Philie-san began by retrieving a scroll from her breast pocket and spreading it across the reception table.
It was a handwritten Dragon Vein Lineage Correlation Appraisal.
In the certifier column was the signature of Filiestra Adinson.
"Dragon veins can be expanded through training. However, their innate pathways cannot be altered. In the case of a parent and child, a certain homology will always appear in the branching positions of the main dragon veins, the connection order of the auxiliary dragon veins, and the periodicity of excitation. In this analysis, not a single one of those traits was observed."
In this world, dragon veins were where parental traits were most prominently inherited. By examining them, you could deduce almost anything. This time, we had analyzed hair roots from Celestia-san, arriving at the definitive conclusion that there was no relation.
"I am truly sorry. I offer my deepest apologies, including for having conducted this appraisal unilaterally."
"Is that... so. Good grief..."
Zectromeo-san picked up the scroll and studied the document intently. "Remarkable, truly," he murmured, stroking his beard as though marveling at her skill.
"However, this was merely an impromptu test conducted by an inexperienced medical mage. From your perspective, I am sure there are many questionable points. If this is incorrect, please, deny it outright."
Philie-san spoke with resolute firmness.
"If you do, I will apologize without reservation."
Silence.
I could no longer predict what would happen from here on out.
The moment these appraisal results came in this morning, I had intended to cut off all contact with the Löwenthal family.
The only reason we had still come here was because Philie-san had insisted that she wanted to hear the answer directly from the man's own mouth.
She wanted to confront the person claiming to be her biological parent and demand the truth face-to-face.
Or perhaps she just hadn't wanted to give up on the possibility that they were her real parents.
His answer, however, was shockingly casual.
"No, there is no need for an apology. Just as you say, it was all a lie."
The resolute look on Philie-san's face instantly dissolved into sheer despondency.
"I must say, I am surprised. I never imagined you were this exceptional. I suppose my plan to win you over gently was too difficult after all. Though I thought my preparations were flawless, if I do say so myself."
"...How much..."
"Hm?"
"...How much of it was a lie?"
Philie-san's lips trembled violently.
It was the first time she had ever shown anger.
"How much? No, it's just as you said a moment ago. Everything."
Without looking the least bit remorseful, Zectromeo replied with an easy smile. Subconsciously, my fingers brushed against the Allongé in my pocket.
"Every single bit of it is a lie."
A sneer crept across his face as he threw his arms wide, as if gesturing total surrender.
"Ever since that nuisance Magnolia died, I have been keeping watch over you. All the testimonies you obtained during your investigation were merely breadcrumbs, planted to fabricate the feeling of success that you had reached the Löwenthals through your own efforts."
Philie-san bit her lip, her brow furrowing deeply.
"What could you possibly gain from doing that?"
"You are exceptionally cautious. If I had approached you directly and said, 'I am your biological parent,' you wouldn't have believed me, would you? I reasoned that you would be far more receptive if you arrived at me through your own investigation."
"Just for that...? You roped in doctors and bank clerks just to play along with this farce...?"
"Indeed. Well, the results speak for themselves, however."
He gave a resigned shrug.
I couldn't tell how much of this was true, but was he saying that nearly everyone we had interviewed so far had been under the Löwenthals' thumb?
The scale was absurdly massive.
What reason could he possibly have to go that far to deceive Philie-san?
Could she truly be of ducal lineage?
No, don't tell me, she's actually—
"Then Director Kreisel and that bank clerk... Are they your lackeys or something?"
When I asked him point-blank, Zectromeo gave a nasty smirk.
"Ah, yes. After all, I am the leader of the Temcha Restorationists. I have no shortage of collaborators within Dravena."
Restorationists?
Then what was this? Was this guy the mastermind behind the faction plotting a civil war in the kingdom that he himself had talked about?
"I publicly profess my adoration for Anastasia purely to keep up appearances, but nothing could be further from the truth. Allow me to show you who I really am."
Saying that, Zectromeo took down the painting of Anastasia hanging on the wall. Holding it firmly with both hands, he arched his upper body and head far back.
"HRAAAH!!"
With a brutal headbutt, he snapped the painting clean in two.
