Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 462 How is it possible?
The body remained lying on the morgue, indistinguishable from frozen pork. Or rather, it had been frozen to begin with and had not been thawed.

Baron Hanklis's expression, however, was not so pleasant.

"I really never thought... that something like this would happen..."

"Here is the deceased's wallet, which contains the deceased's ID card, some loose change, and a train ticket."

Li Wei took out the file folder next to him.

"We have checked the ID on the ID card, and it matches yours."

"But isn't each person's ID card unique?"

Baron Hanklis asked in confusion, "The ID card is like a modern ID number, except that it is randomly generated by a difference machine. Logically speaking, it is impossible to generate the same number."

Of course, there are also coincidences.

However, the coincidence of someone who looks exactly like Baron Hanklis holding the same identity card and ID number as Baron Hanklis is too exaggerated and basically impossible.

"So we had already started the procedures, and if we hadn't discovered you, the death report would have been in the palace by now."

"Well……………"

Hanklis was a baron and a nobleman; if he were truly dead, it would certainly be reported to the royal family and an obituary published in the newspapers. It was fortunate that Levi made the trip; otherwise, Baron Hanklis might have seen his own obituary in the papers in a few days.

That would be even more terrifying.

"So what should we do now? Sir Levi? Who is this person? Could he really be me? But how can I have two people?"

Baron Hanklis was now completely bewildered and utterly confused. Just as he had said to Levi, there couldn't possibly be two versions of himself.

Who is this person?
All the documents he carried identified him as Baron Hanklis, but in fact, Baron Hanklis himself possessed the same documents. The documents were virtually indistinguishable, making it no easy task for Levi to ascertain the man's true identity.

However, he naturally had his own reasons for summoning Baron Hanklis.

"Baron Hanklis, I would like to ask you, what mode of transportation do you usually use when you come to the Fog City?"

"What if I come to Chongqing?"

Baron Hanklis, as a nobleman, must have visited Fog City, but everyone has different customs. The Gaberico region, where Baron Hanklis resides, is located in the northeastern part of the empire, close to the frigid climate zone. It also has a port, making it quite accessible. From there, one can reach Fog City by boat, airship, or train.

Of course, it's just a bit far.

"I will first take the train to Grida, and then transfer from there to the airship to the fog city."

Baron Hanklis thought for a moment and quickly gave his answer.

"Because the railway station is near my house, it used to be accessible by horse-drawn carriage, but since the railway was built, I've had them reserve a train specifically for me so I can travel whenever I want. It's about an hour's journey from the manor to Greda, and then I take the airship... There's no other way."

Baron Hanklis sighed as he spoke, noting that this was a common headache for many nobles. The earliest nobles were, of course, lords granted land, but they also possessed their own armies, making them warlords in their own right. Naturally, their castles would be built in easily defensible areas.

And these kinds of places are generally not easy to walk through.

In ancient times, things were relatively easier, as everyone was roughly equal in ability and resources. However, in modern times, many descendants of nobles found themselves in a predicament. Their castles were nestled deep in the mountains, making even going out difficult. But as inherited property, they couldn't simply abandon it, so they had to find ways to make their travels more convenient.

For someone like Baron Hancock to specifically take over a railway line... it's a last resort.

Levi had also visited Baron Hanklis's house and knew that his place was a beautiful and secluded place, suitable for retirement, but getting out would be quite troublesome.

It's just that Baron Hanklis had some money and a decent territory with a mine, so he built his own railway line for travel and transportation. Otherwise, it would have been no different from poverty alleviation efforts to build roads connecting every village.

It's almost the same.

"It seems the other person shares similar thoughts with you."

Levi showed Baron Hanklis the ticket in his hand. It was an airship ticket that read, "[Sapphire, Grida — Fog City / First Class 1]"

"This is indeed the airship I often ride in..."

Baron Hanklis frowned, looking at the bills before him, increasingly puzzled.

Li Wei also offered his opinion on this matter.

"How about we follow his path and retrace our steps?"

"What do you mean by this, Sir Levy?"

“It’s very simple. I think this person couldn’t have just appeared out of thin air. He comes from Greda, just like you. So perhaps we can find more clues on this journey. Perhaps we can find out who he is, or where he came from? Maybe there will be even more clues?”

"A clue? For example?"

"For example...do you keep a diary, Baron Hanklis?"

"I?"

Baron Hanklis was taken aback by Li Wei's question.

