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"No, sir. I think you heard the voice, and it was indeed this person walking through your room. However, you didn't wake up immediately. Later, you had a nightmare about a man in your room, and that's when you woke up and pressed the bell to call the train conductor."

"Uh... I think it's not impossible. I do sleep very soundly." Old Mr. Li nodded.

At this moment, Monarch Reines El-Melloi looked at Shirou with great curiosity.

"How do you interpret my maid's testimony, sir?"

“It’s very simple, madam. Your maid, Miss Aria, recognized the handkerchief I showed her. She’s trying to cover for you, but not very cleverly. She did encounter a man posing as a train conductor, but earlier, when the train stopped at the Romanian border station. She deliberately said she saw the man sometime after that, trying to provide you with an alibi for the crime.”

Reines nodded and smiled sweetly.

“You’ve thought of everything, sir. What brilliant reasoning! I admire you greatly.”

"..." When Waver saw that smile, he felt a stomachache. He knew that this was the expression a girl would use when she was laughing at someone. Obviously, she thought Shirou was a fool.

Silence fell over the dining car.

At that moment, Mr. Frederick slammed his fist on the table, and everyone looked in that direction.

Chapter 1267 Shirou's Second Deduction (Part 1)

“This isn’t right!” he said. “Something’s not right, nothing’s right! No matter how I think about it, it just doesn’t make sense! This explanation doesn’t hold water; there are loopholes in many places. The murder couldn’t have happened like this, Shirou, you should know that.”

"At least it's much better than being invaded by vampires and having the Secret Realm Train's reputation damaged."

Shirou turned his head, looked at him with surprise, and whispered.

"Eh?"

“Mr. Frederick, please sit down,” Shirou said. “I haven’t told you the second conclusion yet. After hearing this, I believe you will all agree with it.”

He turned back to face the others and said:

"There is another conclusion that can be drawn regarding this murder case. This is how I arrived at it:"

After listening to everyone's testimonies, I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes, and began to think. Something seemed noteworthy. I listed them off to my two colleagues.

Some I've already explained, for example, why Miss Mary's governess avoided us. And so on.

I will briefly point out the remaining points.

The first point, and also the most important, is a remark made by Mr. Frederick. It was on the first day the train left Istanbul, during lunch in the dining car. His impression was that the group of people gathered there was very interesting, because they were so diverse, from various classes and from different countries.

"I agree with him. However, the thought of this strange phenomenon has made me wonder if such a group could have gathered together under any other circumstances. My own answer is... yes."

It is the Holy Grail War! Each war is waged by people from different countries and factions, for different purposes, who summon heroic spirits from different mythologies and epics to wage a magnificent and colorful war.

An Englishman might summon the conquerors who expanded their territories before Christ, conquering lands that encompassed the three continents of Asia, Europe and Africa.

A Japanese person can summon King Arthur of England, or the hero king from the oldest epic poem from 2600 BC;

In short, there are no national boundaries in this war.

Then, in order to avoid revealing the real secret of this gathering, everyone needed to play a specific role in Danic's play. And that's how I arrived at a rather interesting and satisfying conclusion.

"At the same time, I also used some methods to examine each person's testimony. For example, the first testimony was from Mr. Cowles. I was very satisfied with my first conversation with him. He said that he was employed by Danic more as a tour guide than a secretary."

"But how could Danic not be fluent in multiple languages? He's a politician with eight tongues, like a strategist. That makes me suspicious."

However, the second time, when he heard that I had found Kenneth's name in the fragments that hadn't been completely burned, he acted strangely. I think he must have known that the letter had been burned. In fact, it had indeed been charred black, but I had some tricks up my sleeve to restore it.”

"The second one is Danic's male servant, oh, now I should say Professor Locke Belfebund. He said that his master took a magic potion every night before going to bed when traveling by train to help him sleep. This could very well be true."

But did Danic take his medication last night? The automatic pistol under his pillow proved everything; his male servant was lying.

Would someone who knows that an assassin is likely to attack them tonight deliberately take drugs that make them dull or even unable to fight back?

It's certain that any drugs administered to him were given without his knowledge. Who did it? Clearly, it was either Caules or his servant.

"Now, let's look at Mr. Lion's testimony. I was originally going to believe his self-proclaimed identity. However, when it comes to the actual methods he used to protect Mr. John, his methods were hardly professional."

