Chapter 184

Chapter 184: Lost and Found

In the vast library of King Campus, sitting by the window, Dorothy continued to examine documents under the bright sunlight. Previously, she had analyzed through the information in these documents that there was likely a secret society hidden among the teachers and students of this school. She had also successfully confirmed this through divination.

‘The Royal Sacred Crown University gathers the young elites from Prit. Each one is arrogant and wealthy. A group of such people gathering together and not conducting any mysterious research would be abnormal. After all, this school has always been a hub for various societies.’

‘Now, what needs to be done is to find a way to uncover this secret society. Since I can’t locate the ruins, I should start by finding people. Those guys have been passing down knowledge here for some time; they should know about the situation with the ruins.’

Gazing at the stack of books before her, Dorothy thought, realizing that when it comes to detecting Extraordinary Beings, she actually has a “Lamp” sigil obtained from Sodod. After spending 20 pounds to have Beverly appraise it, she discovered it was a “Regional Clarity Sigil,” capable of detecting all Extraordinary Beings, Extraordinary Items, and spiritual traces within a radius of 50 meters.

Such a sigil is very useful, but unfortunately, Dorothy only has one. The probability of finding a hidden Extraordinary Being on campus with just this one sigil is low, given its limited 50-meter range.

‘So… Is there a better method to find Extraordinary Beings and related individuals?’

Thinking this, Dorothy decided to look through more books for inspiration. This time, she picked up the Saint Crown University’s newspaper.

Saint Crown University has its own newspaper, which is quite popular among students. It covers both campus news and current social issues. For instance, the issue in Dorothy’s hand reports a recent train m*rder case in considerable detail.

“m*rder on the Tiwyan long-distance train! Mysterious detective solves the case, criminal apprehended! Train conductor recalls details…”

‘cr*p, this made it to the newspapers? Do the train staff have such high morals? They’re actually revealing the whole truth without claiming credit…’

Looking at the news in the newspaper, Dorothy’s lips twitched slightly. This didn’t align with her expectations. She originally thought that after the train crew took credit, there wouldn’t be any mention of Detective Ed. However, the train crew not only mentioned Detective Ed but also praised him highly.

“…As previously stated, Mr. Ed is the most gentlemanly and admirable person I’ve ever met. He’s not only meticulous and intelligent, making him an excellent detective, but he also pursues justice without seeking fame, truly embodying chivalry. He has now arrived in Tiwyan, a city teeming with hidden crimes. I believe his name will be heard again soon…”

Reading the words spoken by the train conductor during the interview, Dorothy felt a slight embarrassment. Then, she quickly turned the page to other news.

“The situation on the New World has escalated again, with conflicts between the Farano colonial territories intensifying. Primitive indigenous groups have formed special squads to hunt civilized people, resulting in multiple casualties. Governor Mitchell stated that stronger measures will be taken…”

‘The colonial conflict on the New World? This isn’t over yet, and it seems to be getting worse. Will there be a war…’

Looking at the content of the newspaper, Dorothy thought. A few months ago, when she was reading newspapers in Igwente, she saw reports about colonial issues. Now, it seems things have worsened.

The events happening in this distant continent were unrelated to Dorothy. After glancing at it twice, she flipped to the next news.

“Earl MacArthur was found dead in his home. Police determined it as a homicide. This is the third m*rder case in the Platinum District since May, and whether there is any connection remains unclear…”

‘Platinum District murders? And the third one? Is someone targeting nobles and capitalists? Looks like nowhere is safe…’

After a brief comment, Dorothy didn’t dwell on it and continued flipping through the pages.

“A report on severe pollution in the Moonflow River and air quality in Tiwyan has been submitted to the Imperial Parliament. There is ongoing debate over remediation measures…”

This was a political news article. While the news itself wasn’t particularly interesting, the newspaper had dedicated a section for student contributions and debates, which seemed quite popular. Several factions of students published articles, engaging in public debates through the newspaper. If one looked at earlier editions, one could see the heated exchanges and high-quality arguments.

‘Hmm… This level of debate is far better than online bickering and passive-aggressive comments. Many of these students will become politicians in the future, already honing their political skills…’

Thus, Dorothy read the newspaper while making mental comments. After the societal and political news, the following sections covered trivial campus news. Dorothy glanced at the headlines and mostly skipped them. Gradually, she almost finished reading the newspaper but still found no clues about the secret society.

Just as Dorothy was about to put the newspaper down, one column caught her attention.

That column was the lost and found section at the bottom corner of the newspaper. Many students who had found valuable items had posted notices here, and others who had lost items had also posted their search announcements.

Seeing the lost and found section in the school newspaper, Dorothy suddenly had an idea.

“Perhaps… I can get those guys to come to me…”

Muttering to herself, Dorothy put away the book and newspaper. She needed to find Beverly and the student newspaper office.

…

Two days later, in the library of King Campus, Dorothy sat in her original seat, flipping through the latest edition of the school newspaper.

Holding the new edition of the newspaper, Dorothy ignored the various news stories at the beginning and directly turned to the lost and found section at the end. Soon, Dorothy found what she was looking for.

“Lost and Found: On September 10th, I picked up a piece of art on the first floor of the clock tower. This artifact is a black-gray stone triangular shape, seemingly a corner of a stele. One side is inscribed with non-Prit letters, and the other side bears an open eye symbol.

“This item is currently being kept at No. 23 Green Shade Town outside the east gate of the school. If anyone has lost it, please claim it after school hours.”

Reading the lost and found notice, Dorothy nodded and then pulled out a small item from her purse—a black-gray stone triangular shape with an open eye symbol and mysterious inscriptions, exactly matching the description in the lost and found notice.

Yes, this lost and found notice was posted by Dorothy herself. Of course, the lost item wasn’t something she found but rather a stone artifact she had commissioned from Beverly for 20 pounds, which took only five minutes to make. This artifact appeared to be a storage item for the spirit of “Enlightenment.” Dorothy had specifically asked Beverly to make it look like a storage item for the spirit of “Enlightenment.”

This school was once a base for the Star Number Repair Association, hiding many “Enlightenments.” Although several societies have emptied it out over the centuries, might there still be some overlooked items?

If such an overlooked item was accidentally picked up by an ordinary person who then innocently posted it in the lost and found section of the newspaper, and if there were members of the hidden society in the school who saw this notice, what would happen?

This is a storage item for the spirit of “Enlightenment”; they couldn’t remain indifferent, right? At least they would want to take a look and confirm it. Even if it’s fake, it doesn’t matter; if it’s real, they stand to gain greatly.

So, Dorothy’s current task is to wait for the other party to come forward and confirm.