Hello I'm back, thy leg is healed but I don't have molars anymore.
===BREAK===
"My choice of words may have been improper, but your motives are far from pure."
Patricia put her hands on her hips. "I am standing here as a lawful citizen. I've said everything I need to say. Isn't it enough that you know we're not involved in the murder?"
Neuvillette was about to press further, but Furina interrupted him: "Stop. I understand what's going on… The real issue lies in these two conditions: 'young women' and 'Fontaine nationality.' This clue indirectly points to the true target of the mastermind behind this plot. This case isn't just a simple murder—it's a continuation of the 'Serial Disappearance of Young Women.'"
"Whoa—!!"
At this declaration, a wave of shock rippled through the audience.
Neuvillette said, "But using a water tank for murder doesn't align with the usual modus operandi of the 'Serial Disappearance of Young Women' culprit."
Only Lumine and Paimon were left puzzled.
Neuvillette explained further:
"The 'Serial Disappearance of Young Women' is a major case involving multiple missing persons. The first disappearance can be traced back twenty years. Since that year, young women have disappeared periodically…"
"All the victims vanished without a trace. To this day, none of the missing have been found—not even their bodies."
"Because the discovery of these cases was delayed in time, coupled with the lack of evidence, even though the Maison Gardiennage and the Marechaussee Phantom never stopped monitoring this case, the real culprit has never been caught."
"This water tank incident targeted a young woman, yes, but it left too much trace. And the difference between a 'public murder' and a 'disappearance' is too great."
The last remark was Neuvillette questioning Furina's deductions.
"You're correct," Furina said. "But what you described is the situation after the 'Serial Disappearance of Young Women' culprit succeeded. What we're witnessing now is undeniably the result of his failure."
"…"
"I can already imagine what it would have looked like had he succeeded."
Furina took a deep breath, first responding briefly to Neuvillette, then turning to address the entire audience:
"The culprit first manipulated the selection device, fixing the lucky audience member as a young woman from Fontaine—"
"Since pre-purchasing tickets at the Opera Épiclèse requires personal information and the ticket must be collected in person before the show, Lyney's team… or the opera house's box office staff… could easily select the target before the magic performance began."
"The lucky audience member would then be confined in the magic box, which had balloons filled with Primordial Seawater on top. Once the box was closed, with a simple trick the balloons could be pierced—no great feat for a magician."
"At that moment, the water would pour onto the lucky audience member—specifically Miss Hershey. Then she would dissolve inside the box into a puddle of water."
"When the 'Exchange Magic' performance ended, the already dissolved Miss Hershey would appear on stage with the box. The unaware audience would cheer outside, while stage fireworks ignited above, setting fire to the water tank's rope. The tank would fall, hitting an empty magic box…"
"The water from the tank would wash away all traces of Miss Hershey having dissolved. The guards would rush to investigate and ultimately conclude that Miss Hershey had mysteriously disappeared…"
Patricia listened half-comprehendingly: "So that's why I was mysteriously soaked with water? I didn't realize it was that dangerous! Wait… why wasn't I dissolved?"
Furina replied, somewhat disinterested: "Because you're not from Fontaine. This is related to Fontaine's prophecy. The Primordial Seawater dissolves Fontaine residents—and only Fontaine residents."
The audience also grasped the meaning of Furina's words. Their reaction was even more intense than when they first heard about the 'Serial Disappearance of Young Women,' the noise almost shaking the roof of the opera house. Even Neuvillette murmured thoughtfully, 'Primordial Sea…'
"Silence!!"
Furina shouted.
"Do not worry. As the Archon of Fontaine, I have the power to prevent dissolution!"
"But just thinking that I let the culprit of the 'Serial Disappearance of Young Women' go unpunished for twenty years… and he used such a vile method… trampling the lives of Fontaine citizens…"
Seeing the usually lively and cheerful Archon show a rare expression of guilt, the audience was startled, panicked, then moved by a shared sense of sorrow and unease.
Collecting clues and deducing the culprit, Furina should have felt confident, but she couldn't feel happy. Still, she braced herself and continued:
"The culprit is among Lyney's team or the opera house staff. The prime suspect is the unconscious Cowell."
"He originally intended to dissolve Miss Hershey but didn't anticipate that Hershey was replaced by foreign Patricia. Since the dissolution failed, he panicked and tried to push Patricia back into the box without thinking."
"Even without successful dissolution, the falling water tank would wash away all traces of the Primordial Seawater, and Patricia would have been silenced."
"Guards, investigate thoroughly. Check the belongings of all involved, and be cautious of any liquids… Lumine and Paimon, since you're not from Fontaine, could you assist in the investigation?"
Lumine and Paimon silently nodded and followed the guards off the stage.
During the investigation, Furina returned to her office. As soon as the door closed, she removed the Sherlock Holmes coat and hat, clutching her head in pain, murmuring, "Victor, you explain the rest of the case… I…"
"You've deduced very well. You're one step away from catching the mastermind of the 'Serial Disappearance of Young Women.' Are you really going to give up now?"
"I didn't expect this opera house case to be connected to the 'Serial Disappearance of Young Women.' I shouldn't… I shouldn't have pursued my wish to play detective at the expense of the victims' lives, especially because of such a ridiculous reason as 'someone committing a crime using Primordial Seawater.' It's my fault I couldn't protect them…"
"But bringing the culprit to justice must also be their wish."
"I…"
"This case involves the Primordial Seawater and prophecy. You are the Hydro Archon. You can handle prophecy. Your determination will give everyone confidence."
"I… can I really prevent dissolution? I'm so scared someone will dissolve… I don't even dare check Cowell's luggage myself… I must have performed terribly…"
"You can prevent dissolution. The five-hundred years you've spent gaining the power to stop dissolution will not be in vain. Everything you've done has meaning."
"…"
"Now, go and bring all the culprits to justice."
===BREAK===
Like the story and want more chapters?
Join and support me by joining my Patreon!
[email protected]/SiRoasa