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umiscripts2012-01-30 05:04 pm
endlesswitch) wrote in umiscripts2012-01-30 05:04 pm
banquet of the golden witch; chapter 4 (possibility of a 19th person)
Sat, Oct 4 1986 9:00PM
"...I see... She's not a witch, Beatrice is the name of his mistress who lived on the island.........So there can be more than 18 people! Which means I can defeat that line of reasoning which says that, if it was impossible for all 18 people, it must be a crime involving magic. ......That's some big information."
"Excuse me. Battler-sama, how about some black tea and cookies?"
Beato's butler, who called himself Ronove, appeared out of nowhere.
A plate set on a silver tray that he held was filled with delicious-looking, steaming black tea and cookies.
...I really don't like this guy's smile.
For some reason, it didn't look like a smile used to warmly greet a guest.
It felt like he was making fun of me for some reason.
...I don't know whether he really takes me for an idiot, or whether it's just a joke or something, but it's really irritating me.
"......I don't need it. I'm busy now. Leave me alone."
"Oh, my. Such a shame, the cookies were so delicious too. Cooked so wonderfully it would be a shame to waste them on a simple human, truly wonderful cookies."
"I'll eat some when I feel like it. Set it down over there and get out of here."
"Will that be acceptable? Then I shall do so. You may eat them when they get cold and stale, and then regret as much as you like that you did not eat them when they were freshly baked."
".........You really are annoying. ...Well, you're a lot better than that Beato, who keeps doing that creepy cackle right next to my ear."
"No, no, that is quite true. There are times when Milady's laughter becomes quite undignified. Every time I hear it, I find it painful to comprehend why such a noble demon like myself must have such a person as his Master. Pu ku ku ku..."
"......Man you're weird. If you don't like it, then couldn't you just not work for her?"
"And yet, to continue serving is furniture's joy. If we do not, we would not be working as furniture.
......Let us set that aside. How has the game been proceeding? Just now, I believe I heard you say that you had found some good information, and were quite pleased by it. Well now, I wonder what your shallow wit has thought up."
As Ronove made fun of me and giggled, he followed my earlier words literally and half-heartedly set up some black tea and cookies nearby.
"......In any case, it appears that you are now more confident regarding the matter of a 19th person's existence, right? Would you be gracious enough to allow me to hear your opinion?"
".....................Yeah, sure. I'm just going to say it again in front of Beato anyways. No reason to hide it. ......Alright. It looks like there's a hidden mansion somewhere on this island, and that Grandfather had his mistress living there. In that case, the question that's been torturing me, about whether there are 18 or 19 people, can be easily resolved."
"You have driven yourself into a corner because of the dead-end that you yourself have created. Even though you deny the witch, Battler-sama, you hold a double standard, and refuse to accept that the culprit is one of the 18."
"...The easiest way to deny the witch would be to doubt one of the 18. ......It isn't easy to gather alibis for every one of them. You always find at least one person with a fragile alibi. ......I could probably continue to deny the witch forever if I just used that person as a sacrifice."
"However, I refuse to do that!! Aah, it's useless, it's all useless! Every one of those 18 people is either a parent, a relative or a cousin to me! And those reliable servants, who are sometimes serious and sometimes interesting. I won't let myself use any one of them as a sacrifice!!
In the past, my resolve wavered. That's how Beato hit me where my heart was weak."
"......Accepting and understanding your own weaknesses. That is not something which can often be accomplished. Battler-sama, you are using this theory about a 19th person as a spear. ...Or should I say, a shield?
In any event, unlike how unprepared you were in the games up until now, let us call the fact that you now have a compass bearing on how to fight, ...a dramatic leap forward. With this, you can suspect a 19th person and can pursue your theory that the culprit is a human, without having to doubt any of the 18 you love and respect."
"That's it exactly. Like in the first game, when Kanon-kun was killed in the boiler room, ...there were plenty of tricks I could have mentioned without hesitation, as long as a 19th person existed."
In the very first game, Kanon-kun had been killed in the boiler room.
One might think that he was attacked by Kumasawa-san, who had gone down into the boiler room with him, or maybe that someone who had appeared to be dead earlier was actually faking and had ambushed him. Either way, it was a move that forced me to suspect one of the 18.
However, by simply proposing that a 19th person existed, there was no longer any need to suspect one of the 18 for that murder in the boiler room.
"In short! I can at least deny the line of reasoning which says this: something is impossible for every one of the 18, therefore the culprit is a witch."
Using this argument, it is easy to explain, for example, that problematic case which has already occurred in this game, 'who gave Maria the letter?'
Even if all 18 people have alibis, I could easily explain everything by saying that a 19th person must have visited her and given her the letter.
".........Hmm, hmm. I think that is quite a good move. How shall I strike back?
......Battler-sama, you may already understand, but there are still plenty of weak points. Maybe the '18 people attack' will be an effective move. As an attempt to judge how strong your defense is, it may be interesting to challenge that point again."
"Then how will you do it, demon butler...?!"
"......I believe it would be appropriate to ambush the piece representing this 19th person that you mentioned. Battler-sama, have you ever met this 19th person? Would you please show some proof that this 19th person exists?"
"How naive. Of course, I knew you'd probably try that move...!"
"My, my. Please respond to it."
"Witches and demons and the like... That isn't a move appropriate for you to use. ......It's one of those 'Devil's Proofs'!"
When you try to make some claim to humans like us, we always counterattack by telling you to show some proof.
Because that's a human move.
But I'm fighting with a witch.
I'm taking part in a battle with someone who isn't human!
And some moves exist which can only be used in a game against a witch. There are cheap moves!
And that's what this 'Devil's Proof' is.
Because it's impossible to prove!
Let's assume that there is a hidden mansion on Rokkenjima separate from the Ushiromiya family mansion, and that a woman named Beatrice is living there.
In order to prove this, one must find this mansion and actually bring Beatrice out of it.
That's called actual proof in the human world.
However, if we follow the rules of the 'Devil's Proof', you can't deny that she exists, even if there's no proof that she does.
Because it's impossible to prove that something doesn't exist.
......That's right, I'm finally able to turn the tables using this 'Devil's Proof', which tormented me so much before.
Those guys were always trying to force me to accept the existence of the witch by using the 'Devil's Proof'.
That was because, with regards to the self-styled witch, Beato, I couldn't offer physical proof that 'witches don't exist'.
I kept getting hit with the reckless argument that this meant witches do exist, and was unable to counterattack.
And that's why I'll turn the chessboard over right now!
If I can't disprove that witches exist, then that means, if I suggest that a 19th human exists, you can't deny that either.
In other words, because this problematic and mysterious mistress is craftily hiding herself, it would be perfectly natural if you never find her no matter how hard you look.
So you can't say that the 19th person can't be found, and that therefore, the 19th person doesn't exist.
That's because it's impossible to deny the 19th person's existence.
Beato used the 'Devil's Proof' to make denying her existence impossible, but this time it's become my weapon.
If we can get away with this argument, then forget just a 19th person, this island could be full of people we don't know about, and even if there were 10 or 100 of them, she still couldn't deny that they existed.
In the last game and the one before that, among the murder scenes that showed up, there were several that were extremely intricate and must have taken a lot of effort to set up.
It's very difficult to imagine that a single culprit could have set all of those up.
However, if not just a 19th person, but 10 or 100 people were hidden somewhere, that wouldn't be any problem at all.
If they all split up the work, they could handle any job in a short period of time.
Of course, doubts will naturally arise at whether a large group of people like that could sneak around the mansion without being noticed, but those are all settled by the 'Devil's Proof'.
You can't deny that even 100 people were there just because they weren't seen or noticed.
Even though I'm saying it myself, it's such a stupid argument that it makes me wanna throw up! However, because it's such a dirty move, it's a perfect one to use against a witch.
Well, this is just my imagination, ...but what if about 100 suspicious men wearing goat masks were hiding in the shadows......, something like that's worse than laughable, almost like they're cockroaches.
If you see one, it means there's 100 hiding in the shadows.
"......Well, I think that this is a ridiculous argument that's horribly twisted. If my opponent was human, I'm sure they'd yell at me like I was out of my mind. ......But my opponent is a witch. And after all, that is the kind of competition we're having, isn't it? I'll use any kind of reckless argument to explain it using humans, and deny the witch!!"
"......Anyways, with this move, I won't have to doubt any of the 18 who are close to me again. I won't repeat a defeat like last time again...!!"
"......I see. You have learned from your defeat last time. That is good. It is no surprise that by the third game you have become quite devious.
.........You first strengthen your own defense. That is truly a solid first step. Quite a spectacular move, I think."
"Well, even if we do assume that there is a 19th person, there are still a few tricks left that I can't clear, like the actual number of master keys, no matter how many humans I add. ...Still, it isn't bad as a first step, for the time being."
"Battler-sama, your trump card is the important piece called the 19th person. ......You countered my move of asking where the proof was by using the 'Devil's Proof'. ......A good skirmish. Although I have no excuse for making a move by myself when Milady isn't here, .........I find that I too am becoming slightly interested. ...I wonder if you will allow me to make yet another move on Milady's behalf?"
"......Come on. I don't care if you're a witch or a demon, it won't be enough!"
"This move that you presented called the 'Devil's Proof'. It's a specialty of us demons, but there are also various other moves available to us. ......Do you know of a move called 'Hempel's Raven'?"
"Hempel's Raven...?? What are you talking about?"
"...*cackle*cackle*. Ah-hahahahahahahahah-hahahahah-hah-ha...!"
