Chapter 462

"... Okay, that still doesn't clear you of suspicion. But on this point, we're all the same. So, I don't care."

Who could resist Shen Gonglin's gaze? Mei. But it was indeed the case. Everyone was a suspect, so they couldn't exclude Pardofelis because of this. If she wanted to help, she had no reason to refuse.

"Ms. Mei is so calm and cautious. Hmm, I like you just the way you are; you're perfect as a detective."

Vill-V admired Mei for her calmness and caution, qualities essential for becoming a good detective.

"Then it's settled! Hehehe, from now on I'm a detective too!"

Pardofelis cheered happily upon being allowed to join, and Vill-V was also very welcoming of Pardofelis's addition. Now that the performance had begun, who would refuse a new audience member?

With Pardofelis joining, the group grew even larger. They headed to the amusement park, with Pardofelis leading the way. Her demeanor made it easy to mistake her for someone very powerful. The cat girl shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Little Elysia, Little Elysia, are you there?... It seems she's not here, no one's responding."

I felt like I'd seen this scene before, but unfortunately, after what happened, I lost all interest in treasure hunting.

The group split up to work separately, but Mei and Shen Gonglin didn't find anything of interest. Their only feeling was that the Honkai Beast that appeared seemed to be getting weirder and weirder. By the time they were supposed to gather, there was still no progress, so they had to gather together first.

"Mei, here... It seems you didn't find anything either. Where did she hide?"

Pardofelis waved to Mei, knowing from her words that she had also made no progress. The girl sighed, and Mei explained that she had made no progress, as had the Great Magician.

"Should we continue the search? This kind of mechanical work doesn't suit my aesthetic at all. She might just pop up on her own sometime. Until then, let's change the direction of our investigation."

The Great Magician was tired of this meaningless work; it was the last thing she wanted to do. Her suggestion piqued Mei's curiosity. They were currently stuck because they had no clue what to do, but what if they went in a different direction...?

Do you have any other clues?

"Heh heh, it's time to reveal my secret weapon. Clang clang—"

As if by magic, Vill-V produced a magnificent magician's hat from behind her back; it was time for her to make her appearance.

It doesn't matter if Mei doesn't participate. With Pardofelis joining in, putting everything else aside, she's quite good at livening up the atmosphere. The girl looked at what Vill-V had taken out with surprise.

"Wow, what a gorgeous hat! Sister Vill-V, where did you get all these weird and wonderful props from?"

"That's a great reaction, Little Pardofelis is really supportive, I like that about you. And what about the other audience member, what do you think?"

Finally, someone was cheering her on. Mei didn't react at all to her performance. Only with Pardofelis could Vill-V feel a sense of accomplishment. Vill-V looked at Mei, wondering what her opinion was.

"You let me tour the amusement park by myself before, was this what you were preparing for? All I can see is that you obviously have an interest in collecting hats."

Mei wasn't so enthusiastic. She couldn't figure out why Vill-V suddenly took out the hat. From this incident, Mei could only tell that Vervi seemed to really like hats.

"Don't judge a book by its cover, my dear audience. This isn't just any ordinary hat; it's a magic prop I specially developed—a consciousness collector!"

Vill-V proudly displayed her magic prop to Mei. This magnificent hat had a magnificent name that matched its appearance: the Consciousness Collector. That was its function.

"Consciousness collector?"

The name, which sounded like something extraordinary, immediately caught Mei's attention. Seeing her reaction, Vill-V was quite pleased; she loved seeing that surprised look on other people's faces.

"In short, this hat can help you access other people's minds and examine their memories. Through it, you can check everyone's alibi, and thus prove our innocence. Pretty impressive, right?"

He explained in detail the function of his consciousness collector, which surprised Pardofelis, who clapped her hands and gave him a round of applause.

"Viewing... memories? Wow, that sounds amazing! Is this really just magic, or some kind of sorcery?"

Pardofelis was incredibly amazed. As expected of Sister Vill-V, she was truly amazing.

Unlike Pardofelis's surprise, Mei remained calm. For the Elysian Realm, doing this shouldn't be too difficult.

Chapter 210 Moral Kidnapping

"For us who are in the Elysian Realm, all it needs to do is read the memory data and materialize it, right?"

Mei revealed the secret of this magic trick, something that is difficult to do in the outside world, but actually quite easy in the Elysian Realm. After all, these Flame-Chasers are just manifestations of memories, and they are all made of data. This should be the principle behind it.

"Always trying to uncover the secrets of magic tricks takes away a lot of the fun, doesn't it, dear audience? How about it, Ms. Mei, I'd like to specially invite you to examine my memories; this is proof of your trust."

