When Mary arrived once again at the door of Duanmu Huai's apartment, she felt somewhat nervous. Still, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Mr. Duanmu—Mary Clarissa."
"Oh, come in."
Soon, the door opened, and Mary saw a brown-haired maid standing there, giving her a polite bow. She didn't know much about this maid, only remembering that back in Antarctica she had piloted the aircraft that brought them out. Of course, at that time Mary's entire focus had been on her friend. But now, she also respectfully returned the bow. The maid ushered her inside, and under her guidance, Mary entered the living room, where she saw Duanmu Huai sitting on the sofa, idly flipping through a large stack of letters in his hands.
"Yo."
Seeing Mary, Duanmu Huai waved at her without the slightest hint of gentlemanly decorum, then casually tossed the letters aside.
"The Old World really has too much going on. What era is this, and they're still holding tea parties, banquets, dinners… Do these people seriously have nothing better to do?"
"Are those invitations for you?"
Hearing Duanmu Huai's complaints, Mary somewhat understood. Although she had noble friends like Shirley and Ashley, she herself was just a middle-class student. Even though she had learned some etiquette for such events, she had no desire to use it. Moreover, gatherings like these were typically attended by noble ladies within high society. For someone like Mary, who was thinking about working after graduation rather than marriage and children, there was no need to concern herself with such social connections.
"They're just treating me like some kind of curiosity to gawk at… By the way, how's your friend doing?"
"Ah, Shirley is doing well. She's currently recuperating at the retreat. She even wrote to me recently…"
"Oh, that's good."
Duanmu Huai nodded, then returned to flipping through the letters. Watching him, Mary suddenly felt a bit nervous. It was only natural—although Shirley had lost her memory and Ashley didn't even know of his existence, Mary knew very well that her friends were able to return to their normal lives thanks to this kind man. Not to mention, he had spent a considerable amount of money for all this—a truly astronomical sum. Although Miss Lorena had told her that this was the duty of the Inquisition, Mary wasn't the kind of girl who didn't understand gratitude.
So, she also hoped to introduce Duanmu Huai to her two friends. As… as what kind of identity would be appropriate?
At that moment, Mary suddenly realized that the relationship between herself and Duanmu Huai was somewhat unclear.
Logically speaking, she should have been his client at the beginning. But in reality, as the client, Mary had given him no payment at all. On the contrary, Duanmu Huai had spent a great deal of money for her and Shirley. It was such an enormous sum that it was hard to even tell who the real client was.
Friends? If they were friends, then…
"Please have some tea."
Just as Mary was lost in thought, the maid's arrival interrupted her. Mary took the teacup, nodded in thanks, and then looked toward Duanmu Huai again.
"Mr. Duanmu."
"Hmm?"
"Well, um… how should I put this…"
Although she knew Duanmu Huai didn't care about formalities, Mary still spoke carefully and as politely as possible.
"The holiday is coming soon. Ashley and I are planning to go to the retreat to visit Shirley. Ashley will be going together with her fiancé, Mr. Howard. If you have time, would you like to come along…"
At this point, even Mary felt that her logic was somewhat confused. Indeed, Mr. Howard was Ashley's fiancé, so it made sense for him to go meet Shirley. But the relationship between herself and Duanmu Huai wasn't that kind…
As expected, Duanmu Huai didn't seem particularly interested.
"You girls go ahead and enjoy your gathering. I won't join in the fun. Have a good time."
"I see… alright."
Hearing his answer, Mary silently sighed inwardly. Just then, Duanmu Huai suddenly let out a surprised "Hm?"
"Baskerville? Now this is interesting."
"Huh?"
"Ever heard of that name, Mary?"
"Ah, yes."
Mary nodded at his question.
"The Baskerville family is quite a well-known upper-class family. I've heard of them…"
"No, no, that's not what I mean…"
"Ah, you mean the Hound of the Baskervilles?"
As a resident of the Fog City, it was impossible for Mary not to have read the records of that great detective, nor to forget them. In fact, the reason she felt familiar with the Baskerville family was precisely because of that story. One could even say that the story was widely known among the middle and upper classes of the Fog City.