Just then, ...aah, that enraging laugh I'd heard so many times started echoing.
The room was filled dazzling golden butterflies, and in the center of that whirlwind, the Golden Witch appeared.
"If it isn't Milady. Good morning."
"I thought you might be doing something interesting while I was away. ......'Hempel's Raven', was it? That move is so familiar I could almost laugh. I was certain the day would come when it would be introduced to Battler. It's a classic move to use against the 'Devil's Proof'.
......Ronove, I will make this move. Do not get in the way of my fun."
"So you've finally shown up, you guffawing witch. I see that you still have that undignified laugh. ......This guy was talking behind your back just now, telling me about how undignified it is. Right?"
"What a surprise. Really?"
"Nonsense. Why would I speak such gossip about Milady, of whom I speak most respectably from my heart?"
"...I can't believe you'd say something so shameless. Doesn't look like we'll be getting along well together..."
"*cackle*cackle*cackle*. Well, that is fine. Let us return to the conversation. 'Hempel's Raven' is used to show actual proof using the contrapositive. ......In other words, it is a move like this... What must you do to prove that ravens are black?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?? Prove that ravens are black......Wouldn't you just have to catch a raven and check to see if it's black?"
"That is right. You must simply prove that 'a raven is black'. And do you see that, if you also prove that 'birds that aren't black are not ravens', you would reach the same argument? If you go throughout the world and examine all birds that are not ravens, and prove that none of them are black, then as a result, you can claim that 'therefore, black birds are ravens'. This is called an argument by the contrapositive. ...Is that difficult for you?"
"Yeah, completely. ...I have no idea what you're saying."
"Battler-sama. What about this example? Let us say that you have two boxes, and one of them is the winner, with a cookie inside. Of course, the other one is the loser, and is empty."
For example, here are two boxes, one is the winner with a cookie inside, and the other is the loser and is empty.
At this moment, 'the one that has a cookie is the winner', which means that, at the same time, 'the one that is not the winner does not have a cookie'.
When such a relationship exists, the latter is called the contrapositive...
When 'if A then B' is true, then 'if not B then not A' is also true.
"...Well, that's obvious. If the one you guessed was the loser, then you would automatically know that the other one was the winner.
...In other words, if you choose the box at random, whether it's the winner or the loser, you'll be able to figure out which box has the cookie in it after your first move."
"That is correct. If the cookie is in the box you open, then the 'Devil's Proof' is satisfied. You can clearly prove that 'this box was the winner, therefore this box had a cookie in it'.
However, if the box that you open is empty, then the reverse, Hempel's raven, is satisfied. It means that 'this box does not have a cookie in it, therefore, the other box is the winner'.
That is because, as long as we accept the premise that there are no more than two boxes, the contrapositive shows that the other box is automatically the winner."
"......Well, I think I'm starting to see your reasoning. Only poison can stop poison, and only twisted logic can stop twisted logic. ...Then what? How does that overturn my claim that, 'because there is certainly a 19th human hidden on this island, even if all of the 18 people have alibis, I still can't accept witches'......?"
"Very well. I will teach you about my move. First of all, you are stating that 'if the culprit is not among the 18, then the culprit is a 19th person'. *cackle*cackle*! ...So if you use the contrapositive, it ends up like this. In short, 'if the culprit is not a 19th person, then the culprit is one of the 18!"
"Whaah?! What the, what does that mean?!"
"Only that I've countered your move. Let's try and keep things simple. Ronove, explain. It seems you've made things easy enough for Battler to understand with your cookie in a box analogy."
"Then forgive my presumption. Allow me to explain my earlier example once more."
Allow me to repeat once more my earlier story about two treasure boxes, one of which had a cookie in it.
In this situation, there is a single box which represents '18 people', and another single box which represents the '19th person'.
So the cookie would represent the culprit.
Battler-sama, you open the 18 people box.
Because the cookie is not there, you have paradoxically proven that 'therefore, the cookie is in the 19th person box'.
Then, in this situation, we could make this next, even more paradoxical claim.
In other words, if it was first shown that the 19th box was empty, it would prove at the same time that 'the cookie is in the 18 people box'.
Battler-sama played this move in order to avoid having to doubt any of the 18, but it has now actually been used to prepare the '18 person attack'...!"
"......Huh, ......what did you say......"
"*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*! If I go first and prove that the inside of the 19th person box is empty, you will automatically have to accept that the cookie is in the 18 people box. All you have done is say this the other way around, you see?"
"So, ......that move that I was so confident in, ...was actually a double-edged sword?"
"That's right. As soon as you played that move to explain everything with a 19th person, you had already taken on a risk that you might be forced to accept that the culprit was one of the 18."
I see... 'Hempel's Raven'.
......So this is a countering technique?!
...Wait, if I really think about it, this counter is really disadvantageous for me.
I couldn't think about it like a cookie.
If I imagined that the 'loser' treasure chest actually had a bomb in it, I could begin to understand it quite well.
And there weren't two treasure chests, but 18 plus 1 more for the 19th person. If you think of it as a total of 19 boxes, it gets even easier to understand.
First of all, one of the premises established by the human culprit theory was that the bomb would definitely be in one of those boxes.
Because I hadn't wanted to place that bomb in any of the 18's boxes, I had used the 'Devil's Proof', and created the 19th person box so that I could throw the bomb in there. ......That much was alright.
But then, Beato had struck back.
Now, if the contents of the 19th person box were empty, that would automatically mean that the bomb was set in one of the other 18 boxes.
If I could examine the contents of all 18 of those boxes, then as long as I could show that the bomb was not in any one of those boxes, I would be able to safely show that the 18 people were innocent.
As long as that was possible, it was all reassuring!
However, in reality, that was infinitely impossible.
The police wouldn't come here in this typhoon.
We couldn't have a scientific investigation, we didn't have any experts on this sort of thing, and we couldn't do anything.
In short, we couldn't show anything decisively!
It was impossible for me to find any proof other than simply gulping down whatever alibis each of the 18 gave.
In that case, I personally had to prove their innocence, and perfectly.
Like staying with them the whole time, never letting them out of my sight for a second.
And by doing that, I could probably be sure of that person's innocence, and that the bomb was not in that box.
...However, in reality, something like that was impossible!
In other words, I would have to expend an incredible effort just to check the contents of one box.
And there were 18 of them! In other words, unless I bound all 18 of them in chains and watched over them, it would be impossible to prove that all of them had empty boxes.
However, Beato only had to open one box, the 19th person box, and show that it was empty to prove that the bomb was in one of the other 18 boxes. (Furthermore, there would be no need for her to show 'which' of the 18 boxes had the bomb!)
I had 18 times more work to do to explain my pet theory than Beatrice did for hers......
"When a 'Devil's Proof' exists in the world, it takes a vast amount of effort to argue against it, and there are many cases where it is impossible to do because of the situation. However, 'Hempel's Raven' turns that problem around, and makes it possible to prove things easily!"
"By using 'Hempel's Raven', various reckless arguments become possible to prove true or false. ......For example, let us say that I make the proposition 'All humans except me are foolish'. Normally, I would have to examine all of humanity except myself and show that they are all foolish.
...However, in reality, it would be impossible to investigate billions of people. It is exactly the same kind of effort you would need to open all 18 boxes."
"*cackle*cackle*! However, by using 'Hempel's Raven', the contrapositive of that proposition would change it into this. If you, to use your style of phrase, turn the chessboard over on the claim that 'All humans except me are foolish', you would have to do nothing more than prove 'not foolish=me'. ......And what do you think that means?"
"*cackle*cackle*! As soon as I know the fact that 'I am wise', I will be able to show in an instant that every one of the billions of people in the human race is foolish. In less than a second, I could finish proving that the entire human race is more foolish than me!!
It's the strongest and fastest QED in the world, this 'Hempel's Raven'!"
"Wha, .........what a ridiculous argument.........!!!"
"It is a very, very convenient move. Not only demons, but gods also use it. When they propose 'blessed, therefore god's servant', the contrapositive is 'if a human is not a servant of god, then he must not be blessed'."
"So in order to prove that servants of gods are blessed with divine protection, they only have to bring ill fortune down upon those people who don't receive that divine protection.
.........So by bringing misfortune down upon those people who don't believe in them, they prove their blessedness."
"It takes an enormous cost to give humans happiness. ...However, the necessary cost to bring humans misfortune is much cheaper. *cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*. So by using 'Hempel's Raven', gods are actually giving believers the joy of divine protection at the lowest cost."
"Ah, ......you demon. It's a demon's argument......that's all messed up...!!!"
"It seems that we've gone off-topic. Let us return to it.
The move for my counterattack is complete. ......And now, in response to your claim of 'the 19th person is the culprit, therefore, the 18 are innocent and the witch doesn't exist,' I say 'therefore, if I can prove that the culprit is not some 19th person, we can be sure that the culprit is either one of the 18 or a witch, right?'"
For a while, I just stood there, shocked, completely forgetting to close my mouth...
Just when I'd thought that I'd countered one of their strong points, the counter attack to that had been this reckless argument that I could not even have begun to imagine...!
Was it really, ...impossible...?!
To continue denying the witch on an island with no more than 18 people, and still believe in the innocence of those 18 people, .........or was that just a delusion?! Was I just trying to escape reality?!
Not yet.........don't give up this useless struggle yet.
Who cares about 'Whoever's Raven'?
They're just trying to speak in riddles by bringing up some weird bits of trivia...
