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Episode 2: Turn of the Golden Witch

Culprits

Rosa’s Motivation

This time Rosa plays the same role as Eva in EP1: she provides the argument with Battler and nudges him towards the truth. The reason why she would side with Yasu is complex. First off, she needs money. She also had a bad relationship with her siblings. Finally, she learns that Kinzo is dead and his death was kept secret. That, combined with the gold in Yasu’s possession, would mean that she had all the financial and psychological incentive to betray her siblings.

Maria’s candy

Description

Maria’s candy was destroyed by Rosa but then Beatrice used “magic” to fix it in front of Rosa and Maria.

Explanation

The method itself is quite obvious, but nevertheless it gives some insight into the events: It was specifically shown that Kanon had a pumpkin candy that was given to him by Maria earlier, but she didn’t accept it when he tried to give it back after her own candy was destroyed because it wasn’t the same candy. After that, all that’s needed was a simple sleight of hand as Beatrice. She specifically asked Maria to close her eyes, therefore allowing the magic/deception. Rosa “witnessing” the magic and later reporting on it also solidifies her status as an accomplice.

The letter

Description

Rosa is given the first letter by Beatrice.

Explanation

Contrast with the first episode. Note that she is not dressed as the witch Beatrice but instead in the more “contemporary” costume, meaning the meeting probably did happen for real and it was Yasu in disguise. Yasu wants to give the letter to Maria like in EP1 but is interrupted by Rosa, therefore she appears in front of her as well.

\Guest\ Beatrice’s Identity

Description

An actual 19th(sic) person, Beatrice, appeared on the island. She was seen by Rosa, Maria and Kyrie and was acknowledged by the servants.

Explanation

Rosa and Maria seeing her was clearly a pseudo-event, therefore the narration cannot be trusted. Considering the later events, it is fairly certain that Rosa became an accomplice at that point. However, Kyrie’s account, while the narrated event is still doubtful, can be considered genuine, as she stated that she met her in front of Battler and was killed in the first twilight, therefore it can be said with a high certainty that she wasn’t an accomplice who would lie about something like this.

Therefore, it is fairly certain that there was an actual person dressed as Beatrice. It is also notable that she did not address herself as Beatrice and that Kyrie noted her resemblance to the portrait, meaning it is almost certain that it was Yasu.

Maria’s occult knowledge

Description

Maria knows an awful lot of things about magic circles and the like without any possible source.

Explanation

It was established that she learned it from ‘Beatrice’. Since Yasu has access to Kinzo’s study and it was shown that Kinzo’s books also contain these circles, it is reasonable to assume that this was the chain of knowledge, and it also explains how Maria instantly recognizes the specific magic circles, since they have been taught to her in advance.

First Twilight

Description

Krauss, Eva, Rudolf, Natsuhi, Hideyoshi and Kyrie were found in the chapel around a table full of Halloween decorations and with three gold bars. Their stomachs were cut open and stuffed with sweets.

Red Truths

  1. “Regardless of whether they were living or dead, the six people definitely entered through the door” (Refers to the six murders in the chapel.)
  2. “Only one key to the chapel exists”
  3. “It is impossible to unlock the lock to the chapel without the chapel’s key”
  4. “When the door to the chapel is locked, it prevents any and all methods of entry or exit”
  5. “Six people definitely entered through ‘this front door’”
  6. “This morning, Rosa definitely took an envelope out of Maria’s handbag, and thereby obtained the genuine key to the chapel” (This morning refers to the morning of the second day.)
  7. “The key to the chapel truly was the object inside the envelope I gave Maria”
  8. “The letter that I handed over to Maria and the one Rosa opened are the same thing”
  9. “Starting when Maria’s key was received, and until the instant Rosa unsealed it the next day, it passed through no one’s hands!!”
  10. “When the six were killed in the chapel, the culprit was inside the chapel!”

Explanation

There are two possibilities: The six victims were either knocked out and were taken to the chapel during the night, or they went there on their own accord in order to meet with Beatrice and got put to sleep/poisoned during the meeting. The latter would also explain the gold bars found at the scene.

