Chapter 131: [Arc 4] Chapter 12: Study of the Deceased

And that's one chimera in the bag. Damn, I gotta train these guys harder after this.

We're in a room that takes after a misty forest, currently busy wrapping up a chainsaw murderer like a burrito before dumping her into a coffin we'd dragged with us. FYI, it's the brainwashed Lily who's the "murderer". Gotta point out she's the easiest suspect we've taken into custody, even though her stats are second after Mira.

Whoever it is that placed these guys in those costumes... thank you very much for making the chainsaw a toy. On the other hand, Noire found everyone's stuff in the forest! Just my equipment is missing...

"And with that, everyone and everything is accounted for~," said Noire with a happy voice, dressed in her clothes, accessories, and armed with that metal bow with runic inscriptions.

Is that the special bow that Flint mentioned he had created with the metal ingots made from the Darkness Dragon's bones? Aww, I want a weapon like that... More importantly, how did a dragon's bones become a metal ingot??

"But ma'am, you forgot about lady Mira-" - Jeeves

"That's a different story! Don't/Do not mention her!!" - Garami/Noire

This idiot! Doesn't he know about "flags"!? Whatever...

We dragged Lily with us as we returned to the Safe Area we had been using as a base. The animals don't like the place, probably because this is another kitchen, but hey, free food.

After putting the coffin together with the two other guys, it's about time to figure out who the culprit of this case is and leave this dump. 

...Oh, right. Revi's also captured. She kinda did it on her own. Gotta remember not to use a Dracula-cape unless you're sure not to trip on it. That back there was so humiliating that I don't wanna retell it. Poor Revi...

First, let's look over who the culprits are, their potential motive, their evidence, and other stuff. Hmm, better include which one of our guys acted as who. Maybe that can give us a clue. Then we can mention the costumes they were wearing for Managand's birthday party.

1. Belladonna Brigannia.
   • Identity: Professional gambler.
   • Relationship with the victim: Stalker. She's been after Managand ever since he beat her in a gamble. 
   • Evidence: An emerald ring. Got no fancy contraptions or anything. Jeeves has no memories of it.
   • Motive: Revenge? A broken love? Wanting to steal something valuable from Managand?
   • Actor: Noire. Notably, the only person who came back to their senses.
   • Costume: Bunny girl. Reason: Probably due to her background as an actor. Maybe a honeytrap?
2. Yamatai Datemon
   • Identity: First official samurai of Wakoku and younger brother to one of the country's emperors.
   • Relationship with the victim: Started on the wrong foot due to Managand having moved to this country to study the local wildlife (the Youkai), and Wakoku wasn't so keen on outsiders back then. It got better once Managand started to share his research, but it was strictly a professional relationship.
   • Motive: Maybe Managand stepped in the salad and angered Datemon?
   • Evidence: A wakizashi with a chipped blade.
   • Actor: Mira. The only one not accounted for yet.
   • Costume: Samurai-outfit. Based on the Ochimusha Undead. Reason: Probably too lazy for anything else.
3. Hamel O'Carnell
   • Identity: A no-name archeologist.
   • Relationship with the victim: A colleague that traded information with Managand. Carnell got the info about old ruins that Managand discovered while researching monsters, and Carnell gave the data he collected about the monsters that he discovered in said ruins and more.
   • Evidence: The cheap sarcophagus.
   • Motive: Maybe Managand sold him the sarcophagus as a fraud and Carnell killed him because of that?
   • Actor: Alf.
   • Costume: Pharaoh. Reason: Must be related to the sarcophagus.
4. Achimori Yusuke
   • Identity: Noble of Wakoku. 
   • Relationship with the victim: A big fan of Managand's work and his biggest sponsor.
   • Motive: Stealing all of Managand's works after he killed them and then publishing them under his name?
   • Evidence: A fountain pen. Quite fancy as well.
   • Actor: Revi
   • Costume: Vampire costume. According to Jeeves, this guy was quite... "influenced" by stuff like that.
5. Jack Skallater
   • Identity: Monster hunter. Later became a samurai under Datemon.
   • Relationship with the victim: Used Managand's works to develop strategies to defeat monsters. 
   • Motive: No clue. Could have been hired as a mercenary for someone else?
   • Evidence: A sword made from a monster's tooth. The tooth-part is especially noticeable. 
   • Actor: Lily.
   • Costume: Chainsaw murderer. Reason: There were many Migrants among the monster hunters back in those days.

