"So, that's why you have to find the hidden gold and make us rich. I think it has something to do with the word 'Quadrillion'."

Ozaki continues ranting on the phone. Why did you even tell him you'd be here?

>>17001
"Right, 'us'. Just leave it to me. Anything else you want to tell me before I get started? I'm ready to go."

"Just don't get distracted. I know how you get, man."

The phone clicks.

>>17004
I look around the room and check my watch.

The room is a standard guest room. From the window, it looks like you're in the Guest House. It's 5:37. Dinner should be around an hour or so, but you're not sure what time the family typically eats.

Last edited at 14/12/31(Wed)01:00:38

>>17007
I leave my guest room and lock it behind me, going out into the hall to see if anyone is around.

As soon as you walk out, you catch Rudolf's eye. Was he waiting for you?

"Hey, Kinjo. Glad I could catch you. We haven't managed to crack Krauss yet, but we're giving it a gallant effort. He can't keep us away forever, right? Not when we have our own doctor in the house."

>>17009
"Yeah, exactly. You want to try talking to him again?"

"Actually, Kyrie and I think that you should question Dr. Nanjo. Be friendly, but see if there's anything he says that doesn't make sense. You might be able to catch some medical stuff that we wouldn't."

>>17011
"Sure thing. Where might Doctor Nanjo be right now?"

"You haven't seen him? I thought he was in his room upstairs. If not, check in with the servants. He likes to chat with them. Anyways, I have to get back to things. I'll be surprised if I get out of this conference without any gray hairs."

>>17035
"Good luck. It's too late for me!"

I'll go to Nanjo's room and knock on the door to see if he's there.

You walk upstairs. It looks like the cousins haven't returned from the beach yet.

You knock a few times on Nanjo's door. A lock clicks and the door opens.

"...What is it?"

>>17037
"Hey, sorry to bother you. I was wondering if I could talk to you about Kinzo."

"Oh, I'll imagine you'll do whatever it is that you please. There's no point of asking what I think, is there?"

Nanjo sighs. "As I've told everyone, Kinzo is merely at the end of his days. A heart beats a finite number of times."

Last edited at 15/01/04(Sun)19:32:32

>>17039
"Whaaaaat?! I'm at the end of my days?! Is anybody a doctor around here?!"

"I understand you're a far more experienced doctor than I am, so I was hoping to learn a few things from you, while we're both here.

...Is Kinzo well enough to at least see his family this year?"

Last edited at 15/01/04(Sun)19:37:16

"I'm sure. I never recommend that my patients unnecessarily strain themselves, but Kinzo is the kind of person that would go to dinner if he genuinely wished to. Only he can really decide. Rather, I'm more interested in you, Mr. Goldbar. Why exactly are you here? Is someone sick that I'm unaware about? Has a deadly plague broken out? I should like to know."

Last edited at 15/01/04(Sun)19:47:07

>>17041
"Oh, that's because Kinzo invited me here himself. Said something about wanting a second opinion. I wanted to check up on his health with you first though, since you know all the details about his history."

"That's a damned lie!" Nanjo's face scrunches up. "Kyrie and Rudolf are your employers. Even I know that much."

Last edited at 15/01/04(Sun)19:59:48

>>17043
"Sorry, some people say I have a weird sense of humor. ...Anyway yes, I'm their family doctor. Ange has been sick a lot lately and they're afraid they've got it too. I'm here in case they experience any of the symptoms during the conference, because it would be really bad if they did. You've heard of Ebola, right?"

"Don't apologize for your humor, Mr. Goldbar. We all have things that we're best at. Mine is medical knowledge. If that's all, good day."

Nanjo shuts the door in your face. Coincidentally, you hear sets of footsteps climbing up the stairs accompanied by Maria's voice. As you look back, the cousins emerge from the steps.

"Ah, Mr. Goldbar," Jessica says. "I hope that you're getting along alright."

"Uu! Maria found lots of shells! Beat Battler in a collecting race."

"Now, Maria," George says. "I'm sure that Mr. Goldbar doesn't care about that."

"We stayed out longer than we expected," Battler says. "We got completely rained out."

>>17045
"Oh, has it started raining? I heard there's going to be horrible weather the whole weekend. We might get stuck here if it's bad enough."

"I'm sure we wouldn't mind if that's the case," George says. "There are people that we rarely get to see on this island. It's a lively opportunity."

"I don't know," Jessica says. She looks at you. "These conferences get more stressful every year. I'll be glad when it's over. I'm sure you have work to do on the mainland, right? I know that not everyone gets the luxury of having nothing to do."

>>17047
"Work? I spend most of my days playing Nintendo when I'm not writing mystery stories in my office. I have so much free time you might suspect I'm not even a doctor at all."

I'll check my watch.

"Anyway, it's getting close to dinner time, isn't it?"

It's 6:04.

"Uh, right. It'll probably be around another half hour," Jessica tells you. "If you want, you can wait around here until the servants call. I have to go up the mansion anyways."

Jessica grabs an umbrella and takes her leave.

Last edited at 15/01/04(Sun)21:12:56

>>17049
I turn to Battler, George, and Maria.

"Huh, I suppose we can wait here. Wonder why Jessica had to go early."

"She mentioned that she had to help her parents with something," Battler says. "I think it has to do with gramps."

"I wonder if he'll be joining us for dinner," George says. "It would be a pleasant surprise."

>>17051
"Yes, the suspense is killing me..."

I turn to Maria.

"Hey Maria, you said you picked up some seashells, right? Want to see a cool magic trick?"

Maria looks surprised. "Do you really know magic?"

>>17053
"I'll prove it to you. Let me see one of those seashells, please."

I reach out my hand to Maria.

Maria hands you a seashell.

>>17055
"<Good!> We will be using this as a teleportation device. You remember the fun you had at the beach just now, right? I'll use this shell to teleport all of us back there!"

I hold the shell and raise my arm up high.

"The only condition... This spell only works if you keep your eyes closed. If anyone opens their eyes, we'll teleport back right away! Do you want to give it a try, Maria? Can you close your eyes for me?"

