging wouldn’t be a problem with her speed, but Aurelia would be hit by the rock-spears if she did that. And it would take just enough time for both of them to get impaled if she tried to turn to tackle her or carry her away.

So instead of reacting defensively, she prepared to go on the offensive.

[Otherworldly Scarf]

[A scarf brought over from another world. Grants the wearer unique powers.]

[Ability - God’s Blessing Lv. 12]

[An Ability imbued into the scarf by [God]. The scarf grows through experience and the more it is used. After a set amount of experience is gained, this ability will level up.]

[Leveling up will increase its potential and capabilities.]

[Every ten levels, the wearer can select a new Ability.]

{Default Abilities}

[The wearer’s physical capabilities, reflexes, and senses are enhanced. These traits will increase further as [God’s Blessing] levels up.]

[The scarf acts as a translator, allowing the wearer to understand foreign languages, both verbally and visually.]

{Added Abilities}

[The scarf can be manipulated according to the wearer’s will. Its potential length, as well as its offensive and defensive power, will increase as [God’s Blessing] levels up.]

[The wearer can draw from a minuscule mana pool contained within the scarf. The size of the pool will increase as [God’s Blessing] levels up.]

[Unlocked at Lv. 20]

[Unlocked at Lv. 30]

[Unlocked at Lv. 40]

[Unlocked at Lv. 50]

According to the description of the first Added Ability she created to defeat Altheon, Barnabel, and Miriam, the scarf’s potential length and power increased with every level. At first Micah hadn’t really put much thought into that considering how hard it was to level up through sheer training alone. But now she knew there was a notable difference in how strong she could make the scarf and how far she could extend it.

And so, with precise timing she shot out her scarf ends towards the stalactites. Right now, she estimated that the scarf could become as strong as a human hand, but still lacked the proper power to hurt someone seriously. If the attack was made of really soft wood she could probably split it in two, but unfortunately rocks were a bit out of her league.

Instead, she used the scarf ends like hands and shoved the outer-two stalactites aside, turning them away to stab harmlessly into the wall somewhere behind them.

That only left the center one, which she admittedly didn’t know what to do with. The scarf ends were fast, but not fast enough to catch up to a spear flying in mid-air that had already passed by them. All she could rely on was her own power to deal with it.

So she braced herself, and clapped her hands together.

And stalactite stopped, right between her palms.

“Ugh…!” The momentum carried through her though, and she slid back until she collided with Aurelia behind her, knocking both of them to the ground. Still, the pointed rock clutched in her hands was proof that she had effectively stopped it.

As expected of course. After all, according to one of her Default Abilities, her own physical strength also increased with every level. As such, she was able to stop the rock-spear with her bare hands while preventing both her and Aurelia from being injured.

Speaking of Aurelia, the girl was currently looking over Micah’s shoulder at the rock-spear, then looked to Micah herself in shock. “You… You’re a-...?”

“Aagh!” Stefan’s shout interrupted her before she could finish speaking, and the two turned to see that the adults had sprung into action namely Commander Reed and Lady Irene. The latter had used some kind of quick-flash light spell to blind him, and the former moved with a swiftness that made Micah do a double-take even with [God’s Blessing] activated, and had the bodyguard in a nigh-instant chokehold.

Moments later, before the shock could wear off, Micah found herself surrounded by Barnabel’s guards, checking her and Aurelia over for injuries. She caught the eye of the brothers off to the side and shared a knowing look with them; that this was more for the sake of appearances than actual concern for her, a supposed demon taking the form of a child. Still, she couldn’t help but appreciate the sentiment a bit.

After all, Aurelia’s safety wasn’t quite so guaranteed as hers. “Are you okay, Aurelia?” she asked, looking over her shoulder.

The redhead didn’t look as if she was in any state to respond, but still managed to squeak out a small, ‘Yeah’.

“MICAH!” And it was only moments after that that Micah felt herself encased in a huge hug by a familiar pair of arms. Closing her eyes, she raised a tender hand to touch the forearm of her adopted mother reassuringly.

“I’m okay, Mama, I’m oka-” But as she turned around, it wasn’t Bernadetta holding her, but Josefine, with Henrietta right on her heels.

“Oh my gosh, that was super crazy epic! You never told us you were a mage!” Rather than the panicked concern she was expecting, her older sister seemed to be gushing over her exploits while squeezing the life out of her.

