Fate: Question And Answer System of Traversing Heroic Spirits

["Oh?"]

[Mick extended his hand to the side, his fingertips forming a seal that enveloped the entire room.]

[It wasn't a symbol commonly used by European magi but a mantra rooted in Eastern Tantric Buddhism.]

[Reines: "What exactly are you trying to do?"]

["At the very least, we need to set up a barrier. It wouldn't be surprising if someone was eavesdropping."]

[Mick gave an exaggerated bow and said, "As you can see, my magic is a unique branch of Tantric Buddhism. Because of my impoverished background, it's a mix of various practices."]

["Now that I've revealed my origins, can you trust me a little more?"]

[Reines: "...So, you want to discuss something that no one else should hear?"]

[Mick: "Haha, that's exactly it."]

[His smile was painfully fake.]

[Then, Mick quietly revealed the purpose of his visit.]

[He admitted to being a spy, sent by a powerful figure from a certain faction to infiltrate this social gathering and investigate.]

[Now that his identity was exposed, he sought to collaborate with Reines.]

[The goal of this cooperation? To destroy the Iselma family.]

Tohsaka Rin: "A spy? Even that profession shows up now?"

Iskandar: "This is just a minor squabble, but they've managed to make it so convoluted."

Kayneth: "As I've said before, the battles between magus families are exceedingly brutal."

Caules: "If he has a grudge against Izeluma, could he be the murderer?"

Darnic: "It's not that simple. The real question hasn't even been asked yet."

[Reines: "Are you confessing to being the murderer?"]

["No, this is just a coincidence. I never imagined the Golden Princess would meet her end like that."]

[Mick feigned a look of regret and said, "However, once a coincidence occurs, it's treated as inevitable. The Golden Princess's death is now a fact. Moving forward, we can only act with this in mind."]

[Reines: "What is your true objective?"]

[Mick: "Objective? Didn't I already mention it?"]

[Reines: "You, as part of the Jigmarie faction, are supposed to remain neutral. Whether Valualeta's democratic rule weakens or not should be of no concern to you."]

["Hahaha, you're sharp. I can't fool you."]

[Mick cleared his throat and admitted, "Actually, I'm after a cursed artifact imbued with the blood of a certain fantastical creature..."]

[Cursed artifacts—sometimes referred to as cursed bodies—are items imbued with magical catalysts.]

[They are created using powerful spells as their core, which define their form. In the modern era, as mysteries decline, the quality of spells available to magi has also diminished.]

[High-quality spells can fetch astronomical prices, and their possession is often tied to the authority of a faction.]

[For instance, Trimmau's creation relied on the Marrow of the Moon Spirit Fluid as its central spell.]

Caules: "He's talking about Siegfried's Blood Linden Leaf, isn't he?"

Darnic: "That seems likely."

Sisigou: "When Siegfried slew the dragon Fafnir and bathed in its blood, the Leaf stuck to his back, leaving a fatal weak point."

Waver: "I see. The Leaf, imbued with Fafnir's blood, is not only a holy relic but also a rare, high-quality cursed artifact."

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "So, the Leaf comes up again. It seems this case is closely tied to it."

["I refuse."]

[Reines interrupted him decisively.]

[Mick: "Hey, hey, wouldn't it be better to listen to the rest before turning me down?"]

[Reines: "Because I can already tell you're about to say, 'You know too much.'"]

Kayneth: "It seems Reines has finally learned her lesson."

Sola-ui: "Every mistake is a lesson learned. I just tripped myself recently."

["Haha, so cautious."]

[Mick smiled bitterly. "Well, I won't force you. Besides, I doubt you'll expose my identity."]

[Reines: "Hmph. Because doing so would make us look like the murderers."]

[At this point, they were suspects in a murder case. Claiming, 'A spy suddenly came to us and confessed,' would sound utterly ridiculous.]

["Goodbye."]

[The dark-skinned man turned to leave, his demeanor suggesting he expected a different answer the next time they met.]

[After the unwelcome visitor departed, Reines instructed Trimmau to guard the door and collapsed into an exhausted sleep.]

[So much had happened, and she was utterly drained.]

[As expected, these kinds of things were best left to her brother to handle.]

Illya: "That guy's attitude is so infuriating."

