Magician in Type-Moon

Page 512

Matou Ike continued, "He should have been fully aware of the possibility that he might be attacked by a Servant."

He looked down, staring at the remains of the corpse, as if recalling every detail.

Yvette and Hanano Ryori both unconsciously turned their gazes to Matou Ike, seemingly waiting for him to continue explaining.

"He probably anticipated some kind of conflict, which is why he used the monsters in the Secret Relics Dissection Bureau to create a battleground."

Matou Ike crouched down, gently parted the severed limbs beside the corpse, examined them carefully for a moment, then stood up and continued speaking.

"However, he clearly underestimated the strength of the Servants and ultimately failed."

Matou Ike's gaze swept around again, and he analyzed, "Moreover, the unusual state of the crime scene can also give us some clues."

"Abnormal status?" Hana no Ryori's voice was full of curiosity.

Matouchi nodded, his expression becoming even more focused: "Yes, this has formed a secret room."

"A secret room?" Yvette raised an eyebrow, a hint of doubt in her voice.

“Yes, a locked room.” Matou Ike repeated the word in a low voice, his eyes sweeping across the research room.

That's a depressing word, as if everything is locked up and can't be leaked out.

"This is the 45th floor underground. There's almost no other way to get in or out except by elevator. We used access cards when we came in, which proves that it's very difficult for anyone other than staff to enter this place. Even Servants would find it very difficult to sneak in here unnoticed."

He continued:

"The barrier around this place is set up perfectly, even comparable to Medea's barrier, extremely precise. If a Servant does enter this place, the barrier will definitely be alerted."

Ivy nodded, as if she understood something:

"If that Heroic Spirit's class is Caster, couldn't we just enter directly through some kind of spatial teleportation? Like passing through walls?"

Matou Ike shook his head, his eyes revealing a calm analysis:

“Spatial teleportation is almost entirely a domain of magic; only magicians in the mythological era could accomplish such a thing.”

Even so, the barrier around this place is too strong; even Caster cannot infiltrate it without breaking it. The same applies to passing through walls—any magic used will inevitably damage the barrier.

He paused, then continued explaining:

"While the theories of the mythological era are far more unconventional than modern magic, they are not entirely impractical."

Even with different methods like bows and arrows and guns, the goal remains the same—to pierce the enemy's body. And both arrows and bullets leave traceable tracks.

"...So how exactly was it done?" Yvette asked, puzzled.

Matou Ike remained silent for a moment, his gaze slowly sweeping across the surroundings, as if searching for any possible clues.

Then, he suddenly turned to Ryuri and asked another question:

"...How is Miss Ashira Mystras?"

"We can't get in touch with her right now," Lingli replied briefly and calmly, without a trace of panic in her voice.

"What about the possibility of her disappearing?" Matou Ike pressed, her tone tinged with tension.

"That's a possibility. We're currently confirming it." Ling Li's words remained calm, yet they revealed a seriousness that couldn't be ignored.

Upon hearing this, Matou Ike re-examined the crime scene. His gaze slowly moved, finally focusing on Karl's body.

He took a deep breath, turned to Lingli, and suddenly asked, "Has a spirit summoning been performed?"

"Of course it was held. Unfortunately, the news was blocked after his death."

There was a hint of helplessness in Hana no Ryori's voice.

"Since Karl was an important figure in the Bureau of Secret Remains Dissection, it's not hard to understand. If his body hadn't been sealed off after his death, outsiders might have been able to obtain some classified information from it."

It was a special security lock used by magicians.

Magic is something that cannot be known to others, especially the secrets of a particular school, which must be kept hidden even from other magicians.

Therefore, it seems quite common for higher-ranking magicians to take such defensive measures against magic during their lifetime to prevent others from extracting clues from their corpses.

That being said, this situation could also be described as simply reducing the number of available clues.

A moment later, Matou Ike asked another question: "...Didn't the other disciples put any restrictions on the spirit summoning magic?"

A hint of doubt flashed in Lingli's eyes: "Why do you think that?"

"Unless they hold a high-ranking position, the survivors of the maze have little need to take such defensive measures seriously."

Matou Ike continued:

"After all, many of those who challenge Albion are magicians rather than magicians. Their goal is often simply to use magic to achieve success, rather than to challenge the root of the problem."

A magician is someone who uses magic merely as a means to an end.

The magician is willing to make any sacrifice to reach the source, placing his hopes on the creatures that are imposed on the next generation.

This is why, even though both magicians and magicians use magic, they are strictly distinguished. For some magicians, the term "magician" is even the greatest insult.

However, judging from what was just said...

"...In other words, if the body is discovered, there is a possibility that information could be leaked?" Yvette gradually caught up with Matou Ike's logic.

