Shirou Begins Calling Witnesses / Shirou and Heartless

"Teacher, we've looked at everything we needed to. There shouldn't be any more clues here. Let's go back to Mr. Frederick's."

They found Mr. Frederick finishing the egg pancake he had gotten from the kitchen.

"I figured it would be best to serve lunch in the dining car right away," he said. "Then we can ask the passengers for their food. I also asked them to bring the three of us something to eat here."

"Good idea," Shirou said.

The other two weren't hungry yet, so they finished their meal quickly, but it wasn't until they were sipping their coffee that Mr. Frederick brought up the topic that had been nagging at their minds.

"How is it?" he asked.

"Very good. I've identified the victim. I know why he insisted on leaving his hometown."

"Who is he?"

"If you've ever been interested in the Sub-species Holy Grail War, you should know this person— Darnic."

Mr. Frederick gasped, "Now I remember. A world-shaking event. Although the Sub-species Holy Grail War wasn't an omnipotent wish-granting machine, its immense magical power and the system for summoning Servant still attracted many Magecraft. In the end, each war resulted in heavy casualties."

Darnic didn't openly challenge the Mage's Association in this world, so he wasn't that famous.

However, in a parallel world, he is a madman who leads a large alliance of families to challenge the Mage's Association; he is a politician in the Magecraft world. If his opponent hadn't been the former Arbitrator, he might actually have had a chance to realize his ambitions.

If there are no major changes in this parallel world, then Mr. Darnic should be considered a very important person.

Although he had no achievements in education, he displayed unparalleled talent in factional struggles and power struggles.

Betrayal was commonplace for him; he would exploit those who trusted him, and even those who didn't. This earned him the nickname "Darnic the Eight-Tongue," making him a master of deception.

Although he lacked academic achievements, he displayed unparalleled talent in factional and power struggles. Betrayal was commonplace for him; he could manipulate even those who didn't trust him, let alone those who did. Thus, he was known as "Darnic the Eight-Tongued," a master of deception.

However, most of those who were deceived by him did not have a good ending.

For example, the brilliant previous Lord El-Melloi died on the battlefield; and Olga Marie's father, who had been missing for many years.

In the world of Magecraft, there are hundreds, even thousands, of people who hate this ambitious man who uses the Greater Holy Grail to stir up one conflict after another.

"Ah! I never expected it to be this fellow!" Mr. Frederick's voice was filled with disgust. "I have no regrets about his death, not at all!"

"I agree with you. It wouldn't be surprising if that guy got stabbed to death at any moment," Waver chimed in.

"But he shouldn't have died on the Mystic Train. There were other places, weren't there?" Frederick said with a wry smile.

Shirou smiled. He understood Mr. Frederick's bias in this matter.

Chapter 1227 Shirou begins to summon witnesses

Yes, there are far too many people who want Darnic dead. However, he also possesses the power and ability to deter most potential opponents from taking action.

According to the records, Darnic is almost ninety years old this year, which is quite a big deal among the many old-fashioned Magecraft. He is not of noble birth and his family lineage is not outstanding, but he has very good talent and skill.

He is a master of both Magecraft and politics. Although he is not a genius enough to reach the Grand Class, he is still one of the few below the Grand Class.

In his youth, he was adept at social maneuvering and aspired to join the elite circle of Magecraft. He had already gained recognition and was engaged to his beloved.

However, it is suspected that the Magic Crest is too weak and may decay and disappear.

As a result, his contract was broken, and he was ridiculed and slandered, becoming a laughing stock in high society.

Darnic regarded this incident as a disgrace for the rest of his life and was determined to prove himself. He then founded the Yggdrasil family, also known as the "Thousand Tree" family.

Darnic's family is a lineage of Magecraft originating in Northern Europe, characterized by extremely thin, or rather, almost non-existent, Magic Crest.

Generally speaking, a mark is Magecraft passed down through generations, serving as proof of lineage. While there are instances of separate marks, this is typically done only by close relatives.

