Chapter 435: 'The Detective'
Chapter 435: 'The Detective'
"So Awakened individuals are categorized based on their fields of expertise?" Lindsey asked, a hint of confusion in his tone.
"Everyone lives in the same city, and lower-stage Awakened individuals don't possess abilities that are too far beyond common sense. Won't this approach cause significant trouble?"
Wah Wah Wah explained, "These are rules set by the Art Association. If there's any trouble, they'll handle it themselves."
Savat, walking ahead, noticed the conversation between the two.
He turned back, his expression complex, and said, "The stability of society, the functioning of the city, the supply of resources, and even the minuscule probability of Awakening—all of these require a large population base to support the current development."
"You guys don't understand a thing, so don't go spouting all those ridiculous ideas in your heads!" Wah Wah Wah said without hesitation.
"It seems you've forgotten one thing."
"For artists, ordinary people are an indispensable and important existence."
Savat didn't respond but continued leading the way.
Lindsey recalled the specific classification of artists and suddenly realized, "Wah Wah Wah, are you talking about the type of artist you mentioned to me?"
"They create works to showcase to the public, so an important aspect of their skill progression is appreciation and recognition from others?"
Wah Wah Wah nodded, "Exactly, that's right."
"So they have a mutually dependent relationship, and many of the city's regulations are born from this."
Lindsey raised a question, "Has no one ever thought of using methods like mental control to accelerate the speed at which they gain recognition?"
Wah Wah Wah shook her head, "Recognition from someone under mental control won't help artists improve their skills."
"But it's precisely because of this that artists of this type are the most popular and the most numerous group in the city."
"..."
So, someone must have tried it before but failed, leading to the current situation?
Lindsey pondered as they continued their journey southwest, arriving at a private collection gallery before noon.
Greenpeak Gallery
The building stood gracefully along the water, constructed with reddish-brown bricks forming its main structure. The top was neatly covered with green tiles, resembling the scales of a green snake, yet retaining a unique charm.
The gallery's rustic exterior reflected the owner's exquisite taste.
These impressions were evident from the very first glance at the building's design, a true work of art.
The owner of this place was actually a Sixth Stage collector.
However, due to the recent incident in his family, he had temporarily moved out and ceased all external contact.
So, when Lindsey and the others arrived, the only person present was a maid maintaining the gallery.
"Lindsey, right?" Savat asked as he led the way upstairs.
They climbed the luxurious carpeted stairs, intricately carved from wood, and reached the second floor, where a mahogany door stood at the end of the hallway.
Hoo—
Beyond the door, a refreshing sea breeze greeted them, instantly revitalizing their spirits.
The room's entrance directly faced a window, allowing them to see the bright street outside without stepping further in.
Lindsey stepped into the room, his gaze taking in the luxurious surroundings: a plush goose-down bed, a delicate red cherry wood wardrobe, an exquisite painted dressing table, and a two-meter-tall full-length mirror, all capturing his attention.
"This is quite extravagant..." Lindsey's eyes scanned the room.
On the oak desk by the window, piled with books, he noticed a sketchbook with incredibly lifelike stage sketches. The play of light and shadow in the drawings was so perfect it was like a hand-drawn photograph!
"Wow, Fimbull Theatre," Wah Wah Wah immediately recognized the scene in the sketch.
"This is the most famous theatre in Thousand Sails City as of late," she added.
"The actress inside, Remstar, captivates the audience with her outstanding acting during performances, and she's also incredibly beautiful, rumored to be a once-in-a-millennium beauty!"
Lindsey instantly caught the subtle tone in Wah Wah Wah's voice.
"Wah Wah Wah, do you know her?"
Wah Wah Wah feigned indifference, "Oh, I wouldn't say I know her."
"A few years back, I defeated her in a performance, so we've had a bit of a history."
"..."
So, the previous praise was more about boasting about herself than complimenting the actress.
Lindsey fell silent for a moment.
Savat chose to break the awkwardness between them, "Did you come here just to flirt?"
