>>280637
The info doc is surprisingly handy and put-together.

>[] Greet the other two and state why you're here.

Though I admit I don't really know how to proceed from there.

Or even if QM still lives or if QM deded from no response.

>>280905
Nah, I'll be around for a good few hours, since I start work late on Mondays. Hopefully we'll get some more people, though.

===

You greet both Lord El-Melloi II and Reines, trying to sound as courteous as possible, before explaining that you're here as part of the ongoing investigation, a detective hired by the Clock Tower. However, in response to this claim...

A teasing smile appeared on the face of the gold-haired girl, a soft laugh leaving her. "A detective? Then why, pray tell, were you sneaking around Frederick's office when I asked you to stand guard in my place not too long ago?"

...ah, right, you'd forgotten that the only reason you had snuck inside Mill's office earlier was because Reines had told you to stand guard outside, and you'd snuck in once she had walked off. In hindsight, maybe relying on that lie wasn't the best move here.

[] Keep up the bluff, try to overpower Reines with your confidence.
[] Admit you're not a detective, but you still are trying to help with the investigation.
[] Magic missile Reines.

>>280981
>[] Keep up the bluff, try to overpower Reines with your confidence.
Looking over the actual interaction with her earlier, she never let MC finish introducing herself.

I mean, it'll still be trivially easy to burst the Bavarian Fire Drill for anyone familiar with the student body, or willing to ask for a demonstration of practical skill. But Reines can't quite pop the bubble by herself unless she already knows the MC for some reason.

You hold back the impulse to scoff at Reines's comment. Granted, she's absolutely right, but she doesn't have to know that.

"I was going to tell you who I was and request entrance, but before I could, you ordered me to stand watch for you and left. If you had stayed for a few more seconds, or even let me get a word in edgewise, I would have explained happily."

Cutting in, Lord El-Melloi II looks from you to Reines with a dull sigh. "That's enough." He said simply, before turning his head back around to face you. "You should still understand that just because someone says they're a detective doesn't mean they are. Especially since you look more like a student than anything else, I'm going to have to ask for some sort of proof of your identity."

The Lord didn't seem to be suspicious, but more like he just wanted to get through the formalities before he said anything. At the same time, "proof" was something you sorely lacked; you didn't have any abilities a detective should have, like Ammon's divination, and there wasn't anyone on the premises who would actively vouch for you on that front, so...

[] "Contact Filborne of the Curse Department. I was with him a short while ago, he'll vouch for me." Hopefully Filborne will play along.
[] Maintain the bluff and act incredulous.
[] Laugh nervously and say that you left your ID somewhere.

>>281126
>[] "Contact Filborne of the Curse Department. I was with him a short while ago, he'll vouch for me." Hopefully Filborne will play along.
Hopefully he'll think that's too much of a pain and let us start asking so questions.

>>281126
[] "Contact Filborne of the Curse Department. I was with him a short while ago, he'll vouch for me." Hopefully Filborne will play along.

Dead quest?

>>286424
So it seems.

>>286424
Like I said on Twitter, it'll be resuming tonight. Hopefully we'll have more people around.

Trying to compose some sort of response, you blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. "Contact Filborne of the Curse Department. I was with him a short while ago, he'll vouch for me." You reply, silently hoping that either the Lord considers it unnecessary, or that Filborne himself decides to lie again...you can't help but feel that the latter's unlikely, though.

At your words, Lord El-Melloi II sighs, shaking his head a bit. Unknown to you, you've actually struck at one of the Lord's weaknesses: his sheer laziness and childishness. After all, this is the sort of being whose student has to stop him from playing video games and help him get dressed. Despite being clueless as to this side of the great professor, your proposal has struck at the heart of it.

"...Filborne, that was one of his friends, wasn't it? Eh, if you could give me a reference, then you're probably the real thing." He says, while Reines's eyes flit from him to you with a playful glint, one that sets off warning bells in your head. "Well, let's make this quick, then. What do you need to ask me about?"

