Chapter 7: There is Only One Thing a Detective Does

"Ah. He really came back to life."

Remembering to function, my heart started moving rapidly, and blood began to circulate through my body again.

"Ugh......"

In the center of my unfocused vision, a red flower is blooming. It's quite large for a flower.

"Is your neck okay? Did you sleep on it wrong?"

No. That flower was a girl.

It was Chardina.

She was sitting on the desk, looking down at me lying on the floor.

"Keeping Char waiting for fifteen minutes is a felony."

Apparently, it took that much time to revive. That said, as a record, it's on the quite fast side.

"Is Char... safe?"

"Is that the first question you ask after coming back to life? As you can see, Char is safe. Look, I even have legs, see? Poke poke."

Laughing, Char pokes my flank with the toe of her heel.

"Japanese ghosts don't have legs, right?"

"Was I... killed?"

"Seems so. Even in the attic, I clearly heard the sound of Sakuya's neck bone breaking."

I sat up and checked my surroundings.

Eliseo's Atelier. Nothing has changed from before.

"You didn't mention Char until the very end."

"It's not like I was protecting you or anything. Lyle-san is...?"

"He left without noticing Char. Taking that journal with him."

"I see."

Char looks strangely happy.

Lyle killed me. Therefore, he's also the one who killed Dmitri and Ivan.

How easy it would have been if I could conclude that.

—That wasn't me.

But he denied it.

Standing up and brushing the dust off my clothes, I placed a hand on my neck to check its condition.

"That skill when he broke my neck... he didn't seem like an amateur. That was the movement of someone who knows how to kill."

"He seemed to know about the Sea-Wraiths too."

Or rather, that was exactly his purpose for coming here. That's why he took Eliseo's journal, which serves as an information source.

"He must have been hired by someone to infiltrate this island. I'll ask again, but that man, what title was he visiting here with in the first place?"

"The story was that he's a distant relative of Luciolla. The murdered Dmitri, Ivan, and the couple Lyle and Katia. That's the Zavattini family. They visited this island as a family upon hearing news of Eliseo-san's death."

Char recrosses her legs on the desk.

"She has quite dangerous relatives."

Does Lou know his true identity?

No, it wouldn't be strange if she didn't.

Since coming to this island at a young age, she was raised knowing almost nothing of the outside world until today. Unless she was told by Eliseo, she probably wouldn't have any way of knowing what kind of faces or backgrounds her relatives had.

"Eliseo once took fragments of the Sea-Wraiths research data from the Soviet Union. His journal said he was hiding and storing it somewhere on this island."

"That man somehow knew of its existence and came to snatch it. In the process, he killed everyone who learned the secret... is that it?"

Dmitri—Ivan—and me.

Certainly, that's a logical way of thinking.

"Even so, laying hands on family, what an outrageous villain."

I was about to say "Look who's talking," but stopped.

"How Lyle learned the secret of the Sea-Wraiths. What he intends to do after getting it... unfortunately, I couldn't get that far out of him."

I was killed easily before I could ask.

Lyle must have thought he was chatting too much as well.

"Wait a second."

I realized Chardina was looking at me with a dumbfounded expression.

"Sakuya, don't tell me you intentionally said provocative things to make him attack you in order to draw information out of him?"

"Eh? Yes, but?"

A hunter talks the most truth when finishing off cornered prey.

Especially when they know they can 100% certainly kill the opponent afterwards and silence them.

That's why I believed Lyle's words denying the other crimes.

Because there's no human who would go out of their way to lie to someone who is about to die.

"I'll tell you as a souvenir for the afterlife"—that sort of thing.

And in fact, Lyle did tell me some information, and in fact, I was killed afterwards.

"Right. Normally, that would be the opponent's win. The one who knows the truth would be gone from this world. However, you came back to life retaining the information you extracted. Quite impressive."

I gathered information using the means available to me. That's all.

"But I'll dare say it. I'm appalled. What do you think your life is?"

"Harsh..."

