Chapter 237: 237
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The illusory letters then disappeared as Valentine began processing the information. The man in front of him was indeed the same person who had bought the Romancer scroll from Graham back then, and the one who smiled at him at Jacco's restaurant.
"Ma'am, can we ask you some questions?" asked Milan politely.
Matias turned his attention away from the window and gave the Police officer a glance without even taking off his big sunglasses.
"Yes, officer, go ahead," he said, his voice surprisingly much more feminine than usual.
"G, is it possible that he had taken a potion to turn his voice like that?" Valentine looked over his shoulder and muttered quietly.
The officer and the man in disguise were now looking at each other; the latter still refused to make eye contact with Valentine for some reason. He must have recognized Valentine and might be afraid that the detective would recognize him through his disguise-- little did he know, the detective had done so.
"First of all, can you tell us your name?"
Pretending to be getting his notebook ready, Valentine listened intently.
"Diana Maanlicht. That is my name, officer," he replied without hesitation. Matias must have prepared his disguised quite well.
Milan looked at Valentine, who was pretending to be taking notes and asked for the detective's confirmation. Valentine then nodded, letting the officer know that it was not a lie.
Since Matias was not the killer because of his Deity, Valentine didn't feel the need to expose him. The man might even be useful in case something did happen later on, and his secret could be the bargaining chip that Valentine might need.
"Can you tell me if you know the man who passed away?"
"To be honest, officer, I don't know him," he said with a voice that sounded even more beautiful than some women's voices.
Milan looked at Valentine again for confirmation. It seemed that the Police officer had fully trusted Valentine's keen sense for detecting lies.
Finally actually writing some information down, Valentine gave the officer a nod.
"Did you see what happened, Ma'am?" asked Milan again.
Matias placed his slender index finger that was covered in a glove on his chin and began tapping it lightly.
"I only saw one of the two women at the back going to the front toilet. I think that doesn't mean anything. The screaming came long after when she was already back in her seat, and I think it was the man next to him who screamed for help," he explained.
Valentine nodded again. There really was no lie in his words.
Matias and Milan both turned their attention to the suitcase.
"It's just my clothes and underwear, and I don't feel comfortable exposing them to unfamiliar men," he said with a tone full of regret.
The words that he had just uttered was a complete lie, but Valentine still gave Milan a nod. He himself had checked the content of the suitcase using Reveal, and although it wasn't as what the man described, it wasn't something that could pose a direct threat either. Exposing it might even make the situation more complicated.
"She's telling the truth," Valentine said.
There was a split-second surprise on Matias's face when Valentine backed up his lie. He was sure the detective wouldn't buy the lie that easily, that was why he had prepared another excuse not to open the suitcase. However, the detective just readily confirmed his words like that, which made him think hard about the reason.
"Then I shall press no further if even you said so. Thank you for your cooperation, Ma'am. Please tell us if you remember or see anything," finally the Police officer said.
Matias nodded elegantly and then continued staring out the window, ignoring the two men standing in front of him.
Milan and Valentine went to the middle of the aisle and started talking quietly.
"Now we're done to five suspects. I'll interview your friend and you can go question the deceased travel companion," instructed the officer.
Although Luuk wouldn't give any useful information since he had been asleep the whole time, Valentine didn't say anything and just nodded.
Since the body had been moved recently under Milan's command, the man in the business attire was now sitting alone on the right row, seemingly not wanting to sit on the same seat again. Approaching the man, Valentine walked calmly but imposingly.
"Excuse me, Sir, can I have a moment of your time?" he asked politely but sternly.
Valentine was standing in front of the aisle seat in order to prevent anyone from running just in case. Since the car was big and luxurious, there was a lot of leg space that was enough for someone to sit down and stand up at the same time without them touching. That was why it would be very easy for a suspect to just try escaping otherwise.
The man's face was still pale from experiencing someone's death first hand. It seemed to have been an utter shock to him as his legs were still shaking, albeit lightly. Despite his attempt to look calm, the man was definitely shaken.
Valentine observed the man while secretly activated his Reveal ability. The man looked to be in his late thirties and his straight black hair was all messy. There were droplets of sweat on his forehead and his pinky fingernail showed signs of being chewed on recently. Valentine also noticed that the man's shirt had been untucked at some point, as seen through his unbuttoned grey suit.
"Y-yes? The other officer already asked me questions earlier, d-do we need to do this again?" he said hesitantly. His voice was wavering with clear signs of worry and fear in it.
