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  • Locked thread
Quinn2win
Nov 9, 2011

Foolish child of man...
After reading all this,
do you still not understand?


Dessert was some kind of chocolate cake accompanied by pear sherbet. Gohda-san enthusiastically explained the recipe as soon as this final dish was presented, but I quickly forgot the details. The guest of honor, Grandfather, was absent, the weather was horrible, and the person who had lent Maria the umbrella was still a mystery.

When dinner ended, no one felt even one bit refreshed. It was too late now, but we realized painfully that taste wasn't the only important part of a meal. The whole atmosphere was also critical. Gohda-san, the supposed conductor of this musical piece called dinner, did his best to enliven the place, dropping little jokes left and right, but apparently not one of them succeeded.

After taking orders for after-dinner coffee, tea, and orange juice, he left for the kitchen. As soon as he disappeared, uncle Krauss spoke.



"Ho. I want to know why you feel that way. Sometime later, allow me, as your older brother, to help cheer you up."

Aunt Eva grimaced slightly. I had already heard that she was not on good terms with uncle Krauss , but now I could clearly feel it. When I looked around, I noticed that my father and aunt Rosa were also grimacing.

Anyhow, it looked like there was something besides the weather that was troubling all of them.

"...Both aunt Eva and my father... they aren't looking too happy."
"Really? I don't think so."

I asked aunt Natsuhi, who was sitting on my right, but it looked like she was also in a bad mood. She snapped back as though she was absolutely not interested.

"Well, our adult conversation got a little complicated. It's not something that kids like you need to worry about, Battler-kun. Hahahahaha, Right? Natsuhi-san? Kyrie-san?"

Uncle Hideyoshi laughed as he spoke, but without his usual brightness, so I could vaguely imagine just how complicated their adult conversation had actually become. On top of that, even aunt Natsuhi and Kyrie-san, the people he had directed his comment to, ignored him as though they hadn't heard anything. I didn't know what kind of conversation they had been having while the kids were away, but it reminded me of how Father had said he had stomach cramps when we had arrived at the mansion. The family conference might have been a playful reunion to us kids, but it was definitely different for the adults...

When uncle Hideyoshi was ignored by the other adults and an awkward silence fell over the room, Kyrie-san spoke up.



"Hey! Wait a sec... Kyrie-san, if you start talking about something like that in the middle of a meal, it won't digest well and we'll all get constipated, ri~ght?"
"Wahahaha! That's right, that's right! We were talking about Battler-kun and Jessica-chan's careers! Ya can't take the future too seriously! Wahahaha..."

Hideyoshi heartily agreed as if they really had been talking about that, but that was probably wrong. Kyrie-san had been obviously trying to avoid talking about something. However, if Kyrie-san had determined that this was the best course of action for now, then she was probably right. Taking this into account, I'll cast aside my suspicions as to the cause behind aunt Eva and Dad's bad moods...

At long last, the serving cart returned, filled with coffee and tea. Kumasawa-san and Shannon-chan served it to everyone. Gohda-san then explained that, with this, tonight's dinner was over. If I had been able to eat in a more cheerful mood, it might have been the best dinner in my life. It was a shame that this best dinner couldn't have been had under the best conditions.

"Uu-! George onii-chan, is dinner over now? Over?"
"Yes. With this, dinner is finished."
"That's not ladylike. Stay in your seat, and calmly drink up."
"...Uu-."

Maria looked like she was really excited about the occasionally crashing thunder. Maybe she wanted to quickly finish eating and run over to the window. She had been fidgeting for a while, waiting for the meal to end. Some people are afraid of thunder, while others find it interesting, and Maria was apparently one of the latter. Therefore, when she heard from George-aniki that dinner was over, a huge smile broke across her face.

She then stood from her seat, took out her hand bag - which she had set under her seat, never having left it even while she was eating - and began fishing around inside of it. No one seemed particularly concerned with this behavior...

"...What's this? This, where did you get it?"

George was the first to notice it. As he spoke, Battler also noticed.



On the front of the envelope, the Ushiromiya family crest - the One-winged Eagle - was done in gold leaf. Furthermore, the fact that it was sealed with dark-red wax made it clear that this was not something that Maria could have brought as a prank.

"...Maria-chan, what is that?"

It seemed that Natsuhi had also noticed the strangeness of the envelope that Maria was holding. Because her voice sounded too serious to be admonishing a small child, the other relatives around her finally noticed.

"What happened, Natsuhi nee-san?"
"...What is, that?"
"Maria... where did you pick that up...?"
"That envelope has... Kinzo-san's..."



...In other words, it could only mean one thing. This envelope contained a message from Kinzo.

"Ho...What is an envelope like that doing here...?"
"...It... it looks like something interesting has jumped out at us."
"...Ju, just show it to me...!"
"Uu-!! No way, Maria will read it! Maria was told to read it to everyone!!"

Uncle Hideyoshi tried to snatch the envelope out from Maria's hands, but she protected it as though hugging it, and didn't let go.

"Hideyoshi-san, you can't use all of your strength against a child. Maria-chan, where did you get this envelope?"



"Messenger...? Ihihihi, the witch of the island sure likes to mess around."

Battler tried to joke about it, but no one went along with him.

"...I, I wonder what's written inside of it. Maria-chan...?"
"Uu-. Read it! Uu-!"

Maria casually opened the envelope. It was sealed only with wax, so she just had to remove the sealing wax to open it. That sealing wax fell onto the desk. Hideyoshi hastily picked it up and stared fixedly at it. He then set it in the center of the table, where Natsuhi, Kyrie, and Nanjo glared at it.

In the sealing wax, the Ushiromiya family crest - which was also Kinzo's personal crest - the One-winged Eagle was imprinted.



"But, in this mansion, couldn't there be several identical seals? For example, if there was some kind of stamp for wax seals, couldn't someone other that Kinzo-san have sealed it?"
"No, Kinzo-san would always use a ring on his finger, his "Proof of the Head of the Ushiromiya family", when he sealed the wax. This shape and complex design is definitely Kinzo-san's seal..."
"That is not necessarily so. Anyone in the family must have received a letter from Father at least once. We can't eliminate the possibility that someone, using that wax as a model, created a fake seal to pass themselves off as Father."
"I agree with Aniki. No matter how the seal resembles Father's, we can't prove that it is the real thing. Therefore, it doesn't prove that this envelope came from Father."
"I feel the same way. I cannot approve of arbitrarily deciding that this is Father's letter only by the seal in the wax. Doctor Nanjo, couldn't you use more discretion with your vague words...?!"
"...I apologize... I said too much..."

One after another, all of the siblings, from Krauss on downwards, rejected Nanjo's statement, saying that the envelope that Maria was holding had not necessarily been sent by Kinzo. They were afraid. Kinzo's intentions were written in there, and they feared from the bottoms of their hearts that it might be some decidedly unfavorable announcement regarding the inheritance.

"...Maria... The person who gave you that envelope was the same person who lent you that umbrella, right...?"
"Uu-!"
"I don't know what 'uu-' means! Is it true?!"
"Uu-...Yes. Uu-."
"So, in other words, the witch, Beatrice, gave Maria-chan that envelope along with the umbrella...?"
"Uu-!"

Maria nodded forcefully.

"...I, I agree with my husband. It's a dubious letter handed over by some suspicious person. It's not even worth reading."
"There's nothing wrong with just reading it, right?"

Battler said it to Jessica in a small voice, trying to act tough, but Natsuhi heard him clearly and glared at him with threatening eyes.

"A, and then, err... Beatrice told you to read it after the meal was over, right Maria?"
"Uu-!"
"...It's alright, everyone. This isn't Grandfather's envelope, it's Beatrice's. Who cares who wrote it, why can't we just hear what's inside before we decide?"
"Th... that's right. Even if Father didn't necessarily write it, I'm still concerned about its contents. Maria-chan, I'm sorry I tried to take it from you by force earlier! I apologize, so will you read it aloud in front of everyone?"
"...Maria. Read it."
"Uu-."

As all of the relatives stared fiercely at Maria, she spread the letter open with a rustle...



"That's right. Maria, a messenger? That's seriously not one of his hobbies... Rosa, could this be Maria-chan trying to surprise us with some kind of hidden talent...?"
"...Well, Maria's not really a kid who is capable of something so clever."



:siren:Video: The Letter:siren:

BGM: Fishy Aroma

"I welcome you to Rokkenjima, members of the Ushiromiya family. I am serving Kinzo-sama as the Alchemy counsellor for this house, and my name is Beatrice."
"...How silly...!"
"Shut up!"
"I have been serving him as stipulated by a long-lasting contract; but this very day, that contract has been pronounced terminated by Kinzo-sama. In consequence, from this day on, please acknowledge my resignation as Alchemy counsellor for this house."
"...How foolish, what nonsense...!"
"I, I can't stand to listen to it...!"



