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The Lumberjack’s Statement – Part 02

You must think I’m suspicious. Ah, my knees are shaking. But you’re wrong. Besides, how would I know which raisin she would pick? What? Who brought the brandy? The Dead. But if the brandy had been poisoned, we would have all died.

Whose turn it was to pick a raisin was decided by spinning an empty bottle. I think it was the Empress who spun it. The bottle pointed to me, so I had to eat first. It was just pure coincidence.

What? She could’ve controlled the bottle?

I don’t know.

But I don’t think she did.

The Empress is not that kind of person.

Well, yes, of course. I’ve never met her before, but I’m sure she’s a nice person.

Anyway, I ate the raisin and made a wish. Next was the Empress. She was very eager to tell us about how she had escaped from her country despite being an empress. Her identity was supposed to be made-up. She said that if she continued her journey, she would eventually miss her kingdom. She also mentioned that during the winter the sea turns white and the sky is filled with seawater. And that her subjects are waiting for her.

I have a good memory?

Well, yeah.

I was curious about what she said. What did she mean by the sky filled with seawater? I get that it’s a seaside country, but the sky can’t possibly be filled with seawater. It’s the sky, not the sea.

No, that’s all.

Next it was the Dead who picked up a raisin. Did he make some strange gesture? No, I don’t think so.

I didn’t really notice anything in particular. I wasn’t paying close attention. I remember him sticking his hand into the flame, taking a handful of raisins, and then burning his mouth. The Empress said he only had to get one.

And then it was the Orphan’s turn.

Nothing seemed off. She didn’t do any weird gestures. She put her hand in the bowl, picked up a random raisin, and put it in her mouth. And then she started groaning in pain.

It was chaos after that.

She said her raisin was poisoned and then ran out of the dining car. The Vassal said she had a gun, much to my horror, and then we heard a gunshot from behind the closed door. With the lock broken, the door couldn’t be opened. Then we heard a couple of gunshots coming from the driver’s cab, and the train started going out of control. It was a nightmare. Memories of the accident when I was a kid had me shaking. Then the Vassal suddenly climbed out of the window onto the roof to get to the driver’s cab. The situation was similar to when my parents died, so I tried my best to stop him. But he ended up kicking me off and going up to the roof.

I don’t really know what happened after that.

I was just panicking. I can’t remember.

I think someone, a woman, was laughing. Who was it? I don’t know, maybe the Empress? But how in the world could she laugh in that situation? The Dead was petrified. I think he was mumbling something. This is bad, is what he said, I believe.

“This is bad. An incident like this will draw people.”

Something like that.

What did he mean by that?

I have absolutely no clue.

I didn’t ask. I was too scared. I thought I would just black out.

I called my sister’s name. I thought, “I don’t want to die in a train accident, too.”

I didn’t want to leave her alone. I can’t leave my frail sister alone in this fickle world.

A gunshot sounded in the distance. I closed my eyes and prayed.

One shot.

Two shots.

And then… another shot.

I prayed. I was praying while crying. I think the woman was still laughing then. I don’t know who it was, though.

Eventually, the train stopped.

It seemed unreal.

I couldn’t really believe it at first. I thought the train had already crashed and was on fire. I thought I was dead, dreaming about being safe. I thought I was already in the underworld. I shivered like a little girl at the terrifying thought.

I climbed out of the same window that the Vassal used.

And then to my surprise, it was morning.

The pale morning sun was rising from the eastern sky, shining on my face. The train had stopped halfway up a hill. I could see the tracks below. We’re safe, I thought. Then I doubted it again. I ran. When I made it into the driver’s cab, I saw the Gray Wolf and her vassal. The Vassal was holding a gun.

I thought he looked way braver than me. He was younger, and he was from the Orient. I was a little ashamed of myself for thinking that he belonged to an inferior race. I felt a sense of friendship and camaraderie with a boy I had just met by chance and would probably never see again. As for the Gray Wolf, she was sitting on the floor. I saw the Orphan lying there. My sister was about the same age as her and had the same dark hair. It was as if my sister died for the train to stop. It was just a momentary impression, though. In that moment, the Gray Wolf whispered something to the dying, convulsing Orphan.

What did you say to her?

Keeping it to yourself, I see.

I heard a bit of what you said. I think you whispered the word “fake”. Something something is fake. Did I hear it wrong?

Still not talking. Oh, well.

After that, I reached for the Orphan and closed her eyes. I was surprised to see the serene look on her face. I expected it to be contorted with regret.

Outside the train, the Empress screamed. When we got out, we saw the Dead running and trying to escape. The Vassal was shocked, but not me, considering what he mumbled earlier. “This is bad. An incident like this will draw people.”

I realized then that the Dead was hiding something.

So I ran along the tracks with Kujou to catch the fleeing man.

What?

I was restless the whole time I was talking?

I was glancing at the door repeatedly as if waiting for someone to arrive?

…

……

………

Of course not.

You’re mistaken, Miss Gray Wolf.

---

“Of course not.”

Gideon’s soft, composed voice echoed in the room. Surrounded by detectives taking notes, he had looked pale and nervous earlier, but as he spoke he gradually regained his composure. His eyes were now calm, and he even had a smile on his lips.

“You’re mistaken, Miss Gray Wolf,” Gideon muttered, and gently pulled his eyes away from the girl with the magnificent golden hair and green taffeta dress. She was smoking her pipe as she stared at him.

Slowly, he shifted his head to look at the door.

He was watching the door with narrow eyes, as though waiting for someone to arrive. A subconscious motion, most likely.

Victorique coughed and said, “You’re looking at the door again,” to which Gideon replied curiously, “What?”

“You must be secretly waiting for someone.”

“Another silly remark, Miss Gray Wolf. Inspector, I have no idea what she’s talking about. Hmm? Looks like your hairstyle changed a bit.”

“Hmm?”

Inspector Grevil de Blois, who, like his sister, was smoking his pipe, wearing a distant look in his eyes, snapped back to his senses.

“Yes?”

“Were you listening, Inspector? I just finished giving my statement.”

“Of course I was listening. What was that about my hair?”

Noticing that Kazuya, standing beside him, was peering at him in horror, the Inspector gently put his hand to his head.

The lower half of the double-drill was slowly drooping down, losing to gravity. A deep darkness slowly began to open, as if a giant bird had opened its beak. Even now, an ominous squawking could almost be heard.

“Oh, no. It’s hot today. It seems to be melting,” the inspector muttered, poking the drill repeatedly with the pipe’s mouthpiece.

The pipe’s flame hit the end of the drill, burning his golden tips. Kazuya watched in horror as smoke started rising. Inspector Blois quickly bolted, bent at the waist exactly ninety degrees like a bowing albatross, and dunked his hair into a detective’s cup of coffee.