However, as its name suggests, the Thousand Tree has become increasingly thin and its roots have expanded over the long years—meaning it has lost most of its imprinting functions—and thus it has chosen the path of increasing the number of bloodline members known as the "Thousand Tree".

Most importantly, this imprint can be easily transferred to anyone, whether they are unrelated or have already inherited other imprints, just like a sticker.

This imprint's function is limited to a weak concept of synchronization and the ability to distinguish whether someone is a vampire of the "Thousand Tree". Having lost all its uniqueness, only its universality remains, which is precisely why the Thousand Tree race can proliferate abnormally.

A clan whose Magic Circuit were gradually declining, a clan that lost its inscription due to an accident, and a clan that was defeated in political struggles—all these clans gathered together, a clan that was about to be excluded from the world of Magecraft, and thus the Thousand Tree grew stronger.

The family of the Thousand Tree is twisted. Even if they complete the True Magic or reach the source, they will not be respected. However, if they achieve this only for the selfish desire of "leaving a name", they may be called the bloodline proof of the Thousand Tree.

In reality, in a parallel world where Amakusa Shirou Tokisada and Saint Joan of Arc coexist, there are many Magecraft secretly taken in by the Thousand Tree.

Most of the Magecraft who initiated the Sub-species Holy Grail War were also vampires of the Thousand Tree. The reason is obvious: to collect information about the Holy Grail War.

The founder and actual leader was Darnic Preston Yggdmillennia.

His ambition was to establish a new force that could rival the Mage's Association and gain the recognition of all Magecraft.

His madness and ambition make him arguably the most eccentric figure in the history of Magecraft.

He offended the Mage's Association, killed several promising lecturers at the Clock Tower, seized the Greater Holy Grail for himself, and is now on the run.

Waver's mentor in another world, Kaineth, died in these Sub-species Holy Grail War.

On the charred scraps of paper left in Darnic's room, Kaineth's name appeared again.

"The question we must ask ourselves now," he said, "Was this murder committed by a Magecraft group that Darnic betrayed in the past, or was it a clandestine act of revenge?"

"If my hypothesis is correct, then the letter was burned by the murderer. Why? Because it mentioned the name 'Professor Kaineth,' which is a clue to solving this mystery."

Are there any members of the Kaineth family still alive?

"The previous Archibald Family has long since disappeared. After the previous head of household passed on the Magic Crest to Professor Kaineth, he may have gone into seclusion or died. The current Lord El-Melloi is actually the daughter of Kaineth's sister, whom he sent to the branch family, making her his niece."

"What a coincidence, that young lady happens to be in the car," Shirou said jokingly to Waver.

"No, that doesn't make sense. When Kaineth died, the El-Melloi family's branches were all busy fighting over his Magic Crest and fortune. No Magecraft would risk their life to avenge a dead man." Waver said in a low voice, his face twitching.

Shirou recalled his experiences in other worlds, 'Yes, Kiritsugu stayed in Fuyuki City back then. Although he frequently traveled to Europe, no enemies ever came knocking on his door.'

"Teacher?" Shirou had already noticed Waver's unusual behavior. Ever since he boarded the train, or rather, even when he was still on the passenger ship, he had been acting strangely.

"Shirou, I'm leaving all the remaining cases to you. I'm no longer fit to be involved as much as I should be," Waver said.

"I know, if you think this is the best way." Shirou nodded.

"What's going on?" Frederick asked, puzzled. Was Weber related to the people in this car?

Shirou continued recounting the results of his joint investigation with Waver. When he mentioned the damaged gold badge, Mr. Frederick's face lit up with delight.

"Haha, well done! This tells us exactly when the murderer committed the crime!"

"Yes," Shirou said, "It's really convenient."

There was something vague in his tone that made Frederick look at him with confusion.

"You said you personally heard Old John talking to the train conductor at 12:40?"

Shirou just explained what happened.

"Yes," said Mr. Frederick, "That at least proves that Darnic ... or Old John, I'll call him Darnic, was still alive at 12:40."

"Formally speaking, it was 12:37, Mr. Old John was alive. That's at least a fact."

Shirou didn't answer. He sat there, lost in thought, looking ahead.

