She is not an investigator.

boom--!

The gunshot interrupted his frantic rant; the bullet pierced his head, and with a splatter of messy liquid, he lost his life almost instantly.

"I should have gotten used to it by now. There are so many lunatics out there, it's normal to have a few who aren't even human."

A Bizarre Stage Play – The Book of Secrets: Chapter Twenty-Three, A Chaotic Day

"A chaotic day, a chaotic bunch of people..."

Wade put away his gun, kicked the werewolf who had completely fallen silent, and then looked at the cowboys who were also lying on the ground.

They were covered in blood, with bullet holes in their bodies or heads; all of them were dead from various fatal wounds.

Even the most brainless drunkard would find it difficult to do this, especially considering there are quite a few of them.

"You're really giving me a tough time."

Wade went to the bodies of those people, randomly turned one over, and examined the specific appearance of the corpse.

Unlike most dead bodies, aside from the bullet holes and bloodstains, the only thing worth mentioning is probably the face that is still flushed even now.

If it's due to alcohol, then it's not surprising. However, since the person is already dead, such a rosy complexion is a bit strange.

At least in Wade's opinion, the fake liquor sold in that bar tasted almost like plain water, and it certainly wouldn't make someone so drunk that they would be incoherent and randomly shoot at others.

Even if they exist, not everyone would be the same.

He then checked on the others, who were similar to the corpse, bearing some fatal wounds and with flushed faces, likely having just come over after drinking.

Perhaps it has something to do with what they drink?

He planned to check the werewolf's condition again before the cleaners arrived. A werewolf was quite rare; at least in all his years, this was only the second time he had seen such a creature.

The first time was in prison.

"Hmm...this guy even has a legitimate identity."

Wade pulled a wallet from his body, took the money, and then looked at the identification documents inside.

The document shows a human figure, which is difficult to identify, but judging from the outline, it is most likely indeed the person in question.

I don't know why those people would issue a certificate to a werewolf who eats people.

"If it were me, I definitely wouldn't make this mistake."

Wade tossed his wallet on the ground and turned to walk toward the bar.

The bar was still open at the moment. Wade didn't think those people were really in this state because they had drunk some fake alcohol, but he still had to go in and find out more. As the sheriff, he had to take some basic responsibility.

As the low door of the bar was pushed open, a cacophony of sounds entered his ears: shouts, yells, laughter, and all sorts of chaotic noises.

It's chaotic, just like the chaotic lives of those people.

"Boss lady, come here, I need to ask you something."

Wade sat down at the bar by himself, and shooed away everyone else around him.

This isn't a difficult thing. Most people here know him and the police badge on his uniform. There's a reason he's the sheriff here; at least most people are quite afraid of him.

Although there are occasionally a few hot-blooded bastards, he doesn't mind teaching them a lesson to solidify his position.

"What made you decide to come over for a drink today?"

The bar owner was a woman in her forties. Although she was old, she had a youthful mindset, so she always dressed flamboyantly and wore heavy makeup.

She has a husband, and they run the shop together. Her husband is also a tough guy; he used to be a hunter, but he quit and came to this run-down place to open a bar.

At least people rarely cause trouble here. It's an unwritten rule that once you leave the bar, no one will care what you do, but it's best not to use a gun inside.

"I'm not drinking. Your liquor is no different from watered-down liquor. I just came to ask if a large group of people left here a few minutes ago, and what they drank?"

"They're here to investigate a case? That's quite rare. I know the people you're talking about, there are quite a few of them... but like everyone else, they're drinking draft beer, and not much at all."

"Really? Just like everyone else."

In a place like this, the proprietress has no reason to lie. There are always many customers here every day, and people are always killed the moment they step out the door. If she really had any enemies, there would be no need to use such a troublesome way to retaliate.

"Let me rephrase the question: After those people came in, what were your impressions of them?"

"It's very noisy."

There aren't many people who would describe something as noisy to her, especially as a bar owner.