Trying his best to make a kind smile, Valentine nodded, "Yes, sir. It's just the protocol,"
Meanwhile, illusory letters had appeared over the man's head that began to form a comprehensive text slowly.
Choo! Choo!
The train was still moving fast despite all that happened in one of the cars. The prairies outside were quickly replaced by trees and tall hills on both sides, yellowish-orange in color because of the season. The sparse trees contrasted nicely with the brighter orange color of the grass, giving off the beauty of a mid-autumn morning.
"W-what do you need to ask me?" asked the man rather anxiously, "I-I can believe he died just like that. What am I supposed to do now with our company?" he said, his left leg was shaking harder. It almost looked like he was having a panic attack.
The beauty of the view outside created a strange contrast with the evil that was taking place inside the car. It almost felt surreal to Valentine.
Once the text finally formed, Valentine raised his eyebrow, and on his face was a solemn expression. Instead of revealing the information about the target, all he got was the letters 'S's and 'Z's and 'T's that sounded like a snake's hissing. At that moment, he understood what was happening.
The man in front of him was the Demise!
Feeling something nudging his spirituality, the man in the business attire suddenly had a complete change of expression and posture. No longer was he the person who was shaken by his companion's death. All the facade he had been wearing so far had gone down the drain. His eyes now looked cold, his face expressionless. The shaking by his legs had also stopped as he now sat straight casually like nothing in the world mattered.
"I see that you're trying to see my secret. Too bad it didn't work, did it?" he said, coldly.
At some point, Valentine's right hand had been stretched to the front, pointing at the Demise in disguise; the bracelet on the wrist emitted a faint, cold glow.
The man saw the glow and became guarded. He tried to open the briefcase that was resting on the seat next to him, but strangely, he dropped it instead to the carpeted floor.
Quickly, Valentine activated his ability and placed the man under Interrogation. The person's eyes went blank in an instant, as well as his face.
"Milan, over here!" Valentine called for his partner.
Feeling the resistance from his strong target, he knew that his ability wouldn't last as long as usual, so he had to make use of every second. However, he also had to be careful about the question he asked since the two women at the back were making him uneasy. Although Milan, as a Police officer, should know about Contractbounds and should be amiable towards Valentine, the two uniformed women didn't look like they were in line.
The officer came running quickly and then looked at the man with a blank expression on the seat. He looked at Valentine and raised his eyebrow.
"What's happening?" he asked.
"Just trust me," Valentine replied shortly, and then began asking the Demise, "Are you the one who killed that man?"
Slowly, the man nodded and replied monotonously, "Yes."
Not wasting his time, Valentine ignored Milan who was wearing a perplexed look on his face. The officer might have never seen a supernatural interrogation in person.
"How did you kill him?"
"I cursed him to death."
"How did you curse him without a ritual?"
"I used the help of my artifact." the man replied shortly.
"Are you acting alone or do you have a partner?"
"I have partn..."
Just as he was about to finish his sentence, suddenly he was jolted awake by something and quickly dodged. A person under Interrogation would have their sense of danger greatly improved, so the man could easily dodge the knife that was thrown at him.
"Who is that!" shouted Milan, looking at the knife that was now stuck on the back of the seat at the front.
It seemed to have come from the back where the two women were sitting. Both of them appeared to be getting up from their seats with threatening looks on their faces as if saying 'back off or else'.
With the Demise no longer under his control, things became more complicated, and the fact that his partners seemed to have made a move also didn't help the situation. However, Valentine was prepared for something like that.
Quickly slitting his wrist and concentrating on the belt that he was wearing, he began chanting.
"I, in the name of the Deity of Deception and Hidden Thoughts, call forth an illusion that covers this car!"
Illusory orange curtains began descending from above and enveloped the whole car under its gentle embrace. Everybody in the car quickly fell under Valentine's illusion while he was maintaining the blood supply to keep the illusion intact. Luckily, Purloin helped to reduce the ability's cost.
The people in the car were now seeing what Valentine wanted them to see. It was an underwater scene!
Besides Valentine, everyone was gasping for air as they were drowning deeper and deeper into the ocean. Sounds of muffled screaming and cry for help filled the car as hands were violently reaching up as if desperately looking for a lifeline that didn't exist.
Valentine knocked out the Demise using the cane that he was holding, hitting the man at the back of his head hard. The man in the business attire then fell unconscious and was no longer suffocating because of the illusion.
