Pokémon Detective Case Files.

Incidentally, in the board game she designed, the ancient Unova from 500 years ago did not have methods like "Poké Balls" for catching Pokémon. Therefore, the Pokémon appearing here are not like close partners to humans in reality, but rather more like a group of independent NPCs who have infiltrated human society on their own out of various interests—unpredictable in temperament, free in behavior, and entirely dependent on the host's mood and the will of the dice that day.

After the commotion subsided, the game continued—compared to the two men who made all sorts of mistakes, the monk lady Cattleya was clearly much more clever.

Just as Lingju was being rudely kicked out, she successfully passed a round of [Inspiration] checks, bypassed the unassuming waitress, and quietly made her way to a corner of the tavern where a suspicious-looking man in a cloak was sitting.

"Wow! Are we finally about to find the crucial intelligence we've been searching for?"

Agent Luna immediately got into character, excitedly lowering her voice—

"Who is this person? Is he an intelligence broker? Or someone who possesses royal secrets and is currently in hiding?"

She might just be the kind of person who's "naturally suited to role-playing games," getting immersed faster than anyone else.

However, given Wanlong's consistent literary style, he probably wouldn't arrange such a coincidental encounter—that kind of twist would be too abrupt... Just as Hugo was thinking this, he saw the Ghost-type Heavenly King shake his head with a light laugh.

"Our group of travelers came to the tavern to investigate a recent royal rumor circulating in the capital. It is said that the king here is possessed by some kind of evil dragon of unknown origin, and the source of this rumor is this Black-Eyed Crocodile Tavern."

"I see, that's why you asked the waitress who works at the store for a long time, right?" Luna suddenly realized.

"However, you can also get the answers you want by directly asking this mysterious cloaked man."

Wanlong took out a chess piece representing a character from the new storyline and twirled it meaningfully between his fingers.

Caldelia silently made a [Negotiation] check and passed the threshold without using any superpowers—it turned out that the cloaked man was the tavern waitress's suitor and had been secretly observing her in the Black Crocodile Tavern for half a year. Compared to the waitress who had to worry about her work, this guy, who had nothing to do all day, knew more about the various happenings in the tavern.

“Cattleya, you’ve successfully gained this ‘stalker’s’ trust by warning him about the magician who tried to use [charm] on the waitress. Now, he’s willing to tell you everything he knows.”

"It's a bit disgusting..." The psychic-type Ultron flicked his hair, revealing a look of disgust.

“But that makes sense, doesn’t it? Who else would spend all their time in a tavern besides this kind of guy?” Yueju, a member of the tavern’s blacklist who had become a bargaining chip, chimed in. “Instead of dawdling, let’s hurry up and continue investigating the truth behind the rumors.”

Just then, the thief Lian Wu returned to the tavern and joined in the questioning, helping his companions to investigate the clues that led to the initial spread of the rumors.

“‘He was a big bearded man, a bad drinker, and not very agile…’ Mr. Stalker seemed to be lost in memories of that night, his voice lowering.”

Wanlong began her prepared narration with great emotion and intonation—

"This man appeared suddenly a month ago. No one had ever seen him before, but like a drop of water dissolving into a barrel, he inexplicably became a regular at the Black Crocodile Tavern. Until that night—when it happened. One second he was laughing loudly with the other patrons, the next he froze, his eyes becoming vacant, staring blankly at the flickering flame in the oil lamp in front of him. A man who was laughing suddenly became like a puppet with its strings cut... In an instant, the noise miraculously subsided, and the air in the entire tavern seemed to freeze. Then, he spoke—his voice was no longer his usual rough and bold tone, but a... smooth, hoarse tone with an inhuman vibrato, like rusty metal scraping against glass."

“‘Have you heard?’ the bearded man whispered, but the whisper pierced everyone’s ears clearly, ‘about our…king.’ No one dared to answer; an almost instinctive fear gripped them all. The man’s eyes darted slightly in their sockets, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints in the firelight—and then he continued…”

The quiet, deserted café at night was perfect for telling such eerie stories, and the torrential rain outside the window added a real chill to the host's words.

