Beneath the Truth is a manga/light novel that takes place in a parallel universe Truth & Inference. It revolves around the story of Lady Truth and Mr. Inference in their journey to break the conspiracies of "D.M.".
This is the first manga/light novel published in the Truth & Inference series.
Mélodis Manor Investigation - The Goddess Vanishes[]
Introduction[]
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n6185ha/
One day, a poor novelist received a party invitation from the wealthy Count D.M.
Yet, that very night, a priceless painting named "Muse" was stolen from the count's manor.
The novelist, suspected as a thief, visited detective Mr. Inference and his secretary Lady Truth in an attempt to prove himself innocent.
Who is the perpetrator?
It seems all participants of the party, the servants, and even Count D.M. himself have a secret to hide.
Synopsis[]
The protagonist in this story is an anonymous struggling novelist who received an invitation from "D.M." to his manor on Guy Fawkes' Day, with "D.M." offering sponsorship for his career. On the first day of Guy Fawkes' Day, the novelist finds a business card for Orpheus Detective Agency in his invitation envelope. While waiting in the exhibition hall, the novelist sees a painting of "The Muse" and a small fire breaks out during his stay. Amidst his visit, the novelist meets two maids, Daisy and Ruth, and butler Rogers, a long-time servant of "D.M.". He also meets playwright Jonathan, whom "D.M." also funds and is part of the Jonathan family of literary geniuses who have lost their wealth. Around 8:00 PM, the novelist encounters Richard, an auctioneer with ties to "D.M.", and witnesses the mutual dislike between Richard and Jonathan. After "D.M." showed up and the fireworks began, the novelist was informed a fire supposedly started at his apartment and left the manor to deal with it. However, the novelist learns that there was no fire, and then he is confronted by the police, accused of stealing "The Muse" painting, moments later.
The novelist quickly ran to Mr. Inference and Lady Truth for help, and they agreed to take on the case, as they had previous encounters with "D.M.". As they investigate the crime scene at Mélodis Manor the next day, they look into the relationships between the other guests and staff. Jonathan's family owned another painting of "The Muse" and sold it off to pay their debts. While Richard was in charge of the auction for the painting. Jonathan is also in the middle of a love triangle with Daisy and Ruth, with Jonathan having feelings for Ruth while Daisy possesses a one-sided love towards him. Mr. Inference also shared cryptic and tense exchanges with "D.M." throughout the day. When questioned about "The Muse"'s origins, "D.M." claimed he didn't know the creator nor where it hailed from. After examining the routes the thief could have taken, Inference and Truth deduced that the missing painting is hidden inside the manor and shows proof of the novelist's innocence.
Upon finding a piece of candlestick on the novelist's clothes, the detectives accused Richard of the frame-up since he was the only person to make physical contact with the novelist at the party. While Richard explosively denies involvement, Inference looks into the activities of the other servants and guests to make a theory of the timeline of the party. At "D.M."'s suggestion, Truth went out to inquire of an "estranged friend" about the painting while Inference stayed at the manor. Meanwhile, the novelist and "D.M." meet up for a private conversation about his former manuscripts and talk about the novelist's family. After finishing the interviews, Inference had everyone gather and review everyone's testimonies. With Ruth and Richard's testimonies constantly overlapping and them arguing at the party, Inference prodded them about the reason, but both refused to answer. Inference also questioned how Ruth injured her ankle, with Ruth stating she felt unwell and fell down the stairs. Inference then dismissed everyone for the day and agreed to stay in the manor for the night due to "D.M." hinting a "misfortune" might happen soon.
The next day, the novelist is awoken from his deep sleep and learned that Daisy tried to murder Ruth via poison last night. Daisy willingly turned herself over to police custody, and a copy of the exhibition hall's key was found in her belongings. Ruth, on the other hand, fell into a coma and was sent to the hospital, with Jonathan attending her with the police's permission. Inference believes that the novelist has been drugged, but "D.M."'s family doctor didn't find anything of note. Examining Ruth's room on the second floor, Inference figures out that there was a secret storage, which held the the burn remains of "The Muse"'s frame, scraps of clothing, and pieces of letter paper that match the one that the novelist received at the party. When visiting Ruth, Inference bluntly reveals he deduced that she stole the painting and shows all the evidence to her, but Ruth doesn't confess. Inference states he'll have the "other person" confess and reunite with Truth.
Truth explains the significance of "The Muse" paintings - there are a total of nine paintings of "The Muses". While their origins are unknown, "The Muses" within the painting were known as "Goddesses" that were able to grant inspiration to create. Truth reveals a particular rumor - one painting is nothing of value, but possessing all nine could lead one to getting extraordinary, priceless treasure. She also has photos of replicas of the paintings that can be used as references and explains Jonathan Family's "Muse" painting is titled "The Seven-Stringed Lyre". Inference, Truth, and the novelist go to interrogate Daisy, who confesses that she attempted to steal "The Muse" painting for Jonathan. After being informed that Ruth is alive, Daisy states the painting was already gone by the time of her own theft attempt. While taking care of Ruth last night, Daisy discovers part of the painting frame in her room and that Ruth has hidden the painting under her skirt, using her ankle injury to pass off her slow, awkward gait. Daisy also stated that she thought she used a sleeping drug on Ruth and didn't know it was poison. Inference figures that Ruth was planning to use the poison on the novelist because she served him a drink last night, hoping to further frame him or cause a distraction, but got the sleeping drug by mistake.
