Tivian North Suburbs, outside the East Gate of King’s Campus at Royal Crown University, Green Shade Town.
In the morning, a cool breeze blows through Green Shade Town. The weather in Tivian has already turned cold as autumn sets in. Leaves fall from the trees lining the streets, and the overcast sky casts a somber, almost oppressive atmosphere over the land.
Inside a well-decorated café in Green Shade Town, a few students from Royal Crown University gather. Those without classes sit at various tables, some sipping coffee, others buried in their studies, and a few discussing the latest news while flipping through newspapers.
In a private booth on the second floor near the window, Dorothy and Nephthys sit facing each other. On the table between them are stacks of paper, pens, books, envelopes, and newspapers.
Inside the booth, Nephthys is flipping through a book, her head buried in its pages. She occasionally closes her eyes and rubs her temples, clearly struggling. Across from her, Dorothy sips her coffee while reading a letter.
"Ugh..."
Nephthys lets out a yawn as she looks at the book in front of her. She blinks her tired eyes and glances around the room before sneaking a peek at Dorothy, who is casually reading a letter with her legs crossed.
“Ah… I was planning to take a few days off after the exams before slowly diving into Miss Dorothy’s mystical texts. I didn’t expect to start today… and with Miss Dorothy personally supervising.”
While stealing glances at Dorothy like a student wary of a teacher, Nephthys thinks to herself. After last night’s performance by Adèle, Nephthys had been raving about how amazing it was, eagerly discussing the various acts with Dorothy.
However, during the performance, Dorothy’s mind had been preoccupied with the investigation. Although her physical body was sitting next to Nephthys, she hadn’t paid much attention to the show. On the way back, to keep Nephthys from chattering too much, Dorothy had directly told her to come over this morning to study under her supervision.And so, Nephthys, who had planned to take a few days off before diving into the mystical texts, found her plans abruptly interrupted. She was now forced to study diligently under Dorothy’s watchful eye.
Sitting across from Nephthys, Dorothy reads a letter. This letter is none other than one sent by Gregor from Igwynt.
Dorothy looks at the letter in her hand. Most of its contents are about Gregor’s recent well-being and inquiries about Dorothy’s situation. Since leaving Igwynt, Gregor has been sending such letters to Dorothy every month, and Dorothy has been replying to assure him of her safety.
These monthly letters serve two purposes: to check on the well-being of a family member living far away and, more practically, to send living expenses.
After finishing the letter, Dorothy picks up the opened envelope beside her and pours out a stack of small-denomination bills. Without counting, Dorothy can tell at a glance that there are three pounds in total—Gregor’s monthly allowance for her.
“Ah… here we go again, the monthly pocket money…”
Looking at the cash in the envelope, Dorothy sighs. For a normal 13-year-old girl studying away from home, three pounds is a generous monthly allowance. However, for Dorothy, this amount isn’t even enough to cover the rent for the small villa she rents each month.
Since Gregor is worried that Dorothy might attract unwanted attention if she tries to exchange large bills, he always sends her small-denomination notes. Thus, Gregor’s monthly allowance has become Dorothy’s pocket money, useful for small transactions and saving her the trouble of breaking larger bills.
In reality, given Gregor’s income, he could easily afford to send Dorothy more money each month. However, he believes that Dorothy is still young and living alone in Tivian without supervision. Giving her too much money might lead to bad spending habits, so he deliberately sends a smaller amount to encourage her to be frugal.
In Gregor’s eyes, children shouldn’t handle "large sums of money."
But in Dorothy’s eyes, Gregor’s entire savings might as well be pocket change.
“It’s quite ironic, isn’t it? Someone like me, who casually deals with hundreds or even thousands of pounds, has a stable monthly income of just three pounds from my brother. But well… something is better than nothing. At least I don’t have to worry about small change anymore.”
Dorothy thinks to herself, then turns her attention back to the letter. Unlike previous letters, this one mentions that Gregor has started preparing to move to Tivian and will likely set off soon. The next time they communicate, it will be face-to-face in Tivian, not through letters.
“Gregor is coming… It seems he’s finished handling things over there. I wonder if our meeting in the dream had anything to do with it.”
Dorothy ponders this while Nephthys, sitting across from her, curiously glances at Dorothy, wondering what the letter contains.
“Is this… Miss Dorothy communicating with other members of the Rose Cross Order? The letter has some money in it, but such a small amount doesn’t seem like it’s meant for practical use. Does this money have some mystical significance? Or is it some kind of mystical item disguised as cash?”
Nephthys thinks to herself. Sensing Nephthys’ gaze, Dorothy looks up and asks.
"Why are you staring at me? Do I have words on my face?"
"Ah, no, I just feel a bit tired from reading. I’m just looking around to take a break," Nephthys quickly replies, trying to brush it off. Hearing this, Dorothy takes out her pocket watch, checks the time, and nods.
"Hmm… It has been a while. Whether it’s a mystical text or not, reading for too long isn’t good for your eyes. Let’s take a break."
"Phew… Thank you, Miss Dorothy."
Hearing Dorothy’s words, Nephthys lets out a long sigh of relief. She puts the mystical text down on the table and leans back on the sofa. After a moment, she starts enjoying the pastries and drinks prepared on the table and flips through the fashion magazines and newspapers in the booth. She quickly shifts from a tense study mode to a relaxed state, as if class has just been dismissed.
Seeing this, Dorothy can’t help but feel a bit exasperated.
