When the plot-skips players into the game world

Aiwass related the stack of fresh, warm White Crown bills to the even larger amount of bills in the bag.

This didn't look like a payment. If it were a payment, it should have been placed inside an envelope, easy to seal and carry. Scattered in a bag, not only could they be lost or damaged, but it could also lead to unnecessary disputes.

And it was even less likely for the newly acquired money—that made even less sense to hide directly in a backpack. Besides, it was not easy for a small town like Shepherd Bay County to come up with such a large sum of money.

If judged by the quality and material of the clothes... then the money should belong to the man who was shot in the back. That is, the owner of Aiwass's current coat, trousers, shirt, and sweater.

The coat was intact, but there was a gunshot wound on the shirt and sweater that penetrated from the back. And the wound was right in the center of the back, with little bloodstains. This indicated that his clothes were taken off not long after he was injured.

The couple claimed that Agni was a murderer and seemed to recognize him—their immediate recognition of Agni's face meant they were either scam artists, smugglers, or those peddling fake drugs. In any case, they were certainly no decent folk, and they recognized Agni at a glance.

This meant that Agni was either very famous or they had seen Agni's face just recently. For it to leave a strong impression on a stranger almost instantaneously... they must have just learned of Agni not long ago.

Under such circumstances, Agni's claim that "I am a teacher here on vacation with my daughter" naturally couldn't be trusted.

Yet they were convinced Agni had a "noisy little one" with him, even without having seen Daiya and were even willing to sell Aiwass an expensive potion to make her quiet.

—All things considered, there was only one possibility.

"Agni" was a wanted kidnapper or possibly an escapee, and the name was likely his real one. In an era without television or radio, the couple probably saw Agni's identity in the newspaper recently.

Clearly, Agni had obtained the ransom. But Daiya was still with him.

And Daiya said she had a dream, dreaming that her father was swimming naked in the river.

—Could it be that he was stabbed in the back by Agni while removing his coat? Afterwards, the clothes were taken off by Agni, and the body was thrown into the river?

And just as Aiwass had forgotten this part of the memory, Daiya had likewise forgotten it.

This would explain the money in the bag, the gunshot wound on the clothes, Daiya's dream, and the anomalies on his body.

There was just one point that puzzled Aiwass.

Why was Daiya still with him? Or rather... why hadn't he killed Daiya yet?

Taking advantage of Merlin chatting with the unusually enthusiastic dancer, Aiwass squinted and pondered to himself.

—So many people gathered here under the storm; there must be a reason. Although it might just be pure coincidence in reality, since this piece of history was extracted and modified for the ceremony, there was definitely a reason, a connection.

It's like when you see someone you dislike in a TV show, at most you might think how they'll be embarrassed later; but if you see such a person in "Detective Conan," then you can start thinking about who the murderer is.

By their cover identities, they had no connection whatsoever.

But if you take "Agni" as a kidnapper, a murderer... or an escapee who had kidnapped a little girl, then a different picture comes to light.

Aiwass sharply sensed an issue that lay beneath the identity.

—The news of "Agni's" mystery appeared in "The Cattle and Bay," and the couple recognized him from the newspaper; Merlin is currently posing as the reporter for "The Cattle and Bay"; and this old Inspector must also be following him here. These people, they all had reasons to gather together.

So the question arises.

What is the dancer here for?

Or rather... is she really just a stripper?

In this situation, who is she most likely to be?

Aiwass felt a hunch, vaguely formulating a guess.

First of all, "Agni" was not a good person. The couple was the same, whether they were fake drug dealers or smugglers, also not good people. The true identity of the reporter was Jacob Alexander, founder of the Hand of the Scaleless, who liked to kill people with curses, in some ways, a hired assassin.

And the old Inspector played by Pure White—

He came here alone... So where was his Gryphon?

Moreover, Gryphons are not afraid of storms, not even the half-blood ones. After all, a Gryphon's means of attack are storms and thunder.

Or rather...

Is he truly an Inspector?

Or could it be that he is just clad in leather armor, wielding an Elf Short Sword... but not really an Inspector at all?

From this perspective, it seemed that aside from Daiya, none of them were up to any good. Then who could a dancer with a plain face and a good figure, active in a town area, possibly be?

Aiwass had no evidence. But he could try probing each one in turn.

"I have something I'd like to discuss with this lady,"

suddenly said Aiwass to the reporter and Inspector.

"Alone?"

The journalist pressed, "Do I need to be present?"

"No, you can go out too."

"Alright, no problem."

The journalist promptly agreed and immediately stopped his conversation with the dancer, pulling the old Inspector away with him.

The old Inspector seemed a bit puzzled, but he did not resist the journalist. Instead, he obediently followed him out.

"Sir, are you looking for me... to discuss business?"

The dancer, alone with the burly Agni, still showed no fear.

She just smiled and leaned closer, resting her right hand lightly on Aiwass's chest, "The price is negotiable..."

But Aiwass did not take her hand, instead asking back, "Do you know me?"

"Are you somebody famous? A football star?"

The dancer laughed as she spoke, unconcerned.

But Aiwass shook his head and whispered two sentences in her ear. The dancer's expression changed immediately.

The first thing Aiwass said was, "Darkness is our mother, poison and medicine are our sisters."

Following that, he added, "Master Ciliere sends his regards."

Afterward, Aiwass asked again, "Do you recognize me now?"

The dancer looked at Aiwass with a mix of shock and doubt. She hesitated for a moment, then pulled a lipstick from her bosom, "Do you know what this is?"

——Excellent, got it right on the first try.

Aiwass had thought that if he guessed wrong this time, he would just continue trying one by one. Anyway, by the time she got to the next level, she wouldn't remember anything.

This was a crucial piece of information that a player passing through normally could never obtain—in other words, at least a hidden clue.

He took the lipstick cautiously, being careful not to touch it. Seeing his gesture, the dancer already breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at its dark red sheen, Aiwass uncertainly asked, "Is it 'Affection'?"

"That's right, my brother. Be careful not to touch it," the dancer said, as she took the lipstick back.

After a moment of thought, she answered, "The identity you're using now should be Agni Shiva, imprisoned for robbing a bank. Escaped three days ago, kidnapped the banker's daughter Daiya... Why are you using this identity?

"Or is it that your memory has some problems?"

"I suspect that everyone's memory is faulty—I just had an illusion that I was really Daiya's father. I doubted whether I was still the real me until I saw you."

Aiwass spoke seriously, "In fact, I suspect we are all in a dream right now. Why don't you try to remember what you've forgotten?"

On hearing this, the dancer's expression turned serious too.

She furrowed her brows and pondered for a while but still couldn't recall.

She blurted out, "Are you saying there's something wrong with this hotel?"

But all Aiwass did was ask back, "What are you here for?"

"I am here to..."

The words spilled out from the dancer.

But before she could finish, her expression gradually turned to surprise.

"What were you about to say?"

"...I wanted to say I came here to take shelter from the rain," the dancer knit her brows, "but that doesn't seem likely..."

Aiwass immediately pressed down on the dancer's arm and commanded in an uncompromising tone, "Give me a way to quickly gain your trust. I suspect you'll forget all this at any moment."

"I am 'Honey Badger', only in Shepherd Bay County for two weeks. These two facts should be enough."

The dancer maintained her caution, "Is this how Hand of the Scaleless also joined your investigation team?"

"Yes, Jacob and I are investigating this. But don't blow my cover."

Aiwass nodded, a somewhat terrifying smile spreading across his scarred face, "Then, see you in a bit, sister."

"See you in a bit, brother."