| Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Epilogue | |
| A Sudden Commission | Investigation Notes | ||||||
Mysterious Frequency[]
1-1 The Ransacked Vault[]
| Mr. Inference still hadn't wrapped up his case, so I was alone at the office when a new client showed up. Mr. Iridescence came to see me in person. He told me that about a week ago, the vault of Wightlow Bank was robbed. The thieves bypassed the main entrance, dug a tunnel straight into the vault, and made off with most of the valuables inside. One of the stolen items was a gemstone called "Aurora," a favorite of the Ulliel family. They'd already sent trackers to try to catch the culprits, but after coming up empty, they turned to a detective—me—for help. Mr. Iridescence wanted me to recover the gem as soon as possible, since it was supposed to be displayed at an upcoming exhibition. I didn't quite understand why they insisted on keeping things under wraps and handling the investigation themselves at first, but given how urgent the situation was, I decided to take the case. Mr. Iridescence and I set off for Wightlow Bank together. As soon as we entered the bank, I noticed a tall woman waiting at the front desk. She introduced herself as the Bank Manager. After greeting Mr. Iridescence, she didn't even bother to check my identification and led us through layers of security doors into the heart of the vault, where she started recounting what happened that day. Inside, rows of built-in safes lined the walls, their metallic surfaces gleaming coldly at every corner. Unfortunately, the gaping hole in the floor and the many pried-open safes made the place look like a disaster zone. | |
| (Even faced with such a huge loss, the Manager still appeared calm and professional...) | |
| Face Her makeup was flawless, and she wore a polite smile the whole time. Neck Her necklace and bracelet matched in style and looked expensive, the gems rich in color. Body Her business suit was perfectly tailored, not a wrinkle in sight. | |
| |
| This is the vault. Other than taking inventory, we haven't touched anything at the scene. On Monday morning, I opened the vault doors and saw this: a giant hole in the floor, leading straight underground. Dozens of safes had been pried open, papers were scattered everywhere, and broken bricks and dirt littered the ground. We were about to call the police, but the Ulliel family quickly sent this gentleman over to talk to us. | |
| I told them the Ulliel family wanted to keep this incident as quiet as possible—absolutely no leaks. | |
| Of course, that's not a problem at all. The bank is just as eager as Mr. Iridescence to recover what was stolen. We'll do everything we can to help your investigation. | |
| (So the Ulliel family found out about the robbery almost immediately...) | |
| It's just that our auditors from the headquarters are coming in five days, and now this happens.... | |
| The Ulliel family will handle the coordination. | |
| That's a relief! Lady Truth, this way please. | |
| Let's see... Have you figured out where the tunnel leads? | |
| File:SecretTunnelBreakInMap.png | |
| We've traced the tunnel's direction. If you go down the hole and walk about thirty meters, there's a fork. One branch leads to a storefront on the same block that was sold three months ago. The other connects to an abandoned train station. I've already reported the situation with the shop to you. We're still checking the owner's details. As for the station, from the blast marks and debris, it looks like thieves accidentally blew it open while tunneling. We've inspected it a few times—there's nothing useful down there, just an old, abandoned station. | |
| Can I go down and take a look myself? I want to see what it's like in person. | |
| After getting the Manager's permission, I carefully climbed down the edge of the tunnel, feeling the chill of the stone through my gloves. A breeze brushed past me, and to my surprise, Mr. Iridescence jumped down as well, landing gracefully. | |
| You're coming too, Mr. Iridescence? | |
| Of course. Let me help you out. Two heads are better than one, right? | |
| Mr. Iridescence's cat was meowing excitedly at his side. | |
| Uh... Is it okay for you to bring the cat along? | |
| Don't worry, Snowball is very well-behaved. If we left her behind, she'd just sneak out to find us anyway. | |
| I squeezed Snowball's paw, and she let out a soft meow without pulling away. | |
| Welcome to the team! That makes three of us on this case. Let's get started and investigate the scene. | |
1-2 Reunion with the Past[]