Tohsaka Rin: "It's like he thinks he's already won."

Emiya Kiritsugu: "You need to be extra cautious with spies like him. If you're not careful, they'll sell you out without a second thought."

Darnic: "Indeed."

[After an indeterminate amount of time, Reines stretched and finally woke up.]

[The rest had done her good, helping her organize her previously scattered thoughts.]

[She immediately recalled a potential clue and took Gray to the back door of the Moon Tower, the same entrance they had used that morning.]

[The two women carefully inspected the ground, parting the grass in search of evidence while ensuring they didn't step on any potential clues.]

["Found it."]

[Reines quickly located what she was looking for—footprints that didn't belong to them.]

[Very few people used the back door. Since they had come here at the Golden Princess's instruction, these footprints could very well belong to the murderer.]

[Trimmau analyzed the area and confirmed that there were more than ten distinct sets of footprints, including those of the Golden Princess.]

[Reines then asked Trimmau to begin tracking.]

[Pattern recognition and analysis were Trimmau's specialties. However, because the method of tracking footprints seemed so basic, Reines had almost overlooked it entirely.]

[Then again, the murderer might have made the same mistake.]

Waver: "That's true. When magi focus on concealing their magic, they often overlook simpler details."

Illya: "This Mercury Maid is amazing. It feels like there's nothing she can't do."

Sola-ui: "Well, it's a testament to how skillfully Reines has refined it into something this advanced."

Kayneth: "..."

Quietly, Kayneth resolved to upgrade his own Volumen Hydrargyrum starting tomorrow.

[Trimmau transformed into a liquid form and began moving deeper into the forest. Reines and Gray followed closely behind.]

[However, as they ventured further, Reines noticed that the area was quickly becoming shrouded in thick fog.]

[While fog wasn't unusual near a lakeside, Reines had a strong sense that something was amiss.]

[When she attempted to call out to Trimmau, she realized that the connection between them had been severed. Trimmau was gone.]

[To make matters worse, Gray, who had been right behind her, had also vanished.]

[Reines: "A barrier?"]

Illya: "This feels like a typical movie plot."

Kayneth: "I just praised her, and now she's fallen into another trap so soon."

Waver: "She was too hasty. The problem should've been obvious earlier."

Sisigou: "To sever the connection between her and Trimmau, this barrier must be far more sophisticated than a standard illusion."

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "But who could set up such a large-scale barrier in the forest? The Izeluma family, perhaps?"

[As Reines tried to think of a way to escape, she heard the sound of something cutting through the air behind her, followed by a strong gust of wind passing over her head.]

["Miss Reines!"]

[A familiar voice rang out—it was Gray.]

[Gray rushed out from behind Reines, her scythe in hand, and charged into the fog to engage a figure.]

[Reines had nearly been attacked just moments before, but Gray had intervened in time to save her.]

[After recovering from the shock, Reines looked at Gray's scythe with curiosity.]

[This was her first time seeing Add in his transformed state, and she couldn't help but feel intrigued.]

[The enemy lurking in the dense fog slowly revealed itself. It was an automaton with unnaturally elongated arms.]

[Its five fingers had been replaced by razor-sharp blades. Its legs were grotesquely twisted, with its joints reversed, and its upper body bent so far forward that it seemed as though it could lick the ground.]

[No matter how she looked at it, the thing seemed utterly bizarre.]

[Reines: "It's an automaton!"]

[Add: "Hahaha, now this is a worthy opponent. I never get bored when you're around these things."]

Waver: "So, it's an automaton. That means whoever set up this barrier anticipated something like this."

Kayneth: "Aozaki Touko. There's no one else capable of crafting something this bizarre yet so agile. It has to be her handiwork."

Emiya Kiritsugu: "This thing is extremely dangerous. It's not just fast; it also moves almost silently. If that girl Gray hadn't acted just now, Reines would likely have been killed."

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "The work of a master puppeteer. The fact that a single automaton has this much power speaks volumes."

Modred: "Tch, I could slice this thing to ribbons with ease."

Sisigou: "For most magi, though, this automaton is already a serious threat."

Illya: "Is this really the work of that big sister? It actually looks kind of interesting."

Tohsaka Rin: "Interesting? How can you find something like this interesting?"

***

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