Maria closes her eyes. "I'm ready!"

Battler and George smile, looking amused.

>>17057
"Alright. We're going back to the beach. Come, remember, what form did it have? Lots of sand. You're walking on the sand again, aren't you? Remember how it looked and felt..."

I bring the shell to her ear.

"...And the ocean, you can hear it now, can't you? It was gray -- no, blue, it was a blue ocean! And you can hear its waves crashing on the beach, right? We've teleported back! Just keep your eyes closed, and remember its form with your mind, or the spell will break!"

"Uu! Maria can hear it! The waves are moving against the sand. The ocean tastes so salty. There's sand stuck in-between Maria's toes! Amazing! Uuu! Uu!"

It appears that your spell worked.

Last edited at 15/01/04(Sun)22:03:02

"Uu. The rain clouds are closing in on us. Waves are getting stronger. A wave hits Maria's legs while she's gathering shells and knocks her over! Uuu! Uu!"

"The joyful power of magic? I'm disappointed, Kinjo Goldbar. The last time this fragment played, you spent this time completing the witch's epitaph. If you're going to squander around helplessly, at least make it entertaining. Haven't I been cursed with enough saccharine magic stories?"

>>17062
"You seem to forget that in the original fragment, dead bodies were found in the gold room the next morning. If I don't solve the epitaph then nobody goes to the gold room and nobody dies."

"Don't misunderstand me, I understand the strategy in your decision. I just wish you wouldn't be so boring about it. You may be the detective, but I control the board's presentation. You didn't take Maria to the beach. All you did was put a shell up to her ear. You've both been standing in the guest house."

Maria opens her eyes. She seems to be in a sour mood.

"Maria isn't sure if she likes the beach anymore."

George walks back into the hallway. You hadn't even noticed that he left. "Gohda just called. We should head to the mansion."

Last edited at 15/01/05(Mon)11:17:22

>>17066
"Alright, let's get going then."

I'll grab an umbrella and lead the way.

Battler, Maria, and George follow you. As you're leaving, you can hear Doctor Nanjo trailing behind. He keeps his distance.

You pass by the rose garden on your way to the mansion. With the storm growing heavier, it's hard to see too much. Maria struggles to hold on to her umbrella, but Battler helps her out.

Battler and George chat casually as you approach the mansion's entrance. Apparently, George is interested in marring a servant girl named Shannon. George seems pretty peeved that he would blurt out something like that.

"Mr. Goldbar. About Shannon, I haven't told the rest of my family, yet. I'd appreciate it if you could keep what you've heard to yourself."

>>17068
"Sure thing."

You walk through the doors of the mansion. When you enter the dining room, you see that the adults are already at their spots on the table. You have a seat near the cousins. It doesn't look like Kinzo has joined in on the festivities.

"I do hope that Father arrives soon," Eva says. She wears a small smirk. "I'm getting quite worried about him."

"That's right," Rudolf says. "We'll definitely have to make sure of his well-being before the conference ends."

"They're talking about the inheritance right before dinner?" Battler scowls. "You'd think they'd give it a break for an hour, at least."

"They're hopeless," Jessica says. "Just ignore them. Are you really going to give it to her tonight?"

George nods. "I'll give her the ring. If she wears it in the morning, I'll know she wants to marry me. If not...well, I'll know."

"That's your plan? Geez, you really don't understand her heart at all, do you?"

Different conversations whirl around you. Everyone's waiting for dinner. What will you do?

Last edited at 15/01/05(Mon)12:04:11

>>17070
I'll stay in my seat and wait quietly until dinner starts.

Conversations carry on for a couple of minutes. You don't contribute. You hear your name brought up a few times from the adults, but nobody addresses you specifically.

Then, as you're waiting, you see it: a letter sitting in the middle of the table, just beyond your reach. You're sure that wasn't there when you entered the dining hall.

There's a sense of foreboding in the room. Something is...off. Even though everything looks normal, something seems out of place even apart from the letter.

Last edited at 15/01/05(Mon)19:45:19

>>17072
"...What's that?"

I point at the letter.

"That's...the seal from Father's ring," Krauss says. He looks flabbergasted.

Eva looks incredulous. "Is it now? And what kind of trick are you showing us?"

"Was that there before?" Rosa asks.

Kyrie shakes her head. "Someone must have put it there. Did anyone see?"

Nobody speaks up. Were there really no witnesses? It's like the letter magically appeared at the table.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Rudolf grabs the envelope and tears it open. The adults are tensed up. "Let's see..."

Something is sorely out of place. If only you could put your finger on it! Yet, everything looks so normal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVOf6HEur5Y

"I, Kinzo Ushiromiya, Head of the Ushiromiya family, with a sound mind and conscious, name my granddaughter, Jessica, to be my successor. My son, Krauss, will act as Head until she comes of age. When Jessica is twenty-one years old, she will inherit my land, my title, and all of my gold. I've drafted an official will with my dear friends Genji and Nanjo as my witnesses, but I leave this letter with my family. They ought to be the first to know of my intentions.

I've made so many mistakes during my years. I will never be forgiven, but I hope that my granddaughter does better. This is my last wish."

You finally figure out what's off. There's a strange, distant cranking sound, like some kind of machinery.

>>17076
"Wait. Does anyone else hear that?"

I'll try and listen to where the sound is coming from and head in that direction, looking for the source.

"Hear what?" George asks.

You walk in the direction of the sound. It seems to be coming from behind you, from outside of the mansion. There are several windows lined up on the wall, but it's too dark to see.

"Wait," Rudolf says. "There's another note in the envelope."

He pauses. "Sacrifice the six chosen by the key?"

Gohda walks in the dining room with a tray of food. "I hope that everyone's ready to eat. I've brought a fine course of--"

As Gohda removes a plate cover, he shrieks. When others see it, they do as well. On Gohda's tray...is the severed head of a burnt corpse.

Krauss stands up. "What in the world?"

>>17078
"What the--?! Whose head is that?! Is this a joke?!"