It seems Mei guessed right; the way to explore memories is similar to what she had thought before. Vill-V pouted; she wished she had cooperated and supported her like Little Pardofelis. Vill-V held up the hat and presented it to Mei, which would prove that there was no problem.

"I refuse."

"Very good, I knew it, no one can resist this temptation... Wait, what did you just say? Reject? How is that possible?"

To Vill-V's surprise, Mei refused so decisively. This was the most efficient tool she could think of. Wasn't she curious about Mei's thoughts? Putting that aside, she had no reason not to accept such a brilliant and surprising magic prop.

"The credibility you have demonstrated so far is not enough to justify my accompanying you to verify this dubious item of unknown origin."

Mei refused outright. She had very little trust in Vill-V. She had been tricked by Velvi before, who had promised to send her to the depths of the Elysian Realm so that they could be honest with each other. In the end, only she was honest. She wouldn't fall for it again. Trust was something that neither she nor Vill-V had.

"Don't say that. I deliberately didn't take it out at the beginning. Instead, I accompanied you around to verify various conjectures, just to help us build a relationship of trust. The fact that you are still standing here safely is enough to prove that my magic props are absolutely safe and reliable."

Vill-V was still promoting her magic props, but Mei was no longer the same Mei. After struggling in the Elysian Realm for so long, Mei understood the nature of these Flame-Chasers Elysian Realm. Safe and reliable, that word had nothing to do with Vill-V's magic props.

"Safe and reliable? If they don't suddenly explode on the spot or attract monsters to attack people, then they can be barely considered safe and reliable."

Mei scoffed, saying that she had seen Vill-V's magic props before, and that this thing was definitely related to the accident.

"Those were just small surprises added to the original, after all, that's the essence of magic. But I can assure you that this prop was specially made for this life-or-death situation, and I haven't added any additives. Also, besides this method, do you have any other options? The instigator of this incident might still be lurking in the shadows, and time is of the essence. Do you really want to go the long way around?"

He repeatedly assured Mei that his props were absolutely fine, but Mei still seemed unwilling to believe him. He had been fooled by her several times already, and if he fell for it again...

"Mei- nee, what Vill-V said makes sense. I believe she wouldn't play a prank at such a crucial moment. How about... you try it on me first?"

At this moment, Pardofelis also spoke up for Vill-V. The girl volunteered to step forward and said that she would test it on herself first. Didn't Mei suspect that she was the culprit? Pardofelis also wanted to clear her name as soon as possible.

"Oh dear, it seems Little Pardofelis is still holding a grudge about your suspicions about her."

Vill-V covered her mouth and teased him like that, while Pardofelis shook her head.

"It's not that I'm holding a grudge... After all, the situation is still unclear, so it's normal for Mei to be wary. But if that happens, Mei and Shen Gonglin won't have a single helper. If I can prove my innocence sooner, I can investigate the truth with them."

Pardofelis scratched her head. She hadn't thought that much about it. The girl just wanted to clear her name as soon as possible. She wasn't used to the atmosphere in the Elysian Realm at all, and she didn't want Flame-Chasers's family to become like this.

"As expected of Little Pardofelis. But... have you ever considered this possibility? Perhaps the woman in front of you, Mei, is the real mastermind."

As expected of Pardofelis, only she could say such things. Vill-V leaned closer to Pardofelis and said such terrifying words. The person who seemed the least suspicious was actually the mastermind. Isn't this a common occurrence? She trusts Mei so much, letting Mei judge whether everyone is guilty. What if Mei is the center of all the problems?

"Hey!"

Pardofelis's tail bristled at the news, she had never imagined such a possibility. If Mei was the real culprit, she had never even considered this possibility!

"It seems Little Pardofelis hasn't considered this possibility at all. If that's the case, you'll be hard-pressed to clear your name. You might even be completely wiped out without a trace!"

The words were spoken slowly and deliberately to threaten Pardofelis. Pardofelis was completely bewildered after hearing them. The girl shook her head frantically, saying, "No, that can't be true."

"Mei is the murderer... How could that be... No way! She's the one who wants to know the truth the most, she wouldn't do anything to Sister Elysia and Boss Kevin... No, no, Mei- nee can't be the murderer, I guarantee it!"

Pardofelis shook her head frantically. It was more believable that Mei Shen Gonglin the murderer than Mei; after all, he'd fought with Boss Kevin, so he had a better reason... In short, Mei definitely wasn't the murderer.

Mei remained silent. So Pardofelis trusted her that much? That was truly... unexpected.

