Beatrice (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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umiscripts2012-03-03 03:12 am
endlesswitch) wrote in umiscripts2012-03-03 03:12 am
requiem of the golden witch; chapter sixteen ( journey to the golden land )
Men in work clothes were spreading a tarp over a section of the hall.From the way they measured the wall and set out tools, it could be seen that they were planning some sort of construction project.
"This is of the utmost importance to the Master. Be sure that you do not damage it."
The president of the construction company nodded his head several times to show that he understood.
Then, six young workers carried in a large rectangular object wrapped in a white sheet...
"Ookay, careful there! Set 'er down gently... Gently, I say."
"Is this spot good?"
"Great, let's get started."
Apparently, they were putting something large onto the wall of the hall...
"......Is that where he wants to hang it?"
"That's what he wants. After all, this mansion is little more than one of Father's toys."
Natsuhi took a deep breath.
Though this was a whim of Kinzo's, a man she greatly respected, ......she seemed to resist the idea of hanging it right here in the entrance hall, the face of the mansion.
When the white sheet was pulled off, a Western woman wearing a beautiful dress came into view...
It was a massive portrait of a woman......
"Is it proceeding well?"
"Yes. They will be finished by this evening."
"I would like to see it hanging there for all to see as soon as possible. I want you overseeing this, my friend."
"Leave it to me."
"......Father. It seems to be a splendid portrait."
"Yes. An excellent effect. I am satisfied."
"......This is your benefactor, the woman who gave you the gold, right?"
"Indeed. ......If I had not met Beatrice, I would not be here, nor would the Ushiromiya family, nor would, of course, this mansion.
It's only natural that her portrait be displayed in the best possible location."
Now that he had said so this bluntly, there would be no contradicting him.
Krauss and Natsuhi could only shrug.
"......Master. The epitaph plate is here. Would you please check to see that all is in order?"
"Good point. Each and every word must be correct..."
Epitaph...? Krauss and Natsuhi crooked their heads and followed Kinzo.
The leader of the workers set down a plate wrapped in a sheet.
The others thought that the picture's name and an explanation might be on it, but it seemed to have quite a lot of words for that...
".........Father. What is this......?"
"Behold...
...the sweetfish river running through my hometown......?"
"Heh. ......Heheheheheheh. Read and interpret it as you like."
"......So, we finally reach the appearance of the epitaph and the portrait."
"I don't know much about this epitaph. It doesn't exist in my world."
"Probably not. In your world, there's already a clear successor: you. But not in this world."
"In other words, ......this epitaph was set up to choose Grandfather's successor after all...?"
"Most likely. Or, he might have wanted to believe in the chance of a miracle."
A difficult riddle, made so that no one would be able to solve it.
If someone actually could solve it, ......they would be a miracle.
Wouldn't that miracle......guide the person Kinzo most wanted to solve it...?
"In short, this epitaph really does show a ceremony to revive the witch Beatrice, just as everyone thought...?"
"......That is a normal interpretation to make. A mysterious ritual, sacrificing 13 people to revive the witch.
......However, that is not the true ceremony. ......It lies in wait for someone to miraculously solve it. That is the true ceremony. However, fate does have its irony."
"Genji already knew. ......Maybe Kinzo set this up in the first place because he guessed that Genji knew everything."
"......Was that fate a coincidence, or something planned? I do not know. ......However, with this epitaph, the witch Beatrice will revive in the truest sense."
"Chapter eight, 'Journey to the Golden Land'."
"......This is...
...Beatrice..."
My soul was captured by the woman shown in that massive portrait.
That might have been literally true.
Or, rather than captured, perhaps it would be better to say that my soul had returned to a more fitting place, the place it belonged.
The beautiful blonde hair was the same as mine, but tied up.
The dress she wore was a deep black, making that golden hair stand out all the more.
......This is the witch...Beatrice.
My...true form......
"? .........What is this?"
There was a plate with too many words for it to be the title of the picture.
Behold the sweetfish river running through my beloved hometown......
You who seek the Golden Land, follow its path downstream in search of the key.
"......The Golden Land...
......I see,
...so my world...
...is the Golden Land..."
I have always called my own, personal world a Paradise.
But tonight, I shall change that.
From now on, my world shall be the Golden Land.
I am the master of the Golden Land, Beatrice......
......And then, there is the brutal ceremony of sacrifices, starting on the first twilight.
On the ninth twilight, the witch shall revive, and none shall be left alive......
"If I carry out this ceremony, ......shall I revive in the truest sense......?"
Then, on the tenth twilight, the journey shall end, and I shall reach the capital where the gold dwells......
The witch shall praise the wise and bestow four treasures.
One shall be all the gold from the Golden Land.
......Kinzo received a massive amount of gold from Beatrice, and rumor has it that it still lies hidden somewhere.
Is this, as the family members and servants are all whispering, a code showing the location of Kinzo's hidden gold?
".........If a human solves it, they will obtain a great quantity of gold. .........However, if I do, it will mean my own resurrection..."
............
......Kinzo, you aging magician.
Just when I was mocking the shortness of the time left to you, you start a game like this.
How interesting. ......I'll definitely solve it.
Then, I will revive as the real Beatrice.
When that happens, I will use my great magical power to control object and man, day and night, and all of Rokkenjima......
"They all say that epitaph is a guide to finding hidden treasure...!"
"The rumors tell that the Master has 10 tons of gold hidden away...!"
"......Yes, those rumors about Beatrice being the one who gave it to him. I've heard that too."
"10 tons of gold...... That would be incredible. I can hardly even imagine it."
"If you had all that, what would you use it for...?! I'd like to touch it, just once...!"
"Hohohohohohohoho! Forget touching it, I'd like to spend it all."
"But why would he go out of his way to present this epitaph, this code showing the hiding place of the gold..."
"That's obvious. He's laughing at everyone, since he thinks no one can solve it."
"It's a challenge to the rest of us, isn't it? He wants to know if there's anyone here wise enough to solve it..."
"It seems that the Master doesn't intend to let Krauss-sama take the headship easily. ......Perhaps the one who solves this will become his successor?"
"Genji-san, what is this?! Could this be a portrait of......Beatrice? The Beatrice?"
"......Correct. This is Beatrice-sama."
"What on Earth? There's a strange little poem-like thing over here."
"...............What is this all about? ......It's almost like......a pirate code that shows the way to hidden treasure. ......Genji-san. What does this mean?!"
"The Master said to read and interpret it as you wish. ......That the riddle applies equally to all who can see the epitaph."
"You said riddle just now, didn't you?! That means this can be solved.
......Yes, that's it. Father doesn't want Nii-san to succeed him...!"
"So, whoever solves this becomes the successor...!"
"*cackle*cackle*, *giggle*giggle*...!!! Finally...... The tables have finally turned...
...and I now have a real chance......to become the head......!!"
"What do you think, Kyrie?"
"......I think it's extremely likely that this epitaph shows the location of the hidden gold."
"It looks like Aneki thinks the one who solves it will be chosen as the successor."
"That may also be possible. ......Father certainly doesn't view Krauss nii-san as an ideal successor. This might be a huge trick he's set up now that he's reaching the end of his years."
"So, if you really solve this riddle, you stand to gain ten tons of gold and the position of successor."
"Technically, perhaps. ......However, I'm sensing some malice, as though he doesn't think us capable of solving it. I doubt it will be easy."
"True. ......Heheh. Looks like this'll keep us entertained for some time."
"......Ridiculous. How could anyone solve this?"
Rosa tossed aside a notepad with the epitaph written on it and flopped over onto the sofa.
Solving this means ten tons of gold.
With that much, I'd never need to worry about schemes for cash again.
......If I had money, I could pay off my debts, ......and that man might come back to me......
"......I know where Father's beloved hometown is.
And the sweetfish river? There are many rivers there. What's the village supposed to be? Aah, I don't have a clue......!"
"......Uu-. What's wrong, Mama......?"
Maria looked concerned.
Kids are really good at riddles, so maybe......
"Hey, Maria. Do you think you know the answer to this riddle?"
`"............"
Maria gazed at the paper with the epitaph on it as though she was trying to bore through it with her eyes.
Her eyes opened wider and wider......
"What do you think, Maria...? I guess it might be a bit too hard for you."
"Kihi. Kihihihihihihihihi! This is a witch's ceremony, a resurrection ceremony for Beato...!
Where'd you get this?! Hey, Mama, where'd you get this?! I'm gonna ask Beato!! I'm sure this ceremony will let Beato regain her full power!
She'll be able to appear in front of everyone and do miracles of magic, without having to worry about the anti-magic toxin anymore...!! Kihihahaha, hahahahahahahahahahaha!!"
"......And the epitaph?"
"It seems the family members are all competing to solve the riddle."
"Hmph...... Good. Let everyone try. And none will solve it. Except for the one blessed by a miracle.
......If I let my guard down, even I might forget the process. That is how difficult it is."
"......Because it is difficult, solving it will bring about a miracle..."
`"Precisely. ......This is the final miracle I will desire while I still live. My final magic. ......When a miracle comes and allows one to solve that complicated epitaph, ......it will surely mean Beatrice's resurrection. ......Oooh, Beatrice... I just want to see your face one more time... I don't need wealth or honor anymore. If I could only meet you one more time......!"
To Kinzo, who realized he was facing his last years, this would be his final magic.
He was betting everything that Beatrice had given him, hoping to meet her just one more time, after being separated by death for two generations.
His meeting with Beatrice that day had been the true beginning of his life.
And even after those two left the stage, Kinzo had remained there alone in the darkness.
The aged monarch had obtained everything, accomplished everything, but this was the one element that had always slipped through his fingers, no matter how much he struggled.
If he could just have that element, ......he would need nothing else in life.
In the end, perhaps his whole life was just a journey to learn that one single element made up all that it means to be human.
"My friend. ......Will the final bit of magic in my life bring me a miracle......?"
"............"
For a while, Genji was silent.
He wasn't at a loss for words or struggling to find an answer.
......During that silence, something had passed between the two men, who had known each other for so long that their friendship surpassed that of master and servant.
"......Very well. ......No one will solve it. So, it will be a miracle."
"Master. ......Please, tell me one thing."
"Nn, ......what is it?"
"If, I ask you. .........If a miracle does occur..."
"Nn......"
It may have been different when he was young, but in his old age, Genji was not fond of talking about dreams and 'what ifs'.
When Genji said 'if'...
......Kinzo quietly waited for the words of the man he called a friend.
"If a miracle does occur, if your magic comes true.........and Beatrice-sama does revive... ...What will you do...?"
As the one closest to Kinzo, Genji obviously knew of the crazed feelings with whch Kinzo had searched for Beatrice in the past.
......And yet, Genji was asking what Kinzo would do if Beatrice did revive.
"............"
"......Master, at one time in the past, you experienced the miracle of Beatrice-sama being reborn. If that miracle happened again, ......what would you do?"
".........My friend. So, after all, ......you do blame me."
"......I do not claim to know everything about your heart and Beatrice-sama's.
`......However, I believe that I do know, in part......of the way in which Beatrice-sama adored you."
