prof | Let's Play Umineko, Episode 4 Scene 16: The Vaults

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Nanjo's son and Ange are in similar situations. Someone close to them was lost, and all they got in return was heaps of suspicions from outsiders being levied at their family.

They're kindred spirits when it comes to being abused by the press. Ange isn't here as a reporter or witch hunter, she's here as a fellow victim of the Rokkenjima aftershocks.

Nanjo's son apologizes for his rudeness. He'll tell her what she knows, so long as she keeps it all secret.

Nanjo was probably Kinzo's only real friend in the world. Most of what his son can say, we already know.

The doctor beats around the bush for a while before getting to the one odd thing he remembers.

Several days after the Rokkenjima incident, Nanjo's son received a letter marked Return To Sender, which he had never sent.

The destination was Rebun, Hokkaido, and the name of the recipient was his father's. The address couldn't be resolved, so they sent it back to the "sender".

Nano moves some encyclopedias on a shelf and procures the letter. A message hidden for twelve years.

Once again, he urges Ange's silence.

Nanjo's body was never found. Could it be that he faked his death and escaped to Hokkaido?

But if that's the case, then why the invalid address? Did somebody miswrite it?

Almost certainly not. This was a letter designed to fail.

The stamp was postmarked October 3rd - the day before the incident - from Niijima. It was along way from Hokkaido, so it took over a week to be returned.

The goal of the letter was likely to reach Nanjo's son after a long delay. But why?

A mysterious card, looking like something associated with a high-class bank or hotel.

The letter's contents are very simple, as well:

07151129.

A card, a key, and a PIN for a safe deposit box.

Nanjo had tried to access this item before.

It was a special safe deposit box, with its own vault. The card was legitimate.

Of the many safes in the strange vault, A112 was marked as active.

What was inside?

Judging by size alone, somewhere in the vicinity of 100 million yen.

Nanjo's son didn't touch it. It was clearly dangerous money.

He won't let her borrow the envelope, of course. Still, she has to compare the letter to Maria's diary...

What's the purpose? Why did Beatrice send this money to Nanjo's son?

Kumasawa's son received a similar envelope. Same modus operandi, same contents. Vault A113, right next to Nanjo's.

...Sorry, my head hurts... I've got it... I know...

What do you mean, you know?

You don't mean... this envelope... came to your place too, Ange?

I've remembered... I've remembered! A strange envelope was also sent to me... 12 years ago...!

She was a depressed six-year-old at the time, so she never investigated it. It's been lost for years.

It must have been the same.

Uryu... Uryu... Ange...

I'm sorry... My hatred of Beatrice isn't something that's started now. I was just surprised and angry to find out that I had a connection with the witch already at the age of six on that day...

...For the past 12 years, you have always been enslaved by Beatrice's curse. But please, don't fall apart. Part of this journey should be to break through that.

That's right... Just letting the blood rise to my head won't get me anywhere. Got to think calmly. What's going on? What's the meaning of handing out a hundred million yen to the relatives? Is she trying to provoke us..? Damn that Beatrice...

Ange... Calm down... Uryu...

...I wonder if the sending of this envelope was to support the theory that Beatrice was behind that crime.

It was postmarked right before the family conference, and intentionally set up so that it would be sent back after some time.

...They wanted it to be sent after the incident, is that it...?

Yeah, that's what it implies, but there are a few doubtful parts. Why such an uncertain method?

Uncertain?

Yes. After all, you couldn't even guess at how many days it would take for the mail to return before you did it.

Now that you mention it... It'd be more dependable if they just set an arrival date and mailed it that way... Uryu...

Maybe, but still, if they mailed it the day before, then no matter how quickly it returned, it would probably arrive Monday or later. I wonder if they wanted to make it seem like a letter from the dead.

A letter from the dead, you say. You're right, it made me feel bad... some mail with my dead family's name writte on it was thrown into the mailbox with an ominous label attached. However, it doesn't really make sense to me. I would have mailed it to arrive on a specified day. I can't understand why someone would allow the insecurity of it arriving on a day other than the one they imagined.

Well, I only talked with her a little. Still, I can pretty muchu accept that Beato'd do something like this. Can't you imagine that happening too, Mammon? Beato likes pranks like this, right?

...Yeah, that might be true. I wouldn't put it past Beatrice to try a vicious prank like a letter from the dead.

No, that's not all... Beatrice would find it more interesting to do it through an uncertain method instead of one that was absolutely certain.

She would find an uncertain method... interesting...?

Maria had a lot of experience with this. Some of the pranks Beatrice had her play would end in failure. Maria would suggest more reliable ways to do them, but Beato would say this:

A fickle personality makes for a difficult enemy. You can't turn the board around if you can't guess what they're thinking.

While asking various questions about Kumasawa to her son, Ange's gaze lands on an odd photo amidst all the family pictures.

He says that it has something to do with the witch's epitaph, but this isn't the epitaph. It's something else.

Text in English is engraved above the door, and a note on the photo translates it into Japanese.

Kumasawa spent a lot of time trying to solve the epitaph.

The Ushiromiya family thought of the epitaph as a challenge to select the next head, but Maria's diary describes it as a way to get Beatrice's ten tons of gold, along with the title and power of the Golden Witch.

The Witch Hunters tried to solve the epitaph, too, to no avail.

Ultimately, it looks like a dead end. Most of the materials were lost, and Kumasawa never solved the epitaph, anyway.

More than ever, Ange is sure that her family is being held captive by the Golden Witch.

Next stop: The captain of the boat that went to Rokkenjima.

He's retired now, but he still has a boat, and he still seems to be in high spirits.

This is Ange's last hope of reaching Rokkenjima.

And it comes through!

That's the last business Ange has on Niijima. 12 years later, Ange is finally going to reach her destination.

Although it may not be the same as it was for you, Ange, I'm sure that the incident 12 years ago has been a thorn for the boat captain as well, one that he still hasn't been able to pull out.

Uryu... Even the boat captain wasn't able to sort out his heart.

That's probably true. If that guy had taken his boat out on October 5th as promised, there's a chance that he couldn't saved a lot of people. If he hadn't been hesitant just because of a little wind...

Uryu... You shouldn't say things like that... I'm sure that has pained the boat captain constantly until today...

Dissuading them was impossible, of course. All the Ushiromiyas led busy lives, and this was the only time they could possibly assemble.

It's not his fault, but it can still feel like it sometimes.

There's no electricity on Rokkenjima, and the boat comes at noon. They won't have much time.

It will be enough, though. Plenty time to get closure.

Noon tomorrow, then. Ange and the captain will both get the closure they seek.

His job was to transport guests to Rokkenjima, but also to bring them back. If he can bring her back after their journey, his work will be done.

Ange promises to let him finish that job, but at the same time, she can't help but feel that she could see her family again if she died on that island.