Shirou and the Red-Haired Lady's Real Name / Shirou and Machiato Zolgen

"You can think of it that way, whatever you like."

"The Red-haired Miss told me that those words were her private matter."

"So why don't you accept this explanation?"

"Because, Red-haired Miss is a very suspicious person, US Colonel."

"Nonsense!" the colonel exclaimed.

"This is not nonsense."

You have no reason to doubt her.

"Kaineth was killed because of the Holy Grail War waged by Darnic. As his fiancée, isn't that enough reason to suspect her?"

The dining car suddenly fell silent.

Waver stopped hiding and playing the fool. He sat up straight. Yes, this was one of the reasons he had been avoiding getting involved. He had recognized the Red-haired Miss on the ship.

Her name isn't Isola, it's Sola!

Sola Nazele Sofiari! Daughter of Rufreus Nazele Yulifis, Lord the Clock Tower's Spirit Summoning Department. Fiancée of Kaineth, former Lord the Mineralogy Department.

Shirou nodded gently.

"You see," he said, "We know more than you think. If Red-haired Miss is innocent, why would she change her name and hide that fact? Why did she tell me she didn't know Rin, who took her fiancé's place?"

The colonel cleared his throat.

"Perhaps you've made a mistake somewhere?"

"Even so, why lie to me?"

The US Colonel shrugged.

"You should ask her yourself. I can only tell you that you're wrong."

Shirou raised his voice to call for someone. A waiter walked in from a door in the distance.

"Go and invite that red-haired English lady here. Please ask her to come here."

"Yes, sir."

The waiter left. The four men sat silently. The colonel's face was like a piece of plaster, stiff, expressionless, and lifeless.

The waiter has returned.

"That young lady will be here shortly, sir."

"Thank you."

A minute or two later, the Red-haired Miss walked into the food cart.

Chapter 1263 Shirou and the Red-haired Miss's True Names

The Red-haired Miss defiantly tilted her head back, her red hair curling like waves, and the curve of her high nose reminiscent of a ship's prow sculpture bravely cutting through the waves on a turbulent sea. For a moment, she was as beautiful as a proud goddess.

She glanced at the US Colonel, then turned to Shirou and said, "You want to see me?"

"Well, I just wanted to ask you, ma'am, why did you lie to us this morning?"

"Lying to you? I don't understand what you mean."

"You concealed your identity, Miss Sola. You were the fiancée of the late Lecturer Kenseth. You went with him to the Sub-species Holy Grail War, but you were the only one who survived. You attended Kaineth's funeral, but you told me you didn't know Lord Rin."

Sola was startled; she hesitated for a moment, but quickly regained her composure.

"Yes," she said, "You're right, I lied."

"Oh, you admit it."

"Of course I admit it, now that you've already found out." Sola forced a smile, like a noble aristocrat who, even in dire straits, maintained the dignity and elegance befitting her status.

"At least you're willing to talk frankly now, Miss Sola."

"I've never liked beating around the bush." Sola sat down next to the US Colonel.

"Yes, that's certainly true. Now, miss, may I ask you why you lied?"

"Isn't my reason obvious, Mr. Shirou?"

"That is certainly true for me, Miss Sola."

In a quiet, steady, yet somewhat stiff voice, she said, "Kaineth is dead. He was wounded while saving me, and in the end, he chose to send me away so he could face the enemy alone. And I survived alone, bearing this shame. Sir, do you know what it means for a woman to have her fiancé killed in aristocratic circles? Especially since her husband was a world-renowned genius, while she was just a third-rate Magecraft who hadn't even inherited Magic Crest."

"Ms. Sola, you are now very outstanding, which must be due to your hard work. I imagine the former Lord El-Melloi would be pleased to see this..." Waver couldn't help but say.

Sola interrupted Waver directly:

"No! What happens to Kaineth is none of my business anymore. It was a political marriage to begin with. I've already suffered enough because of him, and I owe him nothing now!"

At this moment, the Red-haired Miss seemed to have undergone some kind of spiritual sublimation, or as if she had put down a heavy burden, revealing a radiant smile.

"Right now, I just want to live a happier life, hide my identity, and love and live like an ordinary person, that's all!"

However, someone inappropriately shattered the peak of Red-haired Miss's life, coldly remarking:

"I don't think this reason makes sense. If you have no responsibility, you could have told me privately and asked me to keep it a secret."

"Oh, responsibility? It's not about responsibility, it's about reputation. So far, my life has been going smoothly. I won't risk losing my job by doing anything."

"If I may be so bold as to remind you, Miss Sola, I am now the referee here."

She shrugged.

"For example, could you help me with other passengers' identity issues?"

What does this mean?

"Miss, you must be quite familiar with Rin, right? Why is someone from the Einzbern Family with her? Can you explain this to us?"

"This has nothing to do with the case, does it?"

"No, Einzbern has a grudge against Darnic, and so does Darnic Rin. Perhaps you've let go of Lecturer Kenseth, but Rin is probably not that simple. Let Darnic go. She's not even ten years old yet, and she's endured a life many times more tragic than yours. She should hate Darnic to the core."