I know. This isn't a negotiation technique or anything.

"If Lyle isn't doing unnecessary killing as he said, he probably won't attack anyone else, but..."

"You still have things you want to ask that man, right? Then why not ask him directly? The opponent might flip out, though."

"...I intend to do so."

Lyle should have returned to the mansion. With an innocent face, a face that hasn't killed anyone.

"Let's go back to the mansion."

"Okay. Then take me down."

Chardina reaches out her hands to me while sitting on the desk.

Pushing them away saying "Get down yourself," I left the atelier.

□

With Chardina, I retraced the path we came, feeling the sea roar and wind on my body.

Though the sky had been covered so thickly, before I knew it, the clouds were breaking, and the moon was playing hide-and-seek between them.

Thanks to that, the darkness of the night had somewhat thinned.

Looking up, there was the Demoniac Villa.

I have to hurry—

Just as I thought that, I saw something—no, someone moving on the rooftop.

There's a person on the roof of the East Wing.

Lyle?

No.

Platinum blonde shining in the darkness bathed in moonlight. A slender body leaping lightly.

"Lily!"

What is she doing on the roof in the middle of the night?

Shouldn't she be sleeping in her room? Not that I can talk.

"That child, she couldn't hold back, could she?"

Chardina, arriving late, looked up at the rooftop, placed her hands on her slender waist, and sighed.

Observing closely after she said that, there was one more person on the roof besides Lilitea.

A dangerously tall woman like a shark. Chardina's right arm—or left arm.

It's Altra.

The two approach each other, then separate, and cross paths.

That is like a duel.

No, it's far beyond "like." They are definitely killing each other.

"Did you have your subordinate attack Lilitea!"

Before I knew it, I was pressing Chardina.

"I said no. That child is doing it on her own."

Chardina smiles with a face ready to bite back.

"Just like Char visited Sakuya, she probably invited her out for a night date too. Altra must have really taken a liking to your assistant. Enough to want to break her."

I was careless.

I assumed. That the one targeted is always me.

That I'm the one shouldering the danger.

"Angry?"

"I'm not angry!"

"You are angry. Your color changes when it comes to your assistant."

Ignoring Chardina's provocation, I ran toward the East Wing.

□

In the case of the East Wing, to get out to the roof, one needs to ride the old elevator in the entrance hall.

While waiting for the elevator to come down, suppressing my impatience, someone came from the direction of the lounge.

"Huh? Sakuya, what's up at this hour?"

It's Belka.

She's holding a red vinyl sheet in her hand.

I don't have time to think about why or where she got such a thing.

"Actually, something terrible is happening on the roof right now... no, wait... um, where should I start..."

I really don't know where to start.

"I don't really get it, but perfect timing. If you'd like, help me out, Sakuya. I'm going to do an experiment now~."

Belka lifts the red vinyl sheet she was holding and smiles.

"Sensei ordered me to."

"Help you..."

Not understanding what she meant and at a loss for an answer, the elevator doors opened.

"Sorry! I'm a bit busy right now! Try asking her for help!"

"Hah? Why me!"

I boarded the elevator and mashed the roof button.

The moment the doors of the elevator I jumped into closed, I saw Belka and Chardina staring at each other awkwardly.

□

I know. Lilitea is strong.

The combat skills she possesses are not average. Even if a dozen of me gathered, we wouldn't be a match.

That's why I usually don't worry like this.

Still, this time the opponent is who she is.

A subordinate deeply trusted by the Millionaire Phantom Thief. Against Altra clad in bloodlust, I don't know what the result will be.

If things go wrong, the worst-case scenario—

The elevator arrived at the roof.

"You bastard! Hey kora! Let go! You...!"

And—it was already settled there.

"I cannot respond to that request."

Lilitea was choking Altra's neck using her thighs, and simultaneously locking one of her opponent's arm joints. To an amateur's eye, I couldn't understand what was going on at all. Anyway, I just knew she had her perfectly locked like an avant-garde puzzle ring.

