Chapter 324: The Culprit is Among Us (4)

The Evil God’s toolkit was originally for amusement and pleasure, a power to change the entire real world into a stage, to enjoy as one pleases.

However, its function was so powerful that even if used for purposes other than ‘play’, it would be more than sufficient. It was like fate itself.

The four black mages had gained access to the toolkit through the casting of the Evil God statue, and they each took out a tool.

The succubus queen’s 『Heroine』 was the power to decide a partner in a story. She designated herself as the 『Heroine』, and could make everyone love her.

Duke Redburn Maximus’s 『Antagonist』, and the Corpse Flower’s 『Villain』, would have similar effects. To draw humans onto the stage, assign them roles, and make the entire world revolve around the plot.

And.

What the 『Pain-Swallowing Lamb』 had taken from that distant box was──

“Inherited Ascension, 『Cogwheel : Protagonist』.”

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The power to decide the protagonist of the story.

Click-click-click.

The protagonist of the purple magic tower story is that immature, young boy detective. The genre is mystery, and the tone is set to tragedy.

Since the protagonist is, at most, a detective, the crazy mage, who is only a supporting character, cannot play a big role. Fate restrains him in such a way.

Dealing with the crazy mage is a tricky thing, but not the young detective.

This story will end with a detective and his partner losing a friend, agonizing, and ultimately letting the true culprit slip away.

*Creak*. *Squeak*.

The mad mage, perhaps sensing the power of the gods, was clinging to the gears of fate, trying to stop them from turning. But his struggles only slowed the pace.

Even with all his might, he could only twist those gears once, at most. The difference in scale between god and man was that great.

And even if, through wisdom and wit, we navigate this hardship, even if we expose all the truths and plunge a dagger into the hidden mastermind’s throat…

It’s alright.

The “Lamb that Swallows Pain” is immortal.

–

(Click-click-click, the sound of a typewriter fills the air.)

[Interrogation: Why did you let an assassin into the Magic Tower?]

“I don’t know…”

“……?”

Melberton spoke with his head bowed low. He knew his words sounded suspicious, but he couldn’t bring himself to lie, and so he looked utterly lost.

“I didn’t even know that person was an assassin in the first place!”

“That person’s eyes and mouth were sewn shut. There’s no way they didn’t look suspicious.”

“Huh? They looked fine to me. Weren’t they…a stoic beauty?”

Loray chimed in from the side.

“She had cast illusion magic over her face. Most people who come to the tower have difficult lives, so everyone just assumed she was self-conscious and didn’t pay it much mind.”

I see. The assassin had been hiding their face during their daily life.

Those skilled enough to see through the illusion dismissed it as a private matter, and those who didn’t simply took it for her real face.

“So, what do you mean, you don’t know? You were the one who recommended him.”

“That’s the part I don’t get. The recommender was listed as me… but I have no memory of recommending him. He was a complete stranger!”

“Then someone forged your recommendation?”

“Th-that… probably not. The recommender brings the candidate for the Tower, and they interview together… Senior Lorei was there for that one. Hah, but I have no memory of the interview. It’s true!”

Melberton rattled off the confusing story, sounding utterly bewildered.

To sum it up, he was the recommender but has no memory of it. This ties directly into the clue the mad mage gave me.

He claims innocence, but his actions are suspicious.

But if Melberton’s the culprit, that means he manipulated the central control panel and shut down the mage tower’s lights… how could he possibly do that?

One final question remains. Let’s investigate that and then reach a conclusion.

[Interrogation: How did the culprit mind control the mages of the Violet Tower?]

When the mad mage and I reached the 15th floor, the mind-controlled mages and an assassin hidden among them tried to kill us.

If we assume Melberton planted the assassin, that leaves the remaining mages of the tower. When and how were they controlled, that’s the key.

Charlie said,

“Well… maybe it was planted beforehand, Detective? Just like the assassin was hidden, maybe they did the work a month ago, two months ago… taking their time to set it up a long time ago.”

“……..”