Magecraft never talk about feelings!

"Oh, but that Lord actually stepped forward and admitted that the handkerchief was hers in order to protect your identity."

"No! I don't know! I didn't have much contact with that child. I left London after the funeral."

"You still won't tell me your secret, miss?"

Shirou's voice was gentle, yet persuasive.

"Even if Kaineth sacrificed himself for you, you knew nothing about his heir?"

She said softly:

"I can't, I can't."

Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, she burst into tears, burying her face in her outstretched arms, heartbroken as if her heart were breaking. Clearly, her feelings for Kaineth weren't as simple as they seemed; perhaps she truly had no feelings for her fiancé, but she accepted her fate.

And when a man sacrifices his life to protect her, what woman can truly be so heartless as to forget him so easily?

The colonel jumped up and stood beside her looking terrifying.

"Me! And all of you!"

He stopped, turned around, and glared fiercely at Shirou.

"I'm going to smash you to pieces, you despicable Monkey!" he said.

"Sir," Mr. Frederick protested.

The US Colonel turned to the Red-haired Miss and said softly and awkwardly:

"Sola, don't cry... I..."

She jumped up.

"It's alright. I'm fine. You don't need me anymore, Mr. Shirou, right? If you need me, you can come find me. Sigh...! How foolish I was! I thought I had grown up a bit."

She hurriedly ran out of the dining car. Before following her, the US Colonel turned back, looked at Shirou, and called out:

"Miss Sola has absolutely nothing to do with this case, do you hear me? If you still want to cause trouble for her, then come find me!"

He strode out.

"I love watching an American express their anger so bluntly," Shirou said. "Even their anger is hilarious. The more emotional they are, the more out of control they become."

However, Mr. Frederick was not interested in the impulsive reaction of the Americans. He admired his friend Shirou immensely.

"My dear, you're amazing!" he exclaimed. "Another miraculous guess. Absolutely astonishing!"

"It's unbelievable how you came up with these ideas," Waver said admiringly.

"Oh, this time it's not something to praise. This isn't a guess; the teacher actually knew her identity from the beginning. I guessed it from his attitude."

"You're not kidding, are you?" Mr. Frederick asked skeptically. How could Waver have anything to do with El-Melloi?

"Alright, at least we now know that Miss Sola and Miss Lord have a close relationship."

"Another lie. Why would she do that?"

"Perhaps it's to make amends and to be loyal to his friends, which is why he's causing us some trouble in solving the case."

"Merlin's beard!" Mr. Frederick couldn't help but swear again, shouting, "Could it be... that everyone on this train is lying?"

"Yes," Shirou said, "We need to figure it out right away."

Chapter 1264 Shirou and Macchiato Zolgen Makiri

"Now, nothing can surprise me anymore," said Mr. Frederick. "Nothing! I wouldn't be surprised even if everyone in the car was confirmed to have had dealings with Kaineth."

"That's a very insightful point," Shirou said. "Do you want to get to know that Italian you've been doubting? And hear him and how he defends himself?"

"Would you like to see another brilliant deduction?"

"Yes."

"This is truly a very bizarre case."

"No, the case itself is quite natural, well, everything is unexpectedly logical."

Mr. Frederick waved his arms in disappointment and said:

"If this is what you call natural, my friend, then please."

Only then did Shirou ask the waiter in the dining car to call Antonio over.

A red-haired Italian walked in, looking rather unhappy, like a wild animal caught in a trap.

"I just saw a lady run out of here crying. Oh, gentlemen, that's really not very manly of you. If this weren't a case, I would have punched you already! Okay, what do you want me to say?" He sat down and said.

"I have nothing to say, nothing at all, did you hear me? You're wasting your time."

He slammed his hand on the table.

"No need for that. You still have plenty to tell us," Shirou said firmly. "How about we start with your identity? So many people on this train are hiding their real names. What are they trying to do?"

"Oh?" He glanced at Shirou uneasily, all his confidence and composure vanishing instantly.

"I already know your identity. I wonder if you'd be willing to reveal it yourself."

"What you're saying sounds exactly like the police's interrogation tactics, like coaxing someone into giving a confession."

Shirou calmly said:

"So let me tell you about your identity. You are actually British, and your name isn't Antonio, a common name like Xiao Ming's. It's Bram. Bram Nazele Sofialy. We did speak with your younger sister just now, and we think we might have offended her. Please forgive us."

His gaze met that of the Italian—no, the Englishman Bram —who calmed down, like a punctured balloon.

"Since you already know, why are you asking me?"

Why did you lie this morning?

"I just happened to be on vacation, I didn't mean to be too flashy!" Bram said casually.

"In fact, you deliberately kept this from us."

"That's right, I just happened to be passing by when Darnic was killed. It was so satisfying. He killed Kaineth, my classmate, my future brother-in-law, and caused my sister to be heartbroken."

Whoever the murderer is, I think I should do something for him, at least not harm him. I am a loyal gentleman, loyal to my friends, loyal to my family, and loyal to my class."

"Don't you think you should do your best to ensure a fair resolution to this case?"

"I believe this case has been resolved fairly and rigorously."