Natsuhi's eyes dart around. She scowls. "What is the meaning of this? Someone speak--"

Several windows break at once while deafening bangs explode on the other side of the wall. Some glass flies into your face and scratches you, but it barely avoids hitting your eyes.

"Everybody, get down!" Rosa yells. The family starts ducking under the table, but it's too late. Nanjo and Natsuhi have bullets lodged in their skulls. Krauss was shot straight through the chest.

"We're being attacked!" says Battler. You can hear screaming coming from somewhere else in the mansion as well. Could that be the servants?

>>17080
I jump down to the floor and crawl along the perimeter of the room to the door leading to the hallway.

You succeed with no interruptions. There aren't any more shots. The hallway is empty, but you can hear shouting from a distance.

>>17082
I'll run toward the screaming (because that sounds like a good idea).

You follow the noise and reach the servant's room. You find Shannon standing over the bodies of Genji and Kumasawa. They were both shot in the head. The window in this room is broken as well.

"M-Mr. Goldbar! We were just sitting down to eat and...and..."

>>17084
"The dining room was attacked too! We need to stick together and regroup with the others."

She nods, clearly flustered, and follows you back. The others are just dashing out of the room and into the hallway. Besides the dead, everyone is accounted for.

"Oh God... they're all...What do we do?" Rosa asks.

"Stay together," Rudolf says. "And stay away from windows. They can't attack us if they don't have a vantage point. Damn it, they're going to pay for this."

"Nobody should have been able to get on the island," Kyrie says. "This shouldn't be possible. Where's Kanon, anyways?"

"He...he never came to dinner," Shannon says.

"Then he could be the culprit behind this! We need to go upstairs and grab Father's guns," Eva says.

Last edited at 15/01/05(Mon)21:15:29

>>17086
I look at each person just to see who specifically is present with us right now.

Eva, Hideyoshi, Rudolf, Kyrie, Rosa, Gohda, Battler, Jessica, George, Maria, and Shannon are all in the hallway.

"Mom...Dad..." Jessica sobs at the ground.

Eva clings onto her husband's jacket.

"They're all fucking dead!" Battler yells. "What the hell happened? It's useless, it's all completely useless!"

>>17088
"I guess we should get Kinzo's guns then. But we can't go inside the study without a key, can we?"

Rosa turns to Gohda. "Do you know where the key to Father's study is?"

Gohda frowns. "There are two. One is kept in the study and I believe that Genji keeps the other."

"Then we need to get the key from Genji," Eva says. "Why isn't he here?"

"Genji is..." Shannon trails off.

Last edited at 15/01/05(Mon)21:44:05

>>17090
"...Follow me."

I'll lead the group back to Genji's corpse and search him for the key to the study.

You lead the group to the servant's room.

"Be careful," George says. "It could be dangerous in any room."

Everyone enters.

"Even the servants..." Battler says.

"This is just awful," Hideyoshi says. "Who would do something like this to these decent folks? It's sickening."

You search through Genji's pockets, but you can't find the key on him.

"Where the hell is it?" Rudolf says. "You said he has it!"

"I- I have no idea, honestly! I'm only a master chef! Keys are beyond my area of expertise!"

>>17092
"Guess we're not going to the study then. Unless anyone wants to try and break down the door?"

"It's better than doing nothing," Rudolf says. As he turns to the hallway, he looks down in surprise. "What is that?"

There's a small key sitting just outside the door.

"That..." Gohda says. "That's a key to Kinzo's study."

Eva snaps her eyes around the room. "Who put that there? It was someone in this room, right? Tell me who it was!"

Nobody answers her furious demands.

>>17094
"Well then."

I take the key and lead the way to the study.

"Hold on," Kyrie says. "In chess, there's a scenario called a 'Fool's Mate'. It happens when a player loses in the fewest possible amount of moves. If someone left that key there, they want us to go to the study. It's a trap."

"That's right!" Eva says. "We'd just play into their hands."

"What choice do we have?" Rudolf asks. "Sit around here and wait to be shot?"

>>17096
"I say we settle this the old-fashioned way: Rock paper scissors! If Rudolf wins, we go to the study, and if Kyrie wins, we stay here!"

"You'd decide our lives on a game?" George asks. "Are you insane?"

"I'll go to the study myself," Rudolf says. "We have to try."

"We don't," Kyrie says. "We should find a secure place to wait out the storm. If we keep our wits about us, we can make it through this."

"Kyrie--"

"I'm not letting you do something stupid."

"Where would we go?"

>>17098
"There aren't too many safe places in this mansion, are there? The parlor has windows just like the dining room. We'd probably be safer in here than anywh--"

Suddenly I realize something odd.

".........Wait, can someone remind me... Was there a portrait of a woman in the entrance hall earlier...?"

"Uuu! That's the Golden Witch, Beatrice! She can do anything."

"Why is that important?" Rosa asks.

>>17100
(So she's in this fragment after all...)

"Perhaps the gold room would be the safest place to hide."

"Gold room?" Eva asks. "What are you talking about?"

>>17102
"The hidden room with Beatrice's... Kinzo's ten tons of gold. I believe I know how to reach it."

"You have to show us!" says Eva. "It might be the one place that the culprit can't reach."

"Can we really risk going outside in a time like this?" Shannon asks. "Even if we all move together, we'll just be a large target, right?"

>>17104
"Hey, Shannon. How'd you know we needed to go outside to reach it...?"

"Good question," Kyrie says. "You stole the words from my lips. On that note, Kinjo, how did you know that Kinzo's guns were in his study?"

The atmosphere in the room seems to tense up.

>>17106
"When you said they belonged to Kinzo, I figured it was safe to assume they were stored in his own room. Now, what about you, Shannon? You seem like you must know where the gold is, right?"

"I- it just made sense that it would be outside. I've been everywhere in the mansion and I've never seen anything like a gold room..."

Shannon trembles a bit.

"Hey, Kinjo!" Jessica stares at you. "My parents are dead! Get some perspective and stop trying to bully Shannon."

