Chapter 36 - Culprit, Step Forward
"Please hold it. You're all suspects in a murder case. We need to preserve the scene."
Gail the sheriff's firm refusal sparked an outburst of complaints from the passengers.
"What? We've got hours until the next stop— you expect us to hold it that long?"
"Ugh... I, I really need to use the bathroom too. I'm so tense..."
"Me too!!"
As cries of bodily urgency rose from all around, even the sheriff couldn't hold them back any longer. He let out a heavy sigh.
"Fine. Then go one by one, escorted by a guard."
Gail jerked his chin, and one of his subordinates immediately led me first.
Click.
The moment I locked the door to the cramped train bathroom stall, I took a deep breath.
"Hoo... fuck... what the hell is this shit."
Sage Time, please come through for me this time too. Clues are scarce? You'll figure something out—you're the sage, after all!
I grabbed my crotch and desperately tried to force some lewd thoughts.
The first thing that came to mind... yeah, Sera. Her naked body. Snow-white skin, perfectly balanced figure, just the right size breasts.
'......'
No good. Too pure. Not a hint of sexiness. Instead, that image twisted in an instant.
It turned into terror. Monster corpses strewn everywhere, comrades' bodies burst open. Spilled organs, the acrid stench of blood assaulting my nose. And in that hellscape, the blood-soaked saint's grotesque smile pierced my mind like a dagger.
"Urk... no, not this."
Nausea surged up. I felt PTSD kicking in. I shook my head violently to banish Sera's afterimage.
'Get it together. Think of something else. Right, Piarot.'
I pictured my beloved lover. Her sensual body as I'd seen it in bed. That sweet scent... and her soft skin. I imagined our first night together tonight, in Ostia's hotel.
"......"
No reaction. Silent as the deep sea. Why?
Bang bang!!
"Mr. Evan, we're short on time. Hurry it up."
The guard's urging came from outside.
"Y-Yes!! Almost done!!"
With a heart ready to cry, I looked down at my little brother. Fuck, why? Why isn't there even a twitch?
I straightened my clothes and stepped out, empty-handed(?). Damn it. Memories of that hellish time, the nightmare of 'impotent Evan,' were resurfacing.
'Status window.'
[Stamina: E]
Stamina's normal.
'Fuck, come to think of it, nothing since I got discharged.'
Psychological? Or lingering side effects from the blood loss? I trudged back to the crime scene—the passenger car.
As I sat down, Piarot saw my ashen face and asked worriedly.
"You okay? Evan? What happened? You look awful..."
"Yeah, I'm fine. First time dealing with something like this..."
I couldn't exactly say, 'It won't stand.'
Piarot squeezed my hand reassuringly.
"Yeah, it'll be okay. Don't worry. We're innocent."
Her warm hand trembled faintly.
'Innocent...'
Yeah, innocent. A bitter smile crossed my lips. Her innocence had stayed pure through countless loops, only for her to die branded with infamy.
Stoned to death as a 'witch.' Powerless innocence meant nothing in this barbaric world.
If we didn't catch the culprit, we'd be dragged to the investigation bureau and our vacation ruined. I had to stop that.
'Damn... what do I do.'
Time passed, and the eight suspects who'd used the bathroom returned to their seats. Amid the thick tension,
Piarot gripped my hand tighter and whispered softly in my ear.
"Evan."
"Yeah?"
"Don't worry. I'll protect you, Evan."
With resolve in her eyes, she let go of my hand and stood up. She strode confidently to the center of the car.
"Everyone, look here."
Her husky, seductive voice—contrasting her pure face—rang out.
"???"
The passengers and sheriff stared at Piarot in confusion. Her red eyes gleamed with a strange light.
Piarot commanded lowly, infused with an irresistible force.
"Murderer, step forward."
"What...?"
"What does that mean..."
As murmurs rippled through,
Thud. Thud.
A plain-looking middle-aged man from the corner stood unsteadily, like a puppet on strings, and shuffled forward. His eyes were unfocused.
"Y-You...?"
Sheriff Gail gaped in shock. Piarot didn't blink as she asked,
"Did you kill him? Speak."
"Yes. I did it."
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Shock and horror swept the car. Piarot gazed coldly down at the man and posed her final question.
"Why did you kill him?"
"On commission... He's the eldest son of the Grace count family. I was hired by the second son."
The culprit confessed fluidly, eyes vacant. A classic noble house drama—romantic intrigue and succession strife. That was the root of this horrific poisoning.
"How? The cart attendant was watching."
To Piarot's icy question, the culprit answered mechanically.
"I'm a former thief—quick hands. I had powdered poison under my nails beforehand. When he reached for the sandwich, I pretended to pick one too and flicked my nail to coat it."
A split-second move. Tricking the attendant's eyes, poisoning only the target's food precisely.
"That crazy bastard..."
Gasps erupted around us. Sheriff Gail rushed behind the culprit, cuffing and subduing him.
"You're under arrest."
Click.
The culprit was restrained.
"Ah!!"
"N-No!! I didn't do it!! Witch!! It's the witch's frame-up!!"