Having to work fast in order not to accidentally kill the normal humans with his ability, he ran to the back of the car where the two women were. The knife seemed to have come from their direction, and he didn't like them in the first place, so Valentine didn't waste the chance to teach them a lesson.
His blood kept on dripping and evaporated once it touched the carpet. Ignoring the dying scream of the people around him, he made a beeline towards the women who had been making him feel uncomfortable the whole time. This time, their arrogant and imposing expressions had been replaced by paleness and fear of death as they were gasping for air.
Quickly, Valentine knocked them out with the cane as well. Just to be safe, he also knocked out the mysterious man in the trench coat.
Once all the suspicious people were unconscious, he quickly placed himself under layers of Concealment and quickly deactivated the illusion. Needing time to recover, Valentine sat on one of the empty seats, panting.
The people in the car came back to reality and breathed in as much air as they could. Their faces were drained off their colors and their expression horrified. It was like they had just experienced the worst nightmare in their lives.
After he had recovered a little, Valentine quickly went around the car and erased people's memory about him except for Luuk and Matias. The thin yellowish mist made them already forget about his existence, so it was an easy enough job. Only after that did he return to his seat sneakily without anyone even noticing, including Luuk, and quickly tried to fall asleep.
Milan, who had forgotten all about Valentine, somehow still remembered about the interview with the Demise where he confessed to his crime. However, his memory of the person asking the questions was all blurred and unclear. Making use of the fact that the man had been knocked unconscious, he asked the conductor to get something to detain the man. Since he was much more dangerous than the university students and the train didn't have jail cells, it was safer to put him somewhere Milan could watch him.
The conductor came back quickly after with a pair of handcuffs, which Milan quickly placed around the man's right wrist and the bar of the seat.
"These are all you have? This man seems to have partners in this car and we need more," he said.
"Yes, sir. Those are all the handcuffs we have here on this train," said the conductor apologetically.
Graham had woken up and heard what the officer said. Since the enemy was a Contractbound, and a President rank at that, just handcuffs wouldn't be enough.
Still hidden under the Concealment, Graham got up and approached the unconscious killer. He then crouched near him and began implanting Orders into the man's brain.
"I, in the name of the Deity of Cunningness and Transformation, hereby plant this Order inside your brain! Once you wake up, you will do nothing but obey what Milan van Dijk says."
The implant would take time to manifest, but there should be enough time while the man was still unconscious.
Graham's stamina was almost greatly consumed by his ability if not for Purloin reducing its cost. He quickly walked towards the back of the car and repeated the process with the two unconscious women and then sat down to recover a little.
The last target he had to implant the Order into was the man in the trench coat, Once his stamina came back a little, he did the same to the man before finally returning to his seat. With that, all the trouble in the car had been resolved. The enemies didn't even know what had hit them.
Smiling confidently, he muttered while removing his layers of Concealment one by one, "Val, it feels satisfying to win for once. We didn't even have to fight. I'm sick of enemies beating us or running away from us."
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The illusory letters then disappeared as Valentine began processing the information. The man in front of him was indeed the same person who had bought the Romancer scroll from Graham back then, and the one who smiled at him at Jacco's restaurant.
"Ma'am, can we ask you some questions?" asked Milan politely.
Matias turned his attention away from the window and gave the Police officer a glance without even taking off his big sunglasses.
"Yes, officer, go ahead," he said, his voice surprisingly much more feminine than usual.
"G, is it possible that he had taken a potion to turn his voice like that?" Valentine looked over his shoulder and muttered quietly.
The officer and the man in disguise were now looking at each other; the latter still refused to make eye contact with Valentine for some reason. He must have recognized Valentine and might be afraid that the detective would recognize him through his disguise-- little did he know, the detective had done so.
"First of all, can you tell us your name?"
Pretending to be getting his notebook ready, Valentine listened intently.
"Diana Maanlicht. That is my name, officer," he replied without hesitation. Matias must have prepared his disguised quite well.
Milan looked at Valentine, who was pretending to be taking notes and asked for the detective's confirmation. Valentine then nodded, letting the officer know that it was not a lie.
Since Matias was not the killer because of his Deity, Valentine didn't feel the need to expose him. The man might even be useful in case something did happen later on, and his secret could be the bargaining chip that Valentine might need.
"Can you tell me if you know the man who passed away?"