"Ah-ah, how pathetic."

Startled by a voice suddenly from right beside me as I gazed at the scene before me.

Looking, Carmina, Chardina's other attendant, was standing there.

"Altra, I rubbed my sleepy eyes and followed you because you said you'd show me a perfect victory, but what is this mess? getting choked out and getting your blood pressure measured or something?"

"S-Shut up...! I'm gonna turn this around now!"

"I won't help you, okay? Feel free to faint on your own."

After sending Altra scathing encouragement, she glanced at me with cold eyes and chuckled.

"H-Hey Lilitea-chan~! R... Release this right now... or I'll tear off both your ears immediately! I'll make it so you can never catch wind of any juicy rumors again!"

Altra, having her movements splendidly sealed, can only spit poison painfully.

"Lilitea!"

It was so fierce I was a bit overwhelmed, but I rushed to the two of them.

"Sakuya... Ah."

Noticing me, Lilitea quickly released the legs sealing Altra and hurriedly fixed her skirt which had flipped up.

"Um... Sakuya-sama, there is a deep reason for this."

"Are you okay!? Any injuries!?"

"U... Um. None."

"I see..."

I lost my strength involuntarily.

To repel her without me even rushing over, truly, as expected.

"You bastard... you were hiding grappling techniques too. Are you a magician?"

Altra stood up unsteadily and slowly rotated her neck.

"Lilitea, were you attacked?"

"I apologize for leaving the room without permission. Earlier, I witnessed that person attempting to attack Sakuya-sama's room, and—"

"Ni-ha-ha. I wanted to verify if that boy really is immortal~. I thought I'd sneak a bite without telling the Young Miss. Then Lilitea sharply noticed and got in my way~ curse you~."

"Targeting me?"

"To prevent that, it became an unavoidable battle."

"Don't get mad, detective. I invited her. Since we were at it, I wanted to kill her to my heart's content where no one would interrupt."

"...So that's what it was."

While I was at the atelier, Lilitea was fighting Altra to protect me—

"So that's that, Lilitea. We're continuing, of course, right?"

"Wait. It was already settled, wasn't it?"

"Hah? Where? I'm still alive as you can see? All clear even if I see a doctor right now. Picture of health. The word 'settled' is used when someone's brain matter is scattered on the asphalt, detective!"

"Is that so. But Char said to come down immediately."

"Eh."

"She said there's a harsh punishment for a child who acts on their own."

"L... Lie! You bastard! Don't tell flimsy lies! There's no way the Young Miss would punish me so easily! No way..."

This was of course a bluff, but the effect was immediate. Bringing up her master's name, the ferocious Altra became splendidly docile.

"Also, your master seems to be helping with some work downstairs right now. Why don't you go help her quickly?"

"Whaaat!? Say that first! Hey Carmina, let's go! Young Miss~!"

"W-Wait, don't pull me!"

Pulling Carmina's hand, Altra hurriedly boarded the elevator and went downstairs. She's really energetic.

It helped that she sheathed her sword somehow.

"Lilitea, let's go back too. I have various harvests, or rather, things I want to talk about... hmm?"

"What is the matter?"

"Lilitea, there's something on your skirt. Sorry for a sec."

We were in the middle of talking, but I was so curious I picked it off. I knew what it was immediately.

"A flower... petal."

"...That way of saying it, somehow I dislike it."

Lilitea directs a cold gaze at me. But right now, I had something more concerning than that gaze.

"Come to think of it, this... um, surely here..."

Rummaging through my pocket with my free hand, another, different petal came out.

Same shape and same color. And a flower with the same scent.

"The one on Lilitea, and the one I had... matching."

"That's not the point, is it?"

I got scolded.

"I picked this up in the first-floor hallway of the mansion, right? When Yuriu-chan made a fuss that Lou was attacked, and we were all heading to Lou's room."

I had put it in my pocket somewhat curiously and forgotten about it until just now.

"But why is the same petal on Lilitea's skirt?"

