CHAPTER 95: MAKING A DEAL WITH A DEMON

Wayne caught Olga when she collapsed, lifting her into a bridal carry. She was light, likely less than ninety pounds.

“Is the mystery so easy to solve?” Kael looked at Olga in surprise, then looked at the mushroom bottle in his hand. He couldn’t tell if the maid had told the truth.

“She didn’t lie. She was Dana from ten years ago.” Wayne carried Olga to the adjacent room, turned on the light, and placed her on the sofa, using his fingertips to open her eyes to examine her.

Kael watched from the side and asked curiously, “What are you checking? Is she a human or a ghost?”

“Pretty sure she’s human, just possessed by other souls.”

Yes, souls. There was more than one!

The more he examined her, the more surprised he became. Olga’s thoughts were extremely chaotic. Multiple souls lay dormant within her body. Besides her relatively intact soul, the other could only be described as fragments. Dana’s soul, which had just manifested, was near disintegration like a flickering candle in the wind; it could extinguish at any moment.

These souls fed on vital energy and attached themselves to the maid like parasites, causing severe damage to her mental state. During the day, the maid might be herself, but it was hard to say at night. She could be Dana or someone else...

He explained his conclusion. Kael said in realization, “No wonder her personality keeps changing and she sleepwalks. So that’s why.”

Wayne nodded. “Her condition was likely caused by magic. Mr. Bart isn’t an ordinary person but a mage.”

Of course, there was another possibility: Olga could possess a rare magical constitution.

His master had told him that there existed a variety of strange constitutions in the world, including Veronica’s dragon blood. The magical constitutions could be good or bad. Not all granted enhanced abilities like dragon blood. Some mutations were more like curses, and without treatment or guidance, those with the constitution died young before reaching adulthood.

Incidentally, Silvia believed Wayne’s pure mana to be a mutation, making him a chosen one and an extremely rare favored apostle who appeared once in a blue moon.

Planck believed him to be even greater. Wayne was able to perfectly resonate with every type of divine power. His unprecedented nature couldn’t be covered by a simple constitutional mutation, but atavism.

Planck believed that Wayne had awakened the original bloodline from the dawn of mythology; he was a descendant of the gods, one of the first humans.

Magical constitutions couldn’t be boiled down to a few archetypes. Some were innate, and others were acquired. Wayne didn’t know where Olga’s constitution came from, only that due to her special constitution, her body could accommodate more souls.

It could be a discovery in the magical world. As the one to discover it first, Wayne had the right to name it. He decided on an intuitive title—the Bus Constitution.

“Should we continue?” Wayne stood up and talked to Kael. “The family has a more complicated background than I imagined. If the missing Myron Bart is a mage, we can’t rule out the possibility that one of the family members also uses magic. Your investigation method of feeding mushrooms to everyone will get you caught. If things get out of hand, your life can be threatened.”

Kael pondered for a moment. “The mystery has only just begun to reveal itself. As a detective, I can’t give up now. Compared to danger, I hate giving up halfway much more.”

Wayne thought the same. The puzzle was too intriguing. He was curious why Myron Bart had his double commit suicide, while he disappeared without a trace. Was he hiding or lurking? The other family members might provide answers.

They exchanged a glance and both thought of their respective client. Marina, the mistress of the family, and Hayden, the eldest son, had separately asked for a detective from Londan to investigate the case, and it was one month after the suicide. That meant both knew that Bart wasn’t dead. After searching for him for a month with no results, they commissioned detectives to let the professionals handle it.

“Do you know the mistress’s room, Kael?”

“Of course, but let me say this upfront: we’re professionals. When feeding her the mushrooms, don’t stick them in the wrong place.”

...I know what you’re insinuating. That’s an awful joke.

Kael might not be a proper gentleman, but he was a skilled detective. With only a small wire, he easily unlocked the door to Marina’s room.

Wayne watched from the side. Kael would charge ahead while he provided cover. Without knowing who the mage was, the division of labor made it more convenient for him to collect Kael’s body should things go wrong.

Unfortunately, they got nothing. The bedroom was empty, and they found no hidden mechanisms or passages inside.

Then they went for Hayden, the eldest son, and Stuart, the second son. These two were pure simpletons who, after eating the delicious mushrooms, confessed everything: they didn’t know the truth and naively believed their father to be dead, so they stayed glued to the ancestral home for the chance to divide the inheritance.