The only effective way to protect old John, according to this theory, is to spend the night with him in his private room, or stay somewhere where you can keep an eye on his door.

The only point his testimony clearly demonstrates is that no one in the other carriages of the train could have murdered old John. The circle had clearly narrowed down to one carriage in Istanbul.

This puzzled me for a long time at the time because it was so strange and perplexing. I put it aside and decided to think about it later.

"I once met Miss Sora and the Colonel on the ship to Istanbul and overheard their private conversation. Clearly, this shows that they are very close."

However, the colonel pretended that he had only met her a few days ago, but I know the colonel's type. Even if he fell in love with Miss Sora at first sight, he would still make his advances with courtesy, rather than being so hasty and reckless.

Therefore, I conclude that the U.S. Colonel and Miss Sora were actually already acquainted. They were only pretending to be strangers for some reason.

"There is another witness, Mr. Li. You are the least likely person to be involved in this case, but you are like a source of chaos. Every time we think we are close to the truth, you appear and disrupt our thinking."

"Here, I'd like to say a few more words about the time. In my opinion, what's really interesting about that dented watch is where it was found—in Old John's pajama pocket, a very uncomfortable and completely unsuitable place to put a watch, especially since there's a hook right by the bedside specifically for hanging watches. Therefore, I'm convinced that the watch was intentionally put in the pocket, a decoy. So the murder certainly didn't happen at 1:15."

"So, was the crime committed earlier than 1:15? To be precise, at 12:37? Mr. Frederick is inclined to think so. He just mentioned the fact that I was awakened by the loud shouts at that time."

However, if old John had been drugged, he couldn't have cried out. If he could have cried out, he would have been able to fight back and defend himself. But there was no sign of such a fight.

"For this, Kaules made a sacrifice; he deliberately told the obvious lie that Danic couldn't speak a foreign language in order to arouse my suspicion."

"So I judged that all of this was a trick specifically staged for me! Anyone could see through the illusion created on the surface, which is a common tactic used by highly intelligent criminals."

They wanted me to believe that the voice I heard at 12:37 was not Dannick's, but that the killer was imitating him.

Therefore, I would draw the erroneous conclusion that old John must have died at that time. Then I would be convinced that between 12:37 and 1:00, old John was fast asleep due to the effects of anesthesia.

Fortunately, I wasn't misled.

Chapter 1268 Shirou's Second Deduction (Part 2)

"So, what time did the crime actually take place? And who killed him?" Mr. Frederick asked, puzzled.

"Based on my speculation, and this is just speculation, old John was killed close to 2 a.m., which is the last moment of the time frame that the autopsy could determine."

"As for who killed him..."

Shirou paused, glancing at his audience. Everyone stared at him intently, eyes wide. The train carriage was eerily quiet; you could practically hear a pin drop.

Then, Shirow slowly and deliberately said:

"One phenomenon has always caught my attention: I find it difficult to attribute the entire murder to any one person on the train, to a rather strange coincidence. On that train, people who, in my memory, would hardly have gotten together, actually testified to each other that the other was not at the scene when the crime was committed."

So Mr. Cowles and the American colonel provided each other with alibis for the crimes, and the two men didn't seem to know each other at all. The same situation occurred with the British male servant and the Italian; the German maid and the English girl.

This made me ask myself: 'This is unusual; could they all be suspects?'

"So, gentlemen, my thinking is clear. Yes, it's not that they're proving each other innocent, but that they're all suspects. Because it's not only illogical, but also impossible, for so many people connected to the Kenneth family to be traveling together in the same car."

This was no accident, but a carefully planned scheme. And as for Da Niko, there's only one possibility left..." Shirou said, waving his hand to create a soundproof barrier, preventing those outside from hearing what he was about to say.

"The Holy Grail War! A revenge operation carried out by thirteen people gathered on this train because of the Holy Grail War! And behind it lies a dark secret."

"And this farce—the fiancée, the bodyguard, the monitor—is just a cover for the real secret. I see it as a perfect jigsaw puzzle, with everyone playing their assigned role. Everything is cleverly arranged."

Anyone who might be suspected will have one or more people step forward to testify on their behalf, thus complicating matters. The testimony of Shishi Jieli was crucial when the suspect was an outsider, but the timing of the crime could not be confirmed.

In this way, the passengers in the Istanbul carriage were safe. Every detail of all the testimonies was pre-planned. The entire design was like a cleverly arranged jigsaw puzzle.