Yeah. We don’t know when they were mind-controlled. The scope is too broad, any of the suspects could’ve prepared beforehand.

The investigation is finished.

[Deduction: The culprit is… ?]

The case is a mess. All four suspects have suspicious points, none of them would be out of place as the culprit. I couldn’t narrow the deduction down to one single lead.

How could that be? Are they all really part of the same group?

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

Right.

Then it all makes sense. Lorena Luce turned off the magic tower’s fire, Melverton brought the assassin into the tower, and the brainwashing of the tower staff could be done gradually by the four of them.

They didn’t even have to be working together in a positive way. The wicked ‘Goat’ could have used their overwhelming illusion magic to brainwash everyone into doing their bidding… That could have been it.

But there’s a problem with this theory, too.

The mad mage is looking into their insides. If there were signs of brainwashing, he would have found them. If there was brainwashing, it had to be ‘brainwashing that leaves no trace’.

And, in the end, the ‘Goat’ is just one person…

I have to pinpoint one of them. If I point to someone who isn’t the ‘Goat’, an innocent, brainwashed person will be captured. I have to figure out which of the four it is. How, how am I supposed to do it?

It’s blurry. The answer.

It’s as blurry as the wavering form of the mad mage. Ghostly…

“⋯⋯⋯⋯?”

Ghost?

I thought about possession. Some undead could enter the inside of a living person and take control of their body.

What if the ‘Goat’ is… similar to a ghost?

The thing that flashed through my mind in that moment was the thirst for revenge that my master had passed onto me. I’d accepted the ‘information’ and instantly developed hatred and resentment towards the ‘Goat’. Illusion magic could do that.

So, what if the ‘Goat’ exists as a kind of information mass? And what if it goes into the suspects’ bodies, acts, and then immediately leaves?

Then the trick would work.

Everyone is the culprit, and nobody is the culprit. No matter who you point to, it’s both the right and wrong answer, a cunning trap.

Like this, there’s no way the mad mage could find it, no matter how deeply he looks inside. The ‘Goat’ wouldn’t be inside the people, it would be outside.

I almost picked the wrong person…

“Hoo.”

Okay, time to lay out the answer.

『The Mountain Goat』 has to be here, somewhere inside this central control room, so we start by checking everyone’s belongings. After that, we search every corner of the room, and we need to examine the control room’s system too.

That’s how we solve this case.

“⋯⋯I’ve found the culprit.”

The suspects murmur amongst themselves.

“Y-you found them?!”

“Mph, mph⋯⋯ mph⋯⋯!”

“That’s a relief. So, detective, shall we hear your deduction?”

“Whatever the answer is, I just hope you see my innocence. I can’t just leave my little brother and vanish like this, meaninglessly⋯⋯.”

I open my mouth, about to reveal the truth of the case to them when–

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

*Click*, something snagged. Like a gritty grain of sand in my mouth, like the occasional ringing in my ear, it’s not much, but it’s bothersome, uneasy, something that feels off.

What is it? Am I missing something?

Unsettled, itchy. I want to tear at my hair. Frustrated. I unbuttoned one shirt button, frustrated.

“Mph! Mph⋯⋯!!”

⋯⋯I buttoned it back after seeing Luche’s outburst.

I desperately racked my brain. I worried. I urged my head, which kept spinning its wheels, to review all the information. And, and… I thought of a single word.

The Mad Magician.

* * *

Squeak, squeak, squeak…

[Deduction: The Mad Mage’s Intent]

Yeah, the mad mage. That guy who left the deduction to me, a bystander in the back. I haven’t yet figured out his intent.

He gave me hints at the right moments, even maintaining that amorphous, black-mist-like body… maybe that was a hint too. Because I actually figured out the answer after seeing him.

In the first place, the mad mage is a genius. He understands illusion magic way better than I do, and he knows the suspects’ magic skills and personalities inside and out. He probably figured out the answer a long time ago.

So, that means he knew the answer and waited.

…Why?