"Hahaha, of course it was just a joke. Otherwise, how could I possibly entrust such an important item to her? So, Ms. Mei, are you really going to betray the trust that I and Little Pardofelis have placed in you?"

It was just a joke, but seeing Pardofelis's intense reaction, Vill-V couldn't help but smile. Then she looked at Mei, and this time Pardofelis was looking at her too. This feeling... was like being morally blackmailed.

Mei sighed. She still had her morals after all. If it were Shen Gonglin, she wouldn't have encountered this situation.

Chapter 211

"...Okay, I understand."

With a sigh, Mei's decision was always influenced by morality. Looking at the eyes of the two, especially the expectant look in Pardofelis's eyes, Mei could only sigh and agree. Pardofelis cheered, and Vill-V handed the hat to Mei.

"Please, my dear leading lady."

Mei took the hat and, following Vill-V's guidance, placed it over the girl's head. At the same time, she noticed the mischievous smile on Vill-V's lips. Alarm bells rang in the girl's mind—had she fallen into Vill-V's trap again?

"Vill-V, you..."

Feeling nervous? Well, it's too late now~

Vill-V snapped her fingers, and almost simultaneously, a strange plume of smoke burst forth from the top hat. Instantly, darkness enveloped her vision, as if walking in complete darkness, with shimmering, eerie points of light suspended within the thick gloom. Reaching out to touch them, the points of light swarmed around her, seemingly threatening to engulf her consciousness. Mei a sudden, inexplicable unease, but the cool touch on her hand reassured her.

With Shen Gonglin here, there's nothing to worry about.

The two walked side by side. In the darkness, a ray of light slowly emerged ahead. When they opened their eyes again, the scene before them spread out like ripples on water, eventually converging into a familiar picture. This place was... the Elysian Realm?

The scene before her was incredibly familiar. Shen Gonglin even spotted the familiar little shop ahead – wasn't this the same little shop from the Elysian Realm Pardofelis?

Just then, a light footstep swept past the two of them. The girl seemed oblivious to the presence of Shen Gonglin and Mei, single-mindedly chasing after the light brown shadow ahead. Wasn't that Pardofelis?

"Canned Food, wait for me! You're running too fast... I haven't been back for so many days. I heard from Sister Elysia that a new guest has visited Elysian Realm. I wonder what kind of person he is?"

Finally catching up with the cat ahead, Pardofelis hugged the cat and muttered to herself. From her words, Mei could understand that this seemed to be the scene before she and Pardofelis met. The guest she was referring to must be herself.

In the scene, Pardofelis is still active. She runs into the shop, pulls open a drawer, and her eyes light up. So many gold coins! Amazing!

"Wow, so many gold coins! What a sucker... cough cough cough, I mean, what a generous guest!"

Hearing what Pardofelis was saying, Mei remained silent. Shen Gonglin glanced at the face of this sucker, who looked rather terrifying.

"It seems this is indeed Pardofelis's memory. Let's see what happens next..."

Not wanting to continue listening to Pardofelis's idea of being a sucker, Mei suddenly had this thought. At the same time, the scene in front of her shattered and then reassembled, extending towards her, and the picture in front of her changed.

Time did not flow in this Elysian Realm. The girl was still sitting outside the shop's kiosk, but now she had a troubled expression. She sighed sadly, and the cat named Canned Food squatted beside her, meowing incessantly.

"Canned Food, find some quiet time and let me think about this carefully."

The young girl rested her chin on her hand, her heterochromatic eyes vacant, lost in thought. The more she pondered, the more her brows furrowed, as if she were contemplating a particularly serious matter.

"Ugh, no, no, the more I think about it, the more my head aches. Do we really have to take Mei deeper into this place? Even good-natured Ama is starting to stop us. With Shen Gonglin's personality, it's easy for a fight to break out... Sister Elysia seems really worried too. If this continues, Sister Nia will definitely fight with Mei and Shen Gonglin. Seriously, can't we all just sit down and have a proper chat?"

The cat-like girl sighed deeply, seemingly because something had happened before she went into the Deepest Place. So, Pardofelis, she worries about such things?

Meow~

The Canned Food, which was squatting at Pardofelis's feet, also meowed, as if echoing Pardofelis's words and chatting with the cat. Pardofelis sighed again.

"I know... we're not the type to have a proper conversation, and we all have complicated pasts, but why do we have to keep fighting? We're partners who've even been through death together... shouldn't we be considered partners?"

Meow~

"Don't try to comfort me, Canned Food. Don't worry, I finally found a place to stay, so I won't just stand by and watch my companions fight amongst themselves. After all, even if I'm last, I'm still one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers recognized by Sister Elysia."

