| First Investigation

Arc 1 | A Detectives End

Phase 1 | The 13th Star Etched In History

"Thank you; come again!" Chachi waves at the two, leaving them both to depart elsewhere. After hearing that quaint story from Chachi, which was in turn told by his great grandfather, Carol, Tsubasa got a notice from Luna, who wanted to meet up after she got changed and ran some errands.

Even though that was the only story about Reia, I wouldn't mind listening to more stories from Chachi. I'll definitely come back there. On the way to the rendezvous point, the two of them had been walking through the Inner City.

They had passed through many streets with commuting residents and citizens alike, which differed in physical appearances; some had pointy ears (elves, I presume), and others had animal-like tails (demihumans too?) Tsubasa and Carol later came across a peculiar store labeled the 'Ivory Dream Casino'.

A casino? My, oh my, what a splendid facility indeed! Tsubasa grinned mischievously, letting out a sly laugh. As they approached the entrance, Tsubasa couldn't help but wonder what kind of games and entertainment awaited them inside.

The vibrant lights and the sound of laughter coming from within only heightened their curiosity. Carol, on the other hand, seemed a bit hesitant, unsure if they should deviate from their original plan. She eyed the casino with great interest and even clasped both her hands together.

Tsubasa started to notice slowly that she really had been letting out her inner child since her arrival in this new world she now resides in. Could I perhaps like it here? Tsubasa wondered, contemplating the possibility of finding a new sense of belonging in this world filled with excitement and joy.

As they approached the entrance, Carol's hesitant expression transformed into a faint smile, reflecting her growing anticipation. It seemed that their adventure was about to take an unexpected turn, one that could potentially lead to a newfound sense of happiness and fulfillment.

"I'll stay guard outside. I really dislike casinos in general since there are people who are willing to risk their money on gambits and may even resort to relying on evil loan sharks. Actually, I propose you meet up with Luna first, and I'll join you guys later."

Now that I think about it, are you even old enough to go in there?" Carol narrows her eyes in suspicion. I, Seijuku Tsubasa, am in fact old enough to go in there; do not assume my age based on appearances alone, and I am well aware of what a casino is; the officer, you needn't worry."Tsubasa reassures Carol, raising her right arm like she was performing a pledge of allegiance.

Of course, I know that casinos themselves have a negative impact on society. But the thrill and risk make it all the more fun. Carol didn't seem too convinced, yet she shrugged herself off and left Tsubasa to her own devices. "Time to put on my poker face!"

After saying that, Tsubasa's expression got serious as she slowly entered the place."Woah" Tsubasa wasn't in awe due to the casino itself; rather, it was the fact that the first thing that came to her sight was a lot of strong-looking men on their knees sobbing.

Typical; that's what people get for calling 'all in' without thinking straight. Tsubasa couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, knowing that she was about to enter a world where emotions ran high and fortunes were won or lost in an instant. She took a deep breath, ready to face the challenge and show off her skills at the poker table.

I just love destroying the thickness of their arrogance. Humbling them is what they need. Tsubasa felt no pity for petty people who didn't consider the consequences of their actions.

It wasn't that these people failed or lost; it was the fact that they couldn't accept that they lost and groveled on the floor begging for their money back.

Tsubasa believed that such individuals needed a reality check to understand the importance of humility and responsible decision-making. She found satisfaction in teaching them this valuable lesson, as it reminded her of the unpredictable nature of life and the need to accept defeat gracefully.

I approached a house dealer and challenged him. I had floated amidst the rushing noise and lights of the casino for at least two hours. I was down, but the house dealer was up. I slid a chip next to my standing bet and said, "Double."

Whether the dealer or the bartender listened, it was all the same to me. The smell of the all-you-can-eat buffet shrimp The sounds of cards whirring in the hands of the dealers The bells and whistles of the various slot machines and the racketing noise of their levers being pulled; The jingling of quarters The playground of neon and strobing lights The murmur of the crowds The clicking of a roulette wheel, the way red and black rush together as it spins The sight of gold, silver, and bronze and exquisite fountains and statuary The high rollers in their suits are gliding like sharks, and the man is sobbing in the corner because he's lost everything.