Wearing a thoroughly refreshed expression, Zectromeo tossed the shattered pieces onto the floor and declared:
"In short, that is what this means."
Damn it. A simple search for someone's origins had somehow led us straight to a maniac on an entirely different plane from Wilhelm.
"You merely followed one of the several paths I laid out for you. —Still, I see. I thought your progress was far too fast, but you were behind it. For an honor student like Filie, I thought her methods were unusually forceful. Ah, magnificent, truly magnificent."
"...What is so funny to you?"
Philie-san's profile bore a look I had never seen on her before.
An icy visage, completely stripped of emotion.
So this was what she looked like when she was pushed past her limit.
"What was your purpose in going so far as to fake being my parents? Who are you? Just who is that woman pretending to be my mother?!"
"Who knows? Perhaps someone who just happens to look like you?"
"Stop... mocking me!"
"Ah, my apologies, my apologies. I surrender. I truly didn't expect you to be this cautious. A complete defeat on my part."
Zectromeo clapped his hands and chuckled.
He was likely trying to maintain an air of elegance, but there was no longer a trace of the warmth he had displayed while playing the loving father.
Philie-san's shoulders shook with unprecedented rage.
"............Enough. Let's go, Walker-kun."
Her voice was hollow.
Just as Philie-san turned on her heel, Zectromeo called out to stop her.
"What is the rush? In tribute to your brilliance, I shall lay everything bare. Come down to the basement. This time, I will give you the truth."
"No, we don't need to hear it."
I stepped forward to shield Philie-san.
We had already asked what we came to ask.
"We're leaving. I'll be reporting everything that happened here, including this conversation, to my superiors at the guild. Don't you ever approach Philie-san again."
That was that.
Now that we had drawn out a direct confession, we had no further business here.
We had gotten far too deeply involved as it was.
Once I reported this to my aunt, she would take care of the rest.
"Are you sure about that? Aren't you from the Imperial Archmage Faculty? For the sake of public order, shouldn't you investigate the possibility of my involvement in serious crimes?"
"You just ran a con pretending to be her family, didn't you?"
"Did that look like a simple fraud to you?"
Finding our departure inconvenient, Zectromeo rested a hand on his chin and tilted his head.
"Then let us do this. Before the day is out, I will destroy every piece of physical evidence regarding the birth of Filiestra Adinson."
"What?"
Philie-san's complexion changed instantly.
Instinct warned me that things were going down a dangerous path.
"And I shall flee the country tomorrow. You will never see me again. Now that my scheme has been exposed, returning to a normal life is out of the question, after all."
"Flee all you want. We're leaving. Make any suspicious move, and I'll strike back."
Zectromeo ignored me entirely, keeping his gaze locked on Philie-san.
"On your left shoulder, the number four."
Philie-san flinched, her shoulders jerking upward.
Was that about the birthmark he mentioned earlier?
If I remembered correctly, yes, that was a secret known only to those closest to her.
Wait, four? What was that about? A number was news to me.
Whether it struck a nerve or not, Philie-san's face went pale. Her breathing, which had been steady until a moment ago, grew noticeably ragged.
"Do you wonder how I know your physical traits? You could hardly tell others that a number was engraved upon your flesh, could you?"
"...Stop it."
"It is true that Celestia is not your mother. However, the fact that I know of your birth is absolute truth. Including the fact that you carry the blood of that whore, Anastasia."
Anastasia the whore, huh.
I see. So this was the man underneath the mask.
"You haven't conducted a dragon vein appraisal using mine, have you? At the very least, doesn't the possibility remain that you and I are related by blood?"
"...Stop spewing... nonsense."
"If I am gone, there will be no one left in this world who knows how Filiestra Adinson came into existence."
What kind of empty bluff was that?
No matter how you looked at it, it wasn't worth entertaining.
"Philie-san, it's a bluff. Don't listen to him. We're leaving right now."
When I placed a hand on her shoulder, she was trembling faintly.
Her breath was coming in short, harsh gasps.
Something was wrong. Was she actually taking him seriously?
"Philie-san. We promised we'd leave once we got the truth, didn't we?"