So Hartres disposed of the victims along with their bodies? No, they may not have been killed.

Yvette followed Matou Ike's thoughts.

At this moment, Matou Ike was not disturbed by the gruesome state of the corpse. Instead, she reached out and touched the already decomposed body.

He moved quickly, seemingly unconcerned about getting his clothes dirty. He paused for a moment, then finally turned to Hana no Ryori and asked a direct yet rather pointed question:

"You and Hartles seem to be siblings, right? To you, what kind of person is your brother—Hartles?"

Hana no Ryori looked at Karl's corpse and sighed softly, seemingly unsure how to answer the question.

Her gaze was slightly complicated, and she finally spoke slowly:

“I didn’t have much contact with him. Although they were adopted siblings, Norwich (Modern Magic Department) has adopted many children like that.”

Matouchi's mind raced once again.

The intelligence Weber gave him contained the following:

—The name Norwich holds a pivotal position in the world of magic.

He was a nobleman who established the modern magic department and possessed incredible virtues.

Rumor has it that he was never stingy with the children he adopted, and would even adopt those he particularly favored as his sons.

It was against this backdrop that Hana no Ryori and Hartress became adopted siblings.

“However, as the dean of the faculty, I feel that he often talks to many students,” said Hana Ryori, her beautiful brows slightly furrowed.

These words coincide with the testimonies of the students who died here—Kalger and Ashira.

Hartres was once said to be a teacher who cared for his students.

However, that image is vastly different from the one of Hartres who now murders his disciples.

What kind of puzzle pieces need to be added to fill this gap?

Matouchi remained silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke:

“Miss Ryori, I have a very stupid and rude question to ask—Dr. Hartrace is not a magician, is he?”

Upon hearing this, Hana no Ryori tilted her head slightly, her face full of doubt: "Yes, of course not. A magician cannot hold the position of dean of students."

She paused, a slight hint of surprise in her voice, "Why do you ask that?"

Of course.

The Clock Tower is an academy of knowledge; even if Hartles is an eccentric, there is no room for a magician to get involved.

“...I see...If it were an ancient family, it would be possible if it were determined according to the 'Grand Order'. However, Hartres doesn't seem to fit this pattern.”

Matouchi murmured, seemingly lost in thought about something else.

"Did you find anything?" Hana no Ryori asked.

Chapter 569 Order and Clues (4k)

The fort overlooks the shimmering Thames River, like a giant rock standing in the long river of history.

Its past is like a complex historical scroll, from its initial construction for war preparations to its later use as an armory and bank, and finally to its transformation into a prison for nobles.

The marks of time have been quietly etched on the stone walls of the castle, not only the memories of war, but also the political struggles and power shifts that lie dormant in the shadows.

In this ancient castle, the bloody executions of royalty once made it a forbidden place in people's eyes.

The public's imagination has woven countless legends about the dead, which have been passed down through the ages.

For example, the ghost of an ancient queen wanders through the castle, or the ravens whose appearance has been changed by magic and who possess the heroic spirit of King Arthur... These stories haunt every cold and quiet room of the castle like ghosts.

This castle, known as the Tower of London, has become one of the city's top tourist attractions.

However, despite the "Closed for Cleaning" sign at the entrance, the scene inside the castle was quite unusual.

The cleaning staff, who should have been busy, were not present. Instead, an elderly man was walking slowly down the empty corridor, his steps steady yet carrying an inexplicable sense of heaviness.

The old man, dressed in a long black robe, had his long, silvery-white hair neatly tied in a bun, and his eyes behind his glasses conveyed a sense of calm and authority.

He is Rufreus Nazele Euriffis, the monarch of the Spirit Conjuring Academy, and also a little-known frequent visitor to this castle.

Euryphus's arrival was no longer for any routine sightseeing or tour.

Every step he took was significant—every time he entered the ancient castle, an invisible pressure seemed to gather in the air.

For certain magicians, Euryphus was not just an ordinary visitor.

As he walked forward, the surrounding air seemed to begin to attract something, an indescribable force that gradually permeated the surroundings.

If you perceive it carefully, you can detect the source of that power—the magic of the dead.

However, this is not the magic of the deceased themselves. It is more like the power of a "concept," an intertwining of the land's spiritual energy and human vitality.

The Tower of London is located at the intersection of a powerful spiritual vein. The underground "Ley Line" and the great source "Mana" work together to form a dark energy that slowly seeps to the ground.

This energy comes not only from the souls of the deceased royalty and nobility, but also from the unconscious emanation of vital energy and the memories of the people—

This "magic of the dead" seemed to be specially collected by Euryphus.

As the ruler of the Spirit Conjuring Department, Rufreus secured several lands needed to reclaim this magic through ancient contracts and political negotiations.