The Cornflower Witch

Book 3: Chapter 16: The True Culprit

"Did you get it?"

The moment Sylutia returned, she was asked about the results of the mission.

"I got it." She took out her bag and then had a police officer carefully extract the tin box with tweezers. They sprayed it with a special spray, revealing the traces left on it.

Afterwards, the officer compared it with previously kept records and found they basically matched.

"It should be him." The few of them breathed a sigh of relief. Although there were a total of seven suspects, based on various conditions and comprehensive judgment, only 1-2 people had the highest probability. If this waiter wasn't the one, then their direction might have been wrong.

In the early morning, when that waiter finished work and left 'Night Fragrance', a police car suddenly stopped on his way home. Several officers rushed out, surrounded him, and then arrested him.

The next day, an officer with the preliminary results, looking utterly exhausted, informed Sylutia.

"We might still not have found the real murderer."

"Why?" the girl asked, puzzled.

"The other party doesn't possess strong combat capabilities and doesn't remember committing murder. During the time of the incidents he recalls, he was doing other things. Although he was alone, some traces left behind still matched.""More importantly, another death occurred last night."

"This..."

"It seems the other party is also an expert skilled in investigation methods. He deliberately found this waiter as a scapegoat, even using some method to mimic his exact fingerprints. If we pursued it, he intended for this waiter to take the blame. And once the waiter was caught, it would alert him, allowing him to be wary and avoid capture."

"If we release the waiter now, is it still in time?"

"I'm afraid it's too late. This waiter's mental state is unstable. Furthermore, after being away for a day, 'Night Fragrance' has probably already fired him," someone answered.

"Then all the effort we put in before was wasted." Someone was unwilling to accept this.

Inside the police station, everyone discussed the results. After Sylutia walked in, she first stood and waited for a while, listening to everyone's discussion while continuously thinking and analyzing.

No, no, there must be a flaw in this. The other party must have left a flaw in their identity, she silently repeated in her heart.

This wasn't because she thought the other party's ability was insufficient, but because using this kind of 'rumor' to condense a Secret Word Aspect must leave a channel or some kind of information to 'guide' the Aspect's power to oneself. Otherwise, it would be working for someone else's benefit. He would definitely leave some kind of clue, so that when people discussed the 'rumor' and believed in the 'rumor', the target would be identified as him. Otherwise, it wouldn't be him who condensed the Aspect phase.

So, what exactly is the clue the other party left?

Fingerprints, height, weight, footprints—these are things only investigators would pay attention to. When ordinary people discuss this series of events, what is their first impression? What image do they have in their minds of the mastermind behind it? What makes this series of events different from other ordinary murder cases? What is the distinctive feature?

Hatred for beastmen, manipulation of threads.

The image of 'hatred for beastmen' is vague. Has anyone in the Asra District publicly issued hateful declarations?

On the other hand, the image of 'manipulating threads' is clearer. So, who in the Asra District is skilled at manipulating threads?

Sylutia is indeed skilled, but she hasn't displayed this ability in front of classmates or the public; only the police personnel know about it in more detail.

Then, when it comes to characters 'skilled with threads', who do people think of first?

Within the Mage Alliance, there are very few factions that solely specialize in manipulating threads. The 'thread' runes and related abilities that Sylutia currently knows all come from No. 89 School's special course, 'Sobis Magic Thread Manipulation'.

'Sobis Magic Thread Manipulation' is one of the arts of the 'Puppet Shadow School'. Apart from No. 89 School teaching this skill course to new students, outsiders who want to learn it can only join the Puppet Shadow School or enter a subordinate academy of the Puppet Shadow School to have a chance.

Those who can join the Puppet Shadow School or enter its academy are all Transcendents of the Third Tier or above. And that mastermind using the 'rumor' to condense an Aspect would definitely not exceed the Third Tier, because this kind of 'small-scale disturbance' can at most allow a Second Tier to step into the Third Tier. If one wanted to condense a Secret Word Aspect above the 'Fourth Tier', it could never be simply achieved through this kind of gossip and rumor.

In other words, the other party can only be a Second Tier apprentice who also studied the 'Sobis Magic Thread Manipulation' course at No. 89 School and has a relatively wide local reputation.