There was a knock on the door, and the train conductor Hartless, came in carrying a floor plan and a notebook.

"I brought the things, sir," he said.

"Bring it up!" The train conductor handed the items up and then went back out.

Shirou took it and spread it out on the table: a floor plan of the Istanbul and London carriages, with each passenger's name marked in red. There was also a notebook containing basic information about the train crew.

Of course, for Magecraft who value keeping their secrets, this information can only be used as a reference.

"Everything is ready," Shirou said. "Without further ado, let's begin this makeshift interrogation. First, we need to hear the train conductor's testimony."

Thus, the interrogation court on the Mystic Train officially began.

Chapter 1228 Shirou and Hartless

"Train conductor Hartless, you may know something about this man. What kind of person is he? Is everything he says reliable?" Shirou asked.

"I can assure you, this man is completely reliable. Hartless passed the company's rigorous tests. His family is very prestigious in the country; his father was a high-ranking Magecraft, but his magic power only completely declined in his generation, which is why he works for the Mystic Train Company. He is upright and honest. Perhaps... he's not so quick-witted," Frederick assured him.

Shirou nodded in understanding.

"Alright, let him in."

Although Hartless' confidence had recovered somewhat, he still seemed very nervous.

"Mr. Emiya, I hope you won't think this is my fault," he said anxiously, his gaze shifting from Shirou to Mr. Frederick. "This is terrible. At least please don't drag me into this."

Shirou comforted him, telling him not to worry. Then he began to question him. First, he asked Hartless's name, address, years of service, and how long he had been working on this line.

Although he already knew these things, such routine questions could calm the train conductor down.

"Now," Shirou continued, "Let's talk about last night. When did Mr. Old John go back to his room to rest?"

"He went to bed around dinner time, sir. In fact, he was asleep before the train had even left Romania. He told me to make the bed while we were eating, and I did as he said."

"Did anyone go to his room later and he wasn't there?"

"His servant went, sir. And that polite young German gentleman, his secretary, also went."

"Who else?"

"That's all, sir. I think there's no one else."

"Very good. So, is this the last time you've seen him or heard him speak?"

"No, sir. You haven't forgotten, have you? Around 12:40, he rang the bell, shortly after the car stopped."

"What exactly happened?"

"I knocked on the door, and he just shouted that he had made a mistake."

"Was it spoken in English or French?"

"It's Romanian, sir," the train conductor replied.

"What did he say at the time?" Shirou's little trick had been exposed, but he continued unperturbed.

"It's nothing, I pressed the wrong button," the train conductor recalled.

"Exactly right," Shirou said. "That's what I heard too. So, you left after that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Are you going back to your seat?"

"No, sir. Another bell rang just now, and I went there first."

"Hartless, now I have an important question for you: where were you at 1:15?"

"Sir, I'm sitting in the conductor's chair at the end of the carriage, facing the aisle."

Are you sure?

"That's right. But..."

"But?"

"I went to the next carriage once, the one for the Greek trains, and I chatted with some colleagues there. We were talking about the Snow Spirit and stuff. It happened shortly after 1 a. m., I don't remember the exact time."

When did you get back?

"I remember now, the bell rang again, and I ran back as soon as I heard it, sir. I told you about it. It was that Chinese old man; he rang the bell several times and wouldn't stop."

"I remember," Shirou nodded. The old man had been bothering the train conductor for quite some time back then.

"And then what?"

"And then, sir? Then I heard your bell and went to your place. I brought you some mineral water. Then, about half an hour later, I made up the bed for another guest, that young American gentleman, Mr. Old John's secretary."

"Was Mr. Caules the only one in the room when you made his bed?"

"The American Colonel in Room 15 was with him. They were sitting and chatting about the division of interests in Syria, a topic I didn't quite understand."

"What did the colonel do after he left Mr. Caules?"

He went back to his room.

"Number 15, is it the one closest to your seat?"

"Oh, right, sir. The second to last private room at the end of the corridor."

"His bed was already made up?"

"Yes, sir. I laid it out for him while he was eating."

When did all this happen?