I had used the 'Devil's Proof'.
Don't feel uncertain about something you've used once.
Believe in the spear you've drawn.
And then forcefully, ......gouge it in......!
"......We are still in the opening part of the game. Do you plan to keep thinking on this level?"
"...............Ah, ......wait a sec, I want to be sure. I'll admit that I talked about a 19th person in a way that was easy to understand, but if we're going to use the 'Devil's Proof' to raise the number of people above 18, then we would have no way of knowing whether there were 10 people, 100 people, or an indeterminate number of people.
There's always one more than you assume・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・.
...Understand?"
They had returned my twisted logic with something even more twisted.
So the only thing that could counter that would be even crazier twisted logic...!
"Hmm, I see. .........Even if I somehow prove an alibi for the 19th person, as soon as I do, you will think up a 20th person, and claim that they are the culprit. By repeating this endlessly, you would make it so I kept searching for their alibis for all eternity. ......I see, I see, *cackle*cackle*! Just like a demon king summoning a plague of locusts. I wouldn't expect anything less from Kinzo's grandchild. It looks like you have been gifted with a talent in summoning."
"......In short! It is impossible to always prove an alibi for each person X outside of the first 18! ......How do you like that, Beato...?! Now that I know we're having a battle with twisted logic, I won't lose!"
"*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*!! How foolish... Who do you think I am? I am the Endless Witch! The thought that you could challenge me endlessly is just absurd. Endless control means that I am able to kill endlessly."
"......When your 19th person folds, you will call a 20th, and when your 20th person folds, you will call a 21st, and when your 21 person folds and your 22nd person folds, you will call 23rd person, a 34th person, a 64358223579673204th person, will you trifle with me for all eternity?!
I laugh at 'infinite regress', the 'infinite' doesn't affect me!!"
"Well then, how will you kill my 'endless' plan? Just try and show me!!"
"I have the power to speak the truth in red!!!""...............!! .........Here it comes........."
"When I speak in red, it will contain absolutely no illusions. If I say once in red that there are no more than 100 people on this island, you will no longer be permitted to create a 101st person.
*cackle*cackle*! See-, Battle-r. What truth shall I tell in red this time? Where shall I strike for the kill and force you into hopelessness? *cackle*cackle*cackle*! Come, show me your usual frightened face......"
".................."
"...............What?"
"......Ihihihihi."
"...Why, ...are you laughing...?"
I wonder what kind of creepy look I had on my face as I laughed right then.
That red sure is scary. ...Every time it jumps out, I'm driven into the depths of hopelessness.
But, ......I had already realized it. ...There was no need to be unnecessarily afraid of the red.
".........You've brought out your trump card again. So...? What and how will Beatrice-sama speak in red this time?"
"......Hoh. What do you mean by that? Suddenly looking so relaxed..."
"Sorry, but I was also waiting for you to take out that blood-red treasured sword. ......Let's see, what will you proclaim in red this time?
You aren't going to say 'the culprit was one of those 18 people', are you? Let me warn you, that would be self-destruction, right? That would be the same as throwing away your own witch theory yourself. A complete resignation."
That's right, the red hadn't always been a weapon that only Beato could use. It was the other way around. If she used it the wrong way, it was dangerous enough that she could bring about her own death.
If she used it carelessly and said something which ended up denying herself, that would be exactly the same thing as self-destructing.
"Of course, it would also be sad and difficult for me to accept if you told me in red that one of the 18 was the culprit. ......No matter who the culprit actually was, it would surely bring me some tough emotions...
But before that, it would mean your defeat!Saying in red that the culprit is a human is equivalent to your proclamation of resignation!! If you want us to stab at each other in a simultaneous clash, I think that's a pretty interesting move. However, this battle will end in my victory!!"
Beatrice's red was her true trump card.
When that person spoke in red, it was surely the truth, and no amount of proof or counter-arguments could change that.
Until now she had used that to severely wound me, and each time a little part of my heart would split in half.
However, if she used it carelessly, then I could also find a little information about the truth.
...In the last game, I had countered that, especially during the chapel's closed room trick, and had once closed her in almost completely.
But she was also pretty sly.
She had learned from experience, and since then, had started using discretion in the timing of the red...
This feeling of tension was almost literally like a battle with real swords.
...This was a battle of high intelligence.
......No, not of intelligence.
It really was twisted logic.
This was the world's craziest and worst battle of twisted logic...!!
"So, this time it's your plan. ......That's right. To use your 'Hempel's Raven', first, you'll have to confirm in red how many humans there are other than the 18. And after that, if you proclaim in red that none of the people in this group are the culprit, ......that's right, that might be a fatal wound to me."
".........I'm surprised that you no longer have even an atom of fear for that red which you feared so much... You're quite sturdy."
"Try taking it out. That trump card of yours. This time, you might be able to make me surrender with a single stroke, right...?"
"......*cackle*cackle*cackle*. ...Interesting. I wouldn't have it any other way..."
Agitate her. Challenge her.
Drive her into a corner to make her speak in red...
Of course her red was always wiping out my only ray of hope.
But, ......don't be afraid of that.
On this island overcome with falsehoods and illusions, the only thing I can trust is, the information that she speaks in red.
It was my only way across the chasm of hell. Just a single tightrope.
Her merciless blood-red blade was the only way I could survive.
...This wasn't just walking on a tightrope, it was like literally walking on the edge of a blade...
Of course I was afraid.
Because of her contrapositive, my victory condition, the denial of the witch, meant that the culprit was a human.
But I didn't want to search for the culprit amid the 18.
...Therefore, I held on to a weak point, since I had to claim that it couldn't be a witch or one of the 18 at the same time. Since I had been unable to understand that last time, that was where she had hit me, leaving me tattered and defeated.
......But that's all right.
Let her hit me. Let her attack. No problem...
Someone said it once in an old sword-fighting movie.
That 'A good fortress has one, and only one, intentionally weak point'.
The enemy would gather there. They would be lured there.
And that would be where the actual battle took place.
...As long as I understood my weak points, and as long as that bitch wanted to attack those weak points, ......it was as if I were inducing her to attack there...
Consider that weakness with care, ...and retreat step by step. Make them move forward.
The more she recklessly flourished that red, the more chances I would get to strike back.
Don't be afraid of the red.
Keep her cornered, so that she won't be able to refute me with the red......!
No matter how oppressively she speaks in red, ......that's right, that red itself is the same as fresh blood leaking from her wound.
"So. ...What's wrong? ......First of all, why don't you tell me how many people are on this island total? If you don't, your raven can't cut me up......!"
"..................Hmph. ...How surprising that you can be this desperate and yet this difficult. ...One cannot make light of someone putting their life on the line, no matter what the era. ......It's no surprise you're Kinzo's grandchild. The more cornered you are, ............the bolder you become!""...Ihihihi..."
Ronove cleared his throat.
"It appears to be a stalemate. That black tea I worked so hard to make is getting cold, Milady."
".........Ku."
Ronove, who was supposed to be her ally, roguishly rushed her next move.
Beato probably planned to smile back and appear relaxed, ......but she couldn't hide the sweat building up on her forehead.
By now she had completely lost that relaxedness which had allowed her to turn her nose up at her worthless opponent.
Of course, that bitch probably wouldn't be cornered by something like this.
...She was just being cautious.
Until now, I had been inexperienced.
Without knowing how to fight, I hadn't had enough strength as an opponent.
However, now that we had reached the third game, she realized that I was starting to become skilled, and she had grown more cautious, thinking every move over carefully......
Sure, that's just fine, Beatrice.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Are you happy now...?
"......Now things are starting to get interesting, right......? Hihihihi!"
"*cackle*cackle*cackle*! ...Battleeeeeeeeer......"
"I'm still waiting... Then, should we get to the heart of the matter and go with the usual?"
"......Hoh. The usual, you say. ...Then by all means. If I don't hear that, I guess I just won't feel like starting..."
The first move was mine...
"Here I go, Beato. Repeat it. ......'On this island, there are no more than 18 people'."
"............"
"...If I hear you say this in red, I will have no choice but to doubt one of the 18. ......Since it could no longer be the work of a 19th person, all doors will be closed to me. .........However, I believe that the culprit is definitely not one of the 18! There's no way that any of those 18 could commit such brutal murders...!!"
"..............."
"I'll say it again. Repeat it! 'On this island, there are no more than 18 people'."
"..............................I refuse. I won't say why."
Whew...!
I had avoided what would have been the worse red for me.
If she had repeated that, I would be faced with those two worst choices of accepting the witch or suspecting one of the 18, like last time all over again...
But Beato had not proclaimed my ultimate and greatest weakness in red.
She had rejected repeating it, even though there was no reason why she shouldn't have struck, even though it was a weakness she should have been drooling at.
She hadn't sliced me up with red by using that move, which should have been as good as forking a rook and the king...!
......This was a big sign of my advantage.
That's right. The culprit isn't one of the 18 people.
I won't doubt anyone...!
And since the culprit isn't a witch either, .........it means that a 19th person exists on this island.
And that's you.
A person who, as Grandfather's mistress of 30 years, has been living secretly in a hidden mansion in the forest for a long, long time.
The 'human' Beatrice.........!!
"That's right. You aren't a witch or anything like it. ......You're just a human, ...who's been living on this island in hiding for several decades...!"
".........*cackle*cackle*. *cackle*cackle*cackle... ...Did you just call me, the Endless Witch who has lived for over one thousand years, a human? ......*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle* *cackle*cackle*!"
