Yarikonde ita Game Sekai no Akuyaku Mob ni Tensei Shimashita Volume 1 Chapter 5

 

Case 2: Murder on Gallery Island —Part 1—

Chapter 1: You Tried to Look Cool, Didn't You, Sakuya-sama?

"Ahhh! Shishou! Water! The water!"

"Wah! Wah! We must have hit a reef! The rudder isn't working! Sensei! We're sinking! Get ready to doggy paddle!"

On the horizon of the Mediterranean Sea, the screams of Yuriu and Belka echoed alternately.

The force of the seawater intruding from the ship's bottom was merciless; scooping it out with buckets wasn't even close to catching up.

At times like this, one is made thoroughly aware that humans are land creatures.

In other words, we were helpless.

The small boat carrying us was pushed by strong waves, rocking violently from side to side.

"Everyone, grab onto something! Where are the life jackets...?"

Keeping my posture low near the cabin, I called out to everyone.

"Sakuya-sama!"

Lilitea called out to me. She sounded unusually urgent.

"Eh?"

Before I knew it, my body was thrown from the ship.

Falling—hitting the water. Cold seawater enveloped my body.

The fantastical underwater scenery was illuminated by the dazzling Mediterranean sun.

Of course, I had no time to enjoy the view.

Large waves crashed over me one after another, pushing my body away.

I couldn't tell up from down, left from right. Occasionally, luck would have it that my face broke the surface, but I could barely catch a breath.

Where is the ship?

Is everyone safe?

Gradually, the number of times I surfaced decreased.

Ah, I'm running out of oxygen. Am I finally going to die...?

No, in my case, it's not really a "final" thing. Pathetic as it is to admit.

Huh?

Something just grazed the tip of my nose.

Is that... a tail fin?

A pure white... translucent... tail fin.

Just as I thought that, I felt my body gently float up toward the surface.

Something was pushing me up.

No, someone was.

What wrapped around from under my arm was a human arm. A slender, supple white arm.

Before I could confirm the sensation, my thoughts dissolved into bubbles and burst.

□

Two hours before the sinking.

We had just landed in a city called Palermo on the island of Sicily.

The claim of being Sicily's largest city was no lie; it was a vibrant town.

"So this is Italy!"

Feeling the Mediterranean breeze, I savored the sensation of solid ground for the first time in a while.

"Though it is not the mainland."

"Ah, Lilitea, acting cool. Even though you agonized over the in-flight meal menu more than I did."

"Whatever do you mean? You poor thing, Sakuya-sama. The change in air pressure must have caused you to hallucinate."

Lilitea, paying no mind to my counterattack, gallantly carried the large trunk stuffed with luggage.

"I've been to Italy a few times tagging along with Sensei, but this is my first time in Sicily!"

Stretching pleasantly beside us were the UK's greatest detective dog, Fido, and his assistant, Belka.

We had left Tokyo yesterday upon receiving a dangerous invitation from one of the Seven Old Men, Chardina Infericous.

Of course, it was a journey fraught with unimaginable danger. I would have preferred to politely decline. But I wanted to know. I wanted to know what happened to my father, whose whereabouts and survival remain unknown.

To get information, I had to go.

As promised to Chardina, we hadn't told Manzorogi or the police about this trip.

It was a secret suicide mission, just for us.

And after a long flight, we had landed here at Falcone Borsellino International Airport in Sicily.

Our destination was Reginleiv, an island owned by Chardina said to be floating in the Mediterranean...

"Sooo, that means we are finally heading to the hideout of a great evil. It's chock-full of danger, even more than the sun! We're practically neighbors with death. Sakuya, Lilitea, don't let your guard down, okay?"

"You're fired up, Belka."

"Because we don't know what's going to happen. I want to go in fully prepared. What time is it?"

"10 a.m."

"What sign is it?"

"Rose Cross."

Please don't think we've lost our minds. This was a 'password for emergencies' that Belka forcibly decided on during the flight. Though I seriously doubt we'll ever have an opportunity to use it.

"Perfect! This proves that the Sakuya and Lilitea here aren't fakes disguised by the enemy, but the real deal. Well, that's good. Anyone, I'll pay a reward to whoever devises a revolutionary method to shut Belka's mouth. That's mean, Sensei!"

By the way, regarding the password just now: I answered "10 a.m." and Lilitea answered "Rose Cross."

"The sunlight is strong."

Making a visor with my hand, I looked up at the deep blue sky again.

It wasn't as if there were two or three extra suns in the sky, but the Mediterranean was dominated by a distinct, clear sunlight clearly different from Japan's.

And then—under that sunlight, a single girl came running from across the street, waving energetically.

"Shishou~! I bought gelato~!"

It was the rookie actress currently selling out, and my provisional disciple, Haigamine Yuriu.

"Let's take a breather and gelato it up!"

A pure white one-piece dress and a wide-brimmed straw hat. And cool-looking sandals. She was fully in vacation mode.

"Thanks..."

I accepted the delicious-looking, melting Italian gelato from her.

"Yuriu-chan... I can't believe you actually followed us. I've said it many times, but this isn't a carefree sightseeing trip. It's not the beach vacation I promised either..."

"What are you saying! We're going to catch bad people, right? In other words, it's Shishou's overseas debut match! It's only natural for a disciple to accompany you!"

And so, Yuriu had been like this since before we left Japan, and in the end, she followed us at her own expense. My responsibility was heavy for accidentally slipping up about the Italy trip over the phone.

"I get it, Yuriu. I understand that feeling well!"

"I knew you'd say that, Belka-chan!"

Belka, listening in, grabbed Yuriu's hand and showed great empathy.

One, a detective's disciple. The other, a detective's assistant. It took no time for two such girls to become friends, and they had hit it off completely on the way here.

"Good grief. Noisy little brats, acting like a storm."

Fido's sigh blew the dust off the floor.

"There's gelato for everyone too—ah! It's already melting! Ahyahya."

With the high-energy Yuriu behind me, I looked down at my smartphone screen. It was the one Chardina had forced onto me, and currently, a map app was displayed.

"That Millionaire Phantom Thief 'Celebrity'. Ridiculous girl as always. To think she'd inform us of the location herself."

Fido spoke, sounding unamused.

The map app showed the Tyrrhenian Sea in the Mediterranean. And in the center of the deep blue screen, a single icon was blinking.

It was a cutely deformed face of Chardina.

In other words, she was saying, "Charu is right here."

I checked a different map just in case, but there was no island at those coordinates. That alone made it clear that Reginleiv was a special island hidden from the eyes of the world.

□

"It's a boat trip from here, then."

Holding down her hair swaying in the sea breeze, Lilitea spoke.

A scent of the shore drifted through the port of Palermo, where we had come straight from the airport. Was it my imagination, or did the scent feel subtly different from Japan's too?

"A boat... Right."

"Sakuya-sama, are you recalling the incident on the Queen Irie and fearing the worst? Worried we might sink?"

"I am not!"

No, I am. I'm actually still dragging around some trauma from ships.

But I couldn't say that.

Boats were lined up all along the dock, and men of the sea were working powerfully everywhere.

"So, Fido, what about arranging a boat? You said to leave it to you, but I don't think there are any liners heading to an island like Reginleiv that isn't on the map."

Did he intend to ask a local fisherman to take us?

"Idiot. Do you think we can take a civilian sailor with us when jumping into the lair of an internationally wanted criminal called a calamity?"

Now that he mentioned it, that was true.

"Then what do we..."

"We do this."

And there, pointed out by Fido's snout, floated a brand-new small boat.

"I bought a boat in advance. We're taking that."

"...Bought? A boat?"

"What, it's just a small five-ton fishing boat."

As expected of the UK's greatest detective. He does things on a grand scale.

"But who's going to drive?"

"Me!"

Belka answered my question with good tempo, dashing onto the boat.

She said she had a boating license.

"As a detective's assistant, I have to be prepared to handle any situation!"

"So nice! Ugh... Shishou! I'm gonna get a license too! U-Um, for a space rocket or something!"

"You don't have to compete, Yuriu-chan."

"Now, onward to the northwest!"

Waiting for everyone to board, Belka skillfully untied the mooring rope.

"You folks Japanese?"

At that moment, a man cleaning the neighboring boat spoke up. Surprisingly, it was in Japanese. Though the intonation was quite strange.

"Yes, we are."

"Is that right! I used to live in Osaka, Japan, a long time ago. Know it?"

"Oh. Your Japanese is very good."

Wondering what he wanted, he finally got to the point.

"Y'all heading out to sea now?"

"That's the plan. Is there a problem?"

"Not strictly a problem, but feels like the sea's gonna get rough this afternoon. Just a feelin'. You say the forecast didn't say nothin' like that? Well, it's a sailor's intuition."

I involuntarily checked the sky. Clouds were floating here and there, but it was the picture of fair weather.

"It's fine, it's fine. Ignore me. My real thought is this: Draggin' a pretty lady along like that, you ain't gonna die a decent death, brother!"

Saying that, the sailor laughed heartily.

"Thank you for the advice. But we absolutely have to go."

"Is that so? Well then, I'd like to say have a nice trip... but you said you were headin' northwest just now, right? Then be careful in the waters along the way. Especially around Aquarius Island."

"Is there something there?"

"Lots of maritime accidents in that area since the old days. After all... it's the Siren's dwelling."

"Siren...? You mean the one that lures ships with its singing voice and sinks them... that Siren?"

I had heard the name in fantasy movies or games.

Siren. When he spoke that word, the sailor made a show of shivering dramatically.

"My grandpappy used to tell me about 'em. Scary old tales. Anyway, if you see a mansion standing all alone on a small island, be very careful."

Before long, preparations were complete, and the boat carrying us left the port in high spirits. We waved to the kind sailor and turned toward the open sea.

Fido stood at the bow and barked "Woof" as if to indicate, "That way."

"Woof!"

For some reason, Yuriu barked too.

The wind was calm, visibility good.

"I don't think anything will happen with this. Let alone an accident... surely not."

And so—our ship sank just as you expected.

□

The moment my severed consciousness returned, I spat out a massive amount of water and coughed violently.

"Gwah! Cough! Ugh...? Wh... Where is this?"

Lilitea was by my side, peering into my face.

"Have you regained consciousness, Sakuya-sama?"

"Yeah... If I remember right, water came into the boat... and then..."

"We managed to avoid sinking. This is an island we found nearby."

"Island..."

"It appears to be a small solitary island. We managed to anchor here somehow."

My body was on a smooth rocky area.

"You fell from the boat, Sakuya-sama. But I am glad we were able to find you safely. We searched along the coast for quite a while."

Violent waves were ceaselessly pounding the rocks.

The wind was picking up. The clouds I looked up at were moving faster than before.

"Did I die?"

"No. You must have been very lucky. It seems you washed up on the rocks and barely escaped with your life."

"I survived... rare."

It makes me sad to say that myself.

"There was no need for artificial respiration; you were breathing."

"Artificial respiration."

Does that mean she would have done it if I had died? But in my case, even if I die, I come back to life on my own, so it's unnecessary.

"Where is everyone?"

"Everyone is safe. They should be visiting the mansion right about now."

"Mansion? People live on this island?"

"We saw a magnificent building a little ways from the dock. It didn't look abandoned, so we decided to ask for help."

"Help..."

"A hole opened up in the ship's bottom. We need to borrow tools to repair it."

"I see."

"So we split into two groups; I went to search for you, Sakuya-sama, and everyone else went to visit the mansion—that is the situation."

"Thank you."

Staggering slightly, I stood up on the rocks. My clothes, soaked with seawater, were heavy.

"My bad feeling came true."

Ships really are nothing but trouble.

Behind us lay the vast Mediterranean Sea, and ahead lay a strange, desolate island.

The Mediterranean. This beautiful sea has supported trade for various civilizations since ancient times.

Naples, Marseille, Alexandria. The history of people who defied the unstable winds is carved into the old coastal cities that remain today.

The Mediterranean climate is dry with little rain in the summer. For Japanese people plagued by typhoons and humidity, it's quite an enviable environment.

"Sakuya-sama, that's enough reciting from the travel magazine you were reading this morning."

"I guess. Magazines only write the good stuff. Just flowery words to lure in people with too much time and money."

"The weather has turned rough. That sailor's warning was the truth."

Guided by Lilitea, I climbed a small hill on the island, and the building came into view a short distance away. It was a massive three-story Western-style mansion that seemed to overwhelm us, consisting of two wings built side-by-side.

I couldn't find any other signs of habitation, and I could see the coast on the opposite side. This seemed to be a fairly small island.

"I see, it's quite old-fashioned, but certainly a magnificent mansion... Hmm? A mansion on a small island...? Could that mean..."

"This might be the Aquarius Island we heard about."

The mansion stood right on the edge of the seaside, surrounded by a stone wall.

"Look, Lilitea. There's some cute graffiti drawn on the stone wall. Maybe there's a small child here."

Whether it was chalk or crayon, my eyes couldn't tell, but people, fish, and animals were drawn endlessly on the stone wall in shaky lines.

Following along the stone wall, I saw another small building a little distance away from the two wings of the mansion.

It looked somewhat newer than the mansion, but the shed, exposed to the sea breeze, was quite faded.

Part of the stone wall was broken to form an arch-like gate, from which a simple path continued along the sandy beach. Judging by that, that shed might be part of the mansion, like a detached cottage.

While making these observations, we arrived in front of the mansion's entrance before I knew it.

Viewed from the front, the mansion extended to the left and right like spreading arms, starting from the central entrance. Looking up, it had three floors, and the roof was a moss-like deep green.

As I stopped to gaze at it, I heard the continuous sound of a camera shutter from ahead.

Approaching the source of the sound, I saw a stranger, a man climbing on the stone wall and holding a camera. It was an SLR with a professional-looking exaggerated lens attached.

"Um... do you live here?"

I called out timidly.

But the man continued to snap the shutter without looking at me, eyes glued to the viewfinder.

"Eh? Did you say something?"

The reply came back in English.

"What are you... Hello."

I reconsidered immediately after speaking Japanese and switched to English myself.

"Ah, hello."

Good. He understood.

My dad took me overseas many times since I was small, so I can manage English somehow. That said, it’s not like I could get good scores on school tests.

"What are you photographing?"

"That. That thing."

The man jerked his chin lightly toward the outer wall of the mansion.

"Strange, isn't it? I wonder what that is. Weird decoration. I'll ask later."

Just as the man said, if you looked closely, there were odd objects attached halfway up the outer wall.

They looked iron-made, thrust into the wall like spears or harpoons—or rather, it looked like the tips were protruding from the wall.

Several of these odd things were attached to the wall.

"Does it mean something, I wonder."

Saying that, the man lowered his camera as if satisfied and jumped down from the stone wall. The red trekking shoes the man wore trampled the wild grass at his feet.

He was a small man, but his darkly tanned body was quite toned and looked healthy.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Herbie. A photographer. As you can see."

"Mr. Photographer... You aren't a resident of this house?"

"Unfortunately not. I'd like to live in such a spacious mansion someday, though. By the way, who are you? You've got a real beauty with you, but... doesn't look like tourism. In the first place, this island has nothing to do with that sort of thing."

"Well, we have various circumstances."

"Right. Certainly, everyone has circumstances. Ah, if you want the people of the house, they're inside. You should go visit them. See ya."

Herbie cut the conversation short and walked off in the direction we had come from. He seemed intent on continuing his shoot.

Approaching the mansion's entrance door, I found Belka standing there.

"Ah—! Thank goodness—!"

When Belka spotted us, she wore an expression somewhere between laughing and crying.

"You're alive! Sakuya, you're alive! Lilitea, you found him safely!"

Ten seconds after Belka's voice, Fido slowly poked his face out from the slightly open door.

"Don't make a fuss, Belka. That guy doesn't die even if he dies, so of course he's alive. Rather, you should be celebrating the fact that he drifted to the same island as us after falling into the sea."

Fido was as calm as ever.

"Sensei, save the lecture for later! Come on, you two, get inside. We've already spoken to the person of the house."

Entering through the door, an entrance hall spread out before us.

Circular staircases drawing gentle curves extended to the upper floors on the left and right of the hall.

And in the center was an old-fashioned elevator. The kind with a metal grate door you see in movies and dramas.

The walls were a subdued gray, and although damaged in places, it didn't give an impression of uncleanliness.

"Woah."

My gaze crawled along the wall, and a voice slipped out involuntarily.

A woman leaning against a wall. A child having water poured into their mouth. Men in a wasteland trying to proceed down a different path. Fish flying in the sky—

Paintings. Paintings of various motifs adorned the walls.

One, two, three paintings housed in magnificent frames—

"H-How many are there?"

The number was too great to count easily.

And on the wall directly opposite the door, between the left and right staircases, hung a particularly bizarre painting.

It was a massive painting, several meters in both height and width.

"Amazing."

When I said amazing, I wasn't just talking about its size. I was overwhelmed by the painting itself.