With each new piece added, the difficulty of solving the case increased. As my friend Mr. Frederick said, this case is like a fantasy, simply impossible! That's exactly what they were hoping for.”

"If anyone wants to refute this conclusion, I will tell you it's futile, because of the nature of the wounds—each one was inflicted by a different person. The forged threatening letter, being fake, was only written as a prop to increase its persuasiveness."

There is no doubt that there must have been a genuine letter warning old John about his fate, but of course, it had been burned by Corles and replaced with other letters.

However, the story of being summoned by Old John, as told by Shi Zijie, is of course a complete lie, as is the description of the mysterious figure: a short, pale-skinned, handsome man who speaks like a woman. This description is quite apt because it wouldn't implicate any real train conductor, and could very well be either a man or a woman.

"The idea of ​​stabbing with a knife seems strange at first glance. However, after some thought, it seems to fit perfectly into the situation of the train being restricted by the magic-suppressing field."

A dagger is a weapon that everyone, strong or weak, would use, and it makes no sound. I suspect, though I may be wrong, that thirteen men took turns passing through Old Man Li's private room, entering Old John's darkened room, and stabbing him! They would never know which stab actually killed him.

"That last letter, the one old John may have found on his pillow, has now been carefully burned. If not a single clue about the Kenneth case remains, then there is absolutely no reason to suspect any of the passengers on the train."

Therefore, it was assumed that an outsider did it. Then, a so-called "woman-like man" emerged, and one or more passengers on the train came forward to testify that they had seen this person and that they saw him get off at the station.

"However, Xue Ling went berserk. At this moment, Miss Theresa discovered the situation through her future vision and thus learned part of the plan in advance. When the train accident made it impossible to carry out, they hurriedly discussed it and decided to act immediately because there was a ritual that had to be performed."

However, this would inevitably raise suspicion about all passengers, but they had anticipated this possibility and were prepared for it.

The only remedy was to make things even more chaotic. So, two so-called clues were deliberately left in the deceased's room. The first was the lighter that implicated the U.S. colonel, because it was the strongest evidence to prove his alibi, and his connection to the Kenneth family and the Holy Grail War was the hardest to prove.

Secondly, it was that handkerchief that made Reines El-Melloi a suspect, but her status, her age, and the testimonies of her maid and the train conductor would not put her at a disadvantage.

To further complicate matters, they fabricated a mysterious woman wearing a bright red cloak, attempting to divert attention and distract people. I must reiterate the existence of this woman.

At that moment, someone knocked hard on my door. I jumped out of bed, looked out the door, and saw a person wearing a bright red cloak disappear into the distance.

They carefully chose the train conductor, the red-haired lady, and Corles to testify for her. While I was talking to people in the dining car, someone, I think, must have been a very humorous person, thoughtfully placed the bright red cloak on the top shelf of my suitcase.

I suspect this cloak originally came from Miss Theresa; she avoids contact with me as much as possible, and doesn't go out into the hallway, to avoid being recognized by me from behind while wearing the cloak.

"When they learned that I had found Kenneth's name in the fragments, they all agreed to deny any connection with the Kenneth family, leaving all suspicion to be borne by Sovereign Reines."

They knew I couldn't get the truth immediately; they believed I wouldn't find the crux of the case unless I suspected a specific person. But we happened to be very familiar with the Kenneth family.

"Now, there's one more thing we need to consider. Assuming my reasoning in this case is correct, the train conductor was clearly involved in this conspiracy, right? Hallest... lecturer in Modern Magic. I've heard that you've always been very interested in the Holy Grail War, and that the head of the Animusphia family went to participate in the Holy Grail War and disappeared after contacting you."

The train conductor Hallest laughed. When he got to the second reasoning, he stopped writing and only recorded the first conclusion on the paper.

Chapter 1269: The Deduction Ends Here

Shirou continued:

"Next, let's talk about Lion's Robbery Jie Li. He certainly doesn't seem to be a member of the Kenneth family. He's a necromancer, connected to the Spirit Summoning Department. I can only assume he was hired by them to approach Danic and, ideally, gain his trust, but Danic doesn't seem to accept him."

"And there's Koles, he's a student at the Clock Tower, and he's obviously connected to you."

"Yes, he is my prized student, proficient in lightning magic." Hallest, the lecturer of modern magic, tipped his hat in greeting.