[] "What was your relationship like with Mill?"
[] "Where were you last night and this morning?"
[] "Do you know about anyone who had something to gain from Mill's death?"

Additionally, what are you going to do about that grinning girl?
[] Try and ignore Reines.
[] "Can Miss Archisorte leave the room? I'd like this to stay private."

>>288266
>[] "Where were you last night and this morning?"
Sounds professional enough.

>[] Try and ignore Reines.
I want her to stick around.

You decide to ask the Lord about where he was recently; if he has a solid enough alibi, you can at least narrow down the list of suspects a bit, if not completely. The moment you ask the question, though, Reines's eyes glint. "Oh, well if you must know, my dear brother-"

The Lord clamps a hand over Reines's mouth so quickly that you question if he's discovered a technique for true teleportation. "...the specifics aren't important, but you can know that I was in my own quarters for the duration of both last evening and this morning, I only left in time to give my morning lecture. My apprentice and various members of my department will vouch for that much."

[] Press on what he was doing, that reaction's suspicious.
[] It's probably personal and that alibi seems easy to verify, ask about something else. (Specify)
[] Not-so-subtly write down your phone number and pass it to Reines. Purely for business, of course.

>>288525
>[] Not-so-subtly write down your phone number and pass it to Reines. Purely for business, of course.

I'll wait for about half an hour after this before starting the next post, in the hopes that others will show.

===

Well...some information gathering afterwards never hurt anybody, right? Wanting to follow up with Reines, you pull a small slip of paper from the desk at the front of the office, scribble down your phone number, and pass it to the girl who was only just being released by her step-brother.

Strictly for business.

Reines blinks, looking confused for a moment before realization dawns, a chesire grin forming on her face as she nods silently. Lord El-Melloi II, though, only glares at the two of you before sighing exasperatedly. "If there's nothing else, I'll have to ask you to leave."

[] You've at least gotten an alibi, say your farewells.
[] Ask about who stood to gain from Mill's death? A Lord probably knows about Clock Tower politics, after all.
[] Write-in.

>>288596
>[] Ask about who stood to gain from Mill's death? A Lord probably knows about Clock Tower politics, after all.

You haven't gotten enough information to head out just yet, so you decide to ask about the current climate of the Clock Tower, namely who stood to gain from Mill's death. At your words, though, the Lord just shrugs.

"I'm not familiar enough with the Curse Department to say much, but I at least know that none of the Lords benefited from that. Mill dying hurt people much more than it helped; his family, the Curse Department in general, Arya, him dying harmed a fair amount of things. But no, I don't know about anyone who directly gained from him dying."

[] Leave and move on to something else.
[] Press further, did he have any enemies or grudges?
[] Ask about the parties harmed by his death. (Specify: Family, Curse Department, Arya)

>>288756
>[] Ask about the parties harmed by his death. (Specify: Family, Curse Department, Arya)
Was Arya mentioned earlier? Lets ask about Arya.

Out of what the Lord had said, the only thing unfamiliar to you was the name "Arya", so it seems like a fair point to ask about that a bit more. The Lord seems a bit surprised by your question, but answers nonetheless.

"You don't know? Arya mac Lir, from Spiritual Evocation. She and Mill had been collaborating on a project. Makes enough sense, a first-rate expert on spiritual curses and a first-rate expert on spiritual evocation working together, but I'm guessing that Mill's death probably ruined that project, whatever it was." He explained, giving another shrug. Reines, meanwhile, seemed bored by the current topic of the conversation, and was shifting her weight from one foot to the other impatiently.

[] Ask about where Arya's office is. If they were collaborating, it seems like a fair place to check out next.
[] Press further on the collaboration in question, is any information on it public?
[] Ask about something else (Specify).

>>288818
>[] Ask about where Arya's office is. If they were collaborating, it seems like a fair place to check out next.