Several small boats floated on a somewhat dull blue sea. The waves were expressed with a touch like glasswork, looking bizarre rather than beautiful.

In the center of the painting was a pale-skinned woman. Her emotions could not be divined. That was because no expression had been painted onto her face. She simply opened her eyes wide, staring blankly this way.

The woman depicted... might not be human. Because the woman's legs were not human legs, but shaped like a fish. Her chest and hips were painted with a strange sensuality.

It was a painting like nothing I had ever seen before.

I don't understand difficult things like oil painting or abstract art or what school it belongs to. But that painting had a strange persuasive power—no, a compelling force.

Scary—but not repulsive.

"A mermaid painting... huh."

"Siren."

Startled by the sudden voice, I turned around to find a woman standing in front of the door beside the staircase.

She was dressed every bit like a maid, with impressive brown skin and sharp eyebrows. Was she Spanish, perhaps?

"That is not a mermaid, but a Siren."

"A Siren... you say."

Siren again. That sailor had mentioned it too.

"It is a legendary creature spoken of in the traditions of these waters since ancient times. In many cases, Sirens are said to have the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a bird, but in this region, the legend says the lower body was a fish. It is said this painting captured that form. A magnificent and suggestive painting, is it not?"

The woman faced us with her back to the painting and explained fluently. Aided by her firm, calm voice, it felt like listening to an excellent tour guide.

"By the way, I am glad your friend was found."

She seemed to be a resident of this house. Was she in her mid-twenties? It's a bit difficult to gauge age from the appearance of foreign women.

"My name is Ursna. I work here as a serving maid and tutor—precettore."

Upon closer approach, Ursna-san was about my height, and her proportions were excellent enough to be conveyed even while wrapped in a loose-fitting maid outfit.

"I am Oitsuki Sakuya."

"I heard the circumstances from the girl with the dog over there. You ran aground on a reef. It is common in the waters around here. Many ships sink every year. But you survived like this. You were unlucky, yet lucky."

Though her speech was formal, her demeanor didn't feel distant, leaving a good impression. I was glad she seemed like a nice person.

"You are going to repair the ship, correct? Please use this mansion during that time. I will inform the Young Mistress myself."

"That would be helpful. ...Young Mistress?"

"My master. She is currently resting in her bedroom. She must be exhausted from the overlapping guests."

"That... I'm sorry for barging in so suddenly."

When I bowed my head, Ursna-san shrugged her shoulders with a large gesture.

"No, that is not it. The guests I speak of are not you people... well, you will understand later. Anyway, please take your time. We have as many empty rooms as there are seashells on the beach. Lunch will be ready soon."

"Eh? Lunch? Yeeeesss! Belka, don't make a fuss like an idiot over a single meal. Ehhh, but I'm so hungry I want to make a fuss."

As soon as they realized we had secured a place to settle down, Fido and Belka began their usual exchange. It’s strange how hearing that somehow brings my own spirits back to normal.

"Fufufu. That Belka-san over there has an interesting special skill. I will prepare a treat for the clever doggy too."

Perhaps interpreting it as some kind of game, Ursna-san neither looked surprised nor frowned upon hearing Belka and Fido's conversation.

"Ended up being an unexpected detour, huh, Lilitea."

"I do not mind. From the day I decided to become Sakuya-sama's assistant, Lilitea had long since resolved herself."

"Resolved? For what?"

"Of course, resolved for a life full of ups and downs, love and mystery."

"...You still remembered that line?"

"I shall never forget it."

Saying that, Lilitea blinked her eyes dramatically, as if to emphasize her vividly colored pupils.

□

"I have prepared everyone's rooms on the second floor. Please wait there until lunch."

Ursna-san said in a clear voice, pointing to the stairs.

At the top of those stairs stood a blanket ghost.

"Whoa!"

My voice slipped out.

It was covered head to toe in a blanket and holding a massive amount of blankets in both arms. What on earth?

When the blanket ghost spotted me downstairs, it rushed down the stairs at a speed that looked like it might tumble.

With that momentum, the blanket covering it slipped off, and a truly charming smile popped out from underneath.

"Shishou! You were alive!"

"Oh, it's just Yuriu-chan. I thought it was a ghost."

"Kuuuun! That's my line! When Shishou fell into the sea, I thought it was all over, but as expected of Shishou! It's no exaggeration to say you're immortal now!"

"I'm not immortal. By the way, those blankets..."

"Ah, these blankets? I ceded the role of searching for Shishou to Lilitea-san, so I thought I'd at least help with the bed-making to show my presence..."

"You plan to stay?"

"Eh? We aren't? I totally thought we were all having a heart-pounding sleepover."

"As Yuriu-san says, I think it will be difficult to fix the ship today. I will make preparations for you to stay one night."

Since Ursna-san said so, it couldn't be helped.

"Sorry for everything. Well then, shall we accept your kindness and rest in the rooms?"

As I proposed this to everyone, I casually looked out the window and saw that it had started raining before I knew it.

"The weather's finally breaking down..."

The sky outside the window had been dyed completely gray.

"A storm might truly be coming," Lilitea said, and Ursna-san wore a solemn expression.

"Such a sky is rare. A storm... I wonder if I should close the storm shutters..."

"Come to think of it, Herbie-san was walking around outside. Will he be okay?"

Worried about the photographer from earlier, I casually mentioned his name, and immediately Ursna-san's eyebrows shot up.

"You met him? But you can just leave him be. Troublesome man."

"Um, what kind of person is he?"

"A complete stranger of a photographer. He says he travels around the world photographing seas and islands, and this morning he suddenly hitched a ride on a fishing boat from another island and visited here. Demanding to let him take pictures of this Aquarius Island."

The island name the fisherman mentioned at the port. It seems this really is Aquarius Island without a doubt.

"Nominally, this Aquarius Island is currently the Young Mistress's private land. Though it is small. And that man is taking pictures all over it as he pleases. I do not know if there are rare coral reefs or whatever, but he keeps walking around shooting everywhere, always with that attitude. He won't listen when I tell him to leave. Honestly, what is to be done, Doggy-kun?"

As she spoke, Ursna-san crouched down as if to calm her own heart and stroked Fido's back. Fido looked annoyed, but he let her do as she pleased.

□

The guest room I was shown to was a corner room on the second floor.

"Sakuya-san, please use this room."

Everyone else had already been guided to their respective rooms by Ursna-san, and I was last in the order.

"Thank you."

"If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask."

"I have everything I need."

"Then, I will see you later."

When Ursna-san turned on her heel to leave, I saw something flutter and fall from her apron pocket.

"Ah, Ursna-san, you dropped something."

Picking it up, I called out to stop her.

What she dropped was a scrap of transparent vinyl... or something like it.

And a red-colored one at that.

"Ah! I'm sorry!"

As soon as she noticed the dropped item, Ursna-san embarrassedly accepted the scrap from my hand.

"What is that?"

I was simply curious.

For some reason, she hesitated and fidgeted, but eventually, she leaned her body toward me and whispered.

"Um... this is..."

Her breath tickled my ear.

"It is a secret just between the two of us, okay?"

What is it all of a sudden? Eh? What is this situation?

"This is a colored sheet for decoration I bought in town. Tomorrow is the Young Mistress's birthday, so I was secretly making decorations to surprise and delight her."

"Ah, I see..."

"I was preparing in my room during the morning, cutting out shapes. See, shapes like fish and rabbits and birds. I meant to throw away the scraps later and put them in my pocket and forgot."

"You're working hard to make the Young Mistress happy."

"Yes. Very much so... I had secretly planned for a while to stick decorations on the dining room window to liven things up tomorrow. And yet, guests arrive at this timing..."

"Eh?"

"I do not mean you people! Look, please see. This is red, blue, yellow... multicolored."

Ursna-san held a small red piece of vinyl up to one eye to show me.

"A surprise, so it's a secret kept here... is it?"

"Yes. Please."

After emphasizing that, she pulled away from me and went back to the first floor.

Left behind, I stood in front of the door for a short while.

"............The scent of an adult."

My voice leaked out involuntarily.

What am I saying? Let's go in the room.

Just as I put my hand on the doorknob, Fido suddenly poked his face out from the crack of the door directly opposite.

The moment our eyes met, the door slammed shut.

Since when were you watching!?

I have nothing to be guilty about, but I felt intensely embarrassed.

I entered the room as if fleeing.

"Oh, it's spacious."

I was surprised that it was much larger than I thought. It looked to be at least twelve tatami mats in size.

The door lock was a type you could close with a simple latch. There was a keyhole, so it seemed you could lock it from the outside too, but since I wasn't given a key, they probably don't use it normally.

The visible furniture was just a bed and an empty shelf. A pillar stood slightly to the left of the center of the room, serving as a stylish accent.

An old-fashioned telephone was installed on a stand near it.

I silently picked up the receiver and dialed 211. A ringing tone sounded.

Eventually, the other party picked up, and the call connected.

『Who is this?』

"I have Oitsuki Sakuya in my custody. If you want him returned safely, speak a little more kindly to Sakuya from now on."

『...Is there no room for negotiation?』

"Y-You hate it that much? Then, compromising greatly, to show appreciation for the daily fatigue of Oitsuki Sakuya, by all means, add 'hamyu' to the end of your senten—"

『This is going nowhere. Negotiations have broken down.』

"W-Wait. Let's talk a little mo—"

The call was unilaterally cut off.

I felt like the positions were reversed at the end, but anyway, I confirmed this was an extension phone connecting the rooms.

I confirmed it, but the cost feels too high.

I looked over the room's interior again. The floor was old-fashioned wooden boarding with a thick carpet laid over it. The wall color was unified in a soothing green.

Now, if it were just this, the impression would end at 'a typical room in a Western-style mansion,' but there was a structure, or perhaps a design choice, that could not be ignored.

There was a window on the left wall, but for some reason, it was a round window, uncharacteristic of Western style. The diameter was about one meter. It had clear glass, but it was fixed and couldn't be opened.

"This is... oh."

I thought there was another room beyond it, but when I peeked in, it was actually just a recess in the wall about fifty centimeters deep in the shape of a window.

That said, I wouldn't raise my voice over just that.

"Moon..."

A painting of a moon was displayed on the back wall.

Unlike the numerous paintings displayed in the entrance hall, it was very simple.

However, it was hard to say it was ordinary.

Because the moon was painted orange.

On top of that, the background was a tricky bright purple.

"Is this... what they call art?"

I'm sorry I don't have an eye for it, but I don't really get it.

The moon painting wasn't even in a frame; the canvas was exposed.

Does that mean this recessed space itself acts as the frame?

To go to the trouble of adding such a design to a guest room—is this also part of the spirit of hospitality for guests?

"I wonder if the other rooms are like this?"

Thanks to Ursna-san's consideration, we were each assigned a room.

I am in the north corner room, 210. Room 211 to the left is Lilitea, as I just called. Directly across the hall is room 209 with Belka and Fido, and to its left, room 208 is Yuriu.

Ordinary houses don't assign numbers to rooms like this. Maybe it used to be a hotel or something.

Looking from the entrance, there is a window with curtains drawn in front. Peeking outside through the gap, I saw the separate wing right before my eyes. I couldn't sense anyone over there.

Ursna-san's words about having spare rooms were certainly no exaggeration.

Despite this number of rooms, I didn't feel any dustiness in this room I was shown. It's proof that cleaning is done regularly.

"Ursna-san is a hard worker."

While I was impressed, there was a knock at the door. When I opened it, Lilitea was standing there.

"Excuse me.................................... Hamyu."

"Eh?"

"Ha?"

She glared back at me.

Did she... try her best to provide the service?

Anyway, I invited my assistant into the room.

"Was your room also structured similarly?"

Lilitea looked around the room as if trying to gloss over the agitation from her own blunder.

"Same over there? It's a weird room, right?"

"The walls of my room were pink. The window was the same, and the painting depicted was also a moon. However, the color was white and the shape was a crescent moon."

"So the type of moon is different for each one. Does it represent the phases of the moon room by room?"

"Since there are easily more than fifteen rooms, perhaps the colors change randomly even if the shape is the same. In any case, it is an interesting design."

"This round window... would you call it a blend of Japanese and Western styles? I've heard that among art lovers overseas... especially in Europe... there are many who like Japanese art and culture. Maybe it's that sort of thing."

"Art lover, is it?"

"I mean, right? That massive amount of paintings in the entrance hall!"

If they said they had no interest in art after that, that would be the bigger surprise.

"Sakuya-sama, guessing from those paintings, the master of this mansion is..."

"What?"

"No, more importantly, it seems radio waves do not reach this island. I wanted to check the weather information, but..."

"Ah, I checked my smartphone earlier too, but it was no good."

Saying that, I tossed my smartphone onto the bed. When I was thrown into the sea, I had kept my important luggage in the trunk, so I avoided water damage or loss, but if the net and phone don't connect, it's a useless treasure.

"Let us ask Ursna-san later if we can borrow a television or radio."

At that moment, the room door was knocked on again.

I brought my face close to the door and asked the person on the other side.

"What time is it?"

"One p.m.," came Belka's voice.

"What sign is it?"

"I said it's one o'clock! Just open up already—"

Hey, what happened to the password?

When I opened the door, Belka, Fido, and Yuriu filed in.

"Hey. Sakuya. I felt restless, so I came over."

Belka looked somewhat anxious.

"What, are you spooked by the atmosphere of this mansion?"

"No. Don't underestimate a brave detective's assistant."

"Ah, is that so. Right, Belka, and Fido too—I think it's too late to say this, but sorry."

"Eh? About what? Sensei, do you know? I don't know. Did you draw a sea cucumber on your forehead while you weren't looking? Eh!? Since when!? That's a lie. Wait, Sensei!"

"No, well, for dragging you into such a difficult journey."

"Oh, just that? Really, whaaat are you saying now! Sakuya!"

Saying that, she bowed her head again, then Belka jumped onto my back playfully.

"You're being distant! We're friends, right?"

"Belka... thank you. I did just fall into the sea earlier. I might have literally been distant—or rather, damp."

I was surprised by her action, but I felt my heart lighten a little at her brightness.

"Hmph. I don't recall becoming friends, but we're all in the same boat now."

Fido stuck out his tongue.

"So, once things settle down, we have to repair that boat we're in. Ideally, we'd depart tomorrow morning—but that's if we can."

"What was Fido's assessment of the ship's condition?"

"Who knows. It's not unfixable, but it looks like it'll take time."

"That's right, Shishou! Jeez, a huge hole and the water went Bwaaah! At that time, I involuntarily shouted this: Titanic! Danger! Alas! You know!"

Yuriu spread both arms, appealing the spectacle. She was probably scared in her own way, but I sensed a strange composure in odd places.

"I barely escaped with my life too, but it must have been hard for everyone. The road to Reginleiv is quite steep."

I voiced it as if confirming our destination once again.

"...Don't tell me this accident was also caused by Chardina using her financial power?"

I meant it as a joke, but nobody laughed.

□

We didn’t have to wait thirty minutes before being invited to the dining area.

It was a dining room... no, a room spacious enough to be called a hall. A large table sat in the center, draped with a tablecloth that looked well-used in a good way.

Several dishes were already laid out on the table. They were all Italian local cuisine. Probably.

"Um..."

The moment I tried to speak, the wind outside roared with a whoosh.

There were four guests already at the table.

Three men and one woman. They sat lined up on the right side of the table.

"What is this? I heard we had castaways, but they are mere children."

The first to speak was an elderly man sitting closest to us. He had the air of a gentleman, and his round glasses suited him perfectly.

Perhaps it belonged to him—a stylish cane was propped against the wall near his seat.

"And you brought a dog? I detest spicy food and dogs."

Quite a greeting right off the bat.

Belka glared at him with a sullen expression. Fido, on the other hand, seemed unbothered, likely thinking something along the lines of, The human is barking about something.

"I apologize for the sudden intrusion. My name is Oitsuki Sakuya."

"...Ivan Zavattini."

The man introduced himself without even looking at me.

"Oitsuki? I feel I've heard that name somewhere!"

Reacting to my surname a beat later was a slender man in a suit, in his mid-thirties, sitting next to Ivan.

His blonde hair was swept back, and his grooming was impeccable.

"I believe there was a detective by that name in Japan! No, was it a character in a novel?"

However, his tone was excessively crisp and loud, like a stage actor.

Ivan spoke to such a man with a touch of exasperation.

"Lyle, talking about your beloved detective novels again? You are hopeless."

"It's not that I love them that much, Father! So, Sakuya-kun, is that it?"

"My father is just a hopeless man with a wandering habit. He is essentially unemployed."

I could have told the truth about my old man and us, but considering the purpose of this trip, revealing our true identities poorly would be a bad move.

"We were in the middle of a graduation trip. Right?"

"Y-Yeah, that's right! Everyone's friends! Schoolmates!"

Belka improvised and went along with the story instantly.

"Students! That is excellent! Love! Youth! I am Lyle Zavattini!"

