Book 5: Chapter 6: Faith

“Please forgive Sas and me for our earlier… rudeness. But since we all belong to the same team, we should share information, right?” Cora stayed silent for a while and finally spoke again.

“No, Mrs. Cora, you misunderstood. We aren’t unwilling to tell you, but before seeing the report on John and his wife, we couldn’t be sure!” Hill’s eyes flickered as he explained with a smile. “Since you insist, we can share some of our guesses. Of course, Qin Lun’s reasons might not be the same as mine.”

Hill glanced at Michelle who was driving, then took out three “Skull Coins” obtained from the victims from his pocket.

“The cultural background of Nals World is somewhat similar to ours. According to certain religious legends of the Earth Federation, after death, the Soul must cross the River Styx to reach the afterlife. There is a ferryman on the Styx, but his services aren’t free. So, the deceased’s relatives would place a coin in their mouth to ensure a safe journey!”

“You think Nals World has similar myths and legends?” Cora asked curiously.

“Yes. I checked these ‘Skull Coins’ and just discovered they aren’t ordinary currency. They are actually the bone of a creature, part of a Troll’s forehead bone. When a Troll dies, the forehead part of its skull develops coin-like holes.”

Hill picked up two of the three “Skull Coins” and handed one each to Qin Lun and Cora. “Check the myths and legends of Nals World, and you’ll find the God of Redemption was originally a Troll shaman. The God of Redemption uses this Skull Coin as a price to forgive people’s sins and escort them to the afterlife. This thing is also an enchanted material that can be brought into the Shattered Starry Sky. Let’s each take one!”

“But… I don’t understand. What does this have to do with whether the culprit in the two cases is the same person?” Cora rubbed the Skull Coin, looking even more confused as she asked.

“The culprit in the Villa case placed the Skull Coin in the victim’s mouth, showing he wanted the deceased to gain redemption after death, full of hypocritical pity, like a killer who strictly follows principles!” Qin Lun teased, winking at Hill.

“Sometimes, the culprit’s actions reflect his own psychological state. The couple were disemboweled and had their eyes gouged out, then were posed holding their daughter in a specific way. The little girl had a broken neck but no other injuries, meaning the culprit didn’t want her to suffer too much pain. During the crime, the culprit imagined the little girl as himself, wishing he could have such a happy family too.”

At this point, Qin Lun looked at Hill with a smile. “The couple’s eyes were removed, suggesting the culprit felt ashamed of his actions and didn’t want the victims’ Souls to watch him. The Skull Coins placed in all three mouths were his hope for their redemption, not leaving resentment towards him. As for the missing internal organs, I’m afraid the culprit took them away to eat. This is a cannibal with a tragic childhood and some religious delusions.”

In response to Qin Lun’s mocking look, Hill turned away expressionlessly and fired back without backing down, “We haven’t seen the case files on John and his wife yet, so we don’t know about the other culprit. But Captain Marov said the couple died horribly, almost torn to shreds, their flesh trampled and mixed into the soil. This one probably has no respect for life, no principles—a beast far more cruel and inhuman than the cannibal in the Villa case!”

“Hmph!” Qin Lun snorted coldly, turned away, and said no more.

“Oh, all right, I understand. A principled, hypocritical cannibal and a ruthless butcher!” Cora sensed the tension between the two and squirmed uneasily.

The three returned to the police station in the strange atmosphere. Following Captain Marov’s instructions, Michelle pulled up the files on the murder of John and his wife.

Photo after bloody photo and scene records confirmed Hill and Qin Lun’s speculations. The killer of John and his wife was incredibly savage, like a beast. He nearly tore them to pieces; the scene was a completely different style from the Villa murder.

Perhaps Captain Marov had realized this too at the time, which was why he chose to compromise, letting them view the case files and participate in the investigation in some form.

“Look at these body parts in the photos. Do you notice anything?” Cora’s eyes lit up as she pointed at the photos. The female officer from Esmira had felt like a rookie all day, and now that she’d noticed something, she was eager to show her capability.

“The cuts on these body parts are neat, not caused by a beast’s claws or teeth. Judging from the bone cross-sections, it was probably done by a heavy weapon like a thick-backed machete or a brush axe,” Qin Lun said immediately after a glance.

Qin Lun himself was a doctor skilled in anatomy, and John and his wife were human, so his judgment was almost as good as a professional medical examiner’s.

“A beast that uses tools, or an intelligent being that has lost its mind!” Hill put down the photos and said thoughtfully, “Let’s go, there’s nothing more to see. We should go back and discuss this!”