“For you to have that kind of intelligence… How much studying do you do in your spare time?” Henrietta seemed to be of sounder mind of the two, and yet was more concerned about her climactic exposure of Stefan’s crimes. “That was just… unreal. Were you hiding it from us all this time?”

“Uh, th-that was…” Whilst she tried to think of an excuse, her eyes searched for Bernadetta the only one who hadn’t come. She found her, still sitting at the table with her head lowered.

She couldn’t see her mother’s face, but somehow her expression looked… defeated.

Meanwhile, the guests had exploded into a cacophony of noise, chattering about what just happened. Micah could hear conversations about her speech, Stefan’s attack and subsequent takedown, and even bits about her own feat of stopping the rock-spears.

She looked to Stefan, who was now being restrained and arrested by Barnabel’s guards, and finally she started to feel as if the situation was dying down. Her eyes stayed on them as they walked him towards the entrance.

And in the process, right past her and Aurelia.

The two of them watched as he gazed down on them with a kind smile. But Micah could see the emptiness in his eyes that told her that those negative feelings he’d mentioned were still swirling about inside of him, perhaps even stronger than before.

“Hahaha. Looks like I failed again. Oh well, it isn’t as if I expected to succeed anyway. My life has been one failure after the next, after all.”

“S-Stefan,” Aurelia stepped forward, still looking as if she wanted to say something. “I…”

“Please, don’t say any more Lady Aurelia.” His smile softened. “Just because I hate you for replacing Wilhelmina does not mean you that should blame yourself. No matter what anyone tells you, your existence is your own. I hope that, one day, you will come to understand that, even if it is no longer possible for me.”

“Stefan… You were like family to me… Why… why did it have to turn out like this…”

“Because I’m broken, my lady.” he answered. “Broken beyond repair. And like any broken object, you will only be hurt if you continue to use it. Because I am broken, it was only a matter of time until I was disposed of.”

Aurelia’s face twisted into a scowl. “Enough with that! You’re… you’re not broken. You’re just an idiot. For keeping all of those feelings to yourself. For not trusting me. You’re the biggest idiot in the entire world!” Her face fell, obscuring her eyes as her teeth ground together. “And me too... Because I never noticed how you felt. How much I was hurting you without realizing it. I’m the biggest idiot in the world too...”

Stefan watched her shoulders heave slightly, and Micah could hear her quiet sobs even if the rest of the room couldn’t. It hadn’t occurred to her just how close the two of them had been until that moment, and she found herself not knowing what to do. The guards escorting Stefan seemed to be in the same boat too.

Eventually, it was Stefan who broke the silence. “...I apologize, Lady Aurelia. But I am broken. I feel no remorse for having tried to kill you, and no pity for having caused you such pain. My only desire now is to be disposed of, like any broken object-”

“No!” Aurelia’s shout caught the entire room off-guard, and everyone turned to see her clenching her fists tightly. “I won’t allow it. After having told me all of this, all of what you’ve been feeling, I won’t let you take the easy way out, knowing it would destroy me. Just because you couldn’t do it physically, you’ll settle for any way you can? As if I’d allow something like that.”

Her gaze shot up, and she sent him a hateful glare. “You’re going back with me to Regalia, alive. And you’re going to get the help you need, even if you don’t want it.”

“My lady…?”

“Everyone please,” she started as she suddenly turned to address the room and bowed deeply. “On behalf of the Brightwind family, I ask that you keep this evening’s events to yourself. Please just remember tonight as a normal banquet, and let me deal with my bodyguard. I sincerely apologize for his actions, and will reimburse all of you in exchange for this request. So please!”

The other guests looked confused, glancing at each other as if waiting to see what the general consensus would be.

The answer came from an unexpected (or perhaps not) place. “Ara~ What’s there to apologize for? I had a blast tonight.”

Irene’s voice brought everyone’s attention to her, smiling with that same mysterious smile that Micah had come to find some slight comfort in. “I was honestly expecting this evening to be like any other banquet I’d attended, but to think Lord Barnabel would organize a murder-mystery event with our very own Lady Aurelia!”

““Eh?”” Both Aurelia and Barnabel exchanged glances.

“...Yes, it was quite a surprise.” Commander Reed stepped forward. “I haven’t had a chance to challenge my mind like this in a long time. Rather than an apology, I’m thankful for the effort the both of you went through to set this up.”

“Yes, and it gave everyone else a chance to enjoy a good show. Isn’t that right, everyone~?” Irene posed the question to the room, prompting a slow, but generally agreeable response.

“I… suppose it was rather exciting, was it not?”