After telling the police this speculation, the Bureau Chief brought Sylutia to the school again, heading to the office to investigate and inquire.

"You want to know which previous student was skilled at learning the 'Sobis Magic Thread Manipulation' course?" The mage teaching this course seemed thoughtful.

After recalling for a while, he said a name.

"Abyss Jellywin. He was a student who graduated ten years ago. He learned this course extremely well. At graduation, he even performed a puppet opera manipulated by threads, which caused a sensation among the students. This matter was very popular at the time; many people discussed him, believing he would become an elite of the 'Puppet Shadow School'."

"What about later? Where did he go?" Sylutia asked curiously.

"I don't know. I came here to teach six years ago. The name Abyss Jellywin is something I heard from colleagues chatting."

"Later, he seemed to encounter some setbacks and wasn't very successful," an older teacher who walked over answered.

"I saw him when I was young. The impression was deep."

"Can you describe the impression at that time?"

"At that time... Abyss Jellywin was around 19 years old. He came from a small town by the Northern Sea. When he first arrived at school, his foundation wasn't good, but his talent was excellent. During his three years at the school, he quickly built a solid foundation and learned the 'Sobis Magic Thread Manipulation' course exceptionally well. Because of this, many female apprentices at the time were infatuated with him."

"However, he didn't get into a relationship because he wanted to enter a higher academy first. At that time, the choices would be broader, and he could meet better girls."

"This isn't something I fabricated or guessed; it's what he said himself at a gathering. He said the reason he could achieve good results was because he avoided many time-wasting things."

"What did you mean earlier when you said he encountered setbacks and wasn't successful?"

"After graduating from school, he had already stepped into the Second Tier. At that time, he needed to prepare for advancing to the Third Tier. He hoped to condense a better core ability, so he chose a more difficult secret art. The resources required for this were also very expensive." These words reminded Sylutia of when she advanced to Third Tier Gardener; she also spent a lot of Rare gems.

"At that time, he was very eager but lacked funds, so he went to the black market to purchase resources. The result was that the resource actually had flaws, causing the advancement ritual to fail and contaminating his life force." He sighed.

"After failing, his story of seeking cheap resources leading to a miserable defeat was mocked by many jealous classmates. At that time, he suffered a great blow and then disappeared from sight." This teacher answered.

"Does no one know where he went now?"

"I don't know. Perhaps other acquaintances know."

After getting this information, although there were still many questions, the police Bureau Chief became particularly excited. After returning to the station, he immediately had people start flipping through various case file records.

"Pull out the rental contract filings for nearly three years." The Bureau Chief waved his arm.

"He definitely couldn't afford to buy a house in the Asra District. If renting, the contract must be signed every three years, and a copy of the contract would be filed at the police station. We will definitely find his current address."

Then Sylutia saw over a dozen people in the police station gathered around the thick stack of various forms and papers on the table, searching frantically.

Time passed minute by minute. It was already dark and they still hadn't found it. At this time, the police station was brightly lit. An officer, under the Bureau Chief's instruction, went out specifically to order dinner.

An hour later, the purchased food arrived. Each officer was allocated a portion of steaming hot wheat bran bread, two scallion oil sausages, and a cup of hot water.

"Miss Hedra, have a portion too." The Bureau Chief handed her a paper-wrapped rosemary bread.

"Thank you." Sylutia took it and began eating in small bites, her gaze continuing to flip through the case records from this period.

"Why did the other party specifically target beastmen?" She was somewhat curious.

"Perhaps because beastmen victims allow this kind of 'rumor' to be controlled just right." The Bureau Chief thought for a moment and answered this way.

"If the dead were human students, there might be offspring of important figures among them. That would face very severe investigation. Since the other party is only Second Tier, the risk they can bear is limited; they wouldn't dare take excessive risks."

"Aren't there any important figures among beastmen in the Mage Alliance?" Sylutia felt there were quite a few beastmen classmates in her class.

"Of course there are, but the proportion is very small, and the probability of encountering one is also very low." The Bureau Chief answered simply.

"Beast blood gives them advantages in movement and physical abilities, but the cost is difficulty in staying calm. For most beastmen, calmness means becoming weaker, preventing them from utilizing the intuition and instincts hidden in their bloodline."

