Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 377 An Unexpected Mission

Li Wei stared at Aitina, while also feeling quite puzzled. Even though the main character had appeared, the system remained completely unresponsive, like a dead person.

Did I make a mistake?
"Please, both of you, refrain from speaking for now."

However, in response to Li Wei's words, Aitina gave a completely irrelevant answer.

"Now that you two have come here, you must have already discovered something. But next, I have something to tell you. You may not believe it, but please believe me, everything I say is true..."

As she spoke, Aitina looked at Levi.

"First, to answer your question about Professor Andrew, I know he is missing, but I don't know where he went."

"?"

Upon hearing Aitina's answer, Levi raised an eyebrow and simultaneously restrained the eager Katie. He remembered that she had asked them not to speak, so he decided to listen to her first.

"I believe that you two already know my true identity. Now I will tell this story from my perspective."

Aitina looked at Li Wei with a complicated expression, or rather, at the skeleton beside Li Wei.

"At first, when I opened my eyes, I was in an empty classroom. This surprised me greatly. I remembered what had happened before, and logically, I shouldn't be here. Later, when I found myself in the Master's program, I was shocked. I even doubted that what I had experienced before was just a nightmare, but... when I was about to go home, I discovered..."

As she spoke, Aitina stretched out her hand and pointed outside.

"I can't leave here, I can't leave this place. It's like there's a wall blocking my way, and I can't break through it no matter what."

Earthbound spirits.

Li Wei raised an eyebrow. This concept was often seen in comics, but this was the first time he had seen it in person.

"Later I gradually realized that I really was... as you know, but in this school, I can be like a normal person, happily learning and playing with everyone. And incredibly, no matter which classroom or class I go to, they all assume I'm a student here. Frankly, this makes me very happy. I've fulfilled my wish to be able to study here forever..."

As she spoke, Aitina gave a wry smile.

"Then, the first graduation season came, and I learned about that message. But contrary to what I expected, they didn't seem to recognize me as the extra person at school. As long as I was still at school, even classmates who had graduated would treat me as a student of this school. It seemed to be a very... I don't know how to say it, a magical power? At the time, for me, it was just a little interesting, and I accepted reality. At least I could stay here, and I liked it here."

"………………………"

"But Brown's disappearance changed everything."

Aitina stared at the skeleton, her expression complex.

"You might not believe it, but I really didn't know what was here. The reason I came here was because I saw you two, so I secretly followed you. I never knew that my urn was actually on the ceiling of the classroom I used to be in, along with the remains of my best friend..."

As she spoke, Aitina turned her head and looked at Levi.

"Speaking of which, I must thank you, Lord Li Wei. You truly deserve to be called the Empire's renowned detective."

Li Wei bowed slightly in response.

"Now for the important part, please listen carefully. After Brown disappeared, I also heard that story—the one about an extra person who disappears as soon as their true identity is discovered. At the time, I just thought it was interesting, one of those strange stories that often circulate in schools. But later I found out that things weren't like that..."

As she spoke, Aitina gripped her clothes tightly, as if hesitating, but she continued speaking anyway.

"It happened more than ten years ago, the exact date... I'm sorry, please understand, someone who can only live on campus forever won't be too sensitive to dates. After all, I've always been here... Okay, I'm getting off topic. It was a night when I came back here to rest. Although I do make everyone think I'm a student at this school, I don't have a dormitory or anywhere to sleep, so I come back to the classroom every night—I won't catch a cold from it anyway."

Aitina made a small joke and then continued talking.

"Then that night, I was gazing at the night view from afar, then planning to go back to the classroom to sleep. But as I jumped down the stairs, I ran right into a security guard who was patrolling upstairs. He was startled, yelled, and then fell down the stairs..."

Aitina sighed, as if recalling the situation at that time.

“I was terrified, afraid he would get hurt, so I rushed downstairs to look for him, but… he was gone.”

Missing?
It must be said that upon hearing this, Li Wei narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of doubt appearing in them.

“He disappeared, just vanished like that, and I didn’t hear any footsteps. At the time, I thought he had simply run away in fright, and I was even thinking of apologizing to him later, but… the next day, the police came to the school, and that’s when I found out he was missing. This puzzled me greatly; I hadn’t done anything, so why did he disappear? Then I remembered the story about me… people who discover my true identity disappear, and when that security guard saw me, he did shout out a word…”

Etina mouthed the word but didn't say it, but Levi and Katie both understood.

She said "ghost." In a way, this does indeed mean that Etina's true identity has been discovered.

"I don't know if this is related to that rumor, it makes me very uneasy, because I myself didn't know I had this kind of power."

Aitina sighed.

"Perhaps you two are wondering why I don't just let this rumor disappear, but instead insist on spreading it? Actually, I don't want to do this either, but you probably don't know that after that security guard disappeared, the rumor not only resurfaced, but became increasingly distorted and bizarre. Some people even vividly described how people who saw me would commit suicide. This terrified me. I don't know if the security guard's disappearance was related to this rumor, but at least... he just disappeared, right? But suicide? That's a different story! So many people in the school saw me. What if they all committed suicide... that would be terrible."

Yes, that is indeed terrifying.

From Li Wei's perspective, if all the students and teachers of the Royal Academy suddenly committed suicide overnight, that would definitely be the start of a horror story.

"So, to avoid this kind of thing from happening, I played the role of someone who was very interested in the weird rumors in school, someone who knew everything. That way, if other people were interested in these rumors in school, they would come to me, and I would tell them a—relatively safe version, not the version that thrill-seekers wanted."

"And then, it's Professor Andrew's turn."

"Aitina continued."

"That's why I'm sure there's something wrong with this rumor, because Professor Andrew, just like that guard, saw me and was startled. In fact, I was startled too, because this was no longer a classroom. I thought there would be no one here anymore, so... I just came in."

Although Aitina didn't describe it clearly, Levi already figured out what was going on. Professor Andrew was organizing his things in that secret room, and Aitina, who knew nothing about it, probably skipped in—of course, as a ghost, she certainly didn't need to use the door.

This clearly startled Professor Andrew, who then blurted out, just like the guard, revealing Etina's true identity.

Then……………

"Then, Professor Andrew just vanished right in front of me. He had just called out to me, and I hadn't even had a chance to speak to him before he disappeared—just like that, out of thin air."

It has to be said that this is truly... Even Li Wei showed a surprised expression, while Aitina sighed.

"That's all I wanted to say, Lord Li Wei. Now you understand why I didn't let you speak."

"So, may I ask some questions now?"

"of course."

"Where did they go?"

"I really know nothing about this."

Aitina shook her head.

Upon hearing Aitina's answer, Li Wei narrowed his eyes. However, at that moment, a crisp system notification sounded in his ear, followed by a notification appearing in front of him.

[Activate the quest "Tracking"]

[Mission Objective: Find the missing person!]

So that's what they were waiting for me.

Seeing the task prompt in front of him, Li Wei raised an eyebrow, then looked at Aitina again.

“Miss Atina, I have one more question.”

"Please, Lord Li Wei."

"Will I disappear if I reveal your true identity?"

"I think... that's how it should be."

"Then, I might go to the same place as everyone else."

Li Wei coughed, then straightened his clothes and looked at the puzzled Aitina.

“Miss Atina, please wish me good luck. After all, as a ghost, you…”

Before Li Wei could finish speaking, the scene before him changed instantly.