Eternal Empire Online: The Rise of the Mythical Detective

Chapter 37: Mythical Detective Case File, The Nightmare At Droom Village 4

And then, the investigation begins!

And the first thing that Grimm did was to retrace Remy’s tracks. Being the latest victim, she is his biggest lead in solving this case.

Considering that Curses aimed solely to a single target can only be applicable through two methods;

1. Physical contact and,

2. Through taking a body parts such as hair and nail to serve as a transmitter

Tracking such person who’d done such actions towards Remy will surely lead him into finding the culprit.

However, since everyone aside from Pearl and Leroy are considered as possible culprits, he can’t risk directly asking them and raise suspicions. So for now, he can only rely on the statements that Leroy will provide in regards to this method. It’s a pain but it’s the safest choice of action.

Anyway, Leroy stated that Remy went to three places before acquiring the Sleep Curse. First was in Normeck’s Workshop where she delivered a bag of ‘Silver Dusts’ that were ordered from Blue Flower. Next was on the Fruit Store owned by Leroy where she bought three apples and a bunch of grapes. And lastly, was on the Village’s Square at exactly ten minutes after she exited Leroy’s store where she was last seen awake.

Acquiring those details, Grimm further questioned Leroy. As it turns out, he’s also a prime witness and an important clue into solving this case can possibly be found within what he saw before and during Remy’s visit in his store. Therefore, Grimm asked for his permission to peek into his memory through his Retrocognition.

As expected, Leroy was greatly shock upon knowing that such an ability exist and Grimm possess it but at the same time, he was delighted that such a convenience is at their disposal.

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Retrocognition is Activated!

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Grimm touched Leroy’s forehead and searched through his memory. He went to the memory of an hour before Remy’s departure from the Fruit Store and began viewing it. According to Leroy, the time where Remy left was barely an hour since he opened the store. So if the crime had truly transpired in that place, then the culprit is among the people that went into the store before or along with Remy during that period of one hour following the store’s opening.

However, when the viewing time ended, Grimm sighed in disappointment. There are only six people that entered the store before Remy. First was a young woman around Grimm’s age that just looked around but didn’t buy anything. Next was the owner of the Potion Store, Ms. Mabel, who bought a basket of grapes. Ten minutes later, the innkeeper, Mr. Polo arrived and discussed with Leroy about the fruit deliveries to the inn. And lastly was a family, a husband and wife along with their son, who are looking for watermelons.

Grimm thoroughly inspected them for anything suspicious but nothing from their actions had diverted from the usual. They just entered, do their business, and leave. Not to mentioned that Remy was the only costumer when she entered and left the store. Therefore, none of them had made any contact with her. So with that, Leroy’s Fruit Store was removed from the list of potential crime scenes, leaving just the Workshop and the Village Square for investigation.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

“Damn!”

Ten hours had passed but Grimm’s investigation is still going nowhere. After his zero progress with Leroy’s testimony, he immediately moved forward to the Normeck’s Workshop under the guise of a costumer and gather clues through his ‘Investigate’. But just like on the Leroy’s Fruit Store, nothing unusual had occurred during Remy’s visit on the place. And to be precise, Remy didn’t even enter the Workshop. The Workshop was still close when Remy arrived for the delivery, so the transaction between Remy and the workshop owner, Mr. Norman had all occurred outside the establishment.

Therefore, 2 out of the 3 potential crime scenes are removed from the list.

That just then leaves him with the Village’s Square, the place where Remy had lost consciousness. And through his Investigate and his Retrocognition in which he used towards a beggar witness that he bribed, he once again thoroughly checked the area. But just like the formers, with the exception of Remy getting inflicted by the Sleep Curse, nothing suspicious or unusual had emerged within the place. Remy is by herself, no one touch or contact her whatsoever. She simply just walks there, on her way back to Blue Flower, she got dizzy, and then she collapsed, like she received the Sleep Curse out of nowhere.

With a frustrated sigh, Grimm sat down on the edge of the fountain in the center of the square. He wanted to relax his mind even for just a little bit after walking, running, and using his skills nonstop for hours but couldn’t do so due to how irritated he is.

He knows from the very beginning that the chase is going to be hard and steep considering that he’s trying to catch a culprit who had been operating this modus completely undetected for four years now. However, having faith on his Mythical Detective skills and the level of his intellect, he had somehow expected that he will make a better progress compared to the previous ones that had attempted to solve this mystery in the past. But as it turns out, he’d ended up just as slumped as they are. Many, if not all of the factors involved in the case are either wiped out of perfectly hidden. So regardless of how smart Grimm or his alter-ego, Gen is, there’s no way that they can make something as illogical as producing an answer out of nothing.

