Magician in Type-Moon

Page 525

Reines raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.

"According to Matou's investigation, three of Heartless's five disciples have gone missing."

As he spoke, he spread out his five fingers, then slowly bent down three of them.

"And one of them was the one who died at the Secret Corpse Dissection Bureau a while ago. The other one, named Ashira, is also missing."

Judging from the timing, it's highly likely that she sensed something and escaped on her own. We've also met her in person at the Department of Autopsy.

Like the deceased Kalger, she seemed to sense that Hartrace was the real mastermind.

As he said this, he took out a cigar, skillfully cut off the end with a cigar cutter, lit a match, and gently directed the flame toward the cigar.

The series of movements were fluid and graceful, with smoke rising and swirling around his slightly gloomy face.

"Regarding magic, I consider myself to have some knowledge, leaving aside Matou. But this matter involves intrigue and power struggles within the Clock Tower, and he and I would like to seek your judgment."

"Hey, don't make your cute little sister sound like a troublemaker or a schemer."

Reines laughed lightly, but did not deny it.

She raised her chin, her eyes no longer teasing, and her tone became serious:

"You mean—that corpse, or those missing people, are connected to some hidden thread inside the clock tower?"

King El-Melloi II did not respond directly, but smiled slightly and exhaled a puff of smoke.

"According to the information Matou sent, the deceased Kalger had a brother, right?"

“Jorek Kurdish,” Gray answered from the side, her voice soft yet firm.

She had naturally come into contact with this intelligence; as the second generation's disciple, she already possessed this level of authority.

The reason the two have different surnames is that after escaping Albion as survivors, Jorek was adopted by a famous family of magicians.

“That’s right. Karl said his brother changed his surname after being adopted. But what if the truth is the opposite?” the Second continued.

"...On the contrary?" Gray asked, completely bewildered, her confusion written all over her face.

She tilted her head slightly, as if to make the difficult-to-understand words sound clearer.

“One remained at the Bureau of Excavation of the Mysterious Corpses, while the other became the adopted son of an outside magician and changed his surname,” El-Melloi II said calmly. “But what if they didn’t each go down different paths, but rather chose divergent paths for some common purpose?”

"What...does this mean?" Grey frowned, her eyes slightly wavering.

Despite her efforts to think, she still felt confused.

Seeing this, the Second Prince changed his tone and began to explain from a different angle:

"According to Matou Ike's information, the two are brothers of similar age. But what if they are not just brothers, but also each other's substitutes? -- In other words, they often switch identities."

"Jorek and Kalger...switched identities?" Gray repeated, trying to find the answer in the meaning.

She still didn't understand, but this time, she could feel that the teacher's gaze was no longer a simple analysis, but like a surgical scalpel, precisely piercing a core that had not yet been revealed.

Although she couldn't immediately grasp the truth, she felt that the knife had already pierced the crucial point.

"The intelligence of the Bureau of Secret Remains Dissection is strictly controlled and not just anyone can obtain it. It has multiple layers of protection, not only against spies, but also against colleagues."

El-Melloi II continued.

"So if you want to infiltrate, you first need to be qualified. And one of the most reliable ways to obtain this qualification is to become a 'survivor' of the Spirit Tomb Albion."

He paused for a moment after saying this, and told Grey to follow.

“Albion is under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Unseen Dissections. People who come from there are no longer subject to lengthy screenings and are more easily absorbed into the bureau. If Karl and Jorek had already planned their infiltration, they would have needed to obtain a ‘record’ of this identity.”

"So, they entered Albion to leave a record of their survival?" Grey murmured.

“That’s right.” The Second Prince nodded firmly. “And the fact that Jorek was adopted by another family and had his surname changed was likely to sever the overt connection between the two. If the brotherly relationship is not recognized, it will be easier to create a blind spot of identity confusion in the Clock Tower system.”

He exhaled a puff of smoke, his tone becoming lower and colder:

"If the two magic systems are similar, even the defense system will have difficulty detecting the switch. Not to mention, the basic transformation technique that the new generation of students can master—making them look alike is simply a piece of cake."

Grey gasped and unconsciously gripped the tray tighter.

"Then... was the corpse we saw at the Secret Corpse Autopsy Bureau really 'Karg'?"

El nodded slightly in recognition.

"If this is discovered, the autopsy department will naturally find that the case started a long time ago. Of course, a murder within the department is a major incident, especially since the deceased wasn't a member of the department. The investigation will likely focus on who the victim was. What if that's an unforgivable mistake for Hartress?"

The content was too complicated, and Grey understood it less and less.

"Please, please wait a moment," she couldn't help but say.

“I understand that Mr. Kalger and Mr. Jorek may have secretly switched identities. And the Department of Unseen Corpses has the value to infiltrate in this way. But when exactly did they begin to conceive of this…”

"...When exactly did it start?"

The person who murmured the recitation was not the Second Incarnation.

Listening from the side, Reines pressed her index finger to her temple with a pitiful expression and squinted one eye.

"...Ah, I see. I finally understand why you wanted to discuss this with me. So that's how it is, my brother?"

