The detective is dead, I did it.

Chapter 33 The Precursor of Armed Detectives

"So, you knew from the beginning that things weren't that simple?"

"Based on what you just said, that's my guess," Charlotte replied.

"So what do you mean?"

Li Ang was now unsure of what this woman was thinking.

He actually wanted to find out the truth about the mansion, but if Charlotte was unwilling to cooperate, he alone would not be enough.

That viscount will surely come up with many ways to stop me.

"Keep investigating. I'll see what that fat pig doesn't want me to see."

"I, Charlotte Holmes, never take a commission lightly!"

She turned to look at Li Ang, a smirk that made one's teeth itch. "Boqi, you're not going to back down, are you?"

"I don't care," Li Ang said, shrugging.

He had no liking for that viscount and was happy to see his shameful deeds exposed.

I never expected that this woman had this side to her.

This is a case that can be closed at any time, and the person can take the money and leave.

No one will blame her—not the client, not the detective association.

The heavy gold coins were already in his pocket; all that remained was to write a few lines on the report.

But she didn't leave.

Because the name "Sherlock Holmes" is not something to be taken lightly.

Li Ang suddenly realized that he might have underestimated her before. That statement, "I am just a pitiful and weak detective," was indeed a lie. This woman was clearly stubborn to the core.

No wonder she and the armed detectives don't get along; with that kind of personality, no one could stand her.

Moreover, this viscount was quite unlucky. He thought that hiring a famous detective would be enough to catch a petty thief, but he didn't expect that the other party had his own pride and was determined to turn the entire mansion upside down.

Although this was a scene that Li Ang was happy to see, he couldn't help but lament the other party's bad luck.

"So, what's the next step?"

After all this commotion, it was almost noon, time for lunch.

Combined with the notice left by the thief about tonight's crime, Li Ang had a premonition that he wouldn't be able to go back today.

"We'll just have to wait for nightfall. But before that, Poch, you need to come up with a plan."

"Wait! Aren't I the assistant? Why am I being asked to come up with the plan?" Li Ang was a little confused.

In which mystery novel is it the assistant who gives orders?

"This is a test for you." Charlotte crossed her arms and said confidently, "The detective only needs to be in charge of the overall situation, while the assistant is responsible for the specific execution."

She even held up a slender white finger and waved it in front of Li Ang, "Clear division of labor leads to higher efficiency."

"...Isn't your division of labor a bit too biased?"

Li Ang understood the subtext in the other person's words. So, they were really going to dump all the dirty and tiring work on him? They were treating him like a beast of burden.

"Favoritism? I let a newbie who just awakened his abilities work with me, a renowned detective, on cases. Is that favoritism?"

"I don't really understand~"

Charlotte tilted her head, her eyes filled with a look that said, "You should be grateful."

It's hard now! My own fist has hardened.

But considering the high salary and room and board provided by the other party, Li Ang took a deep breath and decided not to continue arguing with her about this issue.

The answer is that the other party gave too much.

"So, what's your plan?" Charlotte asked.

"It's simple. Tonight, that thief will definitely come to the collection room. We just need to stay here and wait for him to walk right into our trap."

Li Ang answered directly.

Anyway, I've already tested that witch, and it shows that she doesn't have any combat abilities and seems very weak. She can endure being harassed like that, so she must be a weakling with a combat power of less than five!

It's a pity we can't perform a whack-a-mole routine.

After all, the commotion caused by mobilizing all the servants in the mansion to catch rats was quite significant. Unless the other party is stupid, they will definitely realize that the tunnel they dug has been exposed.

"Stay here?" Charlotte pointed to the ground. "In this guest room? The collection room is at the other end of the corridor, at least fifty meters away. By the time we rush over after he arrives, it'll be too late."

Leon admitted that Charlotte's point was valid.

Given the opponent's abilities, this distance is more than enough for them to escape several times over.

"Actually, I wanted to hide it in the collection room, but I don't have the key, and I don't know if the viscount would agree."

"He's already agreed." Charlotte took a brass key out of her pocket and twirled it between her fingers. "Assistant, it seems we're on the same page."

It really was a test of myself.

Seeing that Charlotte had already prepared the keys, Leon couldn't help but guess.

However, just to be on the safe side, he still cautioned, "But the other party is an ability user. Are the two of us enough? Don't forget, we haven't figured out why they specifically sent out a warning before committing the crime."

Li Ang still remembers the three abilities he saw in Helena: criminal declaration, shapeshifting, and alchemy.

He could vaguely guess the effects of the latter two, but the first criminal declaration was quite intriguing.

So he gave Charlotte a hint, hoping to get her attention.

"At first I thought that guy was just being arrogant and provoking us, but now that he's involved with the witch, things are a bit more complicated."

Clearly, the detective also noticed the strangeness of the mastermind's actions.

"Could it be related to ability?" Li Ang then steered the conversation back to ability.

"You mean...word-based abilities?" Charlotte pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Word-based abilities?" This was another term he'd never heard before. Li Ang immediately asked, "What's that?"

"It's really just a subdivision of abilities."

Charlotte gave a brief explanation.

To make it easier to understand, people have divided the abilities of people with special abilities into those that facilitate combat and those that do not provide additional combat power.

The former refers to armed detectives, while the latter refers to detective detectives who solve mysteries.

Of course, having special abilities does not equate to being a detective.

Only after becoming an ability user can one qualify to become a detective; it's just that detectives are more famous.

Just as the public generally calls those who catch bad guys "armed detectives," their predecessors were actually nuns in the church. After gaining their powers, the nun was the first to rise up against the church and transformed into a royal detective.

The nuns, of course, only recruit women, even now that they have become royal detectives. As for the male ability users with armed skills, they have all been assigned to other departments.

However, in name only, they enjoy the status and treatment of armed detectives.

Then, the abilities of the Armed Forces are further subdivided into many smaller categories.

For example, the ability that Li Ang is currently demonstrating is to summon a black blade, which belongs to the summoning type of ability. Even the Level 3 Executive Officer Elena that they saw yesterday is an armed detective who belongs to the summoning type.

The difference is that Li Ang summons a sword, while she summons a laser cannon.