" Regarding that, I believe it is likely a lavender flower blooming over there."

There was a small rooftop garden, and flowers were being grown there.

"Ah, are those the flowers visible from the West Wing roof!"

"While dodging Altra's attacks, I may have brushed against the flowers a little. I did something inexcusable to Luciolla-sama who was growing them."

It's still night, and being toyed with by the strong wind prevented me from fully appreciating their beauty, but they are blooming magnificently.

When we passed through the hallway invited to Luciolla's room, such petals weren't found.

Since they are small, the possibility I overlooked them isn't zero, but these blue flowers stand out reasonably well. If they were fallen, someone—especially Fido—would have noticed.

Then, it means the flowers fell in the hallway while we were outside.

"Lilitea, did you see lavender anywhere else around the mansion or island?"

"No."

"If they are only blooming here... doesn't that mean someone secretly came up to this roof while we were outside searching for Herbie-san?"

And like Lilitea, they touched the lavender flowers or something, and they adhered to their clothes. And without realizing it, they brought the petal back to the first floor.

"It is also possible that petals blown by the strong storm winds while we were outside adhered to someone's clothes."

"In terms of possibility, yes. But isn't that an incredibly low probability? If so, a deduction that someone just happened to be hiding a lavender flower somewhere before coming to the island and accidentally dropped it—would also hold up."

Lilitea seemed to tentatively accept my counterargument.

Hmm...?

"Huh? Come to think of it, the time we were searching for Herbie-san was surely..."

"It overlaps perfectly with the timing Dmitri-shi was murdered. In other words..."

"The one who brought back the petal is highly likely the culprit of Dmitri's murder!"

"Indeed."

Rarely, Lilitea's voice bounces.

"Right!"

Because a thin thread connected, we instinctively put both palms together and rejoiced with each other.

And careful not to let go of that thread, we thought about alibis.

Who could have killed Dmitri and brought back the petal?

As expected, a person who didn't join the search for Herbie?

No, can't say that for sure.

Right. During Herbie's search, Belka, Lyle, and Ursna-san's team said they got separated from each other for a short while.

To consider alibis more strictly, we need to keep that point in mind too.

"The ones remaining in the mansion at that time were... Lou and Katia-san, and then Ivan-san and Dmitri-kun... huh."

It would be difficult for Luciolla to go to the third floor of the West Wing with those legs.

The East Wing has an elevator and she could have gone up to the roof, but the West Wing has no elevator. Moreover, due to part of the stairs aging, one is forced to take a considerable detour to go to the upper floors.

It seems she could walk minimally using prosthetics, but still, climbing to the third floor of the West Wing within the limited time, killing Dmitri, and stopping by the East Wing roof before or after—is realistically impossible.

Excluding the killed Dmitri and Ivan—Katia actually went to the third floor of the West Wing as the first discoverer of Dmitri's body.

Of course, both her legs seem healthy.

Currently, condition-wise, she is the most suspicious. But the first discoverer is the one who gets suspected first when there are no other suspects. In fact, I also feel she is suspicious because of that.

If Katia is the culprit, why did she go out of her way to pretend to be the first discoverer and inform us?

Speaking of concerns—

"However, for what purpose did the culprit need to come to a place like this?"

When I thought that, Lilitea spoke at the exact same time.

"I was thinking exactly that too. The timing to kill Dmitri-kun was brief. The culprit shouldn't have been able to waste even a second. Why stop by the East Wing roof?"

Speaking my thoughts aloud to organize them, I walked with large strides across the roof from end to end.

Why on earth did the culprit come to such a place?

Simply put, to hide the weapon on the unnoticed roof?

But currently, nothing strange can be found.

"The rain must have still been strong at that time."

"Still, the culprit had to come here."

I reached the edge in about fifteen steps. The wet iron fence hit my waist. A gentle roof of about two meters extended in front of me, and beyond that, the West Wing of the same construction could be seen.

"Because this way was a shortcut."