“‘I once had a friend who worked in the palace…’—this was the last thing he said—‘That king is no longer him… no longer. The one perched on the throne… is something else. Those scales, you surely haven’t seen them before, have you? In the shadow of his neck… occasionally flashing, a ghostly purple, seemingly not of this world… flowing like venom. And those eyes, when he thought no one was watching… the pupils were vertical, splitting blood red… like the oldest dragons… but… twisted, filled with hunger.’ He took a deep breath, his voice lower yet sharper, like a viper’s hiss— ‘It’s an evil dragon, we don’t know what it is, perhaps from the deepest rift… or the shadowy side of Zekrom? Or something even older, darker? Whatever it is, now, that dragon is perched on the kingdom’s throne… gnawing at our nation…’”

With a bang, Wanlong slammed his hand on the table in front of him, seemingly mimicking the sound from the scene—

"Then, as if all his strength had been drained, the bearded man swayed violently and collapsed onto the table with a thud, snoring loudly as if nothing had ever happened."

"Wow!"

Everyone cooperated well, clapping sparsely.

Chapter 436 The Glimmer of Light in the Dark Empire

"So, what happened to that bearded man?"

The thief, whose physique had recently become increasingly muscular, tapped his fingers on the table and asked a perfectly reasonable question.

"How would I know?"

The stalker gulped down a large mouthful of the ale Lian Wu had bought for him; the pungent liquid made him grimace, and he quickly wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"That drunkard who was spouting nonsense disappeared the next day like a stone thrown into a lake. How many people in the Black Crocodile Gang can stay sober in the middle of the night? Nobody knows when he slipped away."

"Hmm..." The female monk shook her long hair, stroking the rosary hanging from her waist that could increase defense, and pondered, "It feels a bit strange."

'Indeed, fake beards have always been a classic prop for those with a guilty conscience to conceal their identity, and the speed at which the rumor spread was a bit too fast; there's definitely more to this story than meets the eye.'

For some reason, the two travelers seemed to recall the voice of the magician who had just been kicked out of the shop—perhaps he had used a telepathic spell.

Because of this pleasant conversation, the stalker drank a large amount of cheap alcohol from 500 years ago, stood up from his seat, and tried to express his long-buried love to the waitress.

Cattleya and Lianwu exchanged a glance and decisively attacked together, initiating a [fight] before the situation could escalate further. One threw a punch while the other tripped, instantly knocking unconscious the cloaked man who had just been chatting amiably with them.

This "hero saves the beauty" event deeply moved the waitress, whose eyes sparkled with the light of a bear seeing a tree fruit, and she even took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Lian Wu and Cattleya.

Unfortunately, despite the successful negotiations, the waiter was unable to provide any further clues about the origin of the rumors or the mysterious bearded man, instead lowering his voice—

“If you are interested in the situation of the person in the palace, I do know an apprentice in the palace who is responsible for taking care of the garden near His Majesty’s bedroom. That person may have seen some things that others have not noticed. If you would like, I can introduce you.”

'This feels like a very strong quest progression; it seems the tavern battle was a side quest to make up for our failed rolls.'

The magician's voice echoed in the travelers' hearts once more, and he himself, wearing that flamboyant mage's pointed hat, reappeared at the tavern entrance—only to be stopped at the door by the tavern staff as he was now blacklisted.

"Well, do you want to see that person?" Ignoring her companion's cries for help, Cattleya asked the thief.

Lian Wu thought for a moment, then nodded.

“I think it’s necessary. The reason we’re investigating this rumor is ultimately because of the prophecy your master saw in the oracle, Cattleya. We’ll have to investigate the royal palace sooner or later.”

The two successfully reached an agreement with the receptionist and met up with Yueju, then rested for the night at a cheap hotel in the capital.

The next day, led by the waitress, they met the apprentice who was said to be a future court gardener—because of the previous “great failure”, Lanju needed to cast a [concealing] spell on herself the whole time.

"Did you all sleep well last night?"

The smiling hostess waved to the travelers who had successfully completed their [night] round, with the legendary "palace attendant" standing beside her.

