Chapter 17: Chessboard Logic (第17話 チェス盤思考 Dai Jyunana Wa: Chessuban Shikou) is the seventeenth chapter of the Legend of the Golden Witch manga adaptation.
Summary[]
The group goes to the servant room and find Jessica crying in the corridor. Battler says he couldn't find the killer and asks how Kanon's doing, but Jessica cries even more. Nanjo explains to Natsuhi that Kanon has died, and that he didn't have the necessary things to deal with his injury. Kumasawa laments that she let Kanon run off by himself as Genji consoles her, but Jessica blames Kumasawa for not backing Kanon up. Battler tries to console Jessica but George tells him to let her be. Maria tells Jessica that she will be able to meet Kanon again after Beatrice resurrects the dead, which makes her even angrier. She attacks Maria and demands information about the culprit from her, but Natsuhi slaps Jessica and stops her. George tries asking Maria the same thing in a softer tone, but Maria insists that Beatrice gave her the letter. She tells them that they refuse to believe in Beatrice because she is someone they cannot physically attack. Beatrice had told her that by the time the typhoon had passed, she would have ended everything. Jessica accuses Maria of being the culprit's accomplice. Natsuhi scolds Maria in a firm but calm tone, which seems to be effective.
The group plans to retreat to a safe place. Battler suggests that the culprit may have stolen a master key from one of the servant's corpses. Genji tells them that there is one place that the master keys cannot unlock: Kinzo's study. Only two keys can unlock this room, one normally held by Genji and the other retrieved from Kinzo's corpse. Battler figures that the culprit would have to show them whatever trick they used to lure Kinzo out in order to attempt an attack on them, proving that they are not a witch. Genji tells them that Kinzo's study has sufficient space and amenities to comfortably fit eight people, and they decide to hide themselves in there. Battler ponders about Kinzo's study. The killer managed to get Kinzo out of the study, and so Battler thinks they'll be able to see the trick with their own eyes if the killer wants to attack them. If the killer really were a witch, then they could just use magic.
Fearing poisoning, the survivors gather canned food and bring it to Kinzo's study. Battler recalls a conversation with Kyrie, who had explained that chessboard thinking is weak against noise, such as mistakes, fickleness, or imperfect knowledge. If one failed to understand their opponent, predictions using chessboard thinking would likewise fail. Battler realizes he might just be running through an endless labyrinth since he knows nothing about the killer.
The survivors reach Kinzo's study and comment on the awful smell. Maria notices that the doorknob is engraved with the fifth magic circle of Mars, a design identical to the one on her scorpion charms. Natsuhi mentions putting it on her doorknob, and Maria tells her that it protected her from Beatrice. Natsuhi realizes that while the markings had been all over the outside of her door, her charm had been hanging from the inner side. Natsuhi becomes horrified as she wonders how someone could have known the charm was hung there. Battler similarly worries at the thought the charm actually worked against inhuman beings, and wonders if there's actually a point to shutting themselves inside the study.
Characters[]
- Jessica Ushiromiya
- Natsuhi Ushiromiya
- Battler Ushiromiya
- Genji Ronoue
- Terumasa Nanjo
- Kanon
- Maria Ushiromiya
- Chiyo Kumasawa
- George Ushiromiya
- Kyrie Ushiromiya (memory)
Comparisons to Source Material[]
This chapter adapts the visual novel chapter "Besieged".
Notes[]
- The original release in Little Joker Higurashi X Umineko Supplement Booklet erroneously numbers this chapter as also being Chapter 16.
References[]
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