Hunting a killer-a Medium could use the ability to communicate with souls to find a murderer directly.
Old Charlie had done it before, but not often.
In fact, strictly speaking, he had only done it twice.
Not only were there too many variables involved in hunting a killer, but it also required extensive preparations beforehand.
Simply put, of those two "killer hunts," the first had been something Old Charlie had been forced to do to establish his reputation after moving to South Los. The second had been to prove that he really could "hunt down a killer."
But Arthur had no need for such a thing right now.
This morning's special edition of The Horn Newspaper had already opened doors for him!
Besides, even if Arthur needed to stage a "killer hunt," he had to be the director, not someone dragged into the performance.
So Arthur prepared to turn her down tactfully.
To lay the groundwork, Arthur first furrowed his brow slightly. Just as he was about to speak, however, Malinda beat him to it.
"Are you surprised that I have a girlfriend?"
As she spoke, the lady put her pipe back between her lips. Fine little creases formed over the bridge of her nose as her blue eyes turned toward Arthur.
The rather traditional South Los-and indeed, all of South County-harbored prejudice against her behavior.
Thus, before speaking just now, the lady had already braced herself and decided how to respond.
Ordinary people could simply be ignored.
As for those like Dokule, who ran their mouths, mocked her without restraint, and insulted her?
They could simply die.
Arthur, however, smiled and shook his head.
"Not at all."
"I've seen stranger things."
He was neither pandering nor brushing her off. To Arthur, who had encountered someone sexually attracted to motorcycle exhaust pipes, this lady's sexual orientation was positively innocent.
Curiosity immediately surfaced in her blue eyes. She was just about to ask what he meant by stranger things when a knock came from the front door-not the doorbell-
Knock, knock-knock!
The heavy, forceful knocking drew Arthur's attention. He looked past Malinda toward the entrance. Through the open door of the hall, he saw a middle-aged man wearing the police's dark blue uniform. The man had a stern face and a firm stride. The police cap held securely against his left side bore both the new police badge and an old-style "Constable" badge.
Moreover, unlike patrol officers who carried only batons, this man wore a longsword. All of these things identified him as a police chief.
More importantly, Arthur recognized this police chief.
In his predecessor's memories, the man was named Lark, one of South Los's seven police chiefs.
Old Charlie had dealt with him once.
Stubborn, rude, and barbaric-that had been Old Charlie's assessment of the man.
As for anything more?
That was all!
You could hardly expect a Medium to associate with the police under normal circumstances.
Whenever a Medium dealt with the police, it was out of necessity.
In fact, Old Charlie's encounter with the man had left him with some thoroughly unpleasant memories.
And that unpleasantness was continuing to spread at this very moment-
"Arthur Credos, are you using those little tricks to drum up business for your family again?"
"Do you know I can arrest you on the spot for that?"
"Or...
"Would you prefer a more unforgettable lesson?"
The police chief who entered the Medium's Hall spoke with open hostility. In particular, the look he gave Arthur was as though he were looking at scum, a fraud, a pest.
Moreover, this police chief was even ruder than Old Charlie had described.
As his words hung in the air, the man drew his longsword partway from its sheath.
His stance made it clear that unless Arthur gave him a reasonable explanation, he would draw his sword and cut Arthur down on the spot.
There was no reason to doubt whether he had the nerve. In South Los-and indeed, throughout South County-people privately called police chiefs "blue devils" and "lovers of slaughter," often adding qualifiers such as "tyrannical," "overbearing," and "cruel."
That remained true even after the introduction of the New Police Act.
After all, compared with the New Police Act, which had only been introduced three years ago, the old Constable system had existed since before the Seven-Year War. It had at least fifty years of history behind it.
One only had to look at the old Constable badge still pinned to the side of Chief Lark's cap to understand the place that system held in people's hearts.
But none of that stopped Arthur from taking a loaded flintlock pistol out of the drawer and pointing it at him.
"Under the new act, I can shoot you dead without punishment for entering someone else's home without cause!"
Arthur did not want trouble, but once trouble came knocking, he had to resolve it as quickly as possible rather than dodge it. Dodging would only invite more trouble-in his hometown, he had seen plenty of people swerve into a motor lane to avoid a bicycle, only to be hit by a truck hauling sewage and drenched in liquid filth.
Facing the muzzle, Chief Lark stiffened. Surprise flashed in his eyes. Clearly, he could not believe Arthur had drawn a gun so decisively.
"I'm a police chief!"
Although the situation had caught him off guard, the police chief still wanted to appear tough. He raised his voice considerably to emphasize his point.
"The same applies to police chiefs. Under the new act, you need to obtain a search warrant from a judge before you have the right to enter my home. And in South Los, you have to apply to the Count."
Smiling, Arthur paid him no heed. His thumb cocked the hammer as he readied himself to fire.
Chief Lark's breathing quickened, and his face grew slightly pale. Watching this, Arthur silently thanked Old Charlie.
The reason he knew about this new act was that it had been recorded in the books Old Charlie had forced his predecessor to read.
Being a Medium is not a profession for rash judgment. Knowledge gives us power!
Old Charlie's words echoed in his ears, and Arthur wholeheartedly agreed.
He resolved to finish reading every book in the hall.
But that was for later. As for now?
Arthur waited.
He and Chief Lark were not the only people present. There was also a lady whose identity remained unknown: Malinda Julius Caesar.
Under normal circumstances, she would certainly intervene.
And if something unexpected happened?
Arthur was ready to head out to sea and become a pirate.
Although the new law permitted it, if he actually shot a police chief here and now, he would find himself unable to get anywhere in South Los. Rather than wait to be obstructed at every turn-or even attacked underhandedly-he might as well leave outright.
Arthur never doubted the goodness in people's hearts, just as he never doubted the evil in human nature.
Fortunately, the worst did not happen-
"Wait!"
The lady spoke up.
She rose from her chair and stepped between the two men.
"Chief Lark, I came to see Mr. Credos because of Anna. I hope Mr. Credos can help me find the person who murdered her."
Malinda looked at the police chief and spoke with utmost seriousness.
"A Medium hunting a killer? A fraudulent trick!"
Lark said this, but he sheathed his longsword.
The police chief knew perfectly well that he was not in control of the situation. Given a way out, he naturally took it.
Arthur likewise angled his flintlock pistol upward.
Malinda immediately gave Arthur a grateful smile.
Whether it was an act or sincere, Arthur nodded back out of courtesy.
That, however, made Lark frown.
"Regarding the Axe Murderer case, Ms. Caesar, you ought to put more faith in the police!"
"I assure you, we will catch the killer!"
The police chief raised his voice again to demonstrate his sincerity.
"I have faith in your abilities!"
Malinda nodded, generous with her praise. Only once the embarrassed expression on Lark's face had eased did she continue, "But the upcoming Swordsmanship Tournament has already taken up too much of your attention. As one of its judges, you won't be able to devote yourself fully to the Axe Murderer case for quite some time."
As she spoke, the lady sighed.
Her timing was quite precise. At least, as Arthur watched, the police chief's face showed the pride of a man who had just been flattered, and a smile appeared.
"I'll do my best to balance my time between the two!"
The man puffed out his chest as he spoke.
Arthur, sitting beside them, paid him no further attention. He sat quietly, his attention caught by the information in Malinda's words-
The Swordsmanship Tournament?
The Axe Murderer?
Before you continue