Officer Roland was ready to clock out for the day.

Fortunately the police station barely had much excitement, so there wasn’t much reports coming in at the front desk. This meant, he can finish up his work ahead of schedule. By his calculations, if he rush to his truck and zoom back home – within speed limit of course, duh – he would have enough time for a quick hot shower, heat up leftovers, drop treats for his dogs, and watch the big game tonight. Stanley Cup finals! Hopefully his team will win this time. Last year he ended up overtime with a nasty riot. Sigh.

10 more minutes. Just 10 more minutes and he was a free man. Might as well log out of his computer and--

BONK!

Aaaand someone face planted into the station’s glass door. Kids these days.

Officer Roland was about to make an excuse and skedaddle, but there was something about this young girl and man stumbling in that caught his attention.

Also...what the hell was the guy wearing?

Officer Roland gave a dry greeting, “...Back from vacation, I take it?”

“Wh-what was that?” The young girl asked.

“Nice shirt.” The officer gestured at the young man. Instead of a snow white hanbok that made him look like a character from a fantasy film – it was a BRIGHT and LOUD Aloha Shirt, bearing vibrant pink flamingos sipping from tropical banana cocktails. Every now and then, the officer could see the price on the tag that hung from the sleeves. Clearance huh?

“S-sir!” The young girl squeaked, avoiding her rushed taste in fashion, “W-we have something to report, it’s urgent!”

“Let me guess,” Officer Roland began, eyeing the clock on the wall. Getting serious he pulled up a chair to sit down and gestured the others to do the same. “You just returned from the airport and found your place completely ransacked? What valuables have been stolen?”

“Wh-what!? N-no, nothing like that! M-my name is Keekee. This is my friend, Kim! H-he came here to tell you something, about the murder!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” That totally didn’t catch the policeman off guard, “What murder are you talking about? