Riesha escorted Ophelia to the morgue where Eileen was housed. A person in charge, the gendarmerie, was waiting at the facility.
"Are you Mr. Ophelia, Mr. Irene's identity guarantor?
"Yeah, yeah, that's right."
"Excuse me, but what can prove you're Mr. Ophelia?
Ophelia shows the Explorer (Seeker) registration form and a letter delivered by the gendarmerie.
"Thank you. I got confirmation."
The gendarmerie nods and retrieves the documents.
"This time it was sudden death, so we decided to do an investigation. But it's not case-friendly. This is Mr. Eileen's autopsy and death warrant. I'll take the death notice, so please fill in the details here."
"Hey, wait a minute! Even when suddenly they say it's not case-friendly... Can't you explain it properly?
The gendarmerie looked troublesome, but took out the notebook and read through the contents.
"It was only yesterday at noon that Mr. Irene's body was discovered. The primary discoverer is the landlord of the apartment where Mr. Eileen lives. Every day in the said apartment, at the time specified by the renter, the landlord decides to visit the room for security purposes. The time designated by Mr Eileen is twelve o'clock at noon. Since the working hours at the workplace are between 7: 00 p.m. and 2: 00 a.m., that time is guaranteed to be indoors."
The gendarmerie turns the notebook and continues the conversation.
"But only on this day, no matter how many times the landlord I visited knocked on the room, I didn't hear back. Suspicious landlords used master keys to get indoors. In doing so, I discovered Eileen sleeping in her bed, but she wasn't breathing anymore and she was getting cold."
The gendarmerie turns to the next page.
"We got a landlord's report. We ran to find out, and Mr. Eileen, judging by the circumstances of your body, was about six hours after his death. If you think you came home immediately after work, you arrived at home around three o'clock. In other words, you can assume that your health changed dramatically during the next three hours and that you died of heart failure."
Ophelia writes down the gendarmerie story in her notebook and asks new questions.
"It wasn't case-friendly, I was told, but I didn't see any signs of a dispute with someone, did I?
"Yeah, you're right. There was no sign of anyone breaking into the room. There were no marks of the keyhole being picked, and the key was in Mr. Eileen's bedroom. This key is of a special type and cannot be duplicated unless it is from a master key. According to the landlord, Mr. Eileen never applied to make a key."
"I see..."
"I checked the demon concentration on the measuring instrument, but there was no abnormality here either"
Listening to the report, Riesha and Ophelia open their eyes and look at each other.
Depending on the function (job), it is possible to kill people in the Chamber without leaving a trace. However, skills need to be used for this purpose. And in order to use your skills, you need to consume magic, which will increase the magic concentration around you.
This is something you can find out as soon as you look it up with a dedicated measuring instrument. Also, magic resides in poisons purified with skill, so the eyes of the measuring instrument cannot be misled.
Functions (jobs) exist that allow you to use your skills without consuming magic, but that is a late trait with no direct power. There will be no acquisition of skills to help with murder.
This means that, even if it was murder, skills were not used.
"We also did a toxicology test, but neither to Mr. Eileen nor indoors, we found any toxic reactions. The status of your body is summarized in the autopsy form, so if you look over there, you'll know it's not case-sensitive."
"Oh, really..."
"If you would like to see your body, please contact the facility attendant."
Then the gendarmerie will leave early enough.
A quietly iterative Ophelia. Risha couldn't find a word to hang.
†
†
Beautiful elves expose their nudity on a cold metal bed.
It's Eileen's body. She lost her soul, but its beauty is no different than in her lifetime. There was no damage anywhere, so it just seemed asleep.
Ophelia, who was passed to the morgue and faced Eileen, was to cry too much of her grief. But with Reesha's continued encouragement, she's regaining her calm now.
"I can't believe it was heart failure...... Absolutely, someone killed me..."
Ophelia reverses her willow eyebrows and bites her lips.
I can understand what it's like not to be convinced. Even Risha isn't uncomfortable with Eileen's death from heart failure.
But judging the gendarmerie story and what was written on the corpse certificate, the chances of it being murder were endlessly close to zero. Killing Eileen, who is in the Chamber, without skill or poison, is impossible no matter what you think.
"If..."
Ophelia whines quietly.
"If there's a poison that can rub through a toxicology test, isn't murder possible?
Risha tried to deny it, but she immediately reconsiders.
"Indeed, it might be possible..."
Toxicology doesn't mean we can unconditionally detect all poisons. In the first place, poison exists innumerably. It takes a huge amount of time and a variety of tests to identify all of that. So in the gendarmerie's toxicology test, we restrict ourselves to a few types of poison.