"..................I lament the fact. You may not believe, ......but as I have aged, I have come to regret everything."
"............"
"If a miracle does occur...and Beatrice revives,` ......then, of course, I do not care if she knows nothing of the time she spent with me in the past.
...No, as long as she is Beatrice, I don't care who it is!
......I just......want to apologize...!"
".........Is that truly how you feel?"
"Yes, my friend. ......I regret it.
I deeply regret the mistakes I made in my youth. ......You have aged as well, so you must know. ......I could not feel guilt for the sins of my youth when I was still young. However, like a deep thorn, it began to fester, ......torturing me. ......I, Ushiromiya Kinzo, no longer care how I die!"
"However, ......this thorn...this regret......is the one thing I must settle... I will return everything to Beatrice. And, I will ask her to forgive me for my sins...!
That is...... That is my only and final wish...... ...Ooh,
......oooooohhhh...... Uwaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh......!!"
Kinzo covered his eyes and sobbed.
Now that the aged monarch, who had built up a great wealth in a single generation, was reaching the end of his life, ......he was sobbing simply because he wanted someone to apologize to...
"......Wasn't the epitaph a trial Grandfather made to choose the successor?"
"............I thought that too at first, ......but it looks like the situation's a bit different."
"At this point in time, I also thought it was a trial. That it was a game for selecting the successor, which Ushiromiya Kinzo decided upon on a whim."
"......This epitaph.........meant something for Ushiromiya Kinzo and Ronoue Genji that only the two of them could understand.
"So, this was not the workings of fate. It was inevitable. ......I was no more than a Cinderella, with the pumpkin carriage and glass slippers all prepared beforehand."
"......I get it.
......So, ......this was a farce that Kinzo and Genji set up."
"Kinzo did understand. And Genji realized that this was a message."
"I, I don't have a clue what you mean... ......What did Grandfather understand? And what does Genji-san have to do with this epitaph...?"
"The epitaph wasn't solved. Someone was made to solve it."
"......And then, Beatrice truly revived. ......If that revival had never happened..."
"......Then, when 1986 came, ......the crime might have been completely different."
"In the end, ......since the time of my birth, I have been trapped by the crossroads of fate......and never given the right to make any decisions of my own will."
Oh, I am one yet many.
And yet, we have never been able to resist fate.
We are little more than leaves caught in a whirlpool.
No matter how we dance, we must eventually be sucked in and disappear......
"Gaap's the one who specializes in instant movement!! She's the 33rd in rank of the great demons...! You must really be incredible to have a friend like that, Beato, uu-!"
"I see, the great demon Gaap.
......Very well, my friend, you will now be Gaap. You may call yourself by that name!"
"Oh, wonderful. So, you've finally given me a name. It's a relief after being nameless so long."
"In that case, I would be honored to receive a name as well. Being nothing more than the head furniture lacks flavor, does it not?"
"Maria. I need a name for this guy too.
He is also a great demon, and serves as my butler. He is a subordinate whom I can trust."
"Uu-...... Ronove, I guess.
The 27th ranked of the great demons...! It's said he'll give you reliable underlings!"
"My, what a coincidence. ......The family name of my double, Genji, is Ronoue."
"Hoh, that truly is a coincidence!` I see, it seems this is the best possible name for you. Very well, you shall now be known as Ronove...!"
"Oh, how pleasant it is to be called by one's name. I thank you for this wonderful name, Lady MARIA."
"Just as the form can be a vessel, so can the name be a strong vessel. For unknown creatures of the other world, simply gaining a name can greatly increase their magical power...!!
That's why names are important. Uu-!"
"True, names are important and wonderful.
Right, Lia?! You can call me Gaap now, okay...?!"
"Gaap. A splendid name.
......And I'll ask you to stop shortening my precious name...!"
"Pu ku ku ku...! So, you're Virgilia, the one who guides travelers to Beatrice? That is also a splendid name. Perfect for Milady's teacher."
"Yes, I do like it a lot. A name is a life."
"Maria, thanks to you, my friends have found names. I am deeply grateful...!"
"Uu-uu-! Now it's your turn, Beato! Draw pictures of my bunny friends! Like you did for Sakutaro!"
"Hmmm, very well. Lend me that grimoire."
"Uryu-! Beato's drawings are really great. I can't wait to see!"
"What'll it be like? What'll it be like? Can't wait to see the bunnies! Uu-uu-uu-!!"
"They were in a forest band, were they not? ......A band, a band......
`......Hmm. Yes, something like..."
All of a sudden, Maria was no longer a little girl who did nothing but follow her mother around, laughing or crying.
Though she is still young, she already has a powerful self-image, ......and possesses enough knowledge of the magical world to surprise even me.
Together, we called ourselves Mariage Sorciere and made each other's magical worlds deeper and richer...
"So, a name can become a great vessel. ......How very profound."
"It's very important to have a form for a vessel, but a name is just as important."
"Indeed. Those with names leave a greater impression than those without."
"It's not just about forms and names. By knowing more and more about them, you can make them exist much more strongly. So, I'll think up lots of stuff for you."
"Did you do this for Sakutarou as well?"
"Yep. Sakutaro isn't just a name. There's a lot more to him than that."
"He is a lion cub, correct?"
"Sakutaro's a vegeta-lion, so he doesn't eat meat. But everyone else thinks he does, so they're scared of him.
But Sakutaro's also a scaredy-cat, so he's just as scared as the others. Ahahahaha, Sakutaro's such a coward."
"Uryu-. I don't eat meat. I'm not a scary lion."
"Oh, look, a flesh-eating sparrow...!! *flap*flap*flap*."
"Uryu-!! Sparrows are scary!
Whoosh."
"Wahaha, sparrows don't eat meat."
"Sakutaro's a coward, so he thinks they do. Kihihihihi."
"D, did the sparrow go away...? Uryu-..."
"You're such a scaredy-cat, Sakutaro. If you keep this up, Sakusuke and Sakukichi will start making fun of you again, right?"
"Uryu...!
I'm not a scaredy-cat!"
"Ah, the sparrow's back! *flap*flap*flap*!"
"Nooo, I'll be eaten!!
Whoosh."
"Hahahaha. Sakutaro is quite entertaining.
Then, are Sakusuke and Sakukichi his siblings?"
"Yep. They're his little brothers, waiting for him at home! Sakusuke's a lot more reliable than Sakutaro, and Sakukichi is so skillful, he can do anything.
But they're all really good friends...! They all play together on my bed."
"Your bed must be covered with lions."
"Yep. So I call my bed Lion Land! But there's lots of other animals too! Uu-!"
"Lion Land, is it?
It sounds like fun."
"......By interacting together, all of MARIA's friends can reinforce their own existence. A great world."
"I guess that means we should work on deepening our relationships as well. By strengthening our bonds, our existence and magical power will grow stronger and stronger..."
"Let's expand our world more and more!
From what I've heard, Maria's world has far more than just Sakutarou and the bunnies! We can't let her beat us!"
"My, my. In that case, shall we find more minions for ourselves?"
"It's no fun with just the gold butterflies. After all, they cannot speak...!
I'd like some chatty minions who can talk, jump around, and fight with each other."
"True, of course it'll be better to spice things up around here."
"Here in Mariage Sorciere, we have learned how to expand our worlds and create new minions. By now, you may create new minions as often as your imagination allows......"
"Milady, what about those? Could you make vessels of those dark tools you found when cleaning out Goldsmith's storehouse?"
"Oh, perfect! Minions created from dark-looking vessels like that will surely be fitting for me...!
There will be more and more of us, and it will get very lively here...!"
"Uu-! We get more and more new friends...! That's my magic! And Beato can take my friends and give them a form. You can make them grow...!"
"You create, and I grow.
......Hmm. That's Mariage Sorciere for you!
......Hmmm, still, bunny ears are pretty hard...! It might take some time before the bunnies manifest themselves."
"Make sure you make them cute."
"But of course. This is where I get to show my skill...!"
Create a creature, give it a name, give it a form.
Doing that is no different from giving birth to new life.
When a human gives birth to a child, they give it a form, give it a name to identify it by, and deepen its character by raising it in the world.
Mariage Sorciere is doing exactly the same thing.
In our world, we can create whatever creatures we think of, give them forms, give them names, and make them friends we can interact with.
We were engrossed with our game in this world called Mariage Sorciere.
At least, Maria was engrossed.
She would badger me to play this game every time she came.
And, of course, I was too.
However, when Maria started happily writing something and I just sat there for a while, ......I must admit that I sighed and looked up at the sky, making sure she didn't notice......
......It's fun to increase the numbers of our minions.
They make things lively, so I do not tire of it.
I may have tired of my minions alone, but when I can interact with Maria's minions as well, that does not happen.
It takes two people to create a universe.
I now have that second person, so I am satisfied.
............
.....I think...I am satisfied.
And yet, one little part of me......is not.
It truly is a tiny part.
After all, it's so much fun playing with Maria that time seems to fly on by.
But even so, ......when I look up at the sky, ......during those short moments, I feel an empty feeling I can't describe...
I know...
My universe is not complete.
My apologies to Maria, ......but she is not the second person I want to create a universe with.
......No matter how much I nurture my world with her, ......the roots of love in my heart leave gaps.
.........Four years have already passed since that day.
br
He left saying he'd come for me riding a white horse, ......and I was the only one without a letter.
And he even said that he probably wouldn't be returning to Rokkenjima......
"............"
Is this.....love?
......I always believed that love was so much sweeter, so much more intoxicating.
But now, I don't know anymore.
Though I long for him so much it's maddening, ......I can sometimes feel hatred underneath.
However, even that hatred is wrapped in adoration.
The roots of love have remained in the corners of my heart all this time.
Even though, at some point, ......I gave up hoping that Battler would return.
However, the roots of love stayed right where they were.
......In other words, ......even four years later, I still believe.
He will come back someday.
The flower of my love has curled up and withered as though against the winter cold.
However, the root is still alive.
......And, it is always, always waiting for him to return, waiting for a chance to bloom beautifully again.
I'm grateful to Maria.
Mariage Sorciere has eased the burden on my heart so much.
If we hadn't met like this, ......I may have withered away along with that root.
......Even this incomplete universe is necessary for me to remain alive now.
I must live on...until I can create my complete universe.
Until that day......I will not be complete.
Though I have a form and a name, ......no matter how deep my world grows, ......I will not be complete.
"......I am not...complete."
"............Beato...?"
I accidentally muttered what I had been thinking. Maria stopped talking to Sakutaro.
I regretted that my slip of the tongue had ruined this fun time, but there was a long silence before I could smooth it over...
I laughed, but it probably sounded hollow.
Maria, not knowing why my face had suddenly changed like this, looked taken aback.
"......Though my minions will each deepen this world and their own existences, becoming full, ......I alone will never be complete."
"............"
"......I know why I will not be complete."
"It's because you don't have enough magical power."
Maria answered instantly.
Beatrice has lost her magical power and is unable to regain the power she once had.
That's how the story goes. So, Maria's answer was correct.
.........That's right.
I may be incomplete because I have lost my magical power.
In that case, if my power becomes complete, ......and I revive in the truest sense, ......will my world become complete as well?