“Yes yes, indeed. Despite the fear, I can’t say I wasn’t on the edge of my seat at times!”

“And no one was really hurt in the end…”

“Let it be then. Just a show, from start to end. And what a marvelous performance it was.”

“...Very well,” Barnabel finally spoke. “I suppose I’ll take the chance to salvage this dreadful evening if it offers itself to me. I’m glad to hear you all enjoyed yourselves at the very least. However, I cannot promise that the next banquet will be quite as… exciting.”

Somehow, the room seemed to come to an agreement that the matter should be settled quietly, and at Aurelia’s discretion. Micah was grateful too, since it meant that word of the things she’d done at the banquet wouldn’t spread like she’d feared.

As Aurelia earnestly thanked everyone and Stefan stared on in silence, Micah let out a small sigh, full of both relief and exhaustion, and deactivated [God’s Blessing].

Looks like it’s over… Man, what a night.

-----

“Fuaaaa~ So tired~” Josefine raised her arms high above her head and yawned loudly as the group entered the front doors of the church. Trailing behind her was Henrietta and Bernadetta, with Micah in the back.

“Had a good night, did we?” Brunhilde said as she continued sweeping the chapel floor. It seemed that the old nun had stayed up to wait for them, which Micah found to be a heartwarming gesture.

“Yup! You bet,” Josefine answered cheerfully. “It was super exciting! I mean, it was fun at first, then things turned scary for a while, but then it was AWESOME by the end! You really should’ve gone, Madam Brunhilde!”

“I wouldn’t go that far. So many things could’ve gone wrong, it’s a miracle that everything went smoothly.” Henrietta kept her meaning vague as she responded, which Micah also appreciated.

“Oh-ho. And what of the mother-daughter duo? How did you find this evening’s events?”

“I had fun!” Micah answered with a big smile. She noted the looks from both Henrietta and Josefine, and cringed a bit when she remembered that they knew she was wiser than her age suggested.

I’ll have to fill Brunhilde in on that later, so she knows not to reveal more than they know about me.

Micah felt a yawn rise from within, and covered her mouth with her hand to stifle it. It really had been quite the night. She’d expected a fight, being aware of the assassin’s intent to target Barnabel from the start, but she certainly hadn't expected to be thrust into a sudden murder mystery. And the developments concerning Aurelia and her bodyguard… left her with some complicated feelings.

On the subject of those two, she hadn’t actually had much time to say goodbye to her new friend. Aurelia had been eager to return to Regalia and had a coach prepared almost right away to transport herself and Stefan. Micah had barely managed to catch her as she gave the order to the driver, and all she got from the girl was, ‘Thank you… for everything.’ before the carriage rode off.

So much for that then. It didn’t seem likely that she’d meet Aurelia again for a long, long time, if at all. But she understood that the redhead likely felt that she had a lot of work to do, and didn’t kick up a fuss about it.

As for Stefan, well… all she could really say was that she hoped he would find a way to atone for everything. She couldn’t help but sympathize with his plight once he’d mentioned his coward of a father. It reminded her of her own older brother, who abandoned her to save himself during an earthquake when she was only a child. That feeling of losing faith in one you call “family” was so familiar that she wondered if she’d have turned out like the bodyguard had she not decided to forgive Kou.

To have your reason to live ripped away from you over and over… Micah couldn’t imagine what it felt like. For her, Yuu was her biggest reason to live, but she’d also come to love the nuns as her second family. She could confidently say that they were her “reasons to live”. So the idea of losing them, one after the next…

She would rather die.

“...I’m going to bed.” Bernadetta hadn’t answered Brunhilde’s question, and instead pushed past everyone to head for her bedroom. “Good night everyone.”

“Huh? Miss Bernadetta?”

“Mama...?”

Both Josefine and Micah watched her retreating form worriedly, but Henrietta waved them off. “Just give her some space. She’s never really been good with… that kind of thing. Tonight’s probably affected her more than she let on.”

That kind of thing… Oh, she must mean death.

It’s true that Bernadetta seemed to be rather squeamish, and didn’t respond well when exposed to death. But Micah couldn’t help but wonder if that’s all there really was to it.

...I’m probably overthinking it. There’s no other explanation anyway.

“Then on that note, I believe it’s about time the rest of you went to bed as well.” Brunhilde said as she put the broom away. “I’ll hear the details tomorrow over breakfast.”

“Good night!”

“Yeah, night everyone.”

“Good night Auntie, Big Sis, Grammy.”