In other words, there is poison that can rub through the toxicology test.
"But if we're going to analyze the unidentified poison, we're going to need an autopsy, right?
"That's right..."
Riesha and Ophelia look at Eileen's body. The dead spot has appeared but there is no scratch on the skin. Judicial autopsies were not performed because the gendarmerie has determined that it is not case-sensitive.
"I don't think the gendarmerie will re-investigate that, and when we ask the experts for an autopsy, it will cost us a fortune."
"But if that identifies it as murder..."
"Even if you ask for an autopsy, I don't think it's likely you can identify it. You'll get more information than the simple tests done by the gendarmerie, just saliva and blood, but if you examine the organs, you won't know for sure. It could just end up wasting costs and time..."
Try not to, because it's not the wrong way to approach it. However, given the costs that would have been incurred in requesting an autopsy and analysis of the poison, it did not seem like a good idea.
"I think you should investigate Mr. Eileen's whereabouts, if you assume it was murder, than that. If we can find someone with a motive to kill, maybe we can prove murder from there."
"You're absolutely right..."
Ophelia nodded, then laughed powerlessly.
"The truth is, I know the murder line is thin, too. But if it was murder, the killer who killed Eileen would be left alone all the time, wouldn't he?... I can't stand that. Irene is pathetic."
Seeing the tearful Ophelia, Riesha puts her hand on its shoulder.
"Senior Ophelia, be confident in your judgment"
"... Huh?
We think Eileen was murdered, too.
When Riesha affirmed, Ophelia turned her eyes round.
"Why, do you think so?
"At first, we thought it was heart failure, too. But I changed my mind while I was looking at Mr. Irene's body. 'Cause Mr. Irene's body is too pretty, isn't it? If it was really heart failure, you must have suffered quite a bit before you died. And I think I scratched my chest like this."
Riesha caught her chest in motion with both hands.
"If you do, don't you usually have a scratch on your chest?
Ofelia looked at Eileen's body again.
"No scratches..."
"Right? Sometimes your heart will stop not while you move your body, but I don't think a young elf will suddenly feel that much worse. Did you hear about Mr. Eileen having a disease?
"No, I didn't ask. It was healthy. I knew it..."
Risha nods.
He was murdered.
†
†
Eileen's body decided to pay her and have her confinement extended.
If it were meant to be, I would immediately cremate it and bury the bones. But there's a good chance Irene's body still has unidentified poison used in the murder.
It would also be easier to locate the killer and detect the poison that would remain in Eileen's body, as long as we knew the poison used, which would be evidence of a decisive murder.
So I couldn't have cremated it right now.
"When the case is solved, I'll arrange a funeral. Only part of her hair, I'm going to deliver it to her hometown"
Ophelia spoke calmly, but in his eyes there was a light of determination that he would find the killer.
"Be sure to find the killer in us!
"Thank you, Liesha"
Riesha decided to work with Ophelia to settle the case. And with Ophelia, visit the apartment where Eileen lived.
"Wow, it's a lovely home."
I expected something more serious because I heard it was an apartment, but the apartment in front of me was so splendid that it was not an exaggeration to say it was a mansion. The building is also a quiet luxury residential area. Everyone on the road looks wealthy.
"You make money singing princess..."
"Eileen was a singing princess in Imperial City."
"Still, it's very different from a typical apartment"
"They used to be one mansion. The current landlord, the owner, remodeled it into an apartment. It's a recent fashion in this format."
"Heh."
"Come on, let's go say hello to the landlord first"
†
†
All four apartment rooms. It was on the ground floor that Irene lived. The landlord lives next door to it. When he visited the room and revealed his identity, he responded with pleasure.
"Mr. Eileen was a very good man."
said Evan, a noble old lady who is the landlord of the apartment.
"I've been occupied for three years, and the room will be used beautifully, and I haven't had any trouble. Yet I can't believe it's acute heart failure... I lost someone who was really spared. Please allow me to attend the funeral."
"You were the first to discover Eileen's body, weren't you? Was there anything weird about her?
When Ofelia asked, Evan immediately shook his head.
"No, nothing. He was lying in bed asleep."
"What was your attitude? Didn't you have a distressed look on your face?
"No? He looked like he was asleep in peace"
Ophelia and Riesha face to face.
Again, I don't think it was heart failure. My heart stopped, but I died to sleep without any pain? Is that what this is all about?
No, it can't be.
"Can I ask you another question?
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Were there any suspicious shadows around Eileen? She was a popular singing princess. Weren't troublesome fans stalking you?
