Chapter 78: C78: A Killer Among Us
We were all called to a fancy ballroom with an expensive chandelier. That thing was beautiful, but it was too big to steal.
Maybe if I got Agon and Gem involved, we could-
"Everyone," Paris addressed all of us. She scanned the crowd, darting each person in the eyes for less than a second. "Two murders have happened since the ship set off from shore. We're here to investigate both incidents. The murderers are amongst the students."
"H -How can you be sure of that?" Asked a meek young girl.
Paris stared her down like a hawk. "Don't worry. The crew has been put under harsh binding contracts by all the countries involved. They're impartial to this investigation and will act like a neutral party."
Then she looked around the crowds; people whispered amongst each other. Many were panicking, some were confident, and a handful of people didn't care.
Paris coughed and brought everyone's attention back to her. "We know so far that the victims have their pinky fingers missing. It might be some obsession, so if you see anyone hauling around a couple of fingers. Well, it should be pretty obvious what you need to do; come and report it to me. If you can't find me, tell one of the ship's personnel."
She scanned the crowd, trying to read the look on everyone's faces. "Also, if there is some clue or you know who the killer was. You will be put under protection and be handsomely rewarded."
To be honest, while this whole murder thing sounded dangerous, it had nothing to do with me. I planned to stay in my bunker room all day and do nothing.
For me to get involved in this investigation and 'contribute' would be useless. Paris did this for a living; she was one of, if not the greatest, detective alive. One of her ability's restrictions was related to analyzing crime scenes.
Also, when it came to murder suspects, I usually asked myself who would gain the most from those people's deaths. By that logic, every participant in the exam was a suspect because they killed two competitors.
"That woman has nice bonkers," Gem nudged his chin toward Paris.
Bets slapped him on the back of his head. "Don't go around talking about her like that!"
"What's wrong with it?" Gem rubbed his head. "Don't tell me you've suddenly turned into a goody two shoes. So we can't even make jokes now?"
"No, dumbass, it's not that," Bets sighed and rubbed his forehead. He looked like he was on the edge of a headache. "Just remember that she's one of the twenty-two Special Rank Exorcists. You don't get there by being weak. She can literally kill people that have done any crime."
"So what? As long as you're not some murderous psycho, there's nothing to worry about," Gem shrugged as if this didn't involve him.
Bets looked at Gem as if he were the stupidest person on this planet. "Stealing a piece of gum is also a crime. Her ability doesn't care about how severe the crime is. You punching someone is considered assault. So even if someone attacked her, no matter how strong they were, as long as they start it first, it's considered assault."
Gem's face paled in realization, and sweat rolled down his face. "Shit, isn't her ability the strongest around?"
When Bets put it like that, then yes, Paris' ability was overpowered. Also, all deaths would be under mysterious circumstances, so they couldn't be traced back to her in most cases.
Ironically, Paris would probably never use her ability that way. Stealing one pack of gum was a crime, and others would use such loopholes on the ability. But she was the kind of person who wouldn't use her ability unjustly on others.
There was a time when Paris wasn't famous, and her ability was a secret. Yeah, that wasn't a good time for any criminal. Knowing her, she didn't discriminate and probably went after high-profile people too. It was a surprise the higher-ups hadn't killed her; her ability was too strong.
Maybe she was acting like a good dog when they were around. People with her intelligence were scary.
How many corrupt higher-ups had died at her hands? It couldn't be a small number.
My team and I were stopped mid-way when we returned to our room. There was another pair of steps walking behind us.
We were all on guard but relaxed once we saw who it was.
Paris waved at us and smiled. "Kon, I need your team for something. It will be a high rank mission. Your pay will be ten gold coins each."
That was a lot of money. But if too much danger was involved, as a team leader, it was my duty to assess that risk. "What would be our job?"
"I want you to protect me while I investigate the crime scenes. You're the only person in this ship I can trust," she looked me in the eyes with an unwavering gaze.