"It is a fair question," Rudolf says. "Nobody is accusing you, Shannon, but it seems strange."

"We're all stressed," George says. "Of course we're going to say things that don't make complete sense. Are we all going to jump on each other that quickly?"

The tide of the room seems split.

Last edited at 15/01/06(Tue)13:09:53

>>17108
"Anyway... I guess it is risky to leave the mansion. I'll leave the decision to you guys."

Silence fills the air. Nobody wants to be the first to give a suggestion and later be blamed for giving a poor one. It's Kyrie who speaks up first.

"I have a theory about what happened in the dining hall and in the servant's room," she says. "If I'm right, we should be able to walk outside without being scared. Did anyone notice that, after the initial gunshots were fired, nobody pulled the triggers again? One set of shots. If someone was trying to kill us, they'd shoot multiple times. It's easy to picture if you turn the chess board around. That means that there's a good chance that someone set up a trap. It could have been on a timer or some kind of remote detonation, but I think it's likely. I won't lie, however, I'm not sure. It's a risky bet to make."

"We should send someone to investigate," says Eva. "Then we'll know for sure."

"Wait!" Gohda says, already seeing himself being volunteered by the group. "We can't just send someone in a dangerous situation on their own. We- we have to stick together, right? We should call the police right away!"

>>17110
"Is there a phone in here?"

I try to look for one so I can call the police myself.

You find a phone sitting on a table in the room but, predictably, the outside line isn't working.

"One thing is bothering me," Battler says. He sounds hesitant. "Well, a lot of things, but...who's head was that on the dinner plate that Gohda brought in?"

"That couldn't be Kanon? Or Grandfather?" says George. "It looks like the head was burnt."

"If it's Kinzo, that's just more reason to think that the study is a trap," Kyrie says.

"But there's no way of knowing, right?" Rosa asks. "What if Father is okay and doesn't know what happened? Or what if he's in some kind of trouble?"

>>17112
"Even if the external line doesn't work, the internal line still should, right? How about we call Kinzo's study and find out?"

"If contacting Father was that simple, I wouldn't have asked you here. But we can give it a shot."

Rudolf asks Gohda for the extension and dials. The phone rings, but nobody picks up. Well, that was unhelpful. Maybe you should look at things from the perspective of a chessboard.

>>17114
"The culprit wants us to split up, so I suggest no one leave the room alone. Either we go together or not at all. Splitting up just makes us more vulnerable to being picked off."

Kyrie addresses the group. "I think that we should use this opportunity to find Kinzo's hidden gold. If Kinjo's right, the benefits could outweigh the risks."

"What about Dad?" Rudolf asks. "And even if he's dead, we could still use those guns."

Last edited at 15/01/08(Thu)15:49:10

>>17116
"We go to the study, take the guns, and then barricade ourselves in the gold room."

"This doesn't seem like a good idea," says Kyrie.

Rosa looks down at the floor. "It's the only way to know whether or not Father is okay."

Your group travels safely to the third floor of the mansion. With everyone as silent a whisper, the monotonous sound of a clock fills the mansion. Every once in a while, someone darts their head around expectedly, as if they expect Kanon to jump out and ambush everyone.

"Be careful," Eva says.

"You want to do the honors, Kinjo?" Rudolf asks.

Last edited at 15/01/08(Thu)22:05:21

>>17118
I open the door.

You open the door. There's a headless, burnt corpse sprawled over Kinzo's desk. It rests in clear juxtaposition to the rest of the room-- meticulously clean.

"Father," Rosa says. "Oh my god. What did they do?"

"Damn this," Rudolf says. Damn it to hell. Dad could be a pain in the ass, but he deserved better than this. He should have died peacefully in his sleep."

"We'll get revenge later," says Eva. "We need to get in there and find those guns."

Last edited at 15/01/09(Fri)11:58:45

>>17120
I search the room for the guns.

You walk into Kinzo's study. As you do, your foot breaks a small, nearly invisible string tied across the door frame.

Firey shrapnel tears sinks into your flesh like fangs. Sleep peacefully, by beloved detective, Kinjo.

"................"

>>17123
"Bullshit! I want a re-roll!"

Bernkastel sighs. "If I keep trying to crank the fragment backwards to make up for your mistakes, I'll shred it. Still, I've invested too much in you to stop now. This will be your last chance. What spell did that witch use? Oh, right. Come, try to remember, what form did you have?"

You wake up in an unfamiliar bed. Breathing is a bit difficult and you're all bandaged up, but otherwise you feel fine. You suspect that there's some morphine in your system.

This must be Kinzo's bedroom. It looks like Bernkastel found a loophole that didn't require her to turn back the clock.

Rudolf opens the door. You can hear some more voices from behind him. "You're awake, huh? How are you feeling?"

>>17126
"Could be doing better. What time is it?"

I attempt to get up.

It's painful, but you can stand and move on your own.

"Almost noon. We were scared that you weren't going to wake up."

Rudolf paces around the room. His hair is messed up and dark circles rest around his eyes. "We lost George and his dad. When we were going to find you bandages and medicine, some monster... I have to do whatever I can to protect my family, Kinjo. Besides Battler and Kyrie, you're the only person in this house that I can trust."

Last edited at 15/01/09(Fri)18:15:22

>>17128
"Wait a minute, it's almost noon? So I slept through the entire night? What happened while I was out?!"

"When you stepped inside the study, you sprung a trap and we had to pull shrapnel out of your chest. Luckily for you, I know a little about that kind of stuff, but we still had to get supplies. Kyrie and I went to the kitchen to see if we could find anything useful. After we scrounged for a bit, we heard someone yelling in a nearby hallway. We ran as quickly as we could and saw Battler standing in front of a guest room. The door was cracked open. Inside, we could see...George and his father. We didn't want to believe it, but they both looked like their skulls were cracked open. I tried to barge inside the room only to find that a chain was holding it back. I looked inside and saw that, oddly, the window was locked as well..."

"You two, stay here. If I'm right, the culprit still has to be in the room. Don't let them out."

"D-dad..."

"I'll be right back."