"No? This apartment is equipped with the latest security equipment. The alarm goes off as soon as an outsider tries to break into the apartment, so you'll know as soon as there's a stalker."
"Really? Earlier, you said you didn't have any problems in the apartment, did you really have none at all? I don't care about any minor things, so can you tell me?
The landlord leans his neck strangely.
"Why do you care about that?
"Eileen was a dear friend. So I want to know everything about it. I can't know anything from her anymore..."
It's a painful excuse, but you can't say you suspect murder. Speaking of which, it just causes extra confusion. Since the gendarmerie has already ruled it to be non-caseworthy, it was also possible that if it did poorly, Ophelia would appear to be an abnormal person.
Fortunately, the landlord didn't seem too suspicious.
"... not so much trouble, but I saw a man living upstairs - Mr. Harris - inviting Mr. Eileen to dinner several times"
"I was persistent, you mean?
"That's it...... But isn't there something very forceful about you? Eileen also seemed to understand the pattern of her profession and the manner in which she understood her lord, and she did not see how she was in trouble."
Just because Eileen is better with men doesn't mean she didn't feel the mental strain. Not to mention, the other guy lives in the same apartment. Even for a man, he could have started hating Irene because he kept saying no many times.
Reesha opened the notebook and ran the pen.
"Is there anything else?
"And then... oh, yeah. The woman who lives upstairs from Mr. Eileen - Mr. Simone - has had a water leak. So Mr. Eileen's room was flooded, and you had a little argument then. But soon Mr. Simone admitted he wasn't and made an apology and compensation, and he didn't seem to be leaving any obsession with each other."
Landlord's perception suggests this doesn't seem to be among the troubles either.
But even though there seems to be no obsession on the surface, I don't know until it's in my mind. It's quite possible that the woman who caused the water leak had a grudge against Eileen. Most of all, it's hard to believe that's all you've decided to do about murder...
"That's about all I can remember. There must have been nothing else."
"Okay. Thanks for letting me talk to you. I'd like to see Eileen's room, so could you lend me your keys?
"I don't mind. I also got proof that I'm an ID Guarantor."
"It helps. Don't worry, I'll clean up the room later."
"Okay. Nice to meet you"
The landlord laughed furiously and gave Ophelia the key he had hung on the wall.
†
†
As expected from the exterior of the apartment, the interior was also splendid.
Interval is 2 LDK. It looks spacious and comfortable to live in. The sun is good. It's a chilly season outside, but not a little chilly. It's a really comfortable space.
"What about the seniors?
As Riesha asked as she checked indoors, Ophelia tilted her neck.
"What?
"Someone who's had trouble with Mr. Eileen, or a suspect."
"Uh-huh, because he was a kid who didn't talk much about himself. He was a very good kid, but that's not why anyone would have liked him... I think I'm the only one invited to this room."
"Oh..."
Riesha goes indoors with Ophelia. Traces leading to murder are unlikely to be easily found. But something bothered me a little.
"Mr. Eileen didn't spend much money for what he was making, did he? Furniture and conditioning are just like being placed in a general household. There's the same thing in this chair and in our room."
As Riesha pointed to the chair beside her, Ofelia laughed like she was in trouble.
"That kid, because he didn't have any appetite. I donated most of the money I earned."
"Huh, that's awesome. Yeah, but the rent here is pretty high, isn't it?
"That's because you're a normal girl. Like the landlord said, this apartment is equipped with the latest security equipment. Plus, it's a luxury residential neighborhood, so there's good security. If you want to keep yourself safe even if you don't have appetite, you should spend money."
"I see. Normal girls have a hard time being threatened with their safety if they don't hang their money. I can't believe I'm a girl who can stay in the wild. It's cheap and helpful."
"Haha, same goes for me. Not a complimented story, though."
Right - and Riesha laughed, too.
In the end, Eileen was killed, but that would be the one called force majeure. Even if you live in a room with state-of-the-art security equipment, people's wisdom always finds a way out.
Yes, Eileen was killed in the Chamber of Secrets. There has to be a way.
But nothing suspicious was found indoors. Something else that bothered me was that there were some vacancies on the bookshelf where a lot of books were delivered.
The interior is clean and tidy. Eileen must have had quite a few tentative personalities. To put it badly, it's nervous. I didn't think a woman of that character wouldn't mind the empty space on the bookshelf.
"What do you think of seniors?
"You mean stolen? Uh-huh, I don't think so. Eileen liked books, but she didn't own the books she'd finished reading forever, because she'd donated them to the library. That free space is meant to fit a new book. When I saw it before, there was another space."