The rough-brushed feel of the green felt on the craps table and the soft tumble of the dice as they bounce off the walls The air is thick with anticipation and the scent of cigars, mingling with the occasional cheer or groan from nearby slot machines.

The exalted shout: Winner, winner, chicken dinner!"He had flopped, and I came out on top.[House Dealer]: "How is this possible?"

You weren't playing that aggressively enough and simply didn't know when to bet." Tsubasa began explaining the factors that led to the dealer's loss in head-poker (1v1 variant). The ranking of Poker hands is based on mathematics.

The less likely a player is to get a certain hand, the higher it ranks and the more likely it is to win the pot. For example, a player should not expect to be dealt a straight flush more than once in 65,000 hands, but they can expect to be dealt a pair about once in every 21 hands.

Unless a player is planning to bluff, they should not make a bet without holding a hand that they think may be the best. No Poker player can bet intelligently unless they know what constitutes a good hand, a fair hand, and a bad hand.

A table of the various Poker hands and the number of combinations of each in a pack of cards is provided. I just intuitively knew that my hand was far superior to yours! Your last fold was a blunder!

[House Dealer]: "You are assuming you can do better math than me?"

[Tsubasa]: "I am not assuming; I know I am better than you."

The dealer got even more outraged; Tsubasa had outwitted him in the span of 2 hours or so. The banker was also astonished. Seeing a young girl defeat a house dealer was an absurd sight.

But she won fair and square and took her prize pool of 100,000 DS. Tsubasa was ecstatic, to say the least; she had bested someone in his main game. That was it.

She didn't fancy the prize pool all that much but gladly accepted it."Now put up a good fight, Mr. Dealer."The dealer faltered in defeat, both his arms slamming against the poker table, shattering his fine glass of wine.

Tsubasa had fun and saw no reason to stay there. Please, I CAN PAY BY NEXT WEEK, I swear."

Tsubasa overheard a man with agony in his voice; he was accompanied by a woman (very likely to be his wife). His screeching voice was directed at another house dealer in desperation. Now, now, that wasn't the deal; that 'bargaining chip' was due by today; pay The dealer halted and felt something brewing in his throat.

He vomited out an obscene amount of blood from his mouth all over his poker table. The man who was just raising his voice in disparity shrieked in even more fear than he had begun with. The dealer was dead; there was nothing else; he had died right in front of Tsubasa. Casino security guards came in to aid the dead man.

Tsubasa had already assumed it was too late; his skin got too pale instantly. This made a scene; everyone departed in a rush after witnessing a death. Death was all too familiar to Tsubasa, just like how death took her mother away from her."Don't TOUCH THAT body," Tsubasa said, raising her voice to the casino guards."I need to analyze the situation here; a detective needs all the resources she needs."

A detective? How convenient" The dealer who dealt a duel of poker with Tsubasa earlier said it in sarcasm."You can grovel somewhere else, or does being in the same room as the young maiden myself who bested you still lurk in your archives of embarrassment?"

Some humility would put you in check. The dealer became outraged once more and stormed away from the scene, allowing Tsubasa to work her magic and investigate her first crime. "I see.." This man was poisoned by an unknown agent.

Tsubasa pointed to the shattered wine glass on the floor beside the corpse. Tsubasa didn't exactly know what kind of poison was at work here, but there were some remnants of the wine that spewed out of the mouth of the corpse. In other words, "they have the same scent, and it's undeniable that the dealer got poisoned to death."

Surrounding the corpse stood the two couples, other house dealers, the casino manager, the casino guards, and Tsubasa herself. Everyone but those mentioned remained in the casino, trying to undergo and unravel this horrible turn of events. A dreadful tension filled the casino.

The square was surrounded on all sides by security guards. They had overflowed a scant few hours ago, and there were still signs of the shrieking citizens dispersing the area.

