She is not an investigator.

At least not so fast until Igris has resolved everything.

The Gods' Fool - The Rainstorm: Chapter Forty-Eight, Who Knows?

At this very moment, in front of the Rose Detective Agency.

Shallty, the little witch who was frozen like a mushroom, was still happily squatting at the shop entrance, waiting for her owner to open the door and tell her some good news.

But she had been waiting for a long time.

"How can this guy sleep so much..."

The little witch muttered to herself as she waited for Igris to open the door.

She arrived very early, and had been squatting there before dawn, so she was certain that Igris had not left the house.

Unless she didn't come back yesterday at all.

But where else could she go if she didn't come back? She couldn't possibly stay out overnight, and even if she did, she should still go back to the shop.

It was because of this idea that Sharti continued to wait with great enthusiasm.

Until footsteps sounded behind her.

"You're finally back...?"

She stood up excitedly, but what appeared before her was not the beautiful blonde girl.

"A witch?"

"I'm not!"

Alex frowned and took out the handcuffs without hesitation.

“I haven’t heard of any witches reporting that they’re coming here from Molkens. I’m a police officer, come with me.”

"I'm not a witch! You've mistaken me for someone else!"

Alex isn't stupid. What witch would admit to being a witch before being captured? This guy, on the other hand, doesn't seem very bright. He escaped on his own, yet he's still wearing a witch's uniform.

"Whether you're a witch or not, I can find out with a simple question. Don't even think about running away... And what are you doing squatting here?"

The little witch blinked, then suddenly burst into tears, crying out in a pitiful voice.

"The shop owner stole my things! Officer! You have to help me!"

Did Igris steal something? Or is she a witch?

Although he didn't want to believe it, Alex suddenly felt that this might indeed be something Igris was capable of doing.

After all, this wasn't the first or second time she'd taken bullets; she reportedly had a prior record of stealing wallets.

"Tell me, what did she steal from you, your wallet?"

"My familiar!"

The little witch clenched her fists fiercely, looking extremely angry, in an attempt to prove as much as possible that she was not lying.

After all, Igris wasn't here, and Alex couldn't personally verify the information.

But Alex couldn't understand what familiars were, since she rarely actually dealt with these witches.

What exactly is it?

"Uh... a raven..."

Alex raised an eyebrow and asked in return with some skepticism.

"You mean, Igris, who has no worries about food or clothing, stole your raven? What did she do with it? Roast it and eat it?"

"It's a raven!"

Sharti felt that these humans seemed a bit off, unable to distinguish between crows and ravens, but since they were police officers, she could only try her best to explain patiently.

"My raven isn't just any ordinary raven. It's very intelligent, and it can talk—not just mimicking others! It really can talk!"

Although it usually likes to squawk.

"I understand... a talking crow."

"Raven!"

Alex pursed his lips, glanced at the "Closed for Business" sign hanging on the office door, and frowned slightly.

"She's not at the firm?"

"Impossible, I've been here for ages, she must have overslept."

Alex couldn't really comment, since Igris rarely overslept unless she'd been out fooling around with some woman the night before.

But someone as honest as Igris is unlikely to do such a thing, and even if she did, she would find out, since she has people all over the streets.

Alex looked up at the second-floor window.

The window wasn't open, but you could already tell that the curtains weren't drawn. If they were sleeping, they would probably have drawn the curtains.

Therefore, there is only one answer.

"She's really not here."

The problem is, where else could she have gone?

"Quack!"

A strange sound rang out above everyone's heads. A large black bird circled in the air and slowly descended, landing on the little witch's shoulder.

"You're back! You're finally back! Where did you go?! You scared me to death!"

Seeing the raven on his shoulder, Sharti was so excited he almost cried. He hugged it tightly and started whimpering.

The raven in her arms shifted slightly and stretched its neck.

"The clock tower! The clock tower!"

Its voice was strange, but it was clear enough for people to understand what it was saying.

"So it really can talk..."

Looking at the raven, Alex suddenly realized how vast and wondrous the world was, and how shallow his knowledge was.

But the clock tower...?

"What happened at the clock tower? Is Igris there?"

"Help! Help!"

Alex understood that someone at the clock tower needed help.

In other words, Igris does indeed have some connection with this raven?

“Witch, although your raven has been found, you will probably still have to come with me to confront Igris.”

Shaltie froze, looking at the raven in her arms, then at Alex who was standing beside her with a serious expression, and said in a low voice with some hesitation.

"Can I...can I not go?"

"What do you say?"

"...Waaah."

She vowed never to lie again.

……

In the stairwell of the clock tower, a pitiful thief, nearly dying of thirst, is currently tied up.

Igris locked her here and then disappeared without even giving her the key.

And so, poor Isabella spent the night in this awkward position in the stairwell.

It wasn't until she felt she was about to meet God that she remembered there was a crow beside her who had been watching the whole thing.

Thus, it shouldered a difficult mission and regained its freedom.

Until now.

"..."

"Officer... is there any water...?"

Isabella looked at Alex, who had rushed over, with a weak and listless expression, and gave him a miserable smile.

"I'm turning myself in, take me with you."

"You stole my raven!"

The little witch also ran over and loudly berated the phantom thief, who looked almost half-dead.

Although she looks pitiful, she is still the one who stole her familiar.

"It was me... I did it all... I confess... Take me away from here... I need to go to the toilet."

Alex frowned, looking at the handcuffs on her hands with a strange expression.

These are her handcuffs, which Igris took, but clearly Igris isn't here.

"Where is Igris?"

"..."

Isabella looked up at Alex, who had a serious expression, and gave a slight smirk.

"Who knows? Maybe... you'll never see her again."

The Gods' Folly - The Rain: Chapter Forty-Nine, The Raven

"What do you mean?"

"Ah...it seems I wasn't clear enough, was I?"

Isabella wore a strange smile, but her brows were deeply furrowed. Despite looking quite weak, she still seemed to enjoy teasing others.

She looked at the top of the clock tower, at the puddles exposed to the sun, and said softly.

"She left, in that rain, to where I was meant to go, carrying my hopes and dreams with her."

Alex's body stiffened slightly and even became somewhat cold.

As an operator in the Special Investigations Division, she was aware of most of what was happening in the city, including the increasingly frequent small-scale Shihui Rain attacks.