บท 75: The 6th unit of the Westa Knight Order
The gates of the barracks opened and a knight ushered us inside. There were many tall buildings in the 6th unit's compound and a bunch of weaponless knights were walking around.
"If I remember correctly, the 6th unit is filled with smart knights, right?" I asked.
"That's correct. The 6th unit is in charge of research and development for magical technology. They are partners with all laboratories and research circles in Westa and they would often lend their equipment and personnel for the sake of advancing knowledge", Temma answered.
"Then why are they knights? Wouldn't it be better if they were from technology or magical colleges?"
"It's because Westa needs to control the research and development happening in this city. All research must be approved by them and they would monitor the progress to make sure the budget and other safety procedures are followed. Also, they will make sure that there are no dangerous experiments happening without their supervision", Captain Vein told me.
"I see… The Westa Knight Order is in charge of protecting Westa's peace. And supervising dangerous experiments and making sure research is going smoothly is part of protecting the peace. I think I understand it now."
"Another job the 6th unit is good at is forensic analysis. They would analyze the evidence and other important things that might be helpful to the investigation. With smart knights and high-end equipment, they greatly help the investigation of the other units", Amelia added.
The knight led us to a room and walked away. Captain Vein didn't bother knocking as she opened the door.
"Magus! We're here!" she shouted as she barged in.
There was a white-haired man hunched over a desk. He was wearing a red coat while reading two thick books at the same time and scribbling down notes.
Captain Vein walked towards him and landed a chop on his head.
"Ah. Vein. I didn't see you there", he said after looking up.
"Busy as always, Magus?" she asked.
If I was correct, the man in the red coat was Captain Scarlet Magus. He was the one who revolutionized Magical Technology and helped in improving and creating new magic. Captain Magus was a respected figure among mages and scientists alike.
"What do you need me for today?" he asked.
"We have several questions for you", Captain Vein replied.
He looked at us and his eyes widened when he saw me.
"This man is Mikage Kamishiro, right? The dark mage who can use other people's shadows?" he asked.
"That's me", I answered.
"How did you do such a thing?"
"I'm the vessel of the Primordial Dark. And the Primordial Dark commands every darkness in existence. That's the secret."
"Oh. I should've known. I thought you invented a new way to use Dark Magic but the truth is disappointing. I don't really want to research the Primordial Beings since I'm not interested in them."
"We have several questions involving the strange pill cases", Amelia interrupted our conversation.
"Ah. Yeah. I can faintly recall that Vein asked me to talk to you. What do you need?"
"What exactly are they?"
Captain Magus stood up from his chair and went to a cabinet. He took out several folders and gave them to Amelia.
"This is the data we got from analysing a sample of the pill. Also, the others are the data we got from analysing the corpses of the people who took the pill", he said.
"How does it work?" Temma asked.
"From our analysis, we can conclude that the strange pill would convert the user's Life Force into a strange form of energy that would greatly enhance the person's physical and magical capabilities."
From Temma's lessons, I learned about the Life Force. Every single being had an energy inside them called the Life Force. This energy would be responsible for a person's stamina and mana.
"However, that strange energy is harmful and will deteriorate a person's mind. They will slowly lose their sense of reason and become savage beasts. The first ever record of this energy can be traced back in Artix 18. The 13th unit asked us to analyze a dragon and we recorded remains of this energy in her body. I believe her name was Coco Kiryu."
Ah. So that meant he was talking about the strange energy that I could feel that caused monsters to be more aggressive. I had no idea that it could affect the Life Force of a creature.
"And since it converts the Life Force of a creature to that strange energy, then people who drank that pill will end up losing their life", Amelia said as she read the files.
"There is one survivor. However, he's in a vegetative state. Like I said, that energy will deteriorate a person's mind. Even if you will survive, you'll become an empty shell without a working mind", Captain Magus said.
"Everything adds up. I have another question for you."
"Yeah?"
"Can you show me the memory that caused Captain Noel to be arrested?"
"Oh, that? Sure."