Let me trace back the past. Actions accompany intentions. If I look closely at his lines and actions, I can find his intentions too.

Q. He directly warned me before. What was that line?

A. “A hypnotized person… doesn’t know they’re hypnotized. It’s the same for a character on stage. Only the audience can distinguish the role.”

Right. He spoke about the characteristics of hypnosis. I thought about the possibility that the suspects were hypnotized, but maybe this warning is pointing to… me.

That I’m under hypnosis.

And the easiest way to break hypnosis is to use an “external observer.”

I need to remove my ego and act according to the mad mage’s intention. If I am hypnotized, this is the right answer.

When I declared that I was about to name the culprit and then shut my mouth, questions began to cloud the suspects’ faces. I dragged out my words to buy time.

“…The culprit. The cuuulprit iiiis.”

Honestly, I’m only half-believing it. He could just want to see me get revenge through my deduction… But being cautious is better than being careless.

If my guess is right, the mad mage must have left a clue for me. So I can figure out his intention.

Q. But am I really under hypnosis?

A. The mad mage is maintaining a kind of transformed state.

Okay. The crazy mage is still in that… bizarre state he showed while climbing the tower. Every gesture is magic, like a living embodiment of illusion magic, a combat stance.

Just breathing is like shooting illusion magic in all directions. There’s no way that doesn’t drain his mana. The fact he’s still wasting it like this…

––means he’s still ‘fighting.’ Something I don’t know about. And the ‘hypnosis’ that grabbed me the moment I stepped into this room.

If this whole situation is some kind of… massive illusion magic loophole that’s completely beyond my level, then how can I help him?

What do I even *do*, you crazy mage…?

Q. Were there any actions or lines that could hint at his intentions?

A1. Right when I started reasoning, I wondered ‘Why did I suddenly start reasoning?’, and the crazy mage patted my back. He permitted me to continue reasoning.

A2. He calls me a kid. But here, he repeatedly called me a ‘detective.’

He told me to continue reasoning. That I had to take on the role of detective and keep going. That’s his intention. But it’s strange.

It’s like telling me to stay hypnotized.

Yet, he gave me a hint, saying ‘you’re hypnotized’ and allowed me to realize it myself.

It’s a contradiction.

But there must be an intention hidden within this contradiction. Be hypnotized, but break free from the hypnosis. Be hypnotized, but break free. Do something while maintaining that framework. Something…

I am, a detective.

The crazy mage confirmed this fact multiple times.

There’s only one thing a detective can do. Reason, and point out the culprit.

And what could a detective do that isn’t detective-like?

…Make a deliberately ‘failed’ deduction.

[Hesitation: Is that for real?]

Saying the wrong answer on purpose.

This is insane. A perfect chance to get revenge on that goat. I figured it out. All I have to do is say the answer. Just… do it!

What difference does it make if I deliberately fail the deduction? It changes absolutely nothing. It only adds to the confusion. I don’t even know if I correctly read the mad wizard’s intentions.

I’m scared. I hesitate. I swallow hard, but my throat’s bone dry.

Q. What if I’m wrong? What if I’m wrong…?

A. “Don’t panic, don’t chicken out, Detective.”

“……..”

Yeah.

A detective, they’re meant to nail the answer. But I’m a 『Hypno-Detective』.

“The culprit is—”

More important than the answer… is what lies beyond it. If something goes wrong, it’s all that mad wizard’s fault for giving a kid such a crucial task.

So, don’t chicken out, just do it.

“—It’s me!”

“……..?”

–

Click. Click. Squeak, Squeeeeee— Thump.

[■■■ ■■]

The 『Hypno-Detective』 uttered something absurd.

“I’m actually the culprit. I used my incredible hypnotic powers… to brainwash everyone into committing the crimes. I’m turning myself in.”

The sudden criminal reveal shocked all the suspects. Lorraine even looked at me with worry. She probably feels sorry for me, thinking of her younger brother.

“…Um, were you perhaps…attacked by someone?”