"They were louder than most people, seemed very manic, and might have some mental issues. Anyway, they had a terrible temper. I didn't want to have anything to do with them. After ordering the drinks, I didn't pay any attention to them."

"Yeah—so that's just how those people are."

If it's not a problem with the alcohol, then it's a problem with the people.

A bunch of unlucky guys, a bunch of rather abnormal unlucky guys.

"Okay... that's settled then. I hope everything goes well for you tonight."

Wade stroked his beard and silently walked out of the noisy and chaotic bar.

The wool came running over. Gone was its previous panic and restlessness; it became docile and obedient.

It lingered around Wade's feet, acting all cute and affectionate.

He bent down and rubbed the dog's head, but at that moment, a shadow fell over his body.

He looked up and saw a set of somewhat oversized and worn-out clothes, and a beast-like vertical pupil huddled inside the cloak.

"Why did you come out by yourself?"

It's Little Red Riding Hood.

But it must be said that he was indeed startled, especially after encountering something so obviously abnormal.

"Wool came to me; it's worried about you."

Little Red Riding Hood can understand the wool's thoughts, probably because they share some similarities in their genes.

This also allows her to hear the language of wild animals, which most people cannot understand.

"There's no need to worry about me. I'm the sheriff, and no one here can hurt me."

"I saw."

Little Red Riding Hood ignored Wade's words and simply extended her palm silently.

She was holding a pistol tightly in her hand. She wasn't used to holding a gun, so it always looked awkward. To avoid trouble, she simply never let go of it.

"You saw it, you saw what?"

"Frenzy, impending death, and danger."

As a premonition of a beast, as her logic of survival.

She should escape from here, get away from here, get as far away from here as possible.

"Ah...you sensed it, we're about to be in big trouble."

Yes, it is us.

But now she is one of them, as the sheriff, as the guardian of this place.

"Let's go. I'll teach you how to use your weapon effectively, and by the way... let's organize the information around us."

The Bizarre Stage Play – The Book of Secrets: Chapter Twenty-Four, Entering the Dream

Just before sunset, Igris returned to the office.

Momokawa was still sitting in the spot that once belonged to her, her head bowed, writing something in her notebook.

She has already filled out a lot of notes, and there are probably not many pages left. She will probably finish writing them soon and then start a new notebook.

A new notebook; I wonder if I'll continue writing what I didn't finish before.

"I am back."

"—"

Snapped.

She closed the notebook, slowly stood up, and gave Igris a delicate smile.

Welcome back.

"You seem a bit strange... But I came back because I had something to tell you. I'll probably have some things to do tonight and won't be able to stay at the office. I'll be back before tomorrow, so don't worry too much."

"Um—do you need any help?"

Taochuan pondered for a moment, then tilted his head slightly.

"Of course, I hope you can take good care of everything here before I get back, including explaining things to anyone who comes looking for me."

Igris shrugged. There wouldn't be too many people coming to see her in the middle of the night, but there wouldn't be too few either.

After all, many people's concept of time is quite different from hers.

"no problem."

Momokawa sat back down and continued quietly writing in her notebook, not intending to ask any more questions.

Asking more questions is pointless, since Igris doesn't need her to accompany her, and knowing more isn't a good idea either.

That's why Igris is more willing to spend time with her.

"gone."

"be careful."

Igris waved without turning her head and left the agency again.

Only after her figure had completely disappeared did Momokawa finally put down his pen again.

She stretched out her arms, leaned back gently, looked at her masterpiece in her notes, and smiled easily.

Actually, she didn't write much; it was just something like a diary where she would write down things she felt were worth recording. Although she didn't write every day, she had written quite a bit already.

As for the purpose of these things, she didn't know. She just felt that writing them down would be more interesting than simply memorizing them.

This might actually help prevent her from forgetting some important things.

"Humph--"

She was in a good mood, and unusually, even when she was alone, she was able to show a fairly good smile.