[x] Keep silent on the matter.

"You should have thought out your plan a bit more. To be honest, I am quite disappointed that the answer could be found this early in the story."

"I am the culprit!? W-what are you talking about, Miss Flandre?"

The vampire shook her head sadly.

"There are more than enough clues to prove this theory of mine. Does anyone care to challenge it?"

A moment of silence passed. I was still too shocked and confused to speak. Meiling was the culprit? How the heck did Flandre come up with such an absurd conclusion? Was this some kind of sick joke?

"If not, then I -"

"I object."

Those two words came from the person I least expected. Patchouli closed her book and put it down as she raised her head.

"I cannot accept this conclusion," said the magician. "First of all, I ask that you explain the basis of your opening statement. What makes you think that the culprit is anyone among us?"

"Seriously? That part is so simple, isn't it? Ehehe~"

Flandre giggled to herself, clearly amused. However, the magician just repeated the question.

"What makes you think that the culprit is anyone among us?"

"You, more than anyone else here, should already know this. But I guess I can explain, anyway. There are several facts that point to this conclusion, but let me stress upon three key points."

The vampire cleared her throat for effect.

"First is the nature of the incident. There have been no visible signs of break-ins, whether physical or magical in nature. If there were any physical signs of an intruder, Sakuya would have noticed it immediately. She had already made a sweep of the whole mansion this morning. And if an intruder broke in through any magical means, Koakuma and yourself would have sensed it. If that was the case, then you would tell us, wouldn't you?"

"..."

"Second is the murder itself. If you recall how the bodies were damaged, you would realize that all of them were killed instantly with one blow. The culprit must be someone who could successfully overpower Rumia and the others. Among those living in the mansion, none of the fairy maids have enough magical or physical power to defeat them in a danmaku battle, much less a serious fight. And if they attacked in a group, the bodies would be damaged in a different manner. After ruling out the fairy maid staff, we are left with the people assembled here."

"..."

"And that leads to the third and most important point. Do you all remember the letter that the culprit left? The fact that the person must be someone familiar with the Scarlet Devil Mansion is a no-brainer. That is clearly implied by the use of several special terms, such as 'Lord of Scarlet', 'chronomancer-architect', and 'Watchmaker'. Only those who have lived a considerable amount of time in the mansion would know this. However, the culprit also knew the full names of the first four victims, which implies that she was familiar with the area around here as well."

"So that means that the culprit must have been among those who lived here after the mansion was moved into Gensokyo."

"Exactly."

Patchouli frowned slightly and sighed.

"I concede that point. Explain then, why you suspect that Meiling is the culprit?"

"Think back carefully. How was the first corpse discovered? That morning, the gateguard was the only person outside of the mansion who carried a key to the greenhouse. Everyone else was still inside, including the fairy maids assisting Sakuya. And don't forget that there was no sign that the culprit forced her way into the greenhouse, whether through physical or magical means."

She was right. No one could confirm what the gateguard was doing before that point in time.

"I-I-I was guarding the gate!" cried Meiling. "That's the truth!"

"Then let's recall how the three fairies were found. You were the first one to discover them as well, weren't you?"

"Ah! B-but that's -"

"After Sakuya took that sparrow youkai to the dungeon, everyone but yourself headed back into the mansion. I confirmed it myself that not one single person witnessed your movements between that time and the time that you 'discovered' the second set of bodies."

"How did you confirm that there were no witnesses to Meiling's movements?" asked Patchouli.

Flandre smiled slightly.

"Oh, that? I simply interviewed each and every fairy maid and staff member that I didn't meet during the specified time period. Did you think that I was just playing around when I started bugging everyone in the Voile library earlier? I didn't bother asking you because Koakuma and a few others already confirmed your alibi."

"As for him," said the vampire with a nod in my direction. "He was with me when I led him to the dungeon."

I felt a slight chill. Did Sakuya just give me a dark look?

"And myself? Besides several witnesses, there is a clear reason why I couldn't have been the culprit. Here's a hint: it is the same reason that I can't step out of the mansion even until now."

Another moment of silence. It was still raining hard outside, and it had not shown any sign of stopping. There was no way that any of the vampires could travel in this weather, even with an umbrella.

"Therefore, it is clear that the only person who could have committed this crime is... YOU!"

Flandre raised her finger dramatically toward the gate guard.

"E-eh? W-w-wha? H-how? B-but!?"

Patchouli sighed and sat down resignedly. And with that, the assembly was over. Flandre, Sakuya and several other fairy maids escorted Meiling down to the dungeon. Koakuma excused herself politely and began assisting the remaining fairy maids with the dishes. And soon, only Patchouli and I remained at the table. She had a book open in front of her, but she hadn't turned a single page since she started. It was only then that I finally recovered from the shock and confusion.

"Wait a minute," I said. "What the heck just happened here?"

"A mistake," she whispered.

Suddenly, the magician closed her book and stood herself up. Patchouli pulled out a small black book and stared at it for a minute. Then, she replaced it in her pockets.

"Meiling is certainly not the culprit," she said. "And neither is Flandre. That much is certain."

"Huh?"

"I don't have enough evidence yet," said the magician. "I must continue searching the old library."

With those last words, she began floating away, presumably back to her research.

I paused to think.
[ ] Accompany Patchouli down to the lower library.
[ ] Sneak back upstairs and try to meet with Remilia.
[ ] Follow after Sakuya and the others to the dungeon.
[ ] Talk to Elena and Koakuma here in the upper level.
[ ] Head somewhere else. (Specify)