Chapter 138: From Nightwatcher to Informant
When Klein and Dr. Allen arrived, they saw Alice leaning against a tree trunk, staring at the ground with a contorted expression.
Dr. Allen stopped in his tracks. Before he could react, Klein, disguised as detective Sherlock Moriarty, did what a detective should do - he positioned himself in front of his employer protectively.
Alice looked up at the sound of footsteps. Seeing Klein's feigned unfamiliarity and wariness, her lips twitched as she suppressed the urge to mock him. Rubbing her temples, she said wearily:
"Call the police."
"The police?" Dr. Allen looked at the scene in confusion.
"...Trust me, you don't want to see what's under this tree," Alice said, gesturing to a branch sticking up like a signpost.
Dr. Allen glanced at the birch tree he had seen in his dream, then at the branch on the ground. Suddenly, he recalled the final scene of his dream - Will Auceptin sitting by the tree roots, pointing at the ground!
Looking at Alice with barely concealed excitement, he asked: "Have you discovered something?"
Alice furrowed her brow, glancing questioningly at Klein.
Realizing Alice may have been mistaken for a "professional," Klein maintained his composure using his supernatural abilities and said calmly: "Ma'am, you'd better explain what exactly is down there."
"...Are you sure you want to see?" Alice decided to ask Dr. Allen one last time.
Dr. Allen's expression became conflicted. He hesitated before asking, "Will it have any negative effects on me?"
"...You might find it nauseating," Alice replied after a pause.
"I'm a surgeon," Dr. Allen shook his head, seemingly confident in his professional experience.
After staring at him for a few seconds, Alice gave up trying to dissuade him and instead said: "Could you please go borrow some shovels?"
"Alright." Dr. Allen left the woods without objection.
After Dr. Allen departed, Klein dropped his disguise and asked curiously: "What exactly is down there?"
"...Will Auceptin's corpse," Alice replied expressionlessly. "His skin and flesh have almost melted into the soil, with countless insects crawling in and out of his body, occasionally emerging from his mouth and nose..."
"Enough." Klein cut off Alice's detailed description, his expression becoming as contorted as Alice's had been initially.
Alice obediently stopped her narration, then looked at Klein solemnly and said: "So, you'll be the one digging later."
Klein suddenly felt the urge to swear.
Dr. Allen soon returned with three shovels he had obtained through monetary persuasion, along with a gravedigger. By then, Klein and Alice had retreated to their original positions.
*Great*, Alice thought silently after counting the shovels. She pointed at the ground with her foot and told them: "It's around this spot. Start digging."
Dr. Allen astutely distributed the shovels to Klein and the gravedigger.
Alice looked at Dr. Allen and the gravedigger with pity, then stepped back and turned away, trying to avoid witnessing the unpleasant scene.
She only turned back when she heard the sound of a shovel hitting stone.
Dr. Allen's shovel had struck a rock. He pointed at the exposed corpse with a trembling hand and lips.
Alice sighed and went over to examine the body. After a moment, she concluded - it was slightly less nauseating than in the dream.
Seeing Alice, Dr. Allen seemed to regain his senses. Disregarding whether she could understand him, he cried out in a shaky voice:
"Will Auceptin! Will Auceptin!"
Alice sighed again and said gently: "I warned you not to look."
Klein glanced at Alice, hesitating to speak, then turned to the stunned gravedigger and said: "Call the police."
"Y-yes, of course." The gravedigger snapped out of his daze, picked up his shovel, and fled the woods without looking back.
Alice watched his retreating shoes thoughtfully.
Klein continued to act as a mature adult should. He walked over to Alan Cress and patted him on the shoulder, saying: "There's nothing to be afraid of. He's already dead."
"...It's precisely because he's dead that it's frightening," Alan said, calming down slightly. He looked up at Alice and asked, "Why are you here?"
Alice paused before replying: "...It was fate's guidance."
Of course, this was the expected answer. Alan opened his mouth but suddenly didn't know what to say.
Klein smiled and said: "At times like these, praying to your deity can be quite effective."
"Is that so?" Alan hesitated, then made four clockwise points on his chest and recited softly: "Goddess of Night, more sublime than the starry sky, more eternal than eternity, your devout follower seeks your blessing..."
Alice watched his devout expression and seriously reflected on herself. Upon noticing Klein also bowing his head in prayer, she joined in to avoid standing out.
Twenty minutes later, they found themselves in a police interrogation room.
Klein calmly told the police he was just a private detective hired for a job and knew nothing about what had happened, completely distancing himself from the incident.
Next was Dr. Allen's turn. He candidly described his dream, the reason for digging up the corpse, and the situation at the scene. Evidently, not a single officer accepted his far-fetched explanation.
The pressure shifted to Alice. After pondering for a moment, she said: "It was fate's guidance."
The officer's expression suggested he wanted to teach Alice a lesson, but unfortunately, before he could do so, he was urgently called away.
Moments later, he returned with a blue-eyed Nightwatcher - Alice assumed it was a Nightwatcher, given this was the West District.
Subsequently, Klein and Alan were released, leaving only Alice and this unfamiliar Nightwatcher in the interrogation room.
"Miss Brill Rose?" the man confirmed.
Alice nodded.
"Why were you there?" he continued.
"It was fate's guidance," Alice repeated.
The man fell silent for a moment, then couldn't help but ask: "Are you... from the Life School?"
"I'm not," Alice smiled slightly, "but I am on the 'Fate' pathway."
"..." The man opened his mouth, then gave up and instead invited: "I hear you believe in the Goddess... Would you be willing to provide us with some assistance?"
Former Nightwatcher Alice sank into contemplation.