For a while, Beatrice continued to laugh unpleasantly, gloating or maybe spiteful.
"...Are you ready? I'll keep going. ...Again, repeat it. 'There are at least 19 people on this island'!"
"....................."
Beatrice fell silent once again.
She would probably remain extremely cautious as long as confirming the number of humans on this island might give her some large disadvantage, depending on the situation.
The red had already become a foothold for my counterattack.
With that in mind, the red had become a risk for the witch.
But if she couldn't repeat this, her 'Hempel's Raven' wouldn't be effective.
To break my 'Devil's Proof', she would need to settle the existence and number of people outside the 18 in red.
That's right. She couldn't break the existence of a 19th person unless she used red.
I had closed Beato in・・・・・・,
giving her no choice but to speak in red...!
There really was..., .........a way to fight, ......in this witch's game!
"It's alright to refuse. ...If you can't say it in red, then that means there are a total of 18+X people on this island.
......If that X is allowed in my first move, that's a really enormous hint, right? Anyways, from now on, all of the tricks that were impossible for the 18 people, can be explained with human X outside of the 18 people. ......This is a huge piece that can break open all of the rooms that you called closed because everyone had an alibi...!"
It was just like how a chess bishop can cut a thin line through enemy forces as long as there's a slight gap.
It could only be effectively used on squares of the same color, but it had a great ability to control the board.
".................................Ku."
It looked like Beato also noticed her current plight.
She couldn't just let such an important piece go, especially this close to the beginning of the game...
If she pulled out her red treasured sword, it wouldn't be that difficult to save her from this.
......But Beato was completely aware that I was expecting it.
She was afraid that a careless red truth might end up strangling her own neck...!
Because, ...in the first place, a witch was something which should be denied in red.
Believe. Don't doubt! Witches don't exist!
Something like that couldn't exist in this world.
They could only exist in the valleys between truths.
...They were a fragile existence, curled up in these cracks, frantically trying to protect themselves from the brutal winds of truth, and they could only barely exist like a mirage by surviving on falsehoods and illusions.
That was the truth by which witches couldn't help but deny themselves, using the red words which only they could use.
......The more they brandish their red words......the more they begin to lose bit by bit that crack in truth inside which they can endure.
That was why they didn't want to use the red words and carelessly lose that crack in truth which was based on fuzzy information, ......in other words, illusions.
That was because they understood that they were gradually being cornered.
Of course, that bastard would never admit it.
Because, if she did, it would be the same as admitting that she was something that couldn't exist in this world, like an imaginary number.
Don't be afraid. Stay strong...!
I know that she is the one who has really been pierced to the bone.
Because her red treasured sword couldn't easily be used without a lot of preparation...!
"...What's wrong. I'll say it again. ......Repeat it! 'There are at least 19 people on this island'!"
"........................Hmph. ...I refuse."
In the end, Beato's worries won out. ......Taking a single deep breath, she quietly proclaimed her refusal.
......I had thought that she'd use it.
But Beato refused to speak in red even though it would cost her victory in the opening part of the game.
"You refused......? Which means that, from now on, I can create as many fictional character Xs outside of the 18 as I want...?"
"Do as you wish. ...I have refused to repeat as you have told me. Isn't that enough for now? ......The reason I refused was, ............No, I still won't tell you. Anyways, you'll know soon."
"...Ihihi. Still acting tough, I see..."
"......Red words that I don't have to use are a kind of red words in themselves. You called it my red treasured sword. A pleasant example. I will use it too. ......A treasured sword is at its best when it is sheathed. In fact, there are times it can instill even more fear because it is sheathed."
"That's right. ...As I fight, I always have to keep in mind whether you might turn everything over with those red words. It's some pretty serious pressure.
......And there are also times when you make things pretty tough by refusing to repeat after me. ...Those times, I can't tell whether you can't repeat because my guess was right, or whether you're just misleading me and letting me think whatever I want. If you think of it that way, I see. A sheathed treasured sword."
".........Wha-t's wrong? If I'm going to push you off a cliff anyway, I might as well let you climb a little higher first. ...We have still barely begun. Much is left to come...
I'll resign from this challenge. ...Go and get drunk on your faint victory for now. ......Only for now."
Her being a poor loser looked like it would last for the whole early part of the game.
Even so, I couldn't relax my guard at all.
...I was unable to relax my feeling of tension until I was greeted by the sound of Ronove's applause...
"......Spectacular, Battler-sama. I wonder if you have started this game with an advantageous development?"
"Ah, well... I still don't know whether I've taken a piece by my move, or whether she guided me into taking it. ......After all, knowing you... You probably know that I'm being led into a trap, and that clapping is just a barefaced lie, right...?"
"How could you think that? I am innocently celebrating your ability that has enabled you to take one shot at Milady, even though it is only the first round. ...In any event, Milady is a person who is quick to become arrogant. I believe that a little encouragement such as that makes for a good medicine every once in a while."
"...This butler of yours sure has a vicious tongue..."
"Isn't that so? Sometimes he offends me as well."
"My, my, how incredibly rude of me. Well then, Milady, Battler-sama. How would you like some more black tea? The game has still barely begun. Please leave any tea or pastries that might adorn this game to me. Please, do not feel hesitant and advance further in the game."
"I will. Let's move forward. Now is when it really starts."
".........Hmph. Very well. Let us advance the clock. Ronove, black tea please."
"Certainly. What about a cookie?"
"I don't need one. Give it to Beelzebub to keep her happy. ............Remain silent for now."
While listening to the sound of the demon butler pouring tea, the witch closed her eyes slightly and fell into silence.
......For some time, she was deeply lost in thought, but eventually a roguish glint came into her eyes.
"Very well. .........Why don't I inform you now why I refused to speak in red for the first move."
"......What...? Bring it on. Show me what you've got."
"*cackle*cackle*... It really is a big piece that you'd hate to miss. ......It may be hasty, but allow me to move. I won't use red, but from here on, Rosa will explain on my behalf. Listen."
"Of course, I think the same way. Rosa does too, right? ............Rosa?"
"Huh, ah, sorry... M, me too. I think that too."
".........Whass wrong, Rosa-san. ...Ya've been really quiet fer a while now. Ditcha feel sick...?"
From the beginning, Rosa had never been one to cut in on the siblings' fights.
...But even so, she seemed unmotivated, and had said almost absolutely nothing during this night's conference.
The whole time, she had hung her head, and appeared to be thinking of something else...
"You've been in a daze for a while now. Do you think you can protect the inheritance like that? You are also the mother of your child, so get a stronger hold on yourself."
"I, I'm sorry......"
"Did you wake up really early in the morning? If you feel sick, you shouldn't overdo it."
"......A bed has been prepared in the guest room. How about taking a rest? I will guide you."
"No, ...I'm fine. Thank you."
"...What is it? Is there something you're worrying about?"
".........No, not really........."
"Is that so...? It feels like your mind has been elsewhere this whole time. ...I wonder if that has anything to do with what we've been talking about...?"
At those words, everyone stared at Rosa together.
As if in response, Rosa's shoulders quivered.
Apparently Kyrie's guess hadn't been wrong.
...Rosa couldn't deny that either...
"...............No, umm... ....................."
She swallowed whatever it was she had been trying to say, and went silent again.
Of course, the other siblings also began to realize that something about her appearance was different from usual...
"What is it? ...You've been weird for a while. Did you think of something...?"
"All of us've just sworn to remain united, haven't we? Don't be reserved, worryin' by yerself. We said we'd talk."
"......Rosa. Tell us."
The men pressed her one after the other, and Rosa confessed resignedly and nervously...
The atmosphere made it seem as though she was confessing to some modest prank, which had inadvertently brought about a serious situation.
"No, umm............Th, this mistress of Grandfather's, this Beatrice, ......I was wondering if she is still, .........alive..."
"Huh? Isn't it obvious that she's alive? After all, she was able to send that letter to us."
"Whether she's healthy or not is a different story though. The woman in that portrait must be getting up there in age by now."
"I'd think she's healthy. People who are crafty when it comes to money are healthy no matter how old they are! Her evil plan might even be the best rejuvenating agent. Wah-hah-hah-ha."
"......She shouldn't be, ......alive."
"Huh? ......What did you just say?"
"Beatrice is, ......dead............I, ...I killed her...!"
"Wh, ......what did you say......?!"
"...Wh, ...what do you mean, Rosa...?!"
"B, but, it's not like I killed.........but, but I was the one that brought her to a place like that! ...I really did kill her... I tried to make myself believe it was a dream!! ......But, ......it wasn't really a dream, was it?! Which means this is, ......a letter from Beatrice's ghost!! Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
It was so sudden that everyone was lost for words.
Rosa kept on talking, unable to stop, holding her head as her hair flew all about...
"Calm yourself...! Rosa-san...!"
"I, I have absolutely no clue what's goin' on...! Already dead? What do ya mean...?!"
"......I think it means two things. First, ...its literal meaning. ...And second, it backs up our earlier guess."
"Which means...............Rosa, ......has met with Beatrice, right?"
"I, I've never heard Rosa speak about that once. ...Rosa, when was it? When could you possibly have met Beatrice?!"
"Long ago! Long, long, long ago!! We had just moved over to the island and I was young!! It wasn't my fault, it's not like I killed her...!! Whaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
"...Calm down! Nobody's blaming you for anything, right? First, drink some water. Okay? Natsuhi-san, the pitcher please."
"Y, yes. .........Here you go, Rosa-san. Please, calm yourself......"