…

“So you’re saying John and his wife were killed by a mentally disturbed madman, not due to a mysterious phenomenon! But then, that doesn’t explain the disappearance of the three children!” Sas looked at Qin Lun and the others with astonishment. Seeing his wife offered no rebuttal either, he frowned.

“Maybe John and his wife’s deaths and the three children’s disappearances are two separate matters!” Hansen shrugged, sounding uncertain.

“You’ve done well; the information gathering ends here! No matter what, we need to go to the Crystal Lake Campground. Only by going to the scene can we understand what that family encountered!” Sas stood up, pulling Cora as he headed out. “Gentlemen, see you tomorrow!”

After Sas and Cora returned to their room, Qin Lun and the others fell into silence.

“Alright, they’re gone. Do you two have something else to say?” Hansen looked at Hill and Qin Lun and pursed his lips.

“No, Hansen, what we said earlier covers everything. This incident… is very strange!” Hill frowned, stood up, and paced around the room. “I keep feeling something’s wrong, but… I can’t put it into words!”

“Is it that it feels too simple! John and his wife were killed by a madman; their children were taken away by the culprit or rescued by someone.” Qin Lun walked to the window, gazing at the sunset outside, his eyes glinting slightly. “No matter what secrets this incident holds, it seems too easy, right? It doesn’t seem to match the level of a mission requiring Apostles!”

“Yes, that’s exactly the feeling!” Hill’s eyes brightened as he nodded cautiously. “John and his wife’s deaths weren’t bizarre enough; the destruction at the scene still falls within human capability. Whatever took those three children, it doesn’t seem to require an Apostle team for a rescue mission—it would make more sense if it were a city-wide crisis in Crystal Lake City!”

“Have you two forgotten this is just a Guidance Mission? Maybe only after resolving this will the Main Quest appear!” Hansen rolled his eyes and said impatiently, “Working with you guys is exhausting; there’s always so much conspiracy theorizing!”

“Hansen, Hill, perhaps we’re thinking about the mission’s direction wrongly!” Qin Lun suddenly pulled the curtains shut, turned around, and said softly, “What I mean is, don’t you feel that Nals World itself is very strange?”

“Qin Lun, which aspect are you referring to?” Hansen and Hill exchanged a glance and asked warily.

“Look at this room, the streets outside, everything we’ve seen in Crystal Lake City. Have you seen any traces of magic? Have you seen a single magic item?” A sharp light flashed in Qin Lun’s eyes. “Remember, this world… is supposed to be a Mid-Magic World in the Magic Web popularization stage!”

Hansen’s pupils contracted, but Hill showed no surprise, only his expression slowly turned grim.

“You noticed it too? It seems we should exchange our thoughts further…” Hill said slowly.

…

“Hey, dear, what’s wrong? Are you upset after spending the day out with those two from Earth?” Sas cupped his wife’s cheeks apologetically. “Sorry, the Plot Identity the Shattered Starry Sky arranged for me wasn’t very suitable, otherwise I wouldn’t have let you go alone with them!”

“No, Sas, I just feel… we should show them more respect. Today’s case…” Cora frowned and stammered.

“Oh, right, today’s case!” Sas laughed heartily. “Darling, you were amazing today! If the Crystal Lake City Police Department hired you, they’d probably have cracked the case long ago. I don’t know what those Centaurs are even doing; such a simple case…”

“Sas, Sas… stop it, stop laughing!” Cora stared at her husband, her face grim.

“What’s wrong, dear?” Sas scratched his head awkwardly.

He used to be a patrol officer, responsible for city patrols and violent assaults, while Cora was the real homicide detective. Though colleagues, their work styles differed; he’d always been proud of his wife’s intelligence.

“Today’s case… wasn’t my doing!” Cora sighed and recounted the day’s events in detail to Sas.

“This… maybe, maybe they just got lucky!” After hearing his wife’s account, Sas widened his bull-like eyes in disbelief.

“No, Sas, it wasn’t luck! That kind of observation, that sharpness, those analytical judgments… What I mean is, I never would’ve thought of them! Even the major crimes unit I used to work in needed days of case analysis and teamwork to reach those conclusions!” Cora looked at her husband seriously. “Sas, those two aren’t ordinary people; they’re absolutely not just a Priest and a doctor like they claimed!”

“I don’t understand, and I don’t believe it!” Sas scowled darkly, sweeping everything off the table with a low growl in his throat. “They’re just from Earth, just Earthlings!”

“Sas, don’t be like this. You know deep down we aren’t racially prejudiced. Esmira people don’t have racists; we… we just need faith, a new faith!” Cora hugged her husband from behind, her face already streaked with tears.

“No, Cora, no…” Sas clutched his head in agony, kneeling before the table.