Dorothy’s Forbidden Grimoire

With the divination successfully completed, inside the compartment, Dorothy handed the ticket she had drawn to Edrick.

Then, she rummaged through the ticket box once more, pulling out a few more tickets.

After setting the box aside, she collected the paper with the drawn ritual circle and hid herself.

Controlling Edrick, she then pushed open the compartment door and addressed the two train attendants waiting outside.

"I have some leads now.

I need to ask a few passengers some questions in person.

Please notify them for me.

Just tell them… an incident has occurred in the first-class carriage, and I need to question specific individuals.

"Hearing Edrick’s words, the two attendants exchanged a glance before responding.

"No problem, Detective.

Just tell us who.

""Thank you for your cooperation.

First, I need this person—Mr.

Harry, seat 2, row 3 of the seventh carriage.

Oh, and when you get there, announce it loudly so that the entire carriage can hear.

If the person called feels anxious or afraid, reassure them that it’s just a routine inquiry.

Understood?

" Edrick glanced at the ticket in his hand and instructed.

One of the attendants nodded.

"Understood.

I’ll go right away.

"Saying this, the attendant walked down the corridor towards the far end.

Edrick then turned to the other attendant.

"One more thing—could you bring me a pot of black tea and two cups?

Having a conversation over tea makes things much more relaxed.

""Of course, Detective.

"With that, the other attendant also departed.

Now that both attendants were gone, Dorothy, who had been hiding under the bed, crawled out again.

She retrieved her magic box, opened it, expanded the entrance, and placed it on the bed before covering it completely with the blanket.

After making all the necessary preparations, Dorothy quickly slipped out of the compartment while no one was watching.

She hurried back to her own compartment and shut the door behind her.

"Phew… Alright, let’s do this one by one.

"...

On the speeding steam train, inside the seventh carriage of the second-class section, the attendant entered and loudly addressed all passengers.

"Everyone, an incident has occurred in the first-class carriage.

A detective has found some leads and wishes to speak with a few of you.

Please cooperate.

The first person is Mr.

Harry, seat 2, row 3.

"As soon as the announcement was made, the entire carriage became restless, and passengers began whispering among themselves.

The man called—Harry—stood up hesitantly.

"Excuse me, sir, what happened in the first-class carriage?

Why am I being called?

I’ve been here the whole time.

Plenty of people can vouch for me!

"Harry looked nervous, but the attendant reassured him, following Dorothy’s instructions.

"Don’t worry, it’s just a routine inquiry.

Please come with me.

"Hearing this, Harry picked up his belongings, still looking uneasy, and followed the attendant out of the carriage.

Meanwhile, at the back of the carriage, a man dressed in all black, wearing a black hat, and going by the alias Jim tensed slightly at the conversation.

"An incident in the first-class carriage?

What incident?

Was that guy’s body found?

Or is it something else?

And this so-called detective… where did he suddenly come from?

"...

Following the attendant, Harry arrived at the first-class carriage and entered Edrick’s compartment.

Once inside, Edrick instructed the attendant to close the door before gesturing to the anxious Harry to sit down.

"So, you’re the detective?

What do you want from me?

I’ve been in my carriage the whole time—I never left!

Many people can confirm this!

""Heh, calm down, Mr.

Harry.

I only called you here to ask a few questions.

I’m well aware that you’re innocent.

A brief chat, and you’ll be free to go.

""First, have you seen a jewelry set that looks like this?

"Edrick then described a piece of jewelry in detail to Harry.

After asking a few more questions, he chatted about some unrelated topics before allowing Harry to leave.

Once Harry exited the compartment, Edrick summoned the attendant again and instructed, "Please call the next person for me.

Same carriage—this time, row 1, seat 3.

A woman named Carine.

""Understood, Detective.

"With that, the attendant departed to fetch the next person....

And so, the process continued.

Passengers from the seventh carriage, as well as from the adjacent sixth and eighth carriages, were gradually called in to speak with Edrick.

Each conversation lasted around four to five minutes before the person was sent back.

Initially, the passengers in the carriages were somewhat anxious.

However, after noticing that those who had been questioned returned unharmed and as usual, they grew accustomed to the process.

Soon, they became curious and started discussing the detective’s motives and what exactly had happened in the first-class carriage.

As the questioned passengers compared notes, they pieced together what little information Edrick had unintentionally revealed during the interrogations.

The consensus was that it seemed to be a jewelry theft case—apparently, a witness had seen the thief heading in their direction.

