Gosick Episode 09

Synopsis
There is a story circulating throughout Sauville recently. It tells of a department store in Saubreme (the capital city of Sauville) which entices unsuspecting victims and devours them when they are inside. Avril tells this story to Kazuya, who is initially spooked by how she told it, which involved her shouting directly at Kazuya's ear.

Soon, Kazuya shifts the topic to his shopping errand, which his sister, Ruri asks from him. Among the items in the list are three white cotton blouses, a blouse with a tartan checkered pattern, shoes, socks, a glass pen, and a blue rose. Kazuya doesn't know what his sister meant by blue rose, and Avril tells her that it is a replica of a blue diamond named Blue Rose, the national treasure of the Sauville Royal Family which is stolen; the glass replica is sold in an old department store named Jeantan.

Kazuya soon heads to Victorique after thanking Avril's assistance, and leaves with Avril's ghost stories book and an unknown package from her sister on his hands.

Meanwhile, Victorique is yet again immersed with boredom. When Kazuya arrives at the topmost floor of the library tower, Victorique demands him to be involved in another case, which Kazuya rejects. Although Kazuya's topic on his trip to Saubreme has been ignored altogether, he decides to show the present he has for Victorique: a complete kimono set straight from Japan.

Victorique lights up with enthusiasm as Kazuya tells her about his sister, but opts him to leave how it is worn to her wellspring of wisdom, hiding her overflowing interest to wear the kimono in a straight face and the excuse of reading books. Kazuya thinks that Victorique might need some time alone and decides to leave, and when he did, Victorique squeals as she feels the smooth cloth of Kazuya's present.

As the sun sets in Saint Marguerite Academy, she leaves the library and heads to one of the hedge mazes located inside the school premises. Inside is a small house, and she heads to the bedroom to test out the kimono on herself. However, she finds herself in a bind after realizing the difficulty of properly wearing a kimono.

That night, Kazuya reads on the book Avril lent to him. One of the horror stories included in the book is about "The Vagrant who Worshiped Demons", who is rumored to sacrifice kidnapped children by hanging them in the linings of their clothes. Meanwhile, Victorique sleeps through the night, wearing the kimono that Kazuya gave to her as a present.

The next morning, Cecile meets up with Kazuya to break some bad news concerning Victorique: the "Golden Fairy of the Library" is sick... suffering from a fever. Cecile and Kazuya visit her at her house inside the maze, and Kazuya sends out a letter teaching Victorique on properly tying the obi (the sash used to wrap the kimono). In response, Victorique sneezes on the letter and sends back a reply letter, with the word "Idiot" written in bold letters.

Kazuya is insulted by Victorique's reply and tells Cecile about his plans of giving Victorique presents from Saubreme on his trip there, which Cecile relays to Victorique, much to the ill girl's disappointment.

Kazuya heads to Saubreme by train on his first trip alone since his arrival in Sauville. Fortunately - or unfortunately - for him, a familiar face keeps him company throughout the trip: Inspector Grevil de Blois. He explains that he is called by the police in Saubreme to investigate the rise of artworks stolen from the Great War in the black market. However, Kazuya is more concerned with Victorique, who is forced to stay inside her house due to her condition.

Also, Grevil mentions about a string of disappearances, especially of women and children, who are last seen shopping.

They later part ways in Charles de Gilet Station in Saubreme, where Grevil leaves by carriage. He soon heads to the Jeantan Department Store, where his nationality is instantly noticed by a few, including a young street boy outside Jeantan. Kazuya is soon led to the topmost floor by one of the attending staff of the department store, where the blue roses are supposedly sold.

Kazuya enters a room, and he instantly catches a glimpse of what he was looking for inside: a blue rose that shimmers in the light. Soon, however, he is startled by by two Western-looking persons: a woman with an almost lifeless expression in her face, and an intimidating man wearing a coat. Both asked him to leave, as he was looking for the wrong blue rose (the glass replicas are located a few floors down), and as Kazuya apologizes and leaves, he overhears the conversation from behind.

Upon entering the elevator, Kazuya realizes that he should not have eavesdropped to the conversation that happened behind his back, as it was something dishonourable for an Imperial soldier's son. Soon, the elevator takes him to the wrong place again; this time, he stumbles upon the basement, a floor where only staff members are authorized to enter. Kazuya initially thinks about going up again, but curiosity drags him inside to investigate.

