Chapter 553: The Truth Only Emi and Extra-Sama Know

Chapter 553: The Truth Only Emi and Extra-Sama Know The Truth Only Emi and Extra-Sama Know

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<An invisible culprit! An unreadable motive! Hmm... This is getting exciting!>

On the way from the treasure vault to the staff room... Extra-sama was getting incredibly excited in my mind.

She’s always liked mystery situations.

...Although she’s terrible at being a detective.

<Who’s terrible, who!?

Ah, were you listening?

You are.

I trust you, Extra-sama, but I don’t trust your deductive skills.

<U-U-Ugh... You’re quite blunt... But!>

Extra-sama, dejected for a moment after I said that...

<This case! I already know who the culprit is!>

...Immediately recovered, and declared that triumphantly.

<The culprit... is that Deputy Director Gaisha! I’m sure of it!>

...She declared that, as if she had already won.

<He has the authority to deactivate the treasure vault’s security system... That alone is suspicious, but that deputy director... He’s clearly hiding something!>

Ah, yeah, hiding something...

Certainly.

The information Akashiterika was organizing earlier contained a contradiction that only Extra-sama and I know.

That is—

<Those Frozend Living Dolls... shouldn’t even exist anymore!>

Right.

That’s the thing...

From what I’ve heard, the Frozend Living Dolls are the women that skeleton general Tekigataa immobilized with his 【Dollfication】 special ability...

If that’s the case—

<The Frozend Living Dolls should have disappeared several months ago, when Emi defeated General Tekigataa! Just like that Kawayuikko princess!>

So there’s no way they existed until last night.

<...I’d be like, ‘Huh? What are you talking about?’>

Right?

Since this is a fantasy world, I don’t think they would outright deny it.

But there’s no proof for the truth I know.

So even if I try to question Deputy Director Gaisha about his secret, based on that... it’ll just be an endless argument.

<Certainly.>

So I think I’ll keep quiet, unless it becomes absolutely necessary.

It’s fine... Akashiterika will surely find the culprit from other information.

<...You really trust Akashiterika, don’t you?>

Well, she’s a detective.

...Hey, don’t be sulky, Extra-sama.

I trust you the most, when it comes to things other than deduction.

You’ve been, and always will be... my best partner, right?

<...Ehehe, is that so? Well, of course! Hmph!>

...So easily pleased.

So, well, like that.

Outwardly silent and expressionless.

Inwardly... slightly exasperated by Extra-sama’s gullibility.

I was walking down the corridor of the museum, following Akashiterika and Director Rakigataa.

And then, just as we reached a T-junction in the corridor...

“...!”

A truly... truly faint... killing intent.

I definitely felt it.

“............”

I stopped walking, silently, and looked towards the right corridor, different from the direction we were heading.

The corridor where the magic lamps aren’t lit.

Even if I move my sunglasses... all I see there is darkness.