Charlie seemed deeply moved by my words when I said I would solve the case for him.
“Mr. Hayes…”
‘There’s no need to be that happy.’
After all, I planned to tell Detective Beron exactly what a mess Charlie had made. Detective Beron might just kick Charlie’s ass. Of course, I had no intention of stopping him.
“I’m a bit worried that you know the culprit, but… I’ll trust you, Detective.”
Mustafa grumbled but still bowed his head to me.
It had been a while since I received a greeting that wasn’t a handshake, so I hurriedly bowed my head in return.
“Please be sure to retrieve the missing sculpture. Of course, every single one of my master’s works is precious, but the sculpture that went missing this time is an especially important piece.”
Come to think of it, I had heard something similar earlier too.
“What’s so special about the missing sculpture that makes it so important?”
“Ah, right. I should explain that first. You know what my master’s representative work is, right?”
Of course I didn’t.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to answer.
Mustafa began boasting about his master’s achievements without pause.
“Every single one of my master’s works is amazing. But among them, the work considered his masterpiece and greatest achievement is ‘Silent Prayer.’ It’s a marble sculpture recreating a scene from the Empire’s mythology, and the expression is incredibly delicate. The texture of the cloth, the shapes of the folds in the clothing—it’s so realistic it doesn’t look like marble, but like an actual person. Even the tips of the fingers weren’t carved carelessly. But what’s most amazing is the expression of emotion. The restrained yet irrepressible emotion on the woman’s face! Ah, it’s truly the greatest treasure of this era!”
“I see. So was the sculpture called ‘Silent Prayer’ the one that went missing?”
“Of course not! ‘Silent Prayer’ is kept under strict security at the Cathedral! There’s no way anyone could steal it!”
‘Then why did you even tell this story?’
Seemingly oblivious to my pointed gaze, Mustafa spoke proudly.
“The important thing is that ‘Silent Prayer’ is part of a series.”
“A series?”
“Yes. ‘Silent Prayer’ recreates a scene from a myth. My master intended to sculpt every character in that myth. He planned a total of six works and steadily unveiled one every three years. Every single one is a masterpiece, each as beloved by the masses as ‘Silent Prayer.'”
“So, the sculpture that went missing this time is…”
“Yes! It was the final work to adorn my master’s great journey! The last piece of the series!”
Mustafa lamented.
“After unveiling the fifth piece, my master hesitated for a long time to release a new work. Naturally, of course. This was the last piece; everything would be completed after it. He spent a full seven years on this sculpture alone. Seven years.”
“Seven years…”
It was a time that felt immeasurably distant.
“Everyone was anxiously waiting for the work to be completed. And my master didn’t betray those expectations. I only helped with the menial tasks and snuck peeks at the work in progress, but even I could tell. This work would surpass ‘Silent Prayer’ and become my master’s greatest masterpiece.”
Bitterness seeped into his voice.
It was an emotion I could fully understand.
“So, Detective, please find this great sculpture.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“It’ll probably benefit you too, Detective. This is a sculpture everyone has been waiting for. Once this theft case becomes known and you’re revealed as the one who solved it, the entire nation will be looking for you. The detective ranking that everyone in this country goes crazy over will surely skyrocket.”
I knew he was trying to motivate me.
But somehow, I felt conflicted.
‘I haven’t made a decision yet…’
If I solve this case, my detective ranking will rise again.
As long as I don’t fail, my ranking will keep rising steadily.
I’m a detective, so cases will naturally come to me.
That also means I can’t put off my decision indefinitely. If I keep delaying my decision and solving cases, eventually becoming a Great Detective, even that could be considered my choice. It would be a way to comfort myself by saying I didn’t want this, and just cover up the past.
“You don’t seem very keen on this.”
I snapped back to reality.
After the events at the police station, we had slept and gathered again early this morning.
That would be me, Lure, and Arthur Sterling.
We were planning to visit Sir Albrecht’s mansion together.
“What did you just say?”
“I said you don’t seem very keen on taking this case.”
Arthur Sterling spoke.
His tone implied that he had expected this.
“I had my doubts when you took the case last night, but as expected, you haven’t changed.”
He spoke as if he knew everything.
“You don’t like that solving this case will raise your name, do you? So you’ll probably pull some dirty trick behind the scenes, just like you always do.”
His words were laced with a strange implication about the past.
Madame Moss had said something similar before.
‘The owner of my body hated becoming famous quite a bit.’
Perhaps now was the perfect time to dig into my past.
But my mouth moved before my reason could.
“Do you know me that well? Because from where I’m standing, it doesn’t seem like you do.”
Once I shot back, I became aware of my current emotional state.
‘I’m sick of this.’
I was sick of everything.
I didn’t know anything, yet everyone around me kept provoking me.
They accused me of crimes I didn’t commit, interrogated me, watched me, tested me as if they weren’t, made strange implications like they knew me, and never told me anything clearly.