“Nah. I’m fine. Anyway, I took control of the purple magic tower, put out the fire, and then manipulated Melverton to join the tower as an assassin.”

“Oh, I knew it! I just knew it!”

That Mel-whatever-it-was crackled as he jumped up, all happy. Knew it, my ass, you moron. There’s a reason you keep blowing all your money after you make it.

Ugh.

I got up from my seat and stretched. Time to wrap things up here.

“You did great, kid.”

“……Did I…get it right?”

“Yeah. Spot on.”

The kid let out this huge sigh, “Huuugh,” and just collapsed back down.

It wasn’t like I needed a wrong answer. A gap in the story to exploit, the tiniest bit of discord. I could’ve used that to flip the whole thing over.

But the direction the kid chose… was better.

“The evil god’s toolbox… it’s a good ability. I know, I’ve been the 『Heroine』 before. I thought I was going to die from the staring contest in the central control room.”

Which meant I knew roughly how the toolbox series worked. It was a power that forced fate, so the effect applied to the whole narrative. Like when I used the succubus queen’s love, for example.

Which meant.

“You cast it, but that doesn’t mean you’re the only one who can control it.”

Kee-kee-kee-kee──!!

“Fake Inheritance Ascendance – 『Gear : Destiny Reversal』.”

I clenched my fist. I pulled hard on the gears that were turning behind the scenes, changing the flow to the direction I wanted, just for a moment.

At the same time, Aisha, who had trapped the outer walls of the tower in dragon scales, also cast a spell. With her help, I connected my magical power to the toolbox, stealing away some of the control authority.

I could only force it once, but it was enough.

A locked room, suspects, a detective… and even a police position helping the detective, courtesy of Yuri Lanster’s cameo. But there was still one role missing, a must-have in any mystery novel.

A victim.

Everything’s good here, except there’s no victim.

I smiled down at the little detective sprawled on his back and asked,

“What happens if the detective fails to deduce the truth?”

“…A victim appears.”

That’s right.

Screechh… kkrrrrrr-clack–!!

“And that victim is you, Painkeeper.”

Along with the noise only 『Goat』 and I could hear, fate came crashing down on the mastermind.

–

[Protagonist Movement Halted]

The clanking sound completely stopped. Just before dying after being marked as the victim, I cancelled the succession-sublimation, which is how I managed to stay alive.

Thud. Thud.

That “Cha-whatchamacallit” senior’s nose dripped with blood. And, unnoticed before, a syringe was deeply embedded in his neck.

A thick, sloshing liquid inside the syringe was being pumped into Cha-ssi senior.

Disguise, confusion, concealment, it was a syringe with pretty much every enchant you could think of. I always get screwed by these inorganic things. Maybe I should build something like a metal detector for them.

Well… from the moment I entered, I was already under the influence of an evil god’s sublimation ability, and a bloody struggle for control had been raging behind the scenes. So there really wasn’t any time to strip the four of them bare and search their belongings.

Soon, senior opened his eyes. With a smile on his face, like a completely different person.

“…I’ve been had, good and proper. You mean to say you can even control the tools of the gods at will? Honestly, the world is a big place, and there are just too many geniuses for my liking.”

“You’re shit at using tools. You should’ve twisted the story up more, created a situation where they’d kill each other. And how the hell did you hide? What’s with that syringe?”

“Ah, I’ll tell you. The product name of this syringe is 『The Lamb Who Swallows Pain』… it is. I’ve liquefied my self-awareness and information, in other words, my personality, and stored it in here. Just inject it and anyone becomes 『Lamb』.”

“…………”

The b*stard pulled out two more syringes of the same kind. The same liquid was sloshing around inside, but one of them was screaming and bubbling.

I shut my eyes tight, feeling like things were about to get intensely annoying.

He cloned himself. And then turned the cloned personalities into liquid, keeping several of them on hand. Judging by the looks of it, there were quite a few.

That meant there could be more than a dozen 『Goats』 outside the magic tower.

He pointed at the syringe and said,

“The culprit was in here.”