Chapter 327

Chapter 290: Employment

In the northern suburbs of Tivyán, at No. 17 Green Shade Town, Dorothy sat on her family’s sofa, her expression quite serious as she looked at the elegant letters on the letterhead in her hand. She did not expect that information from Adele would arrive so quickly.

‘They found something already? Quite efficient; I thought I’d have to wait a long time.’

Dorothy thought to herself. It had only been about two weeks since the theater incident, and surprisingly, Adele already had news. This made Dorothy feel somewhat unexpected; typically, such long-term investigations would take two or three months without results. Moreover, compared to the Wolf bl**d Association, Adele’s Scarlet Heart was still in a weak position. It was inherently more challenging for the weaker side to investigate the stronger side’s matters. Dorothy hadn’t had high expectations about what Adele could uncover.

‘Regardless, it’s good that they found something. Adele’s mentor is one of the clues I need to continue my search for the ‘Enlightenment.’ I cannot miss this opportunity.’

Dorothy continued to ponder and began making preparations to revisit the Flying Theater that evening. Just as she was about to put away the letter, her attention was drawn to the impressive fragrance lingering on it.

“Though it’s normal for a starlet to spray some perfume on a letter, I hope Adele isn’t trying to use this scent to track me down… Just to be safe, I should use some Stone Wisdom Powder to mask my scent later…”

Dorothy murmured to herself. Although she and Adele were currently in a cooperative relationship, the latter was still an extraordinary being of the White Chalk Tier. To avoid being put in a passive position in some matters, she needed to take the necessary precautions.

After finishing her thoughts, Dorothy secured the letter and checked the time, starting to prepare for her meeting later that day.

…

In the evening, East Tivyán.

On the dark streets, the evening wind rustled, and the leaves of the trees lining the road had turned yellow. The pavement remained damp from a recent drizzle, with few pedestrians or carriages passing by.

In front of the Flying Theater, it was exceptionally quiet. Due to the lack of performances tonight and the rain, the street that usually bustled with activity appeared desolate, with the closed theater doors only seeing the occasional passerby.

From a distance, the sound of hooves and wheels echoed. A taxi, common in Tivyán, pulled up to the theater entrance. The door opened, and a man wearing a gray trench coat, a low-crowned hat, with a gaunt face and deep-set eyes, stepped down from the carriage and exhaled a puff of steam after scanning the surroundings.

Exiting the carriage, Ed retrieved a few coins from his pocket, paid the coachman, who nodded slightly in acknowledgment before driving away.

Once the carriage had left, Ed adjusted his collar and walked toward the theater’s entrance. Just as he was examining the tightly shut doors, a voice suddenly called out beside him.

“Mr. Ed, over here, please.”

Upon hearing this, Ed turned to look. A young man in a theater usher’s uniform was standing not far to his right, bowing respectfully. Through Ed’s perspective, Dorothy recognized this usher as one of Adele’s subordinates.

“Please lead the way.”

Ed smiled at the usher, who nodded in response and turned to lead the way, with Dorothy making sure Ed kept up.

Following the usher, Ed rounded the side of the theater and entered through a concealed side door. Since there was no performance, many lights inside the theater remained off, resulting in a dimly lit interior. In this gloom, Ed followed the usher, weaving left and right through the vast theater, until they finally arrived at a room. The theater usher stood by the door, gesturing for Ed to enter, and Ed pushed the door open directly.

Upon entering the room, he was greeted by a faint scent of incense. He focused his gaze and found himself in a lavishly decorated parlor, complete with an expensive carpet, exquisite oil paintings, and a fireplace burning charcoal. On a soft sofa sat Adele, wearing a simple dark red dress, her golden hair flowing behind her. The makeup she usually wore on stage was absent, revealing a more natural beauty.

“Welcome, Detective Ed. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. Please, have a seat.”