The man on his knees, who went by the name 'Paul Sutluts, shuddered and licked his lips, suddenly feeling very dry, and then gritted his teeth. A cold sweat formed on his back as he dwelled on the lying corpse in his sight.

It was only natural. In the presence of death, it can lead to a traumatic lapse of insanity and despair. But my perceptive insights tell me he was always like this—a coward."Hmm, I see."

[Paul]: "I swear I had nothing to do with his death."Here's the current breakdown of the story so far:

The man supposedly a prime suspect in the now-dead 'house dealer case was in serious debt and even resorted to loans that weren't even guaranteed he would get the money to pay the debtors.

He somehow miraculously gambled an uncertain amount of money, which itself was an uncertainty should he keep his promise to deliver. Yet he vigorously exclaimed that he had nothing to do with the dealer's death.

To put it bluntly, this man was the epitome of stupidity. Despite his dire financial situation and questionable choices, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope for the man, as he vehemently denied any involvement in the dealer's demise. However, his reckless behavior and lack of foresight painted a picture of someone who consistently made foolish decisions.

A very bold and cliché response, of course; no one would go out of their way to confess their crimes if that were the case. But to speculate, the motive fits him the most.

The Ivory Dream Casino is known for its great and luxurious reputation among the rich and poor alike. This wasn't according to anyone. I didn't need any kind of verification from anyone; I could easily tell the moment I walked in.

Rich bureaucrats accompanied by half-naked beast-humans (later I must make a note to get further analysis on their tails, so puffy) alongside old fat men wearing ragged and ripped clothes A very direct reflection of democracy and corrupt reality, no matter where it is, is that this system will be dominated by people who wish to rule and exploit for their own selfish benefit. Mother mentioned this to me once before during one of her cases of attempted murder of a politician.

I was never allowed to know much about her cases, whether they were solved or not. She would say it was confidential and pat me lightly on the head when I showed much interest in her work. The casino was very posh, and the house dealers looked very wealthy and arrogant; this was enough information for me to deduce that no one within the casino itself would eliminate one of their own.

Unless some other personal motive was at hand here, I doubt it. The manager was rather frustrated than sad. This would be bad for business.

I questioned him and the other house dealers about their relationship with him."He was one of the best dealers I've known. It'd make sense for someone to kill him; he's made way too much money, probably out of jealousy."

Killing seemed way too intense for a simple reason like jealousy. If the killer was really jealous, beating him up and using him instead would be more profitable. Just killing him would attract too much attention. Some other detective other than me would catch on to this killer eventually."It's hard to believe someone would actually kill him. Maybe it was the Demon Worshippers?"That was a weird directive.

It seems to me that the 'Demon Worshippers' were the same people who tried to abduct or even kill Luna, Daphne, and myself; these people held a heavy reputation for them, and everyone feared them for reasons I don't know. But this crime was definitely below their chaotic behavior. It made no sense.

They might as well blow up the whole casino, just like they did to many districts in the Outer City."He certainly had a good relationship with the others and myself; I can't think of anyone who would do this to him." The manager of the casino said it solemnly."Any personal relationships outside of work? Maybe he hinted about something he had to do recently?"

"No, nothing like that of the sort; we would all go drinking here if not the tavern."This is getting nowhere, but a tavern might seem worth a shot. It seems these people working here really had nothing against him; they were like family. Paul was still groveling on the floor while his wife was comforting him by gently stroking his back. Paul really didn't want to be arrested or receive a penalty. Even if what he said was true, it's hard to pin this on someone else, and I absolutely won't allow this case to go unresolved!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"The Ghastly Snail Pub" was the tavern mentioned by the casino manager. From the outside, it looks crude, ugly, and unfriendly. Hardwood planks and wooden pillars make up most of the building's outer structure.

It's tough to see through the small, stained glass windows, but the awkward silence from within can be felt outside. As I enter the tavern through the hard wooden door, I'm welcomed by the sound of the wind outside and the thick air.

The bartender is talking to a customer and makes no effort to acknowledge my presence. It's as dull inside as it is on the outside. Rounded, wooden beams support the upper floor and the light fixtures attached to them.