“This Nephthys… She’s completely in a student mindset. Her initiative is a bit lacking… It’s like I’m her teacher or something.”
Dorothy thinks to herself. For most people who have even a slight exposure to the mysticism world, the opportunity to become a Beyonder would be met with enthusiasm, even fervor. They would focus entirely on it, studying with single-minded dedication. But Nephthys is different—she treats it like a university elective course, with Dorothy as her teacher.
“Being able to study mystical texts without worrying about cognitive poisoning, and gaining spirituality after finishing… How many people would kill for such an opportunity? And yet, she treats it like just another class.”
Dorothy inwardly complains as she watches the scene before her. Clearly, Nephthys is approaching her study of mystical knowledge with the mindset of a school student, accumulating spirituality as if it were just another subject.
Nephthys relaxes, enjoying her pastries while flipping through today’s newspaper. She doesn’t get far before stumbling upon a major headline, and her expression immediately changes.
"Breaking News! Major Incident at Last Night’s Adèle Briouze Performance! Dancer Found Dead in Restroom! Suspect Points to the Crimson Dance Star!"
"What? Someone died at last night’s performance? When did this happen?!"
Nephthys exclaims in disbelief, her mouth agape. She hadn’t expected that such a tragic incident had occurred during the performance she had just enjoyed—and that the victim was one of the performers!
"Ah, it seems so. The person was killed in the restroom. They kept the news tightly under wraps," Dorothy replies nonchalantly, also holding a newspaper. Nephthys, still shocked, continues reading.
"Killed in the restroom… gruesome death… bloody message pointing to Miss Adèle before death… detective appears… clears Miss Adèle’s name… There was even a detective on the scene? This is unbelievable…"
Nephthys mutters to herself as she reads the newspaper. Meanwhile, Dorothy picks up another paper, which also features extensive coverage of last night’s incident. Articles from various angles flood the pages, each with its own sensational headline.
"Rapid Resolution! Mysterious Detective Ed Makes Another Appearance, Previously Solved Train Murder Case!"
"Solved in an Hour and a Half! Chief Douglas Recalls Case Details."
"Dance Unstoppable by Slander, Exclusive Interview with Miss Adèle."
"Maria Dokana, A Rising Star Cut Short, Her Final Dance with Adèle Leaves a Lasting Impression."
…
Dorothy skims through the various reports, thinking that the journalists have finally found their big scoop. Articles from every angle have been written, each focusing on different aspects of the case. Some focus on the details of the incident, others on its impact on Adèle, and some highlight the victim, Maria, lamenting the tragic end of a rising star.
Among all these articles, the mysterious detective Ed is the most prominently featured. The sudden appearance and rapid resolution of the case by a brilliant detective is the kind of story that captivates readers. The newspapers are filled with interviews praising Detective Ed, with many giving him high praise.
"Detective Ed, with his exceptional observational and deductive skills, assisted the police in swiftly solving this sudden case. According to Chief Douglas, Detective Ed’s performance during the investigation was commendable. Although he showed some signs of inexperience in certain areas, this did not overshadow his remarkable talent for solving cases. Chief Douglas stated that under his guidance, Detective Ed showed significant growth during the investigation…"
"Miss Adèle repeatedly expressed her gratitude to Detective Ed for clearing her name. She stated that the young detective’s performance was impressive and even inspired her. Perhaps her next dance performance will be themed around detectives…"
This is the second time Detective Ed has been thrust into the media spotlight. Compared to the small column he received after the train incident, this case, involving the superstar Adèle, has garnered extensive coverage. Newspapers are competing to publish articles about the incident, and Detective Ed’s name is everywhere. Riding on Adèle’s fame, Detective Ed’s reputation has skyrocketed.
“Hah… Now Ed is a bona fide celebrity detective. Detective Ed… Interesting. The Wolf Blood Society will definitely shift their focus to this.”
Dorothy thinks to herself as she reads the newspaper. Clearly, the members of the Wolf Blood Society can see the truth behind the incident and will immediately recognize that Detective Ed is likely a Beyonder.
If nothing unexpected happens, the Wolf Blood Society will likely launch a city-wide search for Detective Ed. However, Ed has already been "recycled" by Dorothy, so they’ll have a hard time finding anything.
“Unless they use divination, but then they’ll have to consider how deep their pockets are. The price of Revelation isn’t cheap these days…”
Dorothy muses to herself. Meanwhile, Nephthys, after reading several articles, exclaims in amazement.
"Detective Ed… He’s really amazing! To solve a murder case so quickly and clear Miss Adèle’s name… Is this what genius looks like?"
Nephthys says excitedly as she reads the newspaper.
"It’s a shame there’s no photo. I have no idea what Detective Ed looks like. But since he appeared at the crime scene so quickly, he must have been in the audience during the performance, right? Miss Dorothy, do you think we might have seen this great detective last night?"
Nephthys turns to Dorothy, her curiosity piqued. Dorothy puts down her newspaper and shrugs.
"Who knows? Maybe we did, maybe we didn’t," Dorothy replies casually. Nephthys continues to press.
"Miss Dorothy, you don’t seem very interested in the case. It happened right next to us, and this Detective Ed is so intelligent and capable. Don’t you find him fascinating?"
"What does it matter if it happened near us? It didn’t affect us. As for Detective Ed, he’s him, and I’m me. What he achieves has nothing to do with me~"
Dorothy says this, then puts down her newspaper and starts leisurely enjoying her pastries.