Modus Operandi
Hey, be careful with that. Someone's going to get hurt.
You there! Don't touch that without permission!
*Sigh...* That's already the second one in the past few days...
I know... What in the world is happening?
The storm clouds had long since cleared, but the shadow cast over NOA remained.
And that darkness seemed to follow the Professor and me.
Perhaps detectives in mystery stories don't follow cases after all.
Maybe it's the other way around, with the cases following the detectives.
...I'm not a detective.
But you are interested, aren't you?
If you say it's simply a natural response to witnessing immoral acts, I can't argue with that, but...
At the very least, you were far less surprised than last time.
Was it because this scene was relatively clean?
Or... have you already grown accustomed to it? Fufu.
The Professor turned her cold smile back toward the scene of the crime.
...A young man with a very sturdy build.
When we arrived, the town guards had just begun removing the body.
We couldn't see the scene in its untouched state, but...
Did you notice something?
Yes, to some extent.
The strangest detail was... He'd been hung from a tree with a rope, yet there were no signs of resistance.
No matter how determined someone may be, instinct takes over when their life hangs in the balance.
That usually leaves fingernail scratches around the neck.
But this time...
I didn't see any such marks at the scene either.
The branch holding the rope was the same. Its bark didn't appear scraped or worn.
Perhaps someone intended it to appear that way.
After the town guards recovered the victim, I had a brief chance to see the body.
And... I noticed an unusual mark.
An unusual mark?
Yes. A mark left by something like twine... A cord thinner than the rope.
I expect that mark indicates the actual cause of death.
In other words, the victim may have been killed somewhere other than the current scene.
And it was done under circumstances in which the victim couldn't resist...
As if it were a play.
A play...?
The contrast between a scene of death and the word "play" sent a chill down my spine.
Who... would do something like this?
Do you remember the previous case?
Yeah, I remember.
...Modus operandi.
A behavioral pattern that can provide a vital clue when connecting crimes and identifying the culprit.
Two incidents occurring around the same time and near each other could suggest a single culprit.
Yet there was no visible signature linking the two crimes.
They may be the work of different people, or of an extremely meticulous professional who leaves no identifiable traces behind...
...Though I don't know what human guise the demon responsible for these atrocities wears.
The Professor abruptly removed her gloves, then clenched and opened her hands several times.
The palm of one glove looked slightly worn.
What's wrong with your hand?
Oh, it's nothing.
I sometimes get pins and needles from carrying my heavy bag with gloves on.
In any case, the investigation here will begin shortly.
We're done for the day, so let's head back.
...Right. Let's.
Leaving the disturbing scene behind us, the Professor and I returned to NOA.
I felt as though I'd overlooked something, but I couldn't figure out what it was.
...You look rather uncomfortable.
Have the recent incidents been troubling you?
Lisa told me something on the first day of the Journey.
She said the atmosphere in NOA felt unsettling.
An unsettling atmosphere at a time when nothing had yet happened...
Fufu. It appears Ms. Lisa is quite perceptive.
Perhaps she foresaw that events like these might occur.
Come on, there's no way...
As we drew closer to NOA, I gradually began to relax.
But then the Professor suddenly spoke up.
Captain.
Have you heard of the trolley problem?
Huh? The what problem?
A train is traveling down a track. Its brakes have failed, so it can't be stopped.
Five people are standing on the track ahead of it.
The switch is in front of you, but if you pull it...
The single person on the other track will unfortunately be struck by the train.
Why are you bringing this up now?
There's no particular reason. We're nearly there, so I merely thought we'd make some small talk before parting.
There's nothing strange about a Captain and their Journey member exchanging idle conversation, is there?
...
Now then... Suppose you found yourself in that situation, Captain.
Would you choose to sacrifice one person or five?
The Professor's question didn't feel like mere small talk.
The look in her eyes made it seem as though... she was testing me.
Was choosing between those two options truly all she wanted from me?
I'd keep looking until the end...
For a way to stop the trolley itself.
Perhaps she was waiting to hear my own answer.
...What?
I'm certain I said the trolley couldn't be stopped.
We don't know until we try.
Even if everyone on the tracks dies while you postpone your decision?
That's only an assumption too.
Whether it really can't be stopped...
No one knows for sure, do they?
...Ha.
That answer is nothing more than forced, illogical reasoning.
And yet... you would still make that choice?
...Yes.
An unwanted sacrifice...
That's no sacrifice. It's coercion.
...Fufu.
Fufu... Hahaha.
*Sigh...* You truly are an interesting person.
The Professor was smiling even in the final moment before we parted.
Like someone who had found a toy she wanted to possess.
I believe I'm beginning to understand what kind of person you are, Captain.
This is all so... delightful.