"Well, he's a minimalist."
There are no lines of theft, and Leisha writes them in her notebook.
"Wow, and it's so warm."
Risha made a big stretch. Naturally, the indoor heating is off due to the absence of residents. Even considering the sun was good, it was strange that it was so warm.
"Why is this room so warm?
"Aren't you using good insulation? And then, like, hot water heating. Heating that flushes hot water inside walls and floors to warm the entire room. Isn't that what's running all the time?
"I see. The boulders are luxury homes."
Risha is driven by curiosity and gently tries to touch the wall. But it was limp. It doesn't seem to be heated using hot water.
"So what is it?
Risha looked indoors, but I don't see any equipment that could lead to an answer. But near the ceiling, something caught my eye.
It's a vent for indoor air. Must be the type that moves all day because of the air flow.
"Senior Ophelia, we thought, if it was poisoning, wasn't it the poison gas that was used?
Ofelia, who was looking into the closet, stops her hand and looks back at Riesha.
"You found something?
"No, that's not what I mean. However, even if you can't get inside the room, if you run poison gas through the vent from the outside, I think you can kill it. If left alone, the poison gas will be emitted through the vent, and the evidence will be hidden."
"Well, theoretically it would be possible. Because even with a valve that prevents backflow, if the momentum is strong, the outside air flows in. Killed around 3: 00 in the early morning, and this quiet residential neighborhood is unlikely to go unnoticed if you're working outside."
But Ofelia tilted her neck.
"A poison gas powerful enough to kill people without even giving them while they suffer, right? If those poisonous gases were emitted outside, I'm sure there would be other victims out there. Especially in this apartment."
"Oh, really, right..."
The poison that killed Eileen is terribly powerful, and it's dangerous to just inhale a small amount. Symptoms such as severe headaches and dizziness should appear, even if they do not die.
But as far as the elderly landlord who lives next to this room, that shouldn't have happened. If there had been, the landlord would be asleep on the hospital bed by now.
"Uh-huh, I thought it wasn't a bad idea..."
"There was a condensed coal suicide in an apartment near the boarding house before, but the incomplete combustion gas that occurred - that is, carbon monoxide broke into the upper room as well, and the inhabitants there died. Carbon monoxide is lighter than air, isn't it? So it looks like it's the upstairs cause."
"Carbon monoxide is a very powerful poison gas..."
If you inhale even a tiny fraction of it, it will lead to death. Moreover, because it is tasteless and odorless, I do not notice it until I develop symptoms even after inhaling it. Even though it's so vicious poison gas, it easily occurs when incomplete combustion just occurs, so it's arguably one of the closest reapers to a person.
"Is that it? But how did you know carbon monoxide downstairs was the cause of death?
"Because when you die of carbon monoxide poisoning, your body turns salmon pink. I don't know more about it because I'm not an expert, but it looks like there's gonna be a chemical reaction between carbon monoxide and blood."
"Oh, I did! That's what the paper said!
Ophelia clapped her hand and convinced, but held her head immediately.
"You haven't made any progress..."
Risha smiles bitterly and mouths other thoughts.
"If it's not poison gas, is it a slow-acting poison?
"It's a slow poison. That's more likely."
"It's the existing poison you should think about. Because no skills have been used for this murder. For example, if scouts use their skills to purify, their venom will also contain magic. If you believe the gendarmerie, you can't use your skills."
"Right. Existing poison, which is closer? According to that gendarmerie story, Eileen came home early at 3: 00 in the morning, and then died three hours later at 6: 00. In other words, it would have taken three hours between ingestion of the poison and death."
"This is a story I learned in a reasoning novel -"
Risha keeps foregoing before continuing.
"When we take Trikabute and Fugue poison together, they say they don't show symptoms immediately because they antagonize them in the body. But over time, the antagonism will collapse and the poison will erode your body. Tricabuto and Fugue poisons are the types of poisons that are difficult to detect together. Moreover, trichabute poison is inherently instant, making it difficult to identify the poison from the time of death."
"Oh, isn't that the answer?
Ophelia let her eyes shine as she got the light, but Riesha shook her head.
"Some tricks use multiple poisons like that, that's all. It's hard to believe that Mr. Eileen died of tricabuto poison. If it was Trikabuto's poison, he must have suffered quite a bit before he died."
"Oh well... After all, it seems faster to find a suspect and consolidate the evidence than to identify the poison."
"So do we."
It was when Risha nodded. The door to the room is knocked unexpectedly...