After bombastically praising us, the blonde man introduced himself with good tempo and extended his right hand.

"Pleasure."

While slightly taken aback by the pressure of this foreigner, I shook his hand. Urged on by Lyle, we took our respective seats opposite them.

Lyle appeared to be Ivan's son. But they didn't resemble each other. Or rather, in the first place—

"Mother was born in Italy. She met Father in America where she was studying abroad, and they fell in mad love! Isn't that right, Father?"

"Don't tease me, Lyle."

Ivan glared at his son.

I see. That explains why the father and son look so different.

As I observed them, I realized something.

Just as we were sizing them up, they were sizing us up. I could tell by their gazes. But that was only natural. An Asian boy and a British girl with a dog had suddenly rolled onto this isolated island.

"I heard your ship broke down and you washed up here? My condolences. But if there is anything I can do to help, just say—...Beautiful!"

Lyle had been speaking casually, but midway through, his gaze became blatantly fixed on one spot.

"...Hweh? M-Me?"

I wondered who he was looking at; it was Yuriu.

"I am astonished! In my line of work, I see beautiful gems until I'm sick of them, so I was confident that most things wouldn't catch my eye anymore!"

"Line of work?"

"Yes, I work as a gem merchant on a modest scale!"

"Gem merchant... is it?"

Hearing that, I involuntarily looked at my own hands.

"To think a jewel like you was still hidden in the Orient! You have mysterious eyes!"

"Mys... mysterious?"

While being bathed in straight praise from Lyle, Yuriu was desperately tugging on my sleeve under the table. I guess she isn't used to such direct flirting.

"Wait a moment, dear. How do you have the nerve to flirt with another woman right in front of your wife? Shameless. Besides, she is still a child."

The one who stopped him with an exasperated look was the woman sitting to his left. She wore a cardigan over a blouse with a plunging neckline. Was it dyed? Her black hair looked exotic. A luxurious ring shone on the ring finger of her left hand.

"Katia. I just wanted to make you jealous! Forgive me!"

Lyle and Katia were apparently husband and wife.

"You two seem to get along well at all times; as your son, I am truly happy."

The last one to speak was a boy sitting in the chair furthest back. He looked about sixteen or seventeen. His silky hair was neatly combed and plastered down. His eyes looked very similar to his mother's.

The orange scarf wrapped around his neck was distinctive.

"Even so, to think we'd have guests in a place like this. Ah, I'm not saying you should go home, okay? Please, make yourselves comfortable. People from foreign lands."

"Dmitri, that is rude! I always tell you to have compassion. That is exactly why you established a record for zero friends at school!"

"I haven't established any such record, Father."

The boy was Lyle and Katia's son, named Dmitri. His eyes resembled his mother's closely. But it bothered me that his features looked quite different from Lyle's.

Whether it was a rebellious phase or just his usual demeanor, Dmitri made no effort to hide his cynical attitude.

The grandfather, Ivan. His son, Lyle. Lyle's wife, Katia. And their son, Dmitri.

Thus, we had been invited to the Zavattini family's dinner.

"Hey, can we eat yet?"

Perhaps bored of teasing us, Dmitri reached for the plate in front of him impatiently.

"Please wait. The Young Mistress is still..."

Just as Ursna-san tried to stop him, the door slowly opened a moment later.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

The one who appeared was a petite girl. Perhaps she had hurried from her room; she was out of breath, and her face was somewhat flushed.

I see. This must be the Young Mistress Ursna-san was talking about.

She looked about fifteen or sixteen. She retained a great deal of innocence, but her features were breathtakingly symmetrical.

The blouse wrapping her delicate frame was simple, yet it possessed a vintage texture as if passed down through generations.

Also, her long, delicate hair was tied beautifully, looking just like a work of art.

"Here, Young Mistress, please come this way."

Ursna-san pushed the Young Mistress toward the table.

Yes—the Young Mistress was in a wheelchair.

The girl's feet were modestly hidden by a long skirt.

"Huh? Ah, ah. Wait, Ursna. Lots of... strangers."

"That is correct. Here we are."

Arriving in front of her spot, the Young Mistress used her arms to move from the wheelchair to the seat of honor. It was a practiced movement.

"Luciolla-sama, if you just ask, I would lift you."

"I always say so. Lou can do this much herself."

"Ahh... I want to lift you up every day to feel the minute changes in your weight and physique."

"Don't feel them!"

Such banter flew between the two. That said, since the conversation was actually in Italian, I was just picking up the vibe.

But listening to that exchange, it seemed the Young Mistress's life in a wheelchair wasn't a temporary thing.

"So, um, who are... these people?"

"As you can see, it looks like it will be a rare storm today. So, so that you wouldn't be scared, Young Mistress, all these people came to visit."

"Really!? Is it a party? But they are strangers?"

Of course, Ursna-san's words were a lie. Whether the Young Mistress actually believed it or was just playfully going along with the story, I couldn't tell, but she looked happy from what I could see.

"I am Oitsuki Sakuya. I came from Japan. Now I'm not a stranger anymore, right?"

Her demeanor seemed so endearing that before I knew it, I had stood up and introduced myself.

But, wasn't that a bit cheesy of me?

Just as I thought that, Lilitea whispered from beside me.

"You tried to look cool just now, didn't you, Sakuya-sama."

She saw right through me immediately. But Lilitea's expression was favorable. You could even say she looked happy.

"My name is Lilitea. Please forgive the sudden visit. We were on our way to another location by ship, but due to a shipwreck, we were forced to seek help."

While I was savoring a small moment of emotion, Lilitea flawlessly finished her self-introduction.

Yuriu and Belka followed with simple introductions.

In response, the Young Mistress bravely introduced herself as well.

"Ni, nice to meet. Thank you for coming to my home."

She responded in English to our English. She seemed as unaccustomed to English as I was, but that clumsiness only emphasized her cuteness.

"Lou's name is... no, my name is Luciolla de Sica. Call me Lou, please."

The greeting from the Young Mistress—now Luciolla—was an adorable mix of anxiety toward sudden visitors, expectation, and embarrassment.

"De Sica? Huh?"

Hearing that surname, I raised my voice reflexively.

"Your surname is different."

Even though Ivan and the family in front of us had introduced themselves as Zavattini.

"Ah, I haven't explained that point yet! We are a family of distant relatives to the clan living in this mansion!"

"Right. We came all the way to this empty island to visit our blood relatives."

Dmitri spoke following Lyle.

"Can't you tell by looking at our faces, mostly? That Young Mistress is of Italian descent; we are of Russian descent."

Now that he mentioned it, that was true.

"I have a mix of Italian and Russian blood. Consequently, my son also has the blood of two peoples mixed in him."

"Is that so. Very international."

I replied agreeably, but actually, I didn't really get it. I haven't traveled the world enough yet to instantly judge which ethnicities are mixed just by looking at a foreigner's face.

"Huh? Then where is the rest of Lou's family?"

Belka voiced a simple question. Or rather, she was already using Luciolla's nickname.

"Until seven, I lived in the countryside of Australia with Father and Mother, the three of us. It was Mother's second marriage, but she looked happy. So anyway, both of them died when Lou was small."

Being told so bluntly, none of us could show any reaction for a moment.

"Car accident. One morning... suddenly... they were gone from right in front of Lou. Since that morning, Lou's place, home... gone. Seeing that, Grandfather... took Lou in, here."

Luciolla told us her life story matter-of-factly, as if recounting the plot of a movie she saw yesterday.

"But at the start of this year, Grandfather also passed away, and now it's Lou and Ursna, just the two of us. Living."

"Ah... I see. I... somehow, sorry... I'm sorry."

Belka slumped her shoulders meekly at the delicate answer.

"Two people living in this huge mansion? Does no one else live on the island?"

Ursna-san answered Yuriu's question.

"No one else lives on this Aquarius Island."

"If you see the island during the bright hours of the day, it is plain and obvious. There is only this mansion, a field, and a small pasture."

"Is it not inconvenient?"

"Thank you for your concern. But the island owns a boat, and I have a boating license. If I go out to Palermo once a month to stock up, we have no trouble living. As long as it is just the Young Mistress and I living quietly."

I see; I found myself accepting that there was such a way of life.

"So, seeing as everyone is present, let us proceed with a modest lunch—pranzo."

Ursna-san said the food would get cold. Indeed, that was a major problem.

But hearing "everyone is present" reminded me of something.

"Come to think of it, shouldn't we call Herbie-san?"

"It is fine. I informed him of the mealtime beforehand. Yet he wanders around as he pleases and doesn't even come back, so he must not want to eat."

She really disliked him.

There was no obligation to push further for the sake of a man named Herbie. Actually, I was starving too. I was at my limit.

"Well then, without reservation, Itadakimasu."

When I put my hands together in front of the food, everyone except Yuriu and Lilitea looked at me with curiosity. It seemed they were seeing the Japanese style for the first time.

"Itadakimasu!"

"Then me too! Itadakimasu!"

Yuriu followed, and seeing that, Belka innocently copied us.

Chapter 2: You Should Cherish Me More

After being treated to the meal, we decided to head to the island's small dock immediately. Of course, to start repairing the boat.

But that didn't happen. By then, the island was already in the midst of a storm, and it was hardly a situation where we could start repairs.

So in the end, with nothing to do but watch the weather, we decided to spend our time in the lounge on the first floor of the mansion.

The Zavattini family had returned to their respective rooms early after the meal.

Lyle, Katia, and Dmitri were using rooms on the south side of the second floor.

Only Ivan was using Room 111 facing the courtyard on the first floor. Apparently, he had bad knees, so Luciolla had considerately suggested the first floor for easier movement.

It was 5:00 PM. Sunset was still far off, but it was gloomy and dark outside.

We sat on the sofas, relaxing.

An old-fashioned wall clock hung on the wall. Seeing the pendulum swinging, it appeared to still be in use.

"Ursna-san's cooking was deliciouuus."

Belka, voicing her thoughts, had certainly eaten a lot.

"Why don't you learn how to cook too? Wait, Sensei, does that mean the food I always make isn't delicious? That's unexpected. Are you holding a grudge because I cut corners a little the other day and just gave you dog food?"

Fido and Belka's usual back-and-forth began again.

"Truly mysterious. To think you can talk with a doggy."

Yuriu was savoring her surprise and admiration all over again.

"That said, the only one I can understand is Sensei. It doesn't work like this with other dogs."

"Still amazing! I'm envious! But, since when have you been able to understand?"

"Hmm, after meeting Sensei and spending time together, gradually. At first I thought I was imagining it, but I wasn't. Thanks to that, I'm here now like this."

Suddenly, Belka's eyes wavered. To me, it looked like the wavering shown by people who carry a certain kind of past.

"If Sensei hadn't been there, I would have long ago... Oi Belka, stop with the moldy old stories. It's depressing."

It was Fido who interrupted Belka's words.

"...Yeah."

Belka nodded obediently and leaned back on the sofa.

There were two eyes watching Belka with a gaze of envy even greater than Yuriu's.

It was Luciolla. She was supposed to have wheeled herself out of the dining hall after the meal, but it seemed she had come back. She was looking our way, fidgeting.

"Ah, Lou! Come here, come here!"

When Belka beckoned, Luciolla's expression brightened instantly, and she came over to us. Cute.

"Um... well, astounding. Being able to talk to animals... Belka, lovely."

"E-Ehh? Lovely? You think so~?"

"Si. Like... a character in a picture book."

"Picture book! Hey, did you hear? Sensei, did you heaaar? Little miss, you should read more sensible picture books. Hey Sensei! Don't say mean things!"

"The world is truly... wide, isn't it?"

Luciolla's emotion was quite something. What a pure child.

Certainly, the world is reasonably wide, but I don't think there are any other humans who can speak to dogs.

"Ah, it's wide alright. Teeming with amusing guys. For example, like a zombie guy who comes back to life even if you cut him or burn him. Right, Sakuya?"

"Hahaha, Fido! You shouldn't scare the Young Mistress."

"Saku... zombie? Saw one? Experience?"

"No, no! By the way, is 'Saku' me?"

"Saku is Saku."

I feel like I've been called by a rapidly increasing variety of nicknames lately. But if the Young Mistress wants to call me that, I have no objection.

"Of course, Saku is fine. But Lou, do you not go out anywhere outside this island? Trips and such?"

When I asked with interest, she made a slightly troubled face and shook her head.

"Lou is... these legs, forever, so..."

Saying that, Luciolla touched her own thighs over her long skirt.

She was implicitly pointing out that her body couldn't walk.

"But damage... none. I'm fine. Lou likes this island Grandfather left me."

She said she isn't going to the school she used to attend anymore. Ursna-san is teaching her, so she isn't having trouble with studies.

Perhaps sensing that the atmosphere had become a little nervous, Luciolla spoke shyly.

"Um, my room... come?"

"Lou's room?"

"Y-Yeah. ...No?"

The small hand clutching her skirt tightly was striking. Thinking she had mustered her courage to invite everyone after much tension, a feeling akin to a desire to protect surged within me.

"I'll go! Of course I'll go! Right, Shishou!"

Starting with Yuriu-chan, everyone was enthusiastic, so we decided to accept her offer.

□

Luciolla's room was apparently on the north side of the first floor, so we left the lounge together.

From there, we just had to cross the entrance hall and go straight down the corridor.

That said, the distance was considerable.

She was eagerly wheeling the wheelchair with her hands. After gazing at the adorable swirl of hair on her head and agonizing for a moment, I made an offer.

"I'll push."

I grabbed the handles of the wheelchair to assist.

"Th... anks."

She seemed momentarily bewildered, but she immediately entrusted herself to me. Offers like this can sometimes be intrusive, so I hesitated a little, but I'm glad I offered.

"This is stylish!"

As if triggered by that, Yuriu pointed at Luciolla's wheelchair and spoke.

"Si. Grandfather designed it for me... long ago."

Seeming happy to be praised directly, Luciolla rubbed the armrest with her hand, looking embarrassed.

"Good taste. Cute."

Indeed, the wheelchair Luciolla rode was a bit different from the ones usually seen in medical settings; it looked very much custom-made.

The part where particular taste was shown was the armrest Luciolla was stroking right now. The smooth, thin wood curved beautifully.

I wonder what the material is?

There was also a small pocket on the side of the seat.

When asked what was inside, she gave the interesting answer, "Flower seeds and screws."

She probably carries around things important to a girl living on an isolated island on a daily basis.

Yeah, anyway, everything is adorable.

"Ah, over there... Lou's room... is."

Luciolla pointed ahead with a smile that had loosened into a "ehehe."

"There, huh. Alriiight."

"Eh? Eh?"

"Hold on tight!"

I got a little carried away and increased the pushing speed.

"Kyaa! Fast!"

At the first-time speed, Luciolla let out a happy squeal.

□

"N-Nothing here, but... please..."

Opening the door, Luciolla invited us into the room.

Her room was on the north side of the first floor, and the inside was modest.

It seems she doesn't live in a luxurious room just because she is the Young Mistress of this mansion.

There was no round window or moon painting like in the guest rooms, and the room size wasn't much different from ours.

A small bed and a desk. And a cute lime-colored closet against the wall.

There was one window at the back of the room. It was a stylish Western-style window that pushed open from the center outward. From there, I could see that stone wall.

Before the stone wall, a garden spread out, and roses and lavender flowers caught my eye.

"Wow! Cute garden!"

The first one to jump at that sight was Belka. She reacts surprisingly like a girl.

"Flowers... Lou always gives them water."

Luciolla made a cute gesture of watering with both hands.

"If not storm... would guide you. Garden."

"I see, that's too bad. Ah, I'll lock this just in case."

Belka pointed to the latch in the middle of the window. Indeed, it was rattling in the strong wind, so it was safer to lock it.

The position of the latch was reasonably high, and Luciolla in her wheelchair couldn't reach it even if she stretched. Belka probably suggested it out of consideration for that.

"Thanks. Usually lock... never do, so."

I see. I was wondering how she managed opening and closing a lock at that height normally, but that explains it.

"True. This island has nothing to do with thieves. Even if they came by boat, the travel expenses might cost more than what they steal."

"If swim... free. But if such thief exists... not a thief, but a curious person... ehe."

She replied to my joke in a small voice.

"Thief good at swimming... should become Olympic athlete... maybe... ehehe."

By the way, Luciolla's face had been, how should I put it, slack and grinning for a while now.

However, Lilitea hurled a merciless question at such a Luciolla.

"Excuse me, Luciolla-sama, but perhaps this is your first experience inviting someone into your room?"

"Hauah!"

Instantly, Luciolla froze with a face like she had received a massive shock.

"You seemed unaccustomed to tidying the room for guests, and you appeared to be quite excited, so."

"Hiu!"

"Lilitea! You can't just ask whatever you want just because you're curious! Look at Lou's state! You hit the mark and dealt a fatal wound!"

"I-I apologize. My consideration was lacking."

