The Casimani Hotel, noon.
"What's going on? Why are there so many people here?" Sloth, the Chief Inspector of Red Port, opened the door of the Casimani Hotel, only to find that there were more people present than just her police subordinates.
In a corner of the restaurant, a man with a petite figure, leaning towards a girl's physique, sat silently, wiping away tears.
Beside him, a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy was comforting him in a low voice.
A girl, appearing younger than the former, was deep in thought near the crime scene, allowing the surrounding people to look at her with confusion.
Next to the girl, there was a boy standing by her side. He seemed much more mature than the previous individuals, almost like an adult.
It is worth mentioning that his chin was completely made of steel using some kind of advanced technology from Red Port, giving his face a slightly intimidating appearance.
The Chief Inspector's gaze wandered back and forth. She scratched her long hair and approached a police officer near the crime scene.
"Lady Inspector, besides us, all the people at the scene claim to be related to this case. They are the employees and the owner of this hotel."
The police officer was inspecting the scene, and when he saw the Chief Inspector approaching, he stood up and put away his notebook, which he used to record clues, and said to Sloth, "Can such a terrifying man also work as a server in a restaurant?" Sloth lit a cigarette and pointed his mouth towards the young man with the steel chin.
"Ah... not to mention child labor," Sloth's gaze shifted, looking at the girl next to the man.
Somehow, Sloth sensed through a certain aura that the girl was likely the most representative person here.
Disregarding the cruel scene, Sloth went straight to the girl's side and spoke to her, "You know, there have been quite a few gun-related murders recently. The culprits always seem to prefer using a small firearm called a handgun, which is simple and easy to carry."
"Despite lacking the immense power of many magical weapons, these new imported handguns can easily kill unprepared high-level mages."
"In the past few months, there have been over fifty gun-related murder cases in Red Port, far surpassing the number of murder cases in Red Port over the past ten years."
"The police station is already overwhelmed, not to mention that we still have to handle the explosion case at the Shiwei Train Station."
"So, I'm sorry, but we will have to postpone your case for a while." Sloth shrugged helplessly and turned to Turing, who was lost in thought.
"But if you want to do business and can't protect the scene, then there's nothing we can do."
"I can only say that we will do our best to investigate."
"By the way, if you happen to discover anything new while cleaning up the scene, or even if you directly capture the culprit, as long as there is evidence, I can help you close the case."
"This is the maximum concession we can make in this emergency situation. I hope you understand."
Sloth seemed to have a slender figure, completely hidden by the tattered police uniform. She had much more noticeable dark circles under her eyes compared to Turing.
This disheveled and exhausted appearance made it impossible for people to be strict and demanding towards her.
"Alright, it's nearing the holidays. Thank you all for your hard work. Dismissed!"
Sloth looked at Turing, who did not respond, and nodded. She turned around and shouted at the busy police officers. Sloth clapped her hands and waved as one after another left the hotel.
The four people in the restaurant were Turing, Merka, Evrit, and the innkeeper Wutong.
Well, I should say, if only counting the living individuals.
"Um... why did this happen... An's child was supposed to start working at Agio's house next month, and Judah was planning to take the examination for the monastery in a little while..."
Wutong curled up in the corner, crying his heart out.
Merka comforted him by gently patting his back.
"Why are you here?" Turing furrowed his brow and asked Evrit.
"Miss Turing heard about the situation here and asked me to help you."
Evrit didn't open his mouth; his voice came from an unknown place. "After all, I have also used guns before and can tell you about relevant information.""Sigh... If we don't solve this matter, it seems that Merka won't be able to leave with me." Turing turned his face and glanced at Merka sitting in the corner with Wutong.
"We must resolve this quickly. If we stay here, Mother will eventually find her way to us."
"You always give me trouble."
Turing approached the artistically dead Prince Wangzi, who was leaning against the wall, and knelt down beside him, carefully examining.
Crimson blood formed a huge cross.
There were also many incomprehensible patterns painted on the wall nearby.
Not far away, there were small words written in blood, saying "In the name of God."
There was a bullet hole in Prince Wangzi's head, and the blood had completely dried up.
According to the preliminary examination by the forensic doctor, she did indeed die last night - in other words, the gunshot that Merka heard was the gunshot that killed Prince Wangzi.
"Is this woman strong?" Evilita, standing beside Turing with her arms crossed, asked calmly.
"She's considered strong, but that's not the issue. Without preparation, anyone would be killed by a gunshot."
Turing blinked, lowered his eyelids, and the starlight in his eyes slowly flowed.
"Let's go and see the one in the kitchen." Turing headed towards the back kitchen and said to Evilita.
Evilita nodded and followed quietly.
The quiet kitchen gave Turing a strong sense of familiarity in every corner, except for the dismembered body lying in the center of the kitchen.
There was hardly a intact piece of skin on the body, with chaotic knife marks on the shoulders, abdomen, legs, arms, especially the face, making it impossible to identify.
The level of cruelty and horror made Turing frown involuntarily.
The forensic doctor said that this person also died yesterday, possibly a bit earlier than Prince Wangzi.
"...It's really troublesome at a time like this. I really don't want to use my brain. It would be nice if I had a cigarette to smoke..."
"But I didn't bring a pipe, just to prevent Merka from inhaling secondhand smoke. Sigh..."
"Judas is a very kind person. Compared to the one who commits murders, it is more likely that this person lying down here is him."
"But it's not ruled out that Judas has been intentionally pretending to be kind all along."
"But in the end, Judas is supposed to take an exam, right? What motive does he have to ruin his future at this moment?"
Turing leaned against the cupboard, starting to think on his own.
"Ah, Merka, you're here. What did the manager say?"
As soon as Turing saw Merka, his serious tone softened.
"Wutong is feeling a bit better emotionally."
After that terrible night, Merka looked much more haggard, and his expression became anxious and serious.
"He said that our chef only knows his name and gender, and that he's good at cooking."
"He doesn't talk much unless necessary, so not much information was revealed," Merka said.
"Why? Does he always wear a hood even during job interviews? Does the manager not even know what he looks like?" Turing asked, puzzled.
"It's not like that..." Merka's throat rolled, "He said he's cursed, and his face is all rotten, so he's embarrassed to show his true face. The manager kindly agreed to take him in."