Looking at Pardofelis cheering them on, Shen Gonglin and Mei were speechless. This girl was really likable. Shen Gonglin started counting on her fingers, she was just inexplicably cute. She was weak in combat, timid, loved to please people, was not arrogant or impatient, had animal ears, a furry tail, and a little bit of cloth... Where did this treasure girl come from? She was just too cute.

"... It's like a dream. An orphan like me from Twilight Town is now being called Flame-Chasers. Canned Food, what do you think... if my parents were still here, what would they think? Would they be proud of me?... I don't want to think about these things anymore. What can I do now? Hmm, I guess I should go ask Sister Vill-V for her opinion first."

Without thinking, the girl ran out of the pavilion, her figure disappearing from sight in an instant. She still didn't notice Shen Gonglin and Mei, who shouldn't have been there, and it was because of this that she was able to reveal her true feelings.

Let's see what happens next.

After a moment of silence, Mei pulled Shen Gonglin's hand and looked back again. The environment had changed once more. Looking around, Mei was certain that this was Eternal Elysium. Judging from the surroundings, this must be the night Kevin disappeared. In front of them, Pardofelis was doing something. Was she not asleep either? What was she doing here?

"Ninety-six, ninety-seven... I never imagined there were so many treasures hidden here. Should I ask Mei to take me treasure hunting again tomorrow?"

The two approached, and as soon as they got close, the girl's voice, accompanied by tinkling sounds, came over. Pardofelis was counting the treasures she had obtained from the Eternal Elysium. These things could all be sold for a lot of money.

"We can sell the mechanical parts to Sister Vill-V, the pretty trinkets to Sister Elysia, and as for these strange decorations, we can just trick Amo and the others into buying them... Hehe, we're going to make a fortune this time."

Chapter 212 Concealment

Hearing the girl's mutterings, both Shen Gonglin and Mei looked quite helpless. They knew that Pardofelis wouldn't do anything serious given her personality. But the way those strange things were dealt with in the end was by Kosma? Why does it feel like everyone in the Elysian Realm is bullying him? He's such a pitiful guy.

She was about to listen to something more, but as time passed silently, the girl's voice as she counted her spoils gradually became muffled, like a dream. Shen Gonglin had already heard her jump from twenty-seven to thirty-two. It seemed that Pardofelis had spent the whole night counting her spoils, which was indeed in line with her personality. It seemed that she was indeed innocent, and her suspicion could be ruled out.

Mei clearly thought the same thing as Mei Shen Gonglin. She nodded and prepared to go back with Shen Gonglin. However, at this moment, the catgirl, who was half asleep, mumbled something that Mei found very troubling.

"The first target... I'll choose Boss Kevin, I wonder if he'll accept it..."

Upon hearing Pardofelis's words, Mei immediately stopped in her tracks. She and Shen Gonglin exchanged a glance, their expressions turning serious. Why was Kevin suddenly mentioned? The two quickly moved closer. Pardofelis was basically talking in her sleep, but it was precisely because of her sleep talk that it was more convincing.

"... And this matter must be kept from Sister Elysia. Hmm... that's right, it has to be kept from her, and from Mei as well, otherwise, she'll definitely not let me off the hook... and from Shen Gonglin..."

Pardofelis continued her cat-like chatter, while Mei on her hand, deep in thought. Could Pardofelis really be the culprit? Elysia, herself, and Shen Gonglin —what exactly was Pardofelis trying to hide?

With these questions in mind, Mei and Shen Gonglin's consciousness returned to the amusement park. Mei was suddenly awakened from her meditation and came to her senses to find two pairs of eyes watching her with concern.

"It seems this is the end as well. Dear viewers, what did you all see?"

Vill-V looked at Shen Gonglin and Mei with great interest, and Pardofelis also looked at her with concern. Mei had already seen her memories, so she should believe that she was innocent.

"Mei, you must have seen it, right? I didn't see Kevin at all the day he had the accident."

Pardofelis asked Mei for confirmation, but Mei didn't answer. She and Shen Gonglin exchanged a glance and then stared at Pardofelis. When they met her gaze, the girl looked away awkwardly. Why was Mei looking at her like that? It made her nervous. She really hadn't done anything.

Before Pardofelis could say anything more, Shen Gonglin had already walked over and restrained her hands behind her back. The cat girl was shocked to be treated like this, and then Shen Gonglin pressed her to the ground. What was going on? Why was Mei watching Mei Shen Gonglin abuse her like this?