Okay, that should be all...

I've got absolutely no idea. I've collected lots of clues from reading the personal journals we've found in that library while clearing that book-based lock to the samurai garden, but honestly, none gave me any decent idea on that "Managand"-guy. 

"If we could find out more about that guy's personality..." - Garami

Of course, we would need to look at the suspects as well, but I think I have that covered. There's a big chance that the "roles" given to the invaders aren't selected at random.

Both that Belladonna-woman and Noire wished to attract the attention of someone that's already got their heart filled with something, and that samurai sounds like an equally big sword-maniac like Mira, if not worse. That monster-hunter would eat the creatures he hunted down, and rumors even told that he became a hunter just to taste different monsters. Sounds familiar?

"How about going to the master's study?" - Jeeves

"......There was a study in this wacko-dacko-mansion, and you only mention it now!?" - Garami

"Of course there is. It was the first place I wanted to visit after I was freed from that painting you talked about. Getting into it is a different story." - Jeeves

Great. Stuff's never easy...

---

"GYAAAAAAA!!!" - Jeeves

Whoa. I can see his skeleton... didn't even know that was possible with this guy, eh, ghost.

We've arrived in front of the study and we're currently witnessing why we can't go in there. An electric barrier that can make even ghosts cry. Though luck. 

"We're not getting past this thing." - Garami

"How about we break the walls?" - Noire

"Prolly no good. By the way, the Dungeon's facilities are linked to that Quest, plus the Dungeon monsters getting upgrades for each clue we gathered, I'm more than certain that this place is a Chaos Dungeon instead of a normal one." - Garami

It started with a little equipment upgrade for the Living Mails. Then we encountered more and more Living Swords and other possessed-item ghosts. After that, the Living Mails were replaced with Phantom Mails! An army of Irons patrolling the corridors, that's scary.

"Ah, those are more difficult to bypass, that's true... wait, is that why there are no ghosts now?" - Noire

She's talking about how we didn't meet any ghosts while traveling to the study.

"Probably because we've gathered all the clues. All that's left is to solve the mystery, so they've must have been packed away to let us gather more clues besides just the physical evidence." - Garami

"THAT IS FINE, BUT CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME?!!!!" - Jeeves

"Just let go of the wall." - Noire

And he did. First time I've seen a roasted ghost too. He's still... alive, I guess?

Okay, this is one wall I don't wanna go up against. Isn't there another way around it?

"Oooohh... why is it so much more... shocking than... before...*faint*." - Jeeves

And he's out. Hmm, this barrier has turned up the voltage compared to when Jeeves visited it the first time...

I grabbed one of the spears that decorate the walls and then… Slowly... Steady… Spear Drop Attack... No shock. Sweet! Let's try a finger... then a hand...

"Noire, I'm gonna bust the secret hiding inside this study. What are you gonna do... after bringing the un-life back to Jeeves." - Garami

"Hmm... think I have an idea to trap Mira, so I will be doing that." - Noire

...Okaaaay...I'd rather bet on the mysterious study guarded by a barrier of electrical death and despair. Sounds like the safer option.

I said farewell to Noire and entered the study. Quite the big place. It's bigger than the one I was in when I made all those monster designs. Not that it feels like that, due to all the books. Hey, you gotta stop filling your mansion with books like this! Not that the guy can do anything about it.

I mean, he's just some old bones nooowww-ooookaaaayyy!! I didn't expect this!

