The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 352: The Missing Fourth

"I told you this was a bad idea," Vincent said, lifting a bottle of rum in Lu Li's direction. The liquid sloshed inside. It looked as if he'd started drinking first thing in the morning.

"Are you still planning to go through with your plan?" Lu Li asked, looking at Petra.

He didn't look particularly disappointed—perhaps because all his emotions had been spent that morning when they discovered the dark figures.

"Not for now," Petra replied.

The sudden appearance of active supporting characters, introduced by the Shadow Puppeteer, seemed suspicious.

Assuming, of course, the Shadow Puppeteer possessed a consciousness of its own.

"Has anything like this happened to you before?" Baroness Joseph inquired, elegantly slicing a piece of foie gras.

"No. Last time, we were on a shipwrecked vessel. We were the only main characters; there was no one else," Vincent answered curtly. It was the first time he had mentioned the previous ritual. Before, even when the butler had promised a generous reward, he had refused to speak of it.

"And how will these changes affect you?" the butler, Lulu, asked.

Petra considered for a moment before replying, "The changes undoubtedly mean new circumstances. But we also have more options—at least we no longer have to wait for the story to mention the supporting characters before we can see them."Lu Li sat down at the long table. A maid placed a double portion of breakfast before him. Picking up his knife and fork, Lu Li began to eat, listening as Lulu summarized the information they had gathered: the dark silhouettes were characters from the story of the viscount's estate—cooks, servants, gardeners, and other minor figures. They could be touched, but not communicated with, perhaps because the narrative hadn't started yet or wasn't focused on them.

They hadn't attempted any closer contact, such as testing whether the figures could cause them any harm.

Lu Li chewed in silence, his dark eyes fixed on two shadowy figures in the corner. They appeared to be servants, going through the motions of washing the windows. Their movements were soundless, and only the occasional flash of lightning piercing through the clouds illuminated their eerie forms.

A sudden thought struck Lu Li. He glanced around the long table but saw no new faces. "Where is the new participant?"

The butler had mentioned yesterday that he was inviting another exorcist.

The sounds of cutting and chewing in the dining room abruptly ceased. Only Vincent continued to drink.

Petra resumed his meal and sighed. "He died."

Lu Li's brow furrowed slightly. "Did the rules change?"

Sara would awaken, and outsiders would be drawn into the ritual only at the beginning of a chapter.

There was still half an hour to go.

The butler, Lulu, continued, "It has nothing to do with us. That exorcist was killed by a vengeful spirit. Earlier, when we tried to contact him, the police station informed us he was missing."

Petra nodded. "I checked with my informant. The poor fellow ran into a vengeful spirit last night and vanished right after."

An optimist might have suggested the exorcist had merely gone missing, not died. A pity that optimism wasn't a quality an exorcist could afford. At best, one could only make a bitter joke: "Look on the bright side, it was only a vengeful spirit, not an evil one."

"In Belfast?" Lu Li asked, his brow still furrowed.

"In Belfast."

Lu Li made a mental note of it, resolving to contact his informant later, when he had a free moment, to learn about any new incidents in Belfast.

"Don't worry, Belfast is a big city. There are plenty of powerful exorcists protecting it," Petra reassured him, noticing Lu Li's preoccupation.

The moment he finished speaking, Vincent's mocking voice cut in from the side.

"'Don't worry, Belfast is a big city. There are plenty of powerful exorcists protecting it,'" Vincent mimicked. "Hey! The hundreds of thousands of residents in Zenster thought so, too."

Petra fell silent, his expression darkening.

Lu Li watched in silence. The pessimism in Vincent's words made Lu Li think the man was just like him. But a moment later, Lu Li saw the same pessimism reflected on Petra's face.

Suddenly, everyone had lost hope for the future.

Did this mean... the end of the world was truly at hand?

"That's enough," the butler cut off Vincent's taunts. Although he disliked Vincent's attitude, everyone needed his experience.

"As you wish, Mister Butler," Vincent said, standing to give a theatrical bow before plopping back into his chair. "But I don't think you should argue with a dying man, do you?"

"Do you have a terminal illness?" Lulu asked, frowning.

There was not a word about it in the information he had gathered.

"No, I'm perfectly fine. Could drink a few more bottles," Vincent said, shaking the nearly empty one. "Last time, I barely survived that damned creature's ritual. There's a saying back home: 'The same river will drown you twice if you don't learn to fear it.' Frankly, I'm not like you. Your ignorance lets you cling to all sorts of naive illusions. I, on the other hand, understand perfectly well that this ritual will be the end of me."

Vincent took a long swig and continued, his words slurring.

It was hard to tell if he was venting his emotions intentionally or if he was simply drunk.

Perhaps he was a lot like Lu Li, always preparing for the worst.

After all, he had once come face to face with the terror of the Shadow Puppeteer.

"You've had too much to drink," Petra said in exasperation, taking the empty bottle from Vincent.

"No, my mind is perfectly clear. Maintaining calm and composure in any situation—that's the creed of the Night's Watch," Vincent sneered.

"And the Investigators," Petra added, setting the empty bottle on the table.

The butler glanced at the clock. "We're one person short now. I will take the spot."

"No," Baroness Joseph refused immediately. "Most people have only heard of my terrible misdeeds; they haven't witnessed them. If I die by its hand, you will become the next Baroness Joseph and carry on the family's legacy."

Perhaps infected by Vincent's pessimism, the baroness also spoke with a hint of hopelessness.

"This isn't the time to talk about that," the butler said, unwilling to continue the topic.

Everyone waited for Lu Li to finish his breakfast. Then they changed their clothes and went to their respective bedrooms to wait.

Baroness Joseph pointedly locked her door to prevent the butler from bursting in to join the ritual.

A low rumble of thunder sounded.

Then, a vague, ancient voice was heard.

[Chapter Eight: A Twisted Resurrection]

The beginning of each day was the most peaceful part of the story. Today was no exception. Sara awoke to beautiful weather, with no ominous internal monologues. Everything seemed normal.

Until Petra was separated from the others.

[The servant Petra was walking down the corridor to the dining room. Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure around the corner. It was Rola!]

Outside the window, lightning flashed and rain poured down. A dark figure appeared in Petra's field of vision.

He peeked out from around the corner, raised a hand, and gave a slight wave.

[Upon seeing his friend's return, the servant Petra ran joyfully toward Rola.]