Have you really solved the whole mystery of the case?
Yeah, maybe.

　I asked Teene the maid to gather all the survivors in the common room.
　However, the only people who were present besides the lolly hag were the English dandy who was investigating the basement, the gothic little girl, Anna, and the maid, Teene.

'Mr. Swing wasn't in the room, was he?
Yes. You're not here.

　Teene replies to the British Dandy's confirmation without moving an eyebrow.

'Oh, was that big guy the killer?'
If you don't come here, you're probably dead already.

　It was the gothic little girl who laughed back at Anna, who seemed restless, with a kerolief on her face. She still looks like she's enjoying the situation as much as ever.

''Well, that means the culprit is one of them!

　Anna distances herself from all of them as if she's scared, but there's no one to blame.

''Hmm.''

　An English dandy lights his pipe with a match.

'Mr. Toris. You know who did it, don't you?
The killer... well, I guess you could say that.
What the hell, that's not very convincing. You said you'd figured it all out!

　The lolly hag looks up at me in frustration.

'Well, listen. Let's take a look at the cases first. The first case we'll start with a murder in a small room. Let's see, the room was locked. Isn't it?
Yes. Yes, I'm sure.

　Anna nodded coyly.

'By the way, I was about to go to the other room when my room was unlocked.
'Yes, that's right!　I know I'm stinking up my own story, but it's the truth!
I'm not doubting that. Anyway, when I opened the door, I found the body of the fat man, shredded to pieces. It's also true that the room had been locked up just before. The second case... or rather the rest of the case, we don't know anything about the crime except that it is related to magic, but I'll leave it at that. What's important is not how the victims died. What we should be focusing on is how we are the only ones still alive.
'Hmm?　What does that mean?

　The gothic little girl smiles provocatively at me.

'It's rudimentary. Hey, Detectives?

　I shrugged my shoulders as I did so, and the British dandy raised his eyebrows, looking a little surprised.

"That's why we haven't been killed yet. He was investigating a murder, you see.
I don't even know what that means!
Wow, me too. You need to tell me what's going on!

　He controlled Lori and Anna with his hand and shook his head.

'To tell you how we came to this conclusion, you'll have to know what happened in the first incident. For now, let's try to trace the actions of that fat man. First of all, the first victim got into a fight with the loli hag in this common room and then immediately set out to find his legacy. And why is that?

"To all the candidates. Come to my forest for the inheritance of a wise man. In the workshop of the one you detest most, you will find it.

'Of course, it was because he assumed that the place marked on the information sheet was the Lolibaba's room. Having tracked down the loribaba's room from the room plan posted in the lobby, the fat man probably left his squire behind and went to the room alone, trying to hastily search for the estate so that the owner of the room wouldn't beat him to it. So far so good?

　He moved to the front of the room where the scene was located and looked back at everyone he had brought with him.
　Seeing no questions or objections, he continued his reasoning.

'Shortly after Debbie locked the door from the inside, just to be sure, and began her search, a vacuum wave of magic exploded in the middle of the room, and Debbie died instantly, not knowing what had happened. So the room just happened to be a sealed room that's all. Any questions?
No, no, no!　There's a lot of nonsense in there!　The killer!　The sorcerer!　Don't tell me you've been hiding in a room somewhere and waiting for me to ambush you!

　I shook my head at the old lady's plausible argument.

If there wasn't a problem with the return blood, that wouldn't be unthinkable. But that's also explained by the fact that the surgeon himself never entered the room.
Well, wait. I was wondering if...
"Booby trap.

　The English dandy took back Anna's line.

'So there was a trap set in that room beforehand, I suppose. 'Yes, Mr. Toris,'

　Then he gives me a look.
　I don't know what that means, but I'm supposed to match it.

"Well that's my day job. That's the word I was looking for. I mean, you've figured it out a long time ago, haven't you?
'If Miss Anna's testimony wasn't a lie, it was most likely. Because if you can plant a spell in the room beforehand, it would actually be possible for anyone to do it, you know.
I see, so you're trying to trap me in my room... no!　Because it's not me!
Certainly, I don't think any of the dumb criminals would bother to set a trap in their rooms.