“I write in it every day. Of course, most of the time I use it as a notebook and schedule. I mainly record today’s work, things to do tomorrow, people to contact, and so on.”

Do you carry a diary with you at all times?

"Of course, if I forget what I'm supposed to do, maybe I can take out my diary and flip through it to remember." "But we didn't find a diary on him."

"Of course."

Baron Hanklis didn't seem to care much about what Levi said.

"He's not me, after all, and he couldn't possibly know everything I do. Things like my itinerary are easy to find out. Everyone knows which route I'll take; it's not a secret. But what I'm doing is only known to a few people close to me. They're all people I trust, and they wouldn't betray me."

"Let's assume something."

Levi stared at Baron Hanklis and said to him.

"Suppose you encounter a situation where you see a corpse, but only you can see it; no one else can. They think you might be mentally unstable. What would you do in this situation?"

"Me......"

Baron Hanklis stroked his chin and frowned.

"If, as you say, this corpse keeps hovering in front of me and no one else can see it, that would be quite annoying. However, I don't think I'll write it in my diary."

"why?"

“Like I said before, I would jot down some scheduled arrangements and things like that, and then take them out to look at them from time to time. If I saw myself writing down something like a corpse, I would definitely feel upset. After all, I don’t want to waste my time on such trivial matters. Or, if, as you said, the corpse has been in the lounge all along, then I have no choice but to see it even if I don’t want to, so I’m even less willing to write it down to remind myself to think of it even when I don’t see it.”

Baron Hanklis's answer was quite logical.

So what would you do?

“I think I’ll write a letter to record this, hide it somewhere, and then come to you. If everything goes well and the matter is resolved, then I’ll tear up the letter and pretend nothing happened. But if something unexpected happens, then at least I’ll make sure someone sees the letter. Maybe they’ll treat it as a story, maybe they’ll investigate the matter because of it.”

At this point, Baron Hanklis paused to think.

"That way, at least I won't leave nothing behind."

"So, you're going to put it somewhere that only you can find, and somewhere that only others can find after you die?"

"That's pretty much it."

"Where could it be?"

"That's hard to say, but... if I had to choose, I might put it in the bank."

"bank?"

"Yes, it's in the bank's private safe deposit box. If I die, they will definitely find this letter in the bank safe deposit box when transferring my estate. Since the letter is in the bank safe deposit box, they shouldn't think it's nonsense..."

"In that case."

Upon hearing this, Li Wei had a sudden inspiration.

"Then let's go to the bank and take a look."

"Hey?"

Because of the difference engine, the banks of this era were more similar to those of Livy's time. People could simply go to the bank with their ID card to find out if they had any money deposited there, how much they had deposited, and whether they wanted to withdraw or transfer the money.

When a person dies, as long as they have a death certificate and their ID, it is easy to find out if they have an account or deposits in this bank, and they can inherit the information.

Of course, most people prefer to write a will.

Currently, the Empire has several banks. Since the Queen issued the decree, the four major banks of the Itt family have been nationalized. Levi asked Baron Hanklis which bank he would deposit the letter in. Baron Hanklis hesitated for a moment and finally chose the Imperial Central Bank.

"I feel it's more formal, which makes me feel more at ease."

This is Baron Hanklis's explanation.

The two then went to the counter of the Imperial Central Bank, and Baron Hanklis, following Levi's instructions, took out his identity card and handed it over.

“I am Baron Habert Henkles, and I should have a safe here.”

"Hello, Sir Hanklis."

The clerk behind the counter smiled slightly at Baron Hanklis, took the ID card from him, and then inserted it into the card reader next to him.

Baron Hanklis stared at her, his heart filled with hesitation and unease. On one hand, he hoped he wouldn't find anything. After all, it was too absurd—someone who looked exactly like him, using his ID card to open a safe deposit box at a bank?
How could this happen?
Or rather, it shouldn't have happened at all!
On the other hand, Baron Hanklis was also somewhat fearful, because the bank's card reader wouldn't make a mistake. If it did read his identity card and opened the safe here, then... what would that mean?

Baron Hanklis himself did not know.

But he was certain it wasn't a good thing.

The card reader made a "click-click" sound, then finished reading and ejected a slip of paper from the printer. The clerk took the slip of paper, and Baron Hanklis stared at it intently, as if he were looking at his own death sentence.

Then, the employee looked up.

"Greetings, Sir Hanklis. You do indeed have a safe deposit box in our firm and have paid for its safekeeping for fifty years—are you sure you want to retrieve it?"

(End of this chapter)