Sitting on the sofa, Adele smiled at Ed as he walked in. Ed, seeing this, didn’t hold back; after closing the door behind him, he stepped forward and sat across from Adele. Once Ed was seated, Adele picked up a bottle of red wine from the coffee table, poured two glasses, handed one to Ed, and then took a sip from the other. Ed looked at the wine but did not immediately lift it to drink.

“Hmm? Not drinking? Detective Ed, are you afraid I’ve poisoned the wine? I just had some myself~”

With her usual teasing tone, Adele addressed Ed, who responded with a smile.

“No, Miss Adele, you misunderstand. As a detective, it’s important to maintain a clear mind at all times, so I wouldn’t want even a little alcohol to dull my senses.”

“Ha ha… I see. It seems Mr. Ed truly is quite disciplined. I admire that.” Adele replied with a simple laugh, setting her wine glass down after taking a sip.

“Miss Adele, I think we can get straight to the point. In your letter, you mentioned that you have clues concerning your mentor’s relic?”

Dorothy controlled Ed to directly ask, and after putting down her glass, Adele nodded in response.

“You’re rather impatient, Detective… Clearly, we have plenty of time and can take our time with any topic… But since you’re in a hurry, let’s get to the point.”

With that, Adele’s expression slightly shifted to seriousness, and she continued.

“I do have some leads regarding my mentor. In fact, it’s possible that you might already be somewhat aware of them, Detective.”

Adele stated directly. Hearing her words, Ed opened his mouth, somewhat puzzled.

“I already know some?”

“Yes, as a detective, I believe Mr. Ed you should be quite attentive to the news…” Adele said as she pulled a newspaper from beneath the coffee table and placed it on the table. Dorothy utilized Ed’s vision and quickly spotted the headline information on the newspaper.

It was the news she had seen at Beverly’s home earlier that afternoon—reports of a series of street murders occurring in West Tivyán! This caused her to pause momentarily, prompting Ed to frown after glancing at the newspaper.

“Murders in West Tivyán? I’ve seen this news… Four spur-of-the-moment murders in the Coal Ash District of West Tivyán within two weeks… I thought it was indeed quite strange when I read it; could it be related to the clues you mentioned?”

Ed inquired of Adele, who solemnly nodded in response.

“Unusual events often have hidden forces behind them; the unreasonable occurrences in our world are typically influenced by secret powers… This case is no different.” Adele said, her expression growing serious.

“Detective, to be honest, these four sudden murders have a profound sense of déjà vu for me. After examining the newspaper reports about the four victims, it seems as though their desires were enhanced or manipulated suddenly.”

Adele stated seriously, and upon hearing her words, Dorothy’s heart sank. She recalled the beastly Byron from more than half a month ago in this theater, who, under Adele’s manipulation, could not contain his desires and ended up killing his companions. As a Desire Dancer, Adele possessed the ability to suddenly amplify a person’s inner desires and guide their release.

Upon further reflection, the individuals in the news who were suddenly unable to control their emotions and committed m*rder indeed had striking similarities to that day’s beast!

“Desires manipulated? Are you suggesting that there’s another Desire Dancer like you using their abilities on them? Aside from you, are there any other associations or extraordinary beings on this path?”

Realizing the crux of the matter, Dorothy prompted Ed to continue questioning Adele, who quickly replied.

“Extraordinary beings that aid ‘Enlightenment’ are extremely rare in the Secret World. As far as I remember, the only association that belongs to this Path of Desire is the Joyful Dance Association, which I once belonged to. Within the Joyful Dance Association, there are only two Extraordinary Beings above the Black Tier—my mentor and me. I am the only true disciple of my mentor who has embarked on this path.”

Adele explained to Ed. Listening to her, Dorothy realized that the other party was indeed a rare profession.

“So, in this world, you and your mentor are the only two extraordinary beings on the Path of Desire?”

