Third Trial

[thecastle]

THIRD TRIAL

Saturday, Week 3

UNCOVER THE GUILTY PARTY


No one can resist the tug that urges them forward and into the Great Hall. There's no point in lingering within the safe confines of your bed or loitering in the castle halls. Neither will shield you from these tedious trials nor will they keep you from witnessing the ghastly scenes that follow. Most of you have reluctantly accepted this as your reality. Right now, it probably feels like there's no stopping the course you're on. All you can do is hold on tight and wait for Sunday to come. If you can just get through this trial, surely next week won't end in disappointment and tragedy.

It's only when all twenty-two of you are present that the doors in the Great Hall fly open, allowing everyone to enter into the trial room. The only surprise here it is if anyone's still shocked by the display.

As soon as you enter, it's easy to see that the only difference from last week is there are less of you to fill the seats around the table. Likely because of how spacious the room is, with so many of your number missing it's starting to feel a little lonely. With a quick glance, you can see the profiles still lining the walls. Their presence serves as a grim reminder of those whose lives have been lost, just in case the absence of their voices wasn't enough.

When everyone settles into their respective seats, The Sage's cold voice seeps in through their pendants.

"It is time, my warriors, to meet the challenge head on. Thus far, your quick wit and perseverance have prevented these trials from meeting an unrighteous end. As you come upon your third tribunal, I can only ponder if this trend will continue.

May you be blessed with only the best of fortune. You will need it."

As soon as the Sage finishes speaking, five images flicker into sight as if brought to life by a projector. Seeing how there's no such device present, it may not be a stretch to consider magic is at work here.

Soldier on, Warriors.

22 REMAIN

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locations | profiles | voting

Comments

[godinsolitude]

That doesn't necessarily rule out Misora-san unfortunately. If the training of FBI agents is even slightly similar to that of the police, she'd know plenty of ways to move someone heavier than her, in the event of an unruly suspect. She's about my sister's size, too.

I think she has some form of alibi with her lack of poison knowledge, however.

[maddogs]

Yeah, but there's a difference between movin' someone a little ways an' takin' 'em far, right?

[godinsolitude]

There is, but there are workarounds for that too. Moving something heavy is all about leverage.

[maddogs]

If we spend all our time sayin' the evidence doesn't fuckin' matter because of loopholes, we're gonna be at this forever.

[browbeater]

Agreed. Natalia is light enough that almost everyone in the group would be able to move her.

[maddogs]

Move her, sure. Carry her, nah.

[browbeater]

She wasn't carried, she was dragged the entire way to the river.

That would be a really awkward position for me, since I'm much taller than her. It'd be way more awkward to drag her than to just carry her.

[originallutece]

I don't know about that.

A hundred-odd pounds is quite a bit of weight for someone to move, especially when it's dead weight and when they've little strength built up. I certainly couldn't do it, not without a lot of effort, and even then, I doubt I could do it for more than a few feet.

[browbeater]

Exactly. But my point is, if I, or Georik, killed Natalia, we're both strong enough to just carry her. Why waste time fighting with leverage to drag her outside?

It's a lot of unnecessary work, and creates an obvious trail.

[gyakusatsu]

Ayumu-kun is correct, I would have been able to carry Natalia if I'd needed to. He's also correct that I'm not remotely familiar with mandrakes.

Furthermore, I've never held a sword in my life.

[breakingthrough]

Are any of us familiar with swords? Because I've never used one either. I've never said it before but the weapon I use is an umbrella... not that they've given it back to me yet.

[.................umbrella, yes. That is her jrpg weapon.]

[pseudoregelia]

[...Okay, this she needs to know:]

How do you use an umbrella?

[Just. Curious!!]

[breakingthrough]

For Seraphim, it's advantageous to use weapons of opposing elements. [So. Uh. Water.] Anyway-- I can conduct magical artes through it. But it's not bad as a shield or as a blunt weapon.

[AKA she whacks monsters with it and also opens it up and twirls it at them.

.........]

[pseudoregelia]

Th-that must be a powerful umbrella... I think most of the ones I've used would have crumpled immediately.

[buddyoldpal]

Ain't this sword kinda weird, too? Don't look like the seven-pronged ones I been gettin' from Pond-kun.

[breakingthrough]

Yeah... I've certainly never seen anything like it. The only thing "Pond-kun" gave me was this staff.

[This one. That belongs to Jansen.]

I wonder if it belonged to someone and they asked for it back.

[buddyoldpal]

Last time I got Majima's knife, some nunchaku, a lamp cover... Hell, I've gotten a lotta shit, but nothin' like that sword.

[ He shrugs. ]

If nobody knows what it is, maybe it was Hime-chan's or Asch-kun's. If it'd been Sen-chan's, it'd look more Japanese, and if it were Rika-chan's, Hanyuu-han could have recognized it.

[gyakusatsu]

[....Umbrellas. Misora will suppress an incredulous look here. She wants to ask, but this ain't the time for it.]

I don't know about the other suspects on this list, but my expertise lies more with firearms.

[And as several people can attest to, she does have a gun now.]

[breakingthrough]

[Maybe later if they survive this ordeal.]

Right. Well, it's good to know at least.

[godinsolitude]

[An.... umbrella....]

Honestly, I'm not sure how familiar you'd have to be to stab a drugged and incapacitated victim.

[.....]

An umbrella?

[Sorry Edna but what.]

[breakingthrough]

Still, it's pretty big. It would be a lot harder for someone smaller to confidantly wield something like that.

[Just sayin'.]

Yep. It's good for conducting artes-- magic, I guess you'd say. But it's not a bad weapon to get in a few good hits here or there either. But physically it's not going to do a lot of damage. It's very light.

[Yeah.... yeah.]

[tangas]

Given that she was stabbed twice, I doubt it's someone who's a pro at dealing with swords.

[breakingthrough]

That's also very possible. That still leaves the question of where it came from. No one seems to recognize it, myself included. Very likely it came from the pond, however we have no way of knowing who got their hands on it or who it belonged to.

MOD PING

[tangas]

They must've gotten it from the wishing pond since we all came here with no items. So.

[ tapping his pendant?? calling out?? idk ]

Oh, Great and Powerful Overlords, who'd the pond bless with the Key of Lorelei?

[devilsphysician]

I do know how to use swords, but I've never seen one like that before in my life, and never got my hands on one here.

And before anyone asked - I did not take any of the kitchen knives.

[Of course he expects a pair of criminals to try to use it against him]