The guest room door clicked shut behind him, while Yuki sat at the edge of her bed, hands pressed against her knees, watching Koji linger by the door.
"I'm just closing the door, so we can have some privacy," Koji said.
Yuki's fingers tightened around the blanket at her side.
"Why did you bring me back to my guest room?"
Koji took a long gulp of vodka, then lowered the glass.
"Let me introduce myself. The name is Koji Hoshigiri. Some call me the Truth Seeker… others, the Preventer Of Disaster."
Yuki side-eyed him, confusion tightening her face.
Truth Seeker? Preventer Of Disaster? Those were some oddly specific nicknames…
Koji dragged a chair over and turned it around before sitting down. He set his vodka on the floor, then lifted a finger.
"Have you thought about what I meant by killer? I'd like to hear your thoughts on it, before I explain why I brought you back to your room."
Does he mean...what i think he means?
If his idea of her being a killer pointed back to the boss bandit she killed, then this was a misunderstanding she could easily explain.
"Look, let me clear this up for you. A couple hours before i went to the Sorcerer Mansion, me, Riko, my therapist, and his assistant. All of us, got kidnapped by some bandits. To survive, I had to kill their boss. I only did it out of self-defense."
Koji closed his eyes, exhaling through his nose.
"You bore me, kid."
Stunned by his comment, she pressed a hand to her forehead.
"What!?"
He opened his eyes and pulled a small crystal from his pocket.
"Do you see this? This little crystal is why I'm calling you a killer."
Now, I'm confused…he just ignored my story and still calls me a killer? What is he on about?
Yuki let out a slow sigh.
"Okay… so what does this crystal even do?"
I guess I can humor his thought process. The man's been drinking vodka like water since i saw him. He was just another drunk fool who's had too much to drink. Thankfully, he seems harmless enough.
Mr. Koji let out a low chuckle and said:
"This crystal of mine allows me to see the future of anyone I think of."
Yuki's eyes widened.
He can do what?!
Koji Hoshigiri scratched the stubble along his jaw.
"My relic item showed me an event that will take place inside the mansion. A young lady, about five-seven, blonde ponytail, and well, I don't know about you, but coincidentally wearing the same black outfit with a cutout in the middle, just like yours. And that same young lady killed my good friend Nicholas in cold blood."
Koji grinned as he moved his chair close to her.
"Now, the only reason you're still alive is because my relic crystal is blurry on the details. It never gives me the full picture of what actually happened. But…"
"But?" Yuki said with anticipation.
He tilted the crystal in his hand, letting the light dance across it.
"But I believe in a quote said by someone in the past. 'The simplest answer is usually the right one'. My relic item showed me Nicholas dying, strangled by chains by someone with these exact characteristics matching yours. Now, tell me who in this mansion besides yourself has these characteristics?"
Yuki's mouth twitched in anger
"Occam's Razor…"
He put away his crystal in his pocket and said:
"What did you just say?"
Yuki repeated herself
Occam's Razor…'The simplest answer is usually the right one'. That's not a quote by someone. It's a principle attributed to the 14th-century philosopher William of Ockham. The principle was, in fact, invoked before Ockham by Durandus of Saint-Pourçain."
Koji's eyes widened before he burst into laughter, slapping his thigh.
"Wow, you're pretty well educated for a little girl. If anyone could kill Nicholas, it would certainly be someone with intelligence. This has been a very eye-opening conversation, Miss Yuki. I'll be watching you very closely from now on."
He then opened the door and left without saying another word.
Yuki pressed a hand over her mouth, fighting back the need to laugh.
No, I shouldn't laugh… but I can't help it. Mr. Koji just handed me exactly what I needed for my investigation.
If Mr. Koji's relic crystal was really that accurate, accurate enough for people to call him the Preventer of Disaster, then Mr. Koji pretty much confirmed who in this mansion was behind the disappearances.
She won't deny that she had moments where the butler seemed suspicious to her, but then again, everyone in this mansion looked guilty in her eyes. Still, she wouldn't have killed anyone innocent, not even if her paranoia trait pushed her toward it.
That left only one answer. It was him. All she needed now was to use her Deathmark on Nicholas and record his confession, so she wouldn't be silenced by that drunk Mr. Koji or by the Sorcerer King himself.
The door opened again, and this time Sayuri Kanzaki stepped inside, her notebook lifted toward her.
"Did you want to see me?"
Yuki rose from her bed with a grin.
"Yes, actually… but for a different reason. I want you to stalk Nicholas. Watch where he goes, what he does, everything! And then report back to me."
Sayuri raised an eye brow and wrote:
"Okay? But is that really necessary…"
Yuki pressed her right hand over her mouth before speaking:
"I got information that pretty much proves the butler is behind the disappearances. Now I need to know where he goes at all times, because I'll use that to find where he hid the magic tool."
Sayuri nodded
Then Yuki grabbed her right arm and said,
"One more thing. There's a man named Mr. Koji with a scar over his right eye. Be careful if you run into him. He's protecting the butler, making sure I don't kill him. He won't see you as much of a threat, but don't make it obvious you're stalking Nicholas. Go, now."
Sayuri nodded once more then took her leave.
The night had not come yet, but she had already planned what she would do to him. Nicholas would be singing his confession, not only to his friend Mr. Koji but to the rest of the Hoshigiri family as well. She couldn't wait for that moment. It was only a matter of time before the truth was ripped from his soul.