The walls are covered in a layer of dust, making it nearly impossible to see what the few paintings on the walls are about. The tavern itself is almost completely abandoned. The few people inside could be anybody, really, but whoever they are, you think it's probably time to leave right now.

I did hear rumors about this tavern from the casino associates; supposedly it's infamous for something, but for the life of you, you can't remember what. Though judging by the figures lurking in the shadows, it's probably some dirty business. Yet they come here often. It was my only lead.

"Welcome! What can I get for you, young lady?" The bartender welcomed me in a friendly manner. I assume this place doesn't get too many young girls; this place reeks of vomit and liquor!

I struggled to get atop the high stools; this thing was made for giants! Using my weak upper body strength, I used the power of physics and thrust my entire body atop the seat and wriggled both my legs upward to achieve a center of gravity. I did it.

As I settled onto the stool, I noticed the curious glances from the regular patrons. Despite the less-than-ideal ambiance, this bar seemed to hold some significance for my investigation. What was that impudent sound of laughter I heard? "WHAHAHAHAHA" EHH!" I squeaked on impulse.

The bartender was laughing at my pathetic attempt to mount the seat. I was being mocked. Somehow, getting on the seat was more difficult than mounting an old horse. To him, I probably looked like a helpless child. Well, it does feel like that.

"Sorry, my bad, I've never had a small but cute customer like you!" The bartender's comment only added to my embarrassment. I couldn't help but feel like a spectacle, an object of amusement for the other patrons in the bar.

It was clear that I needed to regain my composure if I wanted to maintain any semblance of professionalism in this investigation.

The old, dark-skinned bartender slammed the bar table, unable to control his laughter. I was feeling agitated and annoyed by this. But being called 'cute' does feel nice, I suppose. "Um, I would like to gather some information on a person named 'Dimitri Avolo.

Dimitri was the name of the dead corpse, the person I'd been trying to find the killer for. "Ah, Dimitri! What a crazy gambler and chick magnet!"

"So you know him!" I too slammed my two palms on the table to keep up with the bartenders' carefree but explosive rhythm."Yeah, he and his buddies come here from time to time; he's got no family, but he does mingle with a lot of women if you know what I mean."

He mischievously winked at me. I felt very flustered and embarrassed by this, and my face turned red. "WHAHAHA SO CUTE"

"PLEASE REFRAIN FROM TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING SO VULGAR, YOU GEEZER."That's the spirit! It's no fun if people are too serious about everything!" He was amused by my impulsive reactions.

I could see that the bartender enjoyed teasing me and getting a laugh out of me. It added to the lively atmosphere of the bar, where everyone seemed to be in good spirits. What was he saying? Teasing me when we just met!

I don't really know how anyone would deal with these situations. I wasn't exactly the most sociable and charismatic person in my school days. My intelligence was so high that other students would feel intimidated by trying to talk to me.

However, as I grew older, I realized the importance of developing social skills and learned to navigate these situations with more ease.

Despite my initial discomfort, I found myself intrigued by the bartender's playful banter and welcomed the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone. I once single-handedly destroyed other schools in a debate competition.

I never really understood social cues because I deemed them pointless. But for once in my life, I was perplexed: why is it that old men like teasing me?

Anyway, I need information on Dimitri!"Oh, I see you trying to hit on him."The teasing won't end with him, will it?"NO" DIMITRI IS DEAD!

"What"

His happy demeanor diminished entirely when he heard that. "I came here in hopes of finding a lead to his death; he died of poisoning." "I-I see..." His behavior changed; it felt like he was more conscious of the situation, and like me, he didn't take it too lightly either.

"He came here a few days ago." The bartender seemed to reminisce about his last encounter with Dimitri. "A man...he was here arguing with his wife a few days ago". He turned around and started to grab a cloth to dry his pint-sized glass cups. He continued "I didn't hear much, nor did I care to listen, but they were talking about Dimitri...At first, I didn't believe it to be the Dimitri I knew, but he brought up something about a lack of finances to pay him. No doubt they were talking about Dimitri Avolo.

