The Courtroom Assassination Attempt.

His eyes were blurry. His head was spinning. His body ached. He wanted to stay in bed for a bit longer, but the sunlight burning his eyes and the constant knocking on the door prevented him.

“What do you want?” Hitsuki asked, rubbing his eyes, irritated.

“I see that you are not ready yet for today. But I am afraid dinner is already served.” Sol replied casually. She showed no signs of sleeplessness, and it was as if she were energetic from the start.

“How can you be awake this early?” Hitsuki yawned. “Can I squeeze in a few more minutes?”

“If you want to skip dinner and waste the precious 24 days of your time, then yes.” Sol scoffed. “Your clothes have been washed and dried.”

She was holding Hitsuki’s full outfit in her hands, along with the pocket watch.

“Though I might suggest you try out some of our traditional clothing,” Sol suggested. “These clothes might tear away easily.”

Hitsuki just smiled, a smile filled with pain. For he felt like a foreigner—exiled from his dear motherland.

“24 days huh…” Hitsuki looked at the ceiling. “I wonder what would happen if I fail.”

Sol looked visibly concerned, not of Hitsuki’s speech but his expression. He looked like he was about to cry.

“We are going to visit the Courtroom, okay?”

“Understood,” Sol replied. “It’s about the assassination attempt back then, I suppose?”

Hitsuki nodded. “Is the mess cleaned up already? I think I can find some valuable evidence.”

“It has been untouched and guarded.”

“That’s good to hear.”

*****

A crackle on the soft grass.

Hitsuki would’ve injured his feet if he hadn’t been wearing his boots. The floor looked colorful, with stained glass shattered over the backyard of the courtroom.

Hitsuki scanned over the area, but he could only find trimmed trees and shallow grass.

“So, how do you plan to find evidence?” Sol asked Hitsuki as he picked up a shard of stained glass.

“I am not really sure. This place is vast, and there doesn’t seem to be a suitable place to shoot from…”

They were followed by a moment of silence. Hitsuki scanned the various shattered pieces of glass, thinking of his next move.

“If I were an assassin… I wouldn’t be someplace known… or will I?” Hitsuki mumbled to himself. “If I know that someone might be keeping an eye on me, then won’t I pick the most obvious place, as it’s the most overlooked?”

He tried to think of a solution, but all he came up with was confusion.

“I can’t believe sister would hand over such an important matter to a foreigner…” Masayoshi yelled. “She really has gotten soft.”

“Would you respectfully shut up, your honor?” Hitsuki mocked. “I am trying to think here.”

“Such insolence!!” Masayoshi flushed her face.

“AHHHH I can’t handle it anymore!!!” Hitsuki crashed out. He grabbed his hair and fell down on the shattered glass.

But it surprisingly didn’t hurt. For he was saved by Sol, who grabbed him.

“If you are confused, then I think it’s better if you discuss it with us. You are not as knowledgeable as we are about this kingdom, are you?” Sol replied. “What is it that you are frustrated about?”

Hitsuki sat down, sighing. Sol and Masayoshi sat down as well, though reluctantly.

“So here’s the thing-” Hitsuki uttered. “Normally, for any arrow, it follows a straight curved path. If it curves, it usually does only slightly. The origin of any normal arrow could be determined very easily. It only has a few places it can be shot from.”

“And what of it?” Masayoshi said. “The assassins weren’t using normal arrows or bows. Those were most certainly magic items that lock in their target.”

“That’s where the problem lies!!” Hitsuki complained. “It being a magic item means the assassins could’ve shot it from anywhere!!”

Masayoshi understood, but Sol stayed silent. She bit her fingertips, as if thinking about something.

“You have something in your mind, Sol?” Hitsuki asked.

“Yes. I do have some useful information, and I might help your search,” Sol replied. “The locking target property isn’t from the arrows themselves, but the Bows. Commercially, thats the usual way. The other way around is more expensive.”

“Knowing their financial worth isn’t that useful, you know?” Hitsuki sighed again.

“Let me finish-” Sol stopped Hitsuki. “The bows have one condition—that is, that the target must be in the line of sight. And on another note, the bows are pretty expensive themselves. Those who are targeting the royal family must be rich.”

Hitsuki’s eyes glittered in excitement after hearing that.

“But still, how would that help?” Masayoshi asked.

“That helps a lot, actually!!” Hitsuki screamed in amazement. “A single assassin with a two-person target in the same line of sight? That narrows the possibility a lot! And Hanahoshi was standing on my left when the arrows struck.”

“Doesn’t that mean the assassin was on the right side?” Sol asked.

“Right you are!!” Hitsuki stood up, cleaning his suit.

“But what if there were actually two assassins?” Masayoshi asked.

Hitsuki grinned. “It seems like giving me a death sentence is going to save your life.”

“That I know, but you saying this with such confidence is creeping me out.” Masayoshi looked away in disgust.

“I was closer to the stained glass when it happened,” Hitsuki said. “The arrows were magic-coated. They were glowing. And before it hit anyone or any glass, it was a single arrow.”

“You mean the arrows were coated with duplication magic?” Sol asked. She was trying to connect the dots.

“Why would you think I speculated the ‘arrows’ were coated with magic in the first place?” Hitsuki grinned. “Now we just need to find the spot, perfect!!”