...And yup, just as I feared. The [Identification] results don't lie. The bag of bones that's sitting by the desk here's the former master of this place, Managand. And even more important is the thing lodged between his ribs.

It's the Dungeon Core.

Huh?! Why there!? No one's stupid enough to make a Dungeon with a Core implanted into your body! Come on!

That proves it then. The feeling I had that the Dungeon and the Quest were going against each other turns out to be real. At first, Managand must have issued the Quest, then someone, presumably the killer, must have done something to place this Dungeon "on top" of the Quest, therefore corrupting it into something similar to a Chaos Dungeon while still being a standard one.

Then, unless these are two separate crimes, the true culprit must be someone with the ability to obtain Dungeon Cores and has enough knowledge about them to make this mess of a mansion. As for their motive... no clue! 

Should I just name them one by one? Nah, there's gotta be some trap that triggers if we name someone innocent. Better look for some more clues. Like this... carving of a spider? Why a spider...ooooh. Now I get it. That also explains why the culprit could fool a Dungeon and a Quest to think they're a Chaos Dungeon.

That means it's gotta be... no, it's not sure if it's that one. Even if they are very suspicious. Come on, Managand, don't you have some more clues? Like in this closet...

EUREKA!

---

Later, at the main hall of the mansion:

"Alright, everyone! I'm not the kind to go into details, so I'll say things just once and don't care if you didn't get it, so keep your ears wide open!" - Garami

I'd gathered everyone here so I could clear this messed-up Quest once and for all!

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The main hall was simply gorgeous, with velvet-red carpets, golden candelabras, and strangely, six pictures that showed the five suspects related to the Quest, and Managand himself, according to Jeeves.

They're probably related to the Quest, just as I suspected. But before that...

"Let me out! Let me out already!!" - Mira

She captured her. Mira's bound with chains inside a huge cage, both items being designed to capture monsters. Noire must have found the storage where Managand kept them for his monster research, so that's not so surprising, but for her to really trap Mira...not gonna make her angry anymore. No, let's keep her on a leash instead. And gag that trapped samurai already!

Jeeves had gathered the coffins with the other three idiots, but it seems we don't need to wake them up. That's keeping things simpler.

"The first and ONLY point of the agenda tonight is to force that son of a bitch out in the open and answer to his crimes. That's right, I'm talking about the bastard who not only killed the lord of this mansion but also made the Quest that Managand tried to use to bust that guy merge with the Dungeon he remade this mansion into." - Garami

"Excuse me, ma'am, but is that even possible?" - Jeeves

"In a world with magic and skills and whatever, it's more important to find the reason behind the crime instead of the means. Anyway, the culprit is the owner of a certain Extra Skill. One that I know pretty well, considering I have wanted it for a long time, ever since I read about it." - Garami

[Anansi - Trickster of Disguises] is something that lets you cover up someone or something with a disguise you've made. It also explains how everyone got new classes. This mess of a Dungeon's bugged out due to this skill! The Kigal-Note mentioned that this Dungeon-affecting bug's already patched out, but they left the result of it for "fun". Three guesses on who ordered that...

"Why did the culprit do all this? You mentioned that the reason is worth more than the means, so spit it out! They even used a Dungeon Core even to cover up his tracks." - Noire

"And they did a bad job at it too. As for their motive, it's this," I said while showing one of the clues of this Quest.

