Wayland nodded and did as he was told.
Finally, the chaotic tangle of ley line threads began to clear, revealing a distinct pattern.
He subconsciously squinted his eyes. Before him, a celestial chart shimmered into existence. It looked like the solar system diagrams from his high school geography classes, though far more abstract. He could vaguely make out the Sun at the center, with Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune fanning outward in their respective orbits.
"Wait, why is there an extra one?"
"It's the Moon," Elena replied, her expression turning pensive as she answered his confusion.
The Moon?
In the scale of the solar system, the Moon was usually an afterthought--a mere satellite. Why was it standing so prominently in this ritual's configuration?
Suddenly, Wayland's eyes widened with realization.
'The Twin Towers of Iselma!'
The magecraft of the Iselma family, a branch of the Department of Creation, was founded precisely on the duality of the Sun and the Moon. Given Touko Aozaki's recent arrival and the way the plot was unfolding, it was almost time for the banquet where the Golden Princess and Silver Princess would make their debut.
'So, the ones siphoning the prana from the ley lines are the Iselmas.' As a branch family under Lord Inora Valualeta Atroholm, it would have been child's play for them to bypass the security of General Fundamentals with the House's backing.
But what was this ritual array actually for?
Wayland felt a pang of regret for not being more thorough with the original novels. He had a general idea of the plot from reading summaries and wiki entries, but the finer details were a complete blank.
As he stood lost in thought, he felt the water around them begin to shift. The barrier Elena had established was finally giving way. As the lake water rushed in, the celestial chart flickered and vanished, leaving only the water-repelling spell to protect the three of them.
"Investigation complete."
Elena's voice cut through the silence, drawing their attention. "Our mission here is finished. The rest is for the Captain to handle. Let's head back up and meet her."
"Wait, the Captain is outside?" Louis asked, sounding surprised.
"Did you really think the Captain would miss something that we could figure out?" Elena gave him a pointed look. "Without her arrangements, do you think we could have slipped in to check the ley lines this easily?"
Wayland rubbed his nose, a bit caught off guard. Watching Elena walk away, he hurried to catch up with Louis. "Senior... that upperclassman's background seems quite significant, doesn't it?"
"Significant doesn't even cover it," Louis replied without hesitation. "In the Department of Policies, she's a legend."
The oppressive atmosphere of the depths was shattered by the warm afternoon sunlight.
The first thing Wayland saw was Hishiri Adashino watching him. He gave a small nod of greeting before casting a floating spell to pull himself out of the lake and onto solid ground.
"How was it?"
Adashino tapped her foot on the ground, and a faint, shimmering barrier dissipated.
Only then did Wayland realize the entire area had been sealed off by a bounded field.
"We have results," Elena answered.
"Then it wasn't a waste of time for the Lord to secure this window for you."
Adashino let out a breath of relief. "It's a pity no one walked into the trap. The bickering with General Fundamentals likely delayed us long enough for word to get out. I had the enforcement teams pretend to search the department while keeping a secret watch on Mystir Garden, but we came up empty."
"Perhaps it's because the culprit is confident they won't be exposed," Elena said, recalling the meticulous nature of the ritual. "Regardless, it's thanks to our junior here that things went so smoothly."
"It was all the Captain's foresight," Wayland demurred.
"No need for false modesty. The Department of Policies is a place where merit is rewarded," Adashino said. She paused for a moment before looking at Elena. "Well, Elena? Who is it?"
"The junior likely has the answer already. Why don't we let him speak?"
Elena pointed toward Wayland, who looked momentarily stunned.
'Could she really have noticed my expression in that environment?'
Wayland suppressed the shiver running down his spine and spoke. "The ritual array we found at the bottom of the lake is centered on the Sun and the Moon. I've seen this specific magical formula in the library before. It's the specialty of the Iselma family--a lineage that seeks to reach the Root through a beauty that doesn't exist in this world. The transcendent beauty of the Golden Princess and Silver Princess is famous even among the wider magus community."
"You believe the Iselmas are the culprits?"
"I do."
Adashino nodded in approval before turning back to Elena. "I recall you reporting something to me four days ago. At an underground auction, Byron Valualeta Iselma, the head of their house, purchased a cursed object."
"A relic, to be precise," Elena corrected. "A blood-stained linden leaf. And he wasn't the only one interested. Atram Galiast was also part of the bidding."
"Atram Galiast? The young man who paid a fortune to secure a spot in Fuyuki's Fifth Holy Grail War?"
"Exactly him."
Wayland remained silent, keeping his expression neutral.
He hadn't expected to run into a lead regarding the Fifth Holy Grail War so soon.
If he remembered correctly, Atram Galiast was Medea's original Master--the one who would eventually meet a very grizzly end.
And the blood-stained linden leaf... that was the catalyst for Siegfried.
The blood on it was dragon blood.
Siegfried, the "Hero of Heroes" from the Nibelungenlied, who slewed the dragon Fafnir with his sword Balmung. Legend said that while he bathed in the dragon's blood to become immortal, a single linden leaf had stuck to his back, leaving behind his only fatal weakness.
"According to the agreement, the Clock Tower has two spots for the Fifth Holy Grail War. One was purchased by Atram, and the other was given to Bazett Fraga McRemitz, the sealer from the Enforcement Division. Byron's purchase of that relic certainly wasn't to participate in the war; his family spends their lives chasing beauty. That relic must be intended for something related to the Golden and Silver Princesses."
Adashino shook her head slightly. "That's enough for now. Louis, go and notify the other teams to stand down."
Louis, who had been listening to the story with rapt attention, jumped. "Yes, Captain!"
"Then... I can take my leave as well?" Wayland asked as he watched Louis rush off.
"Don't be in such a hurry."
Adashino left him with those words before turning back to Elena. "Elena, what about your assessment?"
"He passed. Perfectly, I'd say."
"Good. I'll leave the rest to you. I need to report to the Lord and see how we should proceed with this matter."
"Understood."
Once Adashino was gone, Elena turned toward Wayland, who was still standing there in a state of terminal confusion.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]