Chapter 112: A Case at the Opera Epiclese
Seeing the look of mild exasperation on Conan's face, the other children exchanged glances for a moment, until it was Moroboshi who finally stepped in with an explanation.
"I heard that trials are one of Fontaine's most important public events. Under the influence of the Hydro Archon Focalors, trials turned into a kind of performance — truth and illusion, farce and tragedy, with everyone performing on the courtroom stage as equals, like actors in a play. That's why Fontaine holds its trials at the Opera Epiclese."
Mitsuhiko chimed in. "In Fontaine, a courtroom trial is something people enjoy watching as part of their everyday lives."
"And I heard that when there's no trial going on, that opera house puts on regular shows for people to enjoy," Genta added. "Apparently there's a magic show tomorrow. I wonder if we'll make it in time to catch it — it'd be cool to see how it compares to that magic show Xia Yu took us to a while back."
"Come on, Conan, let's go. Stop overthinking it," Xia Yu said. "Just treat all of this as part of the game's setting."
"I suppose that's all I can do." Conan sighed. He still couldn't quite wrap his head around why the people of this world treated trials as spectator entertainment, but there was nothing he could do to change their minds. Besides, Xia Yu had a point — this was a game, and he really shouldn't be digging too deep into it.
But before the group had taken more than a couple of steps toward the Opera Epiclese, the sky, which had been bright only moments before, began to dim.
Time itself seemed to accelerate. Night fell in what felt like an instant, and darkness swallowed everything around them.
The children were just starting to grow frightened, worried that something had gone wrong with the game, when the sun rose again. And still the hours kept racing by — the sun swept across from the eastern horizon to hang in the western sky, making it clear that it was now well into the following afternoon.
Everyone stared blankly up at the sky, and only came back to their senses once the sun finally stopped moving.
"...It's already the next day?" Ran said.
"It must be," Haibara replied. "The game wouldn't actually keep us here for three full days. Three days without food or water — our bodies outside wouldn't hold up."
Conan nodded in agreement. "The fact that time jumped ahead to this point means something related to the game's mission must have happened."
Genta gestured at the building standing not far away. "So, are we still going to that Opera-whatever place?"
"Of course we are," Moroboshi said. "Whatever comes next has to be connected to that opera house. Remember how Genta said tomorrow's — no, today's magic show would be on? I'd bet that performance has something to do with the case we're investigating."
With everyone in agreement, they set off toward the Opera Epiclese.
The moment they reached the entrance, before they could even step inside, it was obvious that something was wrong. The interior was in an uproar, as if a crime had just taken place.
The instant Conan heard the words case, he bolted inside. Xia Yu couldn't stop him in time, and with no other choice, the rest of them hurried in after him.
Sure enough, when they got into the main hall, Xia Yu spotted Conan being stopped at the doors of the courtroom itself.
Inspector Megure wasn't here, nor were any of the other officers who knew Mouri Kogoro — and nobody here knew Conan, so no one was about to turn a blind eye and let a little boy wander into a crime scene.
Watching Conan strain to get past the guard who refused to budge, Xia Yu allowed herself a small, secret smile of satisfaction.
Those earlier police officers had been practically blind to Conan darting all over crime scenes. It was rare — and honestly rather entertaining — to see him actually blocked outside of one for once.
She quickly composed her expression before anyone noticed, then stepped up to the Maison Gardiennage attendant to negotiate.
She introduced their group as guests invited by the Hydro Archon herself to solve a case. In three days' time, they were due to face Lady Focalors in a courtroom duel, and the incident that had just occurred here was connected to the missing-girls case — so naturally, they needed access to investigate.
Listening to Xia Yu's pitch, Conan immediately caught on.
They still didn't know exactly what had happened inside, but if a case had broken out at the very moment they arrived, then it had to be tied to clearing the game — which meant it was connected to the missing-girls case too. So Xia Yu's story wasn't really a lie after all.
As expected, the attendant, after checking with a superior, let them through.
From the Gardes stationed inside, they learned that today's performer at the Opera Epiclese was one of Fontaine's most celebrated magicians.
The accident had struck in the middle of the magician's signature trick, "Swapping the Person in the Box." The prop water tank from the previous act, "Escape from the Water Tank," had come loose and crashed down onto the box at center stage — and inside that box was a "lucky audience member" who had been invited up to take part.
Conan frowned. Doesn't that sound a lot like the "Swapping the Person in the Box" act Lyney and Lynette performed? Although... I suppose there are only so many classic magic tricks out there.
When the accident happened, everyone had assumed the audience member was dead. But when they searched the box, the spectator was nowhere to be found — instead, they discovered the body of the magician's assistant.
Afterward, a thorough check of every staff member and every audience member turned up no trace of the missing spectator, so the preliminary conclusion was that the "lucky audience member" had vanished outright. Every detail fit the pattern of the "missing-girls case," and Lady Focalors — who had been in the audience watching the performance — immediately accused the performing magician of being the culprit behind the recent disappearances.
Where there is an accusation, there must be a trial. Lord Neuvillette, who had likewise been present, knew that Focalors had already promised the traveler from another world a courtroom duel over the missing-girls case three days hence, and so he declared that this trial would be held at the opera house as well, on that same day.
Once they had heard the full account of how the incident unfolded, the group made their way onto the stage.
They stood gazing at the huge puddle of water staining the boards, each of them lost in thought.
Mitsuhiko spoke first. "Conan, do you think the missing audience member got dissolved by the water that fell on them?"
"I can't say for sure yet," Conan said. "This one's different from before — we have an extra victim now. Besides, I doubt there's anything wrong with the water itself."
After all, if the water were dangerous, then with so many people coming and going to examine the scene, someone was bound to have touched it by now — and any problem would have been discovered long ago. The fact that nobody yet knew a person could be dissolved in water meant the water here really was clean. And the assistant had been a Fontainian. True, he wasn't a young girl, but his body hadn't vanished into nothing — which was further proof that the water wasn't the culprit.
"My, my — the moment the Gardes described it, I had a pretty good guess who they were talking about. And sure enough, it's you all."
At the sound of the voice, everyone turned — and there, unmistakably, stood Focalors, the Hydro Archon of Fontaine.