| With our flashlights cutting through the shadows, we followed the hand-chiseled path and stepped into a wide underground chamber. Rusty train tracks stretched ahead, and the whole area looked like it'd been abandoned for ages. | |
| I had no idea there were places like this beneath the city. | |
| Most people don't talk about it, but as the city grows, more and more underground spaced are being built—and abandoned. All it takes is a change in plans, or a station being relocated. There are a myriad of reasons for these places to get sealed off for good. | |
| (Was blowing open the abandoned station really just an accident? I'm not buying it.) (The thieves knew exactly what they were doing. We barely had to take any detours—they stopped right below the vault.) (But until I find more solid evidence, I'll have to check out the other directions.) How's the signal down here? That hobbyist overhead the thieves talking here, right? Let me think... According to what I read the other day, shortwave signals don't lose as much strength underground. If someone was talking down here, maybe they used a lower frequency? Let me try—press the button and lower the frequency... | |
| File:SecretTunnelTuneFrequency1.png Change the frequency to 5.0 MHz | |
| "...bzzz... lots of outsiders... lately..." | |
| I'm picking something up—what frequency is this? And is that a voice transmission? | |
| "...Didn't get much today, even the regulars are gone. Anyone know what's up?" "Blame those spelunkers. Didn't some new faces come poking around a few days back? Better keep a low profile for now." "I'm planning to check out their 'survey area'—bet they left something behind when they ran off Even if it's just a few spare parts, it's payback for them messing with us." "I'm near the station. They were prepared—no obvious traces, and anything valuable's already been moved." | |
| (People were chatting away on this channel, and suddenly one voice sounded really familiar.) (Plus, they mentioned the station, which matches exactly where we are right now.) (Holding my breath, I listened closely for clues in their conversation, following any detail I could catch.) (Underground, there aren't many obstacles as above, so the open space made it easy to zero in on my target.) (When I finally saw a familiar-yet-unexpected face, I realized where I'd heard that voice before—) Mr. Pastor?! What are you doing here, and dressed like that? | |
| Head Wearing headphones for picking up signals. Upper Body Simple clothes with a bit of dust still clinging to them. Lower Body Worn-out pants that had clearly seen better days. | |
|
| |
| (Mr. Pastor was someone I met at Castle Zinaida, when Mr. Inference and I went to pay our respects. Back then, he was still a clergyman.) (Our investigation eventually revealed he was responsible for Zinaida's death. When the truth came out, the trembling man forgiveness in Zinaida's last words.) (But the forgiveness from the dead can't erase the living's guilt. Miss Sway took Mr. Pastor away, lost in his regret.) Mr. Pastor also saw me, just as surprised as I was. | |
| Lady Truth? What are you doing here—and with... this gentleman? | |
| After we got over our initial shock, we caught each other up on what we'd been doing. I explained to Mr. Pastor why Mr. Iridescence and I were down in these tunnels. He told me he was here as part of his "atonement" after being released on bail. | |
| This place is on the edge of society. Outcasts, opportunists, people running from something— Anyone can find a spot down here. It's a place that takes everyone in. There are even gathering spots underground now, but there's one big difference from the city above. Most people don't want anyone knowing about their pasts, so everyone goes by code names. It's kind of an unspoken rule... Please call me "Nether Pact" down here, just like you call this gentleman Iridescence. | |
| ...... | |
| I think I know what case you're talking about... Lately, it's been a hot topic in the underground world. | |
| Mr. Nether Pact, do you have any leads on this? | |
| From what I've heard, the robbers were originally underground dwellers. They came back here hoping to shake off anyone chasing them. Some folks really admire the way they pulled it off are happy to play dumb if outsiders ask. Others just want to stay out of trouble and don't bother asking questions. Down here, curiosity is sometimes more dangerous than the danger itself. | |
| Even if they're carrying loot worth enough to buy half the city. | |
| Sure, there might be people looking to double-cross them. But if you want to stop them, you'll have to act before they sell off the goods at the Black Market. | |
| The black market? | |