The legend of the hound, the curse of the Baskerville family, the great detective and the conspiracy behind it—not to mention it had been compiled and published as a famous novel…
"That's right, the Hound of the Baskervilles."
Duanmu Huai raised the envelope and waved it at Mary.
"Looks like that great detective didn't completely solve the problem back then. Now it's fallen into my hands."
"Uh…"
Hearing this, Mary frowned.
"I remember… at the end of that novel, Mr. Holmes and his assistant Watson captured the culprit, didn't they? In fact, the Baskerville family wasn't cursed at all. The so-called hound was just a slightly larger hunting dog. The whole incident was a case fabricated by the culprit, who coveted the Baskerville family's wealth and used the legend to carry it out, wasn't it?"
"That's how it goes in the novel. But reality seems stranger than fiction…"
Duanmu Huai opened the letter and read it carefully.
"Looks like I've got work to do. Want to come along?"
"Uh… well…"
It was impossible to say that Mary wasn't tempted. She was a devoted reader of that book. Leaving everything else aside, just receiving an invitation from the legendary Baskerville family was already exciting. Not to mention that, at present, this matter seemed to have some unclear connection with the legend of the hound.
But in the end, her longing to see her friend outweighed that excitement.
"Sorry…"
"Alright. That's understandable."
Duanmu Huai shook his head.
As expected, the Old World really had a lot going on—and quite romantic too. After all, this was a case once handled by Sherlock Holmes… although judging from the situation now, maybe he had messed up?
Or maybe not?
In any case, Duanmu Huai was still only a D-class personnel. Although the Antarctic incident had caused quite a stir, because he had destroyed most of the evidence, the Foundation hadn't granted him sufficient authority to advance. For now, this case suited him better. Perhaps after resolving this matter, he could be promoted to C-class?
And with that, he would be just one step away from the Reality Anchor.
While Duanmu Huai prepared to investigate the matter of the Hound of the Baskervilles, Mary had already boarded a train with her friend, heading toward the retreat to visit Shirley.
"Clatter… clatter… clatter…"
Sitting on the train, listening to the rhythmic sound of the tracks, Mary quietly sighed. To be honest, as a student of the history department, Mary did have her own ideals. She had once thought about becoming an archaeologist like her mother, working in excavation sites. But now, she had begun to develop some new ideas. In fact, when Duanmu Huai had invited her to join the Inquisition, a thought had once surfaced in her mind.
Perhaps… Mr. Duanmu and I could become like Watson and Holmes?
In the Fog City, the birthplace of Holmes, stories and legends about him were naturally widespread. But aside from Holmes, Watson was also highly admired. In fact, for many people, while they dreamed of becoming Holmes, if they truly had to choose, Watson was clearly the safer option.
Following Holmes, recording the cases they experienced together, compiling them into books and publishing them—this was also a kind of romance cherished deep in the hearts of many young people.
However…
Holmes…
At this thought, Mary revealed a wry smile. After spending so much time with Duanmu Huai, she had realized that although he carried the title of a detective, he was completely different from that seemingly all-knowing great detective. Indeed, he also knew many things others did not—but compared to Holmes… how should she put it…
That man didn't particularly care about intellect. On the contrary, most of the time he preferred to confront his opponents head-on and completely crush them with violence.
This was entirely different from Holmes…
If I were Watson, how would I even write about his stories?
I can't exactly write about him smashing people's heads in with a staff…
But… that actually sounds kind of interesting?
"Mmm..."
However, immersed in her thoughts, Mary didn't notice that beside her, her petite friend Ashley was puffing up her cheeks, staring at her in dissatisfaction.
That expression on Mary's face… it's definitely related to a man, isn't it?!
Looking at her friend's slightly flushed face and absent-minded smile as she gazed out the window, Ashley couldn't sit still. Although she was the youngest among the three, compared to Shirley and Mary, she was already engaged to a merchant from the New World and currently deeply in love. In that sense, despite her age, she had far more experience in romance than the other two.
But still…
So annoying…!