Gripping the iron fence with both hands, I stared intently at the other side.

"Sakuya-sama, that is..."

"Lilitea, how many meters do you think there are from the East Wing here to the West Wing there, across the courtyard?"

Suddenly asked, Lilitea stood next to me, slightly bewildered, and measured the distance by eye.

"Five... no, a little over six meters, I would say."

"I think so too."

Leaning out a little and putting my weight on it, the gripped fence wobbled like an old man's tooth.

Just as I thought—

The iron fence of the West Wing is more aged than this one, and already missing teeth in places. And the fence is missing in the part directly in line with where I'm standing too.

Putting strength into it with conviction, part of the iron fence at my hand easily came out of the floor.

I propped the removed fence against the adjacent fence and stepped aside so Lilitea could see well.

With this, the fence is gone on both this side and that side.

Thereby, a straight path floated in the air across the courtyard.

"Do you think I can reach this distance?"

"Are you saying they jumped? That the culprit jumped from here to there, from roof to roof?"

"I don't think there's any other reason for the culprit to go via the roof. And theoretically, six meters is by no means a distance a person cannot jump."

"But it is a night with poor visibility, and in a storm. And Sakuya-sama's long jump record at school is five meters and one centimeter."

"Ugh..."

How does she know my official record.

"Certainly, the storm is troublesome. Can't say it was a blessed environment. But conversely, maybe that became an advantage."

"Why would that... Ah."

Leaves of a plant flew in front of Lilitea, who tried to argue further.

Leaves from the courtyard trees. Swept by the strong wind, they are carried to the dark night sky.

"You mean they utilized the wind?"

"Right. Same as when concealing Dmitri-kun's body. The culprit utilized the storm's strong wind here too."

Even now, wind is blowing violently through the narrow courtyard sandwiched between the West and East Wings. Occasionally changing direction, it was blowing upward from below.

"In addition, if they waited for the moment the wind direction became a tailwind and jumped, wouldn't they gain considerably more distance than jumping normally?"

"The culprit went back and forth between the roofs and accomplished the crime... is it?"

"It's possible with this route. Besides, look, perfectly suited soft soil is laid on the roofs here and there. Even if they jumped somewhat recklessly, it would serve as a minimum cushion upon landing. I suspect the culprit thought so."

And when they jumped to return here from over there and landed in this field, the culprit's body touched the lavender flowers, and petals stuck to their body. The culprit returned to the first floor without noticing, and the petal fell on the hallway floor there.

At that point, there were no more counterarguments from Lilitea.

"The problem is, who could have done such a thing—but."

"If it's Lyle-san, depending on his reflexes, he has the highest possibility."

Is that person really the culprit of everything?

"What about Ivan-san?"

"That person is a victim, no?"

"But his body hasn't been found yet. Possibility isn't zero that he faked his own death and is hiding somewhere."

"That is true, but Ivan-sama had hurt his leg."

"Ah, right. He was always holding a cane."

Besides, age-wise, it's probably impossible.

"Then there's Katia-san but... can she jump this distance?"

"If she has experience in track and field even as a woman, I think it is possible."

"I see."

If track and field experience...

"Ah! Then Ursna-san is too!"

Far from just experience, she's an Olympic representative for long jump. The world top-level women's long jump record easily exceeds seven meters.

"If we consider only whether it is possible to jump to the West Wing, Lyle-sama, Katia-sama, and Ursna-sama rise as candidates. However..."

"Yeah, this is strictly a discussion without considering alibis. I'd like to calmly list everyone's actions again, but..."

"No, Sakuya-sama. If it is just jumping across here, I think it is possible for me as well."

I froze involuntarily at the unexpected suggestion.

"Well, with Lilitea's physical ability..."

"Shall I try jumping to the other side now?"

"Eh. No, you don't have to go that far."

"...I'll stop after all."

Even though she brought it up herself, Lilitea immediately withdrew her statement. Rare for her.

"What's wrong all of a sudden?"