‘No clues, no progress, and running out of time.’ Grimm gritted his teeth hard to the point that it bleeds his gums. It’s the first time since he’d started Eternal Empire that he’d actually felt utterly helpless and incompetent.

‘DAMN IT!’

Ding!

______________________________

‘Hatred directed towards yourself had been unleashed!’

Your STAT had risen

Hatred has risen by 10 point (+10HATE)

______________________________

But as those feelings sinks in, Grimm was interrupted when out of the corner of his eyes, he saw footsteps heading towards his direction and looking up, it revealed to be the Potion Shop owner, Ms. Mabel.

“Hello there, aren’t you the young fellow with Pearl and Leroy earlier?” Ms. Mabel said.

“Ms. Mabel?” Grimm immediately stood up and greeted her. “Good evening.”

“A nice evening for you too,” she nodded and replied with a warm smile.

“Uhm…yeah, I was,” he said, scratching his head. “So you saw me then?”

She nodded.

“I’m truly sorry about that. It was not my intention to intrude into your home. It was just that Ms. Pearl looks so horrified when she parted with me. I got worried, so I followed her.”

“Don’t worry about that, I don’t really mind.”

“Uhm, what brought you here, Ma’am? Is there something that I could do for you?”

She shook her head. “I was just passing by from buying things for dinner and saw you. You looked troubled, so I came. Anyway, are you a friend of Pearl?”

“Not exactly, just a brief acquaintance,” he replied. “By the way, how’s Pearl and Remy?”

Grimm asked and then immediately regretted it.

Upon uttering the question, Ms. Mabel’s expression instantly despaired as she shook her head. “Pearl is trying her best to be strong but it’s obvious that she’s barely holding on. Remy is the last family she got. Ever since their parents died when they were still little, Pearl had devoted all her time and love to Remy. So it’s truly unbearable for her to watch her beloved sister slowly fades to nothing.”

Ding!

______________________________

‘An overwhelming hatred had been unleashed!’

Your STAT had risen

Hatred has risen by 20 point (+20HATE)

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“I’m sorry to hear that and I’m so sorry for mentioning it. That was so insensitive of me.”

“No, you care and that’s a good thing. With so much hopelessness in this village, something like that is very rare to find.”

“Is there something I could do to help? Anything, anything at all?” Grimm asked, with both the intention of actually providing aid and to appear detach and trying to associate in order to conceal his existing actions and connections in regards to the matters with Pearl, Remy, and the Droom Village. Ms. Mabel might be a trustworthy person but he’ll still adhere to his initial conviction to reveal nothing and to trust no one.

“For someone who truly cares, you can be there for Pearl,” she said. “When all of these are over, she will need all the support she could get.”

Grimm doesn’t like that impending and highly likely outcome one bit but he nodded nonetheless. Right now, he’s working with all his best to prevent that tragedy from commencing but the current case progress still remains unchanged and powerless to oppose the inevitable. And due to that, an exceedingly agonizing frustration is steadily consuming Grimm, giving way to larger figures for his Hatred Stat.

“By the way, we never had the chance to be formally acquainted. You might have already known my name but let me properly introduce myself before I go. My name is Mabel. Nice meeting you.”

“Nice meeting you too. My name is…”

SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!

“…Wilhelm. People call me Wilhelm.”

“Wilhelm?”

He nodded.

“Such an interesting name,” she commended. “I’ll remember it well.”

“I’m sure you will,” Grimm said with an odd tone that skipped Ms. Mabel’s notice.

She then said her goodbye and motioned to leave.

“Uhm, wait a moment Ms. Mabel.”

However, Grimm suddenly called out for her, forcing her to cease her advances to respond. “Yes?”

“Remy and Pearl, where are they now?”

“They’re still in my clinic. Pearl is just staring at Remy, unresponsive. So it’s impossible for me to send them home.”

“And Mr. Leroy?”

“With them, trying to comfort Pearl to no avail. Why did you suddenly ask?”

“Well, I was just wondering if I can visit them. You know, without trespassing any private property this time. I want to follow your advice and be there for the sisters especially for Pearl.”

“Of course,” Ms. Mabel responded with a pleased smile. “And you can come along with me now if you want. I’m about to head home.”

“Sure, that would be nice,” Grimm agreed and went along with her.

Within his conversation with Ms. Mabel, Grimm had realized something that utterly convinced him to end the investigation. There’s no point of continuing it any longer. He’d done his best and it ended up like this. It’s all over and he must tell Leroy and Pearl all about it.