"R, ridiculous!!"
"...I, it's been ridiculous from the very beginning..."
"That must be the main point, right? Doesn't it sound just like one of those contracts with the devil? Like, when the contract is ended, it comes back to collect interest. Is she trying to grab some retirement money for her old age or something? What a cheeky witch."
"Battler-kun, you shouldn't make fun of it now..."

Battler made a face as if to ask, "If I can't make fun of this, what can I make fun of?" At the same time, some of the adults' faces were pale, while others looked completely shocked.



"...A special clause...?"
"Wh, what is it...?!"
"Special clause. When the contract is terminated, Beatrice is within her rights to recover the gold and interest accumulated. However, should someone discover the aforementioned gold, Beatrice shall renounce all rights to its recovery for all time. From now on, the collecting of interest shall take place; however, if but a single person fulfills the special clause, I will give back even the interest that I already took. Furthermore, as the first step of the collecting, I have taken possession of the symbol of the inheritance, the Ring of the Head of the Ushiromiya Family. I ask you to please confirm this by the wax seal."
"...Does it really say that...?! That Father would relinquish his ring is unthinkable...!"

Krauss was staring at the sealing wax as though he was trying to burn a hole through it. Eva and Rudolf were doing the same over his shoulder!

"I, I'm sure I had the odd feeling that something was missing from Kinzo's finger when we were playing chess..."
"Doctor Nanjo! Don't say something so careless just because of a vague memory!"
"We can't prove its authenticity here. We can only determine whether Father has really handed over his ring and whether this letter tells the truth by asking him directly."
"Th, that's right. It's just as Kyrie-san says..."
"...Do you really think... that Kinzo-san will tell you...? After all, that person's thoughts are sometimes impossible to predict using common sense..."
"No matter what happens, it's still nonsense! In the first place, the illusion of gold itself is a fake. If you want to talk about nonexistent gold, leave me out of it!"
"But, this is the witch speaking, right? About how the inheritance and all of the assets would be handed over to the one who finds the gold, right? So, could this mean that Beatrice-sama is Father's legal advisor, or maybe in charge of his funds...?"
"W, we can't possibly trust some strange person who entrusts such a suspicious paper to a child!"
"Aniki... let's be frank. Is it possible that someone you don't know is actually handling Father's assets?!"
"N, no, that's impossible! As the agent to the head, I am in control over all of Father's assets! There shouldn't be anyone who can freely do that without me knowing it!"
"So, in other words, there are some assets that you are not in control of, Krauss nii-san?"
"How foolish, there's no way something like that exists!"
"...It does exist. Some of Father's property that Nii-san doesn't control."
"There is no way that something like that exists!!"
"No, it does. That'd be Father's, no, Beatrice's hidden gold!!"
"Let me make it simple. In short, Father has some trusted confidante that Aniki doesn't even know about. Furthermore, this person has always been in charge of watching and managing the gold. It's possible that this person is a dilettante of a very rich family who provided his financing in the first place under the guise of a devil's contract."
"...Could it be that this confidante called Beatrice is trying to test which of the sons and daughters is most fitting to be financed by her gold?"

What Kyrie said was something that all of the siblings wanted to be made clear. Upon reflection, they realized that Kinzo's strange epitaph had always hung in the hall beneath the portrait of the witch, and while it had long been whispered that the one who solved the puzzle would receive everything, no one had ever clearly stated it. It was just something that everyone had hoped might be true. That had, right here, right now, been clearly expressed by Beatrice's letter! It clearly specified that everything of the Ushiromiya family would be given to the one who found the gold.





The door to Kinzo's study was being violently, violently beaten against over and over again like a percussion instrument. The screams coming from the other side were Krauss's, Rudolf's, and sometimes Eva's voices. It was the siblings, who were trying to intrude upon Kinzo's study to question him about the truth behind that mysterious letter.

Kinzo was eating. An elegant tablecloth was set over the desk, and the fabulous dinner that had colored the table down in the dining hall was once again laid out.

Kinzo continued his meal in silence. Shannon, taking away an empty plate, looked uncomfortably between the door being beaten on and Kinzo's face.

"...Everyone is calling for you, but...but what should I do...?"
"...Leave it. God and I value silence during dinner."
"Should I silence them?"
"There's no need. It does not even reach my ears."

Kinzo coolly tasted his food. Genji quietly lowered his head and took a single step back. As he did, Kanon, who stood in reserve like a shadow behind and to the side of Genji, opened his mouth.

"...Since Maria-sama received a letter from Beatrice-sama, I wonder whether they want to test its authenticity."
"...Hahahaha... Those fools, did they start already? ...Come, Beatrice. There's nothing lacking in the coins that have been wagered. Shall we enjoy this night to the fullest? ...I don't feel like losing. Your smile is mine for all eternity. If I could see it one more time, I wouldn't regret losing my wealth, my honor, or even my life."

Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 02:39 on Oct 31, 2016

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Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
Alchemy counselor. Huh. What an interesting position. I wonder if that gold is actually lead now.

tiistai
Nov 1, 2012

Solo Melodica

If anyone has been skipping the songs because they've been maybe a little samey so far, stop doing that

Like Clockwork
Feb 17, 2012

It's only the Final Battle once all the players are ready.

...I'd forgotten that Beatrice called herself an alchemy counselor. I wonder what that means for the "gold"?

John Lee
Mar 2, 2013

A time traveling adventure everyone can enjoy

Prof, have you considered Tindeck uploads for the music? It's a popular choice, and works well for LPs like this where you often want to change tracks on a per-scene basis.


(I sure have been sounding bossy in this thread, haven't I?)

tiistai
Nov 1, 2012

Solo Melodica
Please don't use tindeck, at least with Youtube I can make the songs repeat automatically.

Quinn2win
Nov 9, 2011

Foolish child of man...
After reading all this,
do you still not understand?
Hmm! Thread poll time. Tindeck or Youtube?

little_firebird
Sep 1, 2008

Why don't you
just eat your
belly button and die?!

ProfessorProf posted:

Hmm! Thread poll time. Tindeck or Youtube?

Either way is fine with me.

Tindeck has a harder time leading to accidental music spoilers though, iirc, unless you want to keep polsying youtube.

Quinn2win
Nov 9, 2011

Foolish child of man...
After reading all this,
do you still not understand?
If I go with youtube, I will be continuing to polsy it.

Fabulousvillain
May 2, 2015
I guess I'll vote tindeck since it's been more reliable on my phone, at least so far on other threads.

Cobalt Zeroni
Feb 15, 2015
YouTube because Tindeck doesn't work properly on my tablet.

On a related note, I feel it'd be a good idea to add cues for when the music drops off into silence.

EagerSleeper
Feb 3, 2010

by R. Guyovich
Youtube, because I'm on mobile as well.

Kobanya
Aug 6, 2013
Chiming in for YouTube, since Tindeck occasionally doesn't want to work for me.

HerpicleOmnicron5
May 31, 2013

How did this smug dummkopf ever make general?


Youtube, since Tindeck is bloody awful and I don't know why anybody prefers it.

Thesaya
May 17, 2011

I am a Plant.
I prefer Youtube as well, tindeck has always been wonky for me.

Quinn2win
Nov 9, 2011

Foolish child of man...
After reading all this,
do you still not understand?
Thread has spoken, I will keep using Youtube links.

Quinn2win
Nov 9, 2011

Foolish child of man...
After reading all this,
do you still not understand?


October 4th, 1986, 10:00 PM



Maria was repeatedly barraged with questions by aunt Rosa and the other parents and became increasingly ill-tempered when they refused to believe her. If I tried to raise my voice in this kind of situation, I would just be ignored.

Our parents were all stirred up, firing back and forth about the distribution of the assets, and completely forgetting that we children were even there. Even though I'd already figured that they had been talking like this in the shadows, I hadn't thought they would be so blunt. It gave all of us kids a considerable shock. From what we could overhear, all of the parents wanted more money as soon as possible.

Back and forth about Grandfather's inheritance. Back and forth about the distribution of the gold if it was found. About advance payments and cash. It was so despicable, I couldn't bear to watch, even though one of them was my father.

It looked like Jessica felt the same way. Since no one particularly needed us, we left our seats and went to hang out somewhere apart from the parents.



"Well I'm already completely disillusioned with that old bastard. There's no way I could think any worse of him. Ihihi!"
"Th, that's exactly the same as me! However... that freakin' shocked me. Shocked me to the bottom of my heart..."

Jessica looked down at the floor, irritated. She was always talking about how bad her parents were, but maybe she hadn't really felt that way deep inside. I could realize that from the depths of Jessica's shock.

"...You are all minors and were brought up by your parents, so you might not understand, but getting money is neither a simple nor a pretty thing. Since you are minors now, I won't try to force you to understand... But still, I want you to realize that your parents are just doing their best in their own way."
"...Oh great, George-aniki's gotten all mature."
"I know that George nii-san has become a full-fledged member of society and is working hard, but does that mean that once you start talking about money and assets, you turn into an shameless, greedy vulture...?"
"...If you're talking about me, no, I wouldn't want to do that. However, when your family and your employees, your subordinates and their families are all counting on you, there are some times when you must fight."
"...I hate that kind of fight. That back and forth about Grandfather's inheritance, it just makes me wanna puke."

