Mendacium Speculorum

Chapter 10: Cornered

Addressed to the Endless Witch, Beatrice,

Remember to burn this letter once you have read it. I might not know what is happening back there in the Senate, but I do know that you are doing something. As I know that you are very skilled, I won't worry about your safety any longer. Continue your research, and keep quiet about it. Do try not to trust too many people; it could be more dangerous than you think.

Don't worry about me too much. I can find information here better than you can, I dare say. Do not reply to this letter, and do the same to the letters that I will send to you soon as well.

Signed,

The Witch of Certainty, Lambdadelta.

Featherine Augustus Aurora looked as if she had just gotten out from bed, which was alarmingly true.

She was reclining against her signature, antique rocking chair rather lifelessly, blinking occasionally as she eyed the game projection that she had lazily conjured up. Lambdadelta was sitting at a proper chair across her, sipping tea as if what had happened last night didn't happen at all. In actuality, Featherine was waiting for any form of reaction from Lambdadelta; a scream, a shout, a tantrum even, but there was nothing coming from the Witch of Certainty. Lambdadelta's attention was directed at the projection instead, and it looked as if she was studying it intently, searching for little loopholes or little details.

The object of her obsession was right before her, thinking hard on her little mystery.

"Got anything from the clues, Lady Lambdadelta?" Featherine adjusted herself on her rocking chair, looking at Lambdadelta with an approving smile. Lambdadelta looked at Featherine with her sharp gaze and set her teacup down; an uninterested look gracing itself upon her face.

"I'm still thinking," Lambdadelta replied. "Are you sure that this mystery is easy to understand, Lady Aurora?"

"Why, of course," Featherine giggled. "Is it too hard?"

"Of course not," Lambdadelta smiled sarcastically. "It's not hard at all. I just think that there's a tiny, little mistake in this wonderfully crafted game of yours, and it would make me the happiest witch in the world if you would so kindly tell me what it is."

"I myself do not know how to solve it," Featherine sighed dramatically, but then her moping expression changed into an expression full of longing. "But games like these keep two competitors going, right? So this way...none of us would get lonely."

And while Lambdadelta was watching Featherine's obvious charade, Featherine giggled yet again.

"Oh, you know I was just joking about that."

"It was obvious that you were joking," Lambdadelta flippantly said. "You are, after all, the Witch of Drama. The most talented actress of us all."

"The most talented actress of them all..." Featherine pondered aloud, then got up from her rocking chair and walked behind to where Lambdadelta was sitting, bending down to embrace her from behind. Lambdadelta stayed motionless, fixating her gaze upon the game where the miko was running endlessly from the doppelganger who was clearly intent on killing her. Featherine's hands caressed Lambdadelta's face gently, as if she was cradling a beloved little doll.

"You're so cold, Lady Lambdadelta," the Witch of Drama's velvet-like voice rang softly. "This game must have been taking a lot out from you..."

"Why are you doing this?" Lambdadelta silently asked, and it did seem as if she was some sort of bird being caged up mercilessly.

Another giggle came from Featherine's mouth. "Because I want you~"

For such a playful tone, there was something very sickening, very dangerous, very...sinister in her voice when she said that sentence. Lambdadelta nearly tensed up, but she reminded herself that it wasn't in her position to react. She controlled herself from reacting any further, and focused on why she was there in the first place.

"The game, Lady Aurora," Lambdadelta reminded stoically. "I want to give commands for the time being."

"You're no fun," Featherine pouted, then laughed. "Go on. I'll be right behind you~ Oh, that was funny, wasn't it?~"

Lambdadelta merely clicked her tongue, not enjoying Featherine's humor at all. She looked at the projection, and with a deep breath that Featherine could feel at her fingertips, Lambdadelta began giving out her commands.

Turn back, Lambdadelta spoke, to which she saw the miko's eyes freeze in fear as she ran.

"Turn back?" the miko shouted, running for her life. "That's crazy! YOU'RE CRAZY!"

Just for a while, Lambdadelta stressed. I just want to check something. Hopefully, you won't be hurt, but I'm not so sure.

"You're risking my life to find out something?" was the reply from the terrified miko. "And you're NOT SURE?"

You're being too noisy! Lambdadelta raised her voice, something that Featherine didn't expect. Just do it!

The miko then did as she was told, turning back to run the other direction. As the miko ran, Lambdadelta bit her lip, wanting to see what was the end result. It was evident that the miko was scared; she was running in the direction of the doppelganger who was running straight at her with the sharpest knife she had ever seen. As Lambdadelta crossed her fingers, the miko and the doppelganger didn't stop running, and when the miko was right in front of the knife...

Lambdadelta widened her eyes.

The doppelganger couldn't stab her. Her hand was outstretched, but the knife couldn't pierce the miko. The miko herself was confused, and so was the doppelganger, so as they stood there, the doppelganger let out a scream of anger and glared at the miko as hard as she could.

The amount of hatred in her eyes were tremendous.

"So she couldn't stab her even if she tried," Lambdadelta nodded. "It would make a perfect loop."

"That is true," Featherine smiled. "Terribly true. So you see, technically, this game could go on and on, and the miko can't ever be killed!~"

Lambdadelta bit her lip. Closing her eyes, she asked, "Can I talk to the doppelganger?"