"To be honest, officer, I don't know him," he said with a voice that sounded even more beautiful than some women's voices.
Milan looked at Valentine again for confirmation. It seemed that the Police officer had fully trusted Valentine's keen sense for detecting lies.
Finally actually writing some information down, Valentine gave the officer a nod.
"Did you see what happened, Ma'am?" asked Milan again.
Matias placed his slender index finger that was covered in a glove on his chin and began tapping it lightly.
"I only saw one of the two women at the back going to the front toilet. I think that doesn't mean anything. The screaming came long after when she was already back in her seat, and I think it was the man next to him who screamed for help," he explained.
Valentine nodded again. There really was no lie in his words.
Matias and Milan both turned their attention to the suitcase.
"It's just my clothes and underwear, and I don't feel comfortable exposing them to unfamiliar men," he said with a tone full of regret.
The words that he had just uttered was a complete lie, but Valentine still gave Milan a nod. He himself had checked the content of the suitcase using Reveal, and although it wasn't as what the man described, it wasn't something that could pose a direct threat either. Exposing it might even make the situation more complicated.
"She's telling the truth," Valentine said.
There was a split-second surprise on Matias's face when Valentine backed up his lie. He was sure the detective wouldn't buy the lie that easily, that was why he had prepared another excuse not to open the suitcase. However, the detective just readily confirmed his words like that, which made him think hard about the reason.
"Then I shall press no further if even you said so. Thank you for your cooperation, Ma'am. Please tell us if you remember or see anything," finally the Police officer said.
Matias nodded elegantly and then continued staring out the window, ignoring the two men standing in front of him.
Milan and Valentine went to the middle of the aisle and started talking quietly.
"Now we're done to five suspects. I'll interview your friend and you can go question the deceased travel companion," instructed the officer.
Although Luuk wouldn't give any useful information since he had been asleep the whole time, Valentine didn't say anything and just nodded.
Since the body had been moved recently under Milan's command, the man in the business attire was now sitting alone on the right row, seemingly not wanting to sit on the same seat again. Approaching the man, Valentine walked calmly but imposingly.
"Excuse me, Sir, can I have a moment of your time?" he asked politely but sternly.
Valentine was standing in front of the aisle seat in order to prevent anyone from running just in case. Since the car was big and luxurious, there was a lot of leg space that was enough for someone to sit down and stand up at the same time without them touching. That was why it would be very easy for a suspect to just try escaping otherwise.
The man's face was still pale from experiencing someone's death first hand. It seemed to have been an utter shock to him as his legs were still shaking, albeit lightly. Despite his attempt to look calm, the man was definitely shaken.
Valentine observed the man while secretly activated his Reveal ability. The man looked to be in his late thirties and his straight black hair was all messy. There were droplets of sweat on his forehead and his pinky fingernail showed signs of being chewed on recently. Valentine also noticed that the man's shirt had been untucked at some point, as seen through his unbuttoned grey suit.
"Y-yes? The other officer already asked me questions earlier, d-do we need to do this again?" he said hesitantly. His voice was wavering with clear signs of worry and fear in it.
Trying his best to make a kind smile, Valentine nodded, "Yes, sir. It's just the protocol,"
Meanwhile, illusory letters had appeared over the man's head that began to form a comprehensive text slowly.
Choo! Choo!
The train was still moving fast despite all that happened in one of the cars. The prairies outside were quickly replaced by trees and tall hills on both sides, yellowish-orange in color because of the season. The sparse trees contrasted nicely with the brighter orange color of the grass, giving off the beauty of a mid-autumn morning.
"W-what do you need to ask me?" asked the man rather anxiously, "I-I can believe he died just like that. What am I supposed to do now with our company?" he said, his left leg was shaking harder. It almost looked like he was having a panic attack.
The beauty of the view outside created a strange contrast with the evil that was taking place inside the car. It almost felt surreal to Valentine.
Once the text finally formed, Valentine raised his eyebrow, and on his face was a solemn expression. Instead of revealing the information about the target, all he got was the letters 'S's and 'Z's and 'T's that sounded like a snake's hissing. At that moment, he understood what was happening.
The man in front of him was the Demise!
Feeling something nudging his spirituality, the man in the business attire suddenly had a complete change of expression and posture. No longer was he the person who was shaken by his companion's death. All the facade he had been wearing so far had gone down the drain. His eyes now looked cold, his face expressionless. The shaking by his legs had also stopped as he now sat straight casually like nothing in the world mattered.