He loved to deal with petty gamblers and always managed to snack on their good money. The wife started crying, and the man broke one of my glasses and stormed out"."The wife, of course!" I thought to myself, realizing that the conversation must have been about Dimitri Avolo's wife and her financial troubles. It seemed like their argument had escalated to a point where the husband's frustration led him to break one of my glasses and leave in anger. "What are you on about? It's obviously the man who attempted that murder on my friend!"The bartender gritted his teeth in annoyance. I had already figured out the case after hearing this.No, you see! In that argument, it was the wife who attempted the murder!"???"I've already interrogated that man; it's not like I would believe anything he said, but he was caught up in the action alongside his wife, and the wife most likely was arguing with her husband because of their financial deficit."Ah huh, that makes sense " The bartender was confused.

"She probably proposed to kill their debtors like Dimitri to get away from their problems; they were in a situation that cornered them, and the devil's due was closing in on them. The husband stormed out because he couldn't accept something so diabolical as to actually kill and was heavily conflicted."That seems far-fetched to me."The wife...she was always there, yet I didn't question her, nor did she defend her husband. A distinct set of footsteps were heard.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Again!" a woman screamed furiously."I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT GOT OVER ME, DEAR."I'VE HAD IT WITH YOUR EXCUSES!"

The woman had streams of tears gravitating towards the crumpled paper she had crushed in her hands. The man in a dreadful state had already accepted defeat, or rather, he had accepted the reality of their situation and simply gave up and embraced the consequences of his actions, consequences that even his wife would have to bear.

Couldn't pay rent. Couldn't pay for food. Couldn't pay for clothes. Couldn't pay for anything..."You had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to use that gambling money for good, but you instead went out drinking like always!"

The wife threw a glass mug at Paul, which he missed. Her eyes were still filled with rage, anger, and agony. Paul knew what he did was unforgivable; he had won a jackpot in one of his gambling games, yet like the drunk bastard he was, he got greedy and spent it all on drinking with his friends. Anna, Dear, I'll get the money back."No, YOU won't."

"ONCE YOU GET THE MONEY, YOU'LL JUST THROW IT OUT AGAIN ON LIQUOR, YOU PIECE OF SHIT."These kinds of harsh arguments happened frequently. Truth be told, Paul Sutluts was once a talented swordsman; back in his adventuring days with his guild mates, he was a Paladin-level swordsman.

He could take on C- and B-tier quests, which paid well. Everything was going well for Paul and Anna, who were both together in the same guild. Back then, when they both resided in the city of Hoyura on the Lunaria continent, there was high competition amongst guild adventurers. With the rise of Demon beasts and monsters lurking around in the aftermath of the 'Battle Of Tyrants, a battle said to be between the predecessors of the Sword Saint and their great family rival and sworn enemies, the Sorcerer Supreme faction, Their unknown bitter hatred of each other, dating back a millennium, has resulted in a divide between sword users and spellcasters. Guilds in today's era had either one swordsman or one spellcaster, but never in the same guild.

Paul was a swordsman, and Anna was a greater-level witch. With rising obstructions from demons and monsters alike, the guild was formed under false pretense, and somehow their guild was formed with the two together, knowing full well it was forbidden, but they loved each other so much.

They weren't the only guilds who broke this forbidden law; others followed suit, and sooner or later, a majority of guilds in Hoyura consisted of both sword and spell users.

Even though the city of Hoyura triumphed against the rampaging demons, the authorities and the Emperor prohibited this from spreading. So they forcefully disbanded all guilds in Hoyura.

"What! But we all saved the city? AND THEY CALL IT TREASON!""YOU CAN'T DO THIS! These ARE ignorant people. All their swords were aimed at us. We SAVED THE city. One by one STOPslashes of their inhumane swords through their bodiesLet THEM go. Just me would've been fine.NOIt's my fault. None of them deserves this.