"You can try," Featherine crossed her arms, patting Lambdadelta's head. "Well, it's pretty angry at the moment, so why not?~"

"That helped a lot."

Well, of course, by Lambdadelta's sarcasm, it didn't help at all. If she were to list all of the rules:

Knox's 1st: It is forbidden for the culprit to be anyone not mentioned in the early part of the story. It was applicable, because the doppelganger could be considered the culprit.

Knox's 2nd: It is forbidden for supernatural agencies to be employed as a detective technique. According to Featherine, nothing supernatural is happening. The time loop could be considered as a paradox of sorts.

Knox's 3rd: It is forbidden for hidden passages to exist. There are no hidden passages at all!

Knox's 4th: It is forbidden for unknown drugs or hard to understand scientific devices to be used. There are no devices either!

Knox's 5th: It is forbidden for stereotypical minorities to assist or hinder the detective beyond providing their own conclusions and interpretations, or for said minorities to be the culprit. There were no audiences for this game, therefore, no direct help was provided for Lambdadelta, the acting detective.

Knox's 6th: It is forbidden for accident or intuition to be employed as a detective technique. Well, Lambdadelta didn't have that.

Knox's 7th: It is forbidden for the detective to be the culprit. Obviously!

Knox's 8th: It is forbidden for the case to be resolved with clues that are not presented. It isn't even resolved yet.

Knox's 9th: It is permitted for observers to let their own conclusions and interpretations be heard. No audience, as stated. This could be a dangling rule, but not strong enough to be pointed out.

Knox's 10th: It is forbidden for a character to disguise themselves as another without any clues. Featherine did say that this wasn't a disguise.

The objective is to point out a broken rule in the game. However, all the rules are well followed!

...She couldn't think. Lambdadelta couldn't think of anything at all.

'We welcome your birth, little one! Welcome to the world, my dear!'

"S-Stabbed?"

The witch and the Reader were in Beatrice's quarters, and at the very word, Beatrice felt sick. She didn't want any harm to come upon Lambdadelta, and the worst part was; Natalie's visions were almost certainly correct. Natalie nodded gravely, and she began speaking further about that said vision that she had seen to the Golden Witch. She knew that Beatrice didn't want to hear it, but she felt that she needed to know.

"Lady Lambdadelta was stabbed by a knife," she spoke. "Knifes aren't fatal to witches nor Readers, but...she was stabbed by someone. It was excruciating...The knife was driven at her chest..."

"I-Is it serious?"

"Yes...It looked terribly serious. And there was a girl behind her, but she was unclothed."

"That means..." Beatrice thought. "She must've been protecting someone at the midst of battle...?"

"I'm not so sure, Lady Beatrice..." Natalie bit her lip. "B-But I really must go back now. Lady Hemera might be waiting for me, and I don't wish to delay her. I'm terribly sorry, Lady Beatrice."

"Ah..." Beatrice nodded, allowing her to go. "Y-You may leave now..."

Natalie curtsied and left, and when she did, Beatrice slumped on the chair, biting her lip as she prayed in her heart that Lambdadelta would somehow manage to change her own future. If one were to want a death sentence, Featherine Augustus Aurora seemed to be the ideal person to deliver it.

And the fact that it was true unsettled Beatrice to no end.

She had no idea how long the game would take either. The way Featherine masterminded her plans were as if she was intending for her opponents to fall and never get up again. Beatrice was clearly troubled, but as she was about to think further about the matter, her door was knocked. She got up, opened it and saw none other than Ronove at her door.

"R...Ronove!" she stammered. Ronove bowed before the Infinite Witch and smiled his trademark smile.

"Lady Beatrice," he spoke. "There is a letter for you."

He handed her an envelope, to which Beatrice frantically opened it. Reading the contents, she looked at Ronove with confused eyes. The last letter Beatrice had received was in English; perfect English, and this one was no different.

"The letter is in English," she spoke. "So was the past letter..."

Ronove looked rather puzzled as well. "As far as everybody knows, Lady Lambdadelta dislikes using English as a default language..."

It was the dead of the night, and neither of them had the energy to think.

Ronald Knox entered his office with a troubled face, until he came face to face with his old friend, the Chief Inquisitor of the SSVD.

He looked less than pleased. The father of Willard H. Wright wasn't pleased at all with his friend's decision and at once, he slammed his hand on Knox's desk. The anger on his face, however, did not faze Knox, as he knew that there was nothing that could be done about it. What was done, was done. And the two people who were dear to him knew. The only person who was dear to him and didn't know was his dear daughter Dlanor, and he wanted to spare her the news.

"What were you thinking, Knox?!" the Chief Inquisitor thundered, prompting Ronald Knox to do...nothing, really. He just stood there, looking directly at him. It infuriated the Chief Inquisitor even more, and he ended up yelling as much as he could.

"You're giving your life away, Knox! For a mere game! For a trick! For a trick that Lady Aurora had made! What the hell were you thinking, Knox?"

And much to his surprise, Ronald Knox merely smiled at his friend and only said one sentence that shook him.

"This will be the last time we will see each other. Goodbye, my friend."

A/N: I'M SORRY THIS IS LATE

AND SHORT

FORGIVE ME

-Densetsu-no-Maguro.