"...The dagger that the guy Mira is acting as had?" - Noire

"Correction; the dagger that the samurai had planned to give Managand for his birthday. Better said, Datemon wanted Managand to keep this blade safe." - Garami

"Why is a broken dagger so important?" - Noire

"It's the key to unlock the Quest that gives you ownership of the Kusanagi no Tachi, Wakoku's most famous blade." - Garami

"...now that is worth enough to spend a Dungeon on." - Jeeves

"If even I have to agree with that, then it's worth more than ten Dungeons." - Noire

"It also means that Datemon is innocent. Anyway, the mix of the Quest and the Dungeon is both respecting the will of the culprit, as in not busting him, and the will of Managand, meaning to trap the culprit in this place and bust him." - Garami

"AHA! I knew it was the butler! Turn Un-" - Noire

"W-wait-!" - Jeeves

"It's not the butler." - Garami

"Damn..." - Noire

"Phew..." - Jeeves

"Well, not Jeeves himself, but the guy who killed him, disguised his corpse as that painting, took his place, and attacked Managand." - Garami

"Ooh, now they have done it. Mixing my professional and personal desires? They are going to pay." - Jeeves

"...yeah...moving on. The culprit could be that Belladonna character, since Noire, the one acting her, is the only one who got back to her senses. That theory turned out wrong when I found this in Managand's closet." - Garami

I pulled out the detective costume that I had found back there, one that was the same as mine in appearance, except the size.

"See? Even I'm having a role in this Quest. I bet that even Polaris and the birds had their role." - Garami

"Oh, yes. The master loved fresh turkey and had ordered some for his party." - Jeeves

"That's it. The turkeys were killed, Managand was killed, and Jeeves here is dead, which leads to the fact that this Belladonna-girl must have met the same fate that day." - Garami

"Really? You sure?" - Noire

"No, I'm mostly winging it." - Garami

Okay, ignore the condemning gazes and keep the story going.

"Anyway, the culprit is someone that didn't die on that day, as he was trapped in this Dungeon due to the Quest still working. Meaning that Noire's not the crook, this time." - Garami

"What do you mean by 'this time'!?" - Noire

"Not that she was a big contender for being a culprit. From what I've learned, everyone forced to do a role of a suspect was given the same classes as the guy, or girl, they were impersonating. Except for this one guy who got the classes more related to the costume than the suspect." - Garami

"Ehm, if I and Mira are in the clear, then..." - Noire

"Miss Revi had the Merchant class and Scribe as her classes-" - Jeeves

"And she was dressed like a vampire..." - Noire

"Miss Lily was given the classes of Samurai, Light Mage, and Hunter-" - Jeeves

"Not the classes you would expect... whatever she was dressed as..." - Noire

"And mister Alfred had the classes of Spectermancer, Pathfinder, and... Sand Mage..." - Jeeves

"...don't need to be a detective to understand those aren't classes for an archeologist." - Noire

Especially since there aren't any deserts on this continent. And his evidence was a sarcophagus. It's telling me that he had planned to send Managand to his grave! Why didn't I notice that bad pun before...

"That's right. The true culprit is Hamel O'Carnell-*click*-Hey, where did the lights go?" - Garami

The main hall has been shrouded in darkness along with lines of light... that's a magic circle! Is that the "we got it right"-circle, or the other one? Because I'm not leaving this place without getting my stuff back!

The magic circle started to bring something out. Please let it be my stuff, please let it be my stuff...

...I think I figured out why all the monsters left this area.

Description:

[Anansi - Trickster of Disguises] is the Extra Skill representing the A-rank divine spider monster, Anansi. Like the creature, this skill allows the skill owner to perform dastardly transformations, gift them with the divine spider's ability to tell tales of wonders, and it is honestly one of the top 10 most troublesome and sneaky Extra Skills in the World System.

Not many people think too much of this skill, as it does not provide much firepower, defense, healing capabilities, or anything except improving one's ability to con people.

However, a special utilization of this skill is to act according to certain rules. This allows the skill to perform beyond its standard limits, such as granting people classes or skills they did not have as a form of "disguise". On the flip side, they will lose access to their original skill and cannot use them again until they get rid of the "disguise" and all its perks.

One time, a certain thief/assassin/killer/liar/backstabbing traitor used the skill on a Quest, a feat that the skill was not intended to do. This mistake has then been patched out, but a certain Ultimate Goddess voted to let the result of this mishap remain as a test for future generations.

Garami's comment: Aww, I wanted this skill!

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