The divination was successful. Inside the compartment, Dorothy handed the divined train ticket to Edrick, then rummaged through the box of tickets again, found a few more, and after moving the box aside, put away the paper with the magic array drawn on it. After concealing herself, she manipulated Edrick to push open the compartment door and speak to the two train attendants waiting outside.
"I have a lead now. I need to question a few passengers in person. Could you please help me notify them? Just say... there was an incident in the first-class carriage, and I need to question specific people."
Listening to Edrick's words, the two train attendants exchanged glances, then replied.
"No problem, Detective. Just tell us."
"Thank you for your cooperation. First, Mr. Harry, seat 2, row 3, carriage 7. Also, when you get to the carriage, please announce it loudly so that everyone in the carriage can hear. If the person called feels worried or scared, reassure them that it's just a simple inquiry, understood?" Edrick said, looking at one of the tickets in his hand, and one of the train attendants nodded after hearing him.
"Understood, I'll go now."
Saying this, that train attendant walked down the aisle into the distance, while Edrick looked at the other one.
"Excuse me, could you make me a pot of black tea? Two cups. It will make questioning easier while drinking tea."
"No problem, Detective." Saying this, the other train attendant also walked into the distance. After successfully sending the two train attendants away, Dorothy, who was hidden under the compartment bed, crawled out again, took out the magic box from her person, opened it, enlarged the entrance, placed it on the bed in the compartment, and then spread the quilt to cover the entire magic box.
After completing all these preparations, Dorothy quickly slipped out while no one was outside the compartment, ran back to her own compartment, and closed the door.
"Phew... Next, one by one."
...
The speeding steam train, in carriage 7 of the second-class carriages, a train attendant came inside and spoke loudly to the passengers in the carriage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, an incident just occurred in the first-class carriage. A Detective has found some leads and wants to question some of you. Please cooperate. The first person is Mr. Harry, seat 2, row 3."
After the train attendant finished speaking, the entire carriage began to stir, and passengers started whispering and discussing something. The man called Harry also stood up.
"Excuse me, sir, what happened in the first-class carriage? Why do you need to call me? I've been here the whole time."
The man said, with a hint of unease in his expression, and the train attendant reassured him as Dorothy had instructed.
"Don't worry, it's just some simple questions. Just come with me."
Listening to the train attendant's words, Harry packed his luggage and followed him somewhat anxiously. After they left the carriage, in the back seat, a man in black clothes and a black hat, using the name Kim, couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
'An incident happened in the first-class carriage? What kind of incident? Was that guy's body found? Or something else? And that so-called Detective... where did he suddenly appear from?'
...
The man named Harry followed the train attendant to the first-class carriage, into Edrick's compartment. After he entered, Edrick had the train attendant close the door, then motioned for the somewhat uneasy Harry to sit down.
"Are you the Detective? What do you need from me? I've been in my own carriage all night and haven't gone anywhere. Many people can testify!"
"Heh heh, calm down, Mr. Harry, I only asked you to come to ask a few questions. I know you are innocent. We'll chat for a bit and then you can leave."
"First, have you seen a set of jewelry like this?"
Then Edrick described the details of a piece of jewelry to the man, asked him a few questions, chatted about some irrelevant things, and then let him go back.
After watching Harry walk out of the compartment, Edrick called the train attendant again and instructed him.
"Please continue to call the next person for me. Also from carriage 7, this time it's seat 3, row 1, a Madam named Karin."
"Yes, Detective."
After responding, the train attendant left again to call the person.
...
Just like this, people from carriage 7 and the adjacent carriages 6 and 8 were continuously called by the train attendant to talk with Edrick. Each person only talked for about four or five minutes before returning.
At first, the passengers in the carriages were a bit uneasy, but after seeing that the people called for questioning returned safely and quickly, they got used to it and began to curiously discuss the purpose of the Detective and what exactly had happened in the first-class carriage.
After a few people who had talked with the Detective exchanged information, they concluded from the information the Detective unintentionally revealed during the conversation that it might be a jewelry theft case. It was said that a witness saw the thief running in this direction.
