Episode 19 – For the past few days, Charles had been frequenting the auction house, gathering various materials. Meanwhile, he hadn’t neglected his real-life duties and had been doing well, holding meetings each time. Then, a visitor appeared.
Charles had never opened a detective agency. He had no plans to do so in the future either. He had merely obtained the certification to facilitate cooperation with the police department.
However, somehow the first visitor came. And it was someone who made Charles feel a slight sense of guilt.
"Hello. My name is Evren Linden."
A woman wearing a black mourning dress with a wide-brimmed hat and a veil. Linden… The doll mercilessly crushed by Plona, or rather the original owner of the body, was named Linden. And this woman’s age appeared to be middle-aged.
It was evident that she was the mother of Serilda Linden. Upon hearing the name Linden, Charles immediately knew where she had come from.
"I heard from Detective Louis. I heard that you found the missing body."
"…Yes, that’s right. What brings you here?"
Charles had thought about it once. If he had pursued the suspicious man who had initially seemed dubious until the end and caught him, would there have been no victims?
With the intuition of a genius that ordinary people couldn’t notice, Charles had predicted the murders in advance. Yet, he couldn’t prevent them. Or rather, did he choose not to?
Others would say that Charles wasn’t responsible. He was not a police officer but merely an ordinary professor with outstanding abilities and leader of a social club.
However, Charles felt a pang of conscience. At that point, he hadn’t realized that the murderer was not just an ordinary killer but a pawn ordered by the Sculptor’s Church.
"First of all, I sincerely thank you for restoring what’s left of my child."
Although the body was in a disfigured and gruesome state, the fact that Serilda’s body, which had become a doll, was already inhuman, made it even more disturbing. Could a person really have eyes that could shoot tears of blood like bullets?
"My deepest condolences on your loss, ma’am."
"Thank you. I will destroy the murderer no matter what happens."
Though there was a hint of hatred in Evren’s eyes when she said that, it soon disappeared. The emotional shift was bizarrely quick, causing Charles to feel a slight sense of unease. This was beyond normal boundaries.
"However, there is something bothering me. The restored parts of the child are placed in the Order of Light. We sewed up the crushed wounds and made a prosthetic eye."
From those words, Charles immediately understood what Evren meant to say next.
"Detective Louis told me about your excellent deductive skills. Can you find the remaining parts of the child’s body?"
"…Are you referring to the lower body when you say the remaining parts?"
"Yes. Although I cannot get my child back, I wish to retrieve as many of her remains as possible."
Deep sorrow overflowed to the outside. The emptiness in Evren’s eyes was that of one who had poured everything out.
Charles felt a sense of responsibility, but he wasn’t overwhelmed by it. Nevertheless, an assignment was an assignment, and how he handled it was his choice.
"The Linden family will fulfill all your requests. How much do you want?"
"…You mean money?"
"Yes. Is 100,000 pounds sufficient as a commission fee?"
Charles rubbed his chin, pondering. He knew a bit about the Linden family. They were wealthy enough to send several children to college in Mistweaver and owned six factories.
"That amount should be sufficient."
"Thank you. If possible, find it as soon as possible."
"I understand."
"Hurry, so that the child can be recognized as that child."
Charles felt something odd. Contextually, it sounded like he had to find it before the body decomposed. Considering Evren Linden’s strange emotional shifts, he felt uneasy.
"I can’t guarantee it. I have no idea what the murderer might have done with the remaining body."
"I’ll take care of that."
Evren Linden coldly said and stood up. The woman who looked like a sorrowful swan in mourning garments left, her black garment billowing as she went.
Charles leaned his chin on his hand. Evren Linden was not that important in the main storyline. However, there was an unknown sense of ‘discomfort’ felt from her.
He thought he should keep an eye on her. Anyhow, he had accepted the case, so it was time to get down to business.
The first thing to do was to inquire about the murderer. Since it was a free day, he went to find Detective Louis.
The police department on Rabot Street had quieted down a bit. After the murderer was caught post-homicide, the number of journalists had decreased, although it was still bustling. Charles went straight to the detective.
“Hello, Detective Louis.”
“Oh, you’ve arrived. Mr. Hexen.”
Louis, who had been relaxed, straightened up as soon as he met Charles. The tense expression on his face was evident.
Charles felt a faint sense of exhilaration. The fact that his influence on others was visible and tangible was something he had never experienced back when he was Yeonsu Kim.
“Evren Linden visited me.”
“Oh, I should have told you in advance. I didn’t expect Mrs. Evren Linden to visit you. I merely mentioned that an excellent detective had found the body.”
“That’s why. She asked me to find the rest of the body.”
In any culture, people wished for the complete body to be buried. Evren Linden wanted her child’s body back, and for that, she needed Louis’s help.
“Hmm. How can I assist you?”