"........................"
Until Rosa was able to regain her calm amidst her ragged breathing, ......no one was able to speak a word...
"...I see... She's not a witch, Beatrice is the name of his mistress who lived on the island.........So there can be more than 18 people! Which means I can defeat that line of reasoning which says that, if it was impossible for all 18 people, it must be a crime involving magic. ......That's some big information."
"Excuse me. Battler-sama, how about some black tea and cookies?"
Beato's butler, who called himself Ronove, appeared out of nowhere.
A plate set on a silver tray that he held was filled with delicious-looking, steaming black tea and cookies.
...I really don't like this guy's smile.
For some reason, it didn't look like a smile used to warmly greet a guest.
It felt like he was making fun of me for some reason.
...I don't know whether he really takes me for an idiot, or whether it's just a joke or something, but it's really irritating me.
"......I don't need it. I'm busy now. Leave me alone."
"Oh, my. Such a shame, the cookies were so delicious too. Cooked so wonderfully it would be a shame to waste them on a simple human, truly wonderful cookies."
"I'll eat some when I feel like it. Set it down over there and get out of here."
"Will that be acceptable? Then I shall do so. You may eat them when they get cold and stale, and then regret as much as you like that you did not eat them when they were freshly baked."
".........You really are annoying. ...Well, you're a lot better than that Beato, who keeps doing that creepy cackle right next to my ear."
"No, no, that is quite true. There are times when Milady's laughter becomes quite undignified. Every time I hear it, I find it painful to comprehend why such a noble demon like myself must have such a person as his Master. Pu ku ku ku..."
"......Man you're weird. If you don't like it, then couldn't you just not work for her?"
"And yet, to continue serving is furniture's joy. If we do not, we would not be working as furniture.
......Let us set that aside. How has the game been proceeding? Just now, I believe I heard you say that you had found some good information, and were quite pleased by it. Well now, I wonder what your shallow wit has thought up."
As Ronove made fun of me and giggled, he followed my earlier words literally and half-heartedly set up some black tea and cookies nearby.
"......In any case, it appears that you are now more confident regarding the matter of a 19th person's existence, right? Would you be gracious enough to allow me to hear your opinion?"
".....................Yeah, sure. I'm just going to say it again in front of Beato anyways. No reason to hide it. ......Alright. It looks like there's a hidden mansion somewhere on this island, and that Grandfather had his mistress living there. In that case, the question that's been torturing me, about whether there are 18 or 19 people, can be easily resolved."
"You have driven yourself into a corner because of the dead-end that you yourself have created. Even though you deny the witch, Battler-sama, you hold a double standard, and refuse to accept that the culprit is one of the 18."
"...The easiest way to deny the witch would be to doubt one of the 18. ......It isn't easy to gather alibis for every one of them. You always find at least one person with a fragile alibi. ......I could probably continue to deny the witch forever if I just used that person as a sacrifice."
"However, I refuse to do that!! Aah, it's useless, it's all useless! Every one of those 18 people is either a parent, a relative or a cousin to me! And those reliable servants, who are sometimes serious and sometimes interesting. I won't let myself use any one of them as a sacrifice!!
In the past, my resolve wavered. That's how Beato hit me where my heart was weak."
"......Accepting and understanding your own weaknesses. That is not something which can often be accomplished. Battler-sama, you are using this theory about a 19th person as a spear. ...Or should I say, a shield?
In any event, unlike how unprepared you were in the games up until now, let us call the fact that you now have a compass bearing on how to fight, ...a dramatic leap forward. With this, you can suspect a 19th person and can pursue your theory that the culprit is a human, without having to doubt any of the 18 you love and respect."
"That's it exactly. Like in the first game, when Kanon-kun was killed in the boiler room, ...there were plenty of tricks I could have mentioned without hesitation, as long as a 19th person existed."
In the very first game, Kanon-kun had been killed in the boiler room.
One might think that he was attacked by Kumasawa-san, who had gone down into the boiler room with him, or maybe that someone who had appeared to be dead earlier was actually faking and had ambushed him. Either way, it was a move that forced me to suspect one of the 18.
However, by simply proposing that a 19th person existed, there was no longer any need to suspect one of the 18 for that murder in the boiler room.
"In short! I can at least deny the line of reasoning which says this: something is impossible for every one of the 18, therefore the culprit is a witch."
Using this argument, it is easy to explain, for example, that problematic case which has already occurred in this game, 'who gave Maria the letter?'
Even if all 18 people have alibis, I could easily explain everything by saying that a 19th person must have visited her and given her the letter.
".........Hmm, hmm. I think that is quite a good move. How shall I strike back?
......Battler-sama, you may already understand, but there are still plenty of weak points. Maybe the '18 people attack' will be an effective move. As an attempt to judge how strong your defense is, it may be interesting to challenge that point again."
"Then how will you do it, demon butler...?!"
"......I believe it would be appropriate to ambush the piece representing this 19th person that you mentioned. Battler-sama, have you ever met this 19th person? Would you please show some proof that this 19th person exists?"
"How naive. Of course, I knew you'd probably try that move...!"
"My, my. Please respond to it."
"Witches and demons and the like... That isn't a move appropriate for you to use. ......It's one of those 'Devil's Proofs'!"
When you try to make some claim to humans like us, we always counterattack by telling you to show some proof.
Because that's a human move.
But I'm fighting with a witch.
I'm taking part in a battle with someone who isn't human!
And some moves exist which can only be used in a game against a witch. There are cheap moves!
And that's what this 'Devil's Proof' is.
Because it's impossible to prove!
Let's assume that there is a hidden mansion on Rokkenjima separate from the Ushiromiya family mansion, and that a woman named Beatrice is living there.
In order to prove this, one must find this mansion and actually bring Beatrice out of it.
That's called actual proof in the human world.
However, if we follow the rules of the 'Devil's Proof', you can't deny that she exists, even if there's no proof that she does.
Because it's impossible to prove that something doesn't exist.
......That's right, I'm finally able to turn the tables using this 'Devil's Proof', which tormented me so much before.
Those guys were always trying to force me to accept the existence of the witch by using the 'Devil's Proof'.
That was because, with regards to the self-styled witch, Beato, I couldn't offer physical proof that 'witches don't exist'.
I kept getting hit with the reckless argument that this meant witches do exist, and was unable to counterattack.
And that's why I'll turn the chessboard over right now!
If I can't disprove that witches exist, then that means, if I suggest that a 19th human exists, you can't deny that either.
In other words, because this problematic and mysterious mistress is craftily hiding herself, it would be perfectly natural if you never find her no matter how hard you look.
So you can't say that the 19th person can't be found, and that therefore, the 19th person doesn't exist.
That's because it's impossible to deny the 19th person's existence.
Beato used the 'Devil's Proof' to make denying her existence impossible, but this time it's become my weapon.
If we can get away with this argument, then forget just a 19th person, this island could be full of people we don't know about, and even if there were 10 or 100 of them, she still couldn't deny that they existed.
In the last game and the one before that, among the murder scenes that showed up, there were several that were extremely intricate and must have taken a lot of effort to set up.
It's very difficult to imagine that a single culprit could have set all of those up.
However, if not just a 19th person, but 10 or 100 people were hidden somewhere, that wouldn't be any problem at all.
If they all split up the work, they could handle any job in a short period of time.
Of course, doubts will naturally arise at whether a large group of people like that could sneak around the mansion without being noticed, but those are all settled by the 'Devil's Proof'.
You can't deny that even 100 people were there just because they weren't seen or noticed.
Even though I'm saying it myself, it's such a stupid argument that it makes me wanna throw up! However, because it's such a dirty move, it's a perfect one to use against a witch.
Well, this is just my imagination, ...but what if about 100 suspicious men wearing goat masks were hiding in the shadows......, something like that's worse than laughable, almost like they're cockroaches.
If you see one, it means there's 100 hiding in the shadows.
"......Well, I think that this is a ridiculous argument that's horribly twisted. If my opponent was human, I'm sure they'd yell at me like I was out of my mind. ......But my opponent is a witch. And after all, that is the kind of competition we're having, isn't it? I'll use any kind of reckless argument to explain it using humans, and deny the witch!!"
"......Anyways, with this move, I won't have to doubt any of the 18 who are close to me again. I won't repeat a defeat like last time again...!!"
"......I see. You have learned from your defeat last time. That is good. It is no surprise that by the third game you have become quite devious.
.........You first strengthen your own defense. That is truly a solid first step. Quite a spectacular move, I think."
"Well, even if we do assume that there is a 19th person, there are still a few tricks left that I can't clear, like the actual number of master keys, no matter how many humans I add. ...Still, it isn't bad as a first step, for the time being."
"Battler-sama, your trump card is the important piece called the 19th person. ......You countered my move of asking where the proof was by using the 'Devil's Proof'. ......A good skirmish. Although I have no excuse for making a move by myself when Milady isn't here, .........I find that I too am becoming slightly interested. ...I wonder if you will allow me to make yet another move on Milady's behalf?"
"......Come on. I don't care if you're a witch or a demon, it won't be enough!"
"This move that you presented called the 'Devil's Proof'. It's a specialty of us demons, but there are also various other moves available to us. ......Do you know of a move called 'Hempel's Raven'?"
"Hempel's Raven...?? What are you talking about?"
"...*cackle*cackle*. Ah-hahahahahahahahah-hahahahah-hah-ha...!"
Just then, ...aah, that enraging laugh I'd heard so many times started echoing.