Arthur Sterling, who kept grating on my nerves by circling around me.
He seemed to be testing my patience.
“I don’t know what dirty tricks you’re talking about, but I have no intention of doing anything like that.”
I have neither the will nor the ability.
“Regardless of my emotional state, I have no intention of slacking off on this case.”
It’s true that I feel conflicted thinking about my name rising.
But I decided to solve this case, and I will.
“I chose to live as a detective, and catching criminals and solving cases is exactly what a detective does.”
I glared directly at Arthur Sterling as I spoke.
“If you’re just going to stand around with your hands behind your back, not focusing on the investigation, and only complain about what I do, then you should be the one to step down from this case.”
Got it, you unprofessional bastard.
“You…”
Emotion flickered in Arthur Sterling’s eyes.
He looked as if he had seen something unbelievable, or had been betrayed.
Either way, it was better than that indifferent expression he always wore.
Well, it quickly returned to its usual expression, though.
“…I never thought I’d hear a lecture on a detective’s mindset from you.”
“Does the First Great Detective find it distasteful to get advice from a mere detective?”
“No. It’s refreshing.”
Arthur Sterling stopped in his tracks.
“You’re right. I can’t call myself a proper detective if I don’t approach the case properly and only tag along behind you.”
“So…”
“Let’s work separately. I’ll investigate the case with my assistant and find the missing ‘Last Piece.’ In the meantime, you do your best in your own way.”
He shot me a cold stare as he spoke.
“I’m curious to see which of us can show a more detective-like side.”
With those words, Arthur Sterling turned around and disappeared.
‘…The crime scene was in the direction we were going.’
What a strange man.
I shrugged and turned my head forward.
“…W-What?”
Lure was staring at me with sparkling eyes.
“Teacher! Did you just make a bet with the Great Detective?”
“What? What bet.”
“You just challenged each other to a competition of skill as detectives!”
Was that what it sounded like?
“Well, maybe…”
I tried to brush it off, but Lure nodded as if he understood.
“I knew Sir Arthur seemed to dislike you for some reason, but it was because you two had a history! He knew your skills from before and was trying to keep you in check!”
“No, I don’t think that’s it.”
“No, I’m right. You might not have noticed, Teacher, but Mr. Arthur’s expression changed strangely the moment you said you’d take this case. It was exactly the same look Shelman gives Ursula when she gets a perfect score on a test.”
Lure nodded vigorously, convinced he was right.
“I’m glad I didn’t interrupt back there. Sir Arthur has a rivalry with you. Everyone would be shocked to learn that. They’d all see you in a new light. Well, even without this, it was only a matter of time before you became a Great Detective.”
His embarrassingly complimentary words made me laugh weakly.
“Yeah, well. Thanks.”
Anyway, thanks to Lure, my mood was a bit lighter.
Soon, Lure and I arrived in front of Sir Albrecht’s mansion.
But we couldn’t enter right away.
An unexpected argument was taking place at the mansion’s front gate.
“Go back, Sophie. What are you doing here?”
Mustafa said in a cold voice from behind the mansion’s gate.
“Y-Yeah. Master said you weren’t supposed to come near here for a while.”
The pale, gloomy-faced man standing next to Mustafa added.
“How can you do this? I’m also a student of this studio. I’m Master’s disciple too!”
The woman called ‘Sophie,’ standing across from the gate, shouted.
“How long are you going to exclude me?”
“You haven’t set foot in this mansion for weeks.”
Mustafa said in a cold voice.
“Your innocence is proven. There’s no way you’re the culprit, so why do you need to come inside? Just go, Sophie. Before Master comes.”
“He’s my master too! All three of us are his disciples! So why am I the only one…!”
The woman, whose voice had risen as if she was emotional, then changed her tone, sounding much calmer as if she had changed strategies.
“…Anyway, Master promised me. He said that once the New Year came, I could come back to the workshop. And today is the morning of the New Year Festival. I have the right to go inside!”
“Th-That is…”
The gloomy-faced young man hesitated, but Mustafa spoke coldly.
“That was before the ‘Last Piece’ was stolen. Now that all the assumptions are ruined, you can’t come in.”
“How can you say that!”
“Well, ask Master about it.”
Just then.
“It’s noisy out here. What’s going on?”
Everyone was startled and turned their gaze toward the mansion entrance, beyond the gate.
“Master!”
Sir Albrecht, looking unrecognizably haggard overnight, was coming out.
‘Hmm…’
Watching the entire scene, I could only sigh.
It wasn’t just the incomprehensible conversation taking place at this gate, but above all else…
‘Weren’t the only ones who knew the workshop password the master and his disciples?’
Here, Sir Albrecht and his three disciples were gathered, but no matter how I looked, the Black Shadow was nowhere to be seen.