"Don't underestimate this child. Although she is a girl, she is very good at taking care of the royal gardens."

The waitress eagerly gestured to the apprentice beside her and introduced them to everyone—

"Not only is he an expert in pest control and fruit gathering in the garden, but he also enjoys the appreciation and trust of Earl Black Moon in the court. The reason I was fortunate enough to meet this expert is because he occasionally visits our Black Crocodile Tavern to purchase cider, which is highly sought after even at court banquets..."

The waitress took every opportunity to introduce her pub's best-selling items, and she was very enthusiastic.

However, including the oblivious Blueberry, the three travelers completely ignored her words and stared dumbfounded at the new character who had suddenly appeared before them.

"Hello, I'm Luna, a gardener!"

"Here comes a guest star for a limited time! Wanlong, are you finally letting loose to liven things up?"

The magician could no longer contain his emotions and suddenly revealed himself, raising the wand that had just been used for casting spells and loudly complaining.

Luna, however, seemed completely oblivious to these nonsensical remarks, simply tilting her head playfully: "Wanlong? Who's Wanlong? I'm Luna."

"Yes, who exactly is this Wanlong you're talking about? We've never had such a strange customer in our shop before..."

The tavern waitress covered her mouth and chuckled as she left, a sly glint in her eyes like that of a novelist.

"You're clearly an intelligence agent! Even Hugo is busy with his official duties, and you're participating in the game so enthusiastically. Don't you feel guilty?"

"No, not at all. And it's not your place to say that." Luna said calmly, smiling without any burden.

"Forget it, getting bogged down in this will only embolden the host," Lian Wu advised helplessly from the side. "Let's focus on advancing the plot."

The thief Lian Wu used his muscular arms to stop his flailing companions and tried to negotiate with the gardener's apprentice.

Luck struck at that moment.

Perhaps it was because Lian Wu's honest and kind appearance particularly appealed to Luna, but as soon as she asked a question, the court apprentice immediately started talking like a floodgate opening—

"Something related to the King? Ah... you mean that terrible rumor? Actually, I'm not too sure either, after all, His Majesty has been a strange person for a long time. If there's anything suspicious lately... it's probably that he's been coming to the garden less and less, and he's become much more gloomy and unwilling to talk to us. But I think this abnormality is just a matter of mood—after all, His Majesty is a strange person."

Luna seemed a little unfamiliar with the lines, uttering a long string of information somewhat awkwardly, with a subtle sense of incongruity in her tone.

As a key figure in this crumbling ancient kingdom, the king's image was far from glorious: ambitious but incompetent, indulging in pleasure, and extravagant—he could hardly be considered a wise ruler. The rumors of him being "possessed by an evil dragon" were probably not entirely unfounded.

In fact, various clues in the earlier stages of the game had already hinted at this: whether it was the vague prophecy of the character Cattleya's master, the former organization of the thief Lianwu—that gang that openly occupied the village, or the magic academy that the character Yueju once studied at—now filled with bloated noble children due to corruption... all signs pointed to the deep-seated decay of this kingdom.

"Apprentice, can you take us directly to the palace?"

Listening to the other person's somewhat noisy narration, Cattleya, a little annoyed, cut straight to the point.

"Oh, you're going to the palace?" Apprentice Luna circled the group of unfamiliar travelers, blinking. "You're not planning an assassination, are you?"

"No way!"

The magician immediately retorted—

"Although our team composition does seem a bit militant at first glance, and we all dislike this country, and we just recently completed the tavern brawl achievement—we definitely don't want to end up wiped out so soon and prematurely end the game!"

"Hmm..." The apprentice seemed to waver easily. "If it's not an assassination, it shouldn't matter if I bring people in, right?"

"Is the palace so poorly guarded?"

“I’m looking for an inspiration,” Cattleya suddenly said, her gaze carefully examining Luna before her.

The monk's devout faith sometimes brings divine intuition and a bit of luck—she, who often uses similar superpowers in reality, relies on this skill even in another world.

“Indeed, the fact that we can get in so easily makes me think it might be a trap.” Lian Wu nodded in agreement.