| Yeah, the black market... though most people here just call it "the Market." It's a huge underground trading hub, and there's also a pretty big 'regulatory group running things here. The leader of the group is big on order. Under his watch, violence is strictly forbidden in the market and the surrounding areas. If the robbers made it underground and plan to fence their loot, the Market is definitely where they'll go. | |
| Maybe that's part of their plan. Mr. Nether Pact, would you mind sharing where the Market is? I'd like to check it out for myself. | |
| It's deep underground, far from any exits to the surface. It's not exactly safe... Don't give me that look, Lady Truth. I really can't... Oh, fine, I'll go with you guys. Most of the routes down here follow old, abandoned train tunnels, and there are a bunch of little paths people dug themselves. It's easy to get lost if you don't know your way around. Plus, people here are really territorial. Outside of the so-called "safe zones," going into the wrong area can get you attacked. | |
| If it's not too much trouble, we'd really appreciate your help, Mr. Nether Pact! | |
| Thank you, sir. | |
| Mr. Iridescence nodded, and behind his glasses, he gave Mr. Nether Pact a careful look. | |
| (Feels like Mr. Iridescence is a pretty cautious guy...) | |
| The Market isn't just for trading goods—you can buy and sell information too. If you're looking for someone, you'll probably find something useful. Also, if you plan to stay underground for a while, you should remember this radio channel. It's the public channel everyone uses—lots of info gets shared there. | |
| Is it channel 5.0? I just heard a bunch of people talking on it. | |
| That's the one. People share info there for free, and you can ask whatever you want to know. But there's an unspoken rule—don't ask about anyone's identity. And keep in mind, not everything you hear is reliable. Nobody's responsible for what gets said on the channel. | |
| Got it. So basically, no one will ever admit to anything, and you're on your own to judge what's true? | |
| Exactly. Even if you figure out who someone is, they'll never admit it. But if want solid intel, it's faster and easier to just go to the Market in person. The Market only opens once a week, and that's tomorrow. I can take you guys there. | |
| Thanks, Mr. Nether Pact! Mr. Iridescence and I will go get supplies for tomorrow. | |
| If you're planning to stay until you catch the robbers, you'd better bring plenty of food and water. Resources are pretty scarce down here, and what's available... doesn't taste great. | |
| (After setting a time and place to meet Mr. Nether Pact tomorrow, we're heading back to the surface.) (Come to think of it... I should probably listen in on what people are chatting about down here. If I know the topics, I'll blend in better tomorrow!) (Looks like I can tune into the channel as is—no extra setup needed!) | |
| "...Hey, did anyone see the food I left yesterday? I hid it really well, and someone just took it!" Haha, if you didn't hide it well enough, that's on you! You didn't put your name on it, so how would anyone know? Nope, haven't seen it..." ...... "...Beep, beep beep..." | |
| (Huh, there's a faint, rhythmic static mixed in with the voices. That clicking—it almost sounds like Morse code!) | |
| "...Beep beep, boop, beeeep—" | |
| The channel didn't change, but I'm picking up something different... Is this crosstalk? | |
| The signal keeps repeating in a pattern, like some kind of secret radio station with a special purpose. | |
| A hidden station constantly sending out coded messages—how exciting! Feels like something straight out of a spy novel. | |
| Or maybe it's just an old, abandoned station. If the circuitry's still working, it'll just keep playing whatever was set up before. But no one's really listening anymore. | |
| That's possible too! After listening for a while, it's just the same nonsense code looping over and over. I guess Mr. Iridescence was right. Even if there is a secret message, without the key, there's no way to crack it... | |
| But isn't that why we're here? To find clues, recover what was stolen, and get to the truth—I believe in you, Lady Truth. | |
| I'll do my best! For the rest of today, I'm going to check the scene again and see if I missed anything. | |
| The Manager said the list of stolen items is finally ready. | |
| (Took them long enough to make the list.) (For a bank, that seems a bit slow—shouldn't they want to reassure clients and recover losses as soon as possible?) | |
1-3 Enigmatic Frequencies[]