"The Kuwait family's young lady is still missing!"
Lindsey activated his skill, entering a 'Detective' state.
The surroundings were scrutinized by Lindsey, who immediately noticed the materials of the furniture, the signs of use within the room, and the wear on the floor. But most importantly, his attention was drawn to a series of deep red footprints on the ground.
These footprints were a vivid red, indicating that they were left close to the time of the incident. Lindsey followed the footprints towards the window, only to find that they disappeared from the windowsill.
"Did someone jump out?" Lindsey's eyebrows arched in concentration.
[Human Footprints - Weight: 54kg. The identity is disguised, making it impossible to discern the gender.]
Savater joined Lindsey at the window, asking, "Well? Can you make out anything?"
Lindsey shared only his observations, not yet ready to speculate, "I'm searching for clues. At the very least, someone jumped out of this window..."
Savater interrupted Lindsey, "Of course I can see that too!"
"I can even tell you that these footprints lead to the water below, and the person jumped into the sea."
"The real question now is—how do we track them?" Lindsey asked with a meaningful glance.
"Can you make out these footprints?" Savater inquired.
"I'm a painter! Of course, I can see these footprints!" Savater replied.
"But they've erased their identity details, except for the act of jumping out the window. The kidnapper left no other information!" Savater's tone grew agitated.
"Lindsey, you brought me here, and this is all you can provide.?" Savater's frustration was evident.
Lindsey shook his head, "I'm not talking about the direction of the footprints, but the information they convey."
"Information?" Savater recalled Lindsey's behavior at the manor and closed his mouth.
Lindsey explained, "The weight of these footprints is off."
"They disguised their identity, but the weight on the dusty imprints remains unaltered. I can confidently tell you that the owner of these footprints weighs 54kg. It's impossible for two adults to be this light!"
Savater stared at the windowsill, stunned. "Weight..."
Lindsey continued his deduction, "If Miss Kuwait wanted to escape through this window, she wouldn't need to disguise her identity. So, these footprints couldn't have been left by her!"
Lindsey's words were unequivocal. During their previous adventure, he had paid attention to the weight information in the footprints. This wasn't referring to a person's weight but the combined weight of the person, their clothing, and any equipment they might be carrying.
As Savater heard this assessment, an unbelievable thought crossed his mind, "Could Miss Kuwait have eloped with an ordinary person?"
Lindsey shook his head, "I don't think so."
"Anthony only arrived in this city yesterday and spent most of his time with the Kuwaits. With the remaining free time, how could an ordinary person find their lover in such a vast city and then abduct them overnight?"
Lindsey returned indoors, focusing intently on the floor. Aside from the fresh footprints leading outside to the river, he quickly identified some older imprints.
[Female Footprints - Weight: 59kg. Healthy adult female.]
"No doubt, these footprints belong to Miss Kuwait."
"She weighs 59kg, and even if she ran naked, it's impossible for her footprints to be as light as the ones on the windowsill!"
Wah Wah Wah interjected, "Lindsey, girls' clothes can be quite heavy too, you know."
"That's not what I mean!" Lindsey was taken aback but quickly resumed tracking the footprints. "Look, these are her last traces from yesterday."
"Miss Kuwait didn't run to the window, nor did she return to bed. Instead, she sat at the desk, flipping through this sketchbook..."
Savater asked Lindsey, "So, you think she was here and then vanished?"
Lindsey turned to Wah Wah Wah, "Wah Wah Wah, your art spaces that can contain living things, can they also hold people and take them away?"
The girl shook her head, "That can happen, but not in this case."
"These independent spaces create noticeable essence fluctuations when they open and close, making it impossible to hide."
In Lindsey's eyes, the investigation had reached an impasse. But the situation wasn't as simple as it seemed.
After Wah Wah Wah's explanation, all the members of the Seven Seas Alliance in the room simultaneously thought of something: "Memory Channel!"
"To take someone away without anyone noticing, it must be the Memory Channel!"
(End of Chapter)
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