"I see that you're trying to see my secret. Too bad it didn't work, did it?" he said, coldly.
At some point, Valentine's right hand had been stretched to the front, pointing at the Demise in disguise; the bracelet on the wrist emitted a faint, cold glow.
The man saw the glow and became guarded. He tried to open the briefcase that was resting on the seat next to him, but strangely, he dropped it instead to the carpeted floor.
Quickly, Valentine activated his ability and placed the man under Interrogation. The person's eyes went blank in an instant, as well as his face.
"Milan, over here!" Valentine called for his partner.
Feeling the resistance from his strong target, he knew that his ability wouldn't last as long as usual, so he had to make use of every second. However, he also had to be careful about the question he asked since the two women at the back were making him uneasy. Although Milan, as a Police officer, should know about Contractbounds and should be amiable towards Valentine, the two uniformed women didn't look like they were in line.
The officer came running quickly and then looked at the man with a blank expression on the seat. He looked at Valentine and raised his eyebrow.
"What's happening?" he asked.
"Just trust me," Valentine replied shortly, and then began asking the Demise, "Are you the one who killed that man?"
Slowly, the man nodded and replied monotonously, "Yes."
Not wasting his time, Valentine ignored Milan who was wearing a perplexed look on his face. The officer might have never seen a supernatural interrogation in person.
"How did you kill him?"
"I cursed him to death."
"How did you curse him without a ritual?"
"I used the help of my artifact." the man replied shortly.
"Are you acting alone or do you have a partner?"
"I have partn..."
Just as he was about to finish his sentence, suddenly he was jolted awake by something and quickly dodged. A person under Interrogation would have their sense of danger greatly improved, so the man could easily dodge the knife that was thrown at him.
"Who is that!" shouted Milan, looking at the knife that was now stuck on the back of the seat at the front.
It seemed to have come from the back where the two women were sitting. Both of them appeared to be getting up from their seats with threatening looks on their faces as if saying 'back off or else'.
With the Demise no longer under his control, things became more complicated, and the fact that his partners seemed to have made a move also didn't help the situation. However, Valentine was prepared for something like that.
Quickly slitting his wrist and concentrating on the belt that he was wearing, he began chanting.
"I, in the name of the Deity of Deception and Hidden Thoughts, call forth an illusion that covers this car!"
Illusory orange curtains began descending from above and enveloped the whole car under its gentle embrace. Everybody in the car quickly fell under Valentine's illusion while he was maintaining the blood supply to keep the illusion intact. Luckily, Purloin helped to reduce the ability's cost.
The people in the car were now seeing what Valentine wanted them to see. It was an underwater scene!
Besides Valentine, everyone was gasping for air as they were drowning deeper and deeper into the ocean. Sounds of muffled screaming and cry for help filled the car as hands were violently reaching up as if desperately looking for a lifeline that didn't exist.
Valentine knocked out the Demise using the cane that he was holding, hitting the man at the back of his head hard. The man in the business attire then fell unconscious and was no longer suffocating because of the illusion.
Having to work fast in order not to accidentally kill the normal humans with his ability, he ran to the back of the car where the two women were. The knife seemed to have come from their direction, and he didn't like them in the first place, so Valentine didn't waste the chance to teach them a lesson.
His blood kept on dripping and evaporated once it touched the carpet. Ignoring the dying scream of the people around him, he made a beeline towards the women who had been making him feel uncomfortable the whole time. This time, their arrogant and imposing expressions had been replaced by paleness and fear of death as they were gasping for air.
Quickly, Valentine knocked them out with the cane as well. Just to be safe, he also knocked out the mysterious man in the trench coat.
Once all the suspicious people were unconscious, he quickly placed himself under layers of Concealment and quickly deactivated the illusion. Needing time to recover, Valentine sat on one of the empty seats, panting.
The people in the car came back to reality and breathed in as much air as they could. Their faces were drained off their colors and their expression horrified. It was like they had just experienced the worst nightmare in their lives.
After he had recovered a little, Valentine quickly went around the car and erased people's memory about him except for Luuk and Matias. The thin yellowish mist made them already forget about his existence, so it was an easy enough job. Only after that did he return to his seat sneakily without anyone even noticing, including Luuk, and quickly tried to fall asleep.