Kyrie nods. "Make sure to end this."

"Once I got outside, I threw a rock at the window and it cracked open wide. The chain was still set, so I went inside. There was too much glass on the ground for anyone to escape while I was checking the bathroom or something, but even so...when I entered, there were no people in the room except for the deceased.

I don't know how a thing like that was possible."

Last edited at 15/01/12(Mon)21:26:46

>>17133
"No one else inside, huh? I'll have to check that out later. What happened after that?"

"We gathered everyone else as quickly as we could. Jessica and Shannon were looking through Krauss's study. They managed to even fine morphine in there, God knows what he was...Anyways, Gohda was on his own. He joined back with in the mansion, bringing a first aid kit from the guest house. He says that he didn't see anyone else.

After that, it's all pretty simple. We met up with everyone else in here. Rosa and Eva stayed to watch Maria, so we had to tell Eva what happened. I wouldn't talk to her for a while if I were you. Not that anyone's been talking. After we settled in, the reality of what happened seemed to sink in. We've lost so many of our loved ones, and for what? We still don't even know that much. If someone just came out with demands, we might be able to reason with them, but this is all bullshit."

You don't see any fire in Rudolf's eyes. He looks utterly defeated.

"All we can do is wait here until the police show up. Maybe they'll be able to make sense out of this."

Last edited at 15/01/12(Mon)21:49:32

>>17135
"Is there a reason that George and Hideyoshi split off from the rest of the group? You and Kyrie left to find something to treat my wound... which, I apologize for being so careless... But George and Hideyoshi, why did they leave?"

"That was our fault. Jessica told us where she thought we could find the items we needed, so we decided to split into groups to get them faster. Time was of the essence. Kyrie and I went together, Gohda elected to go to the guest house by himself, Hideyoshi and George went to get some gauze pads from a guest room bathroom, and Battler, Jessica, and Shannon were supposed to get the morphine. They're the youngest, so it made sense to send them in the biggest group, but Battler ended up changing his mind and deciding to find Hideyoshi and George instead. Then...well, you know."

Last edited at 15/01/12(Mon)21:58:52

>>17137
"Quick question. When you broke the window and entered, did anyone else follow you inside? Like Battler or Kyrie? Or was it just you?"

"I'm pretty sure that nobody followed me. I told them to wait at the door and I didn't open it until after I searched the room. When I did, they were both there."

>>17139
"...Because the group split up... Hmmm..."

I make sure to say this quietly so that only Rudolf can hear it.

"...Do you think the culprit is among the people here?"

"I don't want to, but it's possible. I don't understand why anyone would do that, though. Let's say that it's me, for example. Or that my whole family's in on it. What do we have to gain? The gold? Krauss is the only person that could have made it worth anything if it even exists, and he's dead. Spite? We didn't even know about Father's will until dinner. Whoever killed everyone planned this all out well in advance. No matter how much I think about it, nobody among us has anything to gain from any of this."

Kyrie walks in the bedroom. "Oh, you're awake? I wasn't sure you would make it. If you were wondering, our search for the guns came to a dead end. They seem to be missing."

>>17141
"Great. So coming to the study was pointless. ...Sorry, I shouldn't have suggested we come here. Nearly got me killed too."

I take a look around the bedroom.

"I was just asking Rudolf... Do you think someone among us... could be the culprit? Gohda doesn't have an alibi, and for a short time, Jessica and Shannon..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-5pAmoR5AA

"Of course. The people outside of the study are the most suspicious of all. Even Battler, although my husband won't admit so."

Rudolf glares. "He couldn't have done something like that."

"In any case, there's no way to confirm anything. When the police arrive, they may be able to find conclusive evidence, but I questioned everyone and they all gave consistent accounts as to what happened. Furthermore, everyone had the items they were sent for. Gohda couldn't have killed George and Hideyoshi and still made it back to the guest house in the less than ten minute time span that we were apart. Even for Jessica and Shannon, I doubt it. We scoured the room, of course, but there weren't any traps inside."

The bedroom is pretty plain for a man of Kinzo's tastes. There's a cushiony bed, an antique dresser with several old books stacked on top of it, a door that looks like it leads to a closet, and a chair.

Last edited at 15/01/13(Tue)13:03:24

>>17143
"I have my doubts about that... Either way, we shouldn't split up from now on."

I'll leave the bedroom and go see the others.

You walk into the main room. Eva lays with her head slumped over Kinzo's desk, her eyes red and puffy. She's breathing, so she probably just cried herself to sleep.

Rosa stands by the window, peeking through the curtains when you enter. She nods when she sees you. "Mr. Goldbar. It's good to know that you're all right."

Maria, Jessica, Battler, and Shannon are all sitting next to Kinzo's bookcase. Gohda's nearby, glazing his eyes over some newspaper. Maria fills out bits of her puzzle book while the other cousins look on dispassionately. Kyrie and Rudolf follow you from the bedroom.

Last edited at 15/01/13(Tue)20:20:18

>>17145
"How is everyone else holding up? We'll need to stay together until the storm passes."

Nobody responds. A few people look up for a second to acknowledge you.

Gohda winces when he sees you. "Mr. Goldbar, you look terrible. Are you sure you should be up?"

Between the scar scraped along your cheek and the wounds in your chest, it's not surprising that he should say that.

Last edited at 15/01/13(Tue)19:20:33

>>17147
"I'll be fine."

Rather than risk dying again by leaving the room I'll just sit tight for now and play games with Maria to pass the time.

As you walk to Maria, you notice a strange letter on the ground. It's sealed up. Nobody else seems to notice it.

>>17149
I ignore the letter and play games with Maria.

You ignore the letter and hang out with Maria.

"Uu. Maria has a riddle for Kinjo.

Four travelers want to traverse across a weak bridge held up by rope. The bridge is dark and they require a flashlight to get across. There's only a single flashlight and the battery will only last for seventeen more minutes. The bridge can't hold anymore than two people at one time. Each person travels across the bridge at a different speed.
Person 1 = 1 minute.
Person 2 = 2 minutes.
Person 3 = 5 minutes.
Person 4 = 10 minutes.
How do they get over the bridge?"

