The Legendary Method Actor

They moved swiftly through the tense ballroom, making their way to a private alcove near the grand staircase.

Inside, the atmosphere was thick with grief. Lady Jane Starr sat on a velvet settee, her face pale and her eyes rimmed with red. Dylan and his two younger sisters were clustered around her, their expressions a mix of shock and devastation. It was clear she had just broken the news to them.

As the group entered, Lady Jane took a shuddering breath, forcing herself to sit up straight, maintaining the composure expected of a Matriarch.

"Lord Croft. Please tell me you have made progress. Have you found the monster who did this to Warren?"

Lady Jane said, her voice trembling slightly.

"I have a prime suspect, Lady Jane. But I do not have the hard proof required to connect this suspect to the murder yet. I need a little more time."

Ray said gently, bowing his head in respect to her grief.

Headmaster Andrade stepped forward.

"My Lady, the guests are becoming restless and hostile. We cannot contain them much longer with vague excuses. I am requesting your permission to announce the murder to the gala. We must officially lock the manor down to aid Novice Croft's investigation."

Lady Jane looked out past the alcove's curtains, staring at the ruined celebration. It was supposed to be a night of joy and celebration for her family and the academy. Now, it was a crime scene.

She turned her gaze back to Ray, seeing the quiet, unyielding determination in his eyes. She understood that holding onto appearances would only allow her oldest friend's killer to slip away.

Lady Jane closed her eyes and gave a heavy, definitive nod.

"Do it…Tell them."

She whispered.

The group returned to the ballroom, leaving the heavy grief of the alcove behind them. Headmaster Andrade didn't hesitate. She marched straight up to the orchestra stage, her presence alone causing the musicians to falter before she raised a hand to halt them completely.

She stepped up to the brass stand holding the voice-amplifying crystal and gave it a sharp tap. A low, resonant hum echoed through the massive hall, instantly drawing the attention of every guest.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please.”

Andrade's voice boomed, amplified perfectly across the sprawling ballroom.

"An unfortunate and severe event has occurred within the manor tonight. To protect the integrity of the investigation, the estate is officially under lockdown. No one is permitted to leave until they have been cleared. I ask for your patience and your cooperation so we may conclude this swiftly and allow you all to return home."

A tense murmur rippled through the crowd. Near the front, an older noble with a silver cane stepped forward, his tone laced with nervous authority.

"What kind of event, Headmaster?"

The old noble called.

"You cannot simply lock us inside without a proper explanation."

Andrade looked down at the crowd, her expression completely unyielding.

"A murder has taken place within the estate walls. Mr. Warren Ramada, the Head Butler of House Starr, has been killed. "

A collective gasp swept through the ballroom. Feathered fans stopped fluttering. The silence that followed was sharp, brittle, and laced with sudden fear.

"A terrible tragedy, to be sure, but what does a murder in the manor staff have to do with us? We have been celebrating in the ballroom all night. Surely we should be evacuated for our own safety."

A female noble voice spoke up, a matriarch from a minor house, her tone defensive and laced with aristocratic dismissal.

"No one is being evacuated, because the culprit has not yet been apprehended. They are still within the perimeter of this estate. Until we have concluded our initial investigation and verified everyone's whereabouts, the lockdown stands."

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Andrade explained, her amplified voice cutting cleanly through the rising panic.

Instantly, the same arrogant noble who had been shouting at the guards earlier pushed his way to the front of the crowd, his face purple with indignation.

"This is preposterous! I have been in this ballroom the entire evening. It is blatantly obvious I have nothing to do with this! I demand you clear me and allow me to leave immediately!"

The noble yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at the stage.

Andrade didn't argue. She didn't even blink. She simply pointed a rigid finger at the shouting man.

"Detain him. Add him to the top of the suspect list, and charge him for obstruction of an official investigation."

Andrade ordered coldly.

Two heavily armored guards immediately seized the protesting noble by the arms, silencing his shouts as they practically dragged him out of the ballroom. A second, much louder gasp rippled through the crowd, followed by an absolute, terrified silence.

Andrade swept her gaze over the sea of pale faces.

"Does anyone else want to leave?"

Not a single soul spoke.

"Excellent. Thank you for your cooperation. Please continue and enjoy the gala."

Andrade said smoothly.

She nodded to the conductor. The orchestra frantically resumed playing, though the lively waltz now felt profoundly out of place against the backdrop of terror.

