Not a detective

Page 203

Asakawa Riku was still pondering that novel term when he was drawn back to it.

This game is a pure mystery novel format, devoid of all distractions, extraneous details, and filler.

Indeed, the blue text means "perfect investigation," which ensures that the detective's investigation is undisturbed and that the truth can be collected accurately.

The red text indicates a "perfect clue," ensuring that the clue is correct, free from interference by the criminal, and objectively true.

"This is an idealized detective process, a mystery novel that exists only in the imagination."

He understood; this was equivalent to stripping away the outline and presenting it before his eyes.

So he picked up the piece of paper: "Then I'll begin. This case won't be easy to solve."

"I'm really looking forward to it!"

Asukai Shi rested her chin on her hands and stared at him.

...

"It's written."

"So fast?"

Asukai Shi took the paper, and sure enough, the "Case Description" at the top only had a short line of text:

[Case Description: A dismembered body was found in a locked room, but the murderer and the murder weapon have vanished.]

"That's truly a classic..."

She covered her mouth and laughed.

"When it comes to mystery, we can't leave out the locked room mystery."

Asakawa Riku smiled and spread his hands: "The riddle is that simple. Shall we begin asking questions?"

"Of course!" It was Asukai Shi who originally suggested this game, so she was naturally very interested. Her eyes lit up, and her slender fingers rested on the pen cap.

She made a crisp "tap, tap" sound, as if she were thinking.

"First, we need to confirm the authenticity of the [secret room], otherwise, there's nothing to talk about."

Then, she bent down at her desk and quickly wrote down a series of things on the paper.

[Blue text: Does this secret room contain any hidden spaces, other entrances, secret passages, or similar facilities?]

Asukai Shi's kanji are beautifully written, reflecting his refined and elegant appearance. His graceful strokes make one marvel at his talent as a writer.

Asakawa Rikuya smiled; he was beginning to find the game interesting.

"Very meticulous, of course... I hate those secret passages and locked rooms the most."

He wrote a line of words in red:

[Red text: This locked room has no secret hiding places. All cabinets and drawers have been searched by investigators; there were no blades or similar items that could be used as a murder weapon. The room is also too small to hide a person. This locked room has only one entrance and exit, the main door; there are no other secret passages. It is a completely sealed room.]

In truth, Asakawa Riku felt somewhat ashamed. Perhaps it had been too long since he had written Chinese characters, and he had become a bit rusty. He even forgot how to write a few characters and almost couldn't write them at all. He really shouldn't have...

This is a good opportunity to review my handwriting.

"Wow."

Asukai Shi let out a strange cry.

This red character sealed off the secret room, as if several layers of chains had been firmly bound to it from the outside.

If there is no hiding place or exit to the outside world in the room, then the mystery of the disappearance of the murderer and the murder weapon is solved.

How could one commit a murder and escape within such a confined space?

Most people would feel helpless in this situation, but Asukai Shi is clearly a skilled "detective" and won't be stumped by the beginner level:

"So, what about this?"

[Blue text: What were the details of the dismemberment? Was it complete dismemberment? If it was suicide, was it possible to complete the dismemberment?]

This is a question that no ordinary person, unless they are a mystery novelist, could possibly come up with.

This riddle has two key elements: one is the "locked room," and the other is the "dismemberment."

"No one can dismember themselves."

Asakawa Riku couldn't help but laugh, but he still respected the rules of the game and honestly wrote down his answer:

[Red text: The body was completely dismembered; limbs and head were severed.]

If someone dies in a locked room, besides homicide, there are two other possibilities:

One is accidental death, such as dying of old age, dying from an infectious disease, or accidentally falling and getting an umbrella stuck in one's eye.

Another possibility is suicide, like the trick used by Kosuke Shinonome. In this case, the murderer is the victim from the beginning, so there is no issue of the murderer disappearing.

The option of "dismemberment" effectively eliminates both of these possibilities.

After all, no matter how unexpected it is, unless it coincides with the Guzheng operation, it won't lead to being dismembered for no reason. No one can dismember themselves by their own will and strength.

"Oh? That's really interesting~~"

It was as if one could see Asukai Shi's non-existent tail swaying, her hands resting on the table, a subtle smile playing on her lips.

Asakawa Riku's two red "shields" effectively withstood her attack in the first round, firmly guarding both the [Secret Room] and [Dismemberment] doors.

This presents her with a classic reasoning puzzle:

How exactly was the dismemberment in the locked room carried out? And how did the murderer and the murder weapon disappear?

Especially under such a "theoretical" rule, with no actual site to investigate, all clues must be completed based on one's own imagination.

Even the most obvious details can be hidden if you don't think of them... This is actually an extremely difficult game.

Since Uta Asukai chose this game on her own initiative, it means she must have been very confident.

The next second, a dangerous arrow shot out from those smiling eyes:

[Blue text: Although the room remains sealed, is there anything unusual about the door lock?]

Are they targeting the only entrance and exit...?

Although Asakawa Riku sensed something was wrong, he had no choice but to give an answer at this moment.

[Red text: There are burnt parts inside the door lock.]

"Hit!"

Asukai Shi made a gun gesture, smiled, pointed it at Asakawa Riku, and announced her victory in the confrontation.