Captain Magus turned on his computer and showed us a video.
The video was like a first person point of view. The camera looked at the ceiling and it panned to show a wall. It then showed a pair of hands cleaning up the bed and preparing breakfast.
After that, it showed the streets of Westa when it got out of the home and it followed a path until it reached a dark alleyway. A silver-haired woman was standing there and she approached the camera.
"I've been waiting for you. Here is the supply for the pills. Be sure to distribute them", she said.
"Got it", a man's voice replied.
"Be very discreet. We can't risk getting exposed."
The woman left and the camera returned to his home. The video ended with him going back to bed.
"That woman looks and sounds like Captain Noel", Amelia said.
"But it has to be fake. Someone must be impersonating Captain Noel", Temma growled.
"Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. We analyzed everything in that memory and the person couldn't detect any form of magic surrounding that Noel", Captain Magus explained.
"You know that?" I asked.
"Why yes. Our forensic analysis is top-notch. Here's how it works: we first get a person and probe their memories. Once we have their memories, we can analyze what kind of things they can sense in the form of wavelengths. If someone was using transformation magic around them, then their senses should show a wavelength that says that there is transformation magic."
"The same is also applicable for false memories. If it's a false memory, then there should be a wavelength that would exhibit the obvious patterns of a false memory", Amelia added.
"And with the knowledge we have right now, it's impossible to make a false memory look genuine. Believe me, I tried. No matter what you'll do, a person will exhibit wavelengths that would say that the memory is tampered", Captain Magus said.
"I'm guessing the wavelengths of the memory are natural?" Amelia asked.
"That seems to be the case. We analysed the senses of the man and the wavelengths of the memory. The man did experience that memory and there is no way it is a falsified one."
"Can you show me more memories of the man?"
"Sure. But some of them are damaged. The pill deteriorated the man's mind which caused him to lose some of his memories. But there are multiple memories that showed Noel was the supplier of the pills."
To prove his point, Captain Magus showed us more videos of the man's memories. In all of the memories, the man would wake up on his bed and then meet up with Captain Noel. She would supply him with the pills and give him instructions. After that, he would return home and go back to sleeping.
"All of them showed natural wavelengths. It's impossible to make a false memory look like a natural one with our current knowledge and it's out of this world that someone could make multiple false memories that look natural and have consistent patterns for the wavelengths for every single memory", Captain Magus said.
Amelia looked at the videos once more. She rubbed her chin and thought deeply.
"Can I get the raw wavelengths for each memory that you guys analyzed?" Amelia asked.
"Raw wavelengths? Sure. Let me just print them out", Captain Magus began operating his computer.
"Also, Captain Vein. Can I ask you for a huge favor?" Amelia turned to her.
"As long as I can help in proving Noel's innocence, I'll do anything. What do you need?"
"I need the mana wavelengths of all knights who are good in Mind Magic in the Westa Knight Order. If possible, I would want the mana wavelengths of all mages who are known to be skilled in Mind Magic."
"I can easily get the mana wavelengths of the knights by today. As for the mana wavelength of all other mages, it would take at least a day since I need to do the proper procedures."
"Then do what you can."
Captain Vein left the room while Captain Magus was printing the raw wavelengths. When things were finished, we left the 6th unit's barracks and returned to Amelia's office.
Amelia sat down at her desk and began looking at the raw wavelengths. Her eyes were carefully analyzing each piece of paper.
Temma and I looked over at what she was reading and all we saw were weird lines.
"Normally, you need a machine to understand these things. Are you sure you are not overworking yourself?" Temma asked.
"Ranpo taught me how to analyze these kinds of things. A detective shouldn't rely too much on machines to understand evidence because there will be times a machine won't be available. I'm also trying to make sure that the 6th unit is telling the truth so I requested the raw data and tried to see if I'll arrive at the same conclusion", Amelia answered.
"Do you think the 6th unit is manipulating the data?" I asked.
"We'll never know. This is a complex case where I don't know who is the real enemy. I have to see the truth with my own eyes even if I have to use my own hands to arrive there."