Amidst the rising chatter in the carriage, Jim, the black-clad man, let out a quiet scoff upon overhearing the discussion.

"Hmph… A jewelry theft case?

So that black dog really did disappear and still hasn’t been found.

Makes sense—I used my ability to phase through walls and couldn’t find him either, so how could these ordinary people?

""So, another jewelry theft occurred in the first-class carriage, and now some ordinary detective is playing detective over it?

How boring…"As he was thinking this, the attendant standing at the carriage door called out another name.

"Seat 4, row 5—Mr.

Jim, please come with me.

"After more than a dozen other passengers had been questioned, the man finally heard his name being called.

Without hesitation, he silently picked up his belongings, stood up, and followed the attendant down the corridor toward the first-class carriage—toward Edrick’s compartment.

With a cold and indifferent expression, he entered the compartment.

Behind him, the door was shut.

As soon as he stepped inside, he immediately began scanning his surroundings.

It was an ordinary private compartment.

Apart from the area under the bed, everything was clearly visible—there were no blind spots where someone could be hiding for an ambush.

The blanket was neatly covering the bed, but there was nothing bulky beneath it.

Using the reflection of a nearby full-length mirror, he checked under the bed and confirmed—there was no one hiding there either.

Confirming that there were no conditions for an ambush, the man relaxed slightly.

He then turned his gaze toward the man seated at the table—the so-called detective, according to the train attendants—who was now smiling at him.

"Please have a seat, Mr.

Jim.

I just have two simple questions.

It won’t take much of your time, so please cooperate with my investigation.

"Hearing Edrick’s words, the man silently took a seat across from him and responded coldly.

"Ask your questions quickly.

""It’s simple.

I’d like to ask—where were you at exactly 8:00 PM tonight?

" Edrick looked straight at the man and asked.

The man slowly replied, "I was in my own carriage, in my seat.

I didn’t go anywhere.

""Wrong.

You were in the first-class carriage.

And you brutally murdered an innocent man with a dagger.

You severed his fingers, stabbed through his chest and abdomen, and he died from the poison on your weapon.

"Edrick stated the truth with a heavy expression.

The man’s face froze momentarily before he replied seriously, "Aren’t you investigating a jewelry theft?

""Heh… That was just a ruse, my friend.

If I were investigating a murder case from the start, would the murderer voluntarily walk into my trap?

" Edrick chuckled.

Then, from beneath the table, he pulled out a pistol and aimed it at the man, who was less than two meters away.

"Don’t move, Mr.

Jim.

I have gathered sufficient evidence to prove that you murdered Mr.

Sodod.

You will be taken to court to face the righteous judgment of the Holy Father.

"Edrick spoke sternly to the man.

The latter, after a brief moment of rigid silence, suddenly relaxed and said in a calm tone, "Detective, how did you find his body… and how did you know it was me who killed him?

""It was nothing—just a bit of luck and a little reasoning.

Surrender now, Mr.

Jim.

" Edrick continued.

Hearing this, the man let out a soft chuckle.

"Reasoning, huh…?

So you managed to deduce it was me?

Truly an outstanding detective.

But, Detective, you’ve overlooked two things.

""What things?

""First, you think I’m just an ordinary person—you actually believe you can take me down alone with a mere gun.

""And what about it?

Are you saying you’re faster than a bullet?

""Second—for me, at this distance, a blade is faster!

"A vicious glint flashed in the man’s eyes as he swiftly pulled a small dagger from his clothes and lunged forward like a shadow.

In the blink of an eye, the blade plunged into Edrick’s chest, and with his other hand, he struck Edrick’s gun, knocking it away.

This was the speed of a Black Earth-rank Shadow Beyonder.

"You were too arrogant, mortal detective.

"Looking at Edrick, whose eyes were now widened in shock, his face frozen in terror, the man murmured coldly.

But to his surprise, Edrick—who had been stabbed in a vital spot—did not collapse.

Instead, the fearful expression on his face suddenly changed.

A sinister smirk crept onto his lips.

"The arrogant one is you, Shadow assassin...

""What—?

"Suddenly, Edrick’s hands shot forward, grabbing onto the man’s outstretched arm—the one that held the dagger.

His grip was firm, making it difficult for the man to break free.

At the same time, from the seemingly ordinary bed beside them, the thin blanket covering it suddenly bulged.

From beneath it, three burly men burst out and lunged at the assassin.