| Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Epilogue | |
| A Sudden Commission | Investigation Notes | ||||||
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Veil of Deceit[]
5-1 Masks of Humanity[]
| In the end, we set off to look for Miss Antimony, dragging a very reluctant Mr. Flint along with us. But, except for Mr. Flint, none of us really knew where she usually hung out. We retracted our steps back to the Market, planning to ask someone for directions. Just as I was looking around, I spotted the one person who'd probably know where she was. | |
| You're still here!? I thought you rarely showed up in the Market. | |
| With all the attention on the underground after the recent bank heist, I figured it's best if I personally greet the newcomers—less chance for mistakes. So, maybe I can help you out? | |
| We're actually hoping to find Miss Antimony. Do you know where she went? She mentioned she was done for the day. | |
| She's probably back at her clinic. Unless she has some special patients waiting, she usually heads there after finishing up here. As she always says, "You can't put off sterilizing." | |
| Is that because she's a doctor? Miss Antimony seems really serious about hygiene. (But honestly, if it's about dust... I think, as long as we're underground, there's no way to avoid it.) It's just part of being down here. Mr. Gold Foil keeps the Market pretty spotless as it is.) | |
| That's just her personal quirk. I don't pry. If you're curious, you can ask her yourself. | |
| Mr. Gold Foil pointed us to Miss Antimony's clinic. After saying goodbye, we headed into a maze of tunnels, passing a few familiar-looking junctions, and finally found Miss Antimony. | |
| So, this is why you and Nether Pact came looking for me? Where's that Mr. Flint and the other guy who was with you? | |
| Yes, we found Mr. Flint, who's a suspect, but he didn't have the missing gem on him. So, we're following up on his leads to find his accomplice. As for Mr. Iridescence and Mr. Flint, uh, they said they needed to talk privately for a bit, but they'll be here soon! (I just told a little lie.) (Mr. Iridescence was worried Flint might shout a warning if Miss Antimony turned out to be his accomplice.) (Just to be safe, Mr. Iridescence has Mr. Nether Pact and me go in first to check things out, while he and Mr. Flint stay back and join us later.) (Speaking of which... Mr. Iridescence and Mr. Flint will be alone together. I hope they don't end up arguing.) We've already told you how we met Mr. Flint. Do you know him, Miss Antimony? Or perhaps remember anyone who bought this medicine from you recently? | |
| Sorry, I don't recall. | |
| Antimony kept working as she spoke: gloved hands calmly sorting files with her left, putting medicine bottles away with her right. She expertly tossed a blood-stained gauze into the trash and, unfazed, picked up the next file. | |
| There sure are a lot of files here. (I'm not sure if she meant to, but I could see the whole file without any trouble.) (The notes were so detailed—almost too much for a patient's record. It felt more like an investigation report than a medical file.) | |
| Oh, that's not my doing. Thank Mr. Gold Foil for these. He provided the info. | |
| (The guard at the Market recommended Miss Antimony without hesitation. Maybe that's because she works with Mr. Gold Foil?) (I was about to ask more, but suddenly realized what felt off about Miss Antimony's actions.) (In the Market, she was careful—almost obsessive—about cleanliness, never touching anything dirty.) (But now, she's handling files with bloody gloves. Even the folders are getting grimy.) Miss Antimony, your gloves are a bit dirty. Don't you want to change them? | |
| No, it's fine. I'll change them in a bit. | |
| But your face says otherwise. When I pointed it out, she instinctively tugged at her gloves. You noticed the stains, right? Why not just change them? Are you out of spares, or is it awkward to take them off in front of us? (I glanced around. It didn't look like she was short on supplies.) | |
| File:SecretTunnelInvestigateAntimonysClinic.png | |
| Pipes (Big machines connected to all sorts of pipes, very intricate.) Room (The clinic, converted from a storage room, was packed with medical equipment and supplies, all neatly organized and well-stocked.) Strange Metal Object Lots of smooth metal cylinders—I had no clue what they were for. | |
| ...... Simply slipped my mind. Thanks for the reminder. | |
| She changed her gloves, moving quickly and using the equipment nearby to hide her hands as much as she could. | |
| (But I saw it—she couldn't completely hide her hands for a second.) (Miss Antimony had a fresh, slanted cut across the back of her right hand—it hadn't even scabbed over yet.) Miss Antimony, you're still working and treating patients with your hand hurt. | |
| It's nothing, just a scrape from falling and hitting some rocks. | |
| Really? That's odd. Most people instinctively catch themselves with their palms when they fall. Why is your cut on the back of your hand? | |
| Why are you so hung up on a little cut? It's almost healed. | |
| Because it looks more like a scratch from something sharp. I'm just curious—did you get it in the bank vault? (Before I could finish, Mr. Iridescence entered, supporting a limping Mr. Flint, breaking the tension.) | |
| He just passed out. | |
| Mr. Flint's eyes were shut tight, his brow furrowed. Even unconscious, he looked like he was in pain. Mr. Iridescence shot a questioning look at Miss Antimony. | |
| (For a split second, I wondered—did Mr. Iridescence do something to him?) | |