They didn't DO anything. bodies...bodies making the gravel crunch ME go. My beating heart is screaming. Let ME go. just because what I did amounted to this? STOP IT, I BEG OF YOU We fought so hard to save Hoyura, and here I see it being burned down with flames enveloping everything.STRAX Please don't kill him. AMANDA, not her too. ANNA"...I reached out my hands for my fallen guildmates. Everyone died. We saved Hoyura, we fought valiantly, and we warded off our enemies. All who came back home found armed soldiers burning everything. They were imperial knights. They were supposed to bring peace. They were supposed to help us fight. Why. Why are they killing everyone? "We are marking Hoyura as decommissioned! You all committed taboo by forming guilds with both swordsmen and spellcasters. It is utterly disgusting and humiliating! You all risked the world's peace, and for that, you will atone for your sins!"

A man's voice was heard through the atmosphere. I thought that by bringing together both swords and sorcerers, we could live in true harmony.

Was the testament of our love not proof of that? That it was possible to make it come true? I'm sorry Strax, my best friend, you have always had my back through thick and thin. I'm sorry, Amanda; you were the strongest of us and the most reliable when it came to leadership. I can never thank you enough for bringing us this far.

Saving your sister, Anna, was all I could do."Paul--"Anna!"Everyone was gone. Only I and Anna remained. I was being killed and tortured while watching my friends and fellow guildmates plundered to death. Some were quick. Others were tortured so bitterly. All that mattered was Anna's safety. They called it the 'Hoyura Incident', and they branded us as monsters, thinking that we were trying to disrupt peace. If we had all talked this through, it would have ended differently.

If I had never met Anna, at least she would be safe. I took us both far away from that hell. Built a new 'life' in Ryuken City. Because we were branded as terrorists, I couldn't get a job, and I couldn't rejoin the guild association. Making a living was impossible. I still had treasures from our guild adventures, but they would soon die out. Gambling for more money was all I could do."I'm sorry it turned out like this, Anna." Despite the difficult circumstances, I hoped that our new life in Ryuken City would provide some stability. However, as time went on, it became clear that our financial situation was deteriorating rapidly. The desperation pushed me to resort to gambling as a last resort to try and secure some much-needed funds. I HATE YOU, PAUL; MY SISTER DIED BECAUSE OF YOU.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Paul was an idiot. They all were."Tsubasa listened to that story in silence and came to the conclusion that her past does not justify her murder attempts."

But he did it out of goodwill; even though it went wrong, you didn't have to try to kill him."He cared for you, Anna."If that were true, he wouldn't have drunk himself away!""You were all he could think about.

Did you even try comforting him this whole time since then? You weren't the only one feeling pain from all that, right?"

He must have felt just as bad; actually, I argue he had it worse."THAT'S ENOUGH FROM YOU. WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW WHAT HE'S BEEN THROUGH?"Hmm. Is that all you needed to hear, officer?""Wha-Yup, that clears everything; I once again tip my hat to you, Tsubasa-chan!"Please drop the 'chan' part, Carol.

"You set me up?!"

Anna widened her eyes in disbelief and angrily"You set yourself up... I knew the killer would shear himself up the deeper I dug into this case, which was a piece of cake!"Carol waltzes into the tavern and handcuffs Anna.

Anna stayed silent, which was surprising given her short temper. Just what did Paul see in her? Wait, that's it?"Yup, mister bartender, you see, initially Anna meant to kill Paul and used his debt to make Dimitri pay a fortune to her.

Somehow it went sideways and Dimitri instead got poisoned by the fluid put in by Anna."Ahuh," he just scratched his head, perplexed."Did I get that right, Anna?"

No response, but that automatically meant I was right. If only they had communicated well and talked about their struggles, it wouldn't have accumulated into such a broken marriage. I do feel bad about what happened to them and Hoyura, but this and that are completely different matters. All this is because of love."You know, at first, I didn't really get what you were going with here, kid, but that was a good case solved for little Miss Detective." That's right, my first mystery was solved, and though it wasn't too mind-bending, I'm satisfied that my abilities aren't waning. I could hardly call that an investigation, but I can't help but shake off an uneasy feeling from all that.