†
†
"My landlord's grandmother told me. Are you a friend of Eileen's? I live on a diagonal floor, Harris. It was sudden, so I'm sad too."
A magnificent man who was somehow a money maker - Harris said without showing much grief.
"So, what can I do for you?
When Ophelia asks, Harris smiles lightly.
"No, I was close to Eileen, so I thought you should say hello. Call me at the funeral."
"... friendly, is it? Looks like Irene turned down all the invitations from you when we talked about the landlord?
To Ophelia's thorny way of saying, Harris flaunts his shoulder.
"Sure, they always said no, but that's one of the communications. Besides, it was almost like you were going to take my invitation."
"Ha..."
To Harris's selfish words, Ofelia looked back. Reesha, too, has an unstoppable aversion to Harris.
I hate you, this man.
"Besides, this is the one Irene arbitrated when she rubbed Simone, right? If I had left it to my landlord's grandmother, it would have been a big fight."
Simone is the woman who lives upstairs on Eileen. I know that she and Irene could rub it in a landlord's story.
"It's caused by Mr. Simone's water leak, isn't it?
"Yes, yes. He looks like a culinary researcher. The water leak occurred because it clogged the drain. Usually warm Eileen was out of bees then, too. Ha, now I'm laughing."
"Heh, ha"
Ophelia with a faceless, dry laugh. Risha can live up to the urge to beat Harris down. Even Ophelia is patient, there's no way Risha can beat her up here.
"Whoa, it's time. I have an important job ahead of me. Sorry, you two. Let's go on a date in my spare time. Bye!
Harris winks like a kizza and leaves. Even after he lost sight of it, Ophelia remained faceless without saying anything.
"... Senior Ophelia, are you okay?
"Yeah, I'm fine. No problem."
Ofelia, who nodded small, heads out of the room early enough as it is.
"Liesha, let's talk to Simone upstairs, too."
†
†
Knock Simone's room, but no response. Next to Riesha wondering if she should change her time, Ophelia continued to slam the door abusively.
"Mr. Simone, you're here, aren't you? I need to talk to you a little bit, so could you open it? Mr. Simone, are you there?
In contrast to fierce knocking, there is no discouragement of voice and remains faceless.
Even Reesha, who has a long relationship, is horrible now Ophelia. I didn't know when it was going to explode. I felt like I was holding a bomb.
Eventually, footsteps approach from the back of the room.
"Hey, how long have you been knocking!?
It was an old woman with glasses who opened the door with a yelling voice. He was asleep, his hair is bumpy, and he's not even trying to hide his grumpy appearance.
Behind the room, visible through the door, was a used fire extinguisher with a safety pin unplugged. Apparently, instead of leaking water, there have been fires.
There's no point in Eileen running out of bees, Leesha thought.
"Are you Mr. Simone?
Ophelia asks pale.
"Yes! So, you guys!?
"We are friends of Eileen"
"What..."
When Ophelia answered, Simone snorted.
"You know Irene died, right?
"Yeah... He had acute heart failure, didn't he? I'm sorry..."
"It wasn't actually acute heart failure, it was poisoning."
"What, poisoning!?
Simone is naturally surprised to open her eyes. And what surprises me is that Reesha is the same. I'll tell him it's poisoning in a situation where we don't even have all the evidence. Oh, my God, what are you going to do?
"Eileen has been killed. Definitely."
"... is that a true story? You said the gendarmerie wasn't a case, right?
The autopsy turned out to be poisoning.
Ofelia affirmed, but Simone seems suspicious.
"If that's the truth, isn't it you and the gendarmerie coming to talk to you first? Hey, you smell like a lie."
"It was the expert I hired who did the autopsy,"
"I mean, a personal investigation?
"Yeah, you can't count on incompetent gendarmes."
"Huh."
Simone still has suspicious eyes. Risha couldn't stop the cold sweat on her back. If Simone decides it's a lie, he'll report it to the gendarmerie immediately. Then Ophelia is definitely caught.
But Simone shouted and made no noise, and leaked a laugh.
"You're a friend. I don't hate that kind of thing. But you suspect me when you talk to me, don't you? That doesn't feel good."
"I'm not suspicious. I just want to talk to you a little bit."
"That's an absolute lie. It looks like the landlord or Harris' porn father told me that I rubbed Eileen. So you think I resent you, don't you?
Ophelia shuts her mouth. I dare not say anything and I am going to let Simone talk.
"But I'm not the killer. I could really rub it with Eileen, but I wouldn't kill her for that. If my boiling point is so low, people are long gone from my workplace.... If it's really poisoning, the killer is the landlord"
"The landlord?
Simone nods confidently.