Granting another half-hour pause. If we don't get more people then odds are I'll call it a day pretty soon, and pick back up tomorrow.

===

Well, that certainly sounds promising. If this Arya was collaborating with Mill, then they might know more information about his situation, information that the Lord simply doesn't have. You decide to ask for the location of Arya's office, which Waver provides but not without ushering you out of the door after, saying that he and Reines need to resume their conversation, and that if you have further questions you should come back later.

You can't really fault his exasperation, but it's still a bit annoying how he just waved you off like that. Regardless, where to next?

It's currently mid-evening, so you can probably make one more stop, but that will mean it'll be pretty late by the time you finally get back to your room.

[] Try to get back into the office, Waver's clearly just tsundere.
[] Head over to Arya's office, follow up on the lead while it's fresh.
[] Head back to your room for the night, schoolwork and sleep are important.

>>288899
>[] Head back to your room for the night, schoolwork and sleep are important.
No problem OP. Shame people aren't showing up, I'm pretty interested in the quest.

You've gathered enough information for one day. It's important to keep in mind that you're not actually a detective and are still a student, after all. That essay you need to write is still very much a thing, so in the interest of not failing out of your classes, you decide to head back to your room for the night.

You can always resume the faux-detective work tomorrow.

===

I'll be calling it there for today. As usual, check Twitter for updates, but if nothing goes wrong then I'll try and resume tomorrow afternoon (EST as always).

A shame you write at that hour, i'm loving this story

In the interest of picking a time when we'll have people around, I'll go ahead and request that quest participants fill this out: https://www.strawpoll.me/10551491

I know strawpoll's shit and etc but this is the easiest solution. Pick all of the time slots that you have the potential to be on during. I can't promise anything since I won't be arranging my work and social life around a quest on 4chan of all things, but this'll at least help me arrange things better if nothing else.

The evening went well, if a little dull once you returned to your room. Your essay is coming along nicely, if a bit clunky in some places, so you're thinking that spending a few minutes proofreading and smoothing it over between now and next week would be for the best. You even managed to do most of your essay and only be a little sleep-deprived the next morning.

Slightly more annoying is the fact that you didn't get any sort of correspondence from Ammon last night; it looks like he's not planning on reaching out to you just yet. Damn.

Well, after getting ready you contemplate what choices you have today. Obviously, the "right" thing to do is just to go to class, but by the time you finish them the day will already be half-over. Mindlessly skipping lectures is dangerous, but it still feels like several hours you could spend investigating; for whatever reason, you've gotten strangely interested in this whole affair.

At the same time, you could go looking around today. Maybe you can find Ammon and see what he's managed to figure out, or even try and visit Arya mac Lir, the Grand who Lord El-Melloi II said was collaborating with Mill prior to his death.

Decisions, decisions.

[] Go to class like a good student.
[] Try and seek out Ammon.
[] Head to Arya's office.

>>290719
>[] Head to Arya's office.
Looking for Ammon might take up more time than it's worth, so lets get right into the thick of it.

Following the directions that you'd been given yesterday, you decide to skip class and head for the Spiritual Evocation Department, weaving around the buildings until you come to a stop before what's one of the more opulent ones you've seen. Formed of white marble that looks like it's cut from a single enormous piece (though you assume Alchemy had something to do with it, naturally), it appears to simultaneously be one of the most expensive and tasteless buildings in the Department.

Letting out a slight exhale, you enter the front door of the building, heading up two flights of stairs and along a hall, until you stop before a set of double doors. You're able to notice a Bounded Field just behind the doors, probably covering the office, which makes enough sense. Lifting a hand, you knock on the doors, stepping back as they open out towards you a handful of seconds later.

Standing in front of you is who looks to be a woman in her mid-twenties, though as always, appearance is hardly a good estimator for magi. A pair of glasses are positioned on her head, the frames covered by silver hair that cascades down to her shoulders. She looks at you as though she were examining an unusual caged animal, lips drawn back slightly. You notice that she looks like she hasn't gotten much sleep recently. In all likelihood, this is Arya mac Lir.