Does that mean.........that the person I want to nourish a universe with will come back?
......If, as I claim, I really was able to control miracles at will in the past with my magic...
Then if I succeed in reviving, will that miracle occur without fail?
If I could do that, ......I would want true magical power...to use for my resurrection.
"......That's right. It's because I do not possess enough magical power."
"Poor Beato. ......It must be pretty inconvenient with your magical power still weak."
"I want to get it back......quickly. ......My old power."
"I guess you'll have to do that then."
"......What do you mean by 'that'...?"
"The ceremony of resurrection. ......The ceremony of the portrait's epitaph."
".................."
If you read that epitaph literally, it does sound like a witch's resurrection ceremony.
To Maria, who believes in witches, that epitaph must be a ceremony in itself.
Unlike the other family members, it seems that she's not very interested in the location of the hidden gold.
"......If that epitaph's riddle is solved, one might learn the location where Kinzo hid all the gold I once gave him."
That's the gold you created with magic, right?"
"Indeed. A crystallization of the great magic I possessed in those days."
"In that case, ......if you get that gold back, your magical power will go back to normal."
"......Perhaps."
"It will. Uu-! It's got to be your resurrection ceremony...! I'll help, so let's solve it together.
And then you'll revive! And when you do, you'll take me to your Golden Land...!"
"That's right. I did promise that I would take you to the Golden Land."
"You said that all wishes are granted there...! There's no black witch there, just a nice Mama...! And I might even meet the Papa I've never seen before...! Of course, there won't be any school, or homework, or bullying friends, and we can live happily ever after...! Hey, Sakutaro, doesn't that sound fun! Uryu-!"
.........The epitaph of the portrait.
Then, must I face the epitaph's riddle?
If Kinzo's children struggled uselessly over it, ......how could a complete stranger like me solve it...?
......If I did happen to solve it, ......that would surely be a miracle.
Will doing that bring about another miracle and return my miraculous power to me......?
Behold the sweetfish river running through my beloved hometown.
You who seek the Golden Land, follow its path downstream in search of the key......
.........So, am I to travel down a river in Kinzo's homeland in search of a key?"
As you travel down the river, you will see a village.
In that village, look for the shore the two will tell you of.
There sleeps the key to the Golden Land.
"......There may be villages down that river, but what is this shore the two will tell you of?"
The one who obtains the key must then travel to the Golden Land in accordance with these rules......
......So, those who do not have the key need not read the rest.
I do not understand it, but that's how this riddle is.
......It's practically unsolvable, so solving it would be a miracle. That much makes sense......
".........Nn."
I felt a stabbing pain in my body. The anti-magic toxin had burned my skin.
Some human is probably approaching. I erased my form.
Multiple sets of footsteps approached.
It was Genji, Shannon, ......and Kanon too.
"......It seems everyone is engrossed with solving the epitaph's riddle."
"Yes. I hear that even some of the servants have written it down and taken it home with them."
"......If you solve this riddle, will you really find ten tons of gold?"
"Yes. There can be no doubt of that."
"I don't understand. ......The puzzle may be a tough one, but why is the Master showing the location of his precious gold in a place where everyone can see?"
"......That is the Master's magic, and also a bet. The Master believes that the one who solves this difficult riddle will contain Beatrice-sama's soul within them."
".........That's a strange bet...uh, magic..."
"Hmph, looks like he's taken his occult fanaticism as far as it could possibly go."
"Shh. You shouldn't say that......"
"......All are allowed to try and solve the epitaph's riddle. Of course, the servants are no exceptions. ......Will you try to solve it?"
"N, no...... ......I could never solve such a hard riddle.. And......"
"......And?"
"Even if I had ten tons of gold, I can't think of anything in particular I'd want to use it for...... I'd be more than happy if these peaceful days continued forever."
"Looks like you and George-sama have been pretty close these days. I just hope being distracted doesn't make you even more of a klutz."
"Th, that won't happen."
With a backward glance at this conversation, Genji walked up to the portrait...
...and looked up at the witch.
"............"
When they saw what Genji was doing, Shannon and Kanon immediately went silent.
......Genji, who was the head of the servants, ...the closest in age to Kinzo, and the one whom Kinzo called a friend, probably understood Kinzo's heart better than anyone else.
What did he think when he looked at this portrait......?
Neither Shannon nor Kanon could tell.
"......Behold the sweetfish river running through my beloved hometown."
Suddenly, Genji started reciting the epitaph.
Shannon quickly nodded to show that she was listening, but it wasn't clear whether he was talking to her at all.
Genji, his back still to them, continued.
"The Master would not describe Odawara as his beloved hometown."
"......I've heard that he lived far away."
"Th, though we don't know where it was......"
"Taiwan."
Genji turned around and spoke that single word.
"......O,
......oh,
is that so...?"
"I see, so that explains what Krauss-sama always used to say.
Remember him talking about how the Master liked areca nuts?"
"......Come to think of it, Krauss-sama said that those were a luxury item, like tobacco, that was popular in Taiwan... So that's why the Master......"
In the half-century before the war, Taiwan was under the rule of Japan.
Many Japanese had moved there, seeking a new frontier.
Kinzo's family was a branch family of the Ushiromiyas.
Apparently, they were only distantly related to the head family, so they were able to form a new life and a new future, without being constrained by the head family in Odawara...
Shannon and Kanon nodded their understanding, but they didn't know why Genji had suddenly broached this subject.
"......So, ......there was a river with sweetfish in it in the Master's hometown in Taiwan, and the key is there?"
"Don't be so stupid. There has to be several rivers with sweetfish in the area."
"W, we don't know that for sure, right...? I don't know where the Master lived in Taiwan, ......but there might have been only one river there. If so, that must be the place."
"You're too optimistic. There's no way the riddle could be solved that easily."
"......The Master says his magical ceremony will gain more power if more people try to solve the riddle. You must try as well. Everyone has been given the same chance."
"......Y, ...yes."
"It's not like we have any chance. So stupid......"
Genji spun around.
Shannon and Kanon hurried to follow after him.
When his footsteps receded and silence returned, a gold butterfly flitted out from among the shadows.
".........Taiwan, is it?`@` ......Hoh, so he lived quite far away."
Behold the sweetfish river running through my beloved hometown.
In other words, a sweetfish river running through Taiwan......?
"......There are many rivers in Taiwan. Kanon was right. How ridiculous."
............
However, the word 'Taiwan' interests me.
That taciturn Genji muttered it without anyone asking, but does it actually mean something?
Clearly, Genji's saying it has something to do with the epitaph's riddle.
It's almost as though that was a hint for solving it......
"......Though I do find it stupid, ......very well, Genji. Why don't I play along with your farce for a while?"
Taiwan......
I have traveled the world these past thousand years, but I know nothing of the place.
"......To counter my ignorance, I shall need a crystallization of knowledge. That which is smoothed out and pressed into many sheets, what is called a book."
Where might I find a book about Taiwan?
Kinzo's study is the first place that comes to mind if one is looking for books.
But that won't work. The charm on that room prevents me from entering.
In that case, the book archive......
Kinzo's vast library grows each year.
The books that don't fit in his usual library are stored in a place called the book archive.
......Of course, there are countless books just in this place.
The archive has everything from valuable books to apparently worthless books, all packed together like an antique shop.
......There was a golden glint in the keyhole of the archive's door, and a gold butterfly flitted out.
"Stinky as ever, I see. ...Dust, mold.
Yes, the stench of knowledge."
......Well now, how can I find a book on Taiwan amongst all this? The prospect is almost dizzying.
However, I realized right away.
If I wanted to quickly find out about Taiwanese rivers, I didn't want a book on Taiwan.
"......An atlas. ......There must be one of those somewhere around here.
......Search, my butterfly minions...!! Find the book I seek in this dusty, noble graveyard of knowledge!"
A cloud of countless gold butterflies appeared at my feet.
They swayed, blew like the wind, and coiled themselves around the archive.
Eventually, the cloud of butterflies selected a single book. It seems that this is the one.
"Well done.
.........Hmm, a world atlas, Asia volume. Perfect."
It was a grand, thick illustrated encyclopedia of maps, several volumes long.
`There was even a thick section on Taiwan. This should be plenty useful.
"......Taiwan. ......394 kilometers north to south, 144 kilometers east to west. An area of roughly 36,000 square kilometers.
......Hohoh, that's pretty large."
By area, that's about the same size as Kyushu in Japan.
......This led Beato to a very natural question.
"Just where on this massive island did Kinzo live? ......Genji mentioned Taiwan, but that's all. How careless I've been......"
Beato had had the vague idea that the riddle would be solved in a flash if she only could look at a map of Taiwan.
However, Taiwan is no small place.
Just which part of this large island did Kinzo call his beloved hometown?
......I kept looking through books in this dusty archive, sometimes having to cough, and I was not happy with being stuck in a place like this
"So, the largest city is Taipei. ......It says here that Japanese people used to live in a spot called Taishou. ......So, is that where Kinzo lived?
No, it's too early to be sure of that without proof."
I'll skip to the next part before I settle on anything more specific than just Taiwan itself.
A sweetfish river running through the hometown.
What's this......? There are 129 rivers in Taiwan?
"Gah...... 129 rivers...! And how many of those have sweetfish swimming in them...?! Just thinking about it is dizzying!"
This was quickly becoming ridiculous.
Genji must have been muttering nonsense to himself after all.
I only thought he was giving a hint about the epitaph...
"So, the reward for the fool blinded by gold is dust. *cackle*cackle*, nice one, Genji."
I tossed the book aside, used magic to turn a bookshelf into a sofa, and plopped down on top of it.
For a while, I grumbled about getting tricked and looked up at the ceiling.
I was annoyed, so I felt like gathering all this room's dust, packing it into a ball, and tossing it into Genji's teacup, so I glanced down at the floor.
The book I had thrown away lay open on the ground.
A gold butterfly was resting on that open page.
......Tossing a book at random and reading an oracle from the page it happens to open to is one kind of charm.
I see, ......so that page might have some sort of hint.
Not entirely convinced, I picked the book up......
The opened page was probably very near the one I had been reading.
Apparently, it was a page explaining Taiwan's geography.
Oddly enough, it was a page about rivers and lakes......
".........I already know that there are 129 rivers. Is there something else you're trying to tell me?"
There were six major rivers listed.
Zhuoshui River. Kaoping River. Danshui River. Dajia River. Zengwun River. Dadu River.
"Hoh. Now then, which of these rivers might have sweetfish in them?"
An idea came to me then.
Sweetfish are freshwater fish. And you don't find ocean water in rivers.
......Unless it's extremely dirty or blocked by a dam, any river might have sweetfish in it.
"How foolish. All rivers have freshwater in them. What's stopping sweetfish from living in any river? .........Come to think of it, what a foolish name this Danshui River has. Freshwater River? What sort of river isn't a freshwater river? A thing with freshwater flowing down it is practically the definition of 'river'."
Danshui River flows from Taipei to the harbor town of Danshui.
I see, it isn't called that because of the water in it, but because of the town at its mouth.