Staring at Mary's profile, Ashley silently clenched her fists.
Someone actually dared to make a move on the most important Mary to me… absolutely unforgivable!
Ashley knew she wasn't imagining things. After all, she had once heard something like this from a street child they had encountered.
"Big Sister Mary? She's become the lover of some really amazing boss!"
Honestly, if she could, Ashley didn't want to believe such nonsense. But the other party was also Mary's acquaintance and had sworn that they had seen Mary with a man late at night on the streets. At the time, Ashley had been extremely worried. She had suspected that some shameless man had taken advantage of Mary's distress over Shirley's coma and used the opportunity to get close to her.
Originally, Ashley had planned to find time to talk to Mary about it properly. But later, Shirley suddenly disappeared and then returned awake. With everything that happened, Ashley had been too happy, and since the three of them had returned to their previous relationship, she had temporarily pushed the matter to the back of her mind.
But now, sitting on the train and seeing her friend with that lovestruck expression again—it still annoyed her!
Who is it?! Which bastard took advantage of a vulnerable girl and shamelessly wormed his way in—this "mysterious man"?!
Mary clearly isn't interested in relationships, yet he's taking advantage of her innocence like a lost child to toy with her!
That kind of man—absolutely unforgivable!!!!
"...… Achoo!!!"
Duanmu Huai sneezed heavily and rubbed his nose.
"Are you alright, my lord knight?"
Hearing the sneeze, Lorena poked her head out and looked at him. Duanmu Huai shook his head.
"I'm fine. Probably someone talking about me."
As he spoke, Duanmu Huai looked toward Lorena.
"Finished reading?"
"Ah, yes. I've finished."
Hearing his question, Lorena put down the book The Hound of the Baskervilles and nodded.
"Based on the book, it was an illegitimate son trying to seize the inheritance, using the legend of the Baskerville hound to commit crimes. And in the end, the culprit was captured, wasn't he?"
"That's right. This time, the police are also investigating from that angle."
Duanmu Huai tapped the case file in front of him.
Since the events of The Hound of the Baskervilles, the Baskerville family had gained great fame in the Fog City. For a long period afterward, the so-called curse seemed to disappear entirely due to the novel. However, starting a few years ago, similar incidents began to occur again within the Baskerville family.
Simply put, members of the Baskerville family were attacked within their estate by a massive black hound, and several people had already died because of it. Among them were the previous head of the Baskerville family, his eldest son and wife, and then the eldest grandson. When the police first received the report, they investigated according to the novel's description, suspecting someone might be deliberately using trained hunting dogs to kill. The local police even set up a perimeter and, together with the Baskerville family's guards, attempted to capture the black hound.
And that's where the problem lay.
The encirclement succeeded—and… they suffered heavy casualties.
According to the surviving police officers and guards present at the time, what they encountered was a black hunting dog larger than a human. It was impervious to weapons, moving in and out of the mist. The officers who tried to stop it were knocked flying and killed. In just one night, thirteen or fourteen officers and guards died under its claws and fangs. Because of this, they specifically sought help from the Fog City police, and Inspector Lestrade then referred the case to Duanmu Huai.
That was also why Duanmu Huai received an invitation from the Baskerville family.
"But that's not important. If it were just a criminal case, it wouldn't concern us."
Duanmu Huai decisively dismissed any possibility of a normal explanation—the Inquisition didn't exist to handle ordinary murder cases.
"Let's trace back to the origin of the Baskerville hound legend. You should have read it in the book."
"Yes. According to the records, the legend originated from a depraved ancestor of the Baskerville family. He kidnapped a young girl and attempted to assault her. The girl fled in terror. Enraged upon discovering her escape, the ancestor released hunting dogs to pursue her, while he and others chased on horseback. In the end, people found the bodies of the girl and the ancestor near a strange altar. Some even claimed to have seen a terrifying black hound tearing at the ancestor's corpse. After that, it was said that his evil deeds had brought about a curse and punishment upon the Baskerville family…"
"Setting aside the useless literary embellishments, what do you think?"
"Hmm…"
Faced with Duanmu Huai's question, Lorena thought for a moment.
