Counter-measures and commencing capture

Risti's plan was rather simple. Right now, since the murderer was unable to actually kill anyone, it was possible that they would try to sneak into the city. Given the very careful tactics employed, however, Risti was reasonably certain that the murderer was probably still hesitating on actually entering the city.

"So we're going to head out and search for a very cautious murderer?" Dia asked. "If the murderer is half as cautious as Claud, we'll be in deep trouble."

"That's an outlier. Besides, Schwarz could have been making fun of him when he told us that Claud sets up traps in his own house when sleeping," Risti replied.

"I get a feeling that he's not pulling our leg, though. Well, we'll just need to ask Lily or something when we get back." Dia took a look at the three doppelgangers of Hulid, who were still trying to work out their shift system. All of them wanted to be around when Hulid recovered, but since there was no sign of him waking up anytime soon, the three of them were naturally apprehensive.

"Come now," said Dia, "wouldn't it be better if he woke up and heard that one of you caught the murderer?"

Her words fell like lightning bolts, and the three blue-haired fellows trembled from them. For some reason, that sentence seemed like a divine revelation from the Coloured Gods to the three of them, and before long, the three had settled on who was going to stay behind.

Exthoth sat down on the chair and gave everyone else a thumbs-up. "I'll take care of him here first."

"Okay."

"Besides, what are the chances of us catching the murderer on the first try?" Dia muttered. "I think he's the super-lucky one."

The two other doppelgangers wavered.

"But he's essentially giving up his chance to be there when Hulid wakes up, since Hulid isn't probably going to wake up in the first shift either," Risti observed.

The wavering, uncertain expressions on the others weakened, and Dia exchanged amused looks with Risti. It was fun seeing them trying to weigh what was best for them individually, and after a few more minutes of non-verbal conversation, nothing much had changed.

Exthoth was still seated on his chair and everything, so Dia couldn't quite see the point of them actually having the discussion earlier. Nonetheless, the three of them were really ready this time, so it was with some trepidation that she followed Risti along with Lucid and Haber down the inn. Tens of eyes fell on them as they stepped onto the ground floor, and the silence that had permeated the area earlier deepened even further somehow.

It was a bit uncomfortable to have so many eyes fixed on them, but Dia was somewhat used to it, given her upbringing. Risti, on the other hand, was completely fearless, despite being the evident leader of their little group.

"We're going out of the city to look for the murderer," Risti murmured, her quiet voice carrying through the tavern. "Right now, the people in this town and you guys are very safe. We've managed to stop the murderer from using his or her skills with the countermeasures draped outside, but it would be a problem if the killer slipped through the city gates."

Her words stirred up some whispers, but Risti didn't care about them. Walking past them to the door, her every step seemed to echo in the silent tavern and radiate dignity at the same time.

Farah clearly wasn't the only one who gave off such an air. For some reason, Dia was beginning to feel both pressured and a bit inadequate; she didn't think herself to be capable of giving off such an air. Where did they learn it from? Or was it a natural result of the responsibilities the two of them had?

After all, Risti was the daughter of the Folder Association's president. She had been quite evasive about the actual job title of her father, but in one of their conversations, Risti had revealed the actual title of her father — Association President. Dia didn't quite understand what a 'president' was, but it was probably a nice-sounding term for ruler. There were all kinds of words to replace 'leader', anyway; her working title as Lunar Lady was one of them, as an illustration.

Anyway, Risti probably had quite a bit of experience in ordering mana-users around, which was why she had handled negotiations so smoothly. Behind Risti, to Dia's right, she could see Lucid and Haber stare at Risti, their expressions varied yet united in expressing surprise.

Her presence had definitely startled them, and Dia couldn't blame them for reacting in such a way. Who could have guessed that Risti, who was devoted to seeking out every tiny bit of information about Princess Dia, could give off such an air?

As a group, they continued to head down the main street, which had been cast into shadow. From the small gaps between the hastily-created ceiling of cloth, they could vaguely tell that it was late afternoon; their little discussion had taken up quite a bit of time.

"It might be dangerous to move around at night, though." Dia looked up at the sun.

"Yes, but that might also be a loophole in the murderer's thoughts. For one, skills like Clairvoyance are a lot harder to use at night, since the Moons' light aren't that strong. If we keep a low profile and move carefully, it's unlikely that the killer would spot us. More important, the culprit might also think that we won't search for him at night, and would be more relaxed as a result." Risti rubbed her chin. "But that's making some assumptions, so…"

She thought for a moment. "We'll make a show of returning to the city when night falls, and then we sneak out again. How's that sound?"

"Sneaky," Dia appraised. "I like it."

"What about the two of you?" Risti asked.

"Sounds like a good idea. If we can actually catch him today, it'll be great for us!" Haber rubbed his hands, the mellowness in his features slightly muted. "That'll show him for choosing the best timing!"

The two fans of Hulid seemed particularly fired up, so Dia found herself issuing a warning to be more careful. She didn't want to face a Hulid enraged by the very unfortunate deaths of his fans, especially since they were also his party members. Even if they were innocent, would the Edgeless Night let them off that easily?

They soon arrived at the city gates, where Lucia was humming to herself in a relaxed fashion. The guards standing around the gates were noticeably at ease too, and everyone smiled as they stopped at the gates.

"Your Excellency, the murders have stopped." Lucia's smile was so wide that her face now looked like a little Moon. "Your idea really worked! Thank you!"

"It's her idea, actually." Dia gestured at Risti, who shuffled her feet awkwardly. "You should thank her, not me."

"Moons! My most sincere apologies, Your Excellency!" Lucia turned to face Risti and bowed. "Thank you for your invaluable suggestion!"

"N-no issue, really." Risti cleared her throat. "Anyway, the four of us are going out of the city to hunt down the murderer. I need your help to facilitate some things for us while we're at it."

"We'll give you anything you need!"

Dia's eyes glittered. "Well then, I want three hundred pure-ranked lifestones."

"…that we have," Lucia added on lamely.

"It was worth a try, I guess."

The others laughed at Dia's words, and the atmosphere turned even more cordial. After playing it off, Dia told her about Risti's sneaky little plan and requested some dark cloaks for them to wear when they went out at night later. To absolutely no one's surprise, Lucia loved the plan, and immediately went off to find some suitable clothes for them.

"Wait," Risti muttered, "did she just abandon us in her efforts to help?"

"We don't really need her help to leave the city, though," Dia replied. "Either way, it's good that she's so keen on helping out. There's no need to take any offence."

"Huh? What offence?"

Everyone stared blankly at each other, and then rolled their eyes in an unprecedented display of synchronicity. Stepping out of the city together, Dia winced at the sunlight streaming down onto her body, before feeling a touch of apprehension. The murderer had killed many people with the sky as a medium; what was once a tranquil peaceful sight now filled her with a fear of death.

The enemy's method of killing was insidious. Dia didn't dare to claim that she would be alright if she was targeted by the murderer; what had happened to her last night was enough proof. If she had been a bit slower to set up defences…

Shaking her head, she patted her defensive artefacts. "Remember to use your artefacts if you feel threatened or scared at any moment in time."

The others nodded.

"We'll scout the periphery of the marked-out area first," said Risti, "and then we'll explore the marked-area directly at night later. Remember to return to the city gates when night falls. Any questions?"

That last bit was directed at Lucid and Haber, who shook their heads in reply.

"Good. Let's go, then."