`............As you travel down the river, you will see a village.`
In that village, look for the shore the two will tell you of.
"............"
I realize that this is stupid.
And yet, something about this town seems off.
Behold the sweetfish river running through my beloved hometown.
That line should be talking about one of the 129 rivers.
......Sweetfish...are freshwater fish.
And here's this 'Freshwater River', flowing down to a town called 'Freshwater'.
It's like a strange, trivial word game. ......Or could it be some kind of code...?
......I've been looking for books here so long that the dust is piling up on me.
If I give up now, it will all have been a waste of time.
.........Very well.
Why don't I test my luck, and see if the random page the book opened to contains an oracle.
I turned to the next page, trying to search in even greater detail......
"To me, solving this riddle was like a game. All of the servants were engrossed in this riddle-solving game."
"I was just trying to be one of that group. ......I had lost all books that I could become enthusiastic about and was very bored. So, I took that book back with me to my own room...and looked through it every night."
"......There's a hint for the epitaph's riddle in an atlas?"
"In the third game, Eva solved the riddle after reading a book in the book archive. Then, in the fifth game, Furudo Erika looked for an atlas in the book archive before solving the riddle herself."
"Then there really is some secret in a map of Taiwan......"
"......I believed that the sweetfish river part was a code for Danshui River. Every day, I researched the surrounding geography in detail. ......Of course, I also looked up several small streams that might have sweetfish in them. However, ......that didn't get me anywhere."
"According to some information from a previous game, ......we aren't looking for an actual river.
But it was something that flowed. That's how Eva interpreted it."
"Not a river...?"
"Yes. In the end, Danshui River had nothing to do with it. ......However, now that I think about it, it must have been an oracle after all. The river itself was unrelated, ......but it was still a great hint."
"The river was unrelated, ......but it was still a hint?"
"Calm down and think. Think of something that flows but isn't a river."
".........So, something other than water that flows...?"
"What can you think of? ......Try to think out of the box."
`"............"
"......Will, I'm tired of all this puzzle-solving. ......Stop being annoying and give us the answer. ......You solved the epitaph, right?"
.................Probably."
"......Something other than water that flows...... ......Something... ......Some...thing...?
......Methods of transportation...? Like a road or a highway?"
"Correct. It took me so long to realize that the sweetfish river did not refer to water itself......"
"That's right. There's something other than a river with the name Danshui. Something that both people and things flow up and down."
"......Up...and down...?
You mean......"
"That's it.
Railroads."
The Danshui Line
It's a railway that goes from Taipei to Danshui Harbor.
It was constructed in 1901 while Taiwan was under Japanese rule.
Afterwards, the number of stations continued to grow, and it became a major artery into Taipei.
This railroad was used after the war as well and is still in common use as the Danshui Line of the Taipei Rapid Transit System.`\
Its route begins at Taipei Station and continues on until the town of Danshui......
台北 Station.
長安 Station (formerly 大正街 Station).
双連 Station.
大同公司 Station.
円山 Station.
剣潭 Station (formerly 宮ノ下 Station).
士林 Station.
石碑 (formerly.........
".........What did the epitaph say you'd see if you went down the river?"
"There's only one station on the Danshui Line with 里, the character for village, in its name. And it's this 石碑 Station."
"H, how do you read this......?"
"The Japanese pronounce it 'Kirigan'. Its name was changed to Sekihai Station after the war, but when Kinzo lived there, it was Kirigan Station."
"As you travel down the river, you will see a village...a '里'.... In that village, look for the shore the two will tell you of......"
"......*giggle*. 里 isn't the only one. You can also see a 岸, the character for shore......"
"In the end, it took me quite a long time to work out that this station was the one referred to. ......It has the character for village and the character for shore. It felt like a kids' riddle, playing with letters..."
"The first character in Kirigan has a 口, the character for mouth. And 其, the other half of that first character, means 'that', right...?! 'That village's shore', and the mouth is 'telling of' it...!
......Ah, ...but I don't get what 'the two' means..."
The three characters of Kirigan can be split into a mouth (口), a 'that' (其), a village (里), and a shore (岸).
Those are all words that appear in the epitaph.
'In *that* *village*, look for the *shore* the two will *tell* you of'.
You can read it as a code for the name of the station.
However, I don't understand the part about 'the two'......
"......I was also stuck on that part. However, by then, I had a strong belief that this station was what the epitaph referred to."
"If the station had an old name, ......then could some local spot also have an old name?"
"That's right. From the start, Kirigan Station was named after a place. And the name of that place, which was also Kirigan, is written differently."
"Ah, ......there are...two mouths...!"
"It didn't take long to figure out once I saw it. ......The epitaph must have been referring to this place called Kirigan."
"Then is this where the key to the Golden Land rests...?"
"That would be the obvious answer. However, I couldn't have made the long trip to Taiwan to check. And, of course, the place known as Kirigan is quite large itself.
If a tiny key was hidden somewhere there, I'd never find it. I was at a loss......"
"But you didn't give up."
"I was certain that I had found the answer, at least to the first five lines of the epitaph. ......In my eyes, it was truly an entertaining game...no, a mystery."
I almost gave up then.
However, I really did have the key in my hand.
I then decided to travel to the Golden Land in accordance with the epitaph.
"......On the first twilight, offer the six chosen by the key as sacrifices..."
"We can tell by this line that the key refers to six things. ......That makes it possible to reason it out and see that this doesn't refer to a physical key."
"Six things......?"
"Yes. Six things. ......I was merely a thick-headed human. ......I decided to look through books for anything related to the number six. Six. Six, six, six.
`The location of the key called Kirigan was hidden by a word game. That meant the six things were surely related to some sort of word game. Six. Six, six, six. I kept searching for six."
"......Is there some way to split up the characters in Kirigan to get six......?"
"A good idea. Still, no matter how much you stare at those three characters, you won't get an answer.
The problem here is that 'Kirigan' is just the Japanese reading of the name."
"Then how did they pronounce it there?"
"......It's pronounced 'Qilian'. When written in Pinyin, that's six letters long."
"Six letters...! Then it is a word game after all...!"
"This is what it means by 'the six chosen by the key'."
"......I, ......I get it......"
Talking about it like this, it sounds like a line of reasoning that can be reached in a second.
......However, it took a long, long time before I reached this spot on my own.
A dizzying number of nights passed from the time Genji uttered that single word to the time I got this far.
"So, what does it mean to offer these six letters as sacrifices?"
"On the second twilight, we start hearing about 'those who remain'. ......You can reason it out and guess that the six letters of the key are being removed from an even larger set of letters."
"However, what could the six letters be removed from? That puzzle worried me for a long time. It's like the start of an entirely new riddle. This time, I would have to solve it all by myself, without any assistance."
"......In a previous game, ...I'm pretty sure Rosa oba-san formed some sort of theory about the first twilight."
"That theory focused on the 'capital' in the tenth twilight. The epitaph talks about the Golden Land several times, but that's the only time it mentions a capital."
"Why is a capital mentioned only at the tenth twilight? It took me so long to find the answer."
"Since our journey to the Golden Land ends on the tenth twilight, this is either the capital of the place called the Golden Land...or the Golden Land itself. Rosa guessed that it might be the latter."
Golden Land=Golden Capital
"She searched for a link between the two words...and found one.
Golden Land=Golden Capital
黄金 郷
If you write the name out in Japanese...`
Golden Land=Golden Capital
黄金 郷
Ougon Kyou
and then check the pronunciation, you get Ougon Kyou.
Golden Land=Golden Capital
黄金 郷 黄金 ??
Ougon Kyou= Ougon Kyou
Then, just find a way to write it that gives you Golden Capital.
There are several words that can mean capital in Japanese and several words pronounced 'kyou'. But..."
Golden Land=Golden Capital
黄金 郷 黄金 京
Ougon Kyou= Ougon Kyou
"...There's only one character that fits in here."
"The character 京... But doesn't that one also mean Kyoto, the old capital of Japan?"
"Yes. And that's exactly what Rosa thought. Kyoto is the tenth twilight, and the journey starts at the beloved hometown. So, the letters are 'sacrificed' from the first twilight, or the spot one tenth of way to Kyoto. It was a good theory, but not quite right. 京 has yet another meaning."
"Rosa's theory went like this: in Japanese, 'Golden Land' is spelled 'Ougon Kyou'. But 'Kyou' means capital if you write it differently (京). So, if you swap out 'Kyou' for 'Kyou', the tenth twilight is also an Ougon Kyou, a Golden Capital, with '京' being the word for capital."
"However, '京' can also be an abbreviation for Kyoto. So, she reasoned, if you take a ten-day trip from the beloved hometown to Kyoto, there might be some secret at the end of the first tenth of that journey.
......It was a good theory, but not quite right. The character 京 has another meaning."
"......京 can mean something other than Kyoto or capital......? Hmmm......"
"Don't think too hard on it. Just look it up."
"......京 can also mean another word.`@` It's pronounced 'kei', not 'kyou', but it means a number. One kei is equal to ten quadrillion."
"So it's a number......!"
"......Here, I had a home-field advantage, since I lived on Rokkenjima. There was a hint there that made it easier to think of the number 'kei'. In fact, you might say that I actually found the answer before I knew what the question was."
"If you keep making it so complicated, Lion's gonna get a headache. Let's get back to the point.
......If you reach ten quadrillion on the tenth twilight, how far have you gotten by the first twilight?"
"Well, that's just one tenth of ten quadrillion. So, one quadrillion."
"Exactly. And that's where we remove the six letters chosen by the key."
"Since Qilian was written with Roman characters, I immediately realized that quadrillion, in English, was the answer."
"Quadrillion. ......As Battler guessed in the fifth game, it has 11 letters. Or should I say as you guessed?"
".........*giggle*."
"Strangely enough, both words begin with 'q'. I felt that this just had to be right."
Lion took a notepad from a pocket and spelled out Quadrillion and Qilian.
The two words even looked similar at a glance.
"...............That's right. ......It's true that the six letters chosen by the key are right there inside quadrillion...! So, what happens if we take them out......?!"
Ｑｕａｄｒｉｌｌｉｏｎ
We're left with five meaningless letters.
`However, the important thing is the number five.After all, in the next part of the epitaph, the word 'kill' appears five times, and then, on the ninth twilight, 'none shall be left alive'.
In other words, there should be five letters left.
"On top of that, just as Battler-san guessed in the fifth game, two of these letters are close to each other. The 'd' and the 'r'! Those must be the two who are close!"
"......Once you reach this spot, the riddle has been practically solved."
"Or, put another way, this is as far as you can go with the epitaph alone. You might be able to figure out the answer with a little more word play, but you won't be able to activate the device."
"That's right. ......Once you know this much, all that remains is to gouge and kill."
"You had a good idea of where the place was, even before you got this far, right?"
"Yes. ......I suspected that the gold was hidden there even before the epitaph appeared. And, because of the mysterious phrase that appeared there, it's only natural that I thought the place concealed some secret......"
"......What do you mean by 'the place'...?"
"The place with the device that opens the door to the Golden Land. ......A quick-witted person should be able to figure out where 'the first twilight' is by now."