Curious, I asked, and she showed a gesture of holding down her skirt tightly with her hand.

"That... wind... Because... skirt."

"Ah..."

I guessed.

Upon that, I placed a hand on Lilitea's shoulder and said,

"Lilitea, let's try jumping. Summon your courage."

"I will not jump. What are you saying with those clear eyes like a dreamer."

Refused. Well, naturally.

"Just kidding. Either way, the option to suspect Lilitea doesn't exist in me. But to list yourself as a suspect candidate, Lilitea is serious, huh."

"You do not suspect me?"

"I trust my assistant from beginning to end. That is a detective."

"So."

So—she says. Curt, even though I said something pretty good.

Or so I thought, but Lilitea is hiding her mouth with both hands. She intends to hide it, but it's totally visible that her mouth is breaking into a smile.

Seems she was quite pleased, which is good.

Oops, my body is getting cold.

Let's wrap up for now.

"...Let's go down too. Belka and the others were trying to start something downstairs. Ah, but before that, I have to catch Lyle and complain to him."

I can't leave him running loose either.

"Complain? Did something happen?"

"I was killed by him in the detached atelier."

"That is... in other words, does that mean he is the culprit?"

"He's likely infinitely close to guilty (black). But honestly, I still don't know."

"Is that so. By the way, Sakuya-sama, going to such a place while I was unaware..."

Ah... Lilitea's lips are pursing.

"I-I'll tell you the details while we go down!"

Solving the case—Lyle's aim—Chardina and Altra's movements—Lilitea's feelings.

There are too many things I have to pay attention to tonight.

"I shall listen. Even so—"

"Hmm?"

"You have been killed again, haven't you, Sakuya-sama."

□

Lilitea and I went down to the second floor by elevator and hurriedly visited Lyle's room.

He must think he finished me off perfectly at the atelier, so he should be back in his room resting assured now.

And reading Eliseo's journal he obtained, looking for information on the Sea-Wraiths research data he seeks.

"Sea-Wraiths... A secret elixir developed in the Soviet Union, is it..."

Lilitea seemed unable to hide her surprise at the story I told her.

"I don't think you can believe it easily. Even I still feel like I was told a fairy tale. But there was a human moving in search of it. That is Lyle-san."

And actually, I was killed.

This grudge is quite deep.

I intentionally knocked on the door loudly.

Literally, I intended to meet him feeling like a ghost standing by his pillow.

Lyle seemed somewhat skilled in the art of killing, but it's safe if Lilitea accompanies me. Pathetic to say it myself though.

First, restrain him, then drag every single detail out of him.

Knock knock—

"Lyle-san...?"

But no matter how long we waited, there was no reply from inside.

We looked at each other silently.

"Ehh... don't tell me he's asleep? Deep sleep? Right after killing me?"

Are his nerves that thick? If so, he's worthy of respect in a sense.

"Please step back."

While I was thinking that, suddenly Lilitea kicked the door down with a short run-up.

"Wa-Wait, Lilitea. Isn't that a bit rough?"

"No, Sakuya-sama. I smelled it."

"Smell...? Ah!"

Told so, I noticed too.

This is the smell of blood.

Entering the room, the scent became even stronger.

"No way............"

A man is lying on the floor.

It's Lyle.

Lilitea immediately examined Lyle's body, but shook her head right away.

He is dead.

The man who called himself Lyle Zavattini had vomited a large amount of black blood from his mouth and died.

"This vomiting of blood, and the marks of terribly scratching his throat. The cause of death appears to be poison."

And she points to the floor near the corpse. A broken glass was rolling there.

On the table is a wine bottle with the cork removed. Probably provided by Ursna-san. The contents remain about one-third full.

A small memo paper was sandwiched under that wine bottle.

"This is..."

Checking it, this was written there.

—To my beloved wife. I am going ahead. Because I cannot seem to endure a silent world without my son. Katia, I'm sorry.

"A suicide note, isn't it."

"I... guess."