>>17151
"P1 goes with P4 at first, so that's 10 minutes. P1 goes back with the flashlight, so that's 11. P1 and P3 go, so that's 5 more, 16 total. If P1 goes back, it'll be 17, and the flashlight will be dead. Only P3 and P4 can make it across, not P1 or P2..."

>>17152
"...Unless P4 and P1 go across together, and then they throw the flashlight back! And so P2 and P3 go together, which makes 10 + 5 = 15 minutes. They'd still have 2 minutes of light left!"

"Uu!" Maria says. "Didn't even think of throwing the flashlight."

Maria shows you the official answer. 1 + 2 go over (2 minutes), 2 comes back (2 minutes, total 4 minutes), 3 + 4 go over (10 minutes, total 14 minutes), 1 comes back (1 minute, total 15 minutes), 1 + 2 go over (2 minutes, total 17 minutes).

"That's different than what I thought of," Battler says.

"What did Battler come up with?"

"Well, the riddle said that the bridge was too dark to cross safely, right? So what if the people just waited until the daytime to cross?"

"Is this really...the right time for this?" Shannon asks.

>>17154
"We've gotta do something to lighten up the atmosphere in here, right?"

no pun intended

"I'm not sure the atmosphere should be light," Shannon says. "So many of us...George, Dr.Nanjo, Genji, and everyone else. Shouldn't we be taking our time in safety to mourn them?"

"I agree," Battler says. "We should mourn them. We will. But we aren't out of this. It's important to keep everyone's spirits up."

"Battler's right," Jessica says. "Nobody would want us to be so distracted crying for them that we don't have our wits about us. That's what I think."

"I wonder..." Shannon says. "Couldn't the first person have just crossed the bridge and shined the light for everyone else?"

>>17156
"True."

I mourn silently.

You take time to mourn for the lives lost. You remember the good times and the bad...

"Welcome to Rokkenjima, Mr. Goldbar. Kanon will take your bags to the guest house. Unfortunately, I have business to attend to."

"I can't talk at the moment, I have a terrible head ache."

"Why are you trying to steal all of the cheese from our kitchen, Mr. Goldbar?"

"I'm afraid I'm too old for someone like you, Kinjo. You should aim your sights younger."

"That's a damned lie! Kyrie and Rudolf are your employers. Even I know that much."

Last edited at 15/01/13(Tue)21:07:49

"We never actually met, but you're a very handsome and likable person."

"Mr. Goldbar, your, erm, your zipper is down."

"Hi, Kinjo. How are ya?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL5BYyHdFKc

You feel hot tears stroll down your face.

>>17167
"I'm mourning so hard right now."

I go into the bedroom by myself, crying.

"We should probably let Eva take the bed," Rudolf says, but it's too late. You dash inside the room.

Soon after, you hear Kyrie from the other side of the wall. "Who left this letter here?"

>>17169
"Wait, a letter?"

I rush back into the room upon hearing it.

You walk back into the main study. Kyrie rips open the envelope.

"Dear Ushiromiya family,

Praise my name.

Beatrice, Witch in Gold."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93VODUlLuRk

Kyrie pauses, looks on the back of the letter, then on the front again. "That's all that it says."

"Who could have placed it there?" Rosa asks. "Nobody should be able to get inside this room, especially not when we're all out here!"

Gohda stands. "It had to have been one of us! I'm sure it wasn't there earlier."

"You're saying that the culprit is in this room?" Jessica asks.

"Everyone, stay where you are!" Rudolf says. "Nobody moves until we understand what the hell is going on!"

Eva awakens from her nap. She sounds groggy. "What's going on?"

>>17171
"Who is near the letter?"

I recall who was closest to the letter when I first noticed it.

The letter was on the opposite side of the desk from the chair. The nearest awake person to it was Gohda, who sat with his back against a wall. The desk would have obstructed his view of the letter. Rosa was further away than him at the window, and Battler, Jessica, Maria, and Shannon beyond her.

"Gohda was closest when I picked it up," Kyrie says.

"I- there have been plenty of people moving around! I'm sure everyone's gone to the bathroom at least once!"

>>17173
"I'm sorry Gohda, but you are the most suspicious one here. Last night, you brought in Kinzo's head just before the attack. You have no alibi for the deaths of George and Hideyoshi. And you could have very easily placed the letter. Explain yourself."

"The only thing I was trying to carry on that tray was my signature duck au vuin! When you walked into that trap, I risked my own life to gather materials to patch you up! I'm completely innocent."

"D-did you kill my George and my husband?" Eva asks. She grits her teeth. "Look me in the eyes and tell me!"

"I wouldn't do such a thing!"

"Stop this!" Battler says. "The culprit could have slipped the letter through the air vents or something! There's no way that this could have been one of us."

"I'm sure that Gohda had nothing to do with this," Shannon says. "Please."

"Kinjo's right," Rudolf says. "He's too suspicious."

"I agree," says Kyrie. "There's no conclusive proof, but pretty of circumstantial evidence is enough to be wary."

>>17175
"Shannon. How can you be so sure?"

"I just..." She looks down, not meeting your eyes. "This isn't his fault. I just know it. He wouldn't do that."

"I don't want to be suspicious of Gohda either," Jessica says. "But we have to be careful, at least."

"This is insane," Battler says. "Are we really going to turn on each other like that?"

"Uuu! Gohda didn't do anything. It was Beatrice!"

>>17177
"It doesn't do us much good to point fingers. Eventually the police will come and figure it all out. The only benefit is for the sake of survival. Wolf and sheep puzzle. Right, Rosa?"

"Did Maria tell you about that?" Rosa asks. "I'm starting to think the premise is all wrong. A wolf doesn't care if there's one sheep or a thousand. It just kills while all of the other sheep run away."

"...I think that I know where the guns are," Kyrie says.

"Where?" Eva asks, nearly jumping from their seat.