"Huh? I thought the first twilight was 'quadrillion', not a place......"
"It's the place where 'quadrillion' is written. ......You should know it.
Or did you blindly follow Kinzo's orders and never go near it...?"
"This is of the utmost importance to the Master. Be sure that you do not damage it."
The president of the construction company nodded his head several times to show that he understood.
Then, six young workers carried in a large rectangular object wrapped in a white sheet...
"Ookay, careful there! Set 'er down gently... Gently, I say."
"Is this spot good?"
"Great, let's get started."
Apparently, they were putting something large onto the wall of the hall...
"......Is that where he wants to hang it?"
"That's what he wants. After all, this mansion is little more than one of Father's toys."
Natsuhi took a deep breath.
Though this was a whim of Kinzo's, a man she greatly respected, ......she seemed to resist the idea of hanging it right here in the entrance hall, the face of the mansion.
When the white sheet was pulled off, a Western woman wearing a beautiful dress came into view...
It was a massive portrait of a woman......
"Is it proceeding well?"
"Yes. They will be finished by this evening."
"I would like to see it hanging there for all to see as soon as possible. I want you overseeing this, my friend."
"Leave it to me."
"......Father. It seems to be a splendid portrait."
"Yes. An excellent effect. I am satisfied."
"......This is your benefactor, the woman who gave you the gold, right?"
"Indeed. ......If I had not met Beatrice, I would not be here, nor would the Ushiromiya family, nor would, of course, this mansion.
It's only natural that her portrait be displayed in the best possible location."
Now that he had said so this bluntly, there would be no contradicting him.
Krauss and Natsuhi could only shrug.
"......Master. The epitaph plate is here. Would you please check to see that all is in order?"
"Good point. Each and every word must be correct..."
Epitaph...? Krauss and Natsuhi crooked their heads and followed Kinzo.
The leader of the workers set down a plate wrapped in a sheet.
The others thought that the picture's name and an explanation might be on it, but it seemed to have quite a lot of words for that...
".........Father. What is this......?"
"Behold...
...the sweetfish river running through my hometown......?"
"Heh. ......Heheheheheheh. Read and interpret it as you like."
"......So, we finally reach the appearance of the epitaph and the portrait."
"I don't know much about this epitaph. It doesn't exist in my world."
"Probably not. In your world, there's already a clear successor: you. But not in this world."
"In other words, ......this epitaph was set up to choose Grandfather's successor after all...?"
"Most likely. Or, he might have wanted to believe in the chance of a miracle."
A difficult riddle, made so that no one would be able to solve it.
If someone actually could solve it, ......they would be a miracle.
Wouldn't that miracle......guide the person Kinzo most wanted to solve it...?
"In short, this epitaph really does show a ceremony to revive the witch Beatrice, just as everyone thought...?"
"......That is a normal interpretation to make. A mysterious ritual, sacrificing 13 people to revive the witch.
......However, that is not the true ceremony. ......It lies in wait for someone to miraculously solve it. That is the true ceremony. However, fate does have its irony."
"Genji already knew. ......Maybe Kinzo set this up in the first place because he guessed that Genji knew everything."
"......Was that fate a coincidence, or something planned? I do not know. ......However, with this epitaph, the witch Beatrice will revive in the truest sense."
"Chapter eight, 'Journey to the Golden Land'."
"......This is...
...Beatrice..."
My soul was captured by the woman shown in that massive portrait.
That might have been literally true.
Or, rather than captured, perhaps it would be better to say that my soul had returned to a more fitting place, the place it belonged.
The beautiful blonde hair was the same as mine, but tied up.
The dress she wore was a deep black, making that golden hair stand out all the more.
......This is the witch...Beatrice.
My...true form......
"? .........What is this?"
There was a plate with too many words for it to be the title of the picture.
Behold the sweetfish river running through my beloved hometown......
You who seek the Golden Land, follow its path downstream in search of the key.
"......The Golden Land...
......I see,
...so my world...
...is the Golden Land..."
I have always called my own, personal world a Paradise.
But tonight, I shall change that.
From now on, my world shall be the Golden Land.
I am the master of the Golden Land, Beatrice......
......And then, there is the brutal ceremony of sacrifices, starting on the first twilight.
On the ninth twilight, the witch shall revive, and none shall be left alive......
"If I carry out this ceremony, ......shall I revive in the truest sense......?"
Then, on the tenth twilight, the journey shall end, and I shall reach the capital where the gold dwells......
The witch shall praise the wise and bestow four treasures.
One shall be all the gold from the Golden Land.
......Kinzo received a massive amount of gold from Beatrice, and rumor has it that it still lies hidden somewhere.
Is this, as the family members and servants are all whispering, a code showing the location of Kinzo's hidden gold?
".........If a human solves it, they will obtain a great quantity of gold. .........However, if I do, it will mean my own resurrection..."
............
......Kinzo, you aging magician.
Just when I was mocking the shortness of the time left to you, you start a game like this.
How interesting. ......I'll definitely solve it.
Then, I will revive as the real Beatrice.
When that happens, I will use my great magical power to control object and man, day and night, and all of Rokkenjima......
"They all say that epitaph is a guide to finding hidden treasure...!"
"The rumors tell that the Master has 10 tons of gold hidden away...!"
"......Yes, those rumors about Beatrice being the one who gave it to him. I've heard that too."
"10 tons of gold...... That would be incredible. I can hardly even imagine it."
"If you had all that, what would you use it for...?! I'd like to touch it, just once...!"
"Hohohohohohohoho! Forget touching it, I'd like to spend it all."
"But why would he go out of his way to present this epitaph, this code showing the hiding place of the gold..."
"That's obvious. He's laughing at everyone, since he thinks no one can solve it."
"It's a challenge to the rest of us, isn't it? He wants to know if there's anyone here wise enough to solve it..."
"It seems that the Master doesn't intend to let Krauss-sama take the headship easily. ......Perhaps the one who solves this will become his successor?"
"Genji-san, what is this?! Could this be a portrait of......Beatrice? The Beatrice?"
"......Correct. This is Beatrice-sama."
"What on Earth? There's a strange little poem-like thing over here."
"...............What is this all about? ......It's almost like......a pirate code that shows the way to hidden treasure. ......Genji-san. What does this mean?!"
"The Master said to read and interpret it as you wish. ......That the riddle applies equally to all who can see the epitaph."
"You said riddle just now, didn't you?! That means this can be solved.
......Yes, that's it. Father doesn't want Nii-san to succeed him...!"
"So, whoever solves this becomes the successor...!"
"*cackle*cackle*, *giggle*giggle*...!!! Finally...... The tables have finally turned...
...and I now have a real chance......to become the head......!!"
"What do you think, Kyrie?"
"......I think it's extremely likely that this epitaph shows the location of the hidden gold."
"It looks like Aneki thinks the one who solves it will be chosen as the successor."
"That may also be possible. ......Father certainly doesn't view Krauss nii-san as an ideal successor. This might be a huge trick he's set up now that he's reaching the end of his years."
"So, if you really solve this riddle, you stand to gain ten tons of gold and the position of successor."
"Technically, perhaps. ......However, I'm sensing some malice, as though he doesn't think us capable of solving it. I doubt it will be easy."
"True. ......Heheh. Looks like this'll keep us entertained for some time."
"......Ridiculous. How could anyone solve this?"
Rosa tossed aside a notepad with the epitaph written on it and flopped over onto the sofa.
Solving this means ten tons of gold.
With that much, I'd never need to worry about schemes for cash again.
......If I had money, I could pay off my debts, ......and that man might come back to me......
"......I know where Father's beloved hometown is.
And the sweetfish river? There are many rivers there. What's the village supposed to be? Aah, I don't have a clue......!"
"......Uu-. What's wrong, Mama......?"
Maria looked concerned.
Kids are really good at riddles, so maybe......
"Hey, Maria. Do you think you know the answer to this riddle?"
`"............"
Maria gazed at the paper with the epitaph on it as though she was trying to bore through it with her eyes.
Her eyes opened wider and wider......
"What do you think, Maria...? I guess it might be a bit too hard for you."
"Kihi. Kihihihihihihihihi! This is a witch's ceremony, a resurrection ceremony for Beato...!
Where'd you get this?! Hey, Mama, where'd you get this?! I'm gonna ask Beato!! I'm sure this ceremony will let Beato regain her full power!
She'll be able to appear in front of everyone and do miracles of magic, without having to worry about the anti-magic toxin anymore...!! Kihihahaha, hahahahahahahahahahaha!!"
"......And the epitaph?"
"It seems the family members are all competing to solve the riddle."
"Hmph...... Good. Let everyone try. And none will solve it. Except for the one blessed by a miracle.
......If I let my guard down, even I might forget the process. That is how difficult it is."
"......Because it is difficult, solving it will bring about a miracle..."
`"Precisely. ......This is the final miracle I will desire while I still live. My final magic. ......When a miracle comes and allows one to solve that complicated epitaph, ......it will surely mean Beatrice's resurrection. ......Oooh, Beatrice... I just want to see your face one more time... I don't need wealth or honor anymore. If I could only meet you one more time......!"
To Kinzo, who realized he was facing his last years, this would be his final magic.
He was betting everything that Beatrice had given him, hoping to meet her just one more time, after being separated by death for two generations.
His meeting with Beatrice that day had been the true beginning of his life.
And even after those two left the stage, Kinzo had remained there alone in the darkness.
The aged monarch had obtained everything, accomplished everything, but this was the one element that had always slipped through his fingers, no matter how much he struggled.
If he could just have that element, ......he would need nothing else in life.
In the end, perhaps his whole life was just a journey to learn that one single element made up all that it means to be human.
"My friend. ......Will the final bit of magic in my life bring me a miracle......?"
"............"
For a while, Genji was silent.
He wasn't at a loss for words or struggling to find an answer.
......During that silence, something had passed between the two men, who had known each other for so long that their friendship surpassed that of master and servant.
"......Very well. ......No one will solve it. So, it will be a miracle."
"Master. ......Please, tell me one thing."
"Nn, ......what is it?"
"If, I ask you. .........If a miracle does occur..."
"Nn......"
It may have been different when he was young, but in his old age, Genji was not fond of talking about dreams and 'what ifs'.
When Genji said 'if'...
......Kinzo quietly waited for the words of the man he called a friend.
"If a miracle does occur, if your magic comes true.........and Beatrice-sama does revive... ...What will you do...?"
As the one closest to Kinzo, Genji obviously knew of the crazed feelings with whch Kinzo had searched for Beatrice in the past.
......And yet, Genji was asking what Kinzo would do if Beatrice did revive.
"............"
"......Master, at one time in the past, you experienced the miracle of Beatrice-sama being reborn. If that miracle happened again, ......what would you do?"
".........My friend. So, after all, ......you do blame me."
"......I do not claim to know everything about your heart and Beatrice-sama's.
`......However, I believe that I do know, in part......of the way in which Beatrice-sama adored you."
"..................I lament the fact. You may not believe, ......but as I have aged, I have come to regret everything."
"............"
"If a miracle does occur...and Beatrice revives,` ......then, of course, I do not care if she knows nothing of the time she spent with me in the past.