　That doesn't rule out the possibility, the British dandy spits out purple smoke while appealing to the public that he doesn't rule out the possibility.

'Nevertheless, if you want to lure him into a trap to kill Mr. Rufois, there are only so many ways to do it.
That's what I'm talking about. Well, I've already given you the answer.
Oh, I see. It's a guidebook!

　Anna's eyes lit up, and the lolly hag snorted.

'Then are you suggesting that the guide was switched out by the killer?　No, wait. No way.....
'Yes. If the real guide was just a means to lure you into a trap in the first place, there's no contradiction whatsoever. Right?

　They all caught on to me and looked back at me.

'Hey?　It's Miss Tine.
I'm afraid I don't have the authority to answer that question, sir.

　Expressionless, emotionless voice responses.
　Constantly programmed behavior.

'The culprit is this maid?　But there's no way they could set a magic trap on a homunculus that's not a sorcerer!
Yes, he could not. So we all assumed the killer had to be a sorcerer. But, well, you're right. The real culprit should be a sorcerer, though.
No way. Really?　Is that what you're saying?
Yeah, that's the idea.

　After pausing for a breath, they spoke the conclusion they all must have come to.



'The real culprit is........the wise man himself. The murder weapon is this mansion........in other words, the 'Sage's Legacy' itself.



　Probably everyone here felt that way, somehow.
　Even the lolly hag. They simply didn't want to believe it.

'This mansion is not an establishment to entertain visitors. It's a trap house set up to trap anyone who comes in for the Sage's legacy. That's why there are magical traps here and there with the key to trigger the search for the heritage.
Um, so that's when it was unlocked.
Remember?　I was told that if the room was unlocked, I could check it out. They must have opened it remotely for them to find it. Probably Teene.

　The homunculus, who was looking in horror at Anna, neither affirmed nor denied it.

''In the first place, the story of a sorcerer handing over his heritage to a stranger is strange. However, from the point of view of those who want to get their inheritance, it's a crossover. Even if it's a trap, those who want to step over even that to get their inheritance will flock to it.

　The hag bites her teeth and the gothic loli girl laughs with amusement.

"I mean, the only reason we weren't killed while we were investigating the case is because we didn't step on the trigger key for the trap called 'Search for the Estate'...

　Anna-chan muttered that and shuddered.
　Regardless of the contents of the guide, considering the circumstances of the kingdom that was relying on the sage's power, Anna-chan would have shifted to searching for her heritage anyway.
　In that sense, it could be said that she was lucky to have always believed that the Sage was alive and had worked hard to prove her innocence.

'How is it that only her guide was supposed to show that the wise man was alive?

　The old lady asked a perfectly legitimate question.

'I don't know that much. I'm not sure if the time of this forest is out of sync with the outside world. It's not natural for a candidate to appear at the same time without a set time frame.
If the real killer is a wise man, what is his motive?

　The British Dandy dares to ask me, as I'm sure he already knows.

"I don't know. But I'll tell you one thing. The wise man hates any sorcerer who tries to take his place. He is not going to return a candidate alive from the forest. Especially not one who finds out that their inheritance is just a bait and switch.

　A handsome sorcerer, a witch, and perhaps even a giant man who is not here have died in an attempt to escape from the forest. The fate of the candidates was determined when they entered the forest. It's just not how they will die.
　I can sense a fierce malice from this mansion.
　They don't try to kill you from the start, but first make you believe in the existence of your inheritance, make you happy and happy, then remind you that you are filthy bandits after all, and then kill you.
　If possible, let the candidates kill each other. The fact that the method of killing is limited to sorcery also implies such a desire.

"Ladies and gentlemen!

　The maid.
　The homunculus.
　Tine opens her mouth.
　Her face as usual.

'Please, just take it easy and stay until we find our legacy.

　His voice, usually inflectionless, was.
　Wasn't it mindlessly bouncy?