"Hmm..." Cattleya pretended to clasp her hands together, closed her eyes for a moment, and then—

"...It seems like a normal failure."

"That's amazing, you didn't cheat this time..."

Do you want to argue?

The blueberry, having made an inappropriate remark, was glared at fiercely by the female monk, who pricked up her ears as if listening to a distant voice, before continuing—

"Although I cannot sense whether there is hostility within the palace, there seems to be something strange about this Miss Luna in front of me."

"Looks like we accidentally triggered some side quests because we were just barely close to passing." The thief rubbed his chin with his rough fingers and turned to his companion beside him. "What do you think, Blueberry?"

"Speaking of which, didn't the waitress say that this guy was highly regarded by a certain count in the court... I think it was Count Black Moon? His behavior of testing us to see if we wanted to assassinate him as soon as we met is a bit suspicious."

The magician lived up to expectations, displaying his keen insight—

"Given Wanlong's style, she wouldn't let Luna just casually take on some ordinary role... Is it possible that, besides being a gardening apprentice, she also holds some other profession?"

"Could it be some kind of spy lurking in the capital...? Although this is just a wild guess."

Lian Wu scratched his head, and couldn't help but recall the scene when he first met Luna Silvia in the hospital.

"Oh dear..."

The instant Lian Wu voiced his guess, a sharp, hawk-like alertness, far beyond what an ordinary gardener could possess, flashed in Luna's eyes. Her entire demeanor seemed to undergo a complete transformation—

"How insightful! It is truly a waste of your talents that you are not serving the kingdom."

"No, so it was just a lucky guess..."

"Haha, you guessed right!"

The "horticulture apprentice" in front of me suddenly let out a loud and clear laugh.

"I am Luna Silvia, a palace spy serving under Earl Black Moon and a member of the Night Rose Squad, tasked with monitoring unusual movements within the royal palace!"

"It's a complete copy of the real-world setting!" The magician wiped away imaginary sweat. "What kind of secret agent would introduce themselves like that in broad daylight on the street..."

However, Agent Luna was getting more and more into character, her eyes sparkling—

"That terrible rumor about possession happens to be something I've been secretly investigating. Since you all seem so interested in our Emperor... then why don't you come with me to see him in person!"

Chapter 437 The Ghost Following Closely

The group was actually led into the depths of the palace by Luna in a very open and aboveboard manner.

Passing through silent corridors and solemn halls, they finally arrived not at the magnificent royal bedroom, nor at the greenhouse where Luna usually tended her plants, but at a low-key side room next to the royal audience hall—the office of Earl Black Moon.

"Power is like real estate; location is everything. The closer you are to the center, the more valuable your 'property' is."

The magician, Yueju, gazed at the simple doorway located in the heart of the palace and sighed with awe.

"Having his office next to the audience chamber meant that everyone had to pass by this court count's door before or after meeting the king. He could even interrupt the audience at any time under the pretext of 'having a private word'—truly second only to the king, wielding immense power."

"But... someone like that is only an earl?" Lian Wu scratched his head in confusion. "I thought he should at least be a duke or something."

"Status in the court has never been necessarily linked to rank. Here, what truly determines everything is the king's will. If the king so desires, a clown can command an army, and a beggar can become the treasurer; on the contrary, a duke is often exiled to the frontier under some pretext—the so-called rank, in the end, is nothing more than a byproduct of the king's momentary whims."

"I see... Wait, who are you?!"

Lian Wu initially listened with great interest and nodded frequently, but when he suddenly realized that this cold and sharp analysis did not come from Luna, who was leading the way, he was immediately shocked and his muscles tensed up instantly.

Suddenly, the door that had been tightly closed was found to have quietly opened.

A man with a cold expression and dressed in black stood silently behind the desk, his gaze sweeping over them like that of a ghost.

The man was tall and slender, and his well-tailored dark suit made him look even more upright. His long silver-gray hair was neatly tied up at the back of his head.

“I am the Count of Black Moon, whom you all call the one who holds immense power. My full name is Ducham Leclerc.”