The difference was that the eldest son wasn’t entirely brainless. He found his father’s death suspicious and believed his beautiful stepmother to be behind it, so he spent a lot of money hiring a detective through the White Glove Society. If he got lucky and acquired blackmail material against his stepmother, he might inherit not just the estate, but her, too.

In comparison, the second son was a typical idiotic child spoiled by his rich family. He was all brawn and no brain, staying at home only for the inheritance.

The discovery was quite a blow to Wayne. When he learned that the second son was a failed student, he had bet on him being the culprit, thinking he would beat all his competitors at getting cuffed with silver bracelets. But really?

Reality was a slap to his face. He had overthought it. While both failed to get into their dream schools, a failed student athlete and a failed art student weren’t in the same league at all.

***

Wayne and Kael came to the last family member’s door—Heidi, the Bart family’s third child and eldest daughter.

Kael skillfully picked the lock while Wayne stayed close behind. Just as they closed the door behind them, Wayne sensed trouble. He could tell from the smell that Marina was here as well. He grabbed Kael’s shoulder and made simple hand gestures to tell Kael that there was more than one person in the inner bedroom—it was part of the original Wayne’s muscle memory.

Kael was slightly surprised. Having understood Wayne’s signs, he gave Wayne one mushroom and approved of his professionalism.

So many talented people in this profession. You’re no ordinary man, buddy!

Likewise.

The two crept into the inner bedroom in the dark. The large bed in the center of the bedroom was classical and luxurious with a gorgeous, elegant canopy decorated with lace and trimming, the details elaborate to the extreme. It was the typical Rococo style.

With the moonlight coming in from the window, Wayne could see two ladies on the bed. He’d seen Marina during the day. The former model, at 1.8 meters, now curled up on her side in another woman’s embrace. The woman had fair skin, full red lips, and long wavy hair with soft luster, wearing a white long-sleeved nightgown. She breathed steadily. Her features showed her to be about Wayne’s age, but she was mature and reserved with elegant charm far beyond her peers.

Heidi Bart!

Kael made a hand signal. Wayne nodded. They both reached out with mushrooms in hand.

Eyes snapping open, Marina knocked the fungi away with her hand. She propped herself up on the bed with one hand and delivered a side kick to Kael’s chest and abdomen, sending the perverted mushroom man flying to the window. Heidi woke up at the same time, sweeping her leg toward Wayne’s neck. Her silk nightgown slipped down, revealing a section of her calf, clad in a white sock.

Wayne raised his hand to catch her ankle, narrowing his eyes as he applied force with his five fingers to execute a combo, but in that instant, Heidi slipped away like a fish, leaving him holding only her sock.

She leaped up with swift, sharp movements, a dazzling sight in the dim room. Catching his hands, she stepped on the edge of the bed for leverage and drove her knee straight up. He tilted his head to avoid the strike and grasped Heidi’s wrists in return, yanking her into his embrace to headbutt her.

With a bang, Heidi fell back on the bed with her legs seizing up, hissing in pain.

“All bark and no bite.”

Wayne had filled up his life essence, and the massive earth elements infusing him greatly strengthened his muscles and bones. One punch was enough to make Vera cry for a long time, and no one other than Veronica could give him pause. Heidi’s attacks were nothing to him—fierce, but lacking strength.

On the other hand, Kael had also finished his battle—it ended with him groaning under Marina’s foot.

As a detective, you can’t even defeat your client in an ambush? What a failure!

Wayne looked over, and Marina met his gaze, demanding in an icy voice, “Detective Wayne, you’re supposed to be investigating the master’s death, and you ended up in the young lady’s bedroom?”

Wayne scoffed. “You jest, my lady. Mr. Bart’s whereabouts are unknown, yet you, as his widow, are frolicking with the young lady. You two are too suspicious for me not to investigate this room.”

“Do you think a judge will buy that?” Marina’s expression grew colder.

“I think a judge will be more curious about the relationship between you and the young lady.” He shot back without backing down. “I’ve found out that Mr. Bart isn’t dead. The one committing suicide was a double. You commissioned the White Glove Society to find Mr. Bart. Even your marriage to him comes with ulterior motives. You’ve always been a Bart, and you should be calling him uncle, don’t you?”

Marina’s face grew stormy, applying more pressure with her foot and making Kael howl.

This wasn’t a reward because of Kael’s twisted sense of beauty!

While Wayne spoke, he observed the young lady on the bed from the corner of his eye, trying to tell whether Heidi was in the know based on her expression. Unfortunately, Heidi was still dazed from the headbutt. With her hands covering her face, it was impossible to see her expression.