"Finally, there's Old Man Li. Old Man Li, please allow me to pay my respects to you, Your Majesty! You played the most important role in this play. Living next door to Old John, he is the prime suspect. Naturally, he cannot resort to any alibi for the crime. Yet you perfectly portrayed a harmless foreigner, a talkative old man."

To accomplish something like this, one either needs an Oscar-caliber actor, or one must have an actor of that caliber possess them. Your true form is Rufreus Nazele Ulphis, the monarch of the Spirit Conjuring Department!!

Shirou finished explaining his reasoning.

Then, Mr. Li spoke. His voice was soft and deep, with a standard British accent, completely unlike the accent he had used during his travels, which was mixed with Chinese-accented English.

“I selected a spirit that met the criteria, manipulated its memories, and then made it act on my behalf. Except for the time when it was punishing Danic, all of these actions were genuine and heartfelt by this Chinese spirit. I didn’t expect it to arouse your suspicion.”

He continued speaking, still in that gentle tone, his deep eyes fixed on Shirou.

"You know the whole story, Mr. Shirou. You are an extremely intelligent person. However, even you cannot imagine how dangerous Danic is. He despises the Clock Tower and even wants to seize power from the Mage's Association."

Many people have been hurt.

And then there's Kenneth, my promising protégé, academically impeccable, but I forgot to teach him how to transform into a beast and fight it. He sacrificed himself, many were saddened by his death, Sophie left London alone, along with another of my protégés…”

“Danis was kind to me when I was studying abroad,” the U.S. colonel said, standing up.

“We’ll get married after we decide to help Kenneth get revenge.” Sora also came out and stood next to the colonel.

The divisions in the Third Holy Grail War and the decline of the mages made them even more powerless when facing the overwhelming military forces.

In the third Holy Grail War in this world, Darnic used the military's power to trick and obtain the Greater Grail.

It's like Kenneth setting up a magical workshop in a restaurant; no matter how ingenious, it's no match for someone blowing up the entire building with a bomb.

The activation of magic requires a medium and conditions, such as elements of nature, if the army uses heavy firepower to blow up all the arrangements.

The Greater Grail was thus uncontaminated, but Darnic used it to repeatedly wage the Sub-Grail Wars.

They summoned powerful magicians such as Kenneth and Mary's father, and made them fight each other.

"At that time, we decided to plan this sanction by selecting and contacting magicians who had a grudge against Danic. We contacted Caules, who graduated from the Clock Tower, and had him get close to Danic and become his secretary. We also had Locke find a way to pass the job application and become Danic's male servant."

"So we came to this train, my son came along, and Sophie and her lover also said they wanted to join us when they heard the news, so including Danic, we made a total of fourteen people."

Then, Kaules devised a plan to get Danic to choose a departure date. Meanwhile, Hartres infiltrated the Secret Train and took up duty in that carriage.

We had originally planned to book all the berths in the Istanbul carriage, but it turned out one berth had already been reserved for a company director. And the Spaniard—of course, that was a fabrication. After all, Kales was responsible for poisoning Danic, and it would be awkward for any stranger to share a compartment with him. Then, at the last minute, you walked in…

Fate is truly unpredictable, bringing you together with us. But this opportunity was too good to pass up, so we decided to take action. Although we took many precautions, we underestimated you. Congratulations, you have won this contest.

The old man said with a smile.

Shirou interjected, "It's not just about revenge, Monarch. More importantly, there's the Holy Grail War, the fourteen-person subspecies Holy Grail War that Darnic failed to conceive. Two Monarchs and two Monarchs' heirs were mobilized for this. Such a grand undertaking cannot be explained away so simply."

If it's just about revenge, you and your men could easily kill Danic together.

"By monitoring Danic, you learned of his plan to declare war on the Mage's Association, so you struck first and seized the Greater Grail he had hidden."

He paused for a moment, then admitted it.

"Yes, El-Melloi, Animusfiah, Macchiato, Einzbern... We've gathered all those involved in the Holy Grail War and are preparing to converge in one place to begin the ritual. Fortunately, unlike the Holy Grail from the wish-granting machine, we only need to find the location of the Greater Grail. So we can proceed even without summoning Servants, in the form of Darnic's death."

"Through discussion, we have decided that the Greater Grail will be kept by the Department of Spirit Conjuring, Nick's head and knowledge will belong to the El-Melloi family, and the foundation for summoning Heroic Spirits will be provided to the Animusfia family for research."