Suddenly, he thrashed wildly.
"Stay still!! The investigation will prove it!!"
"N-No..."
At that moment, the merchant who'd gone for a contract deal let out an exclamation. Sweating profusely, he stared at Piarot, eyes shaking violently.
"I-I've heard the rumors! House Evangeline!!"
Murmurs spread.
"D-Demon... no, Demon Eye!! The legendary 'Charm Demon Eye'!!"
The merchant's shout drew all eyes to Piarot. Overwhelming charisma—subduing the culprit and extracting a confession in seconds. Relief from cleared suspicion mixed with awe at her inexplicable power and primal fear.
Piarot ignored the stares and addressed the sheriff.
"Culprit's caught, so we don't need to go to the bureau for questioning, right?"
A subtle pressure: Don't ruin our summer vacation.
The sheriff bowed without protest.
"Of course. Thanks to you, we've ID'd the perp and got a confession—no further investigation needed."
He handed the culprit to his subordinates, adding,
"Thank you for your cooperation. But the official report will record today's events as they happened. It'll go to the academy too."
"Doesn't matter."
"Then enjoy the rest of your trip."
Sheriff Gail saluted politely and dragged the culprit away.
'Hoo...'
The taut string of tension snapped. The passengers, once suspects, finally sighed in relief and slumped into their seats. Some eyed Piarot gratefully but shrank from her chilling aura.
I sat back down with her. My whole body went limp.
"Haa... we survived."
I looked at Piarot beside me. The queenly dominance was gone; she was my cute girlfriend again.
"Good job, Piarot. That was... incredible."
"Hehehe..."
She beamed innocently—a smile hard to reconcile with the owner of that fearsome Demon Eye.
"......"
"Evan..."
She leaned her head on my shoulder, guiding my hand to her head.
"More."
"Haha..."
Like a puppy begging for praise. I chuckled and slowly stroked her soft hair.
"Yeah, yeah. Our Piarot's the best."
Her eyes narrowed happily with each touch.
Peace returned. But a corner of my heart stayed heavy.
'Just fatigue, probably?'
The train arrived at Ostia Station. As the doors opened and I stepped onto the platform, salty sea air rushed in.
"Thank you! We survived thanks to you!"
"Lady Marquis, have a wonderful trip!"
The five fellow suspects bowed repeatedly to Piarot. Sheriff Gail saluted us crisply.
"Thanks for your cooperation. Enjoy your time."
We left their send-off behind and hurried out of the station.
The moment we exited the hilltop station building,
Whoosh—!
My view opened wide to a breathtaking sight.
"Waaah......"
Piarot gasped in awe. Emerald waves sparkling like jewels under late afternoon golden sun. White-capped waves crashing on endless white sands. And behind the beach, a grand resort loomed majestically.
Its rooftop sign gleamed in the sunlight.
[PARADISE RESORT]
There it is.
"Haa... tired. Let's drop the bags first."
"Yeah!! I'm so curious what it's like."
We hopped into a waiting carriage and headed straight for the resort.
. . .
[Paradise Resort Lobby]
Lofty ceilings reaching the sky, gleaming marble floors. Fitting the empire's top vacation spot, the lobby screamed luxury.
Holding Piarot's hand, I strode to the front desk.
"Welcome to Paradise Resort."
A neatly uniformed staffer greeted us with a warm smile.
"Checking in. Reservation under 'Evangeline.'"
"Yes, Mr./Ms. Evangeline. One moment."
The staffer tapped a magic terminal, and a transparent hologram window floated up.
[Reservation Confirmed: Piarot Evangeline]
[Grade: VVIP]
The staffer's eyes widened slightly, their tone growing even more deferential.
"Confirmed. Lady Evangeline, you've booked the 'Royal Suite.'"
"Yes, that's right."
Royal Suite. Impossible without her status. Lucky break, too—the high price meant the whole two weeks were free.
"We'll escort you to the top floor."
The staffer handed over two luxurious gold magic card keys.
"Infuse mana here to open the door."
Don't come if you can't use mana, basically. Sad, but I've got Piarot.
"Baggage will be brought up by the bellboy."
"No need. I'll handle it."
"Understood. Take the private elevator in the center to the top floor, 20th. Enjoy your stay."
Following their guidance, we headed to the golden elevator in the lobby center.
"Evan... Royal Suite? Isn't that super expensive?"
"Heh, first trip with my girlfriend—gotta go all out."
Ding— The elevator arrived. Doors opened to a long hall ending in a single door. Penthouse taking the entire 20th floor. A gold plate read [2001].
Beep—click.
The heavy door slid open smoothly at the card key. Lavish entry, marble floors, stunning ocean view through the living room windows—but.
"Bags here!"
Thud crash.
We dumped the suitcases in the entryway. Opulent decor? Top-tier furniture? None of it registered.
Only one thing. That massive king-size bed visible through the open bedroom door.
I grabbed Piarot's hand and bolted to the master bedroom.
"Piarot!! Get over here!!"
"Kyaa?!"
I scooped her waist and flung us onto the bed.