Chapter_38: Wrong Doings

The group was taken aback by the revelation that Mr. Pherill's personal carriage driver was the suspect. Such a surprising revelation had never occurred to them before.

"Xavier and Albert, head to Mr. Pherill’s estate in the Highfire District immediately! We must ensure his safety at all costs," swiftly ordered Mr. Marshall to his colleagues.

Ragnar recalled the words the guard had spoken to him previously. He quickly denied, "You can’t!" leaving everyone puzzled.

The atmosphere in the room was tense and filled with confusion. However, Ms. Velvet provided clarification by stating, "When we attempted to retrieve the document that Mr. Marshall requested, the guard informed us that Mr. Pherill was not present as he had been invited to something."

Once again, the situation became even more perplexing. It seemed that every time they tried to solve the crime, another unexpected twist occurred. The entire crime felt like an ongoing puzzle for all of the detectives.

"So, does that mean he's already dead?" Bane inquired.

Upon Bane's statement, several comments were made, indicating belief in his inquiry. Naturally, the room was thrown into panic and confusion.

However, the most intelligent individuals remained composed. Among them was Mr. Soren Hyburg, who advised, "Everyone, let's stay calm. In any crime, there are endless possibilities of what could have transpired. It's possible that he is innocent. Perhaps Mr. Pherill is the culprit. Maybe the crime never even occurred. Every conceivable outcome still remains."

"Exactly. We cannot be certain that Mr. Pherill is deceased. But we now have knowledge that his personal carriage driver is somehow involved in this crime," added Mr. Khaveh, echoing the sentiment.

"Indeed, let's continue with the investigation," Mr. Marshall announced.

After everyone settled down, the investigation resumed. Mr. Hyburg suggested focusing on the witnesses rather than the new information they received.

The three detectives handed their booklets to the other detectives and began analyzing the information from the witnesses. After everyone finished their analysis, a lingering question remained in their minds.

Ms. Selya raised her hand and asked, "I have a question. How come the witnesses couldn't see the driver's face, even after paying the driver with coins?"

Instead of the witnesses responding, Mr. Khaveh chimed in, "This must involve the use of technology."

"However, I do have a question for Mr. Frostpyre," Mr. Khaveh announced. "Did you happen to witness Zephis using any unusual items aside from his weapons? Or are his weapons distinctive in any way?"

His blades and hammer seemed ordinary. Ragnar reflected on his encounters with Zephis.

"There was actually one instance where he utilized something quite peculiar," Ragnar responded, leaving everyone intrigued. “He used a syringe to himself, and after that, he disappeared.”

"I understand," Khaveh grasped Zephis' technique. Although it seemed familiar to Ragnar, he couldn't quite pinpoint it.

Then, the genius's words reverberated in the room.

"The syringe you mentioned contains the saliva of the Titanus Leviathan. When injected into a person, it allows them to utilize the sea gemstone they have ingested. For instance, based on the information you provided, Zephis vanished swiftly. This indicates that he must have consumed the Viridian Gemstone, which grants the user extraordinary speed."

Ah, yes! This is what Ragnar learned on his first day in this city. A book named, “Celestial Genesis” which contained the information about Sea Gemstones.

"So, the Zephis clone must have somehow ingested a sea gemstone. Sea Gemstones are rare and are only entrusted to trusted Political Branches. Yet, somehow there is a group aiding these revolutionaries with access to these technologies."

"My theory, if proven correct, would provide explanations for the enigma surrounding the Zephis clone, the inability of witnesses to see the driver's face, and the ease with which the culprit accessed the property's safe without detection."

The words spoken made some sense. His brain quickly analyzed the information given in just a short amount of time.

This Khaveh is indeed a genius. Ragnar was taken by surprise as he pondered the revelation.

"Ms. Guinevere, it's time for you to share your side of the story. Can you please explain what occurred between you and the thief?" Mr. Marshall asked, jotting down the details provided by Mr. Khaveh.

"Ah, yes," Ms. Guinevere began. "As I waited outside the nearest bathroom, he emerged slowly. To my surprise, he proceeded to list all the artifacts he planned to steal and shared all the details with me. After that, he tied me to a pole inside an empty structure on the property and assaulted me. It was at that moment that he left to carry out the crime."

Despite the trauma of the assault, she managed to recount the harrowing experience in great detail.

She continued, her voice trembling slightly, "The way he smiled after attacking me—it was truly terrifying. I'm convinced that the thief is a psychopath." A shiver ran down her spine as she recalled the chilling memory.

"I agree, Guinevere. But based on the thief's behavior, it seems like he's targeting someone within the property, most likely me," Lady Ana declared.

"What about Mr. Smith, the mayor?" Ms. Velvet asked, puzzled.

"My father holds an important position. However, I'd rather not discuss it," Lady Ana replied.

The room was left unanswered, but the investigation continued.

"Wait, did the guards check the thief's belongings after returning?" Mr. Marshall stopped writing to ask a question.

"I don't think so," Lady Ana replied. "They seemed to rely on Ms. Guinevere guiding the driver and didn't see the need to check. I apologize for their immature behavior."

"Now that we've covered that, let's move on to the next phase of the investigation."

A new part of the investigation had commenced: identifying the carriage driver.

Mr. Marshall slowly took the document from Mr. Albert, containing the information of the carriage driver suspected by Bane Viper.