With goodbyes exchanged, the group dispersed into their separate rooms. As she undressed and climbed into bed with Bernadetta, who was facing away from her, Micah could feel her irregular breathing and knew that she was still awake.

She reached over to wrap her arms around her mother’s waist, offering some small comfort.

“Good night, Mama.”

Bernadetta tensed in response and said nothing.

-----

A serene glow falls from the stained glass ceiling, blanketing the large room below in a colorful, shimmering hue. The light rays twinkle off of various gold ornaments and statuettes. Tables were packed with goblets encrusted with gems. Saucers held enough fresh crop for several dozen families. Fetishes crafted from expert metallurgists all depicting a similar woman's visage stare inwardly, silently.

In the center surrounded by it all, a dark-skinned man clad in an ashen-grey hood knelt before a lavish couch, where a dainty hand dangles lazily off its side. An acolyte dawned in pious white robes was knelt at the lounge’s end, meticulously toiling at the nails of feet that knew no labor.

“So how was it? Were you successful?” The drab tone of a woman’s voice emerged from full lips, smiling with satisfaction. Her voice seemed to harmonize with the gentle strums of the harpist playing off to the side.

“Only partially, my lady,” the man answered, keeping the front of his hood pointed to the floor.

“Partially? Do tell.”

“I was able to confirm the identity of the one you referred to as ‘X’,” he explained. “I am certain X is the child of Bernadetta Stronoff.”

The smile fell, replaced with a pout that had the men around her blushing. “Child? The old man’s daughter has a child? As I recall, she’s infertile.”

“About that, my lady. I investigated a bit and discovered that a child had been left at the doorstep of the Church of Nor seven years ago. Bernadetta Stronoff adopted the child and has been raising her ever since.”

Her mouth fell again, into a frown that had them paling. “And WHY wasn’t I notified of this sooner?”

“It would seem Altheon and Barnabel withheld it. As the only contacts we have in Halloway, our information flow was severed once the two of them encountered X.”

“I see… Hm…” A slender finger raised to her lips as the woman went silent for a moment, then eventually let out a small sigh as it instead went for a nearby wine glass. “I suppose it can’t be helped then. I will have more contacts sent to Halloway soon. For now, tell me about this... child. She is the one behind the rumors of a so-called ‘anonymous individual’ within Halloway’s walls?”

“Yes, it is so. Her name is Micah Stronoff, and she is currently seven years of age. No notable physical characteristics, however I did discover that she has never been seen without a scarf around her neck. She apparently wears it wherever she goes, and is rather famously known for it among the townsfolk.”

“A scarf? Why would I care about something like that?”

“Apologies, my lady. I merely thought it something of note. I have also confirmed that she is indeed a mage, or at the very least possesses an Ability that allowed her to stop airborne projectiles made of solid-rock with her bare hands. She also displayed the ability to move her scarf as if it had a mind of its own. She also moved with a swiftness that could only be accomplished by a mage.”

“Interesting… Would that be an Ability? Or perhaps Telekinesis… If she is as I suspect, a powerful spell such as that would not be beyond the realm of possibility. Continue.”

“Yes. In addition to her physical capabilities, she also appears to possess a mind well beyond the development of a child her age. When presented with a complicated murder scenario involving the assassin you sent, she not only deduced the assassin’s true identity, but revealed the presence of a second killer and single-handedly unraveled their plan.”

“I suppose that would explain why Altheon and Barnabel were so intimidated. A child only seven years of age with intelligence rivaling that of adults, and also possessing magic? Just the thought of it is quite frightening.”

“So then, my lady. By having an assassin sent to those traitors along with a threatening letter, you were successful in forcing them to call upon X for protection, and by having me infiltrate the banquet in secret, you were able to confirm X’s identity. Setting aside my reprehensible failure to eliminate her and the unexpected events leading to the assassin’s death, all has gone as you said it would.”

“Please, think nothing of your failure. In fact, I’m rather glad to hear that X wasn’t killed, knowing what I do about her now.”

“My lady?”

“Yes… Micah Stronoff, was it? As much as I would love to make an example out of her, I simply have too much to deal with here in Regalia. And after recent events, it will be difficult to act in Halloway without arousing further suspicion. In that case, perhaps I should make things easier and kill two birds with one stone...”

“Whatever it is you wish, I will carry out your will.”

“I know. Keep watch on the girl for now. Notify me of any suspicious movements she makes.” A calculated smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I have many preparations to make.”