The Beginning of Everything

(This is a fanfiction based on the original work, adhering to its core tenets. If you don't know what that means, please check the related sections of the work. If you're looking for new creative works within the same world or stories unrelated to the original protagonist, you can stop reading here.)

In the early morning, within an elegantly decorated room, a handsome man sat quietly by the window, engrossed in a beautifully bound book of creation myths. He read with meticulous care, presenting a scene as picturesque as a fine oil painting.

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing him in its glow and adding a touch of the divine to his elegance and beauty.

But in the next moment, a chilling aura suddenly permeated the air. The once warm and elegant room instantly lost its color, a grayish hue creeping into every corner. A pale monster emerged from the floor.

It possessed a roughly humanoid form, its limbs contorted in an unnatural, spring-like manner. A vertical maw filled with sharp teeth stretched from its head down to its chest, dripping bloody saliva that formed thin strands as the mouth opened and closed.

Yet, the elegant and beautiful man showed no negative reaction to the monster's appearance. He continued to hold his book of creation myths, as if he hadn't seen a thing.

No, he had seen it, because the monster respectfully raised its twisted arms, offering a somewhat aged notebook and an envelope.

The handsome man reached out and took both items. The monster then vanished from the room, and the cold, pale environment reverted to its original state.

The man placed the notebook on the table, casually tore open the envelope, and unfolded the small stack of letters inside—

"Respected Mr. a:"

"Please allow me to defend my actions in killing my colleagues."

"Heinsohn Vincent and Sirius Arepis are both unmitigated fools. Their stupidity could even make a curly-haired baboon laugh!"

"Heinsohn Vincent foolishly wrote the secret incantation in a notebook."

"His apprentice peeked at the incantation and, under the watchful eyes of the Night Watchers, brazenly performed a magic mirror divination!"

"I believe you can imagine the subsequent developments, so I will not elaborate further."

"To protect our other lambs in Tingen City, I killed him preemptively. I believe this was the correct choice."

"Sirius Arepis's foolishness surpasses even Heinsohn Vincent's. Knowing that the Night Watchers had already begun investigating the Antigonus Family's notebook, he brazenly went to the library to borrow related periodicals. It's a miracle that such reckless behavior continued for over two months before being discovered!"

"To avoid implicating more people, I killed him after the Night Watchers traced him to the library. This was a reasonable decision."

"Additionally, during the battle between the Night Watchers and the Secret Master Association, I recovered that notebook from the Fourth Epoch. According to Heinsohn Vincent's account, it likely contains treasures left behind by the Antigonus Family."

"I offer this notebook to the Lord, hoping to atone for the sin of killing the Lord's Secret Speaker."

"Finally, Sirius Arepis apparently taught the ritual for the Lord's descent to an unknown Con Sman. Do I need to provide assistance?"

"A loyal servant of the Lord, Sno von Pandax."

"Heh..." The handsome man rubbed his fingers together, and the letter in his hand was instantly torn into shreds by a sudden gust of air. He reached out and opened the notebook. As the words entered his eyes, a slightly wicked smile appeared on his handsome face.

...Tingen City...

"Captain, is this the last suspect's residence?" Leonard looked out the carriage window at the hotel outside, then glanced at his pocket watch. "It's still quite early. It looks like it won't delay Klein's team entry mission."

"Don't let your guard down." The middle-aged man with gray eyes sitting beside him frowned. The wrinkles around his eyes were prominent, and faint brown hair was visible at the edge of his hat.

He was currently holding a paper filled with words and said in a voice that wasn't too loud but was very clear:

"Sno von Pandax, from Backlund, a veterinarian. He visited the Diviner Club half a month ago to have Heinsohn Vincent perform a divination. Since then, he has been staying at the hotel and hasn't gone out. According to information provided by Backlund, he previously had an affair with the mistress of a gangster boss. The reason he left Backlund is likely to escape pursuit."

"That sounds quite suspicious," Leonard said, whistling lightly as he listened to Dunn's account. He then turned to look at Klein.

Before he could speak, Klein nodded knowingly, pulled out a piece of paper from his bag, and wrote a line of text on it. As he had done before investigating other suspects, he unclasped the pendulum from his wrist, closed his eyes, and recited:

"Investigating Sno von Pandax is dangerous. Investigating Sno von Pandax is dangerous. Investigating..."

After reciting it seven times, Klein opened his eyes. The yellow crystal pendulum was rotating counter-clockwise at a slow speed.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief and then said, "Captain, there shouldn't be any danger. However, considering the possibility that he might have counter-divination abilities, we should still be cautious."

"Alright. You stay in the carriage. Leonard, you come with me." Dunn nodded gently, pushed open the carriage door, and got out, walking towards the hotel.

In a room on the second floor of the Aromatic Tree Hotel, a young man in a white shirt and black vest was playing with a black Rune short-haired cat that looked less than a year old. He was the target of Klein and Dunn's investigation—the young veterinarian named Sno von Pandax.

The moment the pendulum divination began in the carriage, Sno's spirituality sensed it. However, he didn't stop shaking the cat-teasing stick. He simply adjusted his mood and waited quietly.

Then...

Feeling a bit sleepy?

As the thought crossed his mind, Sno shivered all over. Immediately after, he heard a somewhat hurried knocking at the door.

"Who is it?"

Sno picked up the little black kitten and placed it on his shoulder, then walked to the door. A steady and strong male voice came from outside:

"It's me, Dunn Smith."

"It really is you." Sno exclaimed inwardly, then reached out and opened the door. A middle-aged police officer with deep gray eyes appeared before him.

"Officer, what brings you here...?" Sno frowned slightly, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes. Dunn didn't waste any words. He took out his badge, showed it, and then directly stated, "We suspect you are involved in a murder case and hope you can assist with the investigation."

"A murder case?" Sno was slightly stunned, then became agitated. "I haven't left my room in half a month! The hotel staff can vouch for me!"

"I know, it's just a routine matter," Dunn said, trying to placate him. He then glanced around the room and asked, "Aren't you going to invite me in for a seat?"

"Alright, come in," Sno von Pandax nodded, stepping aside to let them through the doorway. He then spread his hands and said, "This is just an inn, we don't have any decent tea."

"It's fine, I'll leave after I'm done asking," Dunn Smith found a seat and took out a stack of documents. "Do you know Heinsohn Vincent?"

"Yes, I do. Half a month ago, when I went to the Diviner Club, I had him perform a divination for me. He told me it was inadvisable to go out recently, so I haven't left the inn for over half a month," Sno von Pandax nodded without hesitation, seemingly having a deep impression of the diviner.

"Why would you trust the word of a diviner you've only met once so much?" Dunn Smith's gray eyes stared intently into the young man's eyes. Sno von Pandax sighed and said helplessly, "If someone can deduce your life story with just a simple divination, I believe you'd also choose to heed their advice, especially when it concerns your life."

"Concerns my life?" Dunn Smith's gaze sharpened. Sno von Pandax immediately realized he had said something wrong, a wry smile appearing on his face…

ps: New book uploaded, please recommend, please collect.