Then, Tri-Hermes projected Tenkei Shiomi's records for everyone to see.
"According to the Atlas Institute's data, Tenkei Shiomi first became active in the world of Magus—or rather, first came into public view—in the early 1980s. He suddenly appeared at the Clock Tower one day, with a flawless registered Magus identity, and was assigned to the Sealing Designation Division," Holmes explained, glancing at the group. "As you've likely noticed, there are no records of Tenkei Shiomi in the human world prior to 1980. That's quite similar to Romani—"
But Holmes' speculation only drew somewhat bored expressions from the others, which was rare enough to surprise him.
"My father came from the Land of Shadows. Naturally, there wouldn't be any records of him in the human world before that," Sakura said with a slight frown. "Though I don't know the exact year."
The girls all nodded in agreement.
Shiomi had already offered a formal explanation about this after Scáthach arrived in Chaldea.
"Hahaha, Miss Sakura's rebuttal really cuts to the heart of it. Indeed, Tri-Hermes couldn't record anything from the Land of Shadows, which lies beyond the world itself. What happened there, what was experienced, is known only to Tenkei Shiomi and his master—Queen Scáthach," Holmes admitted with a chuckle, though his confident expression didn't waver. "But ladies, how did he get to the Land of Shadows? And where was he before that?"
Before Shiomi, Scáthach had trained other disciples, all with well-documented origins.
"As the Atlas Institute's largest archival system, Tri-Hermes gathers, classifies, and logs vast amounts of information from across Earth. Ask it a question, and you get an answer. Yet there is no answer to where Tenkei Shiomi was born," Holmes said seriously. "It's possible that this information was deliberately hidden, and our current access level doesn't allow us to retrieve it."
But regardless of the reason, Shiomi's origins remain inaccessible within the Atlas Institute.
"There are certainly many mysteries surrounding my father, but that doesn't stop me from fully trusting him," Sakura said plainly to Holmes.
"Hahaha, I didn't expect to be mistaken for a spy trying to stir up discord among the Chaldea Masters." He still wore a lighthearted smile. "I'm not telling you this to suggest he's untrustworthy. I'm just sharing the facts I uncovered about him."
Then Holmes added, "It's possible even he doesn't know. Not knowing his own origins, he may have chosen to keep these mysteries to himself—so as not to burden those around him with confusion or concern."
Everyone looked a bit surprised.
"According to Hermes' records, especially from the time he adopted Miss Sakura and your sister, all his actions have consistently posed no harm to humanity. In fact, you could even say he's been unintentionally protecting the world he lives in," Holmes said with a smile.
But all of it seemed unconscious—simply doing what he believed was right and choosing the most rational path.
Maybe this was just Holmes' own hope for a Magus he had never actually met.
Still, actions reveal one's nature—and in all of Tenkei Shiomi's records, he had never once committed an act that could truly be called "evil."
He seemed more like a Magus with normal human values, someone who had found his own balance between the two worlds.
He couldn't even bring himself to say something like, "I can't trust Romani Archaman."
To trust someone he'd never met, and in turn, trust the people that person trusted—it wasn't how a detective should think.
But there was no need for deduction. The certainty just came to him.
How strange.
Holmes thought to himself.
Realizing he had gone quiet and the others were waiting for him to continue, Holmes spoke up, "Alright, that's all we can dig up on Tenkei Shiomi. The rest… well, if you ask him directly, maybe he won't be able to resist your curiosity and spill the truth."
He cleared his throat.
"Next, let's talk about Miss Gray's friend—or rather, her weapon—and why it's fallen silent. Considering the changes in Miss Gray, we can assume that King Arthur has appeared at this Singularity and is wielding the Holy Lance."
"I heard from my teacher that the Holy Lance I hold is actually just a shadow of the 'Tower of the End,'" Gray said.
"Exactly. There are two Holy Lances in existence. One is a colossal tower that pierces through the world—the 'Tower of the End.' It still exists, but no one can reach it. After all, it's at the end of the world, and reaching it would mean the end of everything," Holmes said, toying with the pipe in his hand. "The other spear, held by the Lion King, is the true form of Add, now sealed. Both are like shadows of that tower, projected onto the world. Weapons that can channel the tower's power."
"So, the tower is the main body, and the lance is like a drone?" Mash asked.
Holmes smiled and nodded. "That's a fitting comparison, Miss Kyrielight. The tower has always stood at the end of the world, while the lance is the weapon held by its guardian. And now, as another shadow of the tower, Miss Gray's Add has gone silent. Which leads us to a theory—the Lion King has seized control of the Tower of the End itself, and using its authority, has silenced every other shadow."
"Does that mean—" Ritsuka pressed her temples, narrowing her eyes as she tried to piece it together. "—the Tower of the End is already standing within this Singularity?"
Only after she spoke did she realize, from everyone's expressions, just how earth-shattering that possibility was.
"Incredible intuition. Yes, I can say with confidence: the Holy City of Camelot, which rose overnight, is the Tower of the End itself. The Lion King's so-called 'Holy Selection' isn't about choosing someone pure and upright—but someone who will always do what's right, no matter the circumstance..."
Holmes stopped mid-sentence, a sudden chill running through him.
So that's why Tenkei Shiomi was captured—he wasn't executed on the battlefield like an enemy.
Could it be that the Lion King recognized this and chose to take him alive?
Even so, it seemed too drawn-out.
"So there's no way to wake Add up?" someone asked.
"There are only two methods," Holmes replied. "First, leave this Singularity—escape the influence of the Lion King and the Tower of the End. Second, enter Camelot and confront the Lion King directly."
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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