In the carriages filled with discussions, the questions asked to the people were spread. The man in the carriage using the name Kim heard this and sneered inwardly.
'Hmph... A jewelry theft case? It seems that Black Dog is really missing and hasn't been found yet. That makes sense, I couldn't find that guy even by traveling through walls, how could these ordinary people find him.
'It seems there's another jewelry theft case in the first-class carriage, and now an ordinary Detective is solving it. How boring...'
The man thought this, and at this moment, the train attendant standing at the carriage entrance called out a new name.
"Mr. Kim, seat 4, row 5, please come with me."
After more than ten people, the man finally heard his name called. He didn't think much of it, silently packed his personal belongings, stood up, and followed the train attendant all the way to the first-class carriage, into Edrick's compartment.
With a cold expression, the man entered the compartment, and the door behind him was closed.
Upon entering the compartment, the man immediately began to survey the surroundings. This was an ordinary compartment; almost everywhere except under the bed was clearly visible, with no blind spots where someone could hide for an ambush. The quilt on the bed was covering it, but there was nothing large hidden underneath. He used the reflection in the floor-standing mirror nearby to check under the bed and confirmed no one was there.
There were no conditions for an ambush. After confirming this, the man relaxed slightly, then looked at the man sitting by the table, the Detective according to the train attendants. He was smiling and speaking to him.
"Please sit down, Mr. Kim. I'll just ask two simple questions, it won't take up much of your time. Please cooperate with my investigation."
Listening to Edrick's words, the man silently sat down in front of Edrick, then replied coldly.
"Ask your questions quickly."
"It's like this, I'd like to ask you, where were you around 8 o'clock this evening?" Looking at the man in front of him, Edrick asked, and the man slowly opened his mouth.
"I was in my own carriage, in my own seat, I didn't go anywhere."
"Wrong, you were in the first-class carriage at that time, and you brutally murdered an innocent gentleman with a dagger. You cut off his fingers, stabbed him in the chest and abdomen, and he died from the poison on your weapon."
With a serious expression, Edrick told the man the truth in his words. The man's expression froze, then he replied sternly.
"Weren't you investigating a jewelry theft case?"
"Heh heh... That was just a cover, my friend. If I were investigating a murder case, would the murderer come to me?" Edrick said with a smile, then took out a pistol from under the table and pointed it at the man less than two meters away from him.
"Don't move, Mr. Kim. I have obtained sufficient evidence to prove that you murdered Mr. Sodod. You will be sent to court to face the righteous judgment of the Saint Father."
Edrick said sternly to the man, who remained silent with a frozen expression for a moment, then said naturally.
"Detective, how did you find that guy's body... and how did you know I killed him?"
"It's nothing, just a little luck and a little deduction. Surrender, Mr. Kim." Edrick continued, listening to which the man chuckled and replied.
"Deduction, huh... To be able to deduce it was me, you're truly an excellent Detective. However, Detective, you've overlooked two things."
"What things?"
"First, you thought I was an ordinary person, trying to deal with me alone with just a gun."
"What's wrong with a gun? Can you possibly be faster than a gun?"
"Second, for me, at this distance, the knife is faster!"
Saying this, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in the man's eyes. With extreme speed, he drew a small knife from his clothes, thrusting it forward like a flash of Shadow, instantly sending the blade into Edrick's chest, and with his other hand, he knocked away the gun in Edrick's hand.
This was the speed of a Black Earth Stage "Shadow" Extraordinary.
"You are too arrogant, mortal Detective."
Looking at the wide-eyed, terrified Edrick in front of him, the man muttered coldly.
To his surprise, Edrick, who had been stabbed in a vital spot, did not fall down. His previously terrified expression suddenly changed, and a malicious smile suddenly appeared on his lips.
"You are the arrogant one,'Shadow' assassin..."
"What..."
Suddenly, Edrick's hands reached forward, firmly grabbing the startled man's arm that held the knife extended towards him, making it difficult for him to break free.
At the same time, next to the man, on the unremarkable bed, the thin quilt that usually covered it suddenly bulged, and three muscular men suddenly emerged from it, lunging towards the man.