The trio goes to examine the underground storeroom with "D.M." and finds that the bottles containing the sleeping and poison pills appear identical. As to why the two bottles were put together, Rogers stated that the storeroom was closed off to replace old medicine bottles and didn't think anyone would sneak in. Based on Ruth's position when she collapsed, Inference believes that "The Muse" is still in the exhibition hall and that her accomplice was unable to retrieve it since the police were guarding that room. To catch Ruth's accomplice, "D.M." proposes a quicker and more interesting method, which leads the novelist and Truth to be shooed away by Rogers as "D.M." and Inference share another cryptic exchange.
By nightfall, "D.M." announces the case is solved and police will leave the manor. To apologize for his maids' actions, "D.M." allows the novelist, Jonathan, and Richard to take one of his artworks from the exhibition hall. Since the novelist couldn't make a choice, "D.M." bestows a rose painting made by a famous painter who was also a poet. During the coach ride home, the novelist is attacked by Richard, believing the "The Muse" is hidden behind the rose painting, but finds nothing. Inference, Truth, and the police quickly save the novelist and capture Richard, revealing their trap set up to arrest Richard. It is revealed that Richard's first attempt to steal "The Muse" was when the small fire happened at the party, but he didn't have enough time and stole the spare key. He passed it to Ruth when they pretended to fight, giving her time to remove the painting from its frame and hide it behind the rose painting. However, before he was taken away, Richard looked at the real Muse painting and screamed out "Liars! They're all liars!" and "Earl, thank you for your hospitality," in front of Inference's confusion. This led to his suspicion falling on "D.M." once again,
By the last chapter, at Mélodis Manor, "D.M." expresses satisfaction at the entertainment from the case to Rogers as he stares at the real "The Muse" painting on his room's wall. With the drama over, Rogers burned the replica of the Muse painting, which is the painting Ruth and Richard have been chasing the whole time. At Orpheus Detective Agency, Inference stares at a diagram centering around nine "Muse" paintings and D.M. Truth reads a letter from a "young master", which warns them that anyone who owns a "Muse" painting would never show it carelessly and to beware "that man's tricks". Right when she finished, an arrow was shot right on "D.M."'s photo on the board, with Inference mumbling, "I will definitely catch you next time.".
Characters[]
- Novelist
- "D.M."
- Mr. Inference
- Lady Truth
- Rogers
- Daisy
- Ruth
- Jonathan
- Richard
- "White" (mentioned)
Chapters[]
Prologue: Nocturne[]
See Beneath the Truth/Prologue
Chapter 1: Feed[]
See Beneath the Truth/Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Sheep[]
See Beneath the Truth/Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Lifeline[]
https://wangyidiwurenge.lofter.com/post/1fce5dfa_1cc4b28d1
See Beneath the Truth/Chapter 3
Chapter 4: Reunion with Sworn Enemy[]
https://wangyidiwurenge.lofter.com/post/1fce5dfa_1cc4c9da4
See Beneath the Truth/Chapter 4
Chapter 5: Lies[]
See Beneath the Truth/Chapter 5
Chapter 6: Innocent Excuses[]
https://wangyidiwurenge.lofter.com/post/1fce5dfa_1cc4fafa6?incantation=rziNgjoSrjmz
See Beneath the Truth/Chapter 6
Chapter 7: The Farmer and The Snake[]
https://wangyidiwurenge.lofter.com/post/1fce5dfa_1cc5142e4?incantation=rzlCzj1ZtEMY
See Beneath the Truth/Chapter 7
Chapter 8: Nighttime Murder[]
https://wangyidiwurenge.lofter.com/post/1fce5dfa_1cc52f808?incantation=rz28SxbmSY1X
See Beneath the Truth/Chapter 8
Chapter 9: Summer Insects Diving Into Fire[]
https://wangyidiwurenge.lofter.com/post/1fce5dfa_1cc54e7ac?incantation=rzpHpKyuY26e
See Beneath the Truth/Chapter 9
Chapter 10: Demon In Human's Skin[]
https://wangyidiwurenge.lofter.com/post/1fce5dfa_1cc56bb7e?incantation=rzJmNdiohpU6
See Beneath the Truth/Chapter 10
Chapter 11: The Trap Within The Trap[]
https://wangyidiwurenge.lofter.com/post/1fce5dfa_1cc589a17?incantation=rzjGtP7n2pMm
See Beneath the Truth/Chapter 11
Truth & Inference Manga[]
Trivia[]
- A full recap of the light novel was posted on Identity V Japanese YouTube channel, divided into 2 videos: Part 1 and Part 2.
- The narrator for the recap was "D.M.", voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya (who is also Joseph's Japanese voice actor).
- "White" was first mentioned in chapter 3: Lifeline when Truth talked about idioms and called him "Mr. White", however he didn't make an appearance. This could hint that he had been in the agency for some time before the case happened.
- The manga is only available in Chinese for the Chinese version of the package and Japanese for the Global version of the package.
- The anonymous novelist, though played as the protagonist of the light novel, never made an appearance in the manga or key visual in the artbook. He was also never mentioned again in future events of Truth & Inference.
Gallery[]
Cover[]
Character References from the artbook[]
Introduction Trailer[]