"...can I help you?

[] Greet yourself, say you're a detective, and ask if she has the time to answer a few questions.
[] Pretend to be a Spiritual Evocation student and veil your questions under that guise.
[] Magic Missile her unconscious and restrain her.

>>290764
>[] Greet yourself, say you're a detective, and ask if she has the time to answer a few questions.

You introduce yourself fairly cordially. Since the detective bluff has worked relatively well so far, you decide to go with it again. However, once you've finished, Arya's expression has changed from arrogant to skeptical, eyes slightly narrowed as she examines you.

"A...detective? Interesting. That's very interesting, considering that yesterday a young man came here saying the same thing." She remarked, her tone icy.

You swallow slightly. Ammon, he must have come by here yesterday. Well, if nothing else you feel a bit justified in coming here now, but before you can blurt out an explanation about how you're his partner, maybe say you're just following up on yesterday's discussion in his stead, Arya continues.

"Well, that's irrelevant. I don't care if you're actually a detective or just someone sticking their nose where it doesn't belong. If you have questions, ask them now and don't waste my time." She snaps, not opening the door further or stepping back to let you in. It looks like you'll be having this talk in the doorway.

Well...let's get to it?

[] Ask about her collaboration with Mill.
[] Ask where she was on the night before and morning of the body's discovery.
[] Demand to be treated with proper respect, you're a real fake detective, damn it!

>>290818
>[] Ask where she was on the night before and morning of the body's discovery.

>>290818
Ask about her collaboration with mill

>>290818
[] Ask about her collaboration with Mill.

You decide to cut to the heart of the matter, namely the collaboration that Lord El-Melloi II had mentioned. From what he had said, you inferred that this seemed to be pretty common knowledge among the higher-ups, so hopefully Arya would have some information to share.

"We were experts of similar skill in overlapping fields. Our research intersected around a particular subject, so we started working on a joint project." Arya replied coldly. "That's all I'll be saying; I have no plans on divulging the details of it, even though it's likely been ruined since that fool went and died before we finished it."

[] Press her, has she decided to scrap the project then?
[] Change the focus, were there any people opposed to the collaboration?
[] Move to a different subject, does she have an alibi?

>>290877
>Change the focus

>>290877
>[] Change the focus, were there any people opposed to the collaboration?

>>290877
[] Change the focus, were there any people opposed to the collaboration?

You decide to shift matters onto if there were any individuals opposed to their collaboration. After all, if there were, then you could possibly have a found a motive for why someone would have decided to murder Mill.

In reply to you, Arya's brows furrow before she lets out a contemplative sigh, quiet for a bit before speaking back up. "Boreas, Vikas Boreas, is the only one that comes to mind. Hell if I know why, though, the fool didn't even know what it was about." She remarks, her tone bland. "I doubt he had something to do with the murder, though, little twat couldn't kill a crippled child if he tried."

Vikas Boreas. It takes you a moment, but the name jogs your memory. A first-generation magus, but a rare sort of prodigy who's made it to the Bride ranking, and is a candidate for Brand and maybe even Grand. He's pioneered a form of magecraft called "Auroral Magecraft", one that's meant to operate through the mystery of the phenomenon known as Aurora Borealis, though you don't know much about it besides that.

[] Ask more about Vikas, did he dislike Arya or Mill prior to the collaboration?
[] Ask about Mill's death. Is there anyone she knows who'd be capable of something like that?
[] You've gotten enough information, better to leave before she gets annoyed and kicks you out, so you can still come back later if needed.

>>290924
>[] Ask more about Vikas, did he dislike Arya or Mill prior to the collaboration?

Well, you have at least a potential suspect now, though your information is vague at best. You decide to question Arya on Vikas's disdain for the collaboration, hoping to get some more precise information or maybe a true motive from it.