Andrade stepped down from the stage and walked over to Ray.

"You have your lockdown, Lord Croft. What is next?"

Ray quickly consulted his internal committee in the Ambient Presence of his mind. The Scheming Courtier and The Gritty Detective rapidly formulated a logistical framework.

Detective: "Do the math, kid. We have nearly three hundred guests and staff trapped in this manor, and less than four hours before your temporary jurisdiction is over. If you interview them one by one, dawn will break before you even reach a third of the total people that need to be interviewed."

Courtier: "Furthermore, you are dealing with panicked, inconvenienced nobles. If you give them an open floor, they will waste precious minutes complaining about the temperature of the room or how the guards offended them. You must aggressively control the flow of the conversation."

Detective: "We need an assembly line. Standardize the interrogation. Name, exact location during the murder window, and one specific observation. Three questions. Hard stop. Anyone who hesitates gets put in a separate pile."

Courtier: "And we must divide the labor. Delegate the bulk of the crowd to your allies. We only need to personally interrogate the liars, the staff, and the outliers."

Ray blinked, pulling himself out of the Ambient Presence and refocusing on the Headmaster waiting for his answer.

"We split into three teams. We stick to a strict, standardized three-question format to burn through the crowd efficiently and prevent the guests from wasting our time."

Ray said that he laid out his plan.

"I will take the first team."

Andrade volunteered.

"I will take the second."

Svane said as he crossed his arms.

A senior guard under Master Alvon standing nearby stepped forward and saluted.

"Sergeant Thomas, My Lady. Silver Aegis. If I may, I would like to assist captain Svane. We used to serve together."

Ray looked at Svane, who gave a brief, approving nod.

"Granted."

Ray said.

"Rina and I will take the third team."

Before they could finalize the strategy, Master Alvon stepped into the circle, his expression sour.

"I will be joining Team Three. I am going to observe your interviews, Lord Croft. Personally."

Ray didn't want to waste precious time arguing over the man's bruised ego.

"Fine. Let's get to work."

Andrade turned on her heel and marched back to the orchestra stage, tapping the voice-amplifying crystal once more. The low hum instantly silenced the nervous whispers in the ballroom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning the interview process. You will be divided into three groups. When called, you will be asked three standardized questions. You are to answer them clearly, truthfully, and concisely. Do not deviate, do not complain, and do not waste our time."

Andrade’s voice boomed, leaving no room for argument.

"Are there any objections?"

She said as she swept her gaze across the sea of pale faces.

Remembering the swift, humiliating fate of the noble who had been dragged away just minutes prior, the crowd offered absolutely no protests. The threat of being added to the suspect list and charged with 'obstruction of an official investigation' hung heavily in the air, transforming the usually haughty, demanding aristocrats into a remarkably obedient flock. They simply nodded in silent compliance.

"Excellent! Guards, divide the room."

Andrade commanded.

The heavily armored guards immediately waded into the crowd, their voices barking crisp orders as they efficiently herded the nobles and manor staff into three distinct queues.

With the crowd organized, the three interrogation teams split up to cover ground. Headmaster Andrade took the first line, directing them toward the manor's grand library. Svane and Sergeant Thomas guided the second line toward a spacious parlor down the east corridor.

Meanwhile, Ray, Rina, and Master Alvon walked past the third line and commandeered a nearby quiet room just off the main hall.

As the door clicked shut, Alvon leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

"Alright boy…who gets to ask the questions?"

Alvon said, his tone dripping with annoyed condescension.

Ray stopped arranging the desk. He looked up, his golden eyes locking onto the Academy Head of Security with a flat, emotionless stare.

"Since you are just observing, Master Alvon, then just observe."

Ray said evenly.

"I will ask the questions. If you feel the urge to talk... try to make that feeling go away. And if at any moment you want to leave, feel free to do so."

Standing behind Ray, Rina tried her absolute best to maintain her stoic attendant facade, but the sheer audacity of Ray treating the Academy Head of Security like a misbehaving child was too much. A slight, amused giggle escaped her lips.

Alvon's head snapped toward her, his eyes flashing with anger. But before he could utter a threat, he froze. The memory of the terrifying pressure Ray had dropped on him earlier rushed back to the forefront of his mind. The phantom weight settled on his shoulders.

Deciding not to test the young Lord's temper a second time, Alvon swallowed his pride. He quickly looked away from Rina, silently nodded to Ray, and leaned back against the wall, waiting for the boy to fail.