"When we were attacked at dinner, there was only one set of shots that killed five people. What if the culprit used the guns to commit the murders? If that person is among us, the rifles wouldn't have moved."

Last edited at 15/01/15(Thu)19:11:33

>>17179
"So where exactly do you think they are, then?"

"I'm assuming that the culprit's targets were deliberate and that they weren't hoping to hit something at random. If that's true, there should be at least five guns and they should be set up somewhere near the windows of the dining room and servant's room. Of course, that assumes that the culprit doesn't have outside help, that I'm right about the nature of the traps, and that the culprit didn't put in any safeguards to make them unusable when we found them. What do you think we can assume about the intelligence of whoever did this?"

>>17181
"That sounds like it could be right. But the rifles could have been moved when everyone split up. And even if they are still where they were, I see no point in going after them."

"I don't imagine anyone had time to move all five guns, but you're right. It does seem like a high risk situation."

"All we have to do is wait here until the storm ends," Rudolf says. "Easy enough."

Silence falls on the room. In the stillness, you can hear what sounds like a ringing phone from far away in the mansion. It's at least one story down, but you can hear it faintly. Who could be calling?

Last edited at 15/01/15(Thu)20:28:11

>>17183
I recall which rooms on the second floor have phones in them.

Krauss's study, his room, Natsuhi's room, Jessica's room, and two guest rooms should all be equip with phones.

You hear an explosion downstairs. The floor and walls shake. A few people in the study scream.

"What the hell?" Rosa asks. She grabs Maria.

"What was that?" Rudolf asks, standing alert.

You hear the phone start to ring again, in a slightly different location this time...

Last edited at 15/01/15(Thu)20:38:54

>>17185
"Something tells me that's not a phone ringing! I suggest we all get out of here before the building goes up in flames!"

"Kinjo's right," Kyrie says. "Everyone, out!"

The group gathers what little possessions they have with them and leaves the room. As they do, another explosion hits from downstairs and the structure of the mansion shakes again.

Eva cries out. "Who's doing this? Just stop it already!"

"We have to get out of here," Rudolf says. "The culprit may still have more traps around. What's our safest way out?"

>>17187
"Let's make a run for the stairs and see if we can go out the back door in the kitchen."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRlvXz5jAWw

Your group makes a run for it. As you reach the second floor, you can see flames and smoke enveloping the mansion. Another explosion erupts at the end of the hall, spreading the flames even further. When you reach downstairs, you find that the flames have engulfed the main hall as well.

You work your way around the mansion and reach the back door in the kitchen.

Rudolf tries the door, but it's locked. The windows are too small to crawl through.

"Gohda, do you have your keys?" Rosa asks.

"Yes! I-- wait, where are they?"

"Mine are gone, too..." Shannon says.

"Can't we break through?" Jessica asks.

"We might be able to manage it," Rudolf says. "Or we can try to find another way around. Still, with that fire..."

Last edited at 15/01/15(Thu)21:41:04

"Window too small to crawl through? Not for Maria! Go outside and unlock it for us!"

"Uu! Maria will be a hero."

"Maria, don't move!" Rosa says, but she can't get to her daughter before Maria manages to climb on a counter and squirm her way out of a small window.

The flames grow closer.

"Do you see anything, Maria?" Kyrie shouts through the door.

"...On the third twilight, those who remain shall praise my noble name. On the fourth twilight, gouge the head and kill..."

"Maria! Is anyone out there? What are you saying?"

"Uu...Beatrice..."

>>17191
"Maria, what's out there?!"

I try to open the door again.

You try to open the door, but it's still locked.

"Enough of this!" Gohda moves you out of the way and rams into the door with his shoulder. The door slams wide open and, as it does, an axe swings down like a pendulum and buries itself into Gohda's forehead. When Gohda falls, it remains hanging there. It's attached to the top of a door frame with rope, designed to swing forward when opened.

Maria stares at the group with a blank expression on her face.

>>17193
"Well at least we know how this murder was committed."

I check the door just to make sure it's not going to kill me when I walk through it and go across to Maria.

There aren't any more traps near or on the door.

"Uu." Maria rejoins the group and meets Rosa's embrace

"We have to move," Kyrie says. "You said you knew where the gold was, right?"

"Mr. Goldbar!" Rosa clasps her hands around your throat. "You nearly got Maria killed! How dare you command my daughter like that? Who gave you the right?"

>>17195
"You know if the mansion had burnt down and trapped us all inside, at least she would have survived.

...Anyway, yes. We need to go to Kinzo's chapel. Lead the way."

"The chapel is--" Eva starts.

"Where's Battler?" Rudolf asks, looking around wildly.

"He was in the kitchen with us, right?" Jessica asks.

Rosa crinkles her eyebrows. "Was he? I'm not sure..."

"We have to go back and look for him! He might be hurt!"

>>17197
"No way I'm going back in there. Good luck."

"I don't care what you do. I'm going back for my son!"

"Rudolf," Kyrie says. "If Battler is alive, he'll meet up with us. We have to keep moving for his sake. For everyone's sake."

"You don't understand," Rudolf says. "He...Battler is your son."

"I know how you feel, but this isn't the time for that."

"No, listen to me. He's your son."

Kyrie is silenced for a few moments where nothing but rain echoes slaps mud. Then, she looks back at your group.

"Kinjo. Bring Rosa, Eva, Jessica, Shannon, and Maria to Kinzo's gold. We'll meet up with you with Battler."

Last edited at 15/01/15(Thu)23:34:38

>>17199
"Got it. Let's go."

You leave with the survivors. How had your group diminished so quickly? Wasn't everyone alive only just yesterday?

You head to the chapel and complete all of the necessary steps. Unsurprisingly, the stone lions point towards a path that you follow...

You traverse the underground passageway. When you're about to enter the gold room, however, you hear someone already inside, pacing around.

>>17202
I enter the room and see who is there.

You enter the gold room, but it turns out that what you thought was a person walking actually turns out to be some water dripping from cracks in the ceiling. Silly Kinjo.

Gold stacks up as high as your head. There's some simple furniture in the room, another door, and an ornate grandfather clock. There's some kind of switch on the clock, but it appears to be broken.