...No, as long as she is Beatrice, I don't care who it is!
......I just......want to apologize...!"
".........Is that truly how you feel?"
"Yes, my friend. ......I regret it.
I deeply regret the mistakes I made in my youth. ......You have aged as well, so you must know. ......I could not feel guilt for the sins of my youth when I was still young. However, like a deep thorn, it began to fester, ......torturing me. ......I, Ushiromiya Kinzo, no longer care how I die!"
"However, ......this thorn...this regret......is the one thing I must settle... I will return everything to Beatrice. And, I will ask her to forgive me for my sins...!
That is...... That is my only and final wish...... ...Ooh,
......oooooohhhh...... Uwaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh......!!"
Kinzo covered his eyes and sobbed.
Now that the aged monarch, who had built up a great wealth in a single generation, was reaching the end of his life, ......he was sobbing simply because he wanted someone to apologize to...
"......Wasn't the epitaph a trial Grandfather made to choose the successor?"
"............I thought that too at first, ......but it looks like the situation's a bit different."
"At this point in time, I also thought it was a trial. That it was a game for selecting the successor, which Ushiromiya Kinzo decided upon on a whim."
"......This epitaph.........meant something for Ushiromiya Kinzo and Ronoue Genji that only the two of them could understand.
"So, this was not the workings of fate. It was inevitable. ......I was no more than a Cinderella, with the pumpkin carriage and glass slippers all prepared beforehand."
"......I get it.
......So, ......this was a farce that Kinzo and Genji set up."
"Kinzo did understand. And Genji realized that this was a message."
"I, I don't have a clue what you mean... ......What did Grandfather understand? And what does Genji-san have to do with this epitaph...?"
"The epitaph wasn't solved. Someone was made to solve it."
"......And then, Beatrice truly revived. ......If that revival had never happened..."
"......Then, when 1986 came, ......the crime might have been completely different."
"In the end, ......since the time of my birth, I have been trapped by the crossroads of fate......and never given the right to make any decisions of my own will."
Oh, I am one yet many.
And yet, we have never been able to resist fate.
We are little more than leaves caught in a whirlpool.
No matter how we dance, we must eventually be sucked in and disappear......
"Gaap's the one who specializes in instant movement!! She's the 33rd in rank of the great demons...! You must really be incredible to have a friend like that, Beato, uu-!"
"I see, the great demon Gaap.
......Very well, my friend, you will now be Gaap. You may call yourself by that name!"
"Oh, wonderful. So, you've finally given me a name. It's a relief after being nameless so long."
"In that case, I would be honored to receive a name as well. Being nothing more than the head furniture lacks flavor, does it not?"
"Maria. I need a name for this guy too.
He is also a great demon, and serves as my butler. He is a subordinate whom I can trust."
"Uu-...... Ronove, I guess.
The 27th ranked of the great demons...! It's said he'll give you reliable underlings!"
"My, what a coincidence. ......The family name of my double, Genji, is Ronoue."
"Hoh, that truly is a coincidence!` I see, it seems this is the best possible name for you. Very well, you shall now be known as Ronove...!"
"Oh, how pleasant it is to be called by one's name. I thank you for this wonderful name, Lady MARIA."
"Just as the form can be a vessel, so can the name be a strong vessel. For unknown creatures of the other world, simply gaining a name can greatly increase their magical power...!!
That's why names are important. Uu-!"
"True, names are important and wonderful.
Right, Lia?! You can call me Gaap now, okay...?!"
"Gaap. A splendid name.
......And I'll ask you to stop shortening my precious name...!"
"Pu ku ku ku...! So, you're Virgilia, the one who guides travelers to Beatrice? That is also a splendid name. Perfect for Milady's teacher."
"Yes, I do like it a lot. A name is a life."
"Maria, thanks to you, my friends have found names. I am deeply grateful...!"
"Uu-uu-! Now it's your turn, Beato! Draw pictures of my bunny friends! Like you did for Sakutaro!"
"Hmmm, very well. Lend me that grimoire."
"Uryu-! Beato's drawings are really great. I can't wait to see!"
"What'll it be like? What'll it be like? Can't wait to see the bunnies! Uu-uu-uu-!!"
"They were in a forest band, were they not? ......A band, a band......
`......Hmm. Yes, something like..."
All of a sudden, Maria was no longer a little girl who did nothing but follow her mother around, laughing or crying.
Though she is still young, she already has a powerful self-image, ......and possesses enough knowledge of the magical world to surprise even me.
Together, we called ourselves Mariage Sorciere and made each other's magical worlds deeper and richer...
"So, a name can become a great vessel. ......How very profound."
"It's very important to have a form for a vessel, but a name is just as important."
"Indeed. Those with names leave a greater impression than those without."
"It's not just about forms and names. By knowing more and more about them, you can make them exist much more strongly. So, I'll think up lots of stuff for you."
"Did you do this for Sakutarou as well?"
"Yep. Sakutaro isn't just a name. There's a lot more to him than that."
"He is a lion cub, correct?"
"Sakutaro's a vegeta-lion, so he doesn't eat meat. But everyone else thinks he does, so they're scared of him.
But Sakutaro's also a scaredy-cat, so he's just as scared as the others. Ahahahaha, Sakutaro's such a coward."
"Uryu-. I don't eat meat. I'm not a scary lion."
"Oh, look, a flesh-eating sparrow...!! *flap*flap*flap*."
"Uryu-!! Sparrows are scary!
Whoosh."
"Wahaha, sparrows don't eat meat."
"Sakutaro's a coward, so he thinks they do. Kihihihihi."
"D, did the sparrow go away...? Uryu-..."
"You're such a scaredy-cat, Sakutaro. If you keep this up, Sakusuke and Sakukichi will start making fun of you again, right?"
"Uryu...!
I'm not a scaredy-cat!"
"Ah, the sparrow's back! *flap*flap*flap*!"
"Nooo, I'll be eaten!!
Whoosh."
"Hahahaha. Sakutaro is quite entertaining.
Then, are Sakusuke and Sakukichi his siblings?"
"Yep. They're his little brothers, waiting for him at home! Sakusuke's a lot more reliable than Sakutaro, and Sakukichi is so skillful, he can do anything.
But they're all really good friends...! They all play together on my bed."
"Your bed must be covered with lions."
"Yep. So I call my bed Lion Land! But there's lots of other animals too! Uu-!"
"Lion Land, is it?
It sounds like fun."
"......By interacting together, all of MARIA's friends can reinforce their own existence. A great world."
"I guess that means we should work on deepening our relationships as well. By strengthening our bonds, our existence and magical power will grow stronger and stronger..."
"Let's expand our world more and more!
From what I've heard, Maria's world has far more than just Sakutarou and the bunnies! We can't let her beat us!"
"My, my. In that case, shall we find more minions for ourselves?"
"It's no fun with just the gold butterflies. After all, they cannot speak...!
I'd like some chatty minions who can talk, jump around, and fight with each other."
"True, of course it'll be better to spice things up around here."
"Here in Mariage Sorciere, we have learned how to expand our worlds and create new minions. By now, you may create new minions as often as your imagination allows......"
"Milady, what about those? Could you make vessels of those dark tools you found when cleaning out Goldsmith's storehouse?"
"Oh, perfect! Minions created from dark-looking vessels like that will surely be fitting for me...!
There will be more and more of us, and it will get very lively here...!"
"Uu-! We get more and more new friends...! That's my magic! And Beato can take my friends and give them a form. You can make them grow...!"
"You create, and I grow.
......Hmm. That's Mariage Sorciere for you!
......Hmmm, still, bunny ears are pretty hard...! It might take some time before the bunnies manifest themselves."
"Make sure you make them cute."
"But of course. This is where I get to show my skill...!"
Create a creature, give it a name, give it a form.
Doing that is no different from giving birth to new life.
When a human gives birth to a child, they give it a form, give it a name to identify it by, and deepen its character by raising it in the world.
Mariage Sorciere is doing exactly the same thing.
In our world, we can create whatever creatures we think of, give them forms, give them names, and make them friends we can interact with.
We were engrossed with our game in this world called Mariage Sorciere.
At least, Maria was engrossed.
She would badger me to play this game every time she came.
And, of course, I was too.
However, when Maria started happily writing something and I just sat there for a while, ......I must admit that I sighed and looked up at the sky, making sure she didn't notice......
......It's fun to increase the numbers of our minions.
They make things lively, so I do not tire of it.
I may have tired of my minions alone, but when I can interact with Maria's minions as well, that does not happen.
It takes two people to create a universe.
I now have that second person, so I am satisfied.
............
.....I think...I am satisfied.
And yet, one little part of me......is not.
It truly is a tiny part.
After all, it's so much fun playing with Maria that time seems to fly on by.
But even so, ......when I look up at the sky, ......during those short moments, I feel an empty feeling I can't describe...
I know...
My universe is not complete.
My apologies to Maria, ......but she is not the second person I want to create a universe with.
......No matter how much I nurture my world with her, ......the roots of love in my heart leave gaps.
.........Four years have already passed since that day.
br
He left saying he'd come for me riding a white horse, ......and I was the only one without a letter.
And he even said that he probably wouldn't be returning to Rokkenjima......
"............"
Is this.....love?
......I always believed that love was so much sweeter, so much more intoxicating.
But now, I don't know anymore.
Though I long for him so much it's maddening, ......I can sometimes feel hatred underneath.
However, even that hatred is wrapped in adoration.
The roots of love have remained in the corners of my heart all this time.
Even though, at some point, ......I gave up hoping that Battler would return.
However, the roots of love stayed right where they were.
......In other words, ......even four years later, I still believe.
He will come back someday.
The flower of my love has curled up and withered as though against the winter cold.
However, the root is still alive.
......And, it is always, always waiting for him to return, waiting for a chance to bloom beautifully again.
I'm grateful to Maria.
Mariage Sorciere has eased the burden on my heart so much.
If we hadn't met like this, ......I may have withered away along with that root.
......Even this incomplete universe is necessary for me to remain alive now.
I must live on...until I can create my complete universe.
Until that day......I will not be complete.
Though I have a form and a name, ......no matter how deep my world grows, ......I will not be complete.
"......I am not...complete."
"............Beato...?"
I accidentally muttered what I had been thinking. Maria stopped talking to Sakutaro.
I regretted that my slip of the tongue had ruined this fun time, but there was a long silence before I could smooth it over...
I laughed, but it probably sounded hollow.
Maria, not knowing why my face had suddenly changed like this, looked taken aback.
"......Though my minions will each deepen this world and their own existences, becoming full, ......I alone will never be complete."
"............"
"......I know why I will not be complete."
"It's because you don't have enough magical power."
Maria answered instantly.
Beatrice has lost her magical power and is unable to regain the power she once had.
That's how the story goes. So, Maria's answer was correct.
.........That's right.
I may be incomplete because I have lost my magical power.
In that case, if my power becomes complete, ......and I revive in the truest sense, ......will my world become complete as well?
Does that mean.........that the person I want to nourish a universe with will come back?
......If, as I claim, I really was able to control miracles at will in the past with my magic...
