Mysteries: Arcana Wars

"So let's take it step by step."

After reading the file, Klein listened carefully to Leonard's analysis.

"Based on my understanding of the Red Gloves' working style and Gloria's youth, these are the main issues we need to deal with in this case."

"First of all, our first task must be to bring back all the stolen ceremonial jewelry."

"Secondly, as a trial, if we only take back the stolen items, it won't look good in the report, so we have to find out why they stole the items, how they stole the items, where they sold the stolen items, and so on. We need to investigate all the causes and consequences of this case as much as possible."

"Of course, these surveillance footage and photo files actually tell the whole story of carjacking, hitting people, and fleeing. We may have to shift our focus to what they did before and where they sold the stolen goods afterwards."

"The last part is probably your favorite. We'd better catch both criminals. We should be able to exchange them for a reward from the Church of Evernight. Although it's only a small amount, I think you won't miss it."

"Besides...if they really did something evil...I think you would be happy to have a few more humanoid puppets, although they are most likely ordinary people."

No matter how small their bounty is, it’s still meat…

However, Klein really likes the last point. This is also the reason why Klein is willing to work with Leonard as a magician's assistant. Detectives chasing criminals in vicious cases will have more opportunities to encounter suitable extraordinary secret dolls.

It would be best if I could catch a "Craftsman" puppet, so that I can use the "Astrologer" extraordinary characteristic at hand... uh... of course, a living and trustworthy "Craftsman" would be even better.

"Then let's start looking for the location of this batch of ritual objects and jewelry."

So I am still a fortune-telling tool, right?

Klein took the evidence, condensed the gray mist from the air into paper, and wrote down the divination statement. The evidence in his hand was the only surviving tribute ring.

After he finished his silent recitation, Klein closed his eyes. As his spirituality rose and swirled, various profound colors emerged in Klein's mind, forming an image.

This is a dim and old shop. A man wrapped in a black robe and wearing an electronic mask with a stick figure expression stands behind an old counter. He seems to be the owner.

A skinny and shriveled man was talking to the black-robed boss in a panic.

"Boss...I need a lot of money..."

"Sir, I think there is something wrong with your thinking... You need some money to buy something, why don't you just exchange it at our Leeds Pawn Shop? At least, you can save the difference... You are an old customer, you understand the discounts here, right?"

The man swallowed and looked around the room with his bulging eyes. He was wearing a tattered linen shirt and jeans, and the hideous scars on his body could be vaguely seen.

"Then... Boss, I want jewelry, high-end jewelry! The higher the quality and the more beautiful, the better! It would be best if it was the kind of jewelry that is said to have mysterious powers..."

"Yes, of course. We just received a bunch of them. You can pick whatever you want. Although they are not worth much in the eyes of the world, they are full of spirituality..."

"No...I don't want to be picky, I want them all!"

"All collected?"

"Yes!"

"Of course you can. Do you want to please the gods who are high above you, or... do you want to please the big shots who are close at hand and can control your fate... This has nothing to do with me, right?"

"..."

"So, what are you willing to sell me? I have to remind you that you sold your kidney last time. Currently, apart from those cheap bionic organs that are barely usable, there are not many original products in your body that can be sold at a good price."

Without a second thought, the man rolled up his sleeves and stretched out his left arm to rest it on the counter.

"Then trade this arm!"

"…Although your arm is not very valuable, it is enough…"

The black-robed boss put on a new expression.

"Well, deal done, thank you for your patronage."

……

The screen ends.

"How about it?"

"The two criminals should have sold all the jewelry to a place called 'Leeds Pawn Shop', but it seems that they were bought by another skinny and shriveled man..."

Klein paused.

"He traded his left arm for the jewelry."

"That looks like a pawn shop on the black market." Leonard pondered, "Leeds Pawn Shop... I checked a case involving a pawn shop last time, but there doesn't seem to be a pawn shop with that name in Backlund... So it must be the pawn shop hidden in the dungeon..."

"That's right. Usually the black market is in the underground city. Leeds... Leeds... Is this underground city called Leeds Street? No, I don't have any impression of Leeds Street. It should be a new underground city built in the past few decades..."

Three hundred years is a very short time for the progress of human civilization. Even in the sixth era, which is known as the "technological explosion", humans spent more than 400 years in the steam age and more than 500 years in the electrical age. Today, humans have entered the information age for more than 300 years, but have never been able to enter the next era, and even do not know where the threshold of the next technological revolution is.

But for the intricate underground city of Backlund, it was enough to redraw the map three or four times. Who knows, one area might collapse at some point, and abandoned facilities suitable for living might be discovered in that area.

"And Mr. Pales?"

"The old man didn't explore the dungeon much... or he hasn't explored it well in the past ten years. Because he adopted me, he has restrained himself a lot. He doesn't want to provoke the Church of Evernight too much, so as to avoid the Church of Evernight misunderstanding that the old man is cultivating power in secret and causing unnecessary misunderstandings."

Leonard shrugged.

"In fact, the old man was also seriously injured in the 'Sky Curtain War' three hundred years ago - ah, that was the battle where you and we fell asleep and came back to life. Later, history textbooks called it the 'Sky Curtain Disaster', but the Extraordinary World called it the 'Sky Curtain War'..."

“Did Pales tell you all this?” Klein suddenly interrupted.

"Yes."

"Let's talk about this back at my apartment. We might end up discussing some extraordinary knowledge that shouldn't be discussed."

"Okay, that's it."

"It seems that the settlement on Leeds Street is not very old. At least it should not be damaged or abandoned yet."

"Goddess, I hope so."

But Leonard suddenly remembered that the goddess still held the power over misfortune, so he immediately shut up and took out new materials to change the subject.

"Then Klein, please find out why these two came to Backlund."

Klein nodded, took the evidence and materials, read them carefully, then wrote down the divination statement on the gray mist paper, read it silently several times, and closed his eyes.

The chaotic and bright colors reappeared in Klein's mind, quickly condensing into a night scene.

Two people were digging in a field in the wilderness, apparently burying something.

The two men were a tall man with a big round face and big bulging eyes, and a short man with a pointed nose and shifty eyes. They were waving shovels left and right and digging the pit.

"Sene, how long do we have to dig?"

"Shut up, Jerome! Dig!"

"We should have killed fewer people at that time, so that burying the bodies now would not be so tiring."

"Idiot! If we don't kill them all, the survivors will call the police! Then even if we get the money, we won't be able to escape from Greenmont!"

"So what are we going to do after we bury the body?"

"Go to Backlund to avoid the limelight."

"It's a big city, there are lots of police. Wouldn't it be easier to get caught?"

"… Let's go to Backlund Underground City!"