"'Cause if you're a landlord, you can use your master key to get into everyone's room, right? You're free to poison me. It's easy to deceive the MP's eyes."
"But what's the motive?
"Dead husband of the landlord"
Simone said with a low voice.
"The landlord's husband died a year ago. The cause of death was a fall in the bathroom. But I'm staring at the landlord for killing me. Why? 'Cause that guy's been stopping by Irene for a long time. And the jealous landlord killed him. And my husband's next, Irene."
Risha opens her eyes with amazement. The landlord, Evan, didn't look like the type who could very well kill people. That's why I couldn't think of that idea.
But Simone is absolutely right. If Evan, the landlord, is the killer, then all the tweezers fit. And motive - possible content.
"Can you prove that?
When Ophelia asked quietly, Simone shook her head.
"I can't. If I could, I'd be paying off the gendarmerie."
†
†
After listening to Simone, Riesha and Ophelia left the apartment behind.
"Aren't you going to check on the landlord?
When Riesha asks, Ophelia shakes her head.
"I don't think I can kill people on that landlord"
"Well, I agree with you about that..."
Simone's story was true, but I still don't think the landlord killed Eileen. The story of killing my husband would be Simone's delusion.
"How did it go with Harris and Simone?
"I don't know...... It's true that Eileen and I had an obsession, but it wasn't enough to motivate the killing. Those two were really bad guys. Especially Harris. But I couldn't feel the darkness to kill people for no reason."
"We do, too, I think. So, what do we do next?
"I'm going to the tavern where Eileen worked."
Riesha nodded and headed downtown with Ophelia.
Eileen worked at Moon River, a prestigious luxury restaurant in Teito. The ground floor part serves as a restaurant for drinking and cooking, while the second floor part serves as a nightclub.
When Ofelia told employees preparing to open the store that she wanted to talk about Eileen, manager Lestard was set to respond immediately.
An old man in a swallow tail suit starts talking pale.
"I know why you guys are here. Eileen's obituary is already in her ear. I assume you suspect Eileen was murdered by others?
To that Lestard word, Ophelia changed her blood phase.
"Do you know something!?
But Lestard shakes his head in depression.
"No, I don't know anything. When I heard her obituary from one of my men who picked up Eileen, other killings immediately occurred to me, too. She was the number one in the store. I thought a rival store might have killed him for obstruction. But no matter how much I looked into it, there was no suspicious movement."
"Is that what you know so soon? She died yesterday, didn't she?
"I get it. If anyone killed Eileen, that's definitely a pro. I know how to kill you, and you can find out with that information. But I couldn't find it."
Indeed, if anyone had accomplished murder so brilliantly, it was likely that he had killed someone with the same M.O. in the past. I don't know how much Lestard's personal information network is, but the gang that owns this store's ass (Yakuza) should be able to squeeze out the person immediately.
"So I had to admit, too. Eileen has heart failure. It's a rare example, but it's definitely not the case."
"... it hasn't been decided yet. Tell us all who you resented about her. Please."
Unconvinced Ophelia. Lestard sighed.
"I know how you feel, but give up on yourselves. No matter how hard and sad you are, there are things you have to accept."
"No! Those are other kills!!!
It was when Ophelia made a sad scream.
"Noisy, what is this noise?
An unpleasant looking woman's voice. Looking back, a young woman in a flashy dress stood. Follow two men who seem to be guards, with basket flowers in their hands.
"Priscilla!? Why are you in this store?
Lestard is astonished. Apparently we know each other.
"Who is that guy?
When Riesha asks in a whisper, Lestard looks sinister.
"... Priscilla is Irene's sync, number one before. Since I retired from this store, I have been the number one competitor."
"Oh, that's..."
Lestard didn't make it clear, but Priscilla seems to be someone with deep ties to Eileen. Judging by the rhetoric, he seems to have fled to a rival store because he lost to Eileen because he was popular and his character dropped.
Apparently Ophelia also understood what was behind Lestard's words. The sight becomes more natural and harsh.
"I hear Eileen's dead. I heard the story."
Priscilla said emotionally. And put the basket on a table nearby.
"I know it's hard for you to be number one dead, but don't be discouraged and do your best. This is a flower supply from me. It's a habit to send her to the deceased's house, but since she was single, I'll give it to Manager Lestard."
"... did you come all the way out here just to do that?
As Lestard asked, Priscilla smiled cold.
"Oh, could it be that Eileen's dead, so you came to ask me to put her back in the store? If so, it's also a big mistake. It's the kind of store that sits on number one with a subhuman flair, and I wish it from here. No matter how much money they pile up."