At this, even Lilitea showed a rare color of agitation.

"Sakuya, you leave it at that too. The Young Mistress is at death's door."

As Fido said, Luciolla's face was bright red, and tears were welling up in her eyes.

"I-I have... friends, Amico, have them."

"That's right! You do! We're already splendid friends!"

"Really...? Amico?"

"Really! Me and Fido-sensei too! Amico, Amico!"

"Amico! There is... happiness!"

Recovering the Young Mistress's smile was surprisingly easy.

She said she liked this island, but perhaps for a girl her age, it really is a life dogged by loneliness. Or is thinking that way the arrogance of someone living in the city?

"Hmm? This photo is..."

Suddenly, a photo displayed on the desk caught my eye. It showed a stooped old man and a young girl sitting in a chair.

A date was written on the photo; it was from about five years ago.

In a simple but tasteful frame, they were smiling happily.

"This person, could it be..."

"Si. Grandfather... who passed away."

Luciolla answered brightly, not becoming particularly sentimental.

Beside the photo frame was a colorful coral ornament, giving a faint touch of color to the modest room.

"Hee. The one sitting is Lou, right?"

Belka also peered into the photo with great interest. But her expression clouded immediately.

I understand the feeling well. The state of young Luciolla's legs sitting in the chair... was a little shocking.

In the photo, young Luciolla's left and right legs were fused into one in the middle, starting halfway down her thighs.

The unified leg separated slightly again around the heel, and the toes were divided left and right as two feet.

It looked almost like the tail fin of a fish.

"Sirenomelia, huh."

Fido said it simply, without attaching any special emotion to it.

"Also called Mermaid Syndrome."

That name rang a bell for me.

I remember reading in a book that it's a very rare congenital deformity.

Thinking a detective should read at least one difficult book, I challenged a medical text and gave up in one day—a good memory.

"Lou, like this from birth. But show people... surprised. Rather sca... scared, usually."

Luciolla tapped her own knee over her skirt with a troubled smile.

I had imagined she couldn't walk due to an accident or something.

I felt like I had been unexpectedly shown her cross to bear.

"Lou-chan..."

Yuriu bent her knees and placed her hand over Luciolla's.

Surely, because of these legs she was born with, Luciolla has given up on various things. Going outside, running around hills and towns, inviting friends to her room to play.

That must have bound her even more than life on an isolated island.

"Not scared, not one bit."

"...Saku?"

"Not scared. Lou, you're still naive. I'm a detective, you know. I've seen all kinds of terrifying things until now. So I won't be surprised by your legs at this point."

"Not scared? At all?"

"At all."

"Is... that so."

Luciolla touched her own earlobe with a face like she had eaten a sweet and sour berry.

"...Huh? By the way, Saku is detective?"

Ah, come to think of it, I hadn't said it yet.

"Actually, yes. Though I'm still a novice."

"So... was that so."

Luciolla opened her eyes wide and looked up at me.

"W-What's wrong?"

"Surprised... Detectives actually existed. World is truly... wide..."

After that, we exchanged words about each other's trivial matters in Luciolla's room.

There were several new discoveries about Luciolla.

Age fifteen. Dislikes broccoli. Likes songs and music, and can play the piano a little.

"Fido-sensei, can touch? Contact."

Also, she likes animals.

"Of course! Right? Sensei!"

Reaching out desperately from her wheelchair to stroke Fido's nose was endearing.

We decided to keep the purpose of our party's journey hidden from Luciolla too.

There's no need to let this child hear dangerous talk about going to pick a fight with the Seven Old Men.

"Oh? Sensei looks unusually comfortable. Lou, you have quite the talent! Ahem, second only to me."

"Really? Truth? Ehehe. Always observing animals on island."

Luciolla turned her small face bright red in embarrassment, but eventually exhaled a hot breath, "Hoa~."

"First time... talking to people this much."

"Is that so?"

"Even without Lou's legs... originally, no people visit this island... this Demoniac Villa, so."

"Demoniac...?"

"It is the old name for this mansion."

It was Ursna-san who added the explanation. She was standing in front of the room door before we knew it. It seems she had completely finished cleaning up the meal.

"You have gotten so close. Young Mistress. I am glad you made many friends."

She nodded happily to Luciolla.

"At this rate, when you eventually start attending a school outside, I can rest assured..."

"Impossible. Lou has legs like this. Even if go outside, can't become friends with anyone."

"Saying such negative things again. Young Mistress always gives up on various things using her legs as the reason..."

"Fine. Lou is enough with this island."

Luciolla looked away with a huff. It seems the withdrawn Luciolla can only take an unreserved attitude toward Ursna.

"By the way, Ursna-san, what is this 'Mansion of Those Who Stand Still'?"

"Yes. The people of Sicily have called this mansion that since long ago. I took over from my predecessor not long ago, so I am not very detailed, but apparently, this mansion was originally built as a hospital. Though they say hospital, it seems it was actually something like an isolation facility."

"Isolation, you say."

"After all, it is such an isolated island; it could hardly be a normal hospital. They must have gathered patients with various circumstances in one place to treat and manage them."

"No wonder I thought it was too spacious for an individual to build."

My guess that it was originally a hotel was wrong, but it seems it wasn't completely off the mark either.

"Perhaps about half a century ago, the facility was closed and remained uninhabited for a while. I hear the name Demoniac Villa—The Mansion of Those Who Stand Still—was attached around that time."

"Even so, it's a name with a somewhat dangerous ring to it."

"As I told you, originally in these waters, it was said that the ominous monster, the Siren, appeared since ancient times. On top of that came the ruins of a suspicious isolation facility. It likely spurred on the ghost stories. Someone standing in front of the ruins at twilight, or terrifying singing voices being heard. Furthermore, since there were actually many maritime accidents, sailors talked about it as if discussing the weather, saying it must all be the Siren's doing."

So it has a history.

"They say old sailors used beeswax earplugs on days they felt uneasy. They must have genuinely sensed the Siren's presence, heard songs they shouldn't hear, and feared it that much."

"Ursna-sama, could the countless objects attached to the outer walls of this mansion be a type of charm against that?"

"Yes. Just as Lilitea-san surmised. Those mimic the harpoons used by men of the sea and have a role like a talisman against evil. It is said Sirens fear the tips of those and will not approach that house."

"Hee. Like what we call  gargoyles in Japan? Shishou."

That's quite an exquisite comparison.

Ursna-san said the talismans seemed to have been there since the building was first constructed.

"So those harpoons had that kind of meaning."

Perhaps happy to have resolved a secret question, Lilitea nodded with satisfaction.

"Mostly, tides and reefs are likely the cause of the frequent accidents, but sailors probably accepted those natural threats by framing them as the monster Siren."

"Meaning people in the old days were superstitious? Yawn..."

Sitting deeply on the bed, Yuriu spoke to Fido quite familiarly. Perhaps due to the meal, she looked sleepy.

"They needed a rule to 'leave it at that,' so they just left it at that. Thinking that ancient humans were ignorant and foolish so they believed any impossible thing is the arrogance of guys born in the modern era. Just because they happened to be born later. In reality, regardless of the era, humans are always like that."

Thus, the canine Fido speaks of humanity.

"It was Lou-sama's Grandfather who later moved into the mansion with such rumors."

Luciolla was trying hard to nod un-un in affirmation of Ursna-san's words.

"Well then, Young Mistress, I will go prepare the bath now. I will call you when it is ready."

Finding a break in the conversation, Ursna-san left the spot quickly.

The conversation continued even after she left.

"Did Lou's grandpa move to this island alone?"

"Si. Grandfather spent many years adding to the building to make it livable... apparently. ...Apparently?"

"Could the round windows and moon paintings in the guest rooms be part of that?"

"Saku, saw? Moon, lovely."

Luciolla looked proud, as if it were about herself.

"Yeah. The view through the round window is an interesting idea."

"Grandfather was shocked... impressed by temples in Kyoto City, Japan, and asked carpenters specially. It was very special."

"Is that so?"

"Hey, Saku's birth country, Japan. Right? If Grandfather were alive, surely would have been overjoyed and bombarded with questions."

"I would have definitely liked to meet him."

When I get killed next time, I wonder if I can meet him in heaven even for a moment.

While I was thinking such silly things, Lilitea threw a question from an unexpected angle again.

"Excuse me, but could Luciolla-sama's Grandfather be the painter Mr. Eliseo de Sica?"

At the sudden question, I tilted my head for a moment. But Luciolla's face clearly brightened.

"Wah. Lilitea-san, know him?"

"Yes. A wonderful artist."

"Hee! Grandpa was an amazing person!"

Belka also harbored innocent interest.

"Mr. Eliseo de Sica was hailed as a genius who suddenly appeared in the art world in the late 1970s. It is said he left many masterpieces using a unique method of painting large things small and small things large—also."

"Ah. If I recall, he publicly stated his influence from Goya's Romanticism and Eastern Ukiyo-e. He didn't seem that recognized in Japan, but in Europe, every art museum displays at least one—wait, does that mean Sensei realized it too? Tell us!"

As expected of Fido-sensei. A dog, yet knowledgeable about art history.

I looked at the old man in the photo on the desk again. It's a surprise he was such a big shot.

"Si. Grandfather, the person who painted."

"I thought that might be the case."

"But Lilitea, how did you know?"

"The paintings displayed in the entrance hall. I recognized those paintings."

"That huge painting? The one with the Siren?"

"Yes. That painting was announced last year as Eliseo de Sica's first work in several years and should have attracted attention in the art world. The title was surely..."

"Sea-Wraiths of the Azure Swim."

Luciolla offered a lifeline to Lilitea, who was speaking from memory.

"Sea-Wraiths?"

It's a mysterious word I've never heard before.

"Grandfather's coined word... so, meaning Lou doesn't know either, but, Grandfather painting that picture, was almost scary. But Grandfather, immediately after that, went to heaven."

"I did not know he had passed away. I pray for his soul—"

Luciolla nodded quietly at Lilitea's words. Somehow, I felt a nobility in the casual gestures of these two.

"Eliseo de Sica's posthumous work, into which he poured his heart and soul, huh. That..."

Many people would want it.

I didn't voice the second half. But Luciolla said this as if reading my thoughts.

"Grandfather, when announcing that painting, added these words. Transfer the Sea-Wraiths to the one who sets a proper value—"

"Proper value?"

It was a phrase commonly used in buying and selling, but in this case, it held a somewhat mysterious ring.

"Does that mean set a price Eliseo-san would accept?"

"That is also... hatesate... in other words, Lou doesn't know. Grandfather's true intent. But that is the testament."

Anyway, it seems things were done in accordance with Eliseo's will.

A little curiosity worked up regarding whether a buyer was found or what the price became, but I decided not to ask further.

At least the Sea-Wraiths of the Azure Swim is still displayed in the entrance hall like that. And precisely because of that, we were able to see such a valuable painting, so let's just be happy about that for now.

"The many paintings displayed here and there in this mansion were also ones I had never seen, but the brushwork was the same as Mr. Eliseo's, so I inferred that this might be his home."

Paintings. Indeed, countless are displayed. In the entrance hall, in the corridor.

And in this room too—that is.

"I apologize, Luciolla-sama. It has been on my mind since I entered the mansion."

My assistant seems to worry about details constantly without my knowledge.

"No. Don't apologize."

"However, I didn't know Eliseo had died either."

Fido was also surprised by the great painter's death.

"That was also Grandfather's testament. Even if dead, don't announce to world, want name, works, everything to weather away."

"So no one has been notified?"

"Si."

Luciolla nodded slightly at my question.

"Grandfather, disliked society since long ago, lived like silence on this island as if turning back on it. To no one... didn't tell location to other painters or art dealers."

"So it was like a secret hideout."

"And, Grandfather painted many works in this mansion, never announced anywhere."

"Could that be the many paintings displayed all over the mansion?"

"Si."

"I've seen a few of Eliseo's paintings, but the paintings in this mansion are all ones not seen elsewhere. Did he possess that number of paintings without selling them anywhere? If the art dealers learned of Eliseo's death and the existence of this mansion..."

I understood well what Fido was trying to say. Surely, everyone and anyone would flock here to appraise them.

"Grandfather said. All fail... works not for sale. Trash. But... Lou doesn't really understand."

They didn't look like failures to me.

"He displayed failures on purpose?"

"Said this. Failures are mirrors to not forget your own worthlessness."

An eccentric person.

"Eccentric person, right?"

"No... well."

"It's okay. Truth. Didn't try to open up to anyone..."

"Was he a person who kept others away? Ah, maybe, that's why he dared to choose this island?"

This is a place people are scared of and don't approach.

"Si. But, not just that, maybe sea legend everyone scared of, Grandfather attracted to something in his own way... maybe... Lou thinks..."

"So he painted the Siren and displayed it in the hall... huh."

"I think this was surely a secret paradise for Grandfather. Because, why, Grandfather always called this island this when referring to it–Gallery Island."

I see; he gave it a painter-like name.

Perhaps because she talked a lot about her grandfather, Luciolla wore an expression like she was recalling distant memories.

"...By the way, Lou, you said you liked this island too, right?"

"Like."

"In other words, the Siren that rough sailors fear, you aren't scared of at aaaall?"

"Of course. Fine. It's fine."

"Even on a stormy night like today when it looks like something might come out?"

"...No fear. U-Ursna is here too..."

"I see. Then... how about a zombie that revives even if you cut or burn it!?"

"Yaaah!"

At my truly cheap threat, Luciolla let out a cute scream.

"Sakuya-sama."

"Sorry, sorry. Lou's reaction was funny, so I just..."

But Luciolla was scared for only about the first second, and the scream turned into adorable laughter.

"Agyaa!? Wh-What was that scream just now!?"

Yuriu, who had started dozing off on the bed, jumped up.

"Ca-Case? Is it a case!? ...No? Ah, excuse me."

Seeing that, Luciolla laughed again.

"Ah-ah, I wish everyone would just live here forever even after the storm passes."

Because that smile was so innocent, the words Luciolla leaked felt like they caught me off guard.

And it seemed the same was true for her, having spoken the words.

"Just... talking about making shirt without needle or seam... ehehe."

I understood that it was a metaphor for something impossible.

Her smile to gloss it over couldn't be called skillful.

And there, Ursna-san entered the lounge again.

This time, she wore a slightly anxious expression.

"Ursna-san, is something wrong?"

"Actually... I could not find that man, so I was searching for him..."

"By that man, could you mean Herbie-san?"

"Yes. He didn't appear even after the meal cleanup was completely finished, so I got worried about what he was doing and went to peek in his room. And then... there was this on the bed."

What she held out was a slip of paper. Sentences were written in English.

It was content that couldn't be lightly overlooked.

—I saw it. The Siren. Leaving the island before the storm strengthens.

At that bizarre sentence, we were lost for words for a moment.

"Is this... Herbie-san's note?"

"Yes. His luggage was also completely gone."

"Saw the Siren... he says... L-Lie... right?"

Belka looked around at everyone uneasily.

"Does he mean... he saw something during the photoshoot?"

"That bothers me too, but more than that, it's this right now, Belka. It says leaving the island. But outside is already this storm."

Looking at the wind outside, it was safe to say the storm had fully made landfall.

"It goes without saying, but it means to leave the island besides a boat... there are none, right?"

Ursna-san nodded at my question. It really went without saying. This is a small isolated island. No bridge, no flights.

"The dock is down the slope extending from the front of the mansion. That is the only dock on the island."

In that case, it would be reasonable to think he had already left the mansion and headed for the dock. But moving a ship in this weather is reckless.

"I doubted his sanity too. So, thinking he might still be inside the mansion, I was searching around."

"But he wasn't found?"

"No..."

A momentary pause. Everyone was contemplating Herbie's note.

"Um, Ursna-san. Come to think of it, a separate wing is built right next door, isn't it?"

In the midst of that, it was Yuriu who voiced a simple question.

"The West Wing. Yes. That is not normally used as a residence."

So the place we were in was the East Wing.

According to Ursna, the West Wing is also three stories high like the East Wing, and many of the late Mr. Eliseo's art supplies and trial works are stored there.

"Both wings are connected by a connecting corridor at the south end of the first floor. There is a back entrance on the north side, but that key seems to be lost, so it has remained closed for a long time."

It seems the East and West wings form a U-shape overall.

"However, I do not think that man is in the West Wing. The connecting corridor is closed by a door. When I checked earlier, the door remained locked."

"Where are all the keys kept?"

"In the key box there."

Ursna-san pointed to a wooden key box beside the stairs.

Opening it to check, many keys were hanging inside.

Keys for each room. Study, bathroom, kitchen, dressing room, and so on; names were written clearly on each.

The key labeled 'Connecting Corridor' was also among them.

"Then Herbie-san really did go outside the mansion."

"Honestly, if that man leaves the island, I would be happy and relieved, but I cannot simply ignore someone risking danger right before my eyes."

"Is there—only one boat?"

