So "Murder at Kogetsukan" is solved.
This started from an order of "there's going to be a collab with an IRL escape game, so please have something happening in FGO too",
and we got a chance to try out some mystery, that I've always wanted to from before.
The writer is the Van Madoy, a mystery novel writer.
Let me repeat that, it's Van Madoy of the "Marutamachi Revoir" series!
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Let me talk a bit about the past.
You see, when "Witch on the Holy Night" was close to being finished, the story I was really into was this Revoire.
A new generation born from the neo-traditionalist mystery after 2000.
No superpowers, no eccentric characterization, just pure logic battles between plain humans.
And the world building that made a unique "stage", a personal court, as something realistic.
How it feels so good that the story's catharsis isn't build by the culprit guessing but with "speech".
The good old structure of mystery novels, and the new attempts unique to this writer filled to the brim.
"This is exactly how new-traditionalists should be!"
... was how I was being excited by myself.
A while after that personal joy, in 2016.
At a certain drinking party, the Fate/zero comicalizing artist Shinjirou introduced me to Van Madoy, saying "he's an acquainted novel writer".
Since Nasu Kinoko is a fanboy of neo-traditionalist mystery, I've recognized "mystery novel writers" as beings of outer space, lifeforms never to cross paths with our universe.
Naturally, there's no way I'd meet the writer of the work that gave me strength when I was feeling down, I'd thought.
But reality always comes over suddenly, with a blunt weapon in hand.
(Shinjirou is also a superman swinging around a war-hammer, with super-art skill and super-intellect, but that's another story)
Nasu "It's an honor to meet you. By the way, why is a sage like Van Madoy here in this meeting of deep otaku? Has someone been taken as hostage?"
Madoy "Actually, I'm here because I've been enjoying FGO. I like Raikou-san a lot."
Nasu "Wow really"
Is that all you need to meet a writer you respect, is it true that he likes Raikou, Kyoto people sure are refined, I'm so glad we're doing FGO!!!!
After that meeting, now in 2018.
With a delusion of "I want him to write for a mystery event some day" in mind, Nasu made an offer to Madoy, and asked him to write for FGO.
First, we had him write a few short interludes, and had him get used to the atmosphere and writing rules of FGO.
(There were secretly a few interludes written by Madoy in 2018. I did check over them, but they were all written to fit FGO's format, with each servant shown well.)
Then I was scheming to slowly build the foundation for a mystery event... but with DW's report of "we'll be having a escape game in May", I had to push the schedule forward and ask him to write for this event.
The conditions were:
- Short story updated every day, lasting about 1 week
- FGO has users inexperienced with reading mystery novels, so something simple for beginners
- ... yet, with a gimmick that only works in FGO
- FGO is a game, so please write as a game writer rather than a nove lwriter
We couldn't give him much time, and it was a difficult task we gave,
but Van Madoy met these conditions perfectly.
Nasu "I see. There's Raikou in the cast. I see."
Madoy "Yes. I gave a bit of screen time for swimsuit Raikou too"
Nasu "Uh, you really the same Madoy as the Revoire series?"
You never know what happens in life.
As usual with TYPE-MOON, the results were all right.
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This was what happened on the backstage of this event.
Now with Kogetsukan finished, I can finally, finally announce this publicly.
I hope everyone will try reading one mystery novel after this.
This was an experimental event,
but as one mystery fan, I hope you all enjoyed it.
I'll finish this with thanking Madoy again.
Thank you so much for taking my impossible order...!