"Hey, what?!?
That's a terrible discriminatory statement. Risha frowned, but did not intend to protest. Elves are a minority in the human city. Discrimination like Priscilla is not uncommon. I just protested and I know I have nothing to gain.
"Don't be angry. It's a joke, a joke. But it's also true that Moon River doesn't have the same momentum these days. If we don't deal with this right away, the regulars are going to other stores, right?
"Knock..."
Lestard bites his back teeth with regret. Priscilla, by contrast, had distorted her mouth satisfactorily. Apparently, he has at his root how demoted he is.
The rating of a singing princess in a nightclub is not determined solely by popularity from the guests, but also involves the desire of the store to guess who. If it's also number one, it's unnatural not to have better income, but better treatment on stage as well.
Given that he was greeted by a competitor store with number one treatment, his strength should not have been different from that of Eileen itself. Resentment of the manager who chose Eileen over herself may not be impossible, even though it is a rebellion.
"Well, now that you're done, excuse me."
Priscilla returns her heel. The back, Ophelia called sharply.
"Wait!
Priscilla looks back and tilts her neck.
"What can I do for you? In the first place, who are you?
"I'm a friend of Eileen's."
"Oh, did I? Speaking of which, you're both elves. I wasn't interested, so I had no idea. So, what can I do for you?
To the cold Priscilla everywhere, Ophelia asks quietly.
"You killed Eileen?
Everyone who heard the words, including Risha, was stunned.
It's too much to ask how much or what the killer is all of a sudden. Obviously more than degrees. Instead of a cold sweat erupting, Risha found her blood drawing at once.
"... you killed Eileen, didn't you?
Ophelia asks questions in a decisive tone. But Priscilla didn't even look panicky and laughed to make a fool of herself.
"Haha, I thought I'd say something! Did I kill Eileen? That's not true! In the first place, I hear Eileen died of heart failure!
"Eileen is not heart failure. Someone killed me. And you planned that murder, didn't you? You have a motive. Weren't you blind? Irene, who kicked herself down, continues to shine in the ancient nest. You can't go to a rival store and not be unconscious. So I killed him. Without Eileen, your shop would be even busier and two birds a stone. I run off to other stores because I'm no match for strength, something a weak person like you might think about."
Ophelia blamed Priscilla, as she poured water on the stand. Due to unilateral denigration, Priscilla was furious enough to get her blues up her temples, but soon regains her spare grin.
"If delusions go that far, you deserve praise. But wherever you go, paranoia is paranoia. Do you have proof that I killed Eileen?
"If you have proof, I'll find you right away"
"I don't think a Hebo detective who decides a person is the killer without proof can reveal the truth. So let me give you one tip. If I were you, I'd check with Manager Lestard first. Did you know that? Eileen had a lot of life insurance. And the recipient is General Manager Lestard."
The moment she heard the word, Riesha looked back at Lestard so she could play it.
"Chi, no! It's a misunderstanding! I didn't kill him!
Lestard turns bright blue and denies it.
"Yes, indeed, I'm the recipient! But with the promise of Eileen, the money received is to be given to her parents in her hometown! So, I didn't kill him!
"That's a lie."
Priscilla affirmed as happy.
"If you're really going to give Irene's parents life insurance, why didn't you just shut them up about life insurance? Whatever you think, they didn't know until I taught them, did they?
"Oh, that's..."
"Manager Lestard, we all know your ass is on fire, don't we? Didn't you plan an insurance murder to put that fire out?
"Chi, no! I didn't kill him! It's true! Trust me!
Lestard desperately claims innocence. Priscilla laughs when she sees him.
"Ahahahahahaha! Look, look! Who's the most suspicious person on this scene? Me or Manager Lestard? Answer me, detective!
"Ugh..."
To Priscilla's provocation, Ophelia bites her lips and leans down.
"Mostly, there won't be any problem because about one sub died. Who the hell is in trouble in this capital? Worthless life."
By the time Priscilla had shamelessly said off, Ophelia had already swung up that fist. The distance between them is about five meters. Ophelia would be able to punch Priscilla in the face before the escort moves.
I don't have to imagine what the consequences will be.
So, Risha...
"Phew!!!
By breaking in between them, he took Ophelia's punch in the face on behalf of Priscilla...
†
†
"I'm sorry, Liesha! I'm so sorry!"
Ophelia turns to Riesha and bows her head many times to apologize.
The attempted assault in Moon River was ignored by Reesha's straining and stopping. If the gendarmerie had called in, Ophelia and Riesha would have been amicably in the cage.
