"Our common enemy...?"
Rufti's bnk eyes gze over, completely taken in by my reasoning mixed in with lies. Even though I redirected a bullet for her, Val-sama doesn't seem to very approve of my 「very goodo」 detective work! (lying)
Even so, the ship must still sail out of port!
"Come now, my Prinz, have you forgotten the obvious intruder... Fox-Mask??"
It has been a while since we st mentioned her, but if there is one person who is definitely in the wrong and suspicious, it has to be HER! Between the pink mist and vampiric cattle-svery she had going on there, I am personally offended by how she talked down to me like I was thin air! I'm the detective, so the culprit really shouldn't get so cocky! What do you think, Prinz Rufti?
A pair of lightbulbs light up in Rufti's eyes!
"I got it! I think I understand now, Aya-chan!"
Of course you do, your detective has led you to this very reasonable conclusion, I am sure you can fill in the pieces yourself! As for why I am doing so, clearly it isn't just for Val-sama's benefit! Rufti is my 'insurance'!
One thing you have to know about Madi-san is that even with her obnoxious personality she somehow 'knows' a lot of people. Madi-san just seems to have this dark pull which attracts people, glowies or otherwise, right into her orbit! You saw it with the [Trono Palido] girls! What are the odds of an old veetuba friend's of Madi-san's just coincidentally becoming a dark knight in the city she is living in?! Not very high I would assume!
If my reading of how Vespana's magick works is right...
I need to pull people into my own orbit as well.
That's why... I need my Watson.
There's a series of mystery novels called "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" in the Old Continent that I am very fond of! It tells the story of the very smart and cool guy, the detective Sherlock Holmes, who has an uncanny knack for uncovering the truth by noticing only the smallest of details! At his side is his silly helper, Dr. Watson! While not as smart as your detective, Watson is just a little dumber than the average reader! That's a great help, because while your detective (me) is sailing straight ahead with her theories, Watson is like a mooring anchor who will keep me from going off the wrong track!
After all, Watson... is always wrong!
Whatever Rufti thinks, I will simply double check with my hard-thought reasoning, and reject them!
How can I, the detective, Ayano Sane, be wrong in my logical thinking??
In Madi-san's nguage... I have found my accomplice.
Why don't you tell the css what you learnt... my Prinz??
"I got it! I got it, Aya-chan! Last night, a certain troublemaker snuck into the Galopin Chateau... Right after that, an unknown person appeared in the auction room...! The timing is too coincidental! By this line of reasoning, the intruder Madison Deroux and the intruder Fox-Mask... are the same!"
See what I mean?
If you listen to the 'Watson', all manner of nonsense will emerge in your mind! Giving a hearty chuckle with my hands over my stomach,
"Oh very good my Prinz, very 「very goodo」! But... no."
"No?" Prinz Rufti narrows her confused pupils, a small grimace floating over her face from the rejection from the detective in the green jacket.
"Madi-san Deroux cannot be Fox-Mask. You probably don't remember since you were out of it then, but after I stabbed a gss shard into my hand," I raise up my bck-bandaged hand for everyone in the room to see, "A certain voice was piped into the room, one that Fox-Mask not so happily recognized as the [Exposer of Conspiracies]...! Now, Rufti, what do you think that implies?"
>Madi-san causes a problem>she's always causing problems>Fox-Mask sneaks into the mansion>she repced the original auctioneer>waits patiently for Rufti to come along>does not expect her to come with a friend!>pink mist intensifies>Rufti trances out here>detective goes stabbity stab with orb shard!>everyone wakes up>an annoying voice pipes into the room>its Madi-san>defo here to cause trouble for everyone>doesnt matter who>Fox-Mask is NOT happy>copes really hard>you are here>implying?dou? What do you think of my >greentruth? As I >imply, lies and truth interweave with each other, forming a completely new truth that is absolutely beneficial to myself!
"I... I see! If Fox-Mask was arguing with Madison Deroux, then they cannot even be the same person! Does that not mean that there were two groups of hoodlums in the Galopin Chateau st night? They might even be on opposing sides!"
"sa, who knows. That's another thing we should find out." I shrug my shoulders with both palms raised up to the sky. This time, instead of a pained and confused expression, there is only supreme confidence instead! Great-grans, I love this feeling! It is the feeling of winning...! "All I want to do, is to get to the bottom of who Fox-Mask is, and tear her mask of shame off...!"