"We've always fundamentally disagreed with his type. Studying a dying mystery, unfocused on lineage, the difference between men like him and people like Mill and myself is obvious." Arya explained tersely, moving to check the watch on her left wrist as she spoke.

"So, to answer your question, yes, we didn't get along much at all, but when we started collaborating he became almost hostile. If you ask me, he was afraid of being even more outclassed than he already was."

"...now then, you've asked enough questions. I'm busy enough trying to compensate for the parts of this that Mill was supposed to do before he up and died, so I'll be returning to that."

With those words, Arya's figure stepped back and wordlessly slammed the door in your face. It doesn't seem like she's willing to spend any more time talking to you.

[] Try to track down Vikas Boreas; he's in the Folklore and Anthropology department, if you recall.
[] Head back to your classes, if you're quick then you should be able to at least make it to one or two today.
[] Try to find Ammon, this will be a lot easier if you have actual detective authority backing you up.
[]

>>291044
>[] Try to track down Vikas Boreas; he's in the Folklore and Anthropology department, if you recall.
We'll hopefully find Ammon if we keep following the leads.

Annoyingly, I'll have to call it here for a bit; this timeslot's not the most ideal. I'll try and be around tomorrow, check Twitter etc.

>>291131
There's always the option of leaving a choice open like this and just making updates when you can. See ya around OP.

>>291044
>[] Try to track down Vikas Boreas; he's in the Folklore and Anthropology department, if you recall.

Resuming in about eight hours, posting this here in addition to on Twitter because I can.

>>298531
Forgot the trip, but there are IDs so that doesn't really matter.

Missing a day of classes won't hurt you too badly, and looking for Ammon will probably just be an aimless search. The fact that he'd spoken to Arya before you came along is also helpful, since if you keep following the trail of information, you might find him nonetheless in due time. With that thought process, you decide to seek out Vikas Boreas.

The walk to the Folklore and Anthropology Department is a fairly long one, though at least it's not the Zoology Department or something. Once there, though, seeking out Vikas's office proves to be something of an ordeal; evidently he splits his time between an assortment of locations and doesn't have a set office like others would. Nonetheless, with no small amount of effort and asking around, you manage to figure out that he's apparently reading in the Department's library, for some reason or another.

The library of this particular Department is certainly on the small side, compared to the resources the Creation Department has at least. Small books and manuals with yellowed pages line the walls, and after a few minutes of searching you manage to find a man who fits the description, his head bald to the point of gleaming in spite of seeming rather young, and his ice blue eyes scanning the book in his hands.

Noticing your presence, his head turns up from the book, looking over at you skeptically. "...hello, can I help you?" He asks, visibly seeming a bit confused at your approaching of him.

[] "I'm a detective, can I ask some questions, etc etc you know the drill"
[] Feign interest in his research to try and get him to open up before you start asking about that dead guy he hated.
[] Ask if you can polish some Ether Clumps on his head.

>>300228
>[] Feign interest in his research to try and get him to open up before you start asking about that dead guy he hated.

Contrary to your strategy up until now, maybe it's time to drop the detective thing if only for now, and try to get information the old-fashioned way. You introduce yourself to a rather skeptical Vikas, saying that you heard about his research into Auroral Magecraft and was hoping to learn about it from the source.

Surprise shows on the man's face for a moment before a slight glint enters his eyes, as though he's genuinely excited to find someone interested in his work. A moment later, though, this light tempers itself and he moves to voice a reply.

"Well, I'm certainly flattered. I obviously can't explain all that much about it to others, the mystery is scarce enough as there is, but I'll be happy to answer any concept-level questions you might have!"

[] Ask him about what inspired him to research what he did, best to stick to the basics to start.
[] Ask him if it was hard being a first-generation magus in this sort of environment, try to steer things towards people he disliked.
[] Ask him about the magecraft itself, nothing like a lore infodump.

