Chapter 238: Chapter 238
"This case is about ready to be closed. Mr. David, who passed away last week, had a habit of philandering, and of course, his own maids weren't off-limits. Joyce, the culprit, began an affair with her master over a year ago."
At this, Captain Bincy deliberately paused to glance at Jenkins. Jenkins immediately raised his right hand, palm facing the holy emblem. "I am absolutely not that kind of person," he declared.
"I trust you're not that kind of person, Williamette. What I mean is, if we were to dig deeper into Mr. David's death, there are still many questionable details. We can discuss that later; let's stick to the case for now."
He cleared his throat and continued:
"After Mr. David's death, Joyce planned to use her relationship with him to blackmail his wife for a share of the inheritance. However, she unexpectedly discovered that Mrs. David had other plans. It's a long story full of misunderstandings and coincidences, like something out of a cheap novel, so we won't dwell on it. The long and short of it is, she lost her lover and saw no path to any fortune. Utterly devastated, she poisoned Mrs. David."
"So it was a simple crime of passion."
Captain Bincy nodded, pulling a few sheets of paper from his coat pocket and handing them to Jenkins.
"These are the materials from the detective you mentioned. After Mr. David died, his wife, who knew about his dalliances, hired a detective to find out if he had any illegitimate children. The investigation revealed that he did, and it's..."
Jenkins's brow furrowed as he read the findings on the coarse paper. Bess... that was the youngest maid, the one who had been with him on the second floor, cataloging antiques.
"That's right. You can read the full story for yourself. The detective agency was certainly thorough."
He nodded, then raised a single finger, signaling for Jenkins to pay close attention as he spoke:
"Normally, secular cases wouldn't concern us, but this seemingly simple murder has raised several issues:
First, the Witch's House I just mentioned is an illegal organization of Benefactors. They worship an unknown entity called the 'Hanging Mother Goddess's Shadow.' We are still investigating their purpose for coming to Nolan City and how an ordinary person managed to obtain that poison."
Then, he raised a second finger:
"Second, the Howard Detective Agency, where Detective Erwin Ignaz is employed, is a legitimate business in Nolan. However, an incident took place at the end of last month. An assistant at the agency stole files on several infidelity cases and blackmailed the clients, demanding they pay cash to buy them back."
"Hmm? That sounds vaguely familiar... Sir, are you referring to the man we found who was the first carrier of the Gear Disease?"
Captain Bincy nodded. "Yes. There are no simple coincidences in this world. The connection between the Witch's House case and this incident is unnerving. Our initial investigation of the agency revealed nothing, so we're hoping you'll pay them a visit within the week, posing as a client to feel things out. It doesn't need to be anything overt. Papa Oliver mentioned that you have a keen sense for spirit and can even locate unusual items by intuition alone. Just go and take a look. This will be an extra assignment, outside your usual duties. Since you already have a connection to the place, showing up won't arouse suspicion, and the Church will, of course, compensate you."
Jenkins nodded. It seemed simple enough. He could just activate his Eye of Reality for a quick scan while posing as a client.
Captain Bincy promptly held up a third finger. He obviously hadn't kept Jenkins behind just to fill him in on the conclusion of a murder case:
"Third, Mr. David died of heart failure; we've confirmed this multiple times. As a precaution, however, we performed a more comprehensive examination of his body. We found extremely faint traces of silver in his remaining blood."
"Silver? You mean the metal?"
Jenkins rubbed his fingers together.
"Yes. Infusing silver powder, or a specially treated silver-like fluid, into the bloodstream is a method for achieving longevity advocated by the church of the heretical god known as the Lord of Immortality. Of course, the method is a ridiculous fraud. That dreadful god seems to use the practice to steal a mortal's life and transfer it to someone else... but that's not the main point. The point is, the individual who stole the Cursed Item A-12-4-6701, the Shard of Death's Cloak, from the Church of Death and End two months ago was a follower of the Lord of Immortality. We have reason to believe the late Mr. David was in contact with a believer of that heretical god. His family has a history of heart conditions, and after speaking with his private doctor, we've confirmed David was aware of his illness before his death. That makes it all the more probable he would attempt such a foolish life-extending ritual." Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveI-Fire.ɴet
A scornful look crossed Captain Bincy's face. "Even a Benefactor must pay a tremendous price to extend their life, to say nothing of an ordinary man. Mr. Williamette... on second thought, I'll just call you Jenkins."
Seeing no objection, Captain Bincy went on. "Jenkins, the Church is tracing Mr. David's movements before he died to identify any cultists he may have contacted. While this doesn't directly involve you for the time being, Miss Bevanna sent a letter from New Truman this morning. She wanted me to tell you something."
Seeing Captain Bincy's secretive expression, Jenkins immediately leaned closer. The older man lowered his voice. "Among the White Basic abilities, there are a few with truly unique properties, and in any given era, only one person can possess them. The [White Basic] ability, Undying Man, is one of them. The ritual to acquire it has never been documented; you can only find its name mentioned in a handful of obscure texts. Some even doubt it's real, believing it to be entirely fictitious—after all, besides the great gods themselves, nothing is truly immortal. Miss Bevanna sent her letter to remind you of this, and to warn you that the church of the Lord of Immortality most likely holds the key to learning this ability."
Jenkins blinked, silently prompting him to continue, but Captain Bincy simply blinked in return, signaling that he had said all he was going to say.
"So, uh, why the special reminder for me?"
"It's been nearly two months since the incident with the Heretical God's Scion in New Truman. Things are finally wrapping up, and in the process, the Orthodox Church uncovered some letters used for communication among the cultists. One letter was burned almost beyond recognition, but two words could still be made out: 'Saint' and 'Undying Man'."