Work Text:
Beatrice and Erika decide to have a bet. Beatrice will make a closed room for Erika to play with. If Erika cannot solve it, she will have to serve Beatrice for 1,000 weeks, unless there is a logic error. If Erika can solve it, or if there is a logic error, then Battler will have to serve Erika for 1,000 weeks. If Erika falsely accuses Beatrice of a logic error, then she will have to serve Beatrice for one whole century.
And so, the game begins.
Beatrice: Before we get started, I want to make something clear. It’s concerning your seals.
Erika: What is it? Are you going to ban them?
Beatrice: Of course not! However, I don’t want you running around, placing tape everywhere on my game board. It is hereby forbidden to place a seal on anything other than a door. Additionally, a door can only be sealed once. Once a door’s seal is broken, it cannot ever be sealed again. That rule also prevents me from resealing a door as well. Consider it a trade-off for guaranteeing that your seals cannot be duplicated. In fact, why don’t I make it so that only the detective can place or break a seal. Isn’t that nice of me?
Erika: That’s fine, but why only doors?
Beatrice: Simple- you got too creative with your seals in your game with Battler. It could make for some frustrating situations. For example, what if you duct tape someone to the ground? Does it violate your seal to vanish them into thin air? To avoid situations like that, I’m limiting it to doors.
Erika: What about the windows? Surely I have the right to seal those as well.
Beatrice: Hmm, I suppose I could allow for that. No, why don’t we use the rule from Bernkastel’s game and make it even simpler? There are permanent iron bars placed over the outside of each window of the guesthouse. The spaces between the bars are narrow enough to guarantee that no one could possibly use a window to enter or exit a room.
Erika: ……
Beatrice: …You seem to be thinking hard, Erika. Careful... With a face like that, you might pull something. Hyeh-hyeh, don’t make this harder than it needs to be. The only reason I’m adding these rules is to make it simpler for you. I’ll state in red any rule or game construct that conflicts with the setup of the first six games, okay?
Erika: Very well. I have one last condition. Acknowledge that I am the detective.
Beatrice: Of course. You, Erika, are the one and only detective.
Erika: <<Good.>> Then let’s begin.
Battler had left the main mansion earlier than usual. He claimed he wasn’t feeling well, and went to retire to the cousin’s room in the guesthouse. Not long after, Erika asked to see her room in the guesthouse, which is directly next to the cousin’s room. She was escorted by George, Maria, and Jessica, who were also getting tired. Upon arriving, the cousins were surprised to find that their room was locked. They knocked on the door, but even though Battler should have been inside, no response came from inside the room. George went back to the mansion to get a servant with a master key to unlock the door for them. While Jessica and Maria lingered in the hallway, Erika seemed to be busy with her room, inspecting the walls, the floor, the ceiling, the window, the door. She pressed her ear up against the leftmost wall to listen in on the cousin’s room, but Battler must not have been moving around much, because she couldn’t hear anything of note.
Erika: I’d like to confirm some things here, if I may.
Beatrice: Already? We haven’t even discovered the scene of the crime.
Erika: I think we can all tell that when we check the cousin’s room, Battler is going to be declared dead. However, that’s not what I’m interested in right now.
Beatrice: Hoh?
Erika: I noticed my room doesn’t have a closet or a bathroom. I would like to confirm that my room has only one section- my bedroom.
Beatrice: Acknowledged. Your room- in other words, the room you have inspected just now- is comprised entirely of one area- your bedroom.
Erika: Since I’m the detective, any hidden doors, entrances, exits, or rooms that I cannot find must not exist. All entrances and exits I come across must be presented. Since I found nothing suspicious about the room, I suppose that’s all the questions I have for now.
Beatrice: Very well. Let’s continue.
Shannon and George arrived back at the mansion a while later. Shannon unlocked the cousin’s room with her master key, and let out a scream. There was Battler’s body, lying face down on the floor.
All of Battler’s cousins rushed in, as well as Shannon. All of those in the room quickly confirmed he was dead, and lamented, crying bitter tears. George comforted Shannon, and Jessica ran to go get the adults. However, there was one person who did not immediately rush to Battler’s side, and instead stood in the hallway, simply observing the turn of events.
Quickly, everyone was summoned for the crisis. After many tears were shed by most of the family, Kyrie, who had not teared up, discovered an envelope. It was supposedly written from Beatrice. The letter mocked the Ushiromiya family, and threatened to return for Battler’s body. It was decided that the room should be closed until the police could arrive after the typhoon. Before Genji locked the door, however, Erika stopped him. She placed a seal on the door to the cousin’s room, and requested that everyone gather into her room momentarily. Confused, everyone began to shuffle towards Erika’s room, with Erika herself in the lead.
As soon as everyone had entered, Erika requested that they wait for her there. Before anyone could object, she dashed out into the hall, slammed the door to her bedroom shut, and sealed it.
Erika: …All right, Beatrice. Confirm it: There are only two people that are not in my room. This refers to myself and Battler.
Beatrice: Acknowledged. You and Battler are the only people who are outside of your room.
Erika: Definition check: the word “person” or “people” can be used synonymously with “body” or “bodies”, respectively.
Beatrice: Acknowledged.
Erika: Repeat it: Battler is in the cousin’s room.
Beatrice: Battler is in the cousin’s room. For now, at least… By the time you get there, I’ll have made him vanish!