>>300281
>[] Ask him about the magecraft itself, nothing like a lore infodump.
Infodumps are great.

Admittedly, your interest in whatever it is that he's developed is piqued; it's not every day that a first generation magus manages to make it to Bride, and even scratch the surface of Brand. You decide to ask him a series of questions about his magecraft, the underlying theory, how to compensate for the lack of mystery, and so on.

Vikas actually seems to take some pleasure out of answering your questions, almost eager in his responses.

"Well, I was actually inspired by Caesarmund's work. Ah, he looks scary but he's nothing too dangerous. But it got me thinking about how to work around the decline of mystery in the modern age. So, Caesarmund's Papilio Magia is based around the mystery of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, right? But in the modern day, science has explained a lot of that, so in theory there shouldn't be a lot of mystery left there."

"Uh, alright, so as a cross-example, you might know about how the human anatomical chart becoming common knowledge to most of humanity basically killed the concept of there being "mystery inside of us" and turned human combat automata defunct, as far as magecraft goes, since the mystery wasn't there so there wasn't any strength behind magecraft. I really want to know how that Aozaki girl got around that, but that aside, puppets suffered that decline of mystery, so why didn't Papilio Magia? Well, I had a list of possible reasons, but ones that I really pursued were the idea that the knowledge isn't disseminated enough, that Papilio Magia might work more off of the concept of dissolving and reconstruction itself, and that there's a sort of foundation that's still present through things like folklore about that metamorphosis, so some mystery's managed to hold on."

"So then, I tried to work in my leading theories and find something that hadn't been utilized by other magi yet. I just sort of settled on Aurora Borealis by chance. My last name's also a bit close to 'borealis', so there was sort of a semantic appeal there too." He admitted, letting out an almost nervous laugh.

"So, then the next thing I looked into were the mythologies of the aurora and things like that, trying to find some sort of foundation that I could build formulas off of. If I tried to make a foundation from scratch, I'd be the weakest magus in the Association. But anyway, so a lot of the theory behind the aurora had to do with "other worlds", some said that it was a representation of the spirits of the departed, some said it was a fire lit by dwarves, some said it was a guide to the next world, but a big commonality was that they were either a representation of or a gate to 'another world'."

"Then it clicked for me that 'another world' just refers to the different layers under the planet. Like the Backside of the World where the Phantasm Races live, or the various other planes that evokers can summon things from, those are all 'other worlds' that are directly linked to ours, since they're all parts of the planet."

(Cont.)

>>300355
"So then, the answer to 'what mystery does the aurora have' is 'the belief that it's related to other worlds'. From there you get into the actual execution of things, like trying to find a way to borrow the concept of the aurora and cross-apply it to other fields. That was the really tricky part, but obviously I can't share the specifics of that with you."

"There are also some other things I've managed to do by borrowing their concept, illusion creation and things like that, but that's the basic idea behind the one I'm really focusing on- using the concept of the aurora as a medium to link worlds. So, you know how some of the lecturers in the Evocation Department are able to make doors to the places they can summon things from, doors to other worlds? Well, I thought why not take that a step further, and have been working on a way to use the aurora as a door not to other worlds, but to the other side." He explains, dropping his voice to a whisper at the end.

Your eyes widen at the implications of what he's said. The "other side", a sea of functionally infinite magical energy. Such things as the Throne of Heroes and the Astral Plane, as well as the swirl of the Root itself, are in that ambiguous territory. In other words...the terminus of his research is to use the aurora to connect oneself to the other side, to gain an infinite amount of magical energy.

No, even that might be an understatement. After all, if one can make a gateway to the other side, then in theory, even if it's the smallest possible chance, there is the chance of reaching that place without a name, the Root itself.

"Sorry if that's a bit vague in some parts, I wasn't really expecting to explain all of this today so I'm sort of going off the cuff, ahaha."