There, Lilitea spoke from a different angle. But Ursna-san seemed unable to gauge her intent.

"How many boats owned by the mansion are on this island?"

"Ah, correct. Just... just one."

"And the Zavattini family?"

"I picked them up by boat and brought them to the island."

"Is that so? Sakuya-sama, if I recall, Herbie-san said he hitched a ride on a fishing boat from another island."

"Right! The boat we came on is currently broken and can't be moved. So the only one that can go out now is the mansion's boat!"

"That is a problem! If that boat is stolen, we will lose our means of transportation to land!"

That means, at least until we finish repairing our ship safely, no one can leave this island, and during that time, even if there are injured or sick people, we cannot ask for help.

"That man! How much trouble does he need to cause to be satisfied! We might still make it in time! I will go check immediately!"

Ursna-san tried to rush out from the open room door.

"Do you intend to go to the dock?"

Belka hurriedly stopped her.

"It's dangerous alone. I'll go with you!"

"That is reassuring but... would it not be a bother...?"

"It's fine! Can't leave it be! Sensei!"

Belka raised her fist bravely. In contrast, Fido turned away saying, "I don't want to move."

"Humans can do as they please among themselves... Wait, Sensei! You won't go with me? W-W-What to do..."

The moment she realized Fido wouldn't accompany her, Belka's eyes began to swim amusingly. Eventually, those fully swimming eyes locked onto me.

"Sakuyaaa... ehehe... how about, together?"

What kind of invitation is that?

"Sakuyaaa!"

"Okay! I get it. I'll tag along too."

"Yay! Thank you! Friend!"

When I nodded with a sigh mixed in, Belka rejoiced to the point of embarrassing me and wrapped her arm around my shoulder, slamming her body into mine.

Close, too close. Does she have no concept of boundaries between men and women?

"Did something happen? Seems quite noisy!"

Hearing the commotion, Lyle and Dmitri poked their heads out.

"It was so noisy I thought the storm had come inside the house!"

The one saying that, Lyle himself, is the noisiest.

"What? That cameraman can't be found? If that's the case, I'll lend a hand!"

When we explained the situation, Lyle also volunteered to search for Herbie.

"When in trouble, we help each other! Right? Dmitri."

Saying that, he slapped his son's shoulder. But Dmitri frowned and blatantly rejected it.

"No way. Just leave some guy we don't know alone. He came on his own, stayed by force even after being told to leave repeatedly, right? It's his own fault."

"Hey! Dmitri!"

"I'm not a demon either, so as a fellow human, I'll pray for his safety. See ya."

Shaking off Lyle's hand, Dmitri went back toward his room again. Faces don't resemble much, but personalities are opposite too. Unlike his father, he has a very dry personality.

After seeing off his son, Lyle scratched his head apologetically.

"My apologies! A difficult son who won't listen!"

"Seems to be having quite a hard time."

"I can't say it in a loud voice! So I'll speak as quietly as possible! Dmitri is my wife's child from a previous marriage! Maybe because of that, he won't open up to me easily!"

He whispered in a sufficiently loud voice, and I understood various things.

I see. I thought they didn't look alike as parent and child, but that's why.

"Now, this isn't the time to be chatting! In that case, let's split up and search the dock and the mansion surroundings!"

Lyle took charge of the scene as if pulling himself together.

"If the boat is still tied to the dock, it means Herbie is still somewhere on the island. It would be terrible if he slipped and couldn't move!"

His proposal made sense, so that plan was adopted.

"Right. Then Ursna-san, Lyle-san, and Belka to the dock. Lilitea and I will search around the mansion—"

"Of course, the dear detective's disciple Haigamine Yuriu will also join you!"

Yuriu raised her hand and asserted herself as if this were her moment.

"Eh? You plan to follow?"

"Disciple, disciple!"

She asserted further.

"O-Okay."

Truthfully, I didn't want to let her do dangerous things, but arguing here would just waste time.

"Then I will hurry and get rain gear and flashlights!"

Just as Ursna said that and tried to run, Luciolla tugged on her sleeve.

"Ursna, Lou help too."

"No. Young Mistress, please wait inside. Outside is dangerous. If your wheels get stuck in the mud, you will fall."

"But..."

"Please understand."

"...Si."

Luciolla resisted for a moment, but eventually accepted Ursna's persuasion and backed down.

Ursna kissed Luciolla on the forehead.

"Ursna is happy that the Young Mistress is a good, sensible girl."

It was somewhat like watching a scene from a movie.

As I gazed at the master-servant relationship between the two, Lilitea softly whispered from beside me.

"If Sakuya-sama were that sensible, Lilitea would be relieved too."

"T-That can't be helped. I hate dangerous things too, but position-wise..."

"Your position as a detective, is it?"

"Yo-You're making a scary face again. Lilitea, come on, smile, smile."

Trying to soften Lilitea's slightly sullen expression, I pulled on her cheeks to make a smile.

Lilitea showed no sign of resisting, but in the end, she said this with a terribly cold gaze.

"Lilitea is sad that Sakuya-sama is a disobedient child."

In the distance, from the direction of the lounge, the six o'clock chime of the wall clock could be heard.

□

Borrowing raincoats, we stepped outside to be greeted by fierce wind and rain.

Lilitea, Yuriu, and I took a counter-clockwise route aiming for the south side of the mansion, while Ursna-san, Lyle, and Belka headed for the dock.

With me holding a flashlight in the lead, Lilitea and Yuriu followed.

"Herbie-saaaan!"

I called out, trying not to be drowned out by the strong wind. No answer came back.

"Is that the connecting corridor leading to the West Wing?"

Through the wind and rain, I could see the corridor connecting the East and West wings. The distance was about five meters, so it was short for a corridor.

A strong wind was blowing up between the two adjacent buildings, acting like a wind tunnel. The sound of numerous window panes creaking in the wind sounded like human screams.

Rounding to the back of the West Wing, I shone my flashlight up at the building and realized something.

"They're here too, huh."

Those talismans. Several of those pointed objects were also adorning the outer wall of the West Wing.

At the back, the distance between the building and the stone wall was close, and a narrow path just wide enough for two or three people extended straight south.

—I saw it. The Siren.

Herbie's note came back to mind.

"Lilitea, do you think he really saw a Siren?"

"It might be a metaphor for something."

"True. When we first met him in front of the mansion, he didn't seem strange."

"Yes. If he saw something, it would have been after that."

Just what did he see...?

"Wah. The sea! It's close."

As Yuriu said, peeking over the stone wall revealed the sea right below. There was barely two meters of clearance from the sea surface. Spray looked ready to splash onto our faces.

"Ahyaa. It'd be terrible if you fell. Smashed against the rocks in agony, then instantly it's the dark bottom of the sea for all eternity."

"Your description is scary!"

Exchanging words occasionally, we advanced carefully.

Step by step, searching for Herbie.

Has ten minutes passed since leaving the mansion?

Eventually, I saw a light on the other side of the path.

Just as I thought "Oh," a scream of "Kyan!" came from that direction.

"It appeared! A Will-o'-the-wisp! Help me!"

It was Belka's voice.

She must have mistaken our flashlight beam.

Ursna-san and Lyle were there too.

"It's us."

I approached and called out, turning the light to reveal Belka's tear-streaked face.

"Don't scare me! Sakuya, you should cherish me more!"

"My bad. Belka, how was it on your end?"

While soothing the sniffling Belka, I asked for their results, and she yelled, "Don't ask me how!" and brought her face close.

"We got separated and scattered on the way to the dock, it was terrible! Right, Ursna-san!"

"Were you okay?"

"Yeah. There was a path through tall grass to the dock, but before I knew it, I was all alone and got scared... I wandered around looking for Ursna-san and the others for about five minutes..."

And Sensei isn't around at times like that... Belka grumbled.

"Since I had no choice, I used the mansion lights as a landmark and just headed toward the sea. Then luckily I came out at the dock. It worked out somehow."

"I am sorry. My guidance was careless..."

Ursna-san bowed her head apologetically regarding that.

"Around there, you have to pass through a path in the bushes where the grass is overgrown... it was around there."

"My apologies! I got lost too! I'm confident in my eye for gems, but my wife often tells me my sense of direction is utterly regrettable!"

Lyle also apologized boldly. Looking closely, wet bits of grass were stuck to his suit.

"No, not at all. Visibility is poor enough as it is, and on such a stormy night."

"When I waited a bit at the dock, Lyle-san and Ursna-san arrived later, right?"

Belka added.

"So, how was the boat?"

"Right! The boat! It was gone as expected! When we checked, the mooring rope tying the boat had been untied! No doubt it's the work of that person, Herbie! We came back in a hurry to tell you."

"I see..."

Meaning Herbie had already stolen the boat and fled the island.

"Then it seems this was a wasted trip for us."

"So it seems! Well, I didn't do anything but get lost though!"

"Lyle-san, please be quiet for a moment."

"Harsh, young Sakuya!"

"Anyway, let's wait quietly for the storm to pass, then hurry to repair the boat we arrived in. If the boat is fixed, we can take Lyle-san and everyone to Palermo Port too."

"That would be helpful! But that photographer does reckless things!"

"Sakuya-sama."

At that moment, Lilitea called my name louder than usual to be heard over the wind.

"Something is caught over there."

She pointed to the sea below, leaning out over the stone wall.

Violent waves were constantly crashing against the quay. Squinting, I saw something bobbing up and down repeatedly in the strong waves.

"Is that... trash? No..."

A shoe.

The moment I realized it, a chill ran down my spine.

Because I recognized that shoe.

Red trekking shoes.

"Those are the shoes Herbie-san was wearing!"

"What did you say!? Then did he fall into the sea...? But the boat was gone!"

"When we first met, Herbie-san climbed onto the stone wall and was snapping photos obsessively. He probably did the same thing here, got caught by the wind, and fell. That would be reasonable to assume."

"No, wait...! Isn't that strange?"

Lyle wore a serious expression and shone his flashlight at his feet.

"From what I can see, there are no traces of Herbie's footprints here. I didn't see anything like that on the way here from the dock either! How about you?"

Now that he mentioned it, I hadn't seen any.

Even though our footprints from walking were clearly left in the mud.

"How did Herbie get here?"

"That is..."

As I was pondering, Lilitea suddenly kicked off the ground and climbed onto the stone wall, startling me.

The strong sea breeze blasted her face. Her raincoat hood blew back, and her platinum white hair danced.

"What are you doing, Lilitea! Standing there is dangerous!"

"I am aware. However, Lilitea is concerned about that."

"If it's about the shoe, forget it. Even without risking danger to retrieve it, seeing it from here, there's no mistake it's Herbie-san's..."

"No. Not that."

Before I could stop her, Lilitea jumped down to the other side of the stone wall. I thought she might repeat Herbie's mistake, but she didn't.

With extraordinary agility, Lilitea descended the rocky area, picked something up from a crevice in the rocks, and returned to us choosing only sure footing. It was a feat of mere seconds.

"Don't scare me like that..."

"I have retrieved it."

Lilitea handed me what she picked up with a cool face.

"This is..."

A camera. The SLR camera Herbie was using.

"It was caught between the rocks. Likely due to the impact of the fall. It is badly damaged."

"Looks like it. So Herbie-san really did fall into the sea from here..."

"Sakuya..."

At that moment, this time Belka called my name with a trembling voice.

"Hey..."

"Belka, this is an unfortunate accident. It's no one's fault."

"Not that... Herbie-san... didn't fall into the sea."

"Eh? Really? But why do you think so? Sure, the missing boat is concerning, but actually, the camera and shoe are here like this..."

"Because... because! He's right there!"

"...Eh? What... did you say? Can you say that again?"

I turned around while asking back.

Belka was staring toward the mansion, leaning her back against the stone wall.

Specifically, looking way up.

"Right there! But... why!? Why is a person in a place like that!"

Looking up, a man was hanging there.

At a position equal to or higher than the third-floor windows.

I knew immediately who it was.

"Herbie... san."

The photographer Herbie.

He was hanging upside down, his abdomen pierced by a sharp iron spike protruding from the mansion's outer wall.

What pierced him was—that talisman harpoon.

Not only that, Herbie had completely lost both legs from the thighs down. As if they had been bitten off by something.

"N-No way! Oh my god...! Is he dead? Really!?"

Ursna-san raised a voice close to a scream.

Dead. Herbie is already dead.

There was no need to check. The moment I saw him, as a fellow human, I knew intuitively.

Herbie looked down at us with lightless eyes, blood dripping from his silent mouth, simply swaying in the storm. His lost legs were nowhere to be found.

"No way... he didn't... fall into the sea... nor did he leave the island by boat..."

It was neither.

"A person at that height... Just what happened to end up like that...?"

Lyle covered his mouth with his hand, eyes wide open.

"A-Accident! Surely it's an accident!"

"How could a human end up like that in an accident! That's roughly seven or eight meters above ground!"

"S-Surely he slipped and fell from the roof!"

Faced with such an abnormal situation, a small argument broke out between Lyle and Ursna-san.

"Roof? That roof? But from the looks of it, the eaves seem to protrude quite a bit! If he slipped from there, a person should fall in a parabola right around where we are standing! Getting caught in a place like that is physically impossible!"

"But...!"

"Let alone being slammed hard enough to be pierced through, it's impossible! I can only think... some tremendous force attacked him!"

"...Siren."

The one who muttered was Lilitea.

She had continued to stare alone at the open sea even during the argument.

"Lilitea...?"

"Can you not hear something?"

"Eh?"

We closed our mouths and each strained our ears.

...Yuhiiiee... ...ii...

Then—faint though it was, mixed with the sound of waves and wind, we certainly heard a sound we had never heard before.

"Hey Sakuya... th-th-is this..."

A sound with blurred outlines, neither direction nor identity clear.

No, rather than a sound, it sounded like someone's voice.

Specifically, like a singing voice with a fixed pitch.

"This is... where on earth..."

"Y... Yaaaahh!"

Immediately after, perhaps unable to bear it anymore, Belka screamed and fled from the spot.

"Eh? Eh? Hey... w-wait, Belka-chaaan!"

Perhaps infected by that fear, Yuriu started running too.

"Both of you! Running blindly is dangerous!"

"Ouch! I fell! W-Wait!"

And so, the two of them disappeared from sight in an instant.

"No choice... let's return to the mansion once too."

"Agreed! I don't think I can make calm judgments in this place either!"

We decided to regroup and headed back the way we came.

By that time, that singing voice had already ceased.

Chapter 3: Here is Fine

"Sirens are just fairy tales!"

As soon as we returned to the East Wing, Ursna-san raised her voice.

"The sound just now... was surely a ship's whistle passing nearby or something..."

"I want to think so too. But..."

Would a ship pass through in the middle of a storm like this?

Asking her that, I took off my raincoat and hung it on the hanger pole by the entrance. Water dripping from the coats created a puddle on the floor in no time.

"Sakuya-kun, what do you think? Do you really believe Herbie was killed by a Siren?"

"No. If that wasn't an accident, then it must mean someone living in reality did it."

"...Then Whodunit, Whydunit, and Howdunit did they kill him?"

He proceeded with the conversation using typical phrasing.

Come to think of it, I heard Lyle likes mystery novels.

"This island is now a textbook Closed Circle thanks to the storm! Though, even without the storm, there are no movable boats on this island anymore! And the ones staying here are my family, Young Mistress Luciolla, and Ursna-san. And your group!"

"The suspects are limited. Is that what you want to say, Lyle-san?"

"I believe that is rational thinking! Putting aside the absurd deduction that it's a Siren's doing... oops, sorry! I got heated and raised my voice!"

Lyle, who was always loud, apologized as if returning to himself.

"I have a bit of a hasty side. A habit of rushing to conclusions!"

He wiped his wet hair with both hands and fixed his disheveled hair.

"Yo, detective. Making deductions with enthusiasm, I see."

While we were discussing, Fido came toward us from the south corridor where the lounge was.

"Fido, it's terrible. Herbie-san is..."

"Dead, right? I heard from Belka. And on top of that, the boat was gone too."

He understood the whole situation without waiting for our explanation.

"That's right. And he wasn't just dead... Huh? By the way, Fido, how are you speaking right now?"

Right now, Belka isn't by Fido's side. Yet I can converse with Fido.

"My chicken assistant is over there."

Fido jerked his chin toward a large vase displayed in the corridor behind him. Looking closely, I could see Belka crouching and hiding in the shadow of that vase.

"She found a corpse and ran away alone, didn't she? Sorry for the trouble. I barked at her good just now, so forgive her. She's always been all talk and useless when it counts. Right, Belka? Show your face already."

Harsh words. Moreover, thinking that these words were spoken through Belka's own mouth, I couldn't help but sympathize even more.

Eventually, Belka peeked her face out like a squirrel fearfully peering out of its burrow.

"E... ehehe. Everyone, welcome back..."

"I'm back, Belka. That was a quick escape. I have a good friend."