Jessica pretended to spit violently. That harsh reaction made the depths of her pain very clear.

"...Let's stop talking about this. All of this about Grandfather's hidden gold, about property and inheritance is our parents' problem, not ours."
"I agree. At the very least, I think that being considerate and staying out of the parents' way when they're talking is the duty of their children."
"...Heh... Sounds pretty boring..."



It looked like the shock that Jessica had received was even bigger than I had thought. This girl, she was always talking badly about her parents, but it looked like she hadn't changed at all on the inside since long ago. Even now, she was still a pure-hearted and delicate person who couldn't doubt others. I'm sure she respected her parents as much as anyone else did... And then her parents started raging about, going 'Money money inheritance inheritance, my money!' right in front of all of the other parents and the children. It was no surprise that the shock of hearing that was so big...

"...Jessica-chan. Please don't start hating your mother and father. I won't ask you to understand them, but at least don't hate them."
"I get it, just leave me alone a bit...!!"

Six years ago, I would have further taunted the dejected Jessica... I guess I really have grown over six years. I realized that it would be better to leave Jessica as she was right now...

Jessica suddenly looked away sulkily and left the parlor. She probably wanted to be left alone for now. I could do nothing but wordlessly watch her back as she left...



Maria, who truly looked up to witches, had expected that coming in direct contact with Beatrice and receiving the letter as proof would be an event that would surprise everyone and make them happy. However, the adults had doubted its authenticity, and without swallowing Maria's story, had thoroughly bombarded her with questions. It was hard for me to imagine how much that must have hurt Maria.

I couldn't speak to Maria or Jessica. In the end, George-aniki and I just abandoned ourselves to the sound of the falling rain in the dark night...

"I wonder what's happening with that typhoon. Maybe there's some news."

George-aniki started walking over to the corner of the parlor where the television was. He hadn't called me over, and I really couldn't have cared less where the typhoon was on the sea now. So without going over to the television, I loitered around the window.



"...That stomachache of a discussion could continue all night. It will get nasty."
"Well then, please enjoy playing vultures to Grandfather's property as much as you'd like. It's disgusting."
"I'll agree with you on that. If I could just slip away like you, I would do it. Unfortunately, I can't. Even if I'm not allowed to speak. My partner needs me, right?"

Kyrie-san took a deep breath, smiling bitterly. That's right. They probably wouldn't let Kyrie-san, who married into the family, speak. Still, as Dad's partner, she had no choice but to stay by his side and support him. She must have had to bear the full brunt of this mental pressure, much more than I did.

I wasn't going to apologize, but, realizing that I had spoken too harshly, I cut the sarcasm for the time being...

"So how does it look? Are they still stuck on the topic of the mysterious witch, Beatrice?"
"...More or less. Those four siblings are always piling up secret agreements when they come together to discuss the distribution of Grandfather's inheritance after his death. They're saying that some unknown fifth person has appeared and is trying to make things even more complicated, and there's no way that'll make for a peaceful conversation. Just when you think they're snarling at each other, they'll set up a common front. Natsuhi nee-san's not the only one getting headaches."

On the one hand, they all want a larger portion than the other siblings, so they are all rivals, but on the other hand, they don't want one yen to be snatched up by anyone other than the siblings, so they are also all allies. I haven't been told the details, but they argue on and on about their ceasefire agreement and rules to prevent anyone from getting ahead, under which their portions are protected, and which can, in the worst case scenario, even become grounds for legal action. That they would go this far to preserve their shares was more than shocking...

"So, basically, Beatrice is like an assassin sent by Grandfather. He probably wanted to scare the hell out of his children for just talking about the distribution of the inheritance without him. Ihihi!"



"Well, obviously I don't think she's a witch riding around on a broom... But she was surely a mysterious person who rated being called a witch."
"If only Maria-chan would go into more detail about that... Even though she's just a little girl, everyone has been just chewing her up over this. They really scared her, and some things that they might have asked now can't be asked. I wonder if those people have ever even read 'The North Wind and the Sun'."
"What is for certain is that Maria received a letter from a person who took the name Beatrice. Entrusting Maria with a letter and hiding away even now, when she could have just appeared and talked to us directly... she sure is shy for a mystery person. Hahahahaha..."
"...Hey, Battler-kun. Do you think that someone called Beatrice actually exists?"
"Who knows? Doesn't it really seem like a false name? Like she's Grandfather's representative, so she was permitted to take the name of the witch from his delusions?"



BGM: Stupefaction

"Do I think that a 19th person exists, you say... What exactly do you mean?"
"Just what I said. It looks like the person who lent Maria that umbrella was not one of us 18. Therefore, isn't it valid to think that a 19th person exists, and that this was the person who lent Maria the umbrella?"
"...Well... that does make sense."
"Then, where exactly is this person now? At the very least, she must have been on this island when it started raining. And since that time, the weather has become progressively worse, so taking a boat out would be pretty much impossible. In that case, that person must still be on the island hiding from the rain somewhere... And without being spotted by any of us?"
"...Certainly, all of us have been randomly prowling around all over the mansion and the guesthouse, but no one has bumped into a 19th person... Even so, this island is huge. There might be other places to hide from the rain outside the mansion and the guesthouse."



"If Beatrice was really her name, this person would definitely be the most honored of guests. The most honored of confidants, trusted by Grandfather. There's no way that Grandfather wouldn't give that kind of person a warm reception. She would surely have been ushered into the mansion. However, we haven't seen anyone."
"Wait a second, isn't this line of reasoning a little too hasty? Yes, no one spotted them, but that doesn't mean that you can deny the possibility that a 19th person exists, right?"
"Maybe, for some reason, they landed on the island stealthily and have been hiding ever since. It's what they call the Devil's Proof. It's easy to prove that something exists. If this Beatrice appears in front of us all and says hi, then everything is resolved. However, it's impossible to prove that there is no 19th person."
"...Yes. Battler-kun, your way of reasoning isn't bad. In the current situation, there's not enough information to either accept that a 19th person exists or deny it. But if you turn the chessboard over and think of it that way, we can be nearly sure that the existence of a 19th person is impossible."



To this day, I don't know why the translators used 'turn over' and not 'turn around'.

When you got stuck trying to find a move in chess or Shogi, by turning the board over and looking at everything from your opponent's standpoint, you could often see a strategy that would give you the upper hand. It meant turning things around and putting yourself in your opponent's shoes.

"...You see? Let's say that that a 19th person called Beatrice actually exists. That person must have managed, without being seen by anyone, to stealthily arrive on this island and remain hidden since then. Maybe they had some reason, okay? In that case, why did they go to all of the trouble of appearing before Maria and handing her the letter?"

It really was a contradiction. If they had some reason for hiding themselves, then they should have stayed hidden the whole time. But even so, they had appeared openly in front of Maria.

"Then... wait, Maria even said it. Didn't she say that she had been made a messenger? Since Maria was the youngest and looked the most innocent..."
"Why would they need a messenger? If they just wanted a letter delivered to the family conference, they could have mailed it. If they mailed it to each of the four siblings, they would be unable to ignore it. There was no need for them to carry it themselves and secretly hand it over."
"...That really... does sound pretty weird."
"In the first place, if Beatrice existed, and she wanted to make her presence known to everyone, then she could have just openly presented herself to all of us. Despite that, she chose the vague method of appearing through a little girl called Maria-chan, and only gave us an indistinct impression of who she was. Contradiction. Let's go a little deeper, shall we?"
"She appeared in front of Maria, trying to give us the impression that a 19th person existed, and yet, she still hasn't appeared before us and is hiding somewhere at this very moment. These are contradictions. By keeping these in mind, you turn the chessboard over."



"...If this person wanted to hide, then they wouldn't have made their presence known. And if they wanted to show themselves, they wouldn't have used the roundabout approach of entrusting someone with a letter... Which means...?"
"It's simple. Beatrice is one of the 18 people. Which means that they want to create the illusion that there is someone outside of the 18 people. The 19th person was revealed so spectacularly. The only person who could profit from this would not be some 19th person in hiding. It would be one of the original 18 people. Of course, this reasoning is full of holes. If you turn over even a few of its premises, it will simply fall apart. But I think it is almost certainly correct."

This quickly became an pretty creepy topic. Someone had lent Maria the umbrella and handed her the letter. This couldn't have been one of the 18. And yet, Beatrice was hidden amongst those 18. What was that person planning, hiding their true form and pretending to be Beatrice...?