[] Ask him what his goal is.
[] Shift the subject to difficulties he's ran into during the research.
[] Say your farewells.

>>300388
>[] Shift the subject to difficulties he's ran into during the research.
Better get something done before we get interrupted.

Posts will be slowing down a bit in the interest of not doing too much while we've only got one person on.

===

You decide to steer the subject of the conversation towards the struggles that Vikas had faced in his research, something he's more than happy to rant about, though as far as actual processes go he refrains from going into specifics. After a bit, though, you broach the subject of the difficulties he must have faced as a first-generation magus, upon which his expression sombers.

"...Well, you could say that. There are certainly a fair amount of people who I don't get along with, ideologies and whatnot, but I wouldn't say they've been obstructive to my research. If anything they've just motivated me to prove them wrong by succeeding for myself."

[] Bring up the subject of the Mill-Arya collaboration, say that you heard he was opposed to it.
[] Press a bit, was his relationship with the people he disliked really nothing hostile from either end?
[] Ask what he's going to do when he makes a door to the other side, fuck this detective shit.

>>300465
>[] Bring up the subject of the Mill-Arya collaboration, say that you heard he was opposed to it.
No problem.

>>300477
Supporting

Check the Twitter for a small status update.

===

Following up from Vikas's last remark, you mention that you'd heard about his relationship, or rather lack thereof, with Arya mac Lir and the late Frederick Mill, more specifically his opposition to the collaboration they were working on. His expression sours almost immediately, skepticism entering his eyes as he examines you, before letting out a sigh.

"Well...you could say that. I never got along with their type, much. They're just so...restrictive, you know? They're not the sort of people I can get along with." He said somewhat dryly, before his eyes widened a bit at realization of what he'd just stated. "Th-That doesn't mean I'd say I hate those two or anything, I don't like speaking ill of the dead anyway, but I'm not going to pretend that we got along. That collaboration of theirs didn't help. Practically every time I saw Mill somewhere he'd have some snide remark or update on how it was going, on how its completion would phase my research out of relevance."

After finishing, his expression stiffened slightly as if a realization had occurred to him, his jaw slightly clenched.

"...that said, I'm not stupid, you know. You're the second person today who's asked me about my view on their collaboration, and so soon after Mill's death. I thought it was weird the first time around, but I'd be an idiot to not notice when it happens a second time. Even if you were genuinely interested in my work, I can still connect the dots on why you looked for me in the first place."

[] Apologize, but try to get more information on his view of the collaboration; why did Mill think it would invalidate Vikas's work?
[] Ask about the person who came to him earlier. It was probably Ammon, maybe you can try and figure out where he is currently.
[] Deny the detective stuff, insist that the main reason you came was interest in his work.

>>301962
>[] Apologize, but try to get more information on his view of the collaboration; why did Mill think it would invalidate Vikas's work?
His work is definitely super interesting though. I was very tempted to drop the detective stuff and learn some more.

While the fact that Ammon had sought Vikas out already doesn't surprise you, you need to get as much information as you can from this conversation. "I'm...sorry, you're right, I was looking for you because of Mill's death. Please don't think that means I was faking interest, what you're doing is amazing and I admire you for it, but I really do need to know more about this."

After trying to appease the now-distant Vikas for a bit, you seem to achieve at least some results, his head shaking in a combination of bemusement and disdain. You choose to follow up on the matter of the collaboration, asking why Mill claimed that it would "invalidate" Vikas's work. Even if Mill and Arya were two of the Association's best and brightest, there just didn't seem to be much room for crossover between their work and Vikas's.

As soon as you've asked the question, Vikas's eyes darken a bit, his voice dropping as if worried about eavesdroppers. "...it wasn't some normal old collaboration to make a Mystic Code or something." He said quietly, barely audible even at your close proximity. "I don't know enough about their specialties to guess at how, but their collaboration wasn't just something to invalidate my work, but everyone else's too."