"Father's gold," says Rosa. "It's real after all...somehow, it doesn't even seem worth it anymore."

"I'd give it all up in a second," Eva says. "I'd throw the whole load in the ocean if that meant I could see my family again."

>>17204
"Alright, let's close both doors and barricade ourselves in here. I'm sure the gold can do a good job of helping us do that."

Those who remain follow your orders and barricade both entrances of the gold room. The grandfather clock says that it's about 2:00 in the afternoon.

"There's something I don't understand," Eva says. "Why did Battler split up from you and Shannon? Did he think of something he had to tell my George and Hideyoshi? He never said anything..."

"I..." Shannon says. "I imagine he might have felt awkward."

"What do you mean?" Rosa asks.

"Why would Battler feel awkward?"

Both Jessica and Shannon are silent for some time. Finally, it's Jessica who speaks up: "Shannon and I are in love."

"You're what?" Rosa asks.

"We were going to announce it at the family conference, but Shannon wanted to wait until George proposed to her. She felt that she owed him that much, at least. And then my family was attacked. It never came up, but Battler caught on."

Shannon meekly nods to confirm Jessica's account, not meeting anyone in the eye.

"Uu! Love is important! It only requires two to create something as big as a universe."

>>17206
"Well, that's a plot twist. But we can't be certain that's why Battler split up. It's probably more likely that... Eva, why do you think Battler would have anything to 'tell' Hideyoshi and George?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe it had something to do with, well, what Jessica just told us. If he had a reason to believe that they were in immediate danger, I'm sure he would have told us afterwards, right?"

"Isn't it possible that Battler is the culprit?" Rosa asks. "He was the first one on the scene. His parents could have even been covering up to protect him. If that's the case..."

Shannon shakes her head. "I don't believe that Battler could have done something like that. He's a kind person."

"Even kind people have reasons for doing wild things," Jessica says. "We have to accept that it was one of us, no matter how hard that might be."

"Jessica," Rosa says. "Father...he..."

"He was already dead a couple years before today, yeah. You guys were right. I spent a lot of time with him before that. My parents and you guys always made him out to be this monster, but it wasn't like that, y'know? He was a guy with big ideals and dreams, yeah, but he wasn't a god or a demon. He was my grandfather. I tried to get my parents to tell you the truth for the longest time, but you know how that went."

"If only we could go back," Eva says. "If I could change everything...I'd give up anything for that."

You hear a pair of footsteps coming from a corner of the room. Those steps from before...you hadn't been imagining them at all.

"Kinjo..."

Ozaki walks up to you from the back of the gold room. He's only half-conscious and he's sporting a huge gash in his chest, like he was cut open from a cleaver or something. He topples over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6QDFSy0KtE

"Who the hell is that?" Jessica asks.

"We made it, man. We found the gold."

>>17209
"Wait... You were on the island the whole time, Ozaki? Why didn't you tell me? You know there's a murderer running around, don't you?"

"What is this, an interrogation? I'm dying, Kinjo. Tried to get into the chapel to explore and this stupid blade comes out of nowhere and...man, I don't have very long."

Last edited at 15/01/17(Sat)23:48:38

>>17211
"Ozaki, no! Don't die on me now! Did you see the culprit anywhere?! ...H-hey wait a minute, I'm a doctor. I can save you!"

I examine Ozaki's wound and treat it the best I can.

You work on Ozaki's wound the best that you can. It's a bit of a challenge without any supplies whatsoever, but you get his shirt tied around the cut in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He probably isn't going to make it. You have a strange feeling that he's going to manifest as a voice in your head in the years to come.

Talking probably isn't good for him, but he continues:

"I saw those people in the dining room. They were dead. I took a gun from one of the stands in front of the window and got the hell away from that mansion. Then I went to the chapel--dumb mistake--and crawled my ass back here. I fucked up."

>>17213
"Don't talk. It's not good for your health."

I lay him down somewhere comfortable and sit down next to him.

"We'll use a secret code. Close your left eye for 'yes' and close your right eye for 'no'. Now, I'll start. Where did you hide the gun?"

Ozaki weakly gestures to a corner of the room before he seems to pass away, but before you can look, time stands still. The last thing you can hear is someone saying 'What are you doing?'

Bernkastel appears in middair and offers a playful smile. "My sincerest apologies, but it seems like you've lost. "Rudolf and Kyrie are dead."

>>17215
"Hey, explain yourself! Why did I lose?!"

"Maybe it would be easier if I showed you..."

CHASE OF THE GOLDEN WITCH

Krauss Ushiromiya - Died on the first twilight.

Natsuhi Ushiromiya - Died on the first twilight

Nanjo Terumasa - Died on the first twilight

Kumasawa Chiyo - Died on the first twilight

Genji Ronoue - Died on the first twilight

Kinzo Ushiromiya - Died on the first twilight. Of course, he was dead before the start of the game.

George Ushiromiya - Died on the second twilight

Hideyoshi Ushiromiya - Died on the second twilight

Gohda Toshiro - Died on the fourth twilight

Ozaki Toshio - Died on the fifth twilight

Rudolf Ushiromiya - Died on the sixth twilight

Kyrie Ushiromiya - Died on the seventh twilight

Battler Ushiromiya - Died on the eighth twilight

Eva Ushiromiya - Alive at the game's suspension. Will she return home like normal?

Rosa Ushiromiya - Alive at the game's suspension.

Maria Ushiromiya - Alive at the game's suspension.

Jessica Ushiromiya - Alive at the game's suspension

Shannon (Sayo Yasuda) - Alive at the game's suspension

Kanon - Missing. Never searched for. Never found.

Kinjo Goldbar - Alive at the game's suspension. He couldn't save everyone.


The Witch has taken what is hers and demonstrated that she understands. She is the winner of this game. You are the loser.

Created by:
Bernkastel, Witch of Miracles
Next thread: https://archive.seacats.net/gameboard/res/17218.html

Last edited at 15/01/18(Sun)21:25:58