The room was filled dazzling golden butterflies, and in the center of that whirlwind, the Golden Witch appeared.
"If it isn't Milady. Good morning."
"I thought you might be doing something interesting while I was away. ......'Hempel's Raven', was it? That move is so familiar I could almost laugh. I was certain the day would come when it would be introduced to Battler. It's a classic move to use against the 'Devil's Proof'.
......Ronove, I will make this move. Do not get in the way of my fun."
"So you've finally shown up, you guffawing witch. I see that you still have that undignified laugh. ......This guy was talking behind your back just now, telling me about how undignified it is. Right?"
"What a surprise. Really?"
"Nonsense. Why would I speak such gossip about Milady, of whom I speak most respectably from my heart?"
"...I can't believe you'd say something so shameless. Doesn't look like we'll be getting along well together..."
"*cackle*cackle*cackle*. Well, that is fine. Let us return to the conversation. 'Hempel's Raven' is used to show actual proof using the contrapositive. ......In other words, it is a move like this... What must you do to prove that ravens are black?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?? Prove that ravens are black......Wouldn't you just have to catch a raven and check to see if it's black?"
"That is right. You must simply prove that 'a raven is black'. And do you see that, if you also prove that 'birds that aren't black are not ravens', you would reach the same argument? If you go throughout the world and examine all birds that are not ravens, and prove that none of them are black, then as a result, you can claim that 'therefore, black birds are ravens'. This is called an argument by the contrapositive. ...Is that difficult for you?"
"Yeah, completely. ...I have no idea what you're saying."
"Battler-sama. What about this example? Let us say that you have two boxes, and one of them is the winner, with a cookie inside. Of course, the other one is the loser, and is empty."
For example, here are two boxes, one is the winner with a cookie inside, and the other is the loser and is empty.
At this moment, 'the one that has a cookie is the winner', which means that, at the same time, 'the one that is not the winner does not have a cookie'.
When such a relationship exists, the latter is called the contrapositive...
When 'if A then B' is true, then 'if not B then not A' is also true.
"...Well, that's obvious. If the one you guessed was the loser, then you would automatically know that the other one was the winner.
...In other words, if you choose the box at random, whether it's the winner or the loser, you'll be able to figure out which box has the cookie in it after your first move."
"That is correct. If the cookie is in the box you open, then the 'Devil's Proof' is satisfied. You can clearly prove that 'this box was the winner, therefore this box had a cookie in it'.
However, if the box that you open is empty, then the reverse, Hempel's raven, is satisfied. It means that 'this box does not have a cookie in it, therefore, the other box is the winner'.
That is because, as long as we accept the premise that there are no more than two boxes, the contrapositive shows that the other box is automatically the winner."
"......Well, I think I'm starting to see your reasoning. Only poison can stop poison, and only twisted logic can stop twisted logic. ...Then what? How does that overturn my claim that, 'because there is certainly a 19th human hidden on this island, even if all of the 18 people have alibis, I still can't accept witches'......?"
"Very well. I will teach you about my move. First of all, you are stating that 'if the culprit is not among the 18, then the culprit is a 19th person'. *cackle*cackle*! ...So if you use the contrapositive, it ends up like this. In short, 'if the culprit is not a 19th person, then the culprit is one of the 18!"
"Whaah?! What the, what does that mean?!"
"Only that I've countered your move. Let's try and keep things simple. Ronove, explain. It seems you've made things easy enough for Battler to understand with your cookie in a box analogy."
"Then forgive my presumption. Allow me to explain my earlier example once more."
Allow me to repeat once more my earlier story about two treasure boxes, one of which had a cookie in it.
In this situation, there is a single box which represents '18 people', and another single box which represents the '19th person'.
So the cookie would represent the culprit.
Battler-sama, you open the 18 people box.
Because the cookie is not there, you have paradoxically proven that 'therefore, the cookie is in the 19th person box'.
Then, in this situation, we could make this next, even more paradoxical claim.
In other words, if it was first shown that the 19th box was empty, it would prove at the same time that 'the cookie is in the 18 people box'.
Battler-sama played this move in order to avoid having to doubt any of the 18, but it has now actually been used to prepare the '18 person attack'...!"
"......Huh, ......what did you say......"
"*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*! If I go first and prove that the inside of the 19th person box is empty, you will automatically have to accept that the cookie is in the 18 people box. All you have done is say this the other way around, you see?"
"So, ......that move that I was so confident in, ...was actually a double-edged sword?"
"That's right. As soon as you played that move to explain everything with a 19th person, you had already taken on a risk that you might be forced to accept that the culprit was one of the 18."
I see... 'Hempel's Raven'.
......So this is a countering technique?!
...Wait, if I really think about it, this counter is really disadvantageous for me.
I couldn't think about it like a cookie.
If I imagined that the 'loser' treasure chest actually had a bomb in it, I could begin to understand it quite well.
And there weren't two treasure chests, but 18 plus 1 more for the 19th person. If you think of it as a total of 19 boxes, it gets even easier to understand.
First of all, one of the premises established by the human culprit theory was that the bomb would definitely be in one of those boxes.
Because I hadn't wanted to place that bomb in any of the 18's boxes, I had used the 'Devil's Proof', and created the 19th person box so that I could throw the bomb in there. ......That much was alright.
But then, Beato had struck back.
Now, if the contents of the 19th person box were empty, that would automatically mean that the bomb was set in one of the other 18 boxes.
If I could examine the contents of all 18 of those boxes, then as long as I could show that the bomb was not in any one of those boxes, I would be able to safely show that the 18 people were innocent.
As long as that was possible, it was all reassuring!
However, in reality, that was infinitely impossible.
The police wouldn't come here in this typhoon.
We couldn't have a scientific investigation, we didn't have any experts on this sort of thing, and we couldn't do anything.
In short, we couldn't show anything decisively!
It was impossible for me to find any proof other than simply gulping down whatever alibis each of the 18 gave.
In that case, I personally had to prove their innocence, and perfectly.
Like staying with them the whole time, never letting them out of my sight for a second.
And by doing that, I could probably be sure of that person's innocence, and that the bomb was not in that box.
...However, in reality, something like that was impossible!
In other words, I would have to expend an incredible effort just to check the contents of one box.
And there were 18 of them! In other words, unless I bound all 18 of them in chains and watched over them, it would be impossible to prove that all of them had empty boxes.
However, Beato only had to open one box, the 19th person box, and show that it was empty to prove that the bomb was in one of the other 18 boxes. (Furthermore, there would be no need for her to show 'which' of the 18 boxes had the bomb!)
I had 18 times more work to do to explain my pet theory than Beatrice did for hers......
"When a 'Devil's Proof' exists in the world, it takes a vast amount of effort to argue against it, and there are many cases where it is impossible to do because of the situation. However, 'Hempel's Raven' turns that problem around, and makes it possible to prove things easily!"
"By using 'Hempel's Raven', various reckless arguments become possible to prove true or false. ......For example, let us say that I make the proposition 'All humans except me are foolish'. Normally, I would have to examine all of humanity except myself and show that they are all foolish.
...However, in reality, it would be impossible to investigate billions of people. It is exactly the same kind of effort you would need to open all 18 boxes."
"*cackle*cackle*! However, by using 'Hempel's Raven', the contrapositive of that proposition would change it into this. If you, to use your style of phrase, turn the chessboard over on the claim that 'All humans except me are foolish', you would have to do nothing more than prove 'not foolish=me'. ......And what do you think that means?"
"*cackle*cackle*! As soon as I know the fact that 'I am wise', I will be able to show in an instant that every one of the billions of people in the human race is foolish. In less than a second, I could finish proving that the entire human race is more foolish than me!!
It's the strongest and fastest QED in the world, this 'Hempel's Raven'!"
"Wha, .........what a ridiculous argument.........!!!"
"It is a very, very convenient move. Not only demons, but gods also use it. When they propose 'blessed, therefore god's servant', the contrapositive is 'if a human is not a servant of god, then he must not be blessed'."
"So in order to prove that servants of gods are blessed with divine protection, they only have to bring ill fortune down upon those people who don't receive that divine protection.
.........So by bringing misfortune down upon those people who don't believe in them, they prove their blessedness."
"It takes an enormous cost to give humans happiness. ...However, the necessary cost to bring humans misfortune is much cheaper. *cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*. So by using 'Hempel's Raven', gods are actually giving believers the joy of divine protection at the lowest cost."
"Ah, ......you demon. It's a demon's argument......that's all messed up...!!!"
"It seems that we've gone off-topic. Let us return to it.
The move for my counterattack is complete. ......And now, in response to your claim of 'the 19th person is the culprit, therefore, the 18 are innocent and the witch doesn't exist,' I say 'therefore, if I can prove that the culprit is not some 19th person, we can be sure that the culprit is either one of the 18 or a witch, right?'"
For a while, I just stood there, shocked, completely forgetting to close my mouth...
Just when I'd thought that I'd countered one of their strong points, the counter attack to that had been this reckless argument that I could not even have begun to imagine...!
Was it really, ...impossible...?!
To continue denying the witch on an island with no more than 18 people, and still believe in the innocence of those 18 people, .........or was that just a delusion?! Was I just trying to escape reality?!
Not yet.........don't give up this useless struggle yet.
Who cares about 'Whoever's Raven'?
They're just trying to speak in riddles by bringing up some weird bits of trivia...
I had used the 'Devil's Proof'.
Don't feel uncertain about something you've used once.
Believe in the spear you've drawn.