The door was never locked to begin with, so they needed no key. Whether the table was prepared beforehand or during the night is inconsequential. Once they were unconscious/dead, their stomachs were cut open by Yasu (therefore fulfilling #10) and they were filled up with sweets.

Then, in the morning, Rosa went to the cousin’s room to get the key (or rather, to get Maria’s notebook for the magic circle but took the key as well, fulfilling #6, #7 and #9. Once the preparations were complete they called for Nanjo and the cousins followed, thus allowing Battler to witness the scene.

Further Details

This time around the circle wasn’t Maria’s doing but Rosa’s, as it was directly foreshadowed that she had access to Maria’s notebook with the detailed drawings.

The gold bars are explained by that Yasu’s presence who had solved the epitaph a while back, thus giving her the money needed for the bribery of Rosa and others.

Second Twilight

Description

Jessica is found dead in her room with a stake in her back. The room was locked from the outside and Kanon’s body was missing.

Red Truths

  1. “The only master keys are the ones that each servant holds, one per person” (Used by Beatrice in Chapter 12: A Suspect.)
  2. “there are absolutely no types of hidden doors” (The location in discussion refers to Jessica’s room.)
  3. “This door is the only way in or out”
  4. “The only way to lock this door is with Jessica’s single key or the master keys, only one of which is held by each servant”
  5. “the window is locked from the inside”
  6. “Kanon was killed in this room”
  7. “When locked, entry is not possible by any means”
  8. “No trick could have the effect of locking the door from the outside without using a key”
  9. “There are no hidden doors in this room” (This text refers back to Statement 12, in the same context.)
  10. “There is no way to get in or out other than the door and the window”
  11. “Entry or exit is impossible except for the single door and single window”
  12. “And those were both locked”
  13. “The door and the window do not permit any kind of entry or exit when they are locked”
  14. “No one exists in this room except all of you. ‘All of you’ refers to Battler, George, Maria, Rosa, Genji, Gohda, and Shannon”
  15. “When Jessica’s corpse was discovered, only Battler, George, Maria, Rosa, Genji, Gohda, Shannon, Kumasawa, and Nanjo were in Jessica’s room”
  16. “[Whoops, the corpse of] Jessica is also included”
  17. “Therefore, both in the case of Jessica’s room and the case in this servants’ room, no humans exist that are you were not aware of”
  18. “No one is hiding”
  19. “Regarding the window, no method exists by which it could somehow be locked from the outside”

Explanation

Yasu discarded Kanon while inside the room (fulfilling #6) and killed Jessica by stabbing her in the back. Afterwards Yasu used her second master key (established by #4) to lock the door from the outside and then changed into Shannon.

Further Details

The magic circle on the outside of the door was written up using Maria’s notes.

The master-key issue is circumvented by Yasu actually having two master keys, therefore she could lock the door with Shannon’s key.

A huge number of red truths referring to this “closed room” is inconsequential, since they are just denying Battler’s random potshots at the solution.

The reason why the door was locked on the first place with a master-key can have multiple reasons. First off, it could have been used to put the blame on Kanon and thus let the rest of the servants move freely (which was torpedoed by Battler), but it could have also been a deliberate clue by Yasu for Battler to pick up on, namely the explanation as of why Kanon would have two master keys.

Misplaced Corpses

(note: This should be a band’s name. :P)

Description

Kumasawa and Nanjo were killed in the servants’, apparently by Kanon, but their bodies are missing. The door was closed.