"Mage is a profession that demands high rationality and control, which inherently makes it unsuitable for beastmen."

"However, within the Alliance, it's not all mages. Many positions are more suitable for beastmen with strong melee and athletic abilities." He looked at the night scenery outside the window and lit a cigarette to refresh himself.

"What's your view on beastmen?" Sylutia inquired.

"Can't say I like them. Because these guys are impulsive; many cases in my jurisdiction are done by them. But dealing with them is also easier because their thinking is relatively straightforward, making it easy to figure out what happened."

"If the planner of a case is a mage or mage apprentice, the investigation often becomes troublesome. Smart people, especially smart people who master various kinds of knowledge, have always been a headache. Although the incidents they commit account for less than one-tenth, they consume the most energy." He exhaled smoke.

"Hedra, have you ever considered earning some extra money in the future?" The Bureau Chief suddenly spoke up.

"Huh?"

"It's like this. Many students, after graduating in three years, enter a stage of independent study to prepare for entering higher academies. At this time, they need to accumulate resources, improve their specialization in a certain field, and therefore need to study more expensive courses, etc. All of this requires money. Many students find a job or do something to get subsidies."

"Your thinking is very sharp, and your observation skills are strong. You'd be very suitable as a detective."

"You flatter me." Sylutia thought for a moment.

"I probably don't have that much time. But if you encounter troublesome matters, I can provide some limited help."

"That's enough." The other party nodded.

Not long after, a shout came from the room.

"Found it! He lives at 341 Lupine Street."

"There, huh." The Bureau Chief listened, then turned and walked into the room with Sylutia.

In the room, a group of officers crowded around that dull, ordinary form. On one line, the name Abyss Jellywin was clearly written.

"The buildings there are older, so the rent is cheaper. It seems he's very frugal." The Bureau Chief flipped through that form.

"Without delay, let's set off now. It's late at night; he's definitely home sleeping and resting."

The group boarded three police cars, rumbling out of the station, heading for the target location.

Several dozen minutes later, not far from the destination, the three police cars stopped. The personnel got out and quickly approached again.

After surrounding that apartment building, a plainclothes officer knocked and entered. Guided by the apartment manager, he walked towards the room in the records.

After opening the door, the room was in complete disarray. Various clothes were thrown about, many things were knocked over on the floor, and the bedroom window was wide open, the curtains fluttering emptily.

"He ran!" The officer immediately shouted, notifying the personnel downstairs and outside.

At this time, the Bureau Chief left a few officers behind to continue controlling the scene, while he himself took most of the personnel to investigate from the various alleys around the apartment.

Staying downstairs at the apartment, Sylutia looked up, staring at that window for a long time. She circled around the outside of the apartment, then walked inside. She first arrived at the target's third floor, then continued upwards, walking into the late-night stairwell.

There weren't many tenants in this apartment, probably due to its age. The corridor was somewhat damp and cold; some places were leaking. Sylutia walked up the stairs without seeing a single tenant come out.

After reaching the top sixth floor, she circled around and then walked towards the row of unrented rooms at the end. Here, the doors were loose. The cold night wind passed through the abandoned rooms, echoing in the corridor, making rustling sounds.

Suddenly, when she reached a certain spot, Sylutia stopped.

Her eyes blinked. The seemingly empty passage ahead now had several extremely fine, transparent threads. They were almost impossible to observe in the dark environment. If one charged through recklessly, their entire body would likely be easily sliced open by the threads, becoming bloody chunks.

Seeing that the ambush had failed, footsteps sounded from the room at the end of the corridor. Then a figure dressed like a magician, wearing a top hat, appeared. Half of his profile was illuminated by moonlight coming through a broken window, pale and cold. The eyes on that face seemed overflowing with venom as they stared at the motionless girl.

"How did you know I was here?"

"I didn't know. I just felt the apartment needed a thorough inspection because I didn't see anyone jump down from that window." Sylutia bent slightly, lifting her skirt in a curtsy. Her black hair accentuated her slender waist. The black and gold gryphon on her collar was slightly conspicuous in the darkness.

"Right, Senior Abyss Jellywin?"

"Hmph."