No one could have anticipated—nor dared to anticipate—that a murder would suddenly occur in a place dedicated to trials, unfolding brazenly before the eyes of the Chief Justice and the God of Justice themselves. Every spectator present witnessed the entire incident firsthand.
Neuvillette's expression turned grim, while Furina was left at a loss.
This was undoubtedly a provocation against their authority. No matter what, this case had to be solved—the implications were too severe, especially since it had happened on a stage meant to welcome distinguished guests.
Soon, guards swiftly appeared at the scene, surrounding the unsettled crowd and sealing off the exits. Lyney and his magic troupe were immediately taken into custody.
"My apologies for this unfortunate incident. I must now prepare for the trial proceedings," Neuvillette sighed softly. To have a life vanish right before his eyes was truly lamentable.
"Hehe, we'll be investigating the case too!"
Rover was taken aback as Paimon suddenly appeared, now dressed in a brown checkered coat, wearing glasses, and holding a pipe in her mouth—like a proper detective. Aether, too, had joined Paimon in this absurd charade, already equipped with a magnifying glass.
Noticing this, Furina turned to the audience and announced with exaggerated flair, her tone reminiscent of theatrical soliloquies:
"Before the eyes of all, a meticulously planned murder has taken place in the Opera House! Now, heroes from afar shall take up the mantle of detectives! Will the culprit escape unscathed, or will our sleuths uncover the truth and bring justice to light? This thrilling drama is about to unfold!"
The uneasy crowd instantly erupted with excitement. Rover's lips twitched, while Neuvillette could only sigh in resignation.
If the esteemed guests wanted to join the spectacle, so be it—but Furina had gone as far as thrusting them onto the stage of this narrative...
"Let them play detectives if they want. After all, it's part of the journey. I doubt they'd refuse," Rover chuckled, seemingly uninterested in the detective role himself.
True to Rover's words, Aether and Paimon charged toward the crime scene with fiery determination.
…..
In the specially arranged room, Rover turned to the Shorekeeper sitting beside him. The clock ticked away, and in this brief moment of respite, he finally had the chance to ask her:
"You said I was once the administrator of the Black Shores. So... what exactly did I do there?"
The Shorekeeper gathered her thoughts before answering calmly:
"You created the Tethys System to observe the patterns and occurrences of The Lament. You also established the duties of the Black Shores—to combat the Threnodians."
Rover nodded. He could faintly sense that he had been playing a much larger game, and losing his memories was a crucial step in it.
What kind of situation had necessitated such a move? Why did he have to wander Solais without his memories?
His thoughts began to drift again. Noticing this, the Shorekeeper remained silent—until she suddenly recalled something and asked with concern:
"By the way, there's always been a frequency within your body. It might be affecting you... Have you felt any discomfort lately?"
A frequency? Did she mean Abby...?
Before Rover could finish the thought, Abby popped out, hands on his hips, glaring at the Shorekeeper's impassive face.
"What's that supposed to mean? You're the newcomer here! I've been inside Rover way before you!"
The Shorekeeper frowned slightly, feigning contemplation.
"Who came first doesn't really matter..."
Abby cut her off without hesitation.
"Of course it matters! If you want to stay inside Rover, you'd need my permission first!"
The Shorekeeper ignored Abby's retort and turned back to Rover.
Rover shook his head, easing her worries somewhat.
And yet... why did this sense of unease only grow stronger? And why did it feel like its source was right here, in this Opera House?
It seemed this place held deeper secrets than he'd imagined.
…..
"Wha—?! The victim wasn't that girl!?"
Paimon's exclamation made the officers investigating nearby glance up briefly before returning to their work.
The empty hall echoed with her voice, and Aether facepalmed, urging Paimon to keep it down—they were supposed to be professionals, after all.
Indeed, the victim was Marcel, president of the Fontaine Cabriere Merchant Guild, who had been invited by a member of the magic troupe to watch the performance.
This only deepened the mystery—where was the missing girl, then?
The girl, Marcel, and even the suspect Lyney—the three had no connection whatsoever, like complete strangers. There was no discernible motive to speak of.
Moreover, according to Lyney's testimony, the troupe had never anticipated the spotlight to fall. In other words... was this just an accident?
Yet, the officers' investigation revealed that the rope used for suspension was brand new, with no signs of tampering. However, one oddity stood out—the cut on the rope was unnaturally clean. Even a knife couldn't have made such a precise incision.
This reminded Aether of Rover's wind blades, which could achieve such a cut. But if someone had used elemental energy while the audience was distracted by the magic show... it might have been possible.
The problem was—no one had been near the rope when it snapped. If elemental energy had been used from afar or below the stage, someone would have sensed it.
That was the second mystery. And then, the third.
The essence of the switching magic relied on mechanisms—two boxes, one with a nested compartment. When a person stepped inside, the inner compartment would move along a track in the basement, transporting them to the other box.
Thus, the basement became a focal point.
But the deeper they searched, the more the third mystery quietly emerged.
Water stains and the girl's clothes were found in the basement. After a thorough search, it was confirmed that no one could be hiding there—leading to one inexplicable conclusion.
The girl had vanished into thin air inside the basement.
Now, Aether was truly stumped. Paimon, too, felt the pressure mounting—after all, the public was waiting for their answers.
As their initial enthusiasm waned, Paimon began to regret ever taking on the detective role.
A nearby officer tried to console them:
"This case is indeed baffling. It might very well become an unsolved mystery, just like the Serial Disappearances of Young Girls case."
"The Serial Disappearances of Young Girls?" Paimon echoed.
The officer explained:
The culprit behind this case specifically targeted young girls. Though the original perpetrator had been caught, copycats continued to harm girls in the same manner. To this day, the case remained unresolved.
Not only had it become an unsolved mystery, but it had also turned into a popular topic of discussion.
A botched magic trick... a victim with no apparent connection... another victim gone missing... a mysteriously severed rope... water stains and abandoned clothes... All these clues seemed to connect in some way, but where was the crucial link?
Aether scratched his head, the more he thought, the more tangled it became. In the end, he had no choice but to turn to his last hope.
….
Rover heard a knock at the door. When he opened it, he found a frustrated Aether standing there.
"What's wrong?"
Before Rover could finish, Abby floated over to Paimon.
"Let me guess—you're stuck and came to Rover for help, right?"
Paimon drooped her head and sighed before nodding weakly, her earlier excitement completely deflated.
"Give me the clues. I'll handle the deductions."
Rover patted Aether's shoulder sympathetically, then glanced at the table covered in evidence. He could tell—this case was truly complicated.
(After the next chapter, the story kicks into high gear—no tragedy, only sweetness. Enjoy!)