"Will you... help me? Prinz Rufti de Galopin?"
I outstretch a bandaged hand to Rufti,
who immediately goes red-cheeked.
nanda? What is this reaction? It is almost as if...
All sorts of yabai thoughts flow into my head through this one-way parasocial connection, the Prinz shifting uneasily with clenched fists before the [Hauntsgirl] desk, turning her head towards the storefront window!
Wha-what are you thinking?! All I am asking you is to be my Watson! This is NOT yuribaiting like what Madi-san and Sachiko senpai were up to this entire morning! This would be more like the Pirate King finding crewmembers! It is absolutely seiso and PG-13!
I HAVE to clear up this misunderstanding, otherwise we will have a big problem ter!
I'm just asking you to be my underling, this isn't a confession to carve your likeness on my ship's figurehead or anything...! As I look around the room for support, even simple-minded Annalie seems to have heard something wrong as well, her eyebrows narrowing with pursuing lips...!
No...! This... this isn't what it looks like!
"D-don't get the wrong idea...! I-I have many underlings, I was just about to ask if you wanted to---"
>be moi' lover!!!What?!
No!!!
I didn't say that!!!
I never even got to finish my sentence when it was completed for me! Just as I was about to expin the concept of a 'Watson' out loud, the words 'be my Watson' were transformed into >greentext...! The words were fitted right into my speech, completely distorting my meaning! What's more, the text floated across the air inside [Hauntsgirl], streaking across for the other two [Trono Palido] members to see!
Val-sama's eyes follow the >greentext scrolling across the screen, disappearing through the wall. As if half-expecting this, she buries a smug, knowing smile in her handphone screen!
"Oh dear. Its happening."
On the other hand, Annalie is the most wa shocked out of the bunch.
"Aya-chan, what are you SAYING?! You are both girls...?!"
Don't point an accusatory finger at me while covering your mouth, you fake priestess! I don't like what you are implying here! This is an honest mistake, I'll fix it right now!
"Prinz Galopin, I >desire >you(re) (help)!"
NO!!!NOOOO!!!!!!What I mean to say was "I need your help!"
That confirmed it...! The words are coming out of my mouth wrong! Some mysterious force is changing the things I say into the >green and causing misunderstandings...! Right now, the target of all these silly misunderstandings looks as if an entire volcano exploded the top of her head off, steam coming out of her ears, eyes all spirally with giddy embarrassment!
"T-this is all too sudden!" The tomboy who has totally gotten the wrong idea sways her upper body around, covering her face with her palms, "I need to think this over...! I'll send a message, but only when it... it is the right time!"
"No...! Wait, Rufti! Matte...!!! [1]
[SFX:Doorbell Jingle]
My words go completely unheard, blush-faced Rufti running off amidst the thunder of hoof-like bodyguard beats echoing into the city streets outside! Stunned silence is all that remains inside of [Hauntsgirl] as I watch Rufti's running figure disappear from behind the storefront window!
What... what just happened?!
I was just speaking normally, and suddenly the >greentext appeared out of nowhere!
Annalie is completely confused by this turn of events, and has taken it all at face value! She is now peering over behind the frontsgirl desk with only the upper half of her head exposed, eyes narrowed in a disapproving look!
"Ayano-dono." The person who broke the silence was none other than Val-sama, who has finally stopped pying with her phone enough to put it down by the couchside. "Didn't Madison warn you not to abuse the >greentext?"
I... I think Sachiko-senpai did? Why do you ask, Val-sama?
Do you know what's going on?
Our blonde-haired hime-sama pushes the gsses on her face upwards with one hand,
"Take it from your senpai from /here/, if you make up rrats without an ounce of truth...
...bad things happen."
Rrats?
That sounds like how I would pronounce 'rats'.
What's a rrat?
"See for yourself." Val-sama casually points a finger towards Annalie's direction; at the back of the [Hauntsgirl] counter, scrolling >greentext are appearing in rapid strings...
... but not a single one of them my own!
Go Go And Learn Moonrunes With Aya-chan![1] Matte - 待って, it means to 'wait', or to 'slow things down'! (You)... (you) believe me right, reader?! The detective's mind is always pure!
Changelog
250128 - Fixed some minor spelling mistake, no narrative changes.