"............"
"Philie-san!"
Get a grip. What good does it do if I lose my cool?
"But if we go now, we might be able to secure physical evidence on the spot. As things stand, we can't prove this man's crimes."
"Don't get tangled up with this beard any further. We'll handle the rest through proper channels."
Besides, this was obviously a trap.
What had gotten into her?
She had completely lost her composure.
"Philie-san, let's go."
"Walker... kun."
Trembling, Philie-san spoke in a hoarse, strained whisper.
"Next month... is my birthday."
She took a small step forward.
"Before my coming-of-age celebration, I wanted... to find my father and mother."
Another step.
Even with my grip on her shoulder, she showed no sign of stopping.
"I didn't care who it was. I just wanted someone... someone who knew who I was."
For the first time, Philie-san turned and looked me straight in the eyes.
"You can blame... everything on me."
Her fingers weakly caught the hem of my sleeve.
"Please... come with me."
At that moment, even if it meant slapping some sense into her, I should have stopped her.
◇
That he would provide his explanation only after Philie-san suppressed his mana with an anesthetic.
That he would provide his explanation with no third parties present besides Zectromeo himself.
Attaching several other conditions, we made our way down into the basement.
Philie-san carried the white magic sword I had given her earlier, while I kept my telescopic sword at the ready—a weapon I had kept concealed just in case.
In contrast, Zectromeo, who led the way, was entirely unarmed. Of course, that was no reason to let down our guard.
He guided us into a cavernous, dimly lit space.
Excavating and furnishing a basement of this scale must have required an extraordinary amount of labor.
I had no idea what purpose this room served, but it was certainly no wine cellar.
"The lighting will engage shortly. Please wait a moment."
Keeping a close watch on Zectromeo as he dragged his feet forward, I surveyed our surroundings. My lantern was the only source of light.
Shortly after stepping inside, I noticed a massive silhouette looming directly ahead. Bringing the lantern closer revealed a large pedestal,
and mounted upon it was a nameplate engraved with the word "EMBRYO."
".........Embryo?"
"Walker-kun, what's wrong?"
"No, there's some strange writing..."
A split second too late, I realized my slip of the tongue.
"...I'm sorry. What does it say? This."
My pulse began to race.
I had blurted it out entirely on reflex.
No, that didn't matter right now.
Why?
Why were these letters...
Here?
".........Em... bryo... is that what it says? Walker-kun, you can read this?"
Philie-san turned toward me.
Her eyes held a faint glimmer of fear.
"Walker-kun, how can you read this?"
I couldn't answer.
There were many things in this world that resembled Earth.
Language, however, was not one of them.
Seeing the script most familiar to Earth—descended from ancient Phoenician—suddenly appear before my eyes caused my mind to grind to a dead halt.
Then, the basement lights flickered to life.
My dilated pupils took in the sudden flood of illumination, but I never once took my eyes off Zectromeo. I had no intention of looking away for even a second.
Yet my focus was violently seized by what stood before us.
Resting in the center of the chamber was a massive, transparent fluid container.
A heavy metal base supported the vat, which was completely filled with liquid.
Suspended within that liquid was the silhouette of a person.
A young woman clad in ethereal, flowing garments.
Pale, faint blonde hair drifted weightlessly in the solution.
Though their silhouettes were not an exact match, my instincts screamed that the person inside was Philie-san. It was not merely a resemblance; my mind perceived it as Philie-san herself floating inside the tank.
"..................What?"
Unable to process the sight before her, Philie-san muttered in stunned disbelief. At that moment, I failed to notice that right beside her, Zectromeo's lips had peeled back into a grotesque grin.
"And so, here is your answer, Filiestra Adinson. What does this look like to you?"
"........."
"You have no biological family. You are a manufactured being, after all. You do, however, have a creator. Well, that creator happens to be me..."
"........................What... is this?"
"Yes, quite. How best to put it?"
Zectromeo clapped his hands together lightly and answered:
"Perhaps you would understand if I called you an artificial human? You are a clone of Anastasia Lutze Dravenia. The key to activating the Great Treasure of Fire... And of the Embryo Series, you are the sole successful creation."