Not a detective

Page 207

Shinonome Suetsuki's interest came and went quickly; she turned her head to look at the game screen.

Even with that delicate and pretty face, under those loose pajamas and T-shirts, with her bare white legs and slippers, she looks exactly like a homebody and a gaming addict.

"Then what are you doing here today, assistant? It's not like it's the weekend and you don't have to work. You're not just trying to keep me in suspense, are you?"

"That's interesting. I didn't even know the agency was still in business..."

Asakawa Riku sighed.

He noticed something was wrong as soon as he got downstairs. It was supposed to be open after school, but the whole floor was dark.

When I came up, I found that this guy hadn't turned on the lights at all. He was just squatting in the meeting room playing games, looking disheveled. Only the screen's glow was visible, and he looked like he hadn't taken care of himself in a long time.

The room was a complete mess, with blankets and clothes scattered all over the floor. It was hard to believe this was a business establishment; even if it was, it had turned into an illegal internet cafe.

"If I don't come soon, I feel like you'll just stink here and nobody will care."

This is a description; in reality, the room didn't smell bad, and Shinonome Sugetsuki's body didn't have any strange odor.

There don't seem to be any fast food boxes or anything like that around. Could it be that I starved to death and "refreshed my status"?

It seems like she only needs to take pills to survive.

Hoshino is too busy to come back, and Shinonome Suetsuki has completely lost her ability to take care of herself since losing her maid.

"Come here."

Unable to bear it any longer, Asakawa Riku dragged her away from the screen, into the bathroom, stripped her naked, and then thoroughly washed her.

"If all else fails, you can move in with me."

Since there are already so many people, one more won't make a difference. Yuki is also quite good at taking care of people.

In the bright bathroom, he pressed her down under the showerhead. Moyue lowered her head and remained silent. Water streamed from the tip of her nose down to her collarbone, and her hair was wet with bubbles, just like a docile big dog.

She choked on the water as soon as she opened her mouth, but still wiped her face and said:

"...Um, I'm a detective, I need to be here."

Asakawa Riku knew that she and Chizuko were still having a bad time and didn't want to live together. In fact, the two of them had never really argued; it was probably just that their horoscopes didn't match.

Looking at her smooth, fair back, he really didn't know what to say to her... because his relationship with Moyue was also somewhat awkward.

Of course, it was because of the impulse that night.

Since then, Asakawa Riku has become somewhat shy and found it difficult to meet with Suezuki. The detective girl is the same; she has basically never contacted him on her own initiative.

This doesn't seem like a relationship that suddenly cooled down; rather, it's like two newcomers to a romantic relationship who are overwhelmed because they crossed the threshold too quickly.

As hot water sprays, the bathroom begins to heat up, the delicate skin feels wonderful to the touch, and the swirling steam adds a touch of hazy beauty.

Asakawa Riku was silent for a moment.

He realized that it wasn't just a simple impulse that night.

"The last month..."

"Ah."

Mo Yue smiled.

Perhaps because she had deduced what Asakawa Riku was thinking, she didn't need to say anything more and simply nodded.

A confident smile returned to his face.

Asakawa Riku dried her off, picked her up by the waist, and strode through the dark corridor and room, heading straight into the lounge inside.

It was pitch black inside, but he didn't care. He threw Moyue onto the soft bed and started taking off his clothes...

"Wow……!"

"……what?"

Suezuki suddenly called out, and Asakawa Riku stopped in his tracks in confusion, then was startled by the scene before him.

Xingyu was also on the bed. Moyue threw him down and hit him, then cried out in surprise, stunned and at a loss for what to do.

Her blonde hair was disheveled, and her suit skirt was relatively neat, but she looked extremely tired because she hadn't woken up despite all the commotion. She turned over and fell into a sweet slumber.

Xingyu sleeps in a terrible position, sprawled out on her back, seemingly blending completely into the room, the only thing missing is snoring.

Asakawa Riku stared blankly, then exchanged a glance with Suezuki, who was equally bewildered.

...They guessed that Xingyu was probably too busy and tired at work, and as a result, she vaguely stumbled back and went to the wrong room, and fell asleep without realizing it.

Now I can't wake her up no matter how much I call her, and besides, I don't have the heart to disturb her rest.

"...Haha, hahahahahahaha."

"Pfft hahahaha!"

Interrupted like that, they lost interest, but after exchanging a glance, they couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Mo Yue lay on the bed, looking up at him:

"Lu... don't forget to come back often. We have a labor contract, and missing even one day will be considered absenteeism."

"How ruthless capitalists are to exploit poor working people... Okay."

Riku Asakawa smiled.

But at this moment, he also figured out how to overcome Asukai Shi's "final puzzle".

Tamamo no Spring: Chapter Sixteen - The Complete Secret Chamber

[Case Description: A dismembered body was found in a locked room, but the murderer and the murder weapon have vanished.]

The same puzzle.

In addition, new conditions were added:

[Red text: Apart from the clues that directly identify the two perpetrators, all other red text related to the case is considered valid and continues to this point.]

"Oh?"

This time, Uta Asu once again showed interest and blinked: "I thought you would play some kind of trick like 'suddenly replacing the old red text loophole'."

"That level of deception wouldn't fool you, would it?"

Asakawa Riku understood; simple tricks wouldn't satisfy this guy, and he needed to be more serious: "That would be fairer too."

As soon as school was over today, he rushed to the activity room, feeling nervous and excited for this "final battle," with a sense of anticipation.

Unbeknownst to him, he began to rediscover the joy of visiting the mystery club... Perhaps Asu's plan had succeeded, aiming to make him addicted to this feeling.

