Chapter 358: Penacony Arc 『 Part Fifty-three』, Masquerade Duet Part 4
「 "Her again? Sparkle really is obsessed with scripting her own death."
"Oh, by the Laughter(Aha), if you undermine me one more time, I swear I'll kick your sorry backside!" The Sheriff's desperation was so palpable that Sparkle's original voice began to bleed through the facade. 」
「 ..... 」
〜DC Extended Universe, Earth-1〜
"This Miss Sparkle's sense of humor… it reminds me of certain 'old friends' back in Arkham Asylum."
As Bruce Wayne watched Miss Sparkle's 'performance' projected across the sky, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over him. If she ever dared to set foot in Gotham, a 'talent' like her would undoubtedly be a prime candidate for permanent residency in Arkham.
As the grandfather clock chimed, Alfred appeared at the study door, carrying a silver tray. Under the cover of night, the shifting lights and shadows of Penacony filtered through the stained glass, casting eerie, distorted patterns across the oak floor.
"Master Bruce, I don't suppose you're thinking of a certain gentleman with green hair?"
The old butler placed the black tea gently on Bruce's desk.
"In terms of operational style, Miss Sparkle does share a striking resemblance to him."
"You mean the Joker?"
Bruce shook his head.
"That man at least knows when to take a final bow. But Sparkle seems to have no intention of leaving the stage. Once this homicide is 'solved,' she'll likely just keep clinging to Black Swan for the next round."
Alfred set the teapot down with practiced composure.
"At least she isn't quite as dangerous."
"True. The Joker seeks chaos and disorder for its own sake. Sparkle and her fellow Masked Fools just want to find a bit of fun for themselves. As long as she doesn't actually blow Penacony to smithereens, Sunday will likely remain quite tolerant of them."
—
「 The Sheriff explained that Sparkle had been strangled while shopping for ties. The three suspects at the scene remained the same familiar trio: Wright, Zhongshan, and Lefton.
"Finally, based on the surveillance footage, witness testimony, and all sorts of miscellaneous evidence, the killer must be among these three—and they are definitely not accomplices."
Sampo crossed his arms, sounding exasperated. "You've completely given up on making this plausible, haven't you?"
"Oh, for The Laughter, if I talk any more with you, it'll make my pure soul filthy!"
After relaying the information about the three usual suspects to Black Swan, the Deputy Sheriff urged her to investigate.
The two found one of Sparkle's signature ties by the roadside, but no other evidence was forthcoming. It seemed, much like last time, the truth was hidden within a game cabinet.
Sparkle's mask suddenly materialized, speaking in a wheedling, coquettish tone: "Sparkle-sama didn't want to interfere with the investigation, tee-hee~"
"'Didn't want to interfere'? Sparkle is such a law-abiding citizen—so why hasn't she turned herself in yet?"
The two transformed into the Hanu Brothers and entered the world of the game cabinet. Aside from a small stool, they found… a fish. Sampo waved a hand in front of his nose in disgust. "…What is that smell? Why is there a smoked fish on the floor?"
"Mr. Sampo, look closer… This is a prime specimen of a Smoked Red Herring."
Sampo shuddered, trembling visibly. "Somebody save me from this cringe joke...
Black Swan smiled playfully. "Even among the Fools I know, Miss Sparkle's sense of humor is truly one of a kind." 」
「 ..... 」
〜Genshin Impact World, Teyvat〜
"That rather unfunny joke reminds me of a… friend."
"Uh, me too…"
Kaveh started, then hesitated.
"You're both thinking of the same person. Let me guess… he's probably very fond of Genius Invokation TCG?"
Alhaitham didn't even look up from the book in his hands.
In the Akademiya's cafe, the moment Tighnari heard the word 'joke,' he felt the fur on his tail begin to stand on end. The surrounding temperature seemed to drop twenty degrees, leaving a bone-chilling sensation in the air.
"Do you know—"
A deep, youthful voice suddenly echoed from the doorway, sounding like waterlogged wood in the rainy season—dull and lacking any resonance. The voice carried a sharp chill that sent a shiver down everyone's spine.
"Why was Sparkle's red herring so unpopular with Sampo?"
A dark-skinned youth wearing a jackal-eared hood walked in slowly, the rhythm of his footsteps sounding like a countdown.
"—Because it made the scene smell 'fishy' (foolish)."
Cyno stood there with a deadpan expression, delivering his pun with absolute gravity.
"That's a new one I just came up with. What do you think?"
"Uh…"
Kaveh's face was a mask of pure stultification, battered by the sheer violence of the pun. He wanted to criticize it, but didn't even know where to begin.
"…Cyno, when did you get here?"
"Just now. As I was about to enter, I saw the clues Sparkle left behind, and inspiration struck."
Cyno's tone carried a hint of pride.
"So, what did you think of the joke? If it's good, I plan to tell it to the Traveler next time."
"It's a bit profound. I'm afraid only Lesser Lord Kusanali could truly grasp it."
Alhaitham took a sip of his coffee.
"Next time you see the Dendro Archon, why don't you try it out on her first?"
—
「 The final piece of evidence was a ring. Having gathered everything, Black Swan sensed that this puzzle was a bit strange and decided to report back to the Sheriff first.
"Oh, for The Laughter! I didn't expect Detective Black Swan to return so soon! Well? Have you found the killer?"
"In a manner of speaking," Black Swan replied calmly.
"Oh~ As expected of Detective Black Swan! You're as sharp as the nest of magpies on my Aunt Frank's garage roof!"
Sampo couldn't help but laugh. "Good grief, he just turned you into a completely different species of bird."
Black Swan handed the tie to the Sheriff, stating that there was no killer in this homicide at all. According to the Sheriff, Sparkle's cause of death was triggering a localized anti-theft device within the tie, which strangled her.
In her final moments, to keep her airway clear, she had swallowed the ring… In short, the death was nothing if not abstract.
Sampo frowned. "Uh… isn't something off? This is way too simple, isn't it? The first case wasn't hard, but this…"
Black Swan explained that this was merely one of Sparkle's pranks; no matter what evidence was submitted, it would be 'correct.'
"Why take it so seriously? Miss Sparkle is a Masked Fool, not a Masked Genius. If it's a challenging puzzle you want, please go out there and turn right until you get to the Intelligentsia Guild. We're only responsible for providing an entertaining detective experience!"
With that, he shared the next riddle with the two of them.
Along the way, Sampo couldn't help but mutter, "Just as you said, solving puzzles is all just a cover for something else. That girl is toying with us. What should we do now? Just keep getting led around by her?"
"Truly, Miss Sparkle is a fascinating person. She seems chaotic inside, but easy enough to understand — like a performer on the stage, or a child hungering for attention." 」
「 ..... 」