The ship groaned against the dock as it reached Campoff. The door slammed shut behind them. Solved dragged Rulf down the planks of the harbor, the man stumbling, muttering pleas.
"Please… I swear…!" he mumbled.
Solved didn't answer. Andrew followed silently, eyes scanning. Can't believe I went from a normal detective to James Bond, he thought, half-amused.
"Really?" Solved muttered under his breath, dragging the man.
The system chimed in his mind.
[Elara case file… Still incomplete]
"Shut up!" Solved barked. Andrew paused mid-step, staring at him like he'd seen a madman.
As they walked through Campoff, Solved Noticed the air was not the same, to still.
Someone's here. He whispered
Ahead, they froze. A figure stood tall and unyielding: silver-white armor gleaming with gold inlays marking his oath to the crown.
A deep-blue cloak flowed from his shoulders. One longsword rested at his hip; the other slung across his back.
His calm, unwavering gaze spoke of absolute loyalty—and absolute authority.
Solved exhaled sharply. Here we go again… he thought. Cursed.
"Royal guards," Andrew murmured, glancing at Solved.
All around, every illegal miscreant at the port had already been restrained, flanked by more guards, weapons leveled. The law had already claimed this battlefield.
Solved studied the guard, letting a subtle confidence drip from his posture. His eyes met the soldier's, calm but piercing, measuring.
"Identify yourself," the guard demanded, his voice sharp and commanding.
Solved didn't flinch. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, letting the question bounce back with precision. "That depends," he said smoothly, voice steady. "Who is asking? I don't give my name lightly—only to those who deserve it."
The guard's lips twitched, a faint smile breaking his rigid demeanor.
He straightened, impressed despite himself, and nodded slightly, eyes still wary but now tinged with respect.
"I am Captain Roderick Val, sworn to the Crown. You…"
He gestured slightly toward Solved, his gaze steady.
"Detective Solved. The greatest detective from Tokyo," Solved said, pride threading his words.
"Tokyo?" Andrew echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"So do you," Roderick repeated, voice flat but curious.
"Yes… ever heard of it?" Solved pressed, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
Roderick shook his head, smiling faintly.
Solved's vision shimmered as the arcane overlay ignited in his mind.
Sigils traced intricate patterns over Roderick's silhouette, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat.
[Truth Sight ]
Target: Captain Roderick Val
Status: Active
Reading: Cunning. Lying.
Solved's eyes widened. He had dropped "Tokyo" just to confuse him—never expecting the man to actually know it.
"Lies. You're lying," Solved's eyes narrowed.
"And how do you know?" Roderick replied confidently.
Solved paused. "Just… instincts."
Hmph. Roderick let out a short sigh. Another royal approached him, her eyes sharp, movements deliberate.
"We're done here with the arrests," she said, voice cold. Solved noticed her fingers twitch near the hilt of her sword.
She wants me out of the way, his mind assessed, every microexpression screaming her intent.
"Understood," Roderick replied, turning back to Solved. He gestured to Rulf in Solved's grasp. "Hand him over, and I'll let you go free."
Andrew hissed under his breath.
Solved looked at Rulf, then back at Roderick. "No. I need him—to help find someone."
"And who do search for if I may ask?"
Roderick gazed tighten at Solved,
"None of your business" Annoyed by Roderick's questioning.
"There must be others after her," the female guard whispered to Roderick.
"The plasma vessel… belongs to the Crown. Mr. Solved, I'm sure you know about it," Roderick added.
Solved repeated it quietly: "Plasma vessel…" Another layer of mystery—but that could wait.
"I don't know anything about it, and I don't care about the Crown," he said, eyes hard. "I have my motive… just as you have yours."
The female guard hand twitched again, sword rising, intent clear to anyone reading the room. Solved's mind raced. She wants to strike—now—but she'll hesitate if she thinks I see it coming.
"How dare you speak of the Crown like that!" She shouted, lunging.
Andrew moved instantly, blade ready.
"Nika!" Roderick barked, flinging his cloak back as he stepped between Solved and her. "We're leaving!"
Solved's gaze never left her. She'll follow if unchecked… but not today. Nika froze, her decision hanging in the air.
Roderick glanced back at Solved. "Hope to see you later, Mr. Solved."
With that, they mounted their horses and cart, leaving the dock in motion. Solved stood rooted, reading every shadow, every hesitation, every flicker of fear in her eyes. The game had just grown far more complicated.
Solved lifted the fat man until their eyes were level, the man trembling beneath his grip.
"Calling her a plasma vessel… must be new to you, right?" Solved's voice was calm, cold—cutting through the man's bravado like a scalpel.
The fat man swallowed hard, sweat glistening on his forehead. His eyes darted nervously, searching for an escape that didn't exist.
[Truth Sight: Fear. Hesitation. Truth.]
Solved's gaze sharpened as the subtle tremor in the man's hands betrayed him.
He knew something about the vessel, but terror kept the words locked inside.
"Let's go," Solved said as they continued out of Campoff.
His breathing came in shallow bursts, each step heavier than the last. The ribs still ached from the canyon ambush, every movement dragging him closer to collapse.
"We should camp," Andrew said, noticing his exhaustion as the first hint of dawn crept across the horizon.
Solved stopped, lifting his gaze to the dimming sky. Andrew was right—it was already too late to push on, and without horses they wouldn't make much progress.
"You're right. Thanks," Solved admitted, giving Andrew a small nod.
Solved said nothing more, just let the fat man slump against a tree. His own chest burned with every breath. He pressed a hand against his ribs, hiding the pain.
Andrew lowered his sword and dropped beside the dirt. "You don't have to pretend, you know. You're not made of iron."
Solved smirked faintly, though his lips barely held it. "Detectives don't break. We… crack, maybe."
"That's the same thing." Andrew tossed a stick into the fire pit he was making. "You're bleeding under there, aren't you?"
Solved leaned back against a rock, eyes half-closing. "Observation. You're learning."
Andrew chuckled quietly. "Or maybe you're just bad at hiding it."
For a while, only the sound of Andrew fumbling to light a fire filled the silence. The fat man whimpered now and then, but Solved ignored him.
Finally, Andrew sat, rubbing his hands before the faint glow of flame. His face softened, shadows dancing across it. "Why are you even doing this? You don't know her. You could've walked away."
Solved opened one eye. He studied Andrew the way he studied suspects—slow, deliberate. Then he sighed. "Because truth isn't just about answers. It's about who suffers when lies stay buried."
Andrew blinked at him, caught off guard. He looked down at the fire. "You sound like a priest when you talk like that."
"Don't ever call me that again," Solved muttered, but the corner of his mouth tugged upward for the briefest moment.
"What about you?" Solved asked, eyes still closed as he leaned back against the tree. "Why did you choose to help Henrik?"
Andrew's voice came after a pause, low and steady. "It's not kindness, if that's what you're thinking. I'm not doing this for him."
His gaze hardened, fixed on the distant treeline. "I'm doing it for revenge."
"To destroy everything belonging to Blackwood—or anything he's got his hands in. Bring him to justice."
Andrew's voice was flat, the kind of cold promise that didn't need flourish.
Solved didn't smile. He didn't react outwardly; the system had already shown him Andrew's agenda long before. He let the silence sit between them like a verdict.
"Wish you luck," Solved whispered, turning onto his side as he settled into the dirt, finally letting his body surrender to rest.