"T-That's mean! Why would you say that? Where did the usual kind Sakuya go..."

"And?"

"I-I'm soooorry! I ran away! I'm reflecting on it, so please stay friends!"

She's certainly a chicken, but being able to apologize properly is admirable. Or so I'll choose to think.

"It's fine. Come on, come over here."

"Y-Yeah. Yeaaah, it's really become a terrible situation."

When I smiled at her, Belka immediately regained her usual cheerfulness and ran over lightly.

"Indeed. This isn't good. My whiskers are tingling. In my experience, at times like this, bad things usually happen in succession."

Is Fido's foresight backed by his experience as a detective? If so, he must be an excellent detective after all.

Because immediately after that, the next disturbing news reached our ears.

"Te-Terrible! Shishou! Lou-chan is in trouble!"

The voice echoing was Yuriu's.

Looking over, Yuriu was waving at us from the back of the north corridor.

"Did something happen!?"

"The Young Mistress!"

Tension ran across everyone's faces. Among them, Ursna-san literally changed color.

"That is in front of the Young Mistress's room!"

"Let's go!"

Putting everything else aside, we hurried to Luciolla.

"...Hmm? This is..."

But on the way, I saw something like trash fallen in the corner of the corridor.

Something like a blue scrap of paper about the size of a pinky tip—no, picking it up, it was a part of a flower petal.

What flower is this? I had no time to think.

"Sakuya-sama, let us hurry."

Though curious, rushed by Lilitea, I interrupted my thoughts and ran toward where Yuriu was calling.

"Shishou! Over here, over here!"

The room door was open. Jumping inside, I was surprised by the strong wind blowing at us.

The window directly opposite was open, and wind and rain were blowing in from there.

Beneath that open window, Luciolla was collapsed.

Beside her lay an empty wheelchair.

I rushed over and held her up.

She had fainted. Her body was wet from the blown-in rain, shivering cold.

Water droplets falling from her hair landed on Luciolla's soft cheek and slid down.

"No way...! Lu... Luciolla! Young Mistress! Who did this!"

It was no wonder Ursna-san was distraught.

Luciolla bore fresh wounds all over her body.

"Lou! Was she attacked by someone!?"

There were raw cuts and scrapes on her elbows, shoulders, and forehead, with blood flowing from them.

"Yuriu-chan, what exactly does this mean?"

"Well! Herbie-san was in trouble outside, so... I got worried about Lou-chan, so I went to visit her room... and heard a huge crashing noise from inside...!"

Yuriu said that when she opened the door, the injured Luciolla collapsed there.

"I got surprised and instinctively called everyone..."

"Is that true?"

"I-It's true! There's no way a disciple would lie!"

"No, I don't mean anything by it. ...Sorry. I'm a bit shaken."

"You scared me! I thought Shishou was suspecting me!"

"A-Anyway, I'm closing it!"

When Belka closed the window, the room was wrapped in a strange silence.

□

"I... will go get the first aid kit and towels from my room!"

Ursna-san hurriedly left the room for her master.

Almost switching places with her, Ivan and Katia arrived.

"I thought it was noisy downstairs for a while... what is the meaning of this?"

"Oh, that girl is injured. Did she fall down the stairs in her wheelchair?"

Ivan had changed into loungewear, and Katia held a glass of wine in one hand.

"If it's just an accident, I'm going back to my room."

The one who snapped at Katia's remark was Belka.

"Listen here! Lou is in trouble! Aren't you worried? Acting like it's someone else's problem!"

"I am worried. R-Rude! Of course it's not someone else's problem!"

Katia showed agitation at the unexpected counterattack, twisting her lips to retort.

"I don't want to be told things by a little girl!"

"I'm not a little girl!"

"Big girl?"

"Right! As Yuriu-chan says! Big girl! No, wait! Hey Yuriu-chan!"

"Sorry! It just came out!"

Yuriu interjected with exquisite timing, softening the atmosphere that was about to turn hostile.

Threading through that gap, I informed Ivan and Katia about Herbie's suspicious death and the missing boat.

"Ki-Killed, you say? B-By who!?"

Knowing the situation, Ivan glared around suspiciously.

"We don't know that yet. Just when we were about to start considering it, Lou ended up like this, so..."

"Considering or whatever, it means someone here did it, right? Was it you bastards!? Wasn't it?"

"That's right. I thought you were suspicious from the start. Coming to the island suddenly in a storm."

"Did your brain ferment from drinking too much wine? Quite a rotten lady. The storm started after we came, didn't it?"

"Letting you speak, you little girl!"

"That insult just now wasn't me! Sensei said it!"

"Don't blame the dog! What nasty ventriloquism!"

While Belka and Katia unfolded their argument, Lilitea opened her mouth.

"Regarding the missing boat, what are your thoughts on the possibility that the culprit who killed Herbie-san took it and fled?"

"Yeah, of course there's that possibility too. Rather, I'd prefer it if that were the case. If the culprit accomplished their goal and left the island, it means there's no further danger for now. But..."

Seeming to grasp my thoughts, Lyle interrupted and pointed at Luciolla.

"That Young Mistress there was attacked by someone just now! It's obvious even to my amateur eyes!"

Beside the lying Luciolla, Yuriu was snuggled up as if comforting her.

"In other words, the culprit is still on this island! Isn't that right?"

"Hmph. In the first place, going out by boat into this fierce storm sea isn't realistic. I heard accidents happen easily in these waters even normally."

Regarding that, Ivan was right. We encountered terrible trouble and washed up on this island because of it.

"That's right, Father! Actually, the storm was no big threat, and they could come and go easily by boat—if such things passed, all isolated island mystery novels would cease to function!"

Lyle spoke in a cynical tone and dramatically looked up at the ceiling.

In contrast to him, Fido said quietly without twitching an ear.

"Assuming the culprit is still on this island, and yet they went out of their way to cut the boat from the pier, we can also think of it this way. The culprit cut the boat not to escape, but to completely trap us on this island."

"Are you saying... they trapped us to kill us one by one!?"

"Calm down, Katia!"

Lyle soothed his wife Katia, who couldn't hide her agitation.

The room suddenly became noisy. Perhaps hearing it, Luciolla groaned painfully and opened her eyes slightly.

"U... a... Saku...?"

"Lou! Are you okay? Don't push yourself."

Though she wore an expression of agony, judging by her condition, her life didn't seem to be in danger.

I immediately tried to lift her body to carry her to the bed.

"I'm... okay. Nsho...!"

But as if trying not to cause worry, Luciolla climbed onto the nearby bed herself using her arm strength.

"Young Mistress!"

Ursna-san returned late with the first aid kit.

"Lou, do you remember what happened?"

When asked again, Luciolla looked around the room fearfully and said:

"...Already, left...?"

"Left...? Who?"

"Lou, in room... waiting for everyone. Then, door opened and came in... a... attacked me...!"

"Calm down, Lou. What are you talking about? Came in—who exactly came in?"

"Pure white... woman...! Singing... strange song..."

While spinning words, Luciolla's eyes gradually opened wide in terror.

"Pure white woman...?"

We looked at each other's faces. But no one had an answer.

"Who is that...?"

"Siren."

Luciolla said it in a faint, fleeting voice that sounded like a lie. But she certainly said it.

"...Was there. Siren came. If Yuriu hadn't come... Lou would..."

"Siren, you say? Again!? Siren again!"

Lyle shouted angrily. But I felt the same way.

Siren again.

"Unscientific...!"

The end of Lyle's sentence seemed to fade away. It seemed he was becoming unable to laugh it off as impossible.

Looking up at the just-closed window, Fido said mixed with sarcasm.

"So, that Siren or whatever that Herbie supposedly saw escaped through that window, is that it?"

We could only stare silently out the window.

Outside was already covered in the darkness of night.

"Uuu..."

Belka squatted on the spot and slapped her own thighs pechi-pechi.

"Thinking normally... the one who killed Herbie and the one who attacked Lou are the same person... right, Sensei?"

Asked, Fido said, "Who knows," and suddenly looked at me. Like a stage actor suddenly pulling an audience member's hand to invite them onto the stage.

"Kid, what do you think? That face, looks like you have some thoughts? Eh? Eh? Sakuya, is that so?"

So, I decided to confirm something that had been bothering me for a while.

"Yuriu-chan."

"Yes?"

"I'm checking one more time, but Yuriu-chan heard a disturbing noise when you came in front of this room, right?"

"That's right."

"And then you went inside immediately. Without a doubt?"

With every exchange, everyone's gaze gathered on Yuriu. Yuriu furrowed her brows anxiously and shook her head.

"I said yes! Wh... What is it, Shishou... Just like before, why are you treating what I said like that... I'm not... lying... I didn't tell a lie!"

While replying, Yuriu's eyes visibly welled up with tears.

"No, thank you. I just wanted to confirm; I didn't ask this question to suspect you, Yuriu-chan."

"Moo! Shishou is mean! Don't mess with meee!"

It's confusing! Yuriu waved both hands up and down as if protesting.

"But... then why?"

Ah, honestly, I don't feel up to what comes next.

I took a deep breath, then turned back to face Luciolla.

"Lou, why did you lie?"

"...Eh?"

At that moment, the gazes gathered on Yuriu shifted all at once to Luciolla.

Luciolla sat up halfway on the bed, looking at me with a bewildered expression.

"Lie...? Lou didn't lie about anything..."

"You said it. A Siren suddenly came into the room and attacked you."

"S... said. Because really attacked and fell from wheelchair... Lou resisted desperately..."

"After that, the Siren fled from that window?"

"Si..."

"Yuriu-chan heard the series of noises at that time and entered immediately. At that time, the Siren had already fled from the window, and only Luciolla collapsed on the floor remained in the room."

"No, no mistake."

Yuriu nodded earnestly many times.

"What about that is a lie...?"

"Then why were you soaking wet at that time?"

"That is because Siren opened window and left, so rain from outside blew in..."

"And you got wet? But, that's strange. Combining Lou and Yuriu-chan's testimonies, from the time the window was opened until I held you up, it was at most a few dozen seconds, at longest a minute or so. Judging by the amount of rain blowing in from the window, it's strange to get so soaking wet that drops are dripping from your whole body and hair in just that short time."

"Ah..."

Luciolla stiffened her body as if hugging the blanket.

"Wait a moment! What is this? Why is the Young Mistress being questioned now? This is just like a kangaroo court!"

Ursna-san, who had been watching until then, raised her voice as if she couldn't take it anymore.

"Isn't a kangaroo court a normal court?" Yuriu muttered.

"Sakuya-san! Are you saying the Young Mistress... k-killed that photographer!"

"What, what? That girl is the culprit?"

"Shut up!"

Ursna-san yelled at Katia's inciting words. I heard her voice like this for the first time.

"Please calm down. I didn't say that. Just, why was it necessary to lie in this situation? That is important."

"Even so!"

Perhaps out of care for her master, Ursna-san's tone became even rougher.

"I see. Indeed, the carpet on the floor is damp, but it's not exactly soaking wet."

Fido stomped on the carpet near the window with his front paw, reinforcing my thought.

"When we went outside to search for Herbie-san, Lou, where on earth were you and what were you doing?"

"Lou... Lou was..."

Unable to bear the helplessness, Luciolla wandered her gaze searching for an ally.

"And why was it necessary to lie that you were attacked by a Siren?"

I felt a little sick saying this. It's a mean way of questioning.

Why was it necessary to lie? It's decided—because whatever she was doing was something she didn't want people to know.

"You were doing something somewhere. As a result, something unexpected happened, you got soaking wet, and covered in wounds. Isn't that right? Lou."

Luciolla didn't answer.

"I see... Lou returned to the room, and to cover up that her body was wet, she deliberately opened the room window and exposed her body to the blowing rain, didn't she?"

Belka also spun her brain in her own way, trying to reel in a thin thread.

"Yeah. And she probably thought that by blaming a Siren, she could simultaneously give a reason for the wounds on her body."

However, immediately after opening the window and applying the disguise, Yuriu visited the room. As a result, a discrepancy arose between Luciolla's body being that soaking wet and the passage of time.

"But, but! You know, Shishou!"

Yuriu, who had been quiet until then, raised her hand.

"Lou-chan can't walk, you know? In this storm, she can't even go outside, and no matter where or what she does..."

"That is right! The Young Mistress has had disabled legs since long ago and cannot move freely! She cannot go anywhere in a wheelchair!"

Ursna-san also asserted herself, seizing the moment.

"Mermaid Syndrome, Sirenomelia, right. I heard the story."

I lightly gestured to the photo on the desk and nodded. The old photo of Luciolla taken with Eliseo de Sica.

"But Lou, you............ actually, you can walk already, can't you?"

"Eh!?"

Almost everyone there raised a voice of astonishment. Among them, Ursna-san's reaction was the biggest.

"The Young Mistress... can walk...? Sakuya-san, what foolishness............ On what grounds do you say that!"

"As I said earlier, Lou opened that window for disguise. But, to open it, she needed to stand up from the wheelchair."

"Eh? That can't be... even the Young Mistress alone could open a window..."

"Ursna-san, after the meal, we were invited by Lou and chatted in this room. You saw the state of things when you visited midway, right?"

"Yes, I did but... what about it?"

"Did you touch that window even once after that?"

Perhaps an unexpected question, Ursna-san blinked.

"...What are you talking about? I haven't touched it. Does that have something to do with the current conversation?"

"The lock, right?"

Fido said, pointing at the window latch.

"Right. The lock. When we were invited to the room, the window wasn't locked."

Luciolla had said she doesn't lock it normally because there's no worry of people entering.

"But until just a moment ago, the window was locked."

"...Ah, that was me!"

It was Belka who remembered and raised her voice.

"I locked it!"

"Yeah. Belka locked the window. So if Lou tried to open the window after that, she would have to unlock it first. But the position of the latch is—"

Unreachable unless standing up from the wheelchair.

"If Lou can stand up and walk, her range of action expands greatly. What was she doing with those legs—"

I want to make that point clear.

"Please wait! Even if the Young Mistress can stand up, so what? Even if she cannot walk, if she grabs onto something, she might be able to stand for a moment. Just unlocking a window, with just that...!"

Ursna-san still stood between me and Luciolla, attempting to rebut. As if protecting her master.

"In that case."

A clear voice echoed in the room.

It was Lilitea.

She held the broken camera in her left hand and her smartphone in her right.

"Why not take a look at this?"

Until then, Lilitea had been outside the awareness of the people here. Because she had her own things to do.

"Lilitea, did it work?"

"Yes. Precisely, I was able to confirm something related to this case."

I accepted the smartphone from Lilitea and checked what was displayed there. Seeing it, I couldn't help but raise the corners of my mouth.

"I see. Even the sour-faced God of Mystery smiles sometimes."

"What is that painful line?"

"Eh? No good...? No good, huh..."

It was a punchline I had secretly thought up.

"Ahem. Anyway, thank you. Lilitea."

"Oi, explain so we understand."

Ivan opened his mouth impatiently at our exchange.

"What did you confirm?"

"The photos Herbie-san took on this island."

"Ah! The camera picked up outside earlier!"

Lyle snapped his fingers.

In contrast, Luciolla stared at the camera Lilitea held, looking somewhat anxious.

"That camera... isn't... broken?"

"Yes, Luciolla-sama. It is actually broken. Push or hit, it gives no response. However, the record inside this card was alive."

What Lilitea took out was an SD card for recording.

"So it wasn't a film camera, but a digital camera!"

Lyle showed a look of understanding.

"While we were discussing, Lilitea transferred the data."

"I thought something serving as a hint might be captured."

If we check it, we can know where and how Herbie walked on this island and what he photographed—his footprints.

Checking the data. I didn't specifically ask for it in words, but Lilitea, I knew you would do it quickly without being told.

Thinking that, I secretly winked at Lilitea. Lilitea wore an expression like "What is that?", but for now, she winked back twice.

"A huge number of photos were recorded on the card. Scenery of the island and sea, this mansion, and plants and animals. I have transferred only those deemed important among them to that device."

"You're roundabout. What is in the picture!"

Ivan showed irritation.

"Lou's figure."

I turned the smartphone screen toward everyone so they could see well.

What was captured there was—Luciolla's back figure standing on an unstable rocky area.

"Y... Young Mistress...?"

Luciolla had discarded her skirt, and her legs, usually hidden, were exposed.

Her legs did not have the shape of a mermaid.

They bore no resemblance to the old photo on the desk.

Two legs were separated left and right just like ours, treading on the ground.

However, neither of those legs were real legs.

"Prosthetics...!"

Lyle murmured with a face mixing surprise and sadness.

Yes. Prosthetic legs.

Where Luciolla is standing with those legs, I don't know.

Is it inside some cave? Light is shining in from above, highlighting her white skin.

What is captured beyond the rocks is the shimmering water surface.

"This is a surprise. You didn't know?"

Katia asked Ursna-san bluntly.

"I... I was hired only about half a year ago after Eliseo-sama passed away... so... I, I didn't know..."