“If there are burnt parts inside the lock, it means that the door has been tampered with. If the internal parts of the lock are melted, it can be done through the keyhole from the outside. A tiny laser can be used to penetrate the lock and destroy the bolt. After the criminal leaves, the door cannot be opened again due to its fragile structure. When the police arrive, they will not be able to push the door open, and they will not be able to open the door with the spare key either, so they will mistakenly think it is a locked room.”

"This is a very common mechanical escape room technique, nothing particularly surprising, senior—"

She leaned closer, her small lips parting and opening, revealing a sly, fox-like smile:

"Senior, your prisoner has actually already escaped, right?"

Tamamo no Spring: Chapter Nine Candidates

For the first time, Riku Asakawa realized the danger of this "deduction game".

While it may be harsh on the "detective" side, it cannot be said to be an advantage for the "murderer" side.

In reality... As a detective, Uta Asukai can shoot countless "blue" arrows, and she can miss countless times, but as long as she hits the target once.

Asakawa Riku, the murderer, had nowhere to hide.

When she asked him questions about the "door lock," he already sensed something was wrong, but adhering to the principle of "truth in red," he absolutely could not lie in this situation.

He had to honestly confess to the abnormality of the door lock. Even so, Asakawa Riku carefully considered his words and used a rather ambiguous way of expressing himself in an attempt to hide the truth.

Unfortunately, this opponent was too perceptive and guessed the truth on the first try...

Yes, the weakness of this secret room lies in the fact that the door lock was breached. Once this is discovered, the originally sealed chains will no longer exist!

Asakawa Riku unconsciously sat up straighter.

He felt he might have underestimated his opponent, even though the "murderer" was the one who set up the puzzle and seemed to have the home-field advantage.

But in reality, the game doesn't end after the puzzles are set up. The most dangerous moment is now when the red and blue characters clash.

If the right "red letter" is not given and the detective is not effectively led, he will be driven to the brink of despair by a hail of arrows...!

[Blue text: What were the autopsy results for the deceased, and what is the estimated time of death?]

[Red text: Death occurred today, but due to dismemberment, the body is in extremely poor condition, making it impossible to accurately estimate the timeframe.]

As it stands, Asakawa Riku cannot tell her "no forensic pathologist performed the dismemberment," because the blue text represents a perfect investigation, and the principle of fairness cannot be violated.

However, he could obscure the time of death to interfere with the investigation, as long as he could provide a plausible reason such as "the body was in poor condition."

However, Shii Asukai is clearly not someone whose progress is easily hindered.

She went a step further:

[Blue text: I now reasonably suspect that the murderer is on the run. I request an investigation and review of the deceased's activity records. Who did the deceased encounter today, and what happened?]

"Has it finally come to this...?"

Asakawa Riku's answer was met with his first pause.

He held the paper, his eyes serious.

Asu's intention in asking this question was very clear: she was looking for the murderer.

A case can only be considered closed when the murderer is found and the method of the crime is discovered; otherwise, it cannot be considered "deduction".

The reason Asakawa Riku created the locked room and made the murderer disappear in it was to hide the murderer. As long as the murderer is hidden, the detective will have no way to deduce the truth.

However, since the other party had already proposed the method that "the murderer escaped through the front door," it was impossible to refuse her request to "investigate the operation records"...

This is a step-by-step process. They are like collaborating to create a detective novel. As long as the logic is sound, they cannot make up excuses such as "no action records can be found".

Asakawa Riku must provide a detailed answer here.

In fact, several "options" must be provided, like in Conan where you have to choose one of three suspects. Several potential culprits must be presented for the detective to choose from.

"I need a moment."

He said.

"Please."

Asukai Shi reached out her hand understandingly; she probably understood that it wasn't easy to suddenly come up with a few characters and stories.

In particular, these contents must be true to the "red text," and the wording must be carefully considered, otherwise it will be easy to see through the flaws.

As Asakawa Riku picked up his pen and turned his back to write, he heard her slightly cheesy remark:

"Anyway... you can never have too much time with your senior~"

...

About ten minutes later, Asakawa Riku returned with a sheet of paper filled with writing.

Including the previous content, we've almost used up both sides.

"I have prepared three candidates for you."

"Let me see~"

He handed the paper to Asukai Shi, and the girl eagerly snatched it to read it:

The victim was a wealthy man with a reclusive personality. The secret room was his room, which was usually kept closed and rarely entered. According to records, it was only opened three times today.

The first time was in the morning when he received his wife, who was about twenty years younger than him and a beautiful model. Rumors circulated that she had come hoping to inherit his fortune.

The second time was at noon, when his servant brought him food. The servant was a capable man who also worked as a bodyguard; he was strong and healthy, skilled in cooking, and deeply trusted by him.

The third visit was in the afternoon when his private doctor came to check on him and give him some basic treatment. The doctor was an elderly man about his age, and the two seemed more like friends.

The door remained closed until the police arrived.

[After the incident, the three individuals were quickly apprehended. None of them left the wealthy man's residence, and a search of the residence did not yield a weapon that matched the shape of the wounds.]

According to testimonies from other witnesses inside the mansion, they were all clean and bloodless when they left the room, which did not suggest they had been dismembered.

The above text is written in red, so even eyewitness testimonies can be guaranteed to be absolutely true.

Asakawa Riku gave so many clues at once; he knew he was taking a risk.