Asakawa Rikuya had to admit that he had a lot of fun.

But this time, he has to win.

He laid out all the previous papers and meticulously listed the red words that had appeared before.

[Red text: This locked room has no secret hiding places. All cabinets and drawers have been searched by investigators; there were no blades or similar items that could be used as a murder weapon. The room is also too small to hide a person. This locked room has only one entrance and exit, the main door; there are no other secret passages. It is a completely sealed room.]

[Red text: The body was completely dismembered; limbs and head were severed.]

[Red text: Death occurred today, but due to dismemberment, the body is in extremely poor condition, making it impossible to accurately estimate the timeframe.]

[Red text: The victim was a wealthy man with a reclusive personality. The secret room was his room, which was usually kept closed and rarely entered. According to records, it was only opened three times today: by his wife, servant, and doctor.]

[Red text: After the incident, the three individuals were quickly apprehended. None of them left the wealthy man's residence. A search of the residence also revealed no weapon shape matching the wounds.]

[Red text: According to testimonies from other witnesses inside the mansion, they were all clean and bloodless when they left the room, which does not suggest they had been dismembered.]

[Red text: The victim's room had no bathroom, no toilet, and not even a faucet.]

[Red text: There was no murder weapon in the doctor's briefcase. He only came for a simple physical examination that day, so he only had diagnostic tools such as a stethoscope, not a knife.]

[Red text: The doctor's white coat was spotless, with no weapon or bloodstains hidden inside.]

[Red text: None of the three witnesses had physical disabilities or were wearing prosthetics, making it impossible for them to have concealed the murder weapon inside their bodies.]

[Red text: Inspection revealed that the door lock was not damaged.]

All of these work.

In doing so, he essentially put several layers of shackles and restrictions on himself.

The first two red letters contained mysteries that led to the complete disappearance of the murderer and the murder weapon, as well as the fog that eliminated the three witnesses as suspects, making them appear innocent.

Under such constraints, creating effective tricks is a real headache.

But that's how detective novels are; the more restrictions are placed on the creators, the more power they accumulate.

If you can survive in the cracks and dance under shackles, you will evolve into the strongest weapon.

If Asakawa Riku can complete this final puzzle under these conditions, it will bring unprecedented trouble to Asukai Shi.

"But I still need to confirm one thing."

Asukai Shi sat up straight, her fingers gripping the blue pen.

[Blue text: Are there any elements of superpowers in this case?]

"Logically speaking, such blue text should not be valid, because in reality, no detective could possibly determine whether superpowers were involved."

Asakawa Riku shook his head, but picked up the red pen: "But this time, for the sake of fairness, I've decided to give it to you."

[Red text: This case involves no technology superior to that of reality, nor does it involve complex mechanical devices. The perpetrator neither possessed nor used superpowers to commit the crime.]

This is a risky move.

Asakawa Riku could have reasonably refused the request from the blue text. After all, with the existence of the "proof of the devil," who can be completely certain that there are no superpower elements in reality?

Just like the issue he had discussed with Chizuko-senpai before.

However, in this game, leaving yourself a way out is equivalent to leaving the enemy a way out.

If Uta Asukai were to obtain the weapon of "superpowers," it would be dangerous. She could easily fabricate all sorts of bizarre superpowers to solve the mystery.

For example, if someone were to use phrases like "slashing out with sword energy to kill someone from a distance" or "freezing someone into an ice cube from a distance," Asakawa Rikumitsu would have to defend against them one by one with red text, leaving him flustered and unable to defend himself.

If you focus on the beginning but not the end, and there are too many red characters, and if there are contradictions or hesitations in the thinking process, it will be easy to expose flaws.

Therefore, this is a game where one must "fight to the death." Only by going all out and standing on the same boat as the detective can the murderer possibly win.

"Oh...didn't the killer have superpowers?"

However, Shii Asukai's suspicious gaze did not relax in the slightest; she would not overlook any minute detail in the text.

[Blue text: Did the killer have accomplices? Was the accomplice responsible for unleashing superpowers, while the killer was responsible for committing the crime?]

[Red text: The murderer did not receive any assistance from others.]

Asakawa Riku quickly retaliated.

He has always felt that the existence of "accomplices" ruins the aesthetic appeal of detective novels; once an accomplice appears, the excellence of the trick is diminished.

"Does that mean... this is a classic mystery case without any new premise...?"

Asu-i Uta narrowed her eyes: "Then let's start by breaking through using the most basic method."

[Blue text: In the previous case, there was a possibility that the door lock could have been opened with fishing line and tools. Did the murderer use the same method to escape this time?]

After all, fishing line and tools are not considered "technologically advanced," and still meet the red-word restrictions.

"Sorry, this time I'm going to seal it off completely."

Asakawa Riku coldly put down his pen.

[Red text: The door in this case was a tightly sealed vault door, which could not be opened without the use of explosives, but there were no signs of forced entry at the scene.]

He brought the gate he saw in the cult's lair here, sealing off all methods of "secretly unlocking" and "restoring the secret room."

"Oh...did you enhance the escape room?"

Asukai Shi shook her head, but instead of panicking, she smiled even more.

The difficulty of this case lies in two aspects: the "locked room" and the "dismemberment." The first two attempts to solve the case were made to fall apart because of the failure of the "locked room."

Why was the murderer able to disappear in the locked room? Why was the murder weapon able to disappear in the locked room?

If even this point is something the other party cannot answer, then it is a true "mystery from heaven".

This time, Riku Asakawa's solution was to create a completely enclosed room from the very beginning!