Milan, who had forgotten all about Valentine, somehow still remembered about the interview with the Demise where he confessed to his crime. However, his memory of the person asking the questions was all blurred and unclear. Making use of the fact that the man had been knocked unconscious, he asked the conductor to get something to detain the man. Since he was much more dangerous than the university students and the train didn't have jail cells, it was safer to put him somewhere Milan could watch him.
The conductor came back quickly after with a pair of handcuffs, which Milan quickly placed around the man's right wrist and the bar of the seat.
"These are all you have? This man seems to have partners in this car and we need more," he said.
"Yes, sir. Those are all the handcuffs we have here on this train," said the conductor apologetically.
Graham had woken up and heard what the officer said. Since the enemy was a Contractbound, and a President rank at that, just handcuffs wouldn't be enough.
Still hidden under the Concealment, Graham got up and approached the unconscious killer. He then crouched near him and began implanting Orders into the man's brain.
"I, in the name of the Deity of Cunningness and Transformation, hereby plant this Order inside your brain! Once you wake up, you will do nothing but obey what Milan van Dijk says."
The implant would take time to manifest, but there should be enough time while the man was still unconscious.
Graham's stamina was almost greatly consumed by his ability if not for Purloin reducing its cost. He quickly walked towards the back of the car and repeated the process with the two unconscious women and then sat down to recover a little.
The last target he had to implant the Order into was the man in the trench coat, Once his stamina came back a little, he did the same to the man before finally returning to his seat. With that, all the trouble in the car had been resolved. The enemies didn't even know what had hit them.
Smiling confidently, he muttered while removing his layers of Concealment one by one, "Val, it feels satisfying to win for once. We didn't even have to fight. I'm sick of enemies beating us or running away from us."
The illusory letters then disappeared as Valentine began processing the information. The man in front of him was indeed the same person who had bought the Romancer scroll from Graham back then, and the one who smiled at him at Jacco's restaurant."Ma'am, can we ask you some questions?" asked Milan politely.Matias turned his attention away from the window and gave the Police officer a glance without even taking off his big sunglasses. "Yes, officer, go ahead," he said, his voice surprisingly much more feminine than usual."G, is it possible that he had taken a potion to turn his voice like that?" Valentine looked over his shoulder and muttered quietly.The officer and the man in disguise were now looking at each other; the latter still refused to make eye contact with Valentine for some reason. He must have recognized Valentine and might be afraid that the detective would recognize him through his disguise-- little did he know, the detective had done so."First of all, can you tell us your name?"Pretending to be getting his notebook ready, Valentine listened intently."Diana Maanlicht. That is my name, officer," he replied without hesitation. Matias must have prepared his disguised quite well.Milan looked at Valentine, who was pretending to be taking notes and asked for the detective's confirmation. Valentine then nodded, letting the officer know that it was not a lie.Since Matias was not the killer because of his Deity, Valentine didn't feel the need to expose him. The man might even be useful in case something did happen later on, and his secret could be the bargaining chip that Valentine might need."Can you tell me if you know the man who passed away?" "To be honest, officer, I don't know him," he said with a voice that sounded even more beautiful than some women's voices.Milan looked at Valentine again for confirmation. It seemed that the Police officer had fully trusted Valentine's keen sense for detecting lies.Finally actually writing some information down, Valentine gave the officer a nod."Did you see what happened, Ma'am?" asked Milan again.Matias placed his slender index finger that was covered in a glove on his chin and began tapping it lightly."I only saw one of the two women at the back going to the front toilet. I think that doesn't mean anything. The screaming came long after when she was already back in her seat, and I think it was the man next to him who screamed for help," he explained.Valentine nodded again. There really was no lie in his words.Matias and Milan both turned their attention to the suitcase. "It's just my clothes and underwear, and I don't feel comfortable exposing them to unfamiliar men," he said with a tone full of regret.The words that he had just uttered was a complete lie, but Valentine still gave Milan a nod. He himself had checked the content of the suitcase using Reveal, and although it wasn't as what the man described, it wasn't something that could pose a direct threat either. Exposing it might even make the situation more complicated."She's telling the truth," Valentine said.There was a split-second surprise on Matias's face when Valentine backed up his lie. He was sure the detective wouldn't buy the lie that easily, that was why he had prepared another excuse not to open the suitcase. However, the detective just readily confirmed his words like that, which made him think hard about the reason."Then I shall