Chapter 579 Conspiracy (4k)

“That’s how it is,” El-Melloi II said calmly.

Grey remained standing to the side, her eyes filled with obvious confusion. Her thoughts seemed to have been thrown into disarray by this sudden information; her brows furrowed slightly, clearly indicating that she had not fully processed the intelligence she had just received.

Reines turned to her, a hint of mockery and deeper meaning flashing in her eyes.

"So, what you mean is that it's not just Karlger and Jorek. Hartres' five disciples may have had other motives from the very beginning."

Her voice trailed off slowly, as if she were gradually unraveling some hidden clue.

Then she added, “And this ‘beginning’—is probably long before they became Hartles’s disciples, even much earlier.”

"Huh, long before you became a disciple?" Gray's reaction was somewhat hesitant, her brows furrowed, and a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes.

"You mean, their plan was already underway, even before they joined Hartres?"

Reines calmly took a sip of the black tea beside her, her gaze lowered, as if pondering how to further guide Grey to understand this complex situation.

A few seconds later, she looked up at Grey, a wise glint in her eyes. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean."

“But how is this possible?” Grey finally spoke, her voice filled with obvious confusion.

"Hartles' disciples are all survivors of the Spirit Tomb Albion, right?"

I can understand Karlger and Jorek, given their different backgrounds, but the other four disciples have all been in Albion for many years… how could they have had other motives so long ago?”

That's right.

The chronological order is incorrect.

Indeed, this conjecture makes logical sense, but only logic makes sense.

After the vulnerability was patched, other vulnerabilities became relatively larger.

As El-Melloi II said—

Karl and Jorek may have entered Albion from the beginning with the intention of establishing a connection to the Department of Dissection of the Undead, but that's probably not the case for everyone.

Reines's expression grew increasingly serious. She looked down at the documents on the table, her gaze gradually focusing on Grey through the slight silence.

She nodded, her tone serious yet rational.

“Of course, that’s exactly right.” There was a hint of deep thought in her voice.

“I’ve investigated. Jorek and Karg stayed in Albion for four years when they entered, while Gesells stayed for nine. As for Ashira and Kuro, they were originally survivors of Albion, natives of this land.”

Her gaze shifted, as if she were constructing some kind of structure.

"Furthermore, based on the information I have, that team seems to have gradually taken shape after several changes in members. It is perfectly reasonable for you to raise questions based on your own observations."

She paused, took a deep breath, relaxed her tense expression, and then continued:

“But Gray, the Clock Tower can offer a very simple explanation for this. Well, brother, you're probably here to ask me if this hypothesis is plausible, right?” Her tone was light, yet full of scrutiny.

Upon hearing this, a hint of doubt flashed in Grey's eyes, as if she was still trying to figure out the complexity of the matter.

Reines's gaze grew calmer, and her speech slowed:

Even if your inferences are true, they are nothing more than theories on paper. These speculations alone are meaningless.

Why? Because this isn't about a particularly intelligent prisoner with a shocking conspiracy behind him. It's a simple matter of circumstances.

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze sharp. "The core of the problem lies in whether such behavior is possible in this environment, and whether it conforms to the norms of this land."

Her words began to carry a cold, sharp edge, as if she had seen through the hidden truth that Grey had not noticed.

“This is not just an isolated case, Grey. The rules of the Clock Tower, the environment of the Clock Tower, are the foundation of everything. Your speculation, while accurate, overlooks the deeper forces and systems behind it.”

She sighed, her voice growing even lower:

“Just now, brother, the possibility you hinted at is far more despicable and low-level than you think. It doesn’t require a meticulously planned grand conspiracy, nor does it involve any amazing wisdom or complex schemes.”

In fact, all of this was done in a roundabout, inefficient, and even somewhat insane way.

A helpless smile appeared on her lips, but her eyes grew even sharper.

“I guess you’re starting to realize now that everything in the Clock Tower is developing in a cycle of inefficiency and absurdity. And that’s the norm for the Clock Tower.”

"What does that mean..." Grey asked, her face full of confusion.

Reines didn't respond immediately, but instead frowned slightly, seemingly pondering a deeper meaning. She slowly began to speak:

“So you’re wrong to think that only Karlger and Jorek have this intention,” she said slowly.

"But from another perspective, how can we be sure that Karlger and Jorek were really unaffiliated magicians before entering Albion?"

The benefits of carrying intelligence from the Bureau of Secret Relics Dissection out on one's own are probably not as great as one might imagine.

On the contrary, other forces might be more willing to utilize them, sending them as spies into Albion to obtain that intelligence. This speculation seems more natural.

Her gaze was fixed on Grey, her voice steady yet carrying an undeniable sense of pressure:

"In this context, it seems particularly strange to assume that only Kalger and Jorrek are spies."

You must understand, their survival was largely due to luck. If they had died in Albion, it would have all been for naught.

Moreover, even if they survive here, they might not gain the favor of the Bureau of Unearthed Remains Dissection. Without tangible results, even survival would be futile.