And then forcefully, ......gouge it in......!
"......We are still in the opening part of the game. Do you plan to keep thinking on this level?"
"...............Ah, ......wait a sec, I want to be sure. I'll admit that I talked about a 19th person in a way that was easy to understand, but if we're going to use the 'Devil's Proof' to raise the number of people above 18, then we would have no way of knowing whether there were 10 people, 100 people, or an indeterminate number of people.
There's always one more than you assume・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・.
...Understand?"
They had returned my twisted logic with something even more twisted.
So the only thing that could counter that would be even crazier twisted logic...!
"Hmm, I see. .........Even if I somehow prove an alibi for the 19th person, as soon as I do, you will think up a 20th person, and claim that they are the culprit. By repeating this endlessly, you would make it so I kept searching for their alibis for all eternity. ......I see, I see, *cackle*cackle*! Just like a demon king summoning a plague of locusts. I wouldn't expect anything less from Kinzo's grandchild. It looks like you have been gifted with a talent in summoning."
"......In short! It is impossible to always prove an alibi for each person X outside of the first 18! ......How do you like that, Beato...?! Now that I know we're having a battle with twisted logic, I won't lose!"
"*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*!! How foolish... Who do you think I am? I am the Endless Witch! The thought that you could challenge me endlessly is just absurd. Endless control means that I am able to kill endlessly."
"......When your 19th person folds, you will call a 20th, and when your 20th person folds, you will call a 21st, and when your 21 person folds and your 22nd person folds, you will call 23rd person, a 34th person, a 64358223579673204th person, will you trifle with me for all eternity?!
I laugh at 'infinite regress', the 'infinite' doesn't affect me!!"
"Well then, how will you kill my 'endless' plan? Just try and show me!!"
"I have the power to speak the truth in red!!!""...............!! .........Here it comes........."
"When I speak in red, it will contain absolutely no illusions. If I say once in red that there are no more than 100 people on this island, you will no longer be permitted to create a 101st person.
*cackle*cackle*! See-, Battle-r. What truth shall I tell in red this time? Where shall I strike for the kill and force you into hopelessness? *cackle*cackle*cackle*! Come, show me your usual frightened face......"
".................."
"...............What?"
"......Ihihihihi."
"...Why, ...are you laughing...?"
I wonder what kind of creepy look I had on my face as I laughed right then.
That red sure is scary. ...Every time it jumps out, I'm driven into the depths of hopelessness.
But, ......I had already realized it. ...There was no need to be unnecessarily afraid of the red.
".........You've brought out your trump card again. So...? What and how will Beatrice-sama speak in red this time?"
"......Hoh. What do you mean by that? Suddenly looking so relaxed..."
"Sorry, but I was also waiting for you to take out that blood-red treasured sword. ......Let's see, what will you proclaim in red this time?
You aren't going to say 'the culprit was one of those 18 people', are you? Let me warn you, that would be self-destruction, right? That would be the same as throwing away your own witch theory yourself. A complete resignation."
That's right, the red hadn't always been a weapon that only Beato could use. It was the other way around. If she used it the wrong way, it was dangerous enough that she could bring about her own death.
If she used it carelessly and said something which ended up denying herself, that would be exactly the same thing as self-destructing.
"Of course, it would also be sad and difficult for me to accept if you told me in red that one of the 18 was the culprit. ......No matter who the culprit actually was, it would surely bring me some tough emotions...
But before that, it would mean your defeat!Saying in red that the culprit is a human is equivalent to your proclamation of resignation!! If you want us to stab at each other in a simultaneous clash, I think that's a pretty interesting move. However, this battle will end in my victory!!"
Beatrice's red was her true trump card.
When that person spoke in red, it was surely the truth, and no amount of proof or counter-arguments could change that.
Until now she had used that to severely wound me, and each time a little part of my heart would split in half.
However, if she used it carelessly, then I could also find a little information about the truth.
...In the last game, I had countered that, especially during the chapel's closed room trick, and had once closed her in almost completely.
But she was also pretty sly.
She had learned from experience, and since then, had started using discretion in the timing of the red...
This feeling of tension was almost literally like a battle with real swords.
...This was a battle of high intelligence.
......No, not of intelligence.
It really was twisted logic.
This was the world's craziest and worst battle of twisted logic...!!
"So, this time it's your plan. ......That's right. To use your 'Hempel's Raven', first, you'll have to confirm in red how many humans there are other than the 18. And after that, if you proclaim in red that none of the people in this group are the culprit, ......that's right, that might be a fatal wound to me."
".........I'm surprised that you no longer have even an atom of fear for that red which you feared so much... You're quite sturdy."
"Try taking it out. That trump card of yours. This time, you might be able to make me surrender with a single stroke, right...?"
"......*cackle*cackle*cackle*. ...Interesting. I wouldn't have it any other way..."
Agitate her. Challenge her.
Drive her into a corner to make her speak in red...
Of course her red was always wiping out my only ray of hope.
But, ......don't be afraid of that.
On this island overcome with falsehoods and illusions, the only thing I can trust is, the information that she speaks in red.
It was my only way across the chasm of hell. Just a single tightrope.
Her merciless blood-red blade was the only way I could survive.
...This wasn't just walking on a tightrope, it was like literally walking on the edge of a blade...
Of course I was afraid.
Because of her contrapositive, my victory condition, the denial of the witch, meant that the culprit was a human.
But I didn't want to search for the culprit amid the 18.
...Therefore, I held on to a weak point, since I had to claim that it couldn't be a witch or one of the 18 at the same time. Since I had been unable to understand that last time, that was where she had hit me, leaving me tattered and defeated.
......But that's all right.
Let her hit me. Let her attack. No problem...
Someone said it once in an old sword-fighting movie.
That 'A good fortress has one, and only one, intentionally weak point'.
The enemy would gather there. They would be lured there.
And that would be where the actual battle took place.
...As long as I understood my weak points, and as long as that bitch wanted to attack those weak points, ......it was as if I were inducing her to attack there...
Consider that weakness with care, ...and retreat step by step. Make them move forward.
The more she recklessly flourished that red, the more chances I would get to strike back.
Don't be afraid of the red.
Keep her cornered, so that she won't be able to refute me with the red......!
No matter how oppressively she speaks in red, ......that's right, that red itself is the same as fresh blood leaking from her wound.
"So. ...What's wrong? ......First of all, why don't you tell me how many people are on this island total? If you don't, your raven can't cut me up......!"
"..................Hmph. ...How surprising that you can be this desperate and yet this difficult. ...One cannot make light of someone putting their life on the line, no matter what the era. ......It's no surprise you're Kinzo's grandchild. The more cornered you are, ............the bolder you become!""...Ihihihi..."
Ronove cleared his throat.
"It appears to be a stalemate. That black tea I worked so hard to make is getting cold, Milady."
".........Ku."
Ronove, who was supposed to be her ally, roguishly rushed her next move.
Beato probably planned to smile back and appear relaxed, ......but she couldn't hide the sweat building up on her forehead.
By now she had completely lost that relaxedness which had allowed her to turn her nose up at her worthless opponent.
Of course, that bitch probably wouldn't be cornered by something like this.
...She was just being cautious.
Until now, I had been inexperienced.
Without knowing how to fight, I hadn't had enough strength as an opponent.
However, now that we had reached the third game, she realized that I was starting to become skilled, and she had grown more cautious, thinking every move over carefully......
Sure, that's just fine, Beatrice.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Are you happy now...?
"......Now things are starting to get interesting, right......? Hihihihi!"
"*cackle*cackle*cackle*! ...Battleeeeeeeeer......"
"I'm still waiting... Then, should we get to the heart of the matter and go with the usual?"
"......Hoh. The usual, you say. ...Then by all means. If I don't hear that, I guess I just won't feel like starting..."
The first move was mine...
"Here I go, Beato. Repeat it. ......'On this island, there are no more than 18 people'."
"............"
"...If I hear you say this in red, I will have no choice but to doubt one of the 18. ......Since it could no longer be the work of a 19th person, all doors will be closed to me. .........However, I believe that the culprit is definitely not one of the 18! There's no way that any of those 18 could commit such brutal murders...!!"
"..............."
"I'll say it again. Repeat it! 'On this island, there are no more than 18 people'."
"..............................I refuse. I won't say why."
Whew...!
I had avoided what would have been the worse red for me.
If she had repeated that, I would be faced with those two worst choices of accepting the witch or suspecting one of the 18, like last time all over again...
But Beato had not proclaimed my ultimate and greatest weakness in red.
She had rejected repeating it, even though there was no reason why she shouldn't have struck, even though it was a weakness she should have been drooling at.
She hadn't sliced me up with red by using that move, which should have been as good as forking a rook and the king...!
......This was a big sign of my advantage.
That's right. The culprit isn't one of the 18 people.
I won't doubt anyone...!
And since the culprit isn't a witch either, .........it means that a 19th person exists on this island.
And that's you.
A person who, as Grandfather's mistress of 30 years, has been living secretly in a hidden mansion in the forest for a long, long time.
The 'human' Beatrice.........!!
"That's right. You aren't a witch or anything like it. ......You're just a human, ...who's been living on this island in hiding for several decades...!"
".........*cackle*cackle*. *cackle*cackle*cackle... ...Did you just call me, the Endless Witch who has lived for over one thousand years, a human? ......*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle* *cackle*cackle*!"
For a while, Beatrice continued to laugh unpleasantly, gloating or maybe spiteful.