press no further if even you said so. Thank you for your cooperation, Ma'am. Please tell us if you remember or see anything," finally the Police officer said.Matias nodded elegantly and then continued staring out the window, ignoring the two men standing in front of him. Milan and Valentine went to the middle of the aisle and started talking quietly."Now we're done to five suspects. I'll interview your friend and you can go question the deceased travel companion," instructed the officer.Although Luuk wouldn't give any useful information since he had been asleep the whole time, Valentine didn't say anything and just nodded.Since the body had been moved recently under Milan's command, the man in the business attire was now sitting alone on the right row, seemingly not wanting to sit on the same seat again. Approaching the man, Valentine walked calmly but imposingly."Excuse me, Sir, can I have a moment of your time?" he asked politely but sternly.Valentine was standing in front of the aisle seat in order to prevent anyone from running just in case. Since the car was big and luxurious, there was a lot of leg space that was enough for someone to sit down and stand up at the same time without them touching. That was why it would be very easy for a suspect to just try escaping otherwise.The man's face was still pale from experiencing someone's death first hand. It seemed to have been an utter shock to him as his legs were still shaking, albeit lightly. Despite his attempt to look calm, the man was definitely shaken.Valentine observed the man while secretly activated his Reveal ability. The man looked to be in his late thirties and his straight black hair was all messy. There were droplets of sweat on his forehead and his pinky fingernail showed signs of being chewed on recently. Valentine also noticed that the man's shirt had been untucked at some point, as seen through his unbuttoned grey suit."Y-yes? The other officer already asked me questions earlier, d-do we need to do this again?" he said hesitantly. His voice was wavering with clear signs of worry and fear in it.Trying his best to make a kind smile, Valentine nodded, "Yes, sir. It's just the protocol,"Meanwhile, illusory letters had appeared over the man's head that began to form a comprehensive text slowly. Choo! Choo!The train was still moving fast despite all that happened in one of the cars. The prairies outside were quickly replaced by trees and tall hills on both sides, yellowish-orange in color because of the season. The sparse trees contrasted nicely with the brighter orange color of the grass, giving off the beauty of a mid-autumn morning."W-what do you need to ask me?" asked the man rather anxiously, "I-I can believe he died just like that. What am I supposed to do now with our company?" he said, his left leg was shaking harder. It almost looked like he was having a panic attack.The beauty of the view outside created a strange contrast with the evil that was taking place inside the car. It almost felt surreal to Valentine.Once the text finally formed, Valentine raised his eyebrow, and on his face was a solemn expression. Instead of revealing the information about the target, all he got was the letters 'S's and 'Z's and 'T's that sounded like a snake's hissing. At that moment, he understood what was happening.The man in front of him was the Demise!Feeling something nudging his spirituality, the man in the business attire suddenly had a complete change of expression and posture. No longer was he the person who was shaken by his companion's death. All the facade he had been wearing so far had gone down the drain. His eyes now looked cold, his face expressionless. The shaking by his legs had also stopped as he now sat straight casually like nothing in the world mattered."I see that you're trying to see my secret. Too bad it didn't work, did it?" he said, coldly. At some point, Valentine's right hand had been stretched to the front, pointing at the Demise in disguise; the bracelet on the wrist emitted a faint, cold glow.The man saw the glow and became guarded. He tried to open the briefcase that was resting on the seat next to him, but strangely, he dropped it instead to the carpeted floor.Quickly, Valentine activated his ability and placed the man under Interrogation. The person's eyes went blank in an instant, as well as his face."Milan, over here!" Valentine called for his partner.Feeling the resistance from his strong target, he knew that his ability wouldn't last as long as usual, so he had to make use of every second. However, he also had to be careful about the question he asked since the two women at the back were making him uneasy. Although Milan, as a Police officer, should know about Contractbounds and should be amiable towards Valentine, the two uniformed women didn't look like they were in line.The officer came running quickly and then looked at the man with a blank expression on the seat. He looked at Valentine and raised his eyebrow."What's happening?" he asked."Just trust me," Valentine replied shortly, and then began asking the Demise, "Are you the one who killed that man?"Slowly, the man nodded and replied monotonously, "Yes."Not wasting his time, Valentine ignored Milan who was wearing a perplexed look on his face. The officer might have never seen a supernatural interrogation in person."How did you kill him?""I cursed him to death.""How did you curse him without a ritual?" "I used the help of my artifact." the man replied shortly."Are you acting alone or do you have a partner?" "I have partn..."Just as he was about to finish his