| I put my doubts aside and chatted idly with Mr. Iridescence as we headed from the tunnel back to the bank vault. The Manager was already waiting for us, and as soon as she saw us, she hurried over. | |
| Where did you two go? And look at all the dust! I'll have someone bring you clean clothes. | |
| We got like while investigating, but no need to trouble yourself. We'll probably get dirty again anyway. Still, for a crime scene, this vault is spotless... | |
| Wall The floor and walls are reinforced; only heavy tools or explosives could break into the built-in safes. Safe Most safes are pried open, some lockboxes are missing, and a few were carried off entirely. Hole in the Ground There's a large, perfectly placed hole in the center of the vault door. Bloodstain in the Corner The floor is clean except for the big hole; only dried blood spatters lead down into the tunnel. | |
| |
| Did someone clean up in here? | |
| No, we left everything untouched, just like Mr. Iridescence asked. This is exactly how I found it on Monday morning. | |
| You were the first person to open the vault, correct? | |
| Yes, I'm the only one who holds the vault key. Every morning before we open, I unlock the vault in front of security and check the cash and valuables. That day, I was the first one at the bank... | |
| The robbers definitely planned this. Manager, does anyone outside the staff ever get access to the vault? | |
| According to the rules, only staff can enter, and always in pairs. Clients can only use the designated buffer area—they're never allowed inside the main vault. | |
| Sounds like you've got the security. Wightlow Bank's vault uses top-of-the-line locks—I even read about it in the papers. (Didn't expect it to be bypassed like this, and in such an old-school fashion.) | |
| I have no idea how the robbers managed to dig their way in... | |
| The Manager kept cursing the robbers while carefully watching Mr. Iridescence's reaction. | |
| We're truly sorry about what happened! We really appreciate the Ulliel family's willingness to help explain things to our other clients and to ask them for a little more time. | |
| Of course. We'd also prefer to keep things low-key for now. Since you're willing to hold off on calling the police, the Ulliel family is happy to help negotiate with the other clients about extending the compensation deadline. | |
| You flatter me—serving VIPs like you is an honor. The Ulliel family has always been one of our most valued clients. Besides, the extra time you're asking for is to help catch the robbers. If we succeed, it's a win for everyone, so of course we'll do our best to cooperate. Speaking of the missing items, we've gone through our inventory again and put together this list of all the lost precious metals, cash, jewelry, and other valuables. Mr. Iridescence, could you also double-check the Ulliel family's asset records? Especially since your family's safe contains... If we can't recover the items within thirty days, this list will be sent to the insurance company for claims processing. | |
| You don't need to include what's in that safe. Even if it's never found, the Ulliel family can handle the loss. | |
| Excuse me—could I take a look at this list too? | |
| The Manager glanced at Mr. Iridescence, and seeing he had no objections, handed the list over to me. List of Stolen Items A detailed table lists the missing items: cash, gold bars, jewelry, gemstones, and a few paper contracts. | |
| It looks like even more when you see it all written out... (I did a quick mental calculation of the value of those antiques and collections. Yikes, that's a fortune!) (With all that cash and gold, you could easily buy and rebuild a dozen detective agencies.) | |
| Someone just delivered a letter for Mr. Iridescence. Also, we've tracked down the person who called the police during the incident—they're on their way. | |
| Coming! Here I am, no need to rush. You looking for me? | |
| The young man brought in by the Manager had a beard, but it didn't hide his youthful energy. | |
| Head He was wearing headphones—probably for picking up and amplifying radio signals. Body His suit was well-made and loose-fitting—definitely from a well-off family. Pet A boat followed at his side, surprisingly well-behaved and unafraid of people—it seemed to be his pet. | |
| |
| About that night, the Ulliel family has already asked me about it a bunch of times. Are you a detective hired by the bank? Or did Ulliel bring in some new people to investigate? | |
| Don't worry about that! Just tell these wo everything you know, from start to finish. | |