So her talk about the staff being innocent was just lip service? Otherwise, why would she ask us? For a lady of justice, she was a good liar. "Sure, we will aid you in your investigation. But you must give me your word that you will kill someone on my request. There's no need for payment."
There were a couple people I needed to eliminate. Paris had the perfect ability to do that. If she refused, well, nothing was lost on my part.
She narrowed her eyes. "As long as they're criminals, I would do that for free. But are you sure your friends will sacrifice their payment for your goals?"
My teammate shrugged. They didn't seem to care.
Seeing them like that touched my heart. Whatever happened, they would stand by my decision.
"Who cares?" Gem pointed at me with his thumb. "This guy pays for most of our expenses anyways. He's like an endless money churner."
And leave it to Gem to ruin a good moment! You mutt bastard!
He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes and gave me a thumbs-up with a cocky grin.
The fuck you looking at, bitch?! You wanna get punched?!
Despite my rage, I tried to keep a calm outward appearance.
But Gem put a hand on my shoulder. "Also, he's super kind, and usually our missions take quite a bit as he helps the homeless and those in need."
What the hell was wrong with this guy? We went on only one mission together, and I didn't help anyone who was poor! Why was he lying all of a sudden?!
***
Gem was proud of himself.
He had just set up Kon with the exorcist. They both wore glasses that reflected the light. If that wasn't a sign they were perfect for each other, then Gem didn't know what a sign was.
Also, Kon acting cold was just tsundere behavior. In his mind, he probably was like: 'Kyaa! I'm going to spend time with the girl I have a crush on.'
The woman seemed to be around her early twenties, so there was an age gap. She was pretty too.
Even though Gem was usually annoyed when Kon went and did his shenanigans with women, like the situation at the bar that one time. They were still friends, and when that friend was near the girl he liked, Gem was no longer the funny man or the kindest.
He had to bring Kon's image up whenever she was around.
"Then follow me. We will immediately start the investigation," Paris started walking and the team followed her along.
"Is there any kind of information you kept from telling everyone?" Kon asked.
That was a clear sign he was trying to get closer to her. Gem wondered what he could say to make Kon look good in front of Paris' eyes.
"No," Paris shook her head. "I didn't keep anything hidden. But I didn't know a lot to begin with."
The crime scene was a bathroom; the victim's head was pierced with needles as thick as a finger, like skewered meat.
"Keep watch on the entrance, and look for any secret passages that could lead here. This ship has quite the mysterious build," Paris crouched down and opened the corpse's mouth. Then she did something even stranger. She took a pair of scissors and cut off all the clothes, leaving the corpse naked.
"The victim is a sixteen-year-old male. He has a commoner background and wasn't related to any big clans. He was a Creator; his ability was named Peeking Scope, which enhanced his vision."
What was left unsaid was that the now-dead guy probably lied about the specifics of his abilities, kind of how any rational exorcist would. Even Gem knew that.
But despite someone being dead, Gem knew his true mission on this ship. He acted as if he was checking the vent. "You know, Kon once investigated and solved a serial killer case. The victims were kids. He solved it in two days."
The girl looked like a good investigator, so she should like people with similar talents and interests.
Once again, Gem turned toward Kon and gave him a secret thumbs up.
Kon's face was cold and unreadable as he stared at him with dead fish-like eyes.
'Deep down, he's probably anxious. Don't worry, Kon, I got your back!' Gem reasoned. As his friend, his duty was to help him with this romance.
"That's cool," Paris said in a monotone voice. "Anyways, the skin around his missing finger is cut cleanly, and with the head skewered like this, it makes it seem like a crime of passion."
She got up and touched her chin in a thinking pose. "Hmm, this one is a tricky murderer. At first glance, this seems to be a killer who likes killing. Let's move on to the next murder scene."
Gem was about to follow along. He suddenly smelled the stench of medical herbs and noticed something of a smudgy reflection on the vents. "Hey, guys, I think there's someone in the vents."
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