Now, I'm in Moon River's infirmary, treating injuries. Reesha's face had a large swelling of her right eyelid, making her look like a zombie.
"... ha, you don't have to apologize so many times. If you get injured to this extent, it will heal quickly. Never mind anymore."
Risha was a Seeker before she was a woman. Its sad that your face has become like a corpse ghost (zombie) but not weak enough to drag it forever. Apply the eye bands while withstanding the pain and turn back to Ophelia.
"I forgive you for hitting us. But don't ever be so impotent again, okay? I don't want the gendarmerie to catch me."
"Ugh, yeah...... I'm not going to bother Liesha anymore. I promise."
Ophelia nodded honestly, but I didn't really trust her, I thought.
To the boulder, I'm not stupid enough to repeat the same mistake when I'm with Risha, but I could do it when I'm alone. Now Ophelia's heart is weakened by the death of a friend. Whatever I did, it wasn't weird.
"What do you want to do now? For once, we've narrowed down the suspect, but we're supposed to be on guard about today, right? I think it's hard to find out."
"Then we'll have to do a thorough investigation and wait for the bollocks to come out. And, of course, I won't be as impotent as I am today!
"Ha, I believe that word"
Nevertheless, there is indeed limited that can be done. We still do not know how the clandestine murder was carried out. There was only one way to concentrate on the suspects and bury the outer moat.
"By the way, who do you think is the killer?
"Priscilla"
Ophelia said in a voice full of certainty.
"She's definitely the killer."
"Okay. Then let's focus on Priscilla."
Risha also believes that the most suspicious is Priscilla. Lestard is suspicious too, but Priscilla's attitude has a lot to catch on to. Targeting Priscilla is a better way than solving the mystery of chamber murder.
But what if Priscilla wasn't the killer? No, even if Priscilla was the killer, what if nothing comes of that evidence?
Think about it, that's all I get for a headache.
In front of Risha, only the thick darkness was spreading......
†
†
The next day, the two of us alone decided it was difficult to resolve, and Riesha decided to rely on Gareth, one of her best friends.
Meet me at the open cafe and tell Gareth who came to open the notebook. Gareth said with both hands up after a long time of thinking.
"No. I have no idea. Good luck to me."
Riesha slumped to the table weakly.
"Wow. Gareth doesn't even know..."
"I think Leisha is right because I am also a therapist (healer). Indeed, it is unnatural that Eileen died of heart failure. There is a good chance of other killings. But you can't see how you did it."
I'm sorry, Gareth apologized.
"Oh, you don't have to apologize! I'm sorry I bothered you!
"... I don't know what to say about this..."
Gareth sets aside for a beat and continues with a strange face.
"Better not get involved in this case anymore"
"... Huh?
"I just keep getting lost in a labyrinth with no exit, even if I can't force myself to pursue something I don't know. I just washed the suspect's quarters, and you won't find anything to prove the crime."
"... does that mean give up?
Gareth sighed loudly, then nodded.
"That's right. You better give up."
"So, but..."
"Reesha, what are you? Is that the gendarmerie? Is that the kind of namesake detective that comes out of a novel? No, he's just a seeker. That strength is great, and I'm proud to be one of you. But this case is clearly in your hands. In your abilities, you can never solve it. The same goes for Ophelia of the Knights of Heaven."
Risha couldn't find a word to give back. Gareth is trying to haunt her heart and remind her of Reesha's true worth. And, as Gareth says, perhaps in Riesha and Ophelia, it will not be possible to solve this case.
I mean, a waste of time......
"I'm already going. Reesha, don't forget what's most important."
Even after Gareth left, there was dark darkness in Riesha's heart.
True, maybe we should give up. But, Risha, anyway, can Ophelia give up?... No, I would never give up. And even if you are alone, you must continue to investigate and destroy yourself.
"What do I do..."
The only way to save my dear compatriots was still to solve the case.
Anyone have any better reasoning?
When I think about it, at the edge of Riesha's vision, I see a person I know.
"No, there he is!!!
Reesha screamed unexpectedly, kicking her chair and getting up. At the end of that gaze, a beautiful brunette boy with black coats is walking.
Noel Stolen, a member of the Blue Beyond.
"If that girl could..."
What I remember is the day I first met you. With that deductive power, Noel easily discerned who Riesha was. There's a problem with character, but it's definitely the highest brainchild Leesha has ever known.
"No, Mr. Noel! Hey, wait!!! Hey, wait!!!
Risha desperately calls Noel to rest. I don't know if he can help Risha. But now Leisha was in the mood to grab the straw too...