Louis spoke respectfully. The man in front of him was an exceptional detective capable of extracting information that others couldn’t. Hence, it was advantageous for Louis to help him now and secure an opportunity to seek help later.
“I wish to meet the murderer. He hasn’t gone to trial yet, but he will soon.”
“I believe I can arrange that. Rudolph can guide you.”
Louis answered straightforwardly. Shortly afterward, Charles followed Sergeant Rudolph toward the detention center. They entered the cell guarded by hefty men holding rifles with stern expressions.
Each cell compartment was isolated by bars. The murderer’s location was at the very end of the detention center. After guiding Charles, Sergeant Rudolph bowed his head and stepped back.
“Please, do have a conversation.”
Charles walked forward. The man he had encountered was indeed the same person. Name: Vince Handel. Age: 43. No family. Participated in the Southern War when young and retired as a wounded soldier. Lived in slums for a while, but after recovering, he got a job at a steel factory…
It was a man with a rough life, but that did not exempt him from murder. His condition was dire, as if he had been beaten numerous times in the cell. Blood and pus flowed from his swollen eyelids, and his lips were blue and swollen.
Charles stood before him. Vince Handel glanced at Charles nervously, rolling his eyes and showing an agitated demeanor but said nothing.
After observing, Charles recognized that the reason was fear. Cold sweat, a wandering gaze, and a sense of despair wishing to abandon everything.
“Are you Hans Vindel? I am Charles Hexen.”
“Y-Yes. Yes.”
Vince responded repeatedly by just saying "Yes." It was a defensive behavior. Charles squinted his eyes. After several interviews, he concluded that this man was too weak to have committed murder.
But the evidence was clear. According to the information provided by Louis, all evidence had been found at the scene of the raid, and he had even confessed. Charles decided to test him.
“Are you afraid?”
Vince Handel finally looked up at Charles Hexen properly for the first time. His eyes hovered between fear and madness.
“I am looking for the remaining parts of the body. Can you help me out?”
“W-Why me?”
“What if it means freedom from fear? I see something behind you.”
“B-Behind?”
While Vince turned back, Charles used his spirituality to investigate his interior. He then figured out what had happened. A peculiar spiritual essence remained partially in his brain.
Seeing it lodged in one side of the frontal lobe, it was clear that something had been implanted in his brain.
Charles discovered that it was not just spiritual but also mixed with material elements, along with a long, torn scar beside his forehead, indicating it was done surgically.
‘Someone manipulated his brain. It’s undoubtedly the work of the Sculptor’s Church. No further evidence is needed.’
Such bodily modifications were the specialty of the Sculptor’s Church. Having seen it three times already, Charles wasn’t bored by it. The Sculptor’s Church’s unique technique of modifying body parts into "dolls" was unparalleled by any other cult.
When Charles scared Vince by saying something was behind him, Vince abruptly turned back in a panic as if he had found something that did not exist and turned his head back.
Bang!
Then he started to convulse and screamed threateningly, sticking to the bars.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!”
Sergeant Rudolph, who had been watching with his hands behind his back, brandished a baton upon seeing Vince attempt to lunge.
While experienced police officers would know that criminals could never break through those sturdy iron bars, Sergeant Rudolph lacked experience.
“How? How do I?”
“Cooperate with me, and I’ll tell you. What happened to Linden’s body parts?”
Vince, looking somber, said.
“At home.”
“At home?”
“27 Sundaike Street…”
“Got it. If your words turn out to be false…”
“No! It’s true! It’s there. Now tell me, how can I get rid of it?”
Get rid of it? Charles realized that this murderer had more information about the one who had manipulated his brain. It was a moment of choice: to show mercy to this monster and extract more information or to leave him be.
After deliberation, he took out a water bottle from his vest.
“This is holy water from the Order of Light. Drink it daily and eat your meals; the fear will disappear.”
In fact, it was just tap water from Charles’s home. However, it wouldn’t be entirely ineffective. By infusing a bit of spirituality, it would merely counteract the spiritual essence exuded by whatever stimulated his frontal lobe. With time, the fear would resurface.
“H-Holy water? I’ve already tried that many times!”
Seeing the deep distrust in Vince’s eyes, Charles softly spoke, mixing a light with his gaze.
“This is holy water consecrated over a long period. It’s different from what you can get at a church. Drink it in small sips, just once a day.”
“Is that so?”
Vince, mesmerized, chugged the water down. Then, as if realizing something, he stopped midway. However, more than half of the water had already disappeared.
Though Vince looked despondent, Charles felt satisfied. It was better than having drugs; training Vince with water infused with his spirituality would do.
Turning to look at Sergeant Rudolph, who seemed flustered, Charles spoke.
“Let’s go to the place he mentioned.”
After reporting the progress to Detective Louis, he summoned a few officers to follow Sergeant Rudolph to investigate the location.
