Chapter 3: The Necromancer(3)

“Dan Ga-yeon, the civil servant!”

“Yes!”

Hearing Comet’s enthusiastic consent, the healer called over a public servant.

A young woman, looking a bit awkward in her suit, rushed over.

“I think you can ask any questions you have to Officer Dan now. Ga-yeon, this is Black Comet, who will help you as an external civilian supporter. She’s a ranked necromancer.

I’ll take care of my existing duties, so just hand this over and focus on Comet until this case is completed.”

The healer handed documents to Dan Ga-yeon.

“Yes.”

“And also, it seems we’re all set. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

The healer didn’t finish the tasks he had started, checked the chairman’s office, and then left the committee room.

Comet stared at the healer’s back and then turned to Ga-yeon.

Officer Dan Ga-yeon was reading the documents she had received.

Comet scratched her cheek.

“Officer Dan?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Um, your name is…?”

“Just call me by my nickname.”

“Black Comet.”

“You can call me Comet.”

“Yes, Comet.”

After exchanging some awkward words, Comet felt troubled.

Then she remembered that instead of catching criminals, she had to obstruct the investigation as a criminal, and her mood lightened.

“This is my first time cooperating with an investigation, so what should I do first?”

“Perhaps starting with a site visit would be good.”

“A site visit?”

“Yes. After observing the scene, you can share your thoughts on necromancy. For example, if the combat method resembles that of a ranked necromancer you know.”

“I see. What about the schedule?”

Dan Ga-yeon looked at the dark window and clock, then spoke in a somewhat weary voice.

“How about the morning two days from now?”

“That works for me.”

“I will come to where you are staying.”

Comet nodded and requested a handshake.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you, too.”

Comet set down her hairdryer and brushed her bobbed hair.

As she gently shook out the tangles, there was a knock on the door.

“It’s not locked, so you can just come in!”

Dan Ga-yeon opened the door and cautiously entered.

She looked at Comet, who was in her pajamas, and appeared flustered.

“Did I come too early?”

“No, it’s a timely visit since I just need to get dressed. Just wait a moment.”

Comet finished brushing her hair.

“Officer, is there anything I need to bring with me for the site visit?”

“Um, you should be fine just coming as you are. If there’s anything you think you need to assess the scene, feel free to bring it.”

“I see. If you have any questions you’re curious about, Officer, feel free to ask.”

It took a moment for a question to come.

“I’m not sure if this is related to work, but can I ask it anyway?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Necromancers handle souls, right?”

Comet nodded.

“When it was just a game, I accepted that. But in reality, where do you get souls from now?”

“We gather wandering souls.”

“Human souls?”

“Mostly, yes.”

A brief silence followed, and a hesitant voice came through.

“Isn’t that too unethical?”

Comet’s brushing stopped.

Her red eyes turned to Dan Ga-yeon.

As Comet gauged Ga-yeon’s intent, she smiled kindly and finished brushing her hair.

“That’s a common misconception about necromancers. People tend to think of something grand when they hear ‘soul.’

However, what necromancers refer to as souls are merely byproducts of corpses.

It’s a misunderstanding arising from the gap between colloquial terms and academic terminology.

It seems such concerns are more easily triggered when one cannot perceive souls without deeply mastering necromancy.”

Since it was a common topic, Comet could easily tell a lie without needing to fabricate something new.

Originally, it was a lie meant to deceive the imperial interrogator, an NPC from the game.

Dan Ga-yeon didn’t seem fully convinced, but since it was coming from Comet, she appeared to let it slide.

Comet changed her clothes and followed Dan Ga-yeon’s guidance into the car.

As the car moved, Dan Ga-yeon handed over a few documents.

They were documents summarizing the murder that occurred at a convenience store, excluding other incidents.

“The criminal meticulously tidied up the scene, so there are only these traces.

We requested a forensic examination from the National Institute of Scientific Investigation, but it has been pushed down the priority list, so it’s difficult for now.”

That was a relief.

As Comet read through the documents, she stopped at an unfamiliar photo.

“The surveillance camera footage is still here.”

“Although the angle and quality aren’t great, it’s fortunate that we have it.”

As Dan Ga-yeon finished speaking, she paused and tilted her head while staring at the photo.

Comet observed Dan Ga-yeon and naturally turned the page to cover the picture.

The convenience store they arrived at had restricted access.

Comet felt a sense of tension.

Dan Ga-yeon spoke with the police managing the scene and guided Comet inside the convenience store.

As Comet entered, she looked around cautiously.

“Who is the prosecutor in charge?”

“The committee decided to take full responsibility.”

“Without the prosecution?”

“The committee is an extra-legal body.”

Comet roughly accepted that.

“You can just tell me what you see now. I’ll jot it down and reflect it.”

Comet nodded and wandered around the convenience store.

Though it was a familiar sight as a crime scene she had created, there were many differences, especially if looters had come and gone.

Comet kindly lowered the convenience store shutter and left, but she realized that there was no lock, suggesting that thieves might have been around.

“Interesting.”