After a short walk around what seems like the stockroom of the department store, he discovers only a pile of mannequins and boxes scattered everywhere. Then, he decides to open a nearby box, although a bit nervous. At first, he thought that the figure inside the box is a mannequin, which interestingly has its eyes closed, but soon, those eyes open and the girl jumped out of the box, muttering about demons that are out to kill her. Kazuya suggested calling the staff of the mall, but the girl rejected it, instead requesting the help of the police. Kazuya is then shoved away by the girl, who disappears from his sight.

Kazuya is alarmed by what he stumbled upon inside Jeantan and marches to the police department of Saubreme. Despite his pleas to help the girl, Grevil turns him down, with more pressing matters to be focused upon by his investigation team.

Soon, a man referred to by Grevil and his colleagues as Superintendent-General Signore greets Grevil. Signore commends his reputation as a detective and is interested to hear from him, especially his thoughts about a girl named Jacqueline. Grevil soon leaves, and with the excuse of having to solve another case, takes Kazuya along with him.

Kazuya is surprised and grateful about his decision to help with the case in Jeantan, and Grevil responds that he has to live up to the expectations of others.

They arrive shortly at Jeantan. Kazuya immediately notices that the man who initially welcomed him no longer recognizes him, and all the other staff have their eyes fixed at him. Soon, the owner of the establishment, introducing himself as Garnier, welcomes them. Kazuya confronts Garnier about their first meeting, but Garnier never admitted that such a thing happened, much to Kazuya's shock.

He soon demands access to the room where he stumbled upon the blue rose, but the contents of the room have been drastically changed. Kazuya also requested another look into the stockroom in the basement, but the contents of the same box where he discovers a girl inside now contains a mannequin.

As Grevil glares at him with disappointment, Kazuya lays quiet, baffled at what he just saw earlier. Meanwhile, behind Grevil's back, Garnier orders a search inside the stockroom for a certain girl.

Back at Saint Marguerite Academy, Victorique's condition is not improving. She just woke up from a nightmare and luckily, Cecile is staying to nurse her. Cecile thinks that her condition might require drastic solutions, which alarmed Victorique, who despite being mature, is still a young girl afraid of needles.

Meanwhile, Kazuya is scolded by Grevil, who feels humiliated by Kazuya's scandal inside the department store. Grevil points out that no part of Kazuya's testimony were true, including the girl who Kazuya admitted to have seen. After Grevil suggests him to do his shopping and return immediately, he leaves by carriage again.

As Kazuya thinks about what he had seen in the department store, two figures approach him: an elderly woman whose daughter has been "eaten by demons" inside Jeantan, and a young boy who agreed to tell Kazuya what he saw in exchange for a silver coin. According to the boy, ten minutes before noon, several men carrying wallpaper, carpets and paint arrive at the back of Jeantan. This alarmed Kazuya, realizing that his testimony was correct, and that Jeantan has ordered a cover-up to disprove his claims.

However, he knows that his knowledge is not enough to solve the case, so he rushes to the nearby telephone booth and calls none other than...

Victorique, who is in the middle of facing a painful cure to her fever and colds. Victorique picks up the line and cheerfully answers, and Cecile and the doctor takes this chance to administer the injection. Startled by what had just happened, Victorique drops the phone. On the other side of the line, however, Kazuya has no idea about what is going on to her... and to him.

Victorique soon picks up the line and hears no answer, much to her disappointment.

She has no idea that an abduction has taken place in Saubreme... and Kazuya is the victim!

Adapted from
This episode of Gosick is adopted from the story in the Gosick Light Novels Volume 03.

Characters
(In order of appearance)
 * Kazuya Kujō
 * Avril Bradley
 * Victorique de Blois
 * Cécile Lafitte
 * Grévil de Blois

New Characters

 * Ruri Kujo
 * Garnier
 * Garnier's Secretary
 * Anastasia
 * Superintendent-General Signore
 * Luigi

New Locations

 * Saubrème (Capitale de Saubrème), capital city of Sauville
 * Jeantan Department Store, an old department store in Saubreme
 * Charles de Gilet Train Station (Gare Charles de Gilet) in Saubreme
 * Sauville Police Headquarters (Prefecture de police de Saubure) in Saubreme

Quotes

 * (by Victorique) "This is chaos." - pertaining to attempting to wear a kimono by herself