Chapter 277 - 272: Layman?

Chapter 277: Chapter 272: Layman?

But as it turned out, the situation had changed. The case was quite complicated, the suspect very cunning.

And so, both sides quickly reached an agreement on the fee, settling on the sum of 150,000.

That was a pretty hefty fee...

But considering how remote the place was, how complex the situation was, and the possibility of encountering unknown risks, the price was actually quite reasonable.

Now that he had agreed to temporarily join them, the two parties went through formal introductions, sharing their names, systems, and Tiers.

All three were Tier Three Explorers, each with over twenty years of experience in the field. They were, one might say, highly experienced veteran investigators.

Lloyd also introduced himself, giving his name and origins, and humbly stated that he had some minor skill in executions and dissections.

"Then why did you come to investigate this matter?"

The scholar named Kading asked, his face filled with confusion.

"Because I happened to learn of this case, and I happen to have the ability to handle it."

Lloyd answered truthfully.

"Uh... But aren’t you an Executioner? The kind that deals with Demons?"

The scholar pressed.

Lloyd shrugged and asked in return, a little baffled:

"That’s right. But isn’t this a case of a Demon causing trouble?"

The three of them glanced at each other, and they could all see the awkwardness and exasperation in one another’s expressions.

’It was the kind of awkwardness that comes from having no other choice but to ask an amateur for help...’

Generally speaking, many anomalous incidents have nothing to do with Demons. They’re more often abnormal natural phenomena, typically caused by a variety of factors: environmental evolution, special Extraordinary Materials, lost Sealed Objects or Ancient Relics, or even Forbidden Knowledge.

Only a few cases are actually caused by Demons. But if that were true, the situation would actually be much simpler and easier.

The most troublesome and dangerous situations weren’t even those involving Forbidden Knowledge. They were the ones involving human factors—or rather, the handiwork and machinations left behind by certain mysterious entities...

In those cases, what appears to be a minor, ordinary incident can easily escalate into a full-blown crisis involving hundreds, or even thousands, of lives.

So when handling such matters, one must exercise the utmost caution.

Especially in cases connected to the past Era of Brilliance. The slightest misstep could lead to widespread devastation...

Fortunately, however, the three-person investigation team had already ruled out the worst and most dangerous possibilities through their preliminary investigation. Otherwise, they never would have invited an amateur like Lloyd to join them.

’But right now, time was tight and they were short-staffed...’

In the end, the scholar Kading simply shook his head slightly and said:

"It shouldn’t be a big deal. You’re Tier Three, after all. As long as you don’t act rashly and are a little careful, you’ll be fine."

His words seemed to be for Lloyd’s benefit, but they were really more of an explanation for his two companions.

Lloyd, on the other hand, answered humbly:

"Don’t worry. My greatest strengths are my humility, modesty, and my mature, steady nature."

The three of them were momentarily speechless, the looks on their faces growing even more awkward.

Lloyd pretended not to notice and took the initiative to ask:

"By the way, have you tried using Divination to find the suspect?"

"We have, but the results were too vague. The pointers were very unclear..."

The scholar was still speaking when he saw Lloyd take out a box of matches, casually pull out a few sticks, and toss them onto the table. Then, right in front of the three of them, he began to ask:

"Where is the father who grieves so deeply for his daughter? Where is the father who grieves so deeply for his daughter?"

This maneuver left the three members of the investigation team completely dumbfounded.

As a scholar and veteran investigator, Kading had not only used Divination to resolve numerous cases, but he had also resolved numerous cases *caused* by Divination. He considered himself quite knowledgeable and skilled in the field.

But he had never imagined that someone could perform Divination right in front of other people.

’Isn’t Divination supposed to be done while avoiding interference as much as possible? Shouldn’t one choose a time and place that’s absolutely quiet?’

’And why ask the core question so directly? Isn’t that too blunt and reckless? Isn’t he afraid of touching upon something dangerous?’

’And besides, could you at least pick a more reliable divination tool? What the hell are matchsticks? What kind of result could they possibly produce?’

Just as Kading was frantically ranting in his head, his eyes shot wide open the next second.

He saw the matchsticks on the table actually stand up on their own. Then they began to hop and jump, as if they were dancing.

Next, they ignited on their own, flaring up with several orange-red flames. Then, despite the lack of any airflow, they began to sway back and forth. It looked a bit like a person shaking their head, which was exceptionally bizarre.

"What in the..."

The scholar Kading was suddenly at a loss for words.

He would probably have found it hard to understand that Lloyd had once performed Divination on a bustling street, also with matchsticks, and had obtained an optimistic and effective result.

Lloyd even found matchsticks quite handy—better, in fact, than the pocket watch he’d been issued before.

The results divined with that pocket watch always felt off; even Lloyd himself suspected they were just old-fashioned superstitions.

After about two or three seconds, the matches burned out with unnatural speed, leaving behind several scorch marks on the table. Together, they formed a pattern devoid of any direction or clear meaning.

The scholar Kading forgot all about his internal complaints. He quickly stared at the pattern for a few moments, then frowned in disappointment.

With his level of skill in Divination, he couldn’t discern any conclusion.

The matches moving on their own was certainly unusual, but that was likely just the preceding [Omen]. The true conclusion should be in the scorch marks left after they burned out.

Unfortunately, just like the results from his own earlier Divination, it lacked any clear direction.

It was the [Omen] of the spontaneously combusting matches that concerned the scholar Kading more.

’This probably represents ’burning,’ ’incineration,’ ’Destruction,’ or even idioms like ’a moth to a flame’ or ’courting one’s own death’—all very pessimistic conclusions...’

’And the speed of the burning was abnormal, faster than a firework. It could be pointing to an even worse outcome, like ’a life rapidly fading’ or ’everything turning to ash’...’

’But then again,’ the scholar Kading thought, ’this was just a blunt Divination by an amateur, with so many people watching. The results must have been so distorted by interference that they’re completely off. So these [Omens] don’t have much reference value.’

’He was also well aware that this line of thought was, to some extent, just a way of consoling himself...’

But who would have thought that this amateur named Lloyd was even better at ’self-consolation’ than he was?

"You see, the result is optimistic. Fire represents liveliness and passion. It brings warmth, which means our search for the suspect will be very safe;

Furthermore, the matches burned out so quickly, which means this case will be resolved very quickly;

And finally, they didn’t set the table on fire, which means no one else will be implicated;

Mhm, this is a very good [Omen]. So you all shouldn’t keep frowning."

Thus, Lloyd explained his interpretation of the [Omen].

"Huh???"

Kading was left dumbfounded.

Admittedly, interpreting an [Omen] is a very subjective matter. Everyone can come to a different conclusion, and there’s no absolute right or wrong, better or worse.

’But how could anyone be *this* optimistic?’

’If you saw a sea of blood filled with all sorts of bizarre tentacles, would you still be able to draw an optimistic conclusion?’

Kading desperately wanted to ask Lloyd this.

But then he heard the other man continue:

"As for the final result... look. These scorch marks seem to have no clear direction, but there happens to be an empty space pointing in one direction. So, the person we’re looking for should be over there. We just need to search that way."

"Huh???"

Kading was once again left dumbfounded.