"They had found a way to make a path to the Root."

The air chills over, your eyes impulsively widening. Near-every magus ultimately pursues that end, pursues a path to Akasha. The end result of every school of magecraft is said to be such a path, that if somebody manages to become "the number one", that they would naturally reach the Root. For instance, a certain Clock Tower magus is working to turn a pair of girls into artificial beauty goddesses, creating the "ultimate beauty" as a path to the Root. Even something like this is a path, the only requirement is that you be truly ultimate. This is the path that magi chase after through generations upon generations, the quest to walk along a path to the Root.

The fact that Mill or Arya pursued a path doesn't surprise you, you'd be more surprised were that not the case. The surprising thing, then, is that they were collaborating to reach the Root, that two geniuses had found some sort of path that they could accomplish with their combined efforts, and from what Mill seemed to have said, that there was a very real possibility that they could do the impossible and reach the Root with it.

(Cont)

>>302228
Before you can follow-up, Vikas's eyes widen as he catches sight of a clock mounted on the opposite wall, hastily scrambling up. "Sorry, I have a meeting with Lord Burician, I need to get going." He blurts out hastily before scrambling off like a man possessed, leaving you in the library to muse over what you'd just learned, and plan your next course of action. Vikas seemed like a fairly genuine person, but you could hardly say for certain. At the same time, the revelation that Mill and Arya may have actually been close to reaching Akasha is a shocking one, and may paint a new motive; if another magus caught wind of their plan and its progress, they may very well have killed Mill to keep it from completion. As Vikas had said, them reaching the Root wouldn't just invalidate his work, but everyone else's as well.

Well, things seem to be coming together however slightly.

[] Vikas is suspicious, try to see what other information you can find on him.
[] Arya is suspicious, try to see what other information you can find on her.
[] It was probably someone who caught wind of the collaboration and wanted to stop it, head back to ask Arya about it.

>>302237
>[] It was probably someone who caught wind of the collaboration and wanted to stop it, head back to ask Arya about it.
Vikas is cool. Arya might be a good suspect, but talking with her might bring up something new anyway.

If there really was a chance that this collaboration was going to open a door to Akasha, then the previously tenuous motives you had in mind could have found themselves a much stronger replacement. With that in mind, you decide to head back to Arya's office to speak with her again, and hopefully find out who else could have known such information.

You've been doing a lot of walking today, which the uncomfortable feeling in your stomach is keen to remind you of. You really should pack a boxed lunch or something if you're going to be detective-ing all over the place. Oh well, you'll just have a big dinner when you get back to your room tonight.

By the time you've made it back to Arya's office, it's starting to get late, the sun just barely starting to dip under the horizon. Once more, you knock on the door to her office, several seconds passing in silence before it opens, revealing Arya and a familiar figure inside. Ammon.

From inside the office, Ammon looks to you with a trace of exasperation, while Arya just seems annoyed in general. "You've been busy. I've been getting quite a few questions from people about my 'partner' today." He remarks, shaking his head with a sigh, though he didn't seem like he planned on ratting you out in front of Arya or laying into you, not yet at least.

"I'm not going to waste my time listening to you two prattle at each other." Arya cuts in, glaring at you and Ammon tiredly, though moreso at the latter.

"Well, I've mostly gotten all of my questions answered. The only reason I'm still here is because you felt like ranting." Ammon replies blandly, shrugging. It didn't look like Ammon and Arya got along very well. "Of course, if my 'partner' has anything to say, I hope you'll give them the courtesy you'd give anyone else."

[] Say you don't have any questions, and get out before Arya does...whatever spiritual evokers do.
[] Say you spoke to Vikas and know about the collaboration's goal, and need to know who else knew about it.
[] Say you need to know who was privy to details of the collaboration, but don't mention Vikas or the goal specifically.

>>306541
>[] Say you need to know who was privy to details of the collaboration, but don't mention Vikas or the goal specifically.