"I had suspected that it might have been Maria-chan playacting, but the contents of the message were extremely complicated, so it's hard to think that Maria-chan prepared it herself. However, I can't deny the possibility that Maria-chan is working together with someone."
"W, wait, a sec... Maria's a nine year old kid, right?! What could she possibly be planning, and with who?! And what about her serious, too honest, and obedient character?!"
"Yes, I also understand what kind of a person Maria-chan is... But I think that's exactly why it's possible. That girl's a dreamer who can't help but look up to and blindly accept the existence of witches. So if a person appeared in front of her and said they were the witch Beatrice, Maria-chan would be so happy that she would just swallow it up, I think."
"...So you're saying that if someone disguised themselves by wearing that fancy dress from the portrait, tricking Maria wouldn't be that hard?"
"Of course, with that reasoning, all of us women would become the primary suspects. Anyways, did Maria-chan encounter someone? Learning the details of that question would be the best key to solving this riddle."
"...But this key is being obstinately closed up inside her heart. Everyone denied the existence of the witch without listening to her, and barraged her too much with questions about who Beatrice actually was. Maria-chan probably won't open her heart to the adults now."



"...Uu-... Uu-... No one believes Maria met with Beatrice! ...Uu-... Uu-... Even though I showed them the letter Beatrice gave, they still don't believe...! ...Uu-... u, u... hic... hic!"



BGM: None

"Battler-kun, I think that a kid like you would be better at cheering her up than an adult like me. After she's feeling better, try asking... I know you don't care about all this back and forth on the distribution of the inheritance, but don't you think this rich western mansion mystery situation is exciting? Who in the world is this person who gave Maria-chan the letter? It makes your intellectual curiosity ache."
"Even though it's connected to that boring money problem, it's pretty exciting and a really tough problem... Adults can be pretty horrible."

I shrugged, surprised... But she had noticed it. She had noticed the dejection I had felt because I had overheard our parents' turbulent discussion, and was probably trying to turn my mood around. She had at least managed make me feel good enough to hurl abuse.

She wasn't my real mother, so I never felt like calling her Mom... But it did make me think 'she's a real adult'.



BGM: Moonlit Night

"Hehehe, I'm sure everything was all peaceful and harmonious."

Kyrie-san poked the weak spot under my arm with her elbow.

"...We decided to take a break to cool our heads a little. It looks like it'll last all night. Makes me want to cry."

His way of talking hadn't changed, but he couldn't completely hide his fatigue. I couldn't say I was sympathetic, but he looked pitiful compared to his normal, energetic self.

"Still, that rain's just awful. I really don't want to go back to the guesthouse. It looks like Natsuhi nee-san made preparations for us to spend the night here in the mansion. What'll we do?"
"...We don't need to think of it until you're done, right? If you run out of enough energy to head back to our room, then we can let them take care of us."
"That's right. We can think about it later. What about you, Battler?"
"If I stayed, I'd just get in the way. I'll be nice and go back over there."
"...Is that so? Will you go back soon?"
"I dunno. It'd be lonely to head back by myself. I'll gather all of the kids and we'll head out."
"Alright. That'd be good. So, Battler. You won't just be going to sleep that easily, right?"
"Yeah, I'll probably be up talking with the cousins. Sound like we'll be up all night, doesn't it? We'll have to do something about that."



Apparently, Kyrie-san was thinking the same thing. 'What are you talking about?' She asked him in a small voice. Anyhow, it looked like Kyrie-san also didn't have a clue what Dad was talking about.

"...I also want to talk to Kyrie about it. I'll tell you later, so don't ask now. Please."
"...?"

I don't think there's anyone who ignores their family as much as this old bastard... And this was the guy that was asking us to have a talk as a family. Both Kyrie-san and I couldn't help but get wide-eyed.

"Don't make that scared looking face. I'm the one that should be scared. Anyways..."

At that point, he swallowed his words for an instant. Even though putting on airs of importance wasn't much like my dad.

"...You're freaking me out, Dad. Everyone in the family's gathered here now, right? Don't make a big deal out of it and spit it out."



Dad's expression, brightly illuminated by the lightning, was burned into my eyes. Dad face, which always looked so sure of itself and which always wore a taunting expression... was for some reason that I couldn't explain, strangely frail. It was so worn out that he looked like a different person.

"Wh, what...?! ...What are you talking about, that doesn't sound like you!"
"*giggle*. I agree. What happened? You look so timid all of a sudden. It's not like you."
"...I'm going to go fix my makeup. Don't follow me."

Dad turned away, weakly. After that, only Kyrie and I were left, still wide-eyed.

"What did he say...? Tonight, he'll be killed? You don't think that mysterious letter scared him? Hasn't he been watching too many serial murder movies?"
"...Hmmmmmmmm."

Kyrie-san didn't answer my lighthearted words, and continued to stare at my dad's disappearing back...

"...Battler-kun, when you told Rudolf-san to say something, he left without telling us anything. Even though he said that he had something to say to everyone, he didn't answer you. Why? Turn the chessboard over... And when you do?"
"There's the contradiction that he said he wanted to talk but then couldn't. What, can you see anything by looking from Dad's perspective?"
"...*giggle*. Yes, I can see something. He wants to talk about something. However, he doesn't have the courage to bring it up. So he actually means 'In that case, chase after me and talk to me, and ask me about it yourself'. By saying 'Don't follow me', he actually means the opposite. He actually means "Follow me and force me to answer." Seriously, what a spoiled brat."
"Whaaaa-?! Can you really reason it out like that?! Th, that's ridiculous."
"Fufufu, can great detectives deduce the emotions and feelings between men and women? They can't, right? Figuring out the feelings of the opposite sex is an even more advanced art than exposing the tricks in difficult crime cases. If you ask me, romance novels have much deeper mysteries than masterpiece mystery novels."
"I... I see. Is that how it is..."
"I stand alongside that spoiled brat. He normally loves to bluff, but tonight he's completely tired out from that heated discussion. He probably wants someone to lean on at the moment. And responding to that need is the duty of his partner."
"Ha--. Sounds passionate. Then I'll leave that old bastard in your hands."
"Yes, leave it to me."

I called out to Kyrie-san's departing back.

"...Huh? What?"
"Um, I wanted to say thanks. Thanks to you, my gloomy mood has cleared up a lot."
"That's good. Communication is important."

After answering with a wink, Kyrie-san followed after Dad...



BGM: At Death's Door

The discussion that had just taken place between the relatives in the dining hall was repeating itself inside Natsuhi's mind... Beatrice had proclaimed that in addition to the gold, all of the inheritance and property of the Ushiromiya family would be given to the person who could solve the riddle. In other words, she planned to undermine the absolute guarantee that Krauss, as the oldest brother, had to succeed the family head.

Originally, the other siblings had absolutely no chance to succeed the head. To them, this 'proposal' by Beatrice was extremely desirable. It was obvious that they would accept Beatrice's proposal. There was no need to play that clumsy detective game. She knew that this so called 19th person, Beatrice, couldn't exist. Naturally, Beatrice was nothing more than a fictional character used to pass a message that Kinzo had written himself.

The proof was that Kinzo remained stubbornly neutral as to that letter's authenticity. He was completely ignoring these reckless claims that he shouldn't be able to ignore: that he had given up the head's ring. In short, Kinzo had wordlessly admitted that the letter held his own message.

Most likely, one of the servants had given Maria the letter. Kinzo had probably worked out an elaborate plan where the dress from the portrait would be prepared, and someone, probably Shannon, would be made to wear it and deliver the letter and the umbrella. By doing that, he could make it seem like the witch from the portrait actually existed.

No, if anything, from that alone you could conclude that Kinzo was behind all of this.



...Now it was certain. Kinzo had listened in on the siblings' discussion in the parlor earlier that day. So he had known how Krauss had staved off the attack by the other three, and to make the scales of the battle go back into balance, he had sent out this strange letter which benefited the other three. He was trying to push this crazy theory so that Rosa, who had a weak position among the siblings because of her age, and Eva and Rudolf could join together, and with three against one, could overwhelm Krauss yet again. And by doing that, he gave them the power to resettle what had once been a nearly decided conflict. They had now started repeatedly pressing Krauss to pay them a large amount of money...

Using the condition that all of the siblings would guarantee Krauss the succession to the family head, talk about the advance payment which had once been denied was being brought up again. Of course, even without the story about the hidden gold, the Ushiromiya family's store of wealth was vast. Just that store was worth more than enough by itself. Even if the hidden gold was buried forever along with Kinzo's death, there would be more than enough to satisfy. Therefore, even if they weren't that interested in the gold itself, Kinzo had managed to instill the lifelong fear that, on the off-chance that someone found the gold, that person would be granted the position of family head. And this kind of Achilles' heel would definitely be taken advantage of by someone sooner or later.

The only person with this fatal weakness was the successor to the head, Krauss. The other siblings had found... no, they had been told by Kinzo about something that only Krauss could lose, and they had thoroughly taken advantage of that. Natsuhi, as Krauss's only ally in his painful position, and as his wife, wanted to fight alongside him. She kept trying to explain to him that the existence of the gold itself was a farce and that there was no need for him to compromise. Krauss had always told Natsuhi. He had told all of the siblings. He always, always said that the hidden gold was nothing more than an illusion created by Kinzo. Therefore, Natsuhi had believed that as his wife, and on that foundation had supported her husband.