"This here is the information we've been looking for," Mr. Marshall said as he scanned through the document. "The carriage driver’s name is West Gray, he was 34 years old at the time of his passing, and he resided on 3rd Lowfire Street."

Everyone listened attentively as Mr. Marshall continued, "His background is quite mysterious. He was an orphan and later joined the soldier legion, eventually purchasing a house. He never married or had children, as people saw him as cold-hearted. After training with the soldier legion for a year, he was fired for being drunk on duty. He then became a carriage driver a year ago, and tragically succumbed to the Grimoire outbreak five months ago."

"Is this the person Mr. Viper suspects because of their similar appearance?" Ms. Selya asked. "He does seem to have a mysterious background."

"I agree. This individual must be significant to the crime," Lady Ana stated. "Mr. Marshall, does the address of the orphanage appear in the documents?" she inquired as she shifted her posture.

After reviewing the pages once more, Mr. Marshall responded, "Yes, the address of the orphanage is listed as Mari's Orphanage, 1st Lowfire Street."

Mr. Marshall turned to Khaveh and asked, "Mr. Khaveh, do you have any questions?"

Khaveh shook his head, indicating that he didn't have any questions, and the detectives continued their discussion.

Just then, Khaveh spoke up, "Wait, I do have a question about his parents. Do we have any information about them?"

"I do remember a family with the last name Gray. They were wealthy individuals from the neighboring city of Warmoth. His parents were investors in companies in this region, which is how they acquired their wealth. I heard about this when I was a child, so that's all I can recall," Mr. Khaveh added.

"There is no definite answer to your question, but based on the information you've given, it's possible that West is a member of that family. However, we still need to confirm this,” Marshall replied.

"Indeed, I concur. Let's set this aside for now," Mr. Khaveh said as he reclined in his chair for added comfort.

Ms. Selya raised her hand and asked, "What about the death of West Gray? It does seem strange to see someone who was dead suddenly alive again."

"Ah, yes. Ms. Selya, in my opinion, it appears that they may have created a clone of the deceased individual. Similar to how they created a clone for Zephis," Lady Ana replied with an intimidating expression.

"That is logical."

Previously, the crime was very perplexing, unlike the current situation. Over time, they reached their conclusions based on what they believed. It's important to note that beliefs are not always synonymous with the truth. Their beliefs are simply the conclusions they reached based on the information available to them at the beginning.

Following the conclusion of the ideas, the investigation meeting entered its final segment: planning for the first day of the investigation.

"Mr. Frostpyre and Mr. Viper, we would like to invite both of you to join us in this investigation. We are currently short on detectives and would greatly appreciate your assistance," Mr. Marshall respectfully requested of the witnesses.

The inclusion of witnesses in the investigation was unexpected, and it caught the other detectives in the room off guard.

Without even a time for the witnesses to reply, the red-head detective shouted enthusiastically, “I want Ragnar to be my partner for this investigation! It’ll be fun!”

Ugh, partnering with that strange kid again? I can't stand it. But it's even worse having another conversation with Lady Ana where she tells me that I'm a Grimoire. I have no choice.

"Sure thing, Mr. Marshall. And I think I'll team up with Mr. Xavier Grey too," Ragnar replied with a sly grin.

"Looks like you're stuck with me, Mr. Viper," Mr. Marshall said with seriousness.

"Wait a minute! I haven't even had a chance to say anything!" Bane exclaimed, feeling both puzzled and annoyed.

"Meanwhile, Ms. Velvet will visit the orphanage and Mr. Albert will conduct his investigation in Lowfire Market," Mr. Marshall added.

04:32 HP

The plans were already concluded early. It was now the time for the detectives to start investigating in an unexpected time.

The detectives armed themselves with their core-powered pistols and shotguns before getting ready to leave the building. Mr. Albert and Ms. Velvet were the first to depart, while the two teams were still getting prepared. In Ragnar's room, he changed into the detective-style clothes that Lady Ana had given him when they met earlier.

"Ragnar, are you finished yet? Come on, just put on some formal attire." As Ragnar changed in the other room, Xavier waited outside, armed and ready.

"Not yet!"

Ragnar quickly swapped his dark coat for a brown one. He took a final look in the mirror and ran a comb through his hair.

"That's more like it!" Ragnar praised himself in his splendid outfit.

He was dressed in a casual silver suit made from a rare material, with a red tie over his neck. He also wore a brown coat gifted by Lady Ana, and a detective-style hat. He completed his look with a pocket watch given to him by Arawn, exuding a majestic aura that perfectly suited the detective vibes.

Xavier cautiously opened the door, aware that Ragnar had finished due to the sound of his shouting. "You're such a strange one, Ragnar," Xavier said, looking at him with a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

"Didn't you mention that you were going to lend me your pistol? Let me borrow it so I can strike a pose," Ragnar exclaimed eagerly.

After Ragnar struck a pose, Mr. Marshall directed him to get an ID Permit so he could access exclusive areas for detectives.

He obtained the permit from Mr. Perro, who was responsible for these permits.

"Ragnar, let's go! Let’s hunt them!"

The streets were quiet and deserted, yet there was a sense of peace in the air. The cal

m wind windled Ragnar’s long brown hair. The core-powered lamp post flickered every second. The starry night blinked upon Ragnar once again.