[Fin] Murder in the Mountains (End)

[Magolor]

Maybe I did, but I can't say just yet. I'm taking about our claimed Bus Driver and Watcher...

[MadameButterflyKnife]

Chip. The fact that Lloyd is dead...may he find forgiveness in death...the point is. His death seems to validate your story. If you two were working together, it would be very unlikely; the cultists wouldn't shoot themselves in the foot by sacrificing one of their own for a ruse. If they were willing to sacrifice themselves, we wouldn't be here in the first place.

[TalesofUnder]

Have we found any validation for Kondraki's story yet?

[PointMaid]

Yeah, I know, of course I was telling the truth!

...But I'm kinda convinced somebody was lying about their role claim yesterday. You all found these rule books, right? I guess that Death and Life must've left them. They say that the cultists will know one of these 'roles' we have that's unclaimed so they'd be able to claim it themselves with no one the wiser -- not being able to be called out on it by the real owner of the role.

[Cassie]

>body check

...dear god. His head was twisted way further than what the human neck can normally reach by turning.

[TalesofUnder]

...Huh. I suppose we should make up a list of all the roleclaims.

(Jean writes down the following:

Lloyd - Jailer

Chip and Ada - Fruit Vendor

Knuckles - Watcher

Kondraki - Bus Driver

Lotus - Stalker

Me - One-Shot Bulletproof)

[Zanreo]

>examine neck closer, does it look like it was done by hand, with some tool, ect.

[MadameButterflyKnife]

If there's anything I've learned from the claps I've witnessed back in the city, it's that snapping a neck is harder than one would think. It involves a bit of strength to do so. Our culprit is no weakling.

[psychedelicate]

Mitsuha turns very, very pale when she realises this disturbing fact.

"I-I'm sorry, but... I think I need to sit down..."

[Cassie]

>did any tool/hand do this?

...No.

[Magolor]

Yeah, I know, of course I was telling the truth!

...But I'm kinda convinced somebody was lying about their role claim yesterday. You all found these rule books, right? I guess that Death and Life must've left them. They say that the cultists will know one of these 'roles' we have that's unclaimed so they'd be able to claim it themselves with no one the wiser -- not being able to be called out on it by the real owner of the role.

I had the same idea. That's why I'm going to wait for their actions and results first. I know you might suspect me as a result but... I know I'm right, here.

[door-kun]

"Hey, member how Lotus said she was gonna stalk Malakhiri? Problem with that. Never appened. She didn't. I checked."

[Kennifer]

"Yeah, we need to hear from Kondraki... would Lloyd have had time to prevent him from switching anybody before he died, like he said he was going to try? And Lotus... You didn't stalk the cultist? What happened with that? You stalk somebody else, or..."

She was trying not to look at the body for now because dear lord. Someone walking around alive with their neck twisted like that? Probably funny. This, however... far from it.

[PointMaid]

...I knew we should've sent that giftbasket to somebody else!

[Caret]

"It doesn't appear that Lloyd's neck was twisted with a hand or tool. Could it have been twisted with some sort of... magic? Wait, is that even possible? Who can use magic in here?"

[Zanreo]

"It's possible..." Z says. "Some kind of strange power... maybe someone here would be capable of that"

[Magolor]

She quickly lightens up. "I think we can trust both of them, then. Sorry for the worry, I was just trying to lay a trap.

I Stalked Knuckles last night, just in case he was lying. Based on the Cultist roles in place, and that Malakhiri is alive, and that Knuckles actually had a result... he and Kondrakhi are safe.

I also received your wonderful fruits, by the way."

[TalesofUnder]

Magic... you're saying that this was done by a witch?

[psychedelicate]

"B-but we don't have any sorcerers here... right...?"

[PointMaid]

...Lay a trap so that if somebody tried to kill Knuckles they'd kill Malakhiri? Why would they want to kill Knuckles?

[MadameButterflyKnife]

Ada, I believe they meant they laid a trap to see if Knuckles was indeed telling the truth about his role. Not a killing trap, per se. Although...I believe another plan was mentioned yesterday?

[PointMaid]

And if the magic thing is true -- which I don't want to believe -- I'd look at Malakhiri, wouldn't you?

> Any evidence it was something other than magic?

[Kennifer]

"Clever, provided it's true. Potentially dangerous, but clever."

Amy smiles a bit.

"Okay, so that confirms the newlyweds' story at least, unless you're all in cahoots with one another or something. But that seems... unlikely. It doesn't tell us who did it, but helps narrow down who didn't."

"Now... who could be capable of snapping someone's neck without leaving hand or tool prints, or at least making it look like they did?"

She glances around at the others.

[Magolor]

"No, no, you've got it all backwards. If Knuckles was a cultist, he could lie about visiting Kondrakhi and nobody could say otherwise. If I were to instead Stalk Knuckles, I could make sure he's both safe and a Watcher."

She seems rather annoyed again...

[PointMaid]

...Well, okay... I still don't see what you were waiting to say that for.