Even though Natsuhi had fought so hard and had lent all of her strength, he continued to fight by himself, and was trying to compromise with the other three siblings. Natsuhi sadly and weakly wondered why she could not be of use to him, and started getting angry.

It had happened when everyone decided to take a short break to cool their heads. Natsuhi had flared up against Krauss. Enraged, she had asked why she could not be useful to him. He had then told her that he wanted to talk about something, and invited her into a room that she was normally not allowed to enter. That room had been sealed with a heavy-looking padlock, and just looking at it had given her an uncomfortable feeling...



Krauss removed the padlock on the door. He then motioned for Natsuhi to enter.

"Enter."
"Wha... what is this?"
"There's something I want to show you. This is the first time I've shown it to anyone."

Natsuhi timidly opened the door with a dubious expression on her face...

It was pitch black. She searched for a switch to turn on the lights, but since this was her first time in the room, she didn't know where it was. Krauss entered behind her, pushing her in, and when he closed the door before turning on the lights, the two were swallowed up by the darkness. Only the sound of Krauss locking the door rang out through the dark.



"...Th, that is...?"

Natsuhi had her breath taken away. The room had no windows, and at a glance, it appeared to be empty.

In the middle of the room, a small, round table had been set, and the lights brightened only that table, as if it were the leading part in a play. On top of the table, a red tablecloth of elaborate design had been set out, covered with dust... and on top of that, 'something' about the size of a grown man's arm had been set down.

That something took Natsuhi's breath away.



BGM: Witch in Gold

It was a ingot of solid gold. Even in the faint light, it sparkled with a noble and dignified gold glint...

"This is not a proper ingot. I don't even know whether it was cast inside or outside the country."

It took a high level of skill to make the purest of solid gold ingots. And in order to verify that purity, it was standard to have the original foundry and the name of the bank that guaranteed it imprinted on the gold. However, this ingot did not have that kind of seal. This mysterious gold bar had come from an unknown foundry.

"Look here. There's nothing to be afraid of. It's just a bar of gold."

Natsuhi, following Krauss's words, timidly approached the ingot...

"Right there."

Krauss pointed at the surface of the ingot. Natsuhi concentrated on that section...



"That's right. This is the legendary ingot that Father said he received from the witch, that the president of Marusoo witnessed and was allowed to select at random to take back with him, that gained the trust of the fixers in the business world. I had to use all possible means to find it. I found it before the other siblings could."
"...How could... Then... the legend of Father's gold is..."
"It actually exists. The gold that Ushiromiya Kinzo received from Beatrice actually exists."
"How could...! H... how could it really exist..."

Natsuhi was shocked... Krauss had always said that Kinzo's gold was just a fabrication. So she had believed it as his wife. However, the reality was different. Since he held definite proof, he had been more certain than any of the other siblings that the Legend of the Gold was true. Because of this, Krauss was deeply frightened at the possibility that someone other than himself would find the gold that he had failed to find, costing him everything.



"...Ha... have I been... so undeserving of your trust...?"
"...I didn't mean it like that. It was only that there was no need to mention it."
"I... is that all a... a wife means to you...?!"



Krauss grimaced, looking annoyed... His expression effectively communicated how much he disliked this part of Natsuhi...

"...It doesn't look like... I will be of any use to you anymore..."
"Hmmm, that's fine. I can resolve the troubles with the siblings by myself. I don't need your help."
"That's wrong!! This is the Ushiromiya family's problem! It's true that I am not permitted to have the family crest imprinted on my body! But I am still your wife!! Even so, are you saying I'm not capable of helping you...?! Are you...!!!?"
"...I especially wouldn't want to risk getting you involved. It would probably make your headaches even worse than they are now. Take a rest for today. The siblings will deal with the siblings' problems. It has nothing to do with you. That is all."



BGM: Fortitude

...Even if I am Natsuhi... I am not Ushiromiya Natsuhi.

As a borrowed womb, I am despised and abused for not even being able to take care of that... even so, I have tried to properly perform the duties of a wife... but have been rejected even by my husband. I did my best as though raising my daughter was the last job left to me... However, my anger and sadness, having no place to go, caused me to subconsciously strain that relationship too...

Because I have been excessively strict in Jessica's education, I am thoroughly disliked by her. Jessica despises me for not being interested in anything but grades. There is no longer anything I can do for the Ushiromiya family...

No... that's no good. Even so, I must help my husband dislodge the schemes of the other greedy siblings. The head won't be around much longer. Eventually, Krauss will succeed the head. And the next successor will be Jessica... Strictly speaking, the man who enters the family by marrying Jessica will become the next head, but it all comes to the same thing.

I have to make Jessica an excellent successor who everyone will accept as worthy to take over the Ushiromiya family. In the days to come, that greedy Ushiromiya Eva will probably be plotting to find some fault with the main family, so that if all goes as she plans, Jessica will be dragged down from the succession, with George in her place. It is regrettable, but George is a man, and even more, has matured as a person. Compared to Jessica, who is right in the middle of her rebellious period and whose grades are slightly below average, it can be seen at a glance who is more fit to succeed the head.

So in order to secure Jessica's position, I need to turn her into an excellent person. After doing that, I want to find her an excellent husband worthy of the excellent person she will have become. A wonderful man who will truly accept Jessica, and stay with her through all of life's joys and sorrows.



She had tried to block that from her memory. She had consciously forgotten that, and had actively attended to the life she had been given as Ushiromiya Natsuhi... and had built up a new life.

But it felt like, just now, all of that had been casually rejected.

"...How should I think as I live my life? ...I don't know."

Natsuhi helplessly rested her head against the glass of the window... The glass, which was cool thanks to the raindrops beating against it, was somehow refreshing. Even though it should have been emotionless, right then it seemed to be the only thing that could understand Natsuhi...

At that point, even if someone had appeared, Natsuhi probably wouldn't have cared in the state she was in. But she did care. Because it was her beloved daughter.



BGM: Steady Pace

"...Jessica. I'm sorry, Mom's headache is awful. Please leave me be."
"...Really..."

Jessica was slightly disconcerted when she first spotted her mother's feebleness. Until just now, she had been filled with contempt for all of the parents, including her mother. But now, only a tiny bit of those feelings remained. All of it had been wiped out by her mother's completely exhausted face.

In its place, the words that George had told her floated back up in her mind. The parents are doing their best in their own way. And since they were supporting their family, they couldn't afford to keep everything pleasant, and had a heavy responsibility to fight. Couldn't her mother have been standing around in this dimly lit hallway because no one had tried to understand that...?

Jessica didn't like her mother, so it would be hard to give her mother words of kindness even if she looked a little frail... Therefore, when she tried to talk to her mother kindly anyways, she had to gather up the words from deep in her heart, both fists clenched.

"I... it looks like you really have your hands full with that discussion..."
"...It has nothing to do with you. Please go somewhere else."
"...Is your headache bad? Sh, should I go get some medicine...?"
"...You don't have to trouble yourself. I'm asking, so please leave me by myself."

Natsuhi was not being unsociable. She just wanted her daughter to go far away so that she didn't have to bump into Natsuhi's own short temper... But there was no chance that her intentions would reach Jessica.

"...Y... yes."

Jessica hung her head, looking sad. Looking at that expression, Natsuhi realized that Jessica was trying to muster up the strength to be kind to her mother. She gave her head a small shake to drive away her own unkind feelings...

"Then I'll leave. I'll be with the other cousins so I don't get in the way of the adults. See you later..."
"...Wait there."

She called Jessica, who was trying to leave and looked lonely, to a stop.



"...You were worried about me. I'm alright now. I will go."

'If I stay here any longer, my feeble expression would actually make my daughter feel more uncomfortable.' Thinking this, Natsuhi left Jessica with words of gratitude and made to depart.

...This time, Jessica called out to her mother's back. Natsuhi stopped and turned around, asking what business Jessica had with her. But Jessica herself didn't know why she had stopped her mother, and for a while, she smiled wryly、muttering to herself as she hesitated over what to say. She was poking around in her pocket when her hand touched something, and she took it out.



It was the scorpion charm that Maria had given her by the beach that day. Although she had heard of its various effects from Maria, right now, Jessica's mind was blank, and she was just barely able to say even that much. Jessica, thinking that her mother probably wouldn't accept it anyway, immediately drew back the hand she had stuck out, grasping the charm.

So when Natsuhi came back to take it, she was extremely shocked...

"...What is this? Some kind of giveaway...?"
"W, well it's, I think it's something like that... You couldn't really expect a charm that looks like a toy to be effective..."

But her mother grasped that hand and accepted the scorpion charm.