sentence, suddenly he was jolted awake by something and quickly dodged. A person under Interrogation would have their sense of danger greatly improved, so the man could easily dodge the knife that was thrown at him. "Who is that!" shouted Milan, looking at the knife that was now stuck on the back of the seat at the front. It seemed to have come from the back where the two women were sitting. Both of them appeared to be getting up from their seats with threatening looks on their faces as if saying 'back off or else'.With the Demise no longer under his control, things became more complicated, and the fact that his partners seemed to have made a move also didn't help the situation. However, Valentine was prepared for something like that.Quickly slitting his wrist and concentrating on the belt that he was wearing, he began chanting."I, in the name of the Deity of Deception and Hidden Thoughts, call forth an illusion that covers this car!"Illusory orange curtains began descending from above and enveloped the whole car under its gentle embrace. Everybody in the car quickly fell under Valentine's illusion while he was maintaining the blood supply to keep the illusion intact. Luckily, Purloin helped to reduce the ability's cost.The people in the car were now seeing what Valentine wanted them to see. It was an underwater scene! Besides Valentine, everyone was gasping for air as they were drowning deeper and deeper into the ocean. Sounds of muffled screaming and cry for help filled the car as hands were violently reaching up as if desperately looking for a lifeline that didn't exist.Valentine knocked out the Demise using the cane that he was holding, hitting the man at the back of his head hard. The man in the business attire then fell unconscious and was no longer suffocating because of the illusion.Having to work fast in order not to accidentally kill the normal humans with his ability, he ran to the back of the car where the two women were. The knife seemed to have come from their direction, and he didn't like them in the first place, so Valentine didn't waste the chance to teach them a lesson.His blood kept on dripping and evaporated once it touched the carpet. Ignoring the dying scream of the people around him, he made a beeline towards the women who had been making him feel uncomfortable the whole time. This time, their arrogant and imposing expressions had been replaced by paleness and fear of death as they were gasping for air.Quickly, Valentine knocked them out with the cane as well. Just to be safe, he also knocked out the mysterious man in the trench coat.Once all the suspicious people were unconscious, he quickly placed himself under layers of Concealment and quickly deactivated the illusion. Needing time to recover, Valentine sat on one of the empty seats, panting.The people in the car came back to reality and breathed in as much air as they could. Their faces were drained off their colors and their expression horrified. It was like they had just experienced the worst nightmare in their lives.After he had recovered a little, Valentine quickly went around the car and erased people's memory about him except for Luuk and Matias. The thin yellowish mist made them already forget about his existence, so it was an easy enough job. Only after that did he return to his seat sneakily without anyone even noticing, including Luuk, and quickly tried to fall asleep.Milan, who had forgotten all about Valentine, somehow still remembered about the interview with the Demise where he confessed to his crime. However, his memory of the person asking the questions was all blurred and unclear. Making use of the fact that the man had been knocked unconscious, he asked the conductor to get something to detain the man. Since he was much more dangerous than the university students and the train didn't have jail cells, it was safer to put him somewhere Milan could watch him.The conductor came back quickly after with a pair of handcuffs, which Milan quickly placed around the man's right wrist and the bar of the seat."These are all you have? This man seems to have partners in this car and we need more," he said."Yes, sir. Those are all the handcuffs we have here on this train," said the conductor apologetically.Graham had woken up and heard what the officer said. Since the enemy was a Contractbound, and a President rank at that, just handcuffs wouldn't be enough.Still hidden under the Concealment, Graham got up and approached the unconscious killer. He then crouched near him and began implanting Orders into the man's brain."I, in the name of the Deity of Cunningness and Transformation, hereby plant this Order inside your brain! Once you wake up, you will do nothing but obey what Milan van Dijk says."The implant would take time to manifest, but there should be enough time while the man was still unconscious. Graham's stamina was almost greatly consumed by his ability if not for Purloin reducing its cost. He quickly walked towards the back of the car and repeated the process with the two unconscious women and then sat down to recover a little. The last target he had to implant the Order into was the man in the trench coat, Once his stamina came back a little, he did the same to the man before finally returning to his seat. With that, all the trouble in the car had been resolved. The enemies didn't even know what had hit them.Smiling confidently, he muttered while removing his layers of Concealment one by one, "Val, it feels satisfying to win for once. We didn't even have to fight. I'm sick of enemies beating us or running away from us."