Indeed, the content was nothing but a suicide note.

A father who despaired after losing his son Dmitri committed suicide following him.

A very plausible reason.

But—

"But this is a fake."

I can assert that now.

Follow-up suicide.

I see, certainly plausible.

Surely the culprit who applied this disguise wanted to make it seem like a family-loving man committed suicide out of pessimism.

But that only functions for those who think Lyle is a good man as per his public face.

If it were Lyle the gem merchant, that might be possible, but he who called himself a treasure hunter and mercilessly broke my neck would absolutely not commit suicide. At least, not at this timing.

He won't commit suicide. Only I, who was killed directly by him, know that.

"I can't check Lyle's handwriting on the spot, but I think this was written by someone else. Just like Lou did with Herbie-san."

"If Sakuya-sama thinks so, then it must be so."

Lilitea doesn't deny my view at all.

"Then it means he was poisoned by someone."

Yes. That's right.

Lyle was killed.

Then by whom...?

Lyle said someone else did the Dmitri and Ivan murders.

Was Lyle killed by that true culprit?

"Probably poison was mixed into the contents of the bottle."

"...Right, the journal!?"

Where is the journal Lyle stole?

Amidst the confusion, I calmed myself and searched the room.

But in the end, I couldn't find it.

"Can't find it..."

"Is it Eliseo-shi's journal that Sakuya-sama said you discovered in the atelier?"

On the way to this room, I had shared most of the details with Lilitea.

"Does it mean the objective of the person who killed Lyle-shi was to take the journal from him?"

Besides Lyle, there is someone else searching for that journal—no, the secret elixir.

"That someone learned quickly that Lyle obtained the journal and got close to the secret of the elixir. So they poisoned and killed him, and snatched the journal... something like that? Which means... that journal is the motive for the series of murders...?"

Speaking like a monologue, I looked around the room, somehow retaining the remnants of searching for the journal.

But I couldn't discover anything else that seemed like a clue.

"We're getting nowhere... Lilitea, let's go. Downstairs with Belka and the others..."

"Sakuya-sama."

Just as I gave up and tried to leave the room, Lilitea stopped me.

"Hmm?"

Turning around, she was standing by Lyle and proposed this:

"There is still hope. Let us resuscitate this person."

□

The elevator reached the first floor, and the doors slid open with an imposing heavy sound.

"Ah! They're here, they're here! Sensei, Sakuya and the others are back!"

Belka was waiting by the doors, just as she had been when we went up. Katia was standing next to her.

"Belka, sorry about earlier. It was an emergency."

"It's fine, it's fine. We're all ready to go now anyway!"

"No, about that... we actually have a lot we need to tell you too..."

I wanted to share the information I'd gathered from Lyle's room immediately, but Belka didn't give me the chance.

"Yeah, yeah. Same here! One at a time!"

"Hold on, what is all this...? I had finally just managed to fall asleep..."

Katia stifled a yawn, looking utterly drowsy.

"Come on, everyone, this way!"

Belka's energetic voice echoed through the late-night hall. Perhaps hearing her commotion, Ursna appeared from the depths of the corridor.

"Everyone... what on earth is all this noise at this hour...?"

Her room seemed to be located close to the entrance hall. My smartphone clock read 5:05 AM.

"Ah, did we wake you? I'm sorry. A lot has happened... uh."

As I tried to apologize, my words caught in my throat the moment I took in her appearance.

It was unexpected. Ursna's sleepwear was a negligee made of fearfully thin fabric. She had a jacket thrown over it, but it was still poison for the eyes. Yet, she seemed completely unaware of her own destructive power.

"Perfect timing. Why don't you join us, Ursna-san?"

Belka didn't seem to care about her outfit at all; in fact, she invited her along.

"Join you...?"

"Belka, what exactly are you planning to do?"

"What am I planning? Sakuya, are you seriously asking that?"

Belka crossed her arms right there and puffed out her chest grandly.

"There is only one thing we detectives do! Deduction!"