“As expected of an elite detective from the White Glove Society, you discovered much in only half a day,” Marina said grimly. “But you’ve got the wrong target. My commission is for you to investigate the suicide victim, not me.”

Kael raised his hand. What Wayne just said was his investigation, not Wayne’s.

“Enough, Marina. Detective Wayne is clearly a professional. You don’t have to make yourself a suspect.” Heidi sat up while shaking her dizzy head. The strap of her nightgown slipped down, revealing a part of her shoulder.

Having almost fallen victim to a honey trap recently, Wayne was wary of unfamiliar women offering him such benefits. He frowned and stepped back. “So you’re well aware of who the mistress is, Miss Heidi. You’re accomplices!”

“We have plans, but haven’t gotten to implement any.” Heidi rubbed her head as she stood up. Her eyes glinted when she saw the mushrooms fallen on the bed. “Detectives, are you interested in hearing the history of the Bart family?”

Later, they migrated to the living room outside the bedroom, claiming the sofas. Heidi had put a coat over her nightgown. A part of her fair forehead was red and swollen. She shook her head every now and then.

Marina sat by her side. Theirs was a complicated relationship: cousins, mother and daughter, and lovers. Moreover, the outwardly cold Marina was the submissive one, while the mature, reserved Heidi was the dominant partner.

Wayne and Kael sat across from them. It was clear from the way Kael grimaced that he had gotten quite the beating.

“Detective Wayne, the previous commission was only a test,” said Heidi. “My father, Bart, is still alive. I wonder if you’re interested in continuing the investigation to find his hiding place.”

“What about me?” Kael complained. “I passed the test, too.”

“I’m not your client, so I have no right to ask this of you. If you’re willing, though, I’d be glad to have you continue investigating.” Heidi observed the two detectives. When they didn’t seem intent on rejecting her, she continued with a smile, “To explain my father’s disappearance, I must bring up the Bart family’s faith. According to records on our family history, we were once servants of a demon, worshipping the tyrant of blood in hell.”

Blood Worship! An evil god from hell!

Wayne maintained his poker face, remembering the councilor from Londan and the monster bathing in a sea of blood.

“No matter how we dress it up, a faith of hell is evil. The heads of the family throughout the generations knew it well. Thus, after obtaining our first fortune, the family abandoned the faith and instead basked in Heavenly Father’s glory.”

“Faith is a brand and a curse inherited through the bloodline. Every head of the family would hear evil whispers in the dead of night. They would dream of a hell of blood and of being tortured by the evil god. With the suffering, none ever lived long.”

“Unlike the other heads of the family, who were self-aware, my father is a complete bastard. He doesn’t mind reviving our faith in blood. As long as it makes money, he’s happy to make deals with the demon.”

“Two years ago, his body began aging rapidly, his health declining day by day. Fearing death, he thought of the demon in his dreams and planned to make a deal for longevity.”

Heidi’s voice grew somber. “My two brothers had been away for years and rarely lived on Dragon Heart Island, so he sought me out for advice. I disagreed at the time. He might gain longevity, but the family’s new members would suffer for it.”

“Later, Father’s health gradually improved. He didn’t heed my advice and made a deal with the demon. For the family, I decided to imprison him...”

“But before I could act, he went missing!”

Heidi looked at Wayne and Kael. “I spent a long time searching for him to no avail, so I had to seek help from the magical world. You’re mages, aren’t you?”

“Good eye!” Kael nodded, grimacing as he admitted it. Wayne said nothing.

“I’m an ordinary person who can’t find my father’s hiding place, but you’re mages and professional detectives. You’ll surely find something. I hope that you’ll save the Bart family.” Heidi formally made her request.

Kael suggested an alternative: “It’s not a good idea. Faith related to demons is troublesome. I’d suggest you seek help from the Church of Heavenly Father, Heidi. They are more professional in dealing with the demons.”

“Then the Bart family would be finished...” Heidi smiled bitterly and shook her head. When the detectives seemed hesitant, she added, “Rest assured, I only ask that you find my father. I don’t intend for you to face the demon. I’ll handle the aftermath on behalf of the Bart family.”

“If that’s the case—”

Before Kael could finish his sentence, Wayne interrupted him, “Miss Heidi, could you tell us what deal Mr. Bart made with the demon?”

“My father didn’t reveal much, only that the demon asked him to find something.”

“What is it?”

“What the great dragon left behind, its great treasure.”