So.
Oreki had deduced that there was a dedicated staff member on the Deserted Island responsible for its upkeep.
As a staff member, that person naturally had to tend to many vegetables and fruit trees, so they had to be in the center of the island to minimize travel distance.
There was only one structure in the center of the island: the Central Tower. Yet the small tower had nowhere to live, and when Kouenji had come to the island, he had immediately climbed the Central Tower to search for bases from its height.
There were forty bases visible from there.
But.
There should have been one more.
So Oreki only searched the area around the small tower.
Since the Central Tower had been built as both a landmark and a lookout point, the staff member's residence was likely nearby.
He walked through the grass.
His gaze swept across both sides of the brush before he suddenly stopped at the edge of an inconspicuous patch of grass.
There were two large nails driven deeply into the ground.
He bent down and looked below.
He immediately saw a wide drop.
A steel ladder hung from the spot where the two large nails had been driven in, while a thick rope lay to one side, apparently meant to be tied around oneself as a second layer of protection.
He tugged on the ladder twice and confirmed that the nails were firmly embedded and safe.
Then he stepped onto the ladder and climbed down.
It was not far—only around ten meters.
What appeared before him was a small valley, with a cabin not far from the foot of the ladder.
Yes.
A cabin.
He pushed open the door.
It was unlocked. There was little dust on the wooden floor, suggesting someone had still