The scene felt like something out of a horror film. Gabriel, being the only authority present, his position within the Revenant Knights granting him command, immediately took control.
He ordered the area to be sealed off before anyone could tamper with the evidence. The university guards quickly formed a perimeter while maintaining distance from the center of the chaos.
Not long after, the police arrived.
In truth, their role had changed little between the 21st and 22nd centuries. The key difference lay in their jurisdiction. The Revenant Knights handled what the police could not, while the police dealt with everything else.
The officers quickly set up barriers and kept the growing crowd at bay. Curious students and faculty gathered at a distance, whispering among themselves.
"Report," Gabriel ordered.
"We've confirmed the identity, sir. Herschel Adelbert Becker, a professor of cognitive analytics. Time of death, 9:32 A.M. No signs of struggle. Appears to be suicide. We brought the student who found him for questioning."
Gabriel's gaze turned toward the student. Her eyes were red and swollen.
"You're the one who found him?"
The girl nodded shakily. "Y-Yes… I… I came in for a consultation about my thesis. The door was unlocked, so I thought he was here… Then I looked up and saw… that."
Gabriel studied her closely. She couldn't have been older than twenty.
"Did you touch anything?"
"N-No. I ran out right away and called for help."
Gabriel nodded. "Good. You did the right thing."
That day, all classes were suspended until further notice. Students and faculty who had directly interacted with Professor Herschel were immediately called in for questioning.
The investigation had been handed over to higher authorities, placing it beyond Gabriel's jurisdiction. All he could do now was observe from the sidelines.
"…What the hell is going on in Munich?" Gabriel muttered, his brow furrowing.
The case, on the surface, appeared to be a clear suicide. Forensics confirmed there were no traces of substance use. The body showed no signs of struggle or resistance either. Everything pointed to a man who had decided to end his own life.
But the testimonies said otherwise. Every statement gathered described Professor Herschel as an ambitious, forward-driven man.
The kind of person who lived for his work, not the type to end his own life. His colleagues spoke of his dedication to research, his excitement about an upcoming publication, and his insistence that he was "on the verge of something big."
As Julius and Gabriel continued their conversation, all of a sudden, someone stepped out of the room with an officer.
As Julius and Gabriel continued their conversation, the door to the interrogation room opened, and an officer stepped out with a young man in tow.
"Ah, Sir Knight," the officer greeted. "This is the last one. He was the final person to see the victim alive that morning before the body was found."
"...."
"...."
Julius's brows raised. It was the last person he thought would be called for questioning.
"Michael."
The boy froze. His eyes alternated between Gabriel and Julius.
"S-Sir Schneider?" he stammered.
Julius raised a finger to his lips. "My presence here is not to be known."
The officer blinked. "Ah, understood."
Michael glanced at Julius once more before nodding.
"Yes, sir."
* * *
"Order as much as you like."
At Julius's prompting, after a moment of uncertainty, Michael nodded and glanced at the menu. He hadn't eaten much that morning, so the smell of food couldn't help but make his stomach growl.
If the Schneiders' youngest was offering a meal on a silver platter, who was he to refuse?
When the waiter came by, Michael placed his order. Julius, in contrast, simply handed back the menu without a glance.
"The same," he said.
"Yes, and you, sir?" the waiter asked, turning to Gabriel.
Gabriel didn't even hesitate. "I'll have the Schweinshaxe, two bratwursts, sauerkraut, and a plate of kartoffelsalat."
The waiter blinked, slightly startled by the order, but quickly jotted it down.
"Right away, sir. Will that be all?"
"No. Add a pretzel platter, some roast duck if you have it, and two servings of apple strudel for dessert."
"...Of course, sir. Will that be all?"
"Hmm… and a pint of Dunkel. Make it cold."
"...Will that be—"
"Hmm…"
"...."
Julius sighed. "He's done."
Gabriel gave a final nod. "Yes. That'll do."
"Very good, sir," the waiter replied quickly, already half-turning toward the kitchen.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Julius narrowed his eyes.
"When I said I was paying, I didn't mean for you."
"What?! Seriously?!"
Gabriel was just about to call the waiter back when Julius reached across the table and pushed him firmly back into his seat.
"Sit," Julius said.
"...."
"Good boy."
Gabriel glared at him but didn't move.
"Pfft—"
Michael, watching from across the table, tried his best to suppress a laugh.
The exchange between the two was nothing like what he expected. For all their titles and authority, they didn't act like the typical master–subordinate relationship he had read about in novels.
"Michael."
"Yes, Sir Schneider."
"That professor… I heard you were his assistant.
Michael leaned back, his expression calm, as if he had already anticipated the line of questioning.
"Yes, sir. I started working under him about five months ago. It was part of my scholarship requirement."
"I see." Julius nodded once. "Then tell me. This morning, was there anything unusual about the professor? Any changes in behavior? Problems at home?"
"Hey, that's not your job—" Gabriel began, but Julius silenced him with a glance.
Turning back to Michael, Julius waited patiently. "Go on."
Michael hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"Not that I know of… exactly. I don't know much about his personal life, but recently, the professor was on the verge of a breakthrough with his research. I disagreed with the nature of his project, but I doubt that had anything to do with his death. Still, I can't help but feel responsible somehow. Even so, like everyone else said, the professor wasn't the type to take his own life."
[SIBYL]
[Heart rate: 72 bpm.]
[Respiration: Normal.]
[No vocal tremors detected.]
"Then you're suggesting he was murdered?" Julius narrowed his eyes.
"It's highly likely."
[Pupil dilation: Minimal.]
[Compliance probability: <94%.]
According to SIBYL, there were no signs of deception. Everything Michael said was the truth.
"Wasn't it obvious enough?" Gabriel added from the side.
Both Julius and Michael turned toward him as he continued.
"When I looked into Professor Herschel's career, I found something strange," Gabriel said. "He's known for being meticulous, almost obsessively so. In all his thirty years of teaching, not once has he ever taken an assistant. He doesn't believe any student could keep up with him. You're the first, Michael.
Michael blinked, caught off guard. "That's true…"
Gabriel nodded. "And it doesn't end there. Because he doesn't trust his students' capabilities, he's never assigned anyone an individual thesis. He supervises only collaborative research, never solo projects."
At that, Julius's eyes widened. "You're saying…"
"That woman who found his body was lying."
Julius rubbed his chin. "So this might be a case of self-reporting."
"It's unconfirmed for now," Gabriel replied, leaning back in his chair. "But I've already informed the police to keep her under watch as a prime suspect without alerting her. Hopefully, they're competent enough to handle it properly."
After that, the food finally arrived. The sheer volume of Gabriel's order was staggering, filling nearly every inch of the table. For once, Julius didn't comment. Gabriel had earned it, and Julius decided to let him enjoy it in peace.
"…Are you still paying for it?" Gabriel asked cautiously, just as he was about to take a bite.
Julius raised two fingers in a mock salute.
"Anything for you, Knight Gabriel."