Comet feigned interest for no particular reason.

“What’s interesting…?”

Dan Ga-yeon focused on her notepad.

“According to the committee’s view, it seems the necromancer is at least a ranked one.

Close combat in necromancy is hard to execute cleanly without experience.”

Comet poked the wall with a knife.

The wall, ground down with a metal pipe, remained intact.

“It appears the traces of battle were left by the victim, and there are no signs of damage caused by necromancy.

An inexperienced necromancer would tend to try unnecessary area attacks or hastily command souls during close combat, but this one showed remarkable restraint.”

“Is that really a part that requires such skill?”

“It’s generally difficult to exercise restraint. It’s a genius-level ability.”

Comet suddenly realized she shouldn’t have said that.

But it was the truth that it was a genius-level skill, so there was no helping it.

“Do you know any necromancer that comes to mind?”

Dan Ga-yeon asked while jotting down their conversation in her notebook.

“Well, I might think that a ranked necromancer is rare, but it’s actually a common skill level, so it’s hard to name anyone.

If we narrow down the suspects, I think we could come up with a few.”

Comet smiled slightly.

“Can I see the suspect list?”

The pen that had been swaying above the notebook stopped.

Dan Ga-yeon lowered her head apologetically.

“I’m sorry. I was going to show you, but I was refused because sharing it could lead to inferring the list of awakened individuals identified by the government.”

Comet tilted her head.

After carefully observing Dan Ga-yeon’s expression, she laughed lightly.

It didn’t seem like she was intentionally lying.

“Then there’s nothing we can do.”

Comet twirled a strand of hair around her finger, lost in thought, before folding her arms and walking along the wall.

The knife she held flicked slightly.

“It’s difficult to pinpoint specific elements in the battle traces to see if they followed the close combat techniques I established.”

Comet crouched down as she found a familiar hair among the dust on the floor.

As she blew gently, the hair floated up before settling down again.

Comet absentmindedly brushed her hair back with her hand before standing up.

“If inferring the list is an issue, could Officer Dan at least share the main suspects you have in mind at your discretion?”

“Oh! That makes sense. I think I can do that. Just a moment.”

Dan Ga-yeon flipped through her notebook and opened it, handing it to Comet.

The page she showed had a list of suspects written on it.

One of them was a member of the looter group.

“That’s the most likely one. Since it’s in the neighborhood, I personally think it’s probably confirmed unless something else comes up.”

That was a good perspective.

Comet read the name and nickname, trying to recall.

It was someone she didn’t know at all.

“It sounds like a nickname I’ve heard before.”

“Do you know them?”

Dan Ga-yeon perked up.

“No, not really. I think I remember seeing it in a PVP video. A friend of a guild member passed it along and asked for advice on it. I’m not sure, though.”

If the person belonged to the looter group, the likelihood of them having no PVP experience was low, so she made a rough guess.

“A friend of a party member’s…”

Dan Ga-yeon murmured as she retraced her connections.

She seemed a bit clueless, but Comet patiently waited.

“Totally unrelated, huh?”

“Right. Since I’m a top-ranked player, I often end up asking for advice awkwardly.”

“Do you think this suspect could be the criminal? What are your thoughts?”

“The memory of the video is vague, but I think they had a skill level that could fit. In a scene like this, anyway.”

Comet pretended to look around the convenience store, turning her head this way and that.

Dan Ga-yeon followed suit, nodding as she surveyed the store.

In the meantime, Comet subtly flipped through the pages of the notebook.

A new suspect was listed.

It was a very familiar nickname.

Comet’s heart raced.

As she quickly scanned the page, she found a positive sign.

In the corner, a small “X” was marked.

It seemed to indicate that this individual had been excluded from the list of suspects after being selected as an external collaborator.

Comet closed the notebook loudly.

Dan Ga-yeon turned around.

“I think I can figure it out directly. If a necromancer possesses the soul, we could compare it with the victim’s body.

Although distinguishing souls is difficult, I can manage.”

“Is that possible?”

Dan Ga-yeon reacted as if she had never heard of it before.

Comet was somewhat puzzled.

“Isn’t there a skilled necromancer in the committee?”

“The chairperson has said they won’t hire any necromancers.”

Comet twirled a strand of hair.

“…I see.”

“It’s great that you can confirm it, Comet! We should be able to resolve this quickly.”

Dan Ga-yeon looked satisfied.

“Are we going to start the suspect search now?”

“Oh, regarding that, according to this committee’s agreement, we’ve designated this looter group as ranked-level and decided to respond specially. The police will come to arrest them, and then we can take over and confirm their identities.”

“…That’s not good.”

Comet thought it was very unfavorable.

If the arrested necromancer insisted on their innocence, the situation would get complicated.

“Since we need to compare souls, if there’s any violent confrontation during the arrest, the necromancer might use it.”

Comet paused for a moment.

“Is there any way I can participate in that special response? If that’s not feasible, we could compare right on the spot, and it might be easier to respond.”

“Understood. I will request cooperation.”

“I hope it works out.”

Comet smiled softly.