Perhaps terribly shocked, Ursna-san was biting her lip.

Faced with Luciolla's hidden fact, I casually glanced at Lyle. Noticing, he moved only his mouth to convey, "We family didn't know either."

This person can communicate without shouting.

Even so, to expose the secret Luciolla wanted to hide for some reason in this way, even under special circumstances.

I felt a pang of guilt, albeit late. But, truly too late.

Perhaps sensing my hesitation or weakness, Fido asked Luciolla as if acting on my behalf.

"So the Young Mistress had surgery long ago and said goodbye to both legs that were conjoined from birth due to Sirenomelia?"

Luciolla seemed to be thinking rapidly and worrying about something. Yet eventually, she nodded slightly as if resolved. Her expression was completely calm.

"Three years ago... had... leg surgery."

She confessed as if resigned.

"Grandfather insisted... was very scared. But told to think of future... Lou mustered courage."

"Sirenomelia isn't just a disease where legs are stuck together as it looks. Organs should be affected too; hence successful surgeries are few, and hence patients are short-lived, I hear."

"Doctors said... not strange to be called to heaven anytime... always said."

That's why Eliseo strongly recommended surgery to his granddaughter. Because he wanted her to live.

"Seeing your healthy appearance now, seems it succeeded luckily."

"Si."

Luciolla slowly stripped off the blanket, got off the bed, and then stood up in front of us. I heard Ursna-san gasp.

"But, in the end, both of Lou's legs were lost. Had to give up."

Luciolla slowly pulled up her skirt.

"Instead, received these new legs."

Undoubtedly, what was there were left and right prosthetic legs.

The right leg was a lower-leg prosthesis attached below the knee. The left leg was an upper-leg prosthesis from the thigh down.

Since she wore black loafers, you couldn't tell they were prosthetics just by looking at the feet. But from below the knee to the ankle, exposed parts were visible.

"Grandfather, maybe sensed his own life wasn't long. So, worried about Lou left alone, so I could walk even alone..."

"The server hired before naturally knew about the surgery, right?"

"Knew. Mr. Beltwood. Person who served long time. But, that person was also very old, and as if waiting for Grandfather to pass away, far away at his parents' home..."

Apparently already passed away. And Ursna-san was the one who came after that.

"I see. And so no one knew about the Young Mistress's legs. But what is the logic behind keeping it secret even from the new maid?"

"Grateful to Ursna. Visited Lou who was all alone, even though can hardly pay money... lived in and treated me well."

"Young Mistress, that is... why did you not tell me? I...!"

"Because... Ursna said to Lou from the moment we met! Should go outside island more, go to school and make lots of friends..."

"...I said it... I said it, but that is because the Young Mistress clings to this island too much and shuts herself in..."

"If knew Lou actually can walk, would say even more than now, right!? Live in outside world! Can't stay shut in!"

"I thought of the Young Mistress's..."

"But Lou is fine here! Here is fine!"

"Young Mistress..."

Long ago, the isolated island Young Mistress was born with mermaid legs.

Eventually, she discarded the mermaid legs and obtained artificial legs that could walk freely.

But for her, the world outside the island was an object of envy, and at the same time, an object of fear—

"Lou... was scared of freedom."

Luciolla squeezed out her voice.

Her skirt left her hand, and the hem fell harari like the curtain of a puppet show falling.

It's ironic that legs that can go anywhere became a burden to her.

"Wait a moment!"

While everyone was lost for words, it was Lyle who raised his hand as if gauging the situation.

"I understand the girl's circumstances! I understand well! And that being attacked by a Siren was a lie. But remember, everyone! The crucial part is untouched! Like a sugar confection Santa Claus on a Christmas cake! In other words, ultimately, was it Luciolla who killed Herbie?"

Right. We haven't stepped into that point yet.

"If so, those wounds on her body could be thought of as sustained when fighting Herbie!"

"No! That was an accident...!"

Luciolla showed a particularly strong reaction there.

"Accident? So you do know what happened!"

"Ah..."

Questioned by Lyle, Luciolla fell back onto the bed as if pushed.

From that reaction, something clicked for me.

"...Could it be, Lou is covering for someone?"

"D-Don't know! Lou knows nothing!"

That reaction told everything.

Feeling some hesitation, I displayed a photo on the smartphone screen and showed it to Luciolla.

"Is the person... captured here?"

Instantly, Luciolla's eyes opened wide.

It was a different photo from the one I showed earlier.

However, it was clearly one taken consecutively at the same time and place.

In the photo, Luciolla had walked further from the rocky area, soaking her ankles in dark water. She was gently reaching out with both hands toward the water.

Something gigantic was reflected on the water surface.

A large—suspiciously glowing—white tail fin.

"No!"

At that moment, Luciolla came toward me as if jumping.

"Lou!"

She snatched the smartphone from my hand and ran toward the door. Though somewhat unsteady, her steps were sure.

Perhaps taken aback by her action, everyone's reaction was delayed.

"Y-Young Mistress!"

When Ursna-san shouted, Luciolla had already left the room.

"Chase her. Yes, Sensei!"

Fido said concisely, and Belka answered immediately.

"Lilitea!"

"Yes."

Of course, we weren't behind either.

Chasing after her out of the room, we saw Luciolla at the end of the corridor.

"Luciolla! Where do you intend to go!"

My voice involuntarily had force in it.

"Sakuya-sama, what is that unrefined way of calling out. It is scary."

"Eh? N-No good?"

"No good. To such a pitiable Luciolla-sama. You sound like a villain."

"Villain!?"

"Say it more beautifully like a movie. Like Lilitea did."

"Ah, forget about that time! I'll apologize to Lou later!"

We ended up chasing Luciolla back to the entrance hall. The entrance door remained closed. She hasn't gone outside.

Just as I thought that, a gashan sound echoed in the hall.

It was the sound of the central elevator doors closing.

"Young Mistress!"

Ursna-san, catching up late, pounded on the elevator door.

The elevator seemed to have gone down to the basement.

"Ursna-san, does this mansion have a basement?"

"Yes... just one room underground. But it is just a storage room. Just preserved food and old farm tools..."

"...Let's go down."

We waited for the elevator to return and immediately boarded it.

However, Ivan and Katia said they would remain on the first floor.

"We'll wait. There's no need for everyone to chase one girl."

Katia's point was valid, and though it might sound strange, I felt I glimpsed unexpected kindness in her.

But contrary to her words, her tone was light. It sounded like she wasn't attached to Luciolla. Even though they are relatives, albeit distant.

The elevator descended slowly and eventually stopped roughly.

Cold, damp air drifted in the basement room. The lighting was just two naked bulbs lit unreliably.

Old wooden shelves lined the walls. As Ursna-san said, starting with food and farm tools, unused tableware, cleaning tools, paint, and various other things were stored.

"Lilitea, watch out for spiderwebs."

"Sakuya-sama, there is a spiderweb on your head."

Luciolla wasn't in that room.

Searching more carefully, I found an old shelf behind a large boiler at the back of the room. The shelf standing against the wall showed signs of being slid sideways.

Pushing it with my hand, I found it could be moved with relatively light force due to a mechanism.

I peered behind the moved shelf.

A new staircase continued further down from there.

"To think such a thing existed..."

Ursna-san shook her head.

"Usage unknown, but a secret staircase made in the era of the former isolation facility... something like that?"

Fido went down the stairs without hesitation. Watching our footing, we followed.

The stairs were spiral-shaped, and the footing was awfully damp.

I think we descended ten meters, no, fifteen meters.

Finally, the space opened up.

The place we arrived at was a natural underground cavern.

"Here, it's the place in the photo earlier!"

Belka's voice echoed in the cavern.

Western lamps were lit here and there on the exposed rock walls, dimly illuminating the area.

There was rugged rocky terrain in the foreground, and beyond that, a large amount of water had accumulated. The light didn't reach the back, so neither depth nor distance could be fathomed.

"It continues to the back. Let's go."

We proceeded while jumping on rocks that were like stepping stones in places. Slip, and you're soaking wet.

"Whoops... Ursna-san? What's wrong?"

Looking back, only Ursna-san among the party had stopped before the rocks.

"Aren't you coming?"

"No, I..."

After showing signs of terrible hesitation for a moment, she voluntarily stepped into the water from the rocky area.

"Ursna-san?"

"It is difficult to jump across rocks like everyone else in this skirt, so I will walk through the water. Fortunately, it is not very deep."

"That's fine, but isn't it cold?"

"It is cold. But if I slip and fall, I will cause trouble for you... so!"

Just as she said that, she slipped in the water and fell.

"I am ashamed..."

Ah, she's depressed.

She seems to have little confidence in athletics.

Her clothes clung to her body with water, clearly outlining Ursna-san's surprising bodily curves.

I don't know where to look.

But thanks to that, I understood one thing.

Though the purpose is still unknown, Luciolla must have come here while we were outside searching for Herbie.

At that time, Luciolla with her prosthetic legs also avoided the top of the rocks like Ursna-san and walked through the water.

"So Lou also fell like that, got soaking wet, and sustained injuries."

Even walking normally, it's a footing where you fall like now; for Luciolla in a hurry with prosthetic legs, it would have been even easier to fall.

Being soaking wet is also explained.

"Um... if you stare..."

Ursna-san's face was bright red.

Shoot. I was staring while lost in thought.

I stuck out my tongue as if noticing something immediately.

"Ah... this is seawater. It's salty."

"Seawater? I see, does this connect to the sea?"

When I raised my voice involuntarily, Fido, who had gone ahead, reacted, "Seems so."

"Young Mistress's secret garden, huh. Quite atmospheric."

"Sakuya-sama."

Lilitea pointed.

Beyond that—was Luciolla.

"Lou!"

I shouted, but Luciolla didn't look back. Soaked to her waist in water, she was desperately shouting something toward the back.

Seen from my position, it was exactly the same composition as that photo Herbie took.

Fido lifted his face sharply and said as if convinced.

"It seems Herbie took her picture from here."

"I don't think Lou would invite a stranger to her secret place so easily. Herbie must have found this place by chance while wandering around the mansion and entered."

"Or he found that girl trying to go underground and followed her out of curiosity."

Approaching further, the words Luciolla was shouting became clearly audible.

"...No! No! Go! Run away from here! Hurry! Listen to me!"

She was slapping the water surface with both hands, trying to drive something away.

She was appealing to something invisible.

At that moment, without warning, the black sea surface rose with a splash.

Instantly, it thrust its face out from below.

"Please! Graphio!"

What revealed itself from the bottom of the water was a pure white creature, easily ten times the size of Luciolla's body.

Kyuhiiii...

When that creature recognized Luciolla in front of it, it cried out with a high-pitched, yet somewhat unstable voice.

It was that song we heard when we found Herbie's body.

Chapter 4: The World Is Made That Way

<Luciolla’s Diary>

I first met her on the day I discovered the Aquario tank.

When I say Aquario, I don't mean this island, but the natural underground cavern that remained beneath the mansion.

That was before dawn in the summer when I was twelve, not long after I finished my leg surgery.

Grandfather told me to practice walking, so I woke up early that day too and was walking around inside the mansion, but that's when I accidentally found this place.

Since then, Lou calls this place Aquario.

Seawater filled a wide dome-shaped space, and it was truly a water tank for Lou.

There was a small rift in part of the bedrock, and Lou saw the dawn sunlight streaming in from there.

"What a lovely place!"

Just rehabilitation wasn't enough, and I wasn't used to walking yet, so it took quite a while to walk up to the water. But it's a place I couldn't have come to in a wheelchair.

I wonder what on earth this place is?

A remnant from when it was a hospital, long before Grandfather moved in?

A place forgotten by everyone's memory and abandoned before anyone realized?

No. To Lou at that time, none of that mattered.

Anyway, I wanted to peek into the water right away!

My head was full of just that.

Lou sat down by the water's edge, took deep breaths over and over, and mustered all my courage.

Because for Lou, who had never swum once since birth, putting my face in the water was a first too.

Let me tell you, Lou isn't particularly a scaredy-cat. going to the toilet alone at night is fine now, and I've even chased away bees that come to the field.

...Who am I making excuses to?

Anyway, Lou tried putting her face in the water.

But inside the water was pitch black, and the wonderful world I imagined wasn't spread out there.

Disappointing. But in such a dark place, it can't be helped.

If even the sunlight would shine in, I could probably see clearly all the way to the bottom, though.

"Ah!"

Still, as I patiently continued to stare into the water, sometimes things shining kirakira caught my eye.

The glimmer of fish scales!

Just that made me feel like a vast ocean world had opened up before my eyes.

Just like the current Lou. A world where legless fish skillfully move their tail fins and swim around freely.

"There are proper fish. This place connects to the ocean outside!"

It was then that I heard the song.

A faint voice, yet one that tightened Lou's chest, just a little muddy.

Lou gasped, raised her head, and looked around.

Come to think of it, I remembered that since coming here, I had been so absorbed in the sea before my eyes that I hadn't observed the surroundings that much.

"Who?"

I stood up and strained my eyes into the gloom.

And then—there was something in the shadow of the rocks.

Drifting on the water surface. Half her body out of the water like the painting of Ophelia.

Approaching fearfully, I saw it had a body as big as a small mountain, and—and it was pure white like a summer cloud.

"Was that your voice just now?"

I didn't know if Lou's voice reached her, but she cried weakly, Kyuhi.

"Ah! You're covered in wounds...! Terrible!"

Her body was truly covered in wounds, and the surrounding water was muddy red with flowing blood.

A broken harpoon remained stuck in her flank.

Chased by fishermen somewhere?

Fought with other creatures?

I could only imagine what happened. Anyway, she seemed unable to move.

"Wait there!"

Thinking there might be something I could do, Lou climbed the stairs once and sneaked into the mansion's kitchen.

I took frozen small fish from there, put them in a bucket, and carried them underground.

It was just that, but I got sweaty, and it took quite a while.

If only I could walk better.

"Here. Eat."

I gently tossed a small fish in front of her mouth.

But she showed no sign of trying to eat.

Maybe because Lou is watching. I understand the feeling well. Lou's fork stops too if Grandfather observes my dining manners intently.

Thinking a little, Lou decided to float the bucket with the fish in the water and leave the spot for a moment. I floated the bucket right near her mouth, and since waves don't rise in the underground lake, there should be no worry of it floating away.

That day's breakfast, I was fidgety and couldn't focus.

Wouldn't Grandfather think it strange? Wouldn't I be scolded by the server, Mr. Beltwood?

Surely Grandfather must know about that underground cavern, and there was no particular reason to hide it, but the Lou at that time was convinced I had to keep that child a secret.

I wanted to make it a secret just for Lou.

After forcing breakfast into my stomach and finishing the morning studies, Lou stole away from Mr. Beltwood's eyes and went down underground once more.

Heart pounding, I peered beyond the rocks.

And then, Lou couldn't stop herself from smiling.

Kyuhi

The bucket was overturned, and the fish were cleanly gone.

From then on, giving her food became Lou's secret daily routine.

Mr. Beltwood didn't seem to notice much that the food stockpile was decreasing. He often said lately that his memory had gotten bad due to age, so maybe it was because of that.

But he was still a very strict person, and I'm still a bit bad with him.

Setting that aside, the big pure white she didn't readily open up to Lou.

I think she must have been chased by humans in various places and arrived here.

Still, as days piled up, the physical distance between the two of us shrank little by little, and she regained her energy day by day.

By the twentieth day, she had recovered enough to swim slowly around the underground lake.

The wounds closed up quite a bit too.

However, the scars left on the surface didn't disappear. Both the very old ones and the new ones.

"I decided your name. Okay? From today, you are Graphio!"

By the time summer ended, Graphio was completely healthy too.

Lou had various things to do every day like studies, piano practice, walking practice, taking care of flowers in the garden and rooftop, so I could only go see her at set times.

Still, one day when I went to see how she was doing, Graphio leaned half her body onto the rocks and welcomed Lou.

On top of that! She was holding a beautiful piece of coral in her mouth.

Could it be a present?

Did she want to say thank you for lots of food?

"Thank you!"

I thought it might be a bit bold, but at that time, Lou couldn't help but hug Graphio's big face.

Since then, she has been in Aquario all along. By Lou's side.

That is the story of Lou's first friend—meeting Graphio.

Since getting to know Graphio, I also came to want to move faster, more agilely.

I want to become able to walk and run chasing island animals, and sometimes jump.

And if my wish comes true, I want to swim in the wide ocean with Graphio.

It might be a fleeting dream, but for that, I have to eat more than now, train my body, and become much, much stronger.

□

"That... is an orca! It's an orca!"

The moment she recognized the figure, Belka shouted.

"Huge. Nearly ten meters. And that pure white body... an albino."

Quite a rare thing was hiding here—Fido said.

A pure white orca. There was no mistake it was the true identity of the giant creature in the second photo shown.

"Lou-chan! It's dangerous! I'm sure orcas are very ferocious and... sea yankees or something!"