Then if I succeed in reviving, will that miracle occur without fail?
If I could do that, ......I would want true magical power...to use for my resurrection.
"......That's right. It's because I do not possess enough magical power."
"Poor Beato. ......It must be pretty inconvenient with your magical power still weak."
"I want to get it back......quickly. ......My old power."
"I guess you'll have to do that then."
"......What do you mean by 'that'...?"
"The ceremony of resurrection. ......The ceremony of the portrait's epitaph."
".................."
If you read that epitaph literally, it does sound like a witch's resurrection ceremony.
To Maria, who believes in witches, that epitaph must be a ceremony in itself.
Unlike the other family members, it seems that she's not very interested in the location of the hidden gold.
"......If that epitaph's riddle is solved, one might learn the location where Kinzo hid all the gold I once gave him."
That's the gold you created with magic, right?"
"Indeed. A crystallization of the great magic I possessed in those days."
"In that case, ......if you get that gold back, your magical power will go back to normal."
"......Perhaps."
"It will. Uu-! It's got to be your resurrection ceremony...! I'll help, so let's solve it together.
And then you'll revive! And when you do, you'll take me to your Golden Land...!"
"That's right. I did promise that I would take you to the Golden Land."
"You said that all wishes are granted there...! There's no black witch there, just a nice Mama...! And I might even meet the Papa I've never seen before...! Of course, there won't be any school, or homework, or bullying friends, and we can live happily ever after...! Hey, Sakutaro, doesn't that sound fun! Uryu-!"
.........The epitaph of the portrait.
Then, must I face the epitaph's riddle?
If Kinzo's children struggled uselessly over it, ......how could a complete stranger like me solve it...?
......If I did happen to solve it, ......that would surely be a miracle.
Will doing that bring about another miracle and return my miraculous power to me......?
Behold the sweetfish river running through my beloved hometown.
You who seek the Golden Land, follow its path downstream in search of the key......
.........So, am I to travel down a river in Kinzo's homeland in search of a key?"
As you travel down the river, you will see a village.
In that village, look for the shore the two will tell you of.
There sleeps the key to the Golden Land.
"......There may be villages down that river, but what is this shore the two will tell you of?"
The one who obtains the key must then travel to the Golden Land in accordance with these rules......
......So, those who do not have the key need not read the rest.
I do not understand it, but that's how this riddle is.
......It's practically unsolvable, so solving it would be a miracle. That much makes sense......
".........Nn."
I felt a stabbing pain in my body. The anti-magic toxin had burned my skin.
Some human is probably approaching. I erased my form.
Multiple sets of footsteps approached.
It was Genji, Shannon, ......and Kanon too.
"......It seems everyone is engrossed with solving the epitaph's riddle."
"Yes. I hear that even some of the servants have written it down and taken it home with them."
"......If you solve this riddle, will you really find ten tons of gold?"
"Yes. There can be no doubt of that."
"I don't understand. ......The puzzle may be a tough one, but why is the Master showing the location of his precious gold in a place where everyone can see?"
"......That is the Master's magic, and also a bet. The Master believes that the one who solves this difficult riddle will contain Beatrice-sama's soul within them."
".........That's a strange bet...uh, magic..."
"Hmph, looks like he's taken his occult fanaticism as far as it could possibly go."
"Shh. You shouldn't say that......"
"......All are allowed to try and solve the epitaph's riddle. Of course, the servants are no exceptions. ......Will you try to solve it?"
"N, no...... ......I could never solve such a hard riddle.. And......"
"......And?"
"Even if I had ten tons of gold, I can't think of anything in particular I'd want to use it for...... I'd be more than happy if these peaceful days continued forever."
"Looks like you and George-sama have been pretty close these days. I just hope being distracted doesn't make you even more of a klutz."
"Th, that won't happen."
With a backward glance at this conversation, Genji walked up to the portrait...
...and looked up at the witch.
"............"
When they saw what Genji was doing, Shannon and Kanon immediately went silent.
......Genji, who was the head of the servants, ...the closest in age to Kinzo, and the one whom Kinzo called a friend, probably understood Kinzo's heart better than anyone else.
What did he think when he looked at this portrait......?
Neither Shannon nor Kanon could tell.
"......Behold the sweetfish river running through my beloved hometown."
Suddenly, Genji started reciting the epitaph.
Shannon quickly nodded to show that she was listening, but it wasn't clear whether he was talking to her at all.
Genji, his back still to them, continued.
"The Master would not describe Odawara as his beloved hometown."
"......I've heard that he lived far away."
"Th, though we don't know where it was......"
"Taiwan."
Genji turned around and spoke that single word.
"......O,
......oh,
is that so...?"
"I see, so that explains what Krauss-sama always used to say.
Remember him talking about how the Master liked areca nuts?"
"......Come to think of it, Krauss-sama said that those were a luxury item, like tobacco, that was popular in Taiwan... So that's why the Master......"
In the half-century before the war, Taiwan was under the rule of Japan.
Many Japanese had moved there, seeking a new frontier.
Kinzo's family was a branch family of the Ushiromiyas.
Apparently, they were only distantly related to the head family, so they were able to form a new life and a new future, without being constrained by the head family in Odawara...
Shannon and Kanon nodded their understanding, but they didn't know why Genji had suddenly broached this subject.
"......So, ......there was a river with sweetfish in it in the Master's hometown in Taiwan, and the key is there?"
"Don't be so stupid. There has to be several rivers with sweetfish in the area."
"W, we don't know that for sure, right...? I don't know where the Master lived in Taiwan, ......but there might have been only one river there. If so, that must be the place."
"You're too optimistic. There's no way the riddle could be solved that easily."
"......The Master says his magical ceremony will gain more power if more people try to solve the riddle. You must try as well. Everyone has been given the same chance."
"......Y, ...yes."
"It's not like we have any chance. So stupid......"
Genji spun around.
Shannon and Kanon hurried to follow after him.
When his footsteps receded and silence returned, a gold butterfly flitted out from among the shadows.
".........Taiwan, is it?`@` ......Hoh, so he lived quite far away."
Behold the sweetfish river running through my beloved hometown.
In other words, a sweetfish river running through Taiwan......?
"......There are many rivers in Taiwan. Kanon was right. How ridiculous."
............
However, the word 'Taiwan' interests me.
That taciturn Genji muttered it without anyone asking, but does it actually mean something?
Clearly, Genji's saying it has something to do with the epitaph's riddle.
It's almost as though that was a hint for solving it......
"......Though I do find it stupid, ......very well, Genji. Why don't I play along with your farce for a while?"
Taiwan......
I have traveled the world these past thousand years, but I know nothing of the place.
"......To counter my ignorance, I shall need a crystallization of knowledge. That which is smoothed out and pressed into many sheets, what is called a book."
Where might I find a book about Taiwan?
Kinzo's study is the first place that comes to mind if one is looking for books.
But that won't work. The charm on that room prevents me from entering.
In that case, the book archive......
Kinzo's vast library grows each year.
The books that don't fit in his usual library are stored in a place called the book archive.
......Of course, there are countless books just in this place.
The archive has everything from valuable books to apparently worthless books, all packed together like an antique shop.
......There was a golden glint in the keyhole of the archive's door, and a gold butterfly flitted out.
"Stinky as ever, I see. ...Dust, mold.
Yes, the stench of knowledge."
......Well now, how can I find a book on Taiwan amongst all this? The prospect is almost dizzying.
However, I realized right away.
If I wanted to quickly find out about Taiwanese rivers, I didn't want a book on Taiwan.
"......An atlas. ......There must be one of those somewhere around here.
......Search, my butterfly minions...!! Find the book I seek in this dusty, noble graveyard of knowledge!"
A cloud of countless gold butterflies appeared at my feet.
They swayed, blew like the wind, and coiled themselves around the archive.
Eventually, the cloud of butterflies selected a single book. It seems that this is the one.
"Well done.
.........Hmm, a world atlas, Asia volume. Perfect."
It was a grand, thick illustrated encyclopedia of maps, several volumes long.
`There was even a thick section on Taiwan. This should be plenty useful.
"......Taiwan. ......394 kilometers north to south, 144 kilometers east to west. An area of roughly 36,000 square kilometers.
......Hohoh, that's pretty large."
By area, that's about the same size as Kyushu in Japan.
......This led Beato to a very natural question.
"Just where on this massive island did Kinzo live? ......Genji mentioned Taiwan, but that's all. How careless I've been......"
Beato had had the vague idea that the riddle would be solved in a flash if she only could look at a map of Taiwan.
However, Taiwan is no small place.
Just which part of this large island did Kinzo call his beloved hometown?
......I kept looking through books in this dusty archive, sometimes having to cough, and I was not happy with being stuck in a place like this
"So, the largest city is Taipei. ......It says here that Japanese people used to live in a spot called Taishou. ......So, is that where Kinzo lived?
No, it's too early to be sure of that without proof."
I'll skip to the next part before I settle on anything more specific than just Taiwan itself.
A sweetfish river running through the hometown.
What's this......? There are 129 rivers in Taiwan?
"Gah...... 129 rivers...! And how many of those have sweetfish swimming in them...?! Just thinking about it is dizzying!"
This was quickly becoming ridiculous.
Genji must have been muttering nonsense to himself after all.
I only thought he was giving a hint about the epitaph...
"So, the reward for the fool blinded by gold is dust. *cackle*cackle*, nice one, Genji."
I tossed the book aside, used magic to turn a bookshelf into a sofa, and plopped down on top of it.
For a while, I grumbled about getting tricked and looked up at the ceiling.
I was annoyed, so I felt like gathering all this room's dust, packing it into a ball, and tossing it into Genji's teacup, so I glanced down at the floor.
The book I had thrown away lay open on the ground.
A gold butterfly was resting on that open page.
......Tossing a book at random and reading an oracle from the page it happens to open to is one kind of charm.
I see, ......so that page might have some sort of hint.
Not entirely convinced, I picked the book up......
The opened page was probably very near the one I had been reading.
Apparently, it was a page explaining Taiwan's geography.
Oddly enough, it was a page about rivers and lakes......
".........I already know that there are 129 rivers. Is there something else you're trying to tell me?"
There were six major rivers listed.
Zhuoshui River. Kaoping River. Danshui River. Dajia River. Zengwun River. Dadu River.
"Hoh. Now then, which of these rivers might have sweetfish in them?"
An idea came to me then.
Sweetfish are freshwater fish. And you don't find ocean water in rivers.
......Unless it's extremely dirty or blocked by a dam, any river might have sweetfish in it.
"How foolish. All rivers have freshwater in them. What's stopping sweetfish from living in any river? .........Come to think of it, what a foolish name this Danshui River has. Freshwater River? What sort of river isn't a freshwater river? A thing with freshwater flowing down it is practically the definition of 'river'."
Danshui River flows from Taipei to the harbor town of Danshui.
I see, it isn't called that because of the water in it, but because of the town at its mouth.
`............As you travel down the river, you will see a village.`
In that village, look for the shore the two will tell you of.
"............"
I realize that this is stupid.
And yet, something about this town seems off.
Behold the sweetfish river running through my beloved hometown.
