[Week 5, Friday: Belph]

[doublecrows]

[HI BELPH]

[there's a ~spooky~ detective hanging out in the shadows calling out your name this evening]

Belph-san.

[hi :)]

Comments

[axilium]

[wtf akechi.]

... What, trying to kill me with a heart attack?

[doublecrows]

Hm? Are you telling me that would work?

[wags a folded piece of paper at him]

[axilium]

Maybe I'm fragile. Anyway, what do you want?

[doublecrows]

If you were fragile, I believe you'd be already dead.

[holds the piece of paper out to him. it's this letter]

I took your advice and reached out to them. This is what I received in return.

[axilium]

[...]

Yeah, sounds a lot like the letter Beast wrote to me. She was the girl in pink, not Beauty—who's a guy, by the way. They're definitely against Tiger's ending, but they're not sure if they agree with Dragon's ending either. They don't trust her, especially since she was the one who banished them to begin with.

[doublecrows]

Yes. I had them mixed up. An error that was quickly corrected.

[arches a brow]

And we aren't doing so great at achieving that balance, are we? Have you taken a look at the number of villains left?

[axilium]

I'm a villain, Akechi. You don't think I'm painfully aware?

[doublecrows]

I think you are. That is, after all, part of the reason I'm speaking to you right now.

[he spreads his arms to the sides, and shrugs]

Have you considered the possibility that there is a role out there specifically meant to eradicate those with villain titles?

[axilium]

... I don't think so. Checking factions is kind of my thing, and I'm preeeetty sure I'm not the one going on a murder spree. Plus, at least three villain deaths were from executing the culprit or their partner, not because they were victims.

[doublecrows]

Which may mean we've merely been doing their work for them.

[a small shrug]

The thought occurred to me today, after. . . [a pause] After Sousei-san.

Historians exist in order to encourage the completion of objectives and balance. But Tiger-san wishes for the complete eradication of one faction, preferably the villains.

Why would she not also have a title meant to assist her in completing her desires?

[axilium]

... The thing is, though—I know the name of every role in this war. Unless you think that's what the Editors do, nothing really fits.

[doublecrows]

[. . . . . . . BELPH!!!]

You-- do? What are they?

[axilium]

[hold on, he looks as if he's pondering whether or not to tell akechi—]

[doublecrows]

[HEY!!!!]

[and Akechi's just watching him expectantly, like. please. share this info???]

[axilium]

[fiiiiine.]

You already know about Historian, Vizier, and Editor. Other than that, there's just Shield and Alchemist.

[doublecrows]

. . . aha.

[huh]

I know what the Shield title does. What of Alchemist? I have yet to hear that one.

[axilium]

[he just shrugs!!]

Doesn't sound like a villain-eliminating role, at least.

[doublecrows]

No. Not on its face.

But what about an ink manipulating role?

[axilium]

Mm... I have a vague idea of what the role does, to be honest, and it doesn't have anything to do with ink.

[he shrugs.]

I can't actually explain what it does, since I don't understand it well enough, but it's not a game-changing one.

[doublecrows]

[huh. . .]

Then perhaps I'm wrong.

[wouldn't be the first time, and he doesn't seem bothered by it]

But I do believe people should be aware that they need to choose their victims more carefully.

[axilium]

For that to happen, though, we'd have to out everyone's factions.

[doublecrows]

Not necessarily. By now, all of us probably know quite a few titles and to whom they belong. We'd simply have to ask that any future murderers be. . . conscientious, about their victim choices.

[axilium]

... Not everyone knows about the various endings, though. Unless you intend to rectify that...?

[doublecrows]

I do. Or rather, I intend to share this letter with everyone at the trial tomorrow.

[ah. . . let him clarify]

In a sense, anyway. I'm prohibited from sharing my extra role with the public, so it isn't as though I can hand this letter out to everyone myself.

As such, I've given it to someone else, who intends to disseminate the contents without revealing my role in any of this.

[aka i'm oocly gone tomorrow so someone else is gonna share this letter for me weeps]

[axilium]

Is that right? Guess I'll look forward to the party.

[doublecrows]

[a smile. one of his confident, knowing smiles]

I certainly hope the message gets across.

[axilium]

... That reminds me. While the jury's still out on whether to aim for it or not, Dragon's ending also requires that at least seven objectives from each faction be completed. Did you know that?

[doublecrows]

[. . . . . . . . .]







No.

[HONESTLY HE'S LIKE THE FUCKIN' WORST HISTORIAN]

[axilium]

[i mean the worst historian is probably sousei for being fuckin dead]

... Well, that's a thing! Anyway, since you've been helping people complete their objectives, you wouldn't happen to have a rough idea of how many we have from each faction, would you?

[doublecrows]

[I MEAN TRUE]

I actually may be able to give you a rough count. One moment--

[he pulls his NOTE PARCHMENT out of his jacket and scans it]

For the hero faction, I know of four objectives completed. For the civilians, I know of five. And for the villain faction, I know of two. My comrades likely know of others; I could easily get that number from them at our next meeting.

[axilium]

If you could, that'd be cool.

[doublecrows]

Of course. And I'll report same to you when I have more concrete numbers.

[axilium]

All right, thanks.

[doublecrows]

. . . if I may ask, how did you get the information regarding the required number of completed objectives?

[axilium]

I did a good enough job with my role.

[doublecrows]

[GOD]

I suppose we're just not asking the right questions.

[I mean, last week Akechi used his "did a good job and helped complete an objective" reward on trying to solve the previous murder, sssso]