Yuriu called out worriedly. I've heard of sea gangs, but sea yankees is a first.

But—

"Doesn't seem like there's that worry, Yuriu-chan."

There was not the slightest sign of the orca attacking Luciolla.

"Graphio! No!"

On the contrary, it looked like it was trying to snuggle up to Luciolla, who was trying to push it away.

Graphio. That must be the name of that orca.

"...Lilitea, what do you think?"

"Luciolla-sama and Graphio. The two appear to share a deep connection."

"Looks that way, doesn't it."

"Herbie-san might have come to this island targeting that orca. A globally rare albino, and on top of that, that astounding size."

"...If he took photos and sold them to the right place, it would be quite a profit... maybe?"

"Or perhaps pure curiosity as a photographer. Anyway, dead men tell no tales. Except for Sakuya-sama."

Just as Lilitea says.

"Graphio... idiot..."

Eventually, Luciolla hugged Graphio's body as if giving up, pressing her cheek against it.

"Lou..."

I walked up to Luciolla as if representing the group.

"Won't you introduce your friend to me too?"

When I spoke, I saw Lou's shoulders tremble slightly.

"Could it be... you were trying to protect that child?"

Though she didn't speak words, she nodded slightly.

"Shishou... does that mean... the one who killed Herbie-san... was that orca-san? But how?"

Yuriu's question was reasonable.

"Herbie-san was caught on the mansion wall, you know? Are you saying the orca-san walked up the hill and hung Herbie-san in such a high place?"

"I believe it literally hung him there."

It was Lilitea who answered the doubt.

"Eh? Really? Walking?"

"Yuriu-sama, orcas do not walk. Instead, it is thought that it knocked Herbie-san's body flying. Using that large tail fin."

"...With a tail fin? Poon like that? Do orcas do such skillful things?"

"They do. I have only seen it in footage, but it is said wild orcas can easily knock a sea lion weighing nearly thirty kilograms over ten meters into the air. Whether it is part of hunting or just playing, the purpose is apparently not well understood."

"Ahyaa... if hit with such force, you wouldn't stand a chance."

"This is an idea that only came up now that we know an orca was involved in this case, but I think it is the only way Herbie-san could end up in that state."

Saying that, Lilitea looked at Graphio and Luciolla snuggling up to him with a somewhat caring gaze.

Everyone there fell silent, waiting for Luciolla's words.

Perhaps realizing that, Luciolla gently separated from Graphio, bit her lip, and then opened her mouth.

"...Just as Lilitea-san says."

An expression of resignation was stuck to her face. She realized that she and Graphio had truly been driven to the water's edge.

"Graphio... to the cameraman-san..."

Hesitating to put what followed into words, Luciolla exhaled deeply once before starting to speak again.

"At that time, when I realized Graphio's figure and Lou's prosthetic legs were photographed... Lou asked him to delete the photos on the spot... But he wouldn't listen. He said he finally found it after searching for so long. Said he absolutely wouldn't delete it. Was excited saying he'd get it published in a famous magazine..."

"Searching for so long? So Herbie-san really did come to this island chasing Graphio from the start."

"Called Graphio the white devil attacking ships in seas all over the world. Said hadn't been seen for these few years, but relied on trivial information to come here."

Hearing that, Lyle snapped his fingers.

"The White Devil! I've heard of that too! I see, if he located the dwelling of the legendary man-eating orca, Herbie would be an instant hero! No matter how much you asked, he wouldn't delete the data!"

"So while arguing about the photos, it turned into something like a scuffle?"

When I asked, Luciolla pointed to the bottom of the water instead of affirming.

"Seeing Lou pushed down, Graphio suddenly put face out of water. Bit onto cameraman-san's legs... and dragged into sea... from here."

He tried to—save Luciolla.

It must have been literally an instant. Herbie would have had no way to fight back, and no doubt Luciolla had no way to stop it either.

"Graphio didn't show figure after that. From inside water."

"Then Lou... what did you do?"

"Cameraman-san's forgotten items. Dropped camera, took and went outside mansion immediately. Thought maybe Graphio took cameraman-san outside island to chase him out. Because this place connects to sea behind mansion..."

"There... what did you see?"

"Saw. Graphio sending cameraman-san's body flying high, high up."

Knocking a human body over ten meters like a toy. There is no creature on land capable of such a thing.

"The sent-flying cameraman-san pierced straight into mansion's harpoon... and stopped moving."

Herbie-san had a small build for a man. On top of that, if he lost both legs when bitten by Graphio, his weight must have been quite light.

I know this is a strange way to put it, but he must have flown quite high.

"Seeing that, Lou didn't know what to do... That Graphio killed a person for Lou... such a thing."

Luciolla hugged her own small shoulders. Her body was trembling minutely.

"But, decided immediately. Lou must protect Graphio. Must hide that Graphio killed a person, and that he is here..."

"So you impulsively threw the camera into the sea from that spot?"

"Si. As Fido-sensei said. But, Lou's strength wasn't enough, and it got caught on rocks midway... Should have thought more about where to throw..."

Everything was a sudden event. She likely had no mental preparation or readiness.

In such a situation, asking a fifteen-year-old girl to take flawless action is impossible.

"Then wanted to make it look like cameraman-san fled island, went to dock and released boat to sea. Loaded cameraman-san's luggage on boat... Then rain started falling, so hurried back to mansion, went to cameraman-san's room... left note."

She probably thought that if she claimed he saw the feared Siren around here, it would become a reason for Herbie to flee the island in a hurry.

"Cameraman-san's body... intended to hide secretly somehow later... but Lou alone couldn't possibly lower him from such a high place. Besides, storm came right after, and couldn't do anything anymore... I'm... sorry."

"So it was all disguised by you. While we were guided to guest rooms or exchanging greetings at the meal, behind the scenes—"

"Asked Ursna about lunch time beforehand, so, hurriedly got ready and went to everyone in wheelchair. Was heart-pounding all the time wondering if anyone would think it strange Lou was out of breath."

"I see. At that time, Lou's face being red wasn't due to nervousness, but because it was after moving around desperately."

"Was scared. Scared, anxious, unbearable feeling. Even so, Lou... wanted to protect friend."

Her one and only, first friend.

"Young Mistress..."

"Sorry, Ursna."

"Please do not apologize!"

Ursna, who had been suppressing her emotions silently behind us until then, finally raised her voice at her master's words.

"I am on the Young Mistress's side anytime!"

"...Grazie. Thank you."

After watching the two, Lyle spoke as if organizing the sequence of events.

"Um, in other words, ultimately the one who killed Herbie was not anyone in the mansion, but the work of that orca, and Luciolla only tried to cover for her friend—is that what it comes down to!"

In summary, that's it.

"What crime this will be charged as! I can't quite judge! I know absolutely nothing except about gems!"

"At least, I have no intention of saying anything about Lou's crime."

"Then with this... the case is solved... right? Isn't it?"

Hearing that, Yuriu also looked around seeking everyone's agreement.

"Come on, Lou. Come up."

I walked up to Luciolla gently so as not to provoke Graphio.

"If you stay soaked in water forever, you'll get cold."

I extended my hand.

Then Luciolla said with a smile that looked about to cry.

"Lou's legs don't feel cold. You know that, right?"

"I'm not talking just about your body."

"...Saku..."

For just a moment, Luciolla made a face like she would cry. Enduring it, she eventually closed her eyes deeply, nodded once deeply, and tried to take my hand—

It was at that moment.

Suddenly, Graphio undulated his massive body as if wary of something, raising a splash.

"Wh-What is it!?"

Instinctively lowering my posture, I checked the situation.

"Se-Sensei! Everyone! Below! Something is coming from under the water!"

Belka shouted, pointing to the center of the underground lake.

Simultaneously, a vibration indistinguishable between a rumble and ringing in the ears filled the cavern.

The water surface swelled greatly.

Something pitch black rose up from the water.

Much, much bigger than Graphio.

It emerged at an almost ninety-degree angle and slowly fell onto the water surface.

Massive amounts of scattering spray soaked our whole bodies thoroughly.

What appeared was a streamlined object of steel—

It was—a gigantic submarine.

Surprised by its form, Graphio disappeared deep into the sea as if switching places.

"Wh-Wh-What is... this!?"

Ursna-san looked up at the suddenly appearing submarine, voice trembling.

The round hatch on the upper hull opened slowly.

What appeared from inside—no, not just appeared, but appeared gorgeously—was.

"Good day, Sakuya."

It was Chardina Infericous.

Two women were by her sides. Subordinates of hers I saw at the Crimson Theater.

"You were taking so long to come, so I came to visit you instead."

"Eh!? Then that girl is the Millionaire Phantom Thief 'Celebrity'!? Se-Sensei! Calm down, Belka. She's not the type to comfort you if you cry and scream."

"Oh my, I thought that dog looked familiar, isn't it Fido? You were still alive."

"You haven't grown a bit either. Here and there, in various ways."

"Shut up, idiot. Dog."

I wondered what high-class counter Chardina would unleash against Fido's counter, but surprisingly normal insults flew out.

"Say something rude and I'll sink you in a sea of bills."

"Did... did she say Millionaire Phantom Thief 'Celebrity' just now!? Is that girl... that prison breaker reported in the world!?"

Lyle rubbed his eyes as if unable to believe it.

"Charu... how did you know we were on this island..."

Before I could finish voicing the question, I realized the answer myself.

"I see... this, huh."

What I took out of my pocket was the smartphone handed to me by Chardina.

"Yup. That. It shows the location of Reginleiv, right? Then conversely, it's only natural Charu can grasp your position too, right?"

"So you came all the way to pick us up in a submarine thing in this storm?"

"Didn't you know? There are no storms at the bottom of the sea. By the way, Sakuya, were you perhaps trapped on an isolated island by this storm? No one leaves until the storm passes, and no one can leave? Aha."

Chardina cast her gaze on each of us, and laughed cutely as if to mock this place, this entire situation, and ruin it.

"Then look at this. Closed Circle? Charu broke through such a thing in a single breath."

This is it. This deviating feeling. The vibe of going off the rails.

This is one of the Seven Old Men.

Destroying a mystery that was solidly constructed and about to be unraveled.

"Sakuya-kun, is she your... wh-what is she? An acquaintance?"

"Lyle-san, sorry but explanations later. This is a bit, quite, very unexpected development for me too."

Honestly, I have no time to explain.

"Sakuya-sama."

"I know. If we make the wrong choice now, it will become incredibly troublesome. Lilitea, prepare to protect everyone."

"Understood."

Deciding on the action to take and steeling myself, my head cooled down too.

"Saku..."

"It's okay."

I pulled Luciolla up from the water and stood before Chardina's eyes.

"So, is Charu going to take us directly to Reginleiv? In that private submarine?"

"That was... the intention, but."

A bridge connecting the submarine and the rocky area was laid, and Chardina crossed it.

"I changed my mind. This is the Demoniac Villa, right? The secret hideout of that painter Eliseo de Sica, isn't it?"

Her face said it was natural to know that much.

"Where is the man himself? Is he upstairs? I'd like to say hello."

"Eliseo-sama... has already passed away."

When Ursna-san informed her in response to Chardina's request, Chardina put her hand to her mouth cutely, saying "Oh my."

"He passed away? Upstairs as in heaven? That's a shame. But I suspected as much. Rumors of his death have been whispered in the circles for some years, so I thought maybe. But, that's fine too. What Charu is interested in is his works."

Chardina stood in front of me, bringing her two dangerous subordinates.

"I've heard rumors. That Eliseo's phantom debut work is here."

"Debut work?"

Don't you mean posthumous work?

I glanced at Luciolla. She shook her head as if she didn't know.

"I was thinking of coming to buy it if there was ever a chance, but this is perfect. I think I'll have you show it to me on this occasion."

"Su-Such a thing cannot exist!"

It was Lyle who shouted.

"Eliseo's debut work refers to 'Woman and Night'! Currently owned by a wealthy Qatari!"

"That's the official story. Charu is talking about the real debut work."

"Yo-You say there is an undiscovered work? Ev, even if such a thing existed, buying it? Ridiculous! Considering the artistic value, it's not something you can buy with money! Go home! Go home in that grand submarine! Take care!"

"Noisy man. Charu decides when and how to leave here. Did you know? The world is made that way. Right?"

"Such unreasonable rules will not pass!"

Yuriu boldly snapped at Chardina, who brandished absurd logic.

Noticing the girl who suddenly retorted to her, Chardina wore a blank expression for a moment.

But—immediately she smiled happily and clapped her hands.

"Oh my. Oh my, oh my! Wondered who it was, isn't there a celebrity here!"

"You know Yuriu-chan?"

"Of course. Charu is a fan of that girl's acting. A great actress."

"I'm not particularly a celebrity! I return those words right back to you, tied up with a pretty bow!"

A skillful retort. Indeed, the title of Seven Old Men is more infamous globally.

"Milady, that girl pisses me off. Kill? Total-Kill her?"

"No. Altra, be quiet. Shhh."

After admonishing her strangely bloodthirsty subordinate, Chardina raised one hand lightly.

Signaling that, the anchored submarine began to move, descended to the seabed in no time, and disappeared in an instant.

"...What is the meaning of this?"

"Just put away the toy since I don't need it anymore. I decided to stay here tonight."

Stay?

"I'm saying a great sinner will become a stayer."

What is she saying?

"From here on, Charu will join the play."

"Play? Such a ridiculous thing..."

At that moment, a scream-like shout suddenly echoed in the cavern.

"Te-Terrible! Hey!"

Looking back, Katia came running down the stairs as if tumbling.

"What is it!? It's terrible here too!"

Lyle showed irritation.

"There's no place on earth more terrible than here right now...!"

Katia seemed to have no leeway to notice the bizarre situation here, appealing with a pale face.

"Dmitri is... Dmitri is...!"

"What about Dmitri!?"

"Killed by the Siren!"

That symbolic phrase echoed around us multiple times.

What was left after was only an uncomfortable, elusive silence.

Killed by the Siren...?

The case should have been solved—.

The one who killed Herbie was Graphio, and all disguises were Luciolla—.

And yet, another victim?

What is it.

What is going on with this island.

This night—.

"Oh my, seems the party still continues."

Still continues?

"That's splendid."

Amidst us who were speechless, only Chardina laughed happily. Belka criticized her attitude, which was the height of impropriety.

"It's not splendid at all! If what she said just now is true, two people have already been killed on this island!"

"Murder case on an isolated island, right? Came at a marvelous time!"

"What's marvelous about it! It's a murder case! I don't know about phantom works or whatever, but we have no time to look for such things!"

"Is that so?"

"That's right! As long as the Great Detective Fido's assistant draws breath..."

"In that case, we need the detective-san to solve the case quickly, don't we?"

Saying that, Chardina winked at me.

"Hmm... but Charu has unavoidable business in Dubai tomorrow. Sakuya, can you solve it in a hurry?"

"What do you think a detective is? Not a delivery pizza."

"What. Get motivated."

What self-righteousness.

As I was exasperated, Chardina clapped her hands as if she thought of a very fun event.

"I know! In that case, Charu will make you motivated."

"Unfortunately, I can't be baited with money. Not to brag, but I have no talent for using money."

"You, don't you get sad saying that. But wrong. Totally wrong."

"Then what on earth..."

Chardina whispered something to Carmina who was nearby. Receiving that, Carmina took out a small communication device and sent some kind of signal.

"Hey you, what did you do just now? Was the recipient the submarine from earlier?"

"Correct, Fido. I'll give you a bone later."

That phantom thief in the crimson dress provokes us to no end.

Then Chardina dared to lower her voice and said this so only I, Lilitea, Fido, and Belka could hear.

"I instructed the ship waiting offshore: Launch Tomahawk missiles at this island at 6:00 tomorrow morning."

"What did you say!?"

"I'll tell you now, once an instruction is given, it won't be overturned. Unless by Charu's words, absolutely."

"Charu...!"

"I set a time limit. There, now you have a reason to hurry, right?"

Using missiles to hasten deduction—?

An idea I can't think of as sane.

"Besides, the mystery solving became thrilling in a good way, right?"

"You just said you're staying in this mansion too. You and your subordinates will be exposed to danger too."

"That's right."

She affirms as if it's natural.

"...Besides, there might be Eliseo's debut work you want in this mansion, right? If you bomb it, that will blow up too."

"That's why, Sakuya."

Chardina pulled my ear, which I had brought close to press her, toward her instead, whispering. At a distance where she almost bit my earlobe.

"You will try hard and solve the case by tomorrow morning, right? You will solve the mystery, settle it, resolve it, and save everyone, right? Hmm?"

If you do, the mansion and the work will be safe—Chardina says.

She's serious.

There is no bluff or bravado in her voice.

The Millionaire Phantom Thief 'Celebrity' is betting her own life and initiating a game-like death match.

Current time is 8:00 PM.

The time limit is ten hours left.

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