| These symptoms... it looks like poisoning. Did he eat anything before he passed out? | |
| Uh, I think only... | |
| (Mr. Nether Pact glanced at Mr. Iridescence, hesitant to say more. But I understand what he's hinting.) (The last thing Flint drank was the nutrient drink Mr. Iridescence gave him.) | |
| After we met him, he only had a sip of the nutrient drink. I can guarantee it wasn't poisoned. Maybe he ate something bad before that. | |
| (As expected, Mr. Iridescence just said it outright!) (I'm more familiar with him now, but he still seems to be holding something back, even if he's keeping a straight face.) | |
| There's more than one way to get poisoned. If there's a fresh wound, toxins can enter that way too. I found a newly bandaged cut on his arm—it's pretty swollen. | |
| You think he used the wrong medicine? It happens, people can make careless mistakes. But I don't have the right equipment here to run tests. I can only do basic first aid. Are you friends with him? If you can, get him to a doctor on the surface. Or maybe a priest. | |
| Miss Antimony, you really don't know this man? | |
| She didn't even pause in her work when I asked. | |
| (She smiled, but I could tell she felt nothing inside.) | |
| Nope. Do you really thing a big guy like him would have anything to do with me? | |
| I just contacted the Bank Manager. The Ulliel family doctors are on their way to the bank. He can start treatment as soon as you're back on the surface. | |
| (When Mr. Iridescence mentioned the Ulliel family. Miss Antimony shot him a quick look.) | |
| Didn't expect you guys to have such connections! Let's not waste time—I'll help you get him up there. He's not in any shape to be moved carelessly. | |
| You're so dedicated to a stranger, Miss Antimony. You're a really kind doctor. | |
| Of course. As you can see, I always care about my patients. Wouldn't you want me on your team? | |
| We'd love that! Thanks so much, Miss Antimony. (I still couldn't shake my doubts about her. But maybe traveling together will give me more clues.) | |
| We set off together, but hadn't gone far when the ground started to rumble with a deep, low noise. | |
5-2 A Shaken Heart[]
| (I'd heard it a few times recently, but never this close.) (I used to think it was the sound of an underground river, but now I realized—it had a metallic ring to it.) What's that noise? | |
| That's the underground postal system at work. It makes this sound whenever it's running. | |
| You didn't know? I just sent a "package" myself. It's kind of a local specialty. All these pipes are part of a working pneumatic delivery system. Compressed air sends packages flying through the tubes in seconds. Super fast and almost impossible to intercept, isn't it? | |
| (Miss Antimony seemed genuinely happy talking about it—she must really like this system.) (No time to dwell on her hobbies, through. Right now, Flint's health is what matters.) (We made our way back to the vault entrance. I watched Miss Antimony closely, but she didn't seem surprised at all.) | |
| The Bank Manager and the Ulliel family doctors were already waiting inside the vault. As soon as we arrived, the doctors swarmed around the unconscious Mr. Flint, while I went to see the Manager. | |
| (I still had all gems we'd found near Flint. Now was the perfect time to return them.) (I quickly handed over the precious stones.) | |
| So many... Lady Truth, you're an outstanding detective! These are definitely the gems we lost. Not all of them, but getting any back is fortunate. | |
| So I was right! Mr. Flint really is... Oh, wait, he's awake! The Ulliel family doctors are amazing! | |
| Ugh, my head. Where am I? | |
| We're back on the surface, Mr. Flint. Look around—does anything look familiar? You passed out, so we brought you here for treatment. | |
| Passed out? No, it was that Iridescence guy—he poisoned me! | |
| Actually, the stuff Mr. Iridescence gave you wasn't poisoned. It was just a misunderstanding... | |
| No way, it was definitely poisoned! After you left, when I said I was thirsty, he gave me something else that was poisoned! | |
| (I looked at Mr. Iridescence in shock. He shook his head slowly but firmly.) | |
| I handed you a bottle of water. | |
| Then the water was poisoned! | |
| That water was on you when we searched you. I didn't touch it. If there's a problem, it happened before I got it. | |
| Don't be ridiculous! I found that supply myself—why would I poison my own stuff and not admit it?! | |
| (The Ulliel family doctors must be really good...) (Mr. Flint just regained consciousness, but he's already shouting at Mr. Iridescence.) Hang on, you too. I don't think Mr. Flint would poison his own supplies. And if Mr. Iridescence wanted to poison someone, he'd be more subtle about it. Right now, all the suspicion falls on him. Motives aside, does it really make sense for him to do something so conspicuous? | |
| Maybe he's just messed up in the head. Some people are just like that. | |
| (Great, looks like Flint is starting to calm down a bit.) Mr. Flint, have you considered that maybe the water was tampered with by someone else? | |
| How could that be possible? Neither of us touched it. Are you saying the water was poisoned from the start? | |
| Of course the water wasn't poisoned to begin with. But besides the two of you, wasn't there someone else who handled it? (I watched as Mr. Flint's face slowly turned to shock.) | |
| You mean... No, that's impossible! | |
| (He's still denying it, but I can see he's starting to doubt himself. Maybe now I can finally help him figure things out.) | |