"Thank you. I'll take good care of it. Sometime soon, in exchange, why don't I give you a charm that was important to me when I was a child?"
"...I, it's not like that's why I gave it to you. But, well... if you really say so..."
"Then I will rest for now. My headache is awful. Try not to stay up too late."
"Sure..."

Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Oct 31, 2016

tiistai
Nov 1, 2012

Solo Melodica
Kyrie is pretty cool, Natsuhi had a hard life, Fortitude is a great song

bman in 2288
Apr 21, 2010
Lot of different sides to the characters this time.

Except Krauss.

Krauss is always an rear end in a top hat.

Qrr
Aug 14, 2015


I'm confused about how their inheritance works. Apparently Eva had to fight hard to stay in the family at all when she married, but everyone seems to think that when Jessica marries her husband will become the heir after Krauss. How does that work?

Also, if Beatriz is actually one of the 18 then we can eliminate some when we see inside their heads. Unless it's an unreliable narrator of course, but at least Battler and Natsuhi are less likely to be Beatriz. Of course she could always be a 19th person or something actively supernatural.

tiistai
Nov 1, 2012

Solo Melodica

Qrr posted:

I'm confused about how their inheritance works. Apparently Eva had to fight hard to stay in the family at all when she married, but everyone seems to think that when Jessica marries her husband will become the heir after Krauss. How does that work?

As things stand, Krauss is set to succeed the head which would make his family the main one and his siblings' branch families, meaning Jessica would succeed him directly. Being such a patriarchal family, Jessica's husband would eventually be the head after Krauss passes away. Natsuhi's saying that Eva wants to try and take away the main family status from Krauss's family so that George could eventually become the head - had she took her husband's name, she and her family wouldn't be considered to be in line for succession. Jessica marrying now wouldn't change the succession order in any way.

I think.

Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
It's pretty clear that we're not supposed to think anything is true at this point. Everybody's tossing out speculation left and right.

MonsterEnvy
Feb 4, 2012

Shocked I tell you

tiistai posted:

As things stand, Krauss is set to succeed the head which would make his family the main one and his siblings' branch families, meaning Jessica would succeed him directly. Being such a patriarchal family, Jessica's husband would eventually be the head after Krauss passes away. Natsuhi's saying that Eva wants to try and take away the main family status from Krauss's family so that George could eventually become the head - had she took her husband's name, she and her family wouldn't be considered to be in line for succession. Jessica marrying now wouldn't change the succession order in any way.

I think.

This is the correct interpretation I believe.

Quinn2win
Nov 9, 2011

Foolish child of man...
After reading all this,
do you still not understand?


At that point, Jessica returned. Her face was still blank, but it looked like she had calmed down a little since she had left.

"...Is Maria still in front of the portrait?"
"Nope. She just came back, and she's sleeping over there on the sofa. It is getting pretty late for her."

Looking at the clock, it was a little past 10:00 PM. Even if we were going to stay up all night, it was about time to head back to our room.

"My mother had a room prepared for us in the mansion for the time being, but... what'll we do?"
"I think I'd rather head back to the guesthouse. Judging by our parents' appearance, I think it would be better if we weren't in the mansion."
"I agree. It feels like they're telling us kids to mind our own business and stay out of their way. Let's do that, like good little boys and girls."



"Aunt Rosa, if you're looking for Maria, she's over there on the sofa."
"Thank you. My, she's out cold. We must move her to a bed."
"If you would like, I'll carry her over to a bed."
"Thank you, that would be wonderful. Will all of you return to the guesthouse? Or will you stay in the room Natsuhi nee-san had prepared?"
"We were just talking about that. We had just decided to head over to the guesthouse."
"Really. Then I wonder if you wouldn't mind taking Maria with you. I think it will be much more comforting if all of the cousins are together."

It seemed that, in the shadow behind those words, there was some regret that the adults, herself included, had deeply hurt Maria's feelings...

"Leave it to us. After all, we do have an expert at comforting Maria with us!"
"A, are you talking about me? I couldn't do it myself. We'll need everyone together."
"That's right. Battler, weren't you the one who hit it off with Maria when you were messing around earlier?"

As we said this, aunt Rosa smiled, looking truly happy.

"Thank you, everyone. It looks like our meeting will last until very late. Therefore, I'm sorry for the burden, but I'll be counting on everyone for Maria's sake."



"She's really out cold. It'd be bad to wake her."
"Right, I'll carry her."



It was raining hard outside, and Aniki couldn't hold an umbrella and carry Maria at the same time. It looked like aunt Rosa would come with us as far as the guesthouse to help out. However, when she heard uncle Krauss's voice call out to her, she had no choice but to return.

"...That's too bad. I have to go back now."
"...Is everyone returning to the guesthouse?"

After we left the hall on the way to the entrance, the door to the servants' room opened and Shannon-chan stepped out.

"It has become very dark, so allow me to guide you."
"That would be great, Shannon-chan. George-kun is going to carry Maria there. Could you hold an umbrella for him?"
"Yes, certainly."

Shannon-chan brought umbrellas for each of us and a flashlight to guide the way.



"Aniki, is she too heavy? Want me to carry her?"
"It's alright. I can at least carry Maria-chan."
"...I'm truly grateful. Please take care of Maria."
"Right, we understand. In that case, goodnight."
"Then I will see them over there and return here."
"Yes, please..."

Aunt Rosa saw us off.





"Ahh, if only I'd applied for the position of Maria-carrier! Then I'd have been able to rub Shannon-chan's huge breasts all over with my arm!"
"Ththth, that's not why I did it, it's a misunderstanding...!"
"I, I thought that if I didn't, George-sama would get all wet..."
"C'mon, quit babbling and go in!"

After being nudged by Jessica, Shannon folded up her umbrella and went into the guesthouse.



"Huh? Who had the night shift on today's schedule?"
"I believe there has been a special schedule during the family conference. I think there were a few changes, so I will go and check..."
"Wait, if you have to go all the way back to the mansion to find out, don't force yourself."
"Ah, it's alright. I can find out from the servants' room in the guesthouse. Please excuse me for a short while."

Shannon-chan gave a quick bow and went into the guesthouse servants' room. The rest of us headed for the cousins' room and put Maria in the bed for the time being. Maria was sleeping very deeply, and there was absolutely no sign of her eyes opening...

We got some drinks out of the room's refrigerator, and spent some time playing cards while drinking...



"...Hmm. Gohda-san has been changed to the night shift at the mansion. You and Kanon have the night shift in the guesthouse. Kumasawa-san and I have been ordered to spend the night in the guesthouse... Just now, a phone call came, saying that you are also to remain here."
"Huh...? Th, that's quite a large modification... The shifts at the guesthouse and the mansion have almost been completely reversed, haven't they...?"

Originally, Shannon and Kanon had been given the night shift in the mansion, while the night shift in the guesthouse, where all of the relatives were staying, had been assigned to Gohda, who had an abundance of experience in entertaining. Kumasawa should have been staying at the guesthouse, while Genji should have been staying in the mansion. However, it seemed that Krauss had suddenly ordered that the schedule be modified. The shifts at the guesthouse and the mansion had all been reversed, and Genji was spending the night in the guesthouse.

"...It's probably because of Beatrice-sama's letter."
"...Why 'probably'?"
"When such a mysterious letter appeared, it was only natural that Krauss-sama would suspect one of us. We serve directly under the Master, so Krauss-sama tried as best he could to keep us far away from the family conference."



In reality, Kinzo would seldom let anyone other than them enter his study. You could probably say this sudden shift change clearly expressed the sense of mistrust that caused.

Considering the time Kinzo had left to live, this would definitely be the last family conference before the problem of the inheritance would come up. On top of that, the mysterious letter that claimed to be from Beatrice had dropped in out of the blue. Krauss definitely wanted to keep Kinzo's loyal subjects away from the table of such a delicate and important discussion...

"...If you would excuse me, I will go rest. If anything happens, call me immediately. For the Master, tonight is special..."
""Yes, certainly, Genji-sama.""

Genji nodded back, went behind a screen, took off his jacket, and slowly began to relax after a day's worth of tension...



"Yes, probably... I'm only saying this because Genji-sama isn't around, but I'm a little happy I was sent to the guesthouse... I think..."
"Oh? Why's that? Because you can stay away from Madam and Eva-sama, those bullies? Or do you have another reason?"
"I... it's not like I have... ...another reason...!"
"...I see. Then, let's do our best together with our midnight shift. I'm counting on you, Nee-san."
"Ah, umm... Just now, I was asked to go to the children's room and play with them..."

Shannon hung her head apologetically, gazing at Kanon uncertainly. Kanon didn't try to meet her eyes, and spoke curtly as he sighed. It looked like he didn't plan on indulging his 'sister'.

"...You can't. You were assigned the night shift. And besides that, it is not necessary for furniture like us to respond to an invitation to play. You understand, right?"
"Y... yes, I do understand... Nnnn."