Hours passed and Amelia finished looking at everything. She even scribbled down calculations on a piece of paper and she had a grim look on her face.
"How was it?" Temma asked.
"From my analysis, I can arrive at the same conclusion as the 6th unit", she said.
"So the memories weren't falsified at all? Does that mean that Captain Noel is really guilty?" I asked.
"No. At least, it's not safe to arrive at that conclusion yet. For some reason, my gut feeling is telling me that something's wrong."
"So all we have is a gut feeling. Do we have any other leads?" Temma asked.
"Don't underestimate your gut feeling. One of Ranpo's lessons is that a good detective values her gut feeling. My subconscious can see the inconsistencies and odd parts in this situation before my logical mind can fully notice and understand them. There is something wrong and I just need to find the right angle to crack this case down."
Someone knocked on the door and when I opened it, Captain Vein arrived. She was carrying a large bag filled with folders.
"All you need is the wavelengths of the knights who are good with Mind Magic, right? Here they are. I also requested the Adventurer's Guild and the Mage Guild for their data and they should give them sometime during this week."
Amelia took the bag and placed it on her desk.
"Why would Amelia need the wavelengths of the people who are good with Mind Magic?" I asked.
"Didn't I tell you that you can see if a memory is falsified if there are unnatural wavelengths, right? You can analyze those unnatural wavelengths and by using several complicated calculations, you can get the mana wavelength of someone who used the magic. I think Amelia wants to see people who are good with Mind Magic so that she can find a matching wavelength", Temma explained.
"So why Mind Magic?"
"It's because that's the field of magic where memory manipulation is used. Although it's supposed to be impossible to make natural-looking false memories with the knowledge we have right now, Amelia might be assuming that someone is able to do that."
"If someone was able to do that, then how will Amelia know? If a false memory looks natural, then what kind of calculations and analysis could she use to see the truth?" Captain Vein asked back.
"That…. I don't know", Temma sighed.
We looked at Amelia who was looking at the pieces of paper. I felt useless since I couldn't help her out. Even Temma, who was more capable than me, couldn't help Amelia. All we could do was watch her work.
"What else can Mind Magic do?" I asked.
"Mind Magic deals with magic that tampers a target's mind and emotions. Its practical application in battle is inducing negative emotions in the mage's enemies and disrupting their concentration. A skilled Mind Mage can also make false memories but it can easily be detected. They can even manipulate the dreams of a sleeping target."
Amelia slammed her head on the desk without any warning.
"What's wrong?!" I asked as I ran towards her.
Amelia looked at the wavelengths of the memories and started scribbling down. Her eyes were completely focused as the three of us watched her silently. When she was done, she let out her loudest laugh.
"I can't believe it. Why didn't I think of that?! Our opponent is a genius!" Amelia grinned as she looked at her calculations.
"Did you figure it out?" Captain Vein asked.
"Yes. It's a very simple trick. And judging from the files of the Knight Order, I know who is the prime suspect."
"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's get them!" Captain Vein cracked her knuckles.
"Wait! We need to set things up first. We can't just accuse them unless we're 100% sure. I need to talk to Captain Magus as soon as I can. Can we return to the 6th unit by tomorrow?"
"I'll be sure to do that. What else do we need to prepare?"
"I need you to drag the criminal to our trap. Can you call him over?"
"Our criminal is a he?" Temma asked.
"Yep. Also, I need you to do something, Temma. Can you bring someone from the 1st unit to our deduction show? If I can have a member of the 1st unit see the truth, then things will be easier."
"Got it. I know who to call."
Amelia took out her Excellular and dialed a number.
"Shellin. I need you to investigate someone. I think he's involved with your case too so he's already on your watch list. Give me all the dirt you can find about him".
After explaining everything, she hung up.
"What was that for?" I asked.
"I already have an idea about the mastermind's motive. Oh yeah, it's all coming together."
She looked at us and grinned. There it was. Amelia's trademark expression whenever she solved a mystery.
"Captain Noel is innocent!" she declared.
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