ALL NOVEL Chapter 240: The Detective’s Plan (1)
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「Is this the main location where you’ll carry out your plan then?」
Mira’s current priority was to understand the detective’s plan to catch Fuzzy Dice, so she pushed the secret she had just heard from the Spirit King off her mind, and focused on her surroundings. The detective was still there, relating his stories involving the church, which she interrupted to get back on topic.
While they could anticipate the route the thief would take over the rooftops to a certain extent, it was impossible to determine it with full certainty. But they knew what his destination would be, so they could wait there.
They could stake out the church and catch Fuzzy Dice when he appeared. That was how Mira expected the detective’s plan to go, but his next words just made her tilt her head in confusion.
「Actually, we’re only halfway there. The place I’ve selected is further away.」
Saying that, the detective threw a challenging glance at Mira again.
「There’s one more place where the thief deposits the evidence. Do you have any ideas where that could be?」
「Oh..? So we’re doing this again.」
The detective offered a second challenge, and Mira had no intention to step back.So she began to think again. The detective was insinuating that there was another organization that stood next to the church, which spanned the entire continent, could process evidence, and had support from the public.
An organization that was allied with the people, regardless of wealth or social rank. Mira began thinking hard about it, trying to find a place like that, until eventually the answer became clear.
「The United Adventurer’s Guild!」 Mira’s voice was defiant, wanting to overcome the challenge posed by the detective.
「…That’s correct.」 The detective sounded slightly defeated, which brought a proud smile to Mira’s lips.
The United Adventurer’s Guild was a place Mira was very familiar with, and existed as a large organization independent from the various countries. It also covered vast regions of land, just like the church, and people relied on them quite often. It was the only logical answer for the detective’s question.
It was also the place where common people would hear news about adventurers, who were looked up to by many, and exchanging stories of them was a common pastime.
And more importantly, the United Adventurer’s Guild would also work on catching thieves and other criminals, handing them in to other authorities. It would not take long for the adventurers there to take arms and hunt down someone if they received solid proof of their crimes.
That way Fuzzy Dice would provide proof to the highest international legal authority and armed force. There was hardly anyone who could fight back against that.
「After publicizing the evidence in the church with the archbishop present, he’ll cross those rooftops over there to enter the Union.」
Quickly forgetting about the challenge he lost, the detective turned away from Mira and looked up at the rooftops. The wheelchair also started moving at the same time.
The rooftops he pointed at were on opposite sides of the street, creating a gap of around twenty meters between them. According to the stories, Fuzzy Dice was able to jump such distances with ease, almost like he was flying.
(Well, I can do that too though!)
That was an easy feat with the Sage Art Sky Stride. She glanced at the rooftops, her competitive nature making itself evident for a bit, and then she followed after the detective.
The United Adventurer’s Guild was not too far from the church, being located in the main street heading north, which comprised two buildings facing each other, the Spellcasters Union on the western side, and the Warriors Union on the eastern side of the street.
「But which of these will he enter then?」
Mira navigated around the crowds of people there and turned around to ask that.
Was Fuzzy Dice going to enter the Warriors Union or the Spellcasters Union? The detective instantly replied that Fuzzy Dice always went to the Spellcasters Union, without exception. Sometimes the evidence he gathered was sealed or protected by some anti-theft spell, so he would leave those items at the Spellcasters Union since they had the means to easily undo the spells. And he would always properly place them on the front desk.
「And as soon as the spellcasters there try to undo the spells, he vanishes and no one sees him again. That’s how it always goes.」
The detective then brought up his theory of how that was achieved. It was likely Fuzzy Dice would activate a spell to change one’s appearance at that very moment.
「On top of that, the spells on the evidence he leaves are already activated, leaving them unstable. That drives up the urgency at which the spellcasters there have to neutralize them, so they all work as fast as they can.」
But the detective also believed that Fuzzy Dice did that on purpose, as undoing the spells would release large amounts of mana, which would cover the surroundings of the Union.
「One of my spellcaster connections told me that such situations make it impossible to use abilities like Mana Sensing, as the excess mana interferes with it. So if the thief uses a Forbidden Art to change his appearance to that of an unassuming adventurer at the correct time, no one would be able to identify him.」
The detective reasoned that the way Fuzzy Dice was able to leave the Union without issue was that he disguised himself in a way that allowed him to walk amongst other adventurers unnoticed, even if the Union was already in an uproar due to his presence.
「I see.」
Mira also felt like that was a pretty sound theory.
First off, Forbidden Arts did have spells to camouflage oneself, and she knew just how effective they could be.
Forbidden Art – Omen: Illusory Body
That was a simple and straightforward spell that changed the caster’s appearance for a given time.
But its effect was not so simple, as its efficacy was reliant on the difference of power between the caster and those watching.
In other words, someone stronger would be able to easily see through it, limiting it to only be usable in places with few people weaker than the caster. For Fuzzy Dice it seemed to always work, however.
(Hmm, if that hunch is correct, then he really is immensely powerful.)
The Union was always full of adventurers of varying power levels, some of which could be quite skilled. If even they failed to identify Fuzzy Dice as he left, then he had to be a step above even the strongest adventurers.
That meant that once Fuzzy Dice used Illusory Body, he was as good as gone. So Mira’s brain kicked into high gear to think, something she seldom did, and eventually came up with an idea.
「Then what if there’s no crowd for him to slip into?」
If no regular adventurer was allowed to enter the Union while the heist happened, Fuzzy Dice’s disguise would not help him, and he would be completely exposed.
But the detective replied by shaking his head, forcing a smile as he said 「I’ve tried that once before.」
There had been one time he explained the situation to the Union, and they decided to cooperate with him. They closed the Union to the public, leaving only the people necessary to undo the seals on the evidence, and laid in wait for Fuzzy Dice to arrive.
「The plan backfired completely. He didn’t even approach the front desk to leave the evidence that time, but just threw it in through the window.」
Fuzzy Dice had not even shown himself that time, and ran away all the same.
Considering he always avoided hurting other people during his heists, and his many other quirks, the detective had assumed that Fuzzy Dice had some rules he always adhered to, which included the way the evidence was handed in. But that assumption was wrong.
「I think his only true rules are that he’ll never hurt anyone, even those standing against him, and his warning notices.」
Apart from that, Fuzzy Dice’s methods were always flexible, adapting to whatever situation he was in. The detective had understood that after his many failed attempts to capture him.
There was a time the detective placed traps on the rooftops surrounding the church, but then Fuzzy Dice simply went through the streets.
Then when a restraining barrier was set up inside the church, Fuzzy Dice did not even get close to it, and instead left the evidence with his crowd of fans that were waiting outside, who then brought the evidence into the church.
Essentially he would use any means to deliver the evidence while avoiding capture. That was why the detective had remained unsuccessful even though he knew Fuzzy Dice would be at the church and the Union every time.
「But this time I have a different strategy. It’ll go along with his usual movements perfectly. I’ve been preparing for it for a long time, and it’s finally complete!」
The detective happily mentioned that, but then his whole face clouded over in an instant as he looked at his injured legs.
「I really thought I’d have to give up this time, but after meeting you, Mira, I have hope again.」
Regaining his smile, he opened the bag affixed to his wheelchair and brought out what looked like a really stocky gun.
It was basically an elongated mechanical box with a grip and trigger attached. At first glance it resembled a gun, but it was awkwardly shaped, and there was no muzzle.
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