"...Are you ready? I'll keep going. ...Again, repeat it. 'There are at least 19 people on this island'!"
"....................."
Beatrice fell silent once again.
She would probably remain extremely cautious as long as confirming the number of humans on this island might give her some large disadvantage, depending on the situation.
The red had already become a foothold for my counterattack.
With that in mind, the red had become a risk for the witch.
But if she couldn't repeat this, her 'Hempel's Raven' wouldn't be effective.
To break my 'Devil's Proof', she would need to settle the existence and number of people outside the 18 in red.
That's right. She couldn't break the existence of a 19th person unless she used red.
I had closed Beato in・・・・・・,
giving her no choice but to speak in red...!
There really was..., .........a way to fight, ......in this witch's game!
"It's alright to refuse. ...If you can't say it in red, then that means there are a total of 18+X people on this island.
......If that X is allowed in my first move, that's a really enormous hint, right? Anyways, from now on, all of the tricks that were impossible for the 18 people, can be explained with human X outside of the 18 people. ......This is a huge piece that can break open all of the rooms that you called closed because everyone had an alibi...!"
It was just like how a chess bishop can cut a thin line through enemy forces as long as there's a slight gap.
It could only be effectively used on squares of the same color, but it had a great ability to control the board.
".................................Ku."
It looked like Beato also noticed her current plight.
She couldn't just let such an important piece go, especially this close to the beginning of the game...
If she pulled out her red treasured sword, it wouldn't be that difficult to save her from this.
......But Beato was completely aware that I was expecting it.
She was afraid that a careless red truth might end up strangling her own neck...!
Because, ...in the first place, a witch was something which should be denied in red.
Believe. Don't doubt! Witches don't exist!
Something like that couldn't exist in this world.
They could only exist in the valleys between truths.
...They were a fragile existence, curled up in these cracks, frantically trying to protect themselves from the brutal winds of truth, and they could only barely exist like a mirage by surviving on falsehoods and illusions.
That was the truth by which witches couldn't help but deny themselves, using the red words which only they could use.
......The more they brandish their red words......the more they begin to lose bit by bit that crack in truth inside which they can endure.
That was why they didn't want to use the red words and carelessly lose that crack in truth which was based on fuzzy information, ......in other words, illusions.
That was because they understood that they were gradually being cornered.
Of course, that bastard would never admit it.
Because, if she did, it would be the same as admitting that she was something that couldn't exist in this world, like an imaginary number.
Don't be afraid. Stay strong...!
I know that she is the one who has really been pierced to the bone.
Because her red treasured sword couldn't easily be used without a lot of preparation...!
"...What's wrong. I'll say it again. ......Repeat it! 'There are at least 19 people on this island'!"
"........................Hmph. ...I refuse."
In the end, Beato's worries won out. ......Taking a single deep breath, she quietly proclaimed her refusal.
......I had thought that she'd use it.
But Beato refused to speak in red even though it would cost her victory in the opening part of the game.
"You refused......? Which means that, from now on, I can create as many fictional character Xs outside of the 18 as I want...?"
"Do as you wish. ...I have refused to repeat as you have told me. Isn't that enough for now? ......The reason I refused was, ............No, I still won't tell you. Anyways, you'll know soon."
"...Ihihi. Still acting tough, I see..."
"......Red words that I don't have to use are a kind of red words in themselves. You called it my red treasured sword. A pleasant example. I will use it too. ......A treasured sword is at its best when it is sheathed. In fact, there are times it can instill even more fear because it is sheathed."
"That's right. ...As I fight, I always have to keep in mind whether you might turn everything over with those red words. It's some pretty serious pressure.
......And there are also times when you make things pretty tough by refusing to repeat after me. ...Those times, I can't tell whether you can't repeat because my guess was right, or whether you're just misleading me and letting me think whatever I want. If you think of it that way, I see. A sheathed treasured sword."
".........Wha-t's wrong? If I'm going to push you off a cliff anyway, I might as well let you climb a little higher first. ...We have still barely begun. Much is left to come...
I'll resign from this challenge. ...Go and get drunk on your faint victory for now. ......Only for now."
Her being a poor loser looked like it would last for the whole early part of the game.
Even so, I couldn't relax my guard at all.
...I was unable to relax my feeling of tension until I was greeted by the sound of Ronove's applause...
"......Spectacular, Battler-sama. I wonder if you have started this game with an advantageous development?"
"Ah, well... I still don't know whether I've taken a piece by my move, or whether she guided me into taking it. ......After all, knowing you... You probably know that I'm being led into a trap, and that clapping is just a barefaced lie, right...?"
"How could you think that? I am innocently celebrating your ability that has enabled you to take one shot at Milady, even though it is only the first round. ...In any event, Milady is a person who is quick to become arrogant. I believe that a little encouragement such as that makes for a good medicine every once in a while."
"...This butler of yours sure has a vicious tongue..."
"Isn't that so? Sometimes he offends me as well."
"My, my, how incredibly rude of me. Well then, Milady, Battler-sama. How would you like some more black tea? The game has still barely begun. Please leave any tea or pastries that might adorn this game to me. Please, do not feel hesitant and advance further in the game."
"I will. Let's move forward. Now is when it really starts."
".........Hmph. Very well. Let us advance the clock. Ronove, black tea please."
"Certainly. What about a cookie?"
"I don't need one. Give it to Beelzebub to keep her happy. ............Remain silent for now."
While listening to the sound of the demon butler pouring tea, the witch closed her eyes slightly and fell into silence.
......For some time, she was deeply lost in thought, but eventually a roguish glint came into her eyes.
"Very well. .........Why don't I inform you now why I refused to speak in red for the first move."
"......What...? Bring it on. Show me what you've got."
"*cackle*cackle*... It really is a big piece that you'd hate to miss. ......It may be hasty, but allow me to move. I won't use red, but from here on, Rosa will explain on my behalf. Listen."
"Of course, I think the same way. Rosa does too, right? ............Rosa?"
"Huh, ah, sorry... M, me too. I think that too."
".........Whass wrong, Rosa-san. ...Ya've been really quiet fer a while now. Ditcha feel sick...?"
From the beginning, Rosa had never been one to cut in on the siblings' fights.
...But even so, she seemed unmotivated, and had said almost absolutely nothing during this night's conference.
The whole time, she had hung her head, and appeared to be thinking of something else...
"You've been in a daze for a while now. Do you think you can protect the inheritance like that? You are also the mother of your child, so get a stronger hold on yourself."
"I, I'm sorry......"
"Did you wake up really early in the morning? If you feel sick, you shouldn't overdo it."
"......A bed has been prepared in the guest room. How about taking a rest? I will guide you."
"No, ...I'm fine. Thank you."
"...What is it? Is there something you're worrying about?"
".........No, not really........."
"Is that so...? It feels like your mind has been elsewhere this whole time. ...I wonder if that has anything to do with what we've been talking about...?"
At those words, everyone stared at Rosa together.
As if in response, Rosa's shoulders quivered.
Apparently Kyrie's guess hadn't been wrong.
...Rosa couldn't deny that either...
"...............No, umm... ....................."
She swallowed whatever it was she had been trying to say, and went silent again.
Of course, the other siblings also began to realize that something about her appearance was different from usual...
"What is it? ...You've been weird for a while. Did you think of something...?"
"All of us've just sworn to remain united, haven't we? Don't be reserved, worryin' by yerself. We said we'd talk."
"......Rosa. Tell us."
The men pressed her one after the other, and Rosa confessed resignedly and nervously...
The atmosphere made it seem as though she was confessing to some modest prank, which had inadvertently brought about a serious situation.
"No, umm............Th, this mistress of Grandfather's, this Beatrice, ......I was wondering if she is still, .........alive..."
"Huh? Isn't it obvious that she's alive? After all, she was able to send that letter to us."
"Whether she's healthy or not is a different story though. The woman in that portrait must be getting up there in age by now."
"I'd think she's healthy. People who are crafty when it comes to money are healthy no matter how old they are! Her evil plan might even be the best rejuvenating agent. Wah-hah-hah-ha."
"......She shouldn't be, ......alive."
"Huh? ......What did you just say?"
"Beatrice is, ......dead............I, ...I killed her...!"
"Wh, ......what did you say......?!"
"...Wh, ...what do you mean, Rosa...?!"
"B, but, it's not like I killed.........but, but I was the one that brought her to a place like that! ...I really did kill her... I tried to make myself believe it was a dream!! ......But, ......it wasn't really a dream, was it?! Which means this is, ......a letter from Beatrice's ghost!! Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
It was so sudden that everyone was lost for words.
Rosa kept on talking, unable to stop, holding her head as her hair flew all about...
"Calm yourself...! Rosa-san...!"
"I, I have absolutely no clue what's goin' on...! Already dead? What do ya mean...?!"
"......I think it means two things. First, ...its literal meaning. ...And second, it backs up our earlier guess."
"Which means...............Rosa, ......has met with Beatrice, right?"
"I, I've never heard Rosa speak about that once. ...Rosa, when was it? When could you possibly have met Beatrice?!"
"Long ago! Long, long, long ago!! We had just moved over to the island and I was young!! It wasn't my fault, it's not like I killed her...!! Whaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
"...Calm down! Nobody's blaming you for anything, right? First, drink some water. Okay? Natsuhi-san, the pitcher please."
"Y, yes. .........Here you go, Rosa-san. Please, calm yourself......"
"........................"
Until Rosa was able to regain her calm amidst her ragged breathing, ......no one was able to speak a word...