#512 Dragon Hot Springs Murder Case: Investigation

We returned to the hot springs to calm Lucife Focale’s nerves.

The deduction game is still going on, of course.

But for now, let’s not focus on the suspects to solve the mystery.

Each person’s character and abilities are so out of the norm that they don’t fit into the mystery framework.

For example, Sensei. If he were the murderer, Knox would smash the stone tablet with the Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction engraved on them.

Sensei’s too overpowered that he can pull any trick imaginable.

So, instead, let’s look for clues from the crime scene itself.

The room where Great Demon King Baal was killed is supposed to be completely locked.

Let’s start by checking that.

“Oobh... Ow!”

Oops.

I accidentally stepped on Lord Baal who was still lying on the floor.

Sorry, sorry.

“Dear, Junior is bored, so we’re going for a little stroll around the area, okay?”

“Gotchaaa.”

Everyone slowly started to lose interest and went their separate ways. 

“C-Crap! Master! You have to figure this out before everyone gets bored!”

Veil, the instigator, panics, and like an incompetent police inspector, she urges us to solve the case.

“Yeah, yeah, on it.”

The first thing that bothered me was whether this room was really locked.

There are two possible entrances and exits here.

One is the door, and the other is the window leading to the outside.

We confirmed that the door was "locked" (according to the set).

I could double-check the lock's location to rule out the possibility of the door being used, but that's too much trouble, so I’m skipping that.

Next, the window.

However, since we are on the fifth floor, we can only see a magnificent view.

“We’re so high up...!”

Who would be able to climb such a height from the ground or jump up to here?

“...Hold on, a few people do come to mind.”

The mental search I made yielded more hits than I had expected.

Gobukichi could easily jump up to this height, and there’s also the angel Horkosfon.

Letasreit is very physical these days, so I think she could climb up the wall. 

Aileron and her elven team could get in from anywhere with their skills as former bandits.

Even the Professor could go wherever he wishes should his feline whims feel like it.

“I guess a fantasy world and a mystery world don’t go well together...”

Knox’s Ten Commandments might even turn into a hundred.

“Oho? What’s the matter, Master? Haven’t you figured it out yet?”

Veil, the instigator, comes up to me with a triumphant look.

“Maybe this case was too difficult for you, eh, Master? Hmmm?”

“...Guess I’ll give up and call it a day.”

“Wait, wait, wait! Let’s try a little harder and think this through, okay?! The attitude of giving up too soon is not good for Junior!” she pleads, clinging to me.

I know, I know, I was just teasing you.

“How about we go outside and ask around? Maybe it’ll clear your mind and help you see the bigger picture.”

Whaaat?

You mean the playfield extends to the outside of this room?

I guess I’ll just have to go along with it until she’s satisfied.

“What about you, Sensei?”

I ask Sensei, who is staying behind faithfully.

“Well... my body has cooled down enough, so I think I’ll go take another dip in the hot spring, and...”

But before Sensei could finish his sentence, he looked shocked for a moment and said, “I can’t stay in the same room with the murderer! I am going back to my room!”

“Noted. I appreciate your cooperation.”

With Sensei playing along, I get to feel more and more like Holmes solving this case. 

Then, there’s Lord Baal.

“Um...I’m starting to feel sore down here. Am I still not allowed to move?”

“The dead aren’t supposed to move. You should stay there until the case is solved.”

“But my back is getting really itchy...!”

Preservation of the scene is an ironclad rule of investigation.

Let’s leave the “corpse” and head outside to investigate!

* * *

Going out of the room is fine too, but...

“How am I supposed to go about investigating this?”

Don’t tell me I should ask every passerby who may or may not be involved in the game if they’re the culprit or not?!

That would require a lot of nerve.

Having said that, if I go into another room to investigate, a knife might fly out of nowhere, or a pitfall trap might activate.

That’s scary.

“Don’t worry, Master! I, the game facilitator, will teach you how to investigate properly!” cheerfully says Veil who’s with me.

I suppose I don’t have much choice but to follow the instructions of this girl who’s like a walking choose-your-own-adventure book.

All right then, what should I do?

“Interrogations are the basis of an investigation! Investigations are done by foot! If you ask many people and gather information, you might find important testimony to help you solve the case!”

“Y-Yeah...!”

Like I said, it would take guts to ask every stranger if they’re related to the case or not.

“That’s why you must go to the sightseeing spots first!”

“What? Why?”

Why would you mention sightseeing spots?

“Can’t you see, Master? In a hot spring ryokan murder case, an introduction to the sights is always a prerequisite! You’re supposed to walk around, ask questions, and smoothly promote the scenic sites to lure tourists!”

That’s more of a suspense story’s publicity tactic than a mystery...

Well, if I had to say, hot spring murder cases fall under the suspense category.

Moreover, it may be an effective way to promote tourism while the case is going on. The guests who watch this case unfold may become interested and visit us!

“Okay, count me in! Let’s go to the best sightseeing spots to gather information!”

“Now we’re talking! And remember, we’re only there strictly to gather information!!!”

But does our newly built hot spring ryokan have any convenient sightseeing spots?

Ah. Yes, there is—the “hidden treasure” museum.

We built this hall thinking it’s an indispensable place in a hot spring, but its actual displays are generally obscene. Its meaning is more of a play on words known only to connoisseurs. 

How others would perceive me if I built such a place while I had a family to support is beyond me.

As such, I gave in to this dreadful thought and decided to put genuine treasures on display.

The Spirit’s Looking-Glass, Angel Wings, the Eye of Truth, Aegis’ Shield, the Goddess’ Statue, and more—treasures that Orkubo and his pals have collected from around the world.

Once the exhibition period ends, it’ll all be returned to them.

“You can only visit the exhibit for a limited time, so hurry up and come see it in person!”

“We’re waiting for you!”

The publicity campaign on the pretext of the investigation was successful, but no progress was made in terms of the latter.

What should we do next?

“Next, we’ll go to the hot springs!”

“But why?!”

“Can’t you see, Master? Relaxing in a hot spring is a great way to come up with unexpected good ideas!”

I see...!

In suspense dramas set in hot spring ryokan, there’s always that one scene where the protagonist dips in a hot spring.

If it’s a gorgeous actress, it becomes instant fanservice.

It uses a similar concept to gathering information in scenic spots, wherein the primary purpose is to promote the hot spring. But because of this, it tends to be an important scene.

A casual comment made during this time could lead to a valuable clue for the investigation! 

“I might mutter something important when I take a dip! Or maybe an unrelated comment that could be at the heart of the case!”

“Exactamundo! Master! Go to the hot spring right away!”

At Veil’s urging, I quickly returned to the ryokan, rushed into the bathhouse, and soaked myself in hot water.

...Then, I got out.

Outside, she was waiting for me.

“How was it, Master? Did you come up with any good ideas?”

“No!”

I knew this would never work as I expected it to!