Later.
Stepping out of the room, Shiomi followed behind Morgan, helping her straighten the haori over her yukata so she looked neat and properly dressed.
"It's been a long time since we've taken a hot spring trip like this," Morgan said, casually smoothing the wide sleeves of her yukata.
"Yeah. We slept right through breakfast. After waking up, we didn't even bother eating and went straight to… well, having fun," Shiomi laughed. "Good thing the kids are independent enough that they don't need us hovering over them."
"Anyway, let's ask the inn if they have anything to eat at this hour," Morgan said.
"They probably do… though if I remember right, the food here is just average. Not bad, but nothing memorable either," Shiomi said, thinking it over. "If it really comes to it, I can ask whether we can borrow the kitchen."
"Since we're here to relax, there's no need to act like we do at home," Morgan shook her head.
"Well, that's true—"
While they were discussing what to eat as a substitute for the breakfast they'd missed, Sakura suddenly rushed over after stepping out of the elevator on the eighth floor.
"Dad, Dad! Mother-sama!" Sakura said, slightly out of breath and visibly tense.
"What happened? Why are you in such a panic?" Shiomi put a hand on her shoulder, signaling her to calm down and speak slowly.
A mix of shock and uncertainty surfaced on Sakura's young face.
"…Someone's dead."
The moment she said it, the relaxed mood between Shiomi and Morgan vanished. With Sakura leading the way, they immediately headed for the scene of the incident: one of the five legendary secret hot springs said to grant wishes, the rejuvenation spring.
Already there were the Chaldea crew, the inn's owner, Alice Kuonji, and a man none of them recognized.
The other guests had been kept waiting in the lobby.
As for the victim—it was Aoko Aozaki.
Shiomi stepped closer to Aoko's body, an expression of disbelief spreading across his face.
"Judging by that reaction, it seems you've noticed something," the unfamiliar man said.
"Before that, who are you supposed to be?" Shiomi raised an eyebrow. "Based on how you're dressed and how you're moving around here, you look like a plainclothes officer who showed up after getting a report. Mind showing some ID?"
The man introduced himself. "My name is Tobimaru Tsukiji. I'm a detective."
"Oh, a detective," Shiomi replied. He couldn't help thinking of El-Melloi II, who often did similar work, though the cases he dealt with were always tied to Magus affairs.
At that point, Touko spoke up, taking over the conversation.
"He was a classmate of Aoko's and Alice's back when they were in high school."
"He opened an agency in Tokyo and became fairly well-known as a detective," Alice Kuonji added. She spoke with a faint smile, a trace of teasing in her expression, and showed no visible grief over Aoko's death at all. "Pulling friends who just want to live quietly into a world he finds interesting… I imagine he enjoys himself every single day, don't you?"
"Well… thanks for putting it so tactfully," Tobimaru Tsukiji said, looking exhausted. His gaze shifted to Shiomi. "You were just called out of your room by your daughter, yet your reaction upon seeing the body was the most unusual. Care to explain?"
He repeated the same question as before.
"It's nothing special," Shiomi said. "I just figured out how Touko's sister died, and I was surprised by the method." He looked toward Touko. "No external injuries, no bleeding. She looked like she died naturally, but it wasn't a natural death. I sensed residual Rune magecraft on her body. Death Runes, most likely."
Since this was a Singularity, there was no need to hide Mystery. No one would remember anything afterward anyway. Besides, they all had the cover of being psychics hired by the inn's owner.
"That much was confirmed before the detective arrived," Touko said. "The real question is who did it. Right now, the detective is questioning every guest."
"Not questioning them with all my might," Tobimaru Tsukiji corrected. "Just doing what I can." It wasn't false modesty. He was simply stating the truth.
Shiomi spread his hands. "That's the problem. A big one. There are five Magi here who are proficient with Runes. In other words, all of us are suspects."
"You say that, but you already have someone in mind, don't you?" Scáthach asked.
"Who else could it be?" Shiomi said with a sly glance at Touko. "Obviously, the older sister who still has unresolved issues with her little sister."
Touko froze for a moment, then nodded in understanding. "From a motive standpoint, I'd be a perfect fit as Aoko's killer. But I'm hardly the only one with a motive."
"You mean Kuonji has—" Shiomi said with a knowing smile, trying to redirect the suspicion.
"I mean you," Touko said, pointing straight at him. "You disliked Aoko, felt sorry for me, and decided to do the dirty work behind my back. It's not impossible."
"Do I really look like some kind of… uh, mentally unstable man?" Shiomi pointed at himself, doing his best to look innocent.
Touko pushed up her glasses. "Not mentally unstable. Just overprotective."
"But I was with both of you last night," Shiomi replied calmly. "Our alibis can all cross-check each other. Especially since the last time I saw your sister, she was heading to the hot springs with Miss Kuonji. On the other hand, you could have called your sister out after we fell asleep. The talks broke down, you caught her off guard, and killed her with Death Runes."
"But I can't beat Aoko," Touko said, shaking her head. "You'd have better odds than me."
"In your current state, you might not be that helpless," Shiomi said, shaking his head as well.
Listening to them, Tobimaru Tsukiji felt his head start to ache. Touko and Shiomi sounded like they were just bickering and tossing blame back and forth. Both were still suspects, yet neither side had said anything that could actually prove guilt.
"How long do you two plan to keep arguing here?" Alice Kuonji said, a hint of displeasure showing on her face. "Or are you trying to use this opportunity to pin the murder on each other, settle some messy personal entanglements, and avoid future trouble?"
"That's right," Tobimaru Tsukiji said. "If you can't clear yourselves of suspicion or provide information that helps the case, please wait in the lobby." He looked directly at Touko. "I've heard your relationship with Aozaki wasn't good, but seeing your sister dead in front of you and showing no grief at all is hard to watch. You're blood relatives, aren't you?!"
The righteous, heartfelt rebuke made Touko hesitate. For a brief moment, she even wondered if she really had been acting out of place. She stopped trading barbs with Shiomi.
"So that's how it is… how pitiful," Alice Kuonji said quietly, directing her sympathy at Tobimaru Tsukiji. "Still clinging to illusions about Aoko even after graduation."
"In any case, we can't just leave Aozaki's body lying here. We need to—"
Just as Tobimaru Tsukiji was about to arrange Aoko's remains, someone pushed the door open and hurried into the bathhouse, squeezing through the crowd.
That person was none other than Aoko Aozaki herself, the very one who had been lying there.
"Well then," she said, "why don't we hear what the deceased has to say?"
Knowing the general nature of the Fifth Law, both Shiomi and Touko turned their eyes toward Aoko at the same time.
...
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