Erika: From what I saw of the cousin’s room, it seemed to be a different layout than mine. However, I’ll address that when I inspect it myself. For now, I’d like to focus my attention onto who’s holding keys to the door.
Beatrice: Keys? Even though none of the doors are locked? Very well, I’ll humor you. What do you want to know?
Erika: First of all, I’d like to confirm that the door to the cousin’s room can only be locked from the outside with a master key.
Beatrice: Acknowledged. From outside the room, doors can only be locked or unlocked by a master key. You can, however, lock a door from the inside without a key. A door needs to be fully closed in order to lock it.
Erika: And where are those master keys now? Battler isn’t holding one by chance, is he?
Beatrice: Each servant has been assigned a master key, which is currently on their person. No other master keys exist.
Erika: Those who can be referred to as a servant in this game are as follows: Shannon, Kanon, Kumasawa, Genji, and Gohda. No one else can be called a servant.
Beatrice: Acknowledged.
Erika: And you guarantee that no two people share a single name? The last thing I want to hear is that Battler is secretly the servant Gohda, or something.
Beatrice: Naturally. A name cannot be used by multiple people.
Erika: Repeat it: All master keys are inside of my room.
Beatrice: All master keys are inside of your room.
Erika: <<Good.>>
Erika turned to dash to the door just a few feet away from her, but stopped suddenly as something caught her eye. There on the ground, in front of the door to the cousin’s room, was an envelope. Grinning, Erika picked it up. It was no mystery how it’d gotten there- someone had probably dropped it there earlier. Erika ripped it open, yanking the letter out. Her eyes darted back and forth as she read the words on the page. They were mostly mocking Erika, but rather than looking annoyed, Erika seemed to grow steadily more excited over the brief minute or two it took her to read the letter, before she casually let it fall to the ground with the envelope.
“Well… Let’s see if your words hold up… Beatrice...” Erika giggled. “.…Ready? Here I COOOOOOOOME!”
With a gleefully deranged expression, Erika ripped the seal off the cousin’s door. She opened it, and slid inside. As soon as she entered, she locked the door from the inside. Now if someone wanted to leave the room, they would have to lock the door from the outside… Which was impossible without a master key…
Gleefully, Erika looked around the room. Battler’s body was missing, as promised. Just a quick scan of the bedroom was enough to tell her it was unlikely that there was anyone there- but she would get to a more thorough inspection later. There were two closed doors- one to the bathroom, and one to the closet. Now, where to examine first? Might as well go with the bathroom. Take the doorknob, give it a twist, and-
“W-WAAAAAAURRRGHHHHHHHH! Are you serious?! Again with this?!”
The second Erika had opened the bathroom door wide enough to enter, hot water sprayed down at her. It got in her eyes, blinding her vision. She’d have to turn it off if she wanted to investigate the bathroom. Forcing her way in, she made her way to the shower at the back, turning off the water. She was completely drenched.
Beatrice: Kyahaha! Hi-hiiiiyahahahahaha!
Erika: Argh! Beatriiiiice!
Beatrice: What’s the matter Erika? Did I dampen your spirits?
Erika: Rrrgh! Just wait… I haven’t even gotten started yet.
Beatrice: Very well. Feel free to check around while you dry off. Search all you like, there’s no one in the bathroom.
Erika: I figured that much. But, while I have your attention, let me confirm it- The cousin’s room is split into three parts- a bedroom, bathroom, and closet.
Beatrice: Acknowledged.
Erika: <<Good!!!>> Your red truth… It’ll be the web you hang yourself on!
Erika stepped out of the bathroom. Immediately, she closed the bathroom door and… sealed it.
“Kyehehe… How do you like that, Beatrice? ‘Once per door’, but not ‘once per room!’ I won’t let you weasel out of here. My inspection determined that it is impossible for anything solid to pass through a closed door. Even if you flattened Battler as thin as sheet of paper and tried to pull him through with some string, it wouldn't work! Not only that, but it is forbidden for anyone other than a detective to break a seal. Since I am the detective, and Battler is not, his body cannot possibly escape from a sealed room. Take this, you Golden Witch!”
Erika sealed the closet door, even though she hadn’t checked it yet. She then inspected the bedroom. From ceiling to floorboards, back wall to front, window to door, she left nothing unchecked. She tore apart the room in a way so that it could be said in red.
Erika: ...Except for me, no one is in the cousin’s bedroom. No one is in the bathroom, either. …You know what that means, right?
Beatrice: …
Erika grinned. “…Just one place left. Now, let’s see. Is the door locked?” A quick glance told her that it was. Now it was onto the closet. It was the only place left anyone could possibly be hiding in the room. The bathroom was still sealed. The bedroom was empty. And so… he had to be there.
Erika took her time taking off the seal. She grinned maliciously, and slowly… opened the door.
“…W…What…. What is this? This…-!”
Beatrice: …Is there a problem… Furudo Erikaaaaaaa?
Erika: The closet… it’s…
Beatrice: The closet is empty! There’s no one inside.
Erika: But… the door… The door is locked! I haven’t touched it since the first time I locked it from the inside, immediately after entering the cousin’s room. I haven’t broken the seal on my bedroom door, either. But... without a master key…
Beatrice: Master key? Kyahahahaha! All of the servants in your room right now have been in possession of their assigned master key the whole time!
So then.
Should Erika file for a logic error?
Did Battler disappear with magic?
Or is there a different solution?