| Alright, alright, no need to get worked up, miss. I'll talk... Honestly, it's nothing too strange. I'm a story buff—I love listening to stories on the radio with friends. Last Friday night, I turned on the radio like usual, but heard someone whispering about almost digging something up, and the sound of a shovel scraping. At first, I thought it was a new radio drama, but after a while, they still weren't getting to the point—it was just digging noises. Then someone shouted, "According to the floor plan, we're only two meters from the vault!" It sounded like a real robbery in progress! I started wondering if someone was playing a prank. There are always a few jokers who like to broadcast weird stuff on public channels. But these people were talking about explosives, how to split the loot, and even where to sell the goods—everything sounded way too real... I got worried, you know? What if it was all true? So, in the end, I called the police. But the cops didn't buy it all! They just circled the bank a couple of time, then scolded me for wasting their time. | |
| Were there multiple robbers? Can you be sure it was more than one person? | |
| I'm not totally sure, but on the radio, I definitely heard at least three distinct voices—I listen to this stuff all the time, I wouldn't mix them up. If I'm right, it was two men and one woman! | |
| That's a really helpful clue, thank you! Also, do you remember what frequency you were listening to at the time? | |
| Frequency overlap doesn't have much to do with the original channel... But I was turned to 7.4 MHz. People on that channel tell some great stories. You should tune in if you get the chance! | |
| Thanks, I'll give it a listen sometime! But right now, solving the case is the priority. Mr. Iridescence, have you finished reading the letter? | |
| It's an update from the Ulliel family's investigators. Lady Truth, you should take a look, too. Seems like we've got some new leads. | |
| "...Investigation shows the tunnel ends at a private shop on the same street. The previous owner transferred it three months ago due to poor business. Frank Dawson purchased it and is the current owner..." | |
| Do we have any more info on this Frank Dawson? Digging a tunnel like that is a huge project—there's no way the owner didn't know what was going on. But given how careful the robbers were, maybe Frank Dawson is just a fake identity... | |
| It doesn't seem like a made-up name just for buying property. Frank Dawson is a real person. He's an athlete—won several big track and field competitions two years ago and was considered very promising. Unfortunately, his performance dropped off a cliff last year, and he quickly faded from the spotlight. And then... | |
| And then...? | |
| That's all I've got. We could find this much so quickly because he used to be something of a rising star. After his results tanked, he was also reported to have had multiple conflicts with his club and teammates. He officially left the team at the start of this year. Since then, Frank Dawson hasn't competed in any public events. He's been out of the public eye for a while now—no reporters are following him, so it's hard to track his recent activities. | |
| With so many real-world connections, it really doesn't seem like a fake identity. If the robbers used his name to buy the shop, there must be some link between them. Even if he's not directly involved, he probably knows something... | |
| We're trying to get in touch with Frank Dawson, but as I mentioned, it might take a while to get any results. | |
| That's a shame... But as least we have other leads to follow! | |
| You mean the Black Market? | |
| Yeah, I've been to a lot of markets, but this one's something else. Maybe someone there knows about Mr. Dawson. | |
| Maybe I'm being nosy, but Lady Truth, your positive attitude toward others is honestly a good thing. | |
| Are you about to say "but," Mr. Iridescence? | |
| Amused by my question, Mr. Iridescence chuckled softly, and Snowball peeks over at us curiously. | |
| Yes, but the underground world is full of criminals. I just hope you'll be cautious around strangers. | |
| (Mr. Iridescence spoke slowly, choosing his words with care.) (I could sense his genuine concern and kindness between those carefully chosen words.) | |
| Especially the group controlling information trades at the market, "Hermes." They're very hostile toward outsiders. Ulliel family investigators have been kicked out and sent back to the surface more than once. | |
| Whoa, that sounds intense! Let's hope we don't get thrown out tomorrow... But the fact that you're warning me about this, Mr. Iridescence, just proves you're a really kind person! (For some reason, after I said that, Mr. Iridescence looked even more troubled.) | |