Red Truths

  1. “[Those are] kept in the key box in center of the servants’ room” (Used by Beatrice in Chapter 14: Devil’s Proof. The location in discussion refers to the servants’ room.)
  2. “[There are several keys to the servants’ room, but] all of those are inside the key box”
  3. “Entry or exit is impossible except for the single door and single window”
  4. “And those were both locked”
  5. “The door and the window do not permit any kind of entry or exit when they are locked”
  6. “it is impossible to unlock the door without a key to the servants’ room or the master key”
  7. “No one exists in this room except your group. ‘Your group’ refers to Battler, George, Maria, Rosa, Genji, Gohda, and Shannon”
  8. “No one is hiding”
  9. “No method exists by which the door can be locked from the outside without using a key”
  10. “Regarding the window, no method exists by which it could somehow be locked from the outside”

Explanation

The faux closed room was created on the notion that the servants told the truth. In reality, they were killed and then moved without problem.

Their bodies were found outside later, also making them into the 7th and 8th Twilight victims, though it’s fairly certain they were killed before the death of Gohda, George and Shannon in Natsuhi’s room.

Again, the large amount of Red Truths stem from Battler asking the wrong questions in-story.

The 4th, 5th and 6th Twilights

Description

Gohda’s, George’s and Shannon’s bodies were found in Natsuhi’s room. The room was locked. Inside, Gohda’s body was found by the door with a stake in his chest, George’s body was found on the floor at the back with a stake in his stomach and Shannon’s body was found on the drawer, with a hole on her forehead and a stake next to her.

Red Truths

  1. “Natsuhi’s room was exactly the same, just like usual” (In this case, usual refers to the closed room scenarios prior.)
  2. “The door and the windows were locked from the inside”
  3. “There is no fraud or trick, there is no means of secret passage and no hidden place”
  4. “Natsuhi’s own key was in George’s pocket, and the inside of the room was closed off”
  5. “Only the five master keys were left, and ‘Rosa’ was holding all of them”
  6. “And let me say this, the parlor’s the same”
  7. “The original key to the parlor is sealed in the servants’ room. So unlocking it without the master key is impossible! The definition of a closed room is the same as always!”
  8. “After the master keys came into Rosa’s control, never did any of them leave her hands! Except for the time when she lent it to Battler to unlock Natsuhi’s room.”

Explanation

This is a tough one, but thankfully Ryukishi comes to the rescue with the following quote from an interview:

K Still, the locked room in Natsuhi’s chamber is a special case. If Shannon actually committed suicide, there is nobody who can get rid of the weapon. If you think of Genji finalizing that, then it just happens smoothly, but…hmm *laugh*.

R Because we have come so far, I think I can give you an answer, though it is basically the same trick as with the well. Shannon died face down, slumped over the makeup cabinet. It’s a really simple trick. You tie the weapon to a heavy object with a string, then you throw the heavy object behind the cabinet. And then it’s the classic trick, when you commit suicide, the gun is pulled behind the cabinet towards the heavy object.

K So that’s how it went?!

R I thought, because you solved the riddle of the well as well, that you would get this trick without any problem. I especially wrote that she was “slumped over, face down, over the makeup cabinet”. And while the other two in the room were actually pierced by the stakes, Shannon was not. That is why you can imagine her being the last to die in that room, because there was nobody left to insert the stake into the gunwound. There was never a full inspection of that special room, so that means that the weapon was left within it.

With that said, the following can be concluded: Shannon killed both Gohda and George, locked the door from the inside, put the Key into George’s pocket, and then committed suicide in the fashion described in the interview.

Further Details

As for why Shannon/Yasu committed suicide, the best answer would be that she lost faith in Battler after his breakdown in the servants’ room. Note that Yasu’s original plans involved her dying no matter what and that the trick for hiding the murder weapon was probably only there to give another clue to Battler.

The Final Letter

Description

Battler finds a sealed letter inside the parlor. The doors and windows were all locked.

Explanation

It was Rosa who put the letter there. It was explicitly shown that she went back and checked all the windows before they left, giving her ample time to leave the letter there.

The Final Scenes

Description

Genji leads Battler into Kinzo’s study where he meets with Kinzo and Beatrice.

Explanation

We do know for sure that Kinzo is dead from the very beginning, so the entire scene is in the pseudo-realm. Since Battler is drunken at this point, it absolves his detective-privileges of objective observation. The rest of the people on the island die when the bomb goes off.


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