"What a massive dining table."
As night fell and the servants summoned them, Daniel, Rin Tohsaka, El-Melloi II, and Gray arrived at the second-floor dining hall. Upon entering, Daniel's eyes were immediately drawn to the enormous granite rectangular table in the center, easily capable of seating over twenty guests. He had never seen such a table in real life—only on television.
"Good evening, Lord El-Melloi II. My apologies for not being able to greet you properly earlier."
Waiting beside the table was Hazuki Ayano of the Policies Department, who walked over with impeccable grace the moment she spotted El-Melloi II and greeted him with a bow.
"No need to be so formal, Miss Ayano," El-Melloi II replied with respectful courtesy.
Although the Policies Department wielded significant authority within the Clock Tower, that power primarily applied to common magi. El-Melloi II, while personally weak in magical prowess, still held the title of one of the Twelve Lords—he couldn't be treated too lightly.
"Please, just call me Ayano," she said, flashing him a smile brimming with elegance and charm—so enchanting, in fact, that the two young men at the table went stiff with surprise.
There was no denying Hazuki Ayano's allure: beautiful and mysterious, the combination was deadly. Even Daniel was momentarily stunned, prompting Rin to cough sharply beside him in annoyance. Her own looks were by no means inferior—but compared to the mature elegance of Ayano, she felt at a slight disadvantage as a high school girl.
"I must apologize, Miss Ayano. I'm rather timid by nature and not good at handling beautiful women."
Ayano's charms had no effect on El-Melloi II, however. Her beauty meant nothing to a man whose heart was filled with the image of his beloved king.
Following his comment, the two young men at the table quickly turned their heads away. While Ayano was certainly captivating, her identity rendered her completely untouchable.
"As expected of the 'Queen's Consort'—not even batting an eye at a beauty like her."
Daniel couldn't help but admire El-Melloi II's self-control. Though he had no intention of acting on any impulses, he saw no harm in at least enjoying the view. El-Melloi II, on the other hand, seemed immune, mind occupied only by his beloved King of Conquerors.
"Oh my, such a cute companion... but she still hides beneath a hood even indoors. Are you trying to keep her beauty hidden from the world?"
The target of Ayano's teasing was Gray. Even though her hood obscured her face, just a single glimpse of her features was enough to reveal that she was a rare beauty.
"I just don't want to see her face."
"My, how intriguing. When we return to the Clock Tower, I'd like to discuss that with you sometime."
"Spare me. I'd be completely uncomfortable getting chummy with the Policies Department."
While Lords didn't fear the Policies Department the way common magi did, El-Melloi II—like most traditional magi—still found them unpleasant. To magi who lived for mystery and the pursuit of the Root, the Policies Department, which focused on rules and administration, seemed utterly heretical.
The Policies Department shared more in common with the philosophy of true mages: magic was a tool—a means to an end. Root? What use was that?
"You don't strike me as the type to care about your public image. There are plenty of Clock Tower darlings among the students in Modern Magecraft."
"That's just them pushing all the troublesome cases onto me."
"You're too modest."
Before El-Melloi II's classroom had gained its current fame, it was known as a haven for the Clock Tower's problem students—young magi so hopeless that other professors had written them off. But after he unearthed their talents, the narrative changed: they weren't problem children—they were prodigies.
"Looks like our seats are here."
Just as Ayano was about to speak again, El-Melloi II quickly cut her off and walked past her toward his seat, where the El-Melloi family crest was displayed. Gray followed close behind.
Their places were already set with a classic English-style dinner.
Other guests also found meals tailored to their national backgrounds—clearly a sign of thorough preparation on the part of the Separation Castle.
As for Daniel and Rin, the uninvited guests, they were served the same traditional Eastern-style meal as Ayano.
Ayano's expression remained unchanged as she watched El-Melloi II take his seat, then moved to sit in her own.
"Quite the spread they've prepared," Luvia commented as she entered with her butler and quickly located her seat.
"Lord Sizamud is dining in his quarters."
"Then let's begin."
With Oroc not joining them, Heine glanced around at those seated and took the initiative to start the meal. In truth, magi rarely waited for others when it came to eating—but perhaps out of courtesy, no one had begun yet.
"You're Tohsaka Rin, aren't you?"
Just as Rin was about to eat, Luvia—sitting diagonally across—spoke to her, a provocative gleam in her eye.
"That's right. Got a problem with that?" Rin retorted without backing down.
Their exchange instantly drew attention—except from El-Melloi II and Gray. Gray didn't care. El-Melloi II was simply too hungry to bother. The trek here had taken a toll on his feeble stamina.
"Don't you two worry about poison in the food?"
Both El-Melloi II and Gray froze mid-bite. Even Luvia and Rin stopped staring each other down to glance toward the source of the question—Daniel.
"Poison? You can't be serious, man." The loud-mouthed monk-looking young man, Shijin Jiroubou Seigen, immediately responded.
