Chapter 116 - Changing The Roots

"I don't understand," Marvin spoke with a frown. 

"You see, if I want to truly make sure whether the dead body has risen or not, there is one easier method that I can use. I can always go and check whether the body is still there where I hid it away or not. But of course, this depends on what happened to the dead body. Did I really hide it somewhere? Did I drown it or burn it? Did I completely destroy it or is it left to decompose in one piece? Things like that need to be considered." 

Hecathe couldn't help but feel as if he had suddenly become a detective. However, the man also felt that if he really was a detective, he was a pretty good one. 

"But of course, if the perpetrator was intelligent, he would try to do both. Even if I check the body and it's there, I still need to find out how the rumor spread. Being extra careful never hurts and in this case, I can confidently say that the killer is not an idiot. Seeing as how he decided to frame Alphius, it is clear that we are dealing with someone who would be the type to be extra careful." 

"Ah... So, you plan to confuse the killer...?" Marvin muttered as he questioned and Hecathe nodded his head in turn. 

"Something like that. Since we are the ones on the case, it is easier for us to change the root of the rumor. If this mission was given to someone else, it would have been harder for me to go around and change that root like this, but I would have still managed to do it since I have some helpful people by my side." 

"Then if I'm understanding this right, you want the killer to think that my father had indeed returned but not in his own body but in your body instead...?" 

Hecathe nodded his head as he heard this question and confirmed it, "This body is not originally mine. It belongs to Alphius so the fact that there is another soul inside this body is not completely a lie. I'm merely shifting the facts a bit by saying that the soul that had taken the body belongs to Orgon." 

Marvin frowned as he heard this and clicked his tongue, "Who the hell is going to buy this bullsh*t?! If the killer is as intelligent as you say he is then he's definitely going to see through your plan! And in any case, It was that bastard Asgarian who turned me against Alphius so there is a high chance that it might be him and if it's really him then he's definitely not going to believe such a thing." 

Hecathe sighed as he heard this and commented, "This is why I'm the adult and you're the naive kid." 

"...." Marvin didn't know if he was supposed to feel offended about this or not. 

"If it is as you say then this Asgarian is probably the one that we are after and he's definitely going to fall for it. Do you know why?"

"Why?" 

"Because a killer would always live in worry. The idea of getting caught for his crimes is always going to haunt his mind and in such a state, he is bound to believe anything. The truth is bitter and it is something that can never stay hidden forever. No matter how good of a lie it is that you craft, one day it is bound to fail. There is no such thing as a perfect crime in this world." 

Marvin gulped as he heard this and commented, "You make it sound as if you know the mindset of a killer well... Have you ever killed someone?"

Hecathe chuckled as he heard this and shook his head as he spoke, defending himself, "I don't need to kill someone to know what a killer thinks like. It's psychology, you can learn it without having to experience everything." 

Marvin sighed as he nodded his head in understand and decided to ask, "Then what comes next?" 

"Hmm?" 

"Once the killer finds out that you're Orgon, what do you plan on doing? He is surely going to hunt you down and if it really is Asgarian, you have no chance of winning against him." 

Hecathe smirked as he heard this question and confidently replied, "I'm going to become Orgon." 

"...." 

"When he finally manages to track me down, he'll try to kill me and that is when we catch him. I'll act like Orgon and make him confess. We organize a big show for everyone to watch and with the evidence right in front of our eyes, I become his executioner." 

Marvin felt a shiver go down his spine as he heard the man. 

For some odd reason, Hecathe sounded extremely scary as he voiced out his plans. 

"But... That still doesn't solve the problem at hand," Marvin sighed as he spoke up, "He's still stronger than you and even if you get him to confess in front of others, he can just kill you and silence every witness."

Hecathe nodded his head as he heard this and it seemed that he agreed with Marvin on this, "You're right, he can just kill me and silence the witness which is why we need to be careful on who the witness is." 

Marvin frowned as he shook his head and stopped Hecathe as he interjected, "It doesn't solve the problem. Even if we choose someone powerful as a witness, he can still kill them... and he might even frame it all on you." 

The boy made sense but it wasn't like Hecathe hadn't thought about all this before. 

"That is why you and LeiLei are going to be there as my plan B," Hecathe smiled thinly as he spoke and Marvin looked to be a bit confused. 

"Even I'm not powerful enough to beat Asgarian in combat. How can you ask me to save you?" 

Hecathe shook his head with a sigh as he heard the boy's simple-minded response, "I'm not asking you to save me. If such a dangerous situation really arises then the one saving me is going to be LeiLei while you would be helping us." 

"How?" Marvin's eyebrows creased together as he asked. 

"By distracting Asgarian." 

"..." Marvin had a feeling that he knew what Hecathe was going to say next. 

"You distract him while I escape." 

"And how do I escape?" 

"After I'm out of danger, we would naturally come back to save you as well," Hecathe responded as a matter of fact and Marvin couldn't help but feel speechless as he heard such a vague plan. 

"LeiLei has a special ability," Hecathe added as he continued, "She can transport people and things from one place to another in the most sneaky way possible. Even the greatest mage wouldn't be able to sense her ability. She's perfect for the job of helping us escape." 

Marvin's eyes widened slightly and he repeated Hecathe's words in his mind before muttering in confusion, "The ability to transport...?" 

Hecathe nodded his head as he responded, "I think it's more like an ability to switch out something with the other. Like changing places with a stone or something." 

Marvin looked to be even more shocked as he muttered in disbelief, "No way..." 

"Hmm?" Hecathe realized that there was something weird about the boy's reaction so he frowned as he asked, "What happened? Have you heard about such an ability?" 

Marvin gulped as he nodded his head, confirming it and it was now Hecathe's turn to be surprised. 

He had just asked casually but he didn't think that Marvin had actually heard about such an ability. 

"Who...?" Hecathe questioned as he looked at the boy for an explanation. 

Marvin held his head down low as he shook his head and muttered to himself, "It's impossible... It can't be..." 

Hecathe had the sudden urge to smack the boy's head as he heard him muttering to himself, but thankfully enough, he managed to control that urge. 

"Where have you heard of it before?" Hecathe questioned again as he waited for an explanation. 

"It's one of the three willows of spring..." Marvin muttered in disbelief and Hecathe couldn't help but be both shocked and confused as he heard this. 

"But it can't be..." Marvin added softly under his breath, "He's already dead... And he didn't have any children." 

"Was this person the only one with such an ability?" Hecathe asked as he got serious. 

Marvin nodded his head as a response and this seemed to have confirmed things for Hecathe. 

"Her parents are also dead," Hecathe informed with a sigh, "If there is only one other person with such an ability then there is a high chance that the person is her father." 

"Hecathe, you... Do you know what this means?" Marvin questioned with an indecipherable expression and didn't wait for Hecathe's answer as he spoke, "The willow of spring that you killed... The one that Alphius killed... He's her father."

Hecathe's eyebrows creased together as he heard this and he had a bad feeling in his stomach about this.