“It’s hard to say for the entire world; after all, the Secret World is too vast, with many associations. There might be other extraordinary beings on the same path as me in distant places I know nothing about. But within the entire Prit Kingdom, I can confirm that the only extraordinary beings on the Path of Desire are my mentor and me.”

Adele spoke with a serious expression, and upon hearing her words, Dorothy began to understand what Adele meant by clues. She urged Ed to speak steadily to Adele.

“You mentioned that there are only you and your mentor on the Path of Desire in the Prit Kingdom. You also said that the series of spur-of-the-moment murders in the West District is likely due to the interference of abilities from the Path of Desire. If the incidents in the West District are unrelated to you, then the one interfering in the West District is…”

“Highly likely to be my mentor,” Adele interjected, her eyes gleaming with a strange light. It was the first time Dorothy saw Adele’s expression this solemn. Even when she was previously accused, the faint frivolity on her face had not changed.

“Your mentor? Are you sure, Miss Adele? Didn’t you say that your mentor was killed by the Wolf bl**d Association?” Ed continued gravely.

“That was just my guess. In fact, I did not witness my mentor being killed by the Wolf bl**d Association. When the Wolf bl**d Association attacked the Joyful Dance Association, my mentor instructed me to leave with the other sisters first while she held them off. After I escaped, I was unable to see my mentor again. When I returned to the original base of the Joyful Dance Association after the Wolf bl**d Association retreated, I didn’t find her body, so I thought she must have been taken away by those guys to be devoured.”

Adele spoke with a sorrowful tone, while Ed glanced at the paper on the coffee table before continuing.

“So… after seeing these incidents in the West District, you believe your mentor might still be alive?”

“Yes! I now believe that she might still be alive, that she didn’t d*e at the time but was instead captured by the Wolf bl**d Association. Recently, she may have found a way to escape! Given that she might have been abused by those wolf pups from the Wolf bl**d Association, her current condition might not be good, leading to her extraordinary abilities spiraling out of control, affecting the ordinary people nearby.

“I specifically dispatched someone to investigate the Coal Ash District of the West District, where not only did the four spur-of-the-moment murders occur, but the security situation there is also deteriorating. The number of various crimes is on the rise, and the desires of the people there have been stimulated by extraordinary powers. This phenomenon is likely a manifestation of the Desire Dancer’s abilities spiraling out of control.

“If my speculation is correct, then I need to quickly go to the Coal Ash District in the West District to find my mentor because the Wolf bl**d Association will definitely look for her after seeing that situation, and I need to rescue her before they do.”

Adele’s expression shifted, brightening from her previous sadness. Her brows furrowed, visibly excited at the thought that her mentor might still be alive. Even she, who was adept at managing her emotions, momentarily could not contain her excitement, while Ed silently responded after hearing Adele’s words.

“There is such a possibility, but have you considered that the Wolf bl**d Association might be using some means to control your mentor, forcing her to use her abilities to create these events to lure you there so they can attack you?”

Hearing Ed’s words, Adele fell silent for a moment, then after taking a sip of her red wine, she spoke.

“You have a point… I have considered that this might be a trap, but no matter the situation…I cannot neglect my mentor. So… I have to go to the West District, at least to confirm whether the abnormal manifestations there are truly caused by my mentor.”

As she spoke, Adele turned her gaze toward Ed, speaking with a serious tone.

“The Coal Ash District in the West District is vast. Finding my mentor’s traces there won’t be easy, especially with the possibility of the Wolf bl**d Association or even other forces intervening. The situation there will be quite complicated, so… I need to hire an excellent detective to assist me in locating her.

“Mr. Ed, you are the most outstanding detective I have ever encountered. Are you willing to accept my employment? Of course, I believe you will certainly be interested in the secrets about ‘Enlightenment’ that my mentor knows.”

Adele stood up and extended her hand toward Ed. Ed sat for a moment before slowly rising, bending down to take her hand and perform a kiss hand gesture, then politely spoke.

“Happy to be of service, milady.”