That line should be talking about one of the 129 rivers.
......Sweetfish...are freshwater fish.
And here's this 'Freshwater River', flowing down to a town called 'Freshwater'.
It's like a strange, trivial word game. ......Or could it be some kind of code...?
......I've been looking for books here so long that the dust is piling up on me.
If I give up now, it will all have been a waste of time.
.........Very well.
Why don't I test my luck, and see if the random page the book opened to contains an oracle.
I turned to the next page, trying to search in even greater detail......
"To me, solving this riddle was like a game. All of the servants were engrossed in this riddle-solving game."
"I was just trying to be one of that group. ......I had lost all books that I could become enthusiastic about and was very bored. So, I took that book back with me to my own room...and looked through it every night."
"......There's a hint for the epitaph's riddle in an atlas?"
"In the third game, Eva solved the riddle after reading a book in the book archive. Then, in the fifth game, Furudo Erika looked for an atlas in the book archive before solving the riddle herself."
"Then there really is some secret in a map of Taiwan......"
"......I believed that the sweetfish river part was a code for Danshui River. Every day, I researched the surrounding geography in detail. ......Of course, I also looked up several small streams that might have sweetfish in them. However, ......that didn't get me anywhere."
"According to some information from a previous game, ......we aren't looking for an actual river.
But it was something that flowed. That's how Eva interpreted it."
"Not a river...?"
"Yes. In the end, Danshui River had nothing to do with it. ......However, now that I think about it, it must have been an oracle after all. The river itself was unrelated, ......but it was still a great hint."
"The river was unrelated, ......but it was still a hint?"
"Calm down and think. Think of something that flows but isn't a river."
".........So, something other than water that flows...?"
"What can you think of? ......Try to think out of the box."
`"............"
"......Will, I'm tired of all this puzzle-solving. ......Stop being annoying and give us the answer. ......You solved the epitaph, right?"
.................Probably."
"......Something other than water that flows...... ......Something... ......Some...thing...?
......Methods of transportation...? Like a road or a highway?"
"Correct. It took me so long to realize that the sweetfish river did not refer to water itself......"
"That's right. There's something other than a river with the name Danshui. Something that both people and things flow up and down."
"......Up...and down...?
You mean......"
"That's it.
Railroads."
The Danshui Line
It's a railway that goes from Taipei to Danshui Harbor.
It was constructed in 1901 while Taiwan was under Japanese rule.
Afterwards, the number of stations continued to grow, and it became a major artery into Taipei.
This railroad was used after the war as well and is still in common use as the Danshui Line of the Taipei Rapid Transit System.`\
Its route begins at Taipei Station and continues on until the town of Danshui......
台北 Station.
長安 Station (formerly 大正街 Station).
双連 Station.
大同公司 Station.
円山 Station.
剣潭 Station (formerly 宮ノ下 Station).
士林 Station.
石碑 (formerly.........
".........What did the epitaph say you'd see if you went down the river?"
"There's only one station on the Danshui Line with 里, the character for village, in its name. And it's this 石碑 Station."
"H, how do you read this......?"
"The Japanese pronounce it 'Kirigan'. Its name was changed to Sekihai Station after the war, but when Kinzo lived there, it was Kirigan Station."
"As you travel down the river, you will see a village...a '里'.... In that village, look for the shore the two will tell you of......"
"......*giggle*. 里 isn't the only one. You can also see a 岸, the character for shore......"
"In the end, it took me quite a long time to work out that this station was the one referred to. ......It has the character for village and the character for shore. It felt like a kids' riddle, playing with letters..."
"The first character in Kirigan has a 口, the character for mouth. And 其, the other half of that first character, means 'that', right...?! 'That village's shore', and the mouth is 'telling of' it...!
......Ah, ...but I don't get what 'the two' means..."
The three characters of Kirigan can be split into a mouth (口), a 'that' (其), a village (里), and a shore (岸).
Those are all words that appear in the epitaph.
'In *that* *village*, look for the *shore* the two will *tell* you of'.
You can read it as a code for the name of the station.
However, I don't understand the part about 'the two'......
"......I was also stuck on that part. However, by then, I had a strong belief that this station was what the epitaph referred to."
"If the station had an old name, ......then could some local spot also have an old name?"
"That's right. From the start, Kirigan Station was named after a place. And the name of that place, which was also Kirigan, is written differently."
"Ah, ......there are...two mouths...!"
"It didn't take long to figure out once I saw it. ......The epitaph must have been referring to this place called Kirigan."
"Then is this where the key to the Golden Land rests...?"
"That would be the obvious answer. However, I couldn't have made the long trip to Taiwan to check. And, of course, the place known as Kirigan is quite large itself.
If a tiny key was hidden somewhere there, I'd never find it. I was at a loss......"
"But you didn't give up."
"I was certain that I had found the answer, at least to the first five lines of the epitaph. ......In my eyes, it was truly an entertaining game...no, a mystery."
I almost gave up then.
However, I really did have the key in my hand.
I then decided to travel to the Golden Land in accordance with the epitaph.
"......On the first twilight, offer the six chosen by the key as sacrifices..."
"We can tell by this line that the key refers to six things. ......That makes it possible to reason it out and see that this doesn't refer to a physical key."
"Six things......?"
"Yes. Six things. ......I was merely a thick-headed human. ......I decided to look through books for anything related to the number six. Six. Six, six, six.
`The location of the key called Kirigan was hidden by a word game. That meant the six things were surely related to some sort of word game. Six. Six, six, six. I kept searching for six."
"......Is there some way to split up the characters in Kirigan to get six......?"
"A good idea. Still, no matter how much you stare at those three characters, you won't get an answer.
The problem here is that 'Kirigan' is just the Japanese reading of the name."
"Then how did they pronounce it there?"
"......It's pronounced 'Qilian'. When written in Pinyin, that's six letters long."
"Six letters...! Then it is a word game after all...!"
"This is what it means by 'the six chosen by the key'."
"......I, ......I get it......"
Talking about it like this, it sounds like a line of reasoning that can be reached in a second.
......However, it took a long, long time before I reached this spot on my own.
A dizzying number of nights passed from the time Genji uttered that single word to the time I got this far.
"So, what does it mean to offer these six letters as sacrifices?"
"On the second twilight, we start hearing about 'those who remain'. ......You can reason it out and guess that the six letters of the key are being removed from an even larger set of letters."
"However, what could the six letters be removed from? That puzzle worried me for a long time. It's like the start of an entirely new riddle. This time, I would have to solve it all by myself, without any assistance."
"......In a previous game, ...I'm pretty sure Rosa oba-san formed some sort of theory about the first twilight."
"That theory focused on the 'capital' in the tenth twilight. The epitaph talks about the Golden Land several times, but that's the only time it mentions a capital."
"Why is a capital mentioned only at the tenth twilight? It took me so long to find the answer."
"Since our journey to the Golden Land ends on the tenth twilight, this is either the capital of the place called the Golden Land...or the Golden Land itself. Rosa guessed that it might be the latter."
Golden Land=Golden Capital
"She searched for a link between the two words...and found one.
Golden Land=Golden Capital
黄金 郷
If you write the name out in Japanese...`
Golden Land=Golden Capital
黄金 郷
Ougon Kyou
and then check the pronunciation, you get Ougon Kyou.
Golden Land=Golden Capital
黄金 郷 黄金 ??
Ougon Kyou= Ougon Kyou
Then, just find a way to write it that gives you Golden Capital.
There are several words that can mean capital in Japanese and several words pronounced 'kyou'. But..."
Golden Land=Golden Capital
黄金 郷 黄金 京
Ougon Kyou= Ougon Kyou
"...There's only one character that fits in here."
"The character 京... But doesn't that one also mean Kyoto, the old capital of Japan?"
"Yes. And that's exactly what Rosa thought. Kyoto is the tenth twilight, and the journey starts at the beloved hometown. So, the letters are 'sacrificed' from the first twilight, or the spot one tenth of way to Kyoto. It was a good theory, but not quite right. 京 has yet another meaning."
"Rosa's theory went like this: in Japanese, 'Golden Land' is spelled 'Ougon Kyou'. But 'Kyou' means capital if you write it differently (京). So, if you swap out 'Kyou' for 'Kyou', the tenth twilight is also an Ougon Kyou, a Golden Capital, with '京' being the word for capital."
"However, '京' can also be an abbreviation for Kyoto. So, she reasoned, if you take a ten-day trip from the beloved hometown to Kyoto, there might be some secret at the end of the first tenth of that journey.
......It was a good theory, but not quite right. The character 京 has another meaning."
"......京 can mean something other than Kyoto or capital......? Hmmm......"
"Don't think too hard on it. Just look it up."
"......京 can also mean another word.`@` It's pronounced 'kei', not 'kyou', but it means a number. One kei is equal to ten quadrillion."
"So it's a number......!"
"......Here, I had a home-field advantage, since I lived on Rokkenjima. There was a hint there that made it easier to think of the number 'kei'. In fact, you might say that I actually found the answer before I knew what the question was."
"If you keep making it so complicated, Lion's gonna get a headache. Let's get back to the point.
......If you reach ten quadrillion on the tenth twilight, how far have you gotten by the first twilight?"
"Well, that's just one tenth of ten quadrillion. So, one quadrillion."
"Exactly. And that's where we remove the six letters chosen by the key."
"Since Qilian was written with Roman characters, I immediately realized that quadrillion, in English, was the answer."
"Quadrillion. ......As Battler guessed in the fifth game, it has 11 letters. Or should I say as you guessed?"
".........*giggle*."
"Strangely enough, both words begin with 'q'. I felt that this just had to be right."
Lion took a notepad from a pocket and spelled out Quadrillion and Qilian.
The two words even looked similar at a glance.
"...............That's right. ......It's true that the six letters chosen by the key are right there inside quadrillion...! So, what happens if we take them out......?!"
Ｑｕａｄｒｉｌｌｉｏｎ
We're left with five meaningless letters.
`However, the important thing is the number five.After all, in the next part of the epitaph, the word 'kill' appears five times, and then, on the ninth twilight, 'none shall be left alive'.
In other words, there should be five letters left.
"On top of that, just as Battler-san guessed in the fifth game, two of these letters are close to each other. The 'd' and the 'r'! Those must be the two who are close!"
"......Once you reach this spot, the riddle has been practically solved."
"Or, put another way, this is as far as you can go with the epitaph alone. You might be able to figure out the answer with a little more word play, but you won't be able to activate the device."
"That's right. ......Once you know this much, all that remains is to gouge and kill."
"You had a good idea of where the place was, even before you got this far, right?"
"Yes. ......I suspected that the gold was hidden there even before the epitaph appeared. And, because of the mysterious phrase that appeared there, it's only natural that I thought the place concealed some secret......"
"......What do you mean by 'the place'...?"
"The place with the device that opens the door to the Golden Land. ......A quick-witted person should be able to figure out where 'the first twilight' is by now."
"Huh? I thought the first twilight was 'quadrillion', not a place......"
"It's the place where 'quadrillion' is written. ......You should know it.
Or did you blindly follow Kinzo's orders and never go near it...?"