...She had already expected that Kanon, who considered rules to be very important, would probably say something like that, but even so, she was a little discouraged. As Kanon turned over a diary, he spoke without facing Shannon.

"...In that case, the children will be waiting for you. You will have to apologize and tell them that you have the night shift and won't be able to stay with them. Go and come back."
"Huh... ah, yes! I'll go apologize and come back..."

Shannon hurriedly stood from her seat before her brother's mood could change, and flew out of the servants' room after giving a quick bow...

As he watched her back go, Kanon took a single deep breath... Genji's voice came from beyond the screen.



"...No, that's not something that I need to do. Kids who are people may have a need to play, but... we are... only furniture."
"...Is that so."
"...Nee-san is also... furniture. Even if she pretends to be a person, it will only hurt her later. I understand that, so I try not to get too close to people."

Genji did not say anything after that. After a while, he stood up and used a pot of hot water to make powdered cocoa, and served some to Kanon as well.



His voice caused Maria to turn over once, but she soon fell back into a deep sleep... Jessica gave him a jab, and he lowered his voice.

"Still, seriously... now that I've heard about it, they really did have that kind of atmosphere, didn't they... Haa, now I see, that George-aniki..."

George could not be seen anywhere in the room. A short while ago, when Shannon had come into the room, George had suddenly said that he had forgotten something in the mansion and needed to go back and get it. Shannon had said she would guide him, just like she had on the way to the guesthouse, and the two of them had departed together.

"...Yeah, they've really been showing signs for a long time, haven't they? Asking what the other person liked, asking what their hobbies were. And somehow thinking they could pass it off as nothing more than a passing interest!?"
"Come to think of it, I get the feeling that George-aniki has always been overly nice to Shannon-chan... No-w I get it..."



BGM: Praise

"Hahaha, I already knew that the typhoon would be coming beforehand. Just in case, I made sure that I didn't have any plans for Monday, so it's all right. I may not look like it, but I really am the type who can plan ahead in his schedule."

George puffed out his chest, acting proud. Compared to the normally calm appearance that George always had as the oldest cousin, he now looked amusingly like a little kid. Shannon chuckled at this gap.

"It's no surprise that someone who will soon make his company prosperous is so well prepared."
"...Well, making a company prosperous really is a tough job. Money isn't the only thing that's important. I learned that well by studying from my father. Making a company prosperous is like having a castle and leading your subordinates."
"My dad, Hideyoshi, really loved reading about great leaders during the warring periods of Japan. Much of his philosophy on managing businesses comes from talking about them. Did you know? Takeda Shingen, who was feared as the leader of the strongest cavalry corps in the warring periods, started out with his troops in complete disarray, and didn't have the kind of strong leadership necessary to utilize them well."
"Is that true? That's a little unexpected."
"In order to unite his troops, Shingen utilized several strategies. For example, when a soldier succeeded well in battle, he would immediately honor them with a medal. Normally, that kind of thing was put off until after the war and they were all awarded at once."
"He also worked diligently while on the field of battle, and when he immediately showed his appreciation for his troops' military exploits, he motivated them in an extremely significant fashion. After that, whenever one of his troops was brought down by an illness, he would be the first to rush up to them and care for them, things like that. Takeda Shingen wasn't just the man who led the strongest calvary corps in the warring period. He was the person who cared the most for his troops throughout the warring period."
"...Since he was that kind of person, all of his troops went along with him."

The truth was, Shannon had already heard this story several years ago. But when George started to tie his father in with one of these stories, he would always be beaming, looking like he was having a great time. So Shannon just smiled without interrupting, urging him to continue.

"Of course, in a capitalist world, the power of money can build up a large stone wall. But did you know? You can't build up a castle or succeed in war by yourself. That kind of thing can only be created with the support of many subordinates, by borrowing their strength. After understanding this, when I look at my father's back, I realize how immature I am. I see how much my father has cultivated his character by working hard, and understand well how he was able to build up all that he has until today."
"George-sama, you truly look up to your father... I'm jealous."
"A, ah, sorry... that's not exactly the way I meant to say it."
"I, I am sorry... I also didn't mean it that way..."

The two of them awkwardly looked at their feet.



Servants from the Fukuin House all took names with the character "on" (音) in them while they served. So "Shannon" (紗音) wasn't her real name. The same goes for "Kanon" (嘉音).

All of the graduates from the Fukuin House were orphans. Or you could say that they were all people who, through special circumstances, had been disowned by their parents. Because of this, the graduates had been taught to think of each other as their only family. That's why it seemed so natural to Kanon when he called Shannon his sister. And while only Shannon and Kanon were working today in the mansion, there are other servants who worked in the shift rotation, named Manon (眞音) and Renon (恋音) who also inherited the '音' character in their names.

However, there were not many servants who stayed with the Ushiromiya family for long. It was standard for them to quit after three years, so you could probably say that Shannon, who had been working for over ten years, was an exception to an exception to the rule. Working as a servant for the Ushiromiya family was a heavy burden to bear, but the pay wasn't bad at all. Working for a full three years would earn more than what was needed to enter mainstream society. That was why, even though the graduates from the orphanage realized what a harsh task working for the Ushiromiya family was, they still hoped to be accepted.

Maybe the fact that Shannon had managed to continue for more than ten years shouldn't be viewed as her having more willpower than any of the other servants. Maybe she was made to continue working for ten years because she didn't have the courage to say that she wanted to quit. To Kinzo, who could not even trust his own blood relatives, those 'excellent' servants sent from the Fukuin House were the only ones he could trust. Because of that, Kinzo would sometimes allow them to wear the family crest as servants under his direct control, and have them work close to him...



"Have you continued working to try and meet some target sum?"
"...Y... yes, that's right. I have nowhere to go outside of this mansion. I have been getting along well with Milady and the other servants' children, too... I am sometimes scolded by Madam, but... caring for the rose garden and cleaning the mansion is fun..."



"Even after becoming an adult and a full-fledged member of society, I've been studying and I've learned something. A human's life is not as monotonous or short as we thought when we were kids."

When they are students, everyone has certain fears that they can't shake. Wondering whether they will live the rest of their lives like they were in sleepy classes after a monotonous and boring school day, spending their time in a carefree laziness without anything interesting happening until it was all over...

However, these thoughts will only arise while a person is still an underage student. Compared to a human's life, the time they spend as a student is nothing more than a blink of the eye, a period where they break through the shells of their immaturity. The inside of the shell might be a hot, suffocating and boring world, but the world beyond that shell is vast and filled with limitless possibilities.

"So far, you have been living inside your shell. Aren't you making the mistake of thinking that your life will always continue like this?"
"That is..."

Shannon couldn't deny those words. She hadn't been able to doubt her way of life, and since she never had any hope or goal to change herself, she had continued her life of idleness. And if she were asked whether this life was satisfying, she wouldn't have been able to nod... This might have caused her to avert her eyes from the truth.

As long as she wasn't admonished by George, she would have continued pretending not to notice as her real life slipped away, neglected, bit by bit...

"...George-sama...Should I not... continue living... this way?"
"You must not. Ah, and by the way, didn't you break one of the rules just now?"

George immediately gave a strict answer, and then broke out into a mischievous smile. Shannon already knew what she was being chided for, and it seemed that it embarrassed her, as she hung her head.

"Didn't you promise not to use "sama" when the two of us are alone...?"
"...I couldn't obey that as a promise. But, if it was an order, I would have to obey it... Because I'm... furniture."
"Then it's an order."
"Err, Yes. Certainly... George-san."

As Shannon hung her head, her face red, she said George's name again, this time using san...

"Yes, that's fine, Sayo-chan."

A smile rose to George's face praising Shannon's, no, Sayo's small act of bravery.



"...Th, that's right... I have something I wanted to show you."
"...Wh... what could it be?"

George, who had been speaking eloquently, suddenly started to stutter. Shannon also noticed something about his appearance. George timidly searched through his pocket. Something got caught in the depths of his pocket, and just like the stuttering George, it took a little while to get it out.



BGM: Sakura

Shannon had prepared her heart a little, thinking it must be something like that. But even so, when she actually saw it, she couldn't avoid blushing once more...

George opened the small box, took that thing out... and held it out for Shannon to take it.

"I want you to accept this."
"I... I can't accept something so valuable...!"
"...You can't accept it...?"
"N... no, umm... Something like that... is too good... f, for me..."
"Sayo. This is not a request. It's an order, okay? Accept this ring. Okay?"
"Ha... u... I, I can't... disobey an order..."
"Yes, that's right. Good girl."



That ring wasn't a simple accessory. It was a noble object, which since ancient times was meant to be held with a special meaning and offered to a special woman. Therefore, while George could order her to take it, he could not order anything beyond that. Anything beyond that would depend, not on an order, but on Shannon's, no, Sayo's own will.

"So, from here on it's no longer an order. Sayo. I want you to answer me tomorrow, without using words. Do you understand?"
"...Err... H... how..."
"I won't order you any more, so this isn't an order... But a ring is something you put on your finger. If you like it, you can just put it on any finger that you choose."