"Perhaps the Baskerville ancestor was attempting some kind of cult ritual, and that girl was the sacrifice?"
"Exactly. That's what I think too."
Duanmu Huai snapped his fingers. This was precisely why he had brought Lorena along. They weren't investigating an ordinary murder case or a crime—as he said, the Inquisition focused on the evil hidden behind such incidents.
As for inheritance-related murders, those could be left to Holmes. What did that have to do with them?
"So, do you think the ritual succeeded or failed?"
"From what we've seen… I suspect it failed."
Lorena flipped open the book again.
"Perhaps something went wrong in the procedure, or some mistake occurred, causing the summoned creature to backfire…"
"Yeah. These cultists may not be good at much, but they're top-tier when it comes to getting themselves killed."
Duanmu Huai curled his lips. In Cthulhu-type settings, magic was often like this—no matter what you summoned, the first thing it did was kill the summoner.
Like the cultist they had encountered in the manor before—he summoned a serpent creature, and it immediately turned around and swallowed him.
There were countless similar cases. So it wasn't surprising that both Duanmu Huai and Lorena had the same first reaction.
"In any case, that's all the information we have for now."
Duanmu Huai reached out and patted the black cat and white rabbit poking their heads out of his pocket.
"As for the rest, we'll find out when we get there."
After that, Duanmu Huai and Lorena arrived at the police station in Devon and reported their identities. They were then taken to the morgue where the bodies were kept.
"To be honest, I'm not someone who believes in myths or legends."
The plump coroner, wearing a white coat, walked ahead of Duanmu Huai, moving laboriously as he spoke.
"But honestly, what I saw this time really scared me."
"You were part of the encirclement that night?"
"No, of course not."
The coroner shook his head.
"With my build, I'd just be delivering meat to it. But no one in Devon will ever forget what happened that night. Gunshots, screams, shouting… Honestly, this peaceful place has never been so noisy. By the time I was called in urgently, it was already like this…"
"So, regarding the Baskerville family, do you have any clues to provide? Including the earlier victims?"
"Oh, of course."
The coroner walked to the desk, stood on tiptoe with effort, opened the top drawer of the filing cabinet, and took out several autopsy reports.
"Let's go in order. First, old Baskerville. He was a highly respected doctor and an upright man. He was found collapsed on a path outside his estate early in the morning. There were no external injuries. The examination concluded it was a heart attack—for a man over eighty, that's not unusual."
"So it was recorded as an accident?"
"Of course. The police investigated and concluded that he had gone out for a walk, suffered a sudden illness on the way back, and collapsed… Quite ordinary, really, so it wasn't suspicious."
As he spoke, the coroner pulled out another file.
"Next is his son, Mr. Charles. He died in the evening, after dinner. According to testimony, he went out for a walk with his wife after their meal and never returned. As it got late, others became worried and went out to search. They found both bodies—their throats had been torn open, the corpses were mutilated. It was clearly an attack by some large animal. But as you know, there aren't really any large animals here—not even many wolves."
At this point, the coroner paused to catch his breath.
"Then there's their son, Fred. He was furious and grief-stricken over his parents' deaths, convinced it was a beast. So he took hunting dogs, gathered a group of people, and went up the mountain, swearing to find the creature that killed his parents."
"And ended up getting himself killed too?"
"Yes."
The coroner sighed helplessly.
"His head was smashed into pulp. The autopsy suggests it was crushed by something like a bear. God, I never knew there were bears in Devon!"
"So that doesn't seem related to a hound."
"Well, that's the thing. Many of those who went up the mountain testified that they didn't see a bear. Instead, they saw a terrifying black hound taller than a man. So we set up a trap to capture it…"
At this point, the coroner paused again, catching his breath.
"Well, seeing is believing. You'll understand once you take a look."
As he spoke, the coroner walked to the body storage cabinet and pulled it open.
One chapter per day for now. I need proper rest and sleep. I'm still coughing, and my throat and mouth are inflamed. Taking too much medicine has also upset my stomach… I need to cut back on medication…
(End of Chapter)