"Not talking to you," Daniel replied flatly. "I'm just giving a friendly warning to the two of them. Gray, Rin—remember this well: most magi are not good people. When you're visiting another magus's home, especially, you must be on guard."
"You're a magus yourself, aren't you?" Seigen said, his voice full of mockery.
"I am. Which is why I said most. I'm one of the exceptions."
Daniel's quick follow-up halted Seigen's retort—any protest now would just lump him in with the 'bad ones.'
"What's your point?" Heine asked, clearly growing wary.
"Just a reminder—don't expect freebies. Magi know what we are. Judging by the food laid out, whoever planned this has done their homework. They know you wouldn't give up this inheritance even if you suspected a trap. You all have faith in your own strength—but so does the one who lured you here. There's a good chance someone in this room is their agent. That's why Reines had us come along—to protect El-Melloi II. Our presence throws off their plans."
Silence followed as suspicion bloomed in every eye. Many had considered the possibility of a trap—but Daniel's words introduced a new element: betrayal from within. The seed of doubt had been sown.
"Hmph. If you're so suspicious, maybe you're the spy. You weren't even invited." Luvia turned her gaze toward Daniel.
"You're not wrong—but you're forgetting something. We came here with El-Melloi II. He's a Lord. Who could possibly use him as a pawn?"
"…Fair enough. Hey, weren't you the one warning about poison? Yet here you are eating."
"I said it might be poisoned. Not that it is. Just be cautious."
Daniel turned to Gray. "Gray, you like detective novels, right? Based on what you've read, what usually happens next?"
"…Someone will die. The killer is among us."
"Exactly. So, what kind of people usually get killed first?"
"…Those who act alone."
"Right. That means from now on, stay with El-Melloi II at all times. Don't let him out of your sight."
"I understand. I'll protect the professor."
After this ominous exchange, the dining room's mood plummeted. People quickly ate and left without further conversation.
"What was that all about?" El-Melloi II asked afterward, frowning.
"Just a friendly heads-up. Better they stay alert now than get killed later."
Daniel didn't mention it outright, but he was worried about Heine—the man had brought his little sister. The others? If something happened, it wouldn't be his problem. Luvia, for instance, had nothing to fear with her resources.
Gem magecraft was as powerful as the gems one could afford. Rin's financial struggles limited her potential. Luvia, however, came from wealth—Daniel figured her suitcase was probably full of high-quality gems.
Same with Reines—her suitcase held multiple magical tools. El-Melloi II was the unfortunate exception, unable to use most artifacts due to his low aptitude. He relied on self-made items like his cigars, suit, and even his long hair to store mana as a contingency.
"Look at that—someone did die."
Before dawn, the castle stirred with alarm. Someone had been killed. When everyone rushed to the first-floor hall, they found Hazuki Ayano's body impaled on a sword held by an angel statue. Her blood had already turned black.
"Ugh."
Rin turned away, gagging at the gruesome sight. Despite being a magus, she'd never been deeply exposed to the magical world's darkness. The horror of Matou Zouken didn't mean she was immune to violence.
Even Gray, a gravekeeper, covered her mouth at the grotesque sight—Ayano's eyes had been gouged out, leaving empty sockets in her pale, once-beautiful face.
Daniel's detached tone earned several glares—but he remained unfazed.
"Heine, would you mind bringing her down?"
At El-Melloi II's request, Heine carefully severed the angel's blade and lowered the body gently to the floor.
"My apologies."
El-Melloi II began examining the corpse immediately.
"Here's what happened," Heine explained. "I was exploring the meaning behind the angel names last night and was attacked by a beast. During the fight, I stumbled upon the body."
"Definitely claw marks. A chunk of the back is missing—probably the magic crest. And this is…?"
El-Melloi II retrieved something from Ayano's clothing: her invitation. Upon opening it, he found an angel name.
"She was one of the invited heirs."
The revelation left the others speechless. The representative from the Policies Department had been one of the candidates.
"How strange… I see now."
"Lord El-Melloi II, have you discovered something?" Luvia asked, intrigued.
"I was wrong. I originally thought the angel names referred to the zodiac from the Kabbalistic system. But now I believe they correspond to body parts. Her angel name matches the eyes."
Indeed, everyone's angel names were names of zodiac stars. El-Melloi II had tried to match them to celestial patterns—but Heine's stargazing had proven fruitless.
"Body parts? That means… it's a plot to steal our magic crests."
Each family's crest was located in a different body part, and the stars on their invitations now clearly pointed to those exact locations.
Heine instinctively touched his left leg—his crest was there, and his angel name matched.
"How amusing. If someone thinks they can take my crest, let them try!" Oroc bellowed with laughter.
"If any of you want to back out, now's the time. Leave, and you'll live."
No one spoke. Even with a murder and a revealed plot, no one turned back. The promise of restoring a family's crest was simply too tempting.
Besides, given the nature of magi, cooperation was impossible. If the restoration tool could only be used once… no one would risk sharing.
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