Shannon had only pretended not to know. She had already understood what he wanted her to do. But she was standing at a huge crossroads of her life...

"...Look how late it's gotten. Let's call it a day."

George faced away from Shannon, seeming slightly uncomfortable.

"I probably can't order you to wear it on your left hand. You might be timid and dependent enough to actually obey that kind of an order. But I want this last part to be given by Sayo's own will. Understand?"
"...Y... yes."
"So, that's my order. I want you to think about it well tonight and show me your answer tomorrow."
"..."

Shannon nodded back.



"...We should be getting back to the guesthouse soon. If we take any longer, we'll make everyone worry about us."
"...Ah, err... I'm sorry, I...! Um, I just remembered something I had to do in the mansion, so, um... I have to go back to the mansion..."
"Something this late? Really?"

George stared into Shannon's face as he laughed mischievously. He definitely saw through Shannon's lie. However, after noticing that feeling, it wasn't as if he couldn't understand that she'd want to be alone.

So because George realized the meaning behind Shannon's lie, he accepted it.



October 4th, 1986, 11:00 PM



BGM: Hope

A mixture of exaltation and uncertainty gave her a feeling that she couldn't easily describe. It swelled up in her chest until it felt like she was about to burst. After stopping for a second in front of the servants' room to take a deep breath and calm her heart, she opened the door.

Inside, Gohda, who had been ordered to take the midnight shift at the mansion tonight, was absorbed in a crossword puzzle magazine, completely worn out. He looked up for an instant to see whether one of the family had come, but when he realized that it was a fellow servant, he returned to his puzzle as if nothing had happened.



"Ah, really... Thanks a lot. I was just about to go make the rounds and close up the mansion, but there's no way I could leave this place empty. Anyways, Krauss-sama and the others' meeting looks as though it will continue for quite some time. They might order some tea at any time."
"That's true... Then, what shall we do...? Should I watch over-"
"In that case, Shannon-san, sorry, but would you please patrol the inside of the mansion? I will stay here, awaiting the family's orders."
"Ye, yes..."

...Shannon was a little surprised. Despite the fact that she had come here to help out as a favor, she was being forced to do the job of the person actually on duty as though it were natural. Furthermore, after one-sidedly forcing that task on her, Gohda had once again gone back to his magazine and had become immersed in his crossword puzzle.



From the dining hall, she began to hear the tumultuous voices of the family's discussion. Someone was speaking at great length, and was then interrupted by someone else. This second person also began to speak in a very long, drawn-out fashion, until yet another person interrupted him. That kept on repeating. It was as though their displeasure was seeping out through their voices.

She had been told to go to the guesthouse, so it would be bad if she was discovered by Krauss. Thinking that, Shannon quick-footedly left from the entrance to the dining hall. Then, inside the mansion controlled by darkness, she began to check that the house was all closed up, following a prearranged route. She walked down the hall, checking that each window was closed.



The metal fixtures on the completely chilled windows were freezing, and every time she went to check one them, one-by-one, it felt like the glow in her heart seemed to cool down.

"...?"



BGM: Lure

At that time, she thought she saw something flickering across the hall.

...Flickering? Something like that shouldn't be visible beyond the darkness of the hall...



However, other than the occasional crack of thunder brightening the hallway, she was unable to glimpse any flicker again. It must have been her imagination after all. Maybe because she couldn't calm her heart, she saw something that didn't even exist.

Shannon resumed checking the windows... However, in the back of her mind, a certain unnerving imagination was resurrected. It was that which had been passed down amongst the servants who served the Ushiromiya main family, that ghost story.

The mansion had different Masters of the Day and of the Night. The master of the night, Beatrice, would sometimes fly around the mansion in the form of sparkling butterflies. That was the story.

...Come to think of it, didn't Kanon-kun once say that he had seen it with his own eyes...? Could it possibly... really...?

The roar of the thunder gave no answer...



The clock strikes midnight.























Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Oct 31, 2016

Quinn2win
Nov 9, 2011

Foolish child of man...
After reading all this,
do you still not understand?
Whoof, 3 updates on the same page. Sorry about that.

Jeabus Mahogany
Feb 13, 2011

I'm mad because of a thorn in my impenetrable hide
Welp, looks like Shannon is loving dead.

Level Seven
Feb 14, 2013

Wubba dubba dubba
that blew.



Megamarm

ProfessorProf posted:

"Have you continued working to try and meet some target sum?"

Hey Battler, you aren't part of that conversation.

Quinn2win
Nov 9, 2011

Foolish child of man...
After reading all this,
do you still not understand?

Level Seven posted:

Hey Battler, you aren't part of that conversation.

Fixed.

As a version comparison aside, this:



is unique to the PS3 version. The old art didn't have any special full-screen scene-specific art like that, using black or generic backgrounds like the rest of the game. We'll start seeing more of those on the second day.

tiistai
Nov 1, 2012

Solo Melodica
Not that it's important, but could you add the rain sound effect to the updates? I kinda miss it.

bman in 2288
Apr 21, 2010

Jeabus Mahogany posted:

Welp, looks like Shannon is loving dead.

Welp, looks like George is gonna have to settle for Kanon, now.

Quinn2win
Nov 9, 2011

Foolish child of man...
After reading all this,
do you still not understand?

tiistai posted:

Not that it's important, but could you add the rain sound effect to the updates? I kinda miss it.

I'll look into if there's an easy way to do this, but no promises.

Qrr
Aug 14, 2015


tiistai posted:

As things stand, Krauss is set to succeed the head which would make his family the main one and his siblings' branch families, meaning Jessica would succeed him directly. Being such a patriarchal family, Jessica's husband would eventually be the head after Krauss passes away. Natsuhi's saying that Eva wants to try and take away the main family status from Krauss's family so that George could eventually become the head - had she took her husband's name, she and her family wouldn't be considered to be in line for succession. Jessica marrying now wouldn't change the succession order in any way.

I think.

The odd thing there is the man who marries Jessica won't be an Ushiromiya (unless she did what Eva did). That would make the heir not a member of the family, and would mean the end of it being the Ushiromiya family.



As for the update: I guess we don't see Maria because she's lying down in the same room as Battler and Jessica, but it's interesting that Natsuhi doesn't show up in the montage of people.

Kinu Nishimura
Apr 24, 2008

SICK LOOT!

bman in 2288 posted:

Welp, looks like George is gonna have to settle for Kanon, now.

MAN OF SORROW chikai yo utage yo

Kinu Nishimura fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Sep 27, 2016

Quinn2win
Nov 9, 2011

Foolish child of man...
After reading all this,
do you still not understand?
Second post update. Compressed the character bios, and added a section for the contents of the in-game TIPS page. Currently, that just has the Epitaph and the contents of Beatrice's first letter.

Hopefully we can reach the next page before tomorrow's update.

Rune Full Moon
Jun 23, 2005

Jin, did you forget to buy groceries? ... Looks like air for dinner. Again.

Qrr posted:

The odd thing there is the man who marries Jessica won't be an Ushiromiya (unless she did what Eva did). That would make the heir not a member of the family, and would mean the end of it being the Ushiromiya family.


In Japan, it's not unusual for a man marrying into a family with a higher social class than his to take the name of his wife instead of the other way around, so it would still be the Ushiromiya family. Eva having to fight to do it probably has more to do with her rivalry with Krauss and the Ushiromiya family being full of sexist assholes that don't like Eva for not "acting like a woman should," i.e. shutting up and just doing whatever the men tell her.

Which isn't to say Eva isn't also a sexist rear end in a top hat, what with considering Natsuhi to be a "borrowed womb" like dear old daddy does.

The Ushiromiya family is really hosed up.

Double Plus Undead
Dec 24, 2010
Natsuhi is trying to win at patriarchy by following the rules as given to her. Eva is trying to win by being treated as an exception. Neither realizes that victory is impossible.

Mercury Hat
May 28, 2006

SharkTales!
Woo-oo!



That's something I do like Umineko for, how the characters react to and adapted to living under Kinzo's strict patriarchal rule.

Really, all the main adult characters are well developed, in my opinion. Higurashi had a lot of focus on fired-up kids, so seeing fully realized adult characters was a big draw to me.

bman in 2288
Apr 21, 2010

alcharagia posted:

MAN OF SORROW chikai yo utage yo

...what.

tiistai
Nov 1, 2012

Solo Melodica

Qrr posted:

The odd thing there is the man who marries Jessica won't be an Ushiromiya (unless she did what Eva did). That would make the heir not a member of the family, and would mean the end of it being the Ushiromiya family.

What Rune Full Moon said. The husband would be an Ushiromiya, like Hideyoshi. Although if Jessica gave up the Ushiromiya name then the inheritance would just go to the next one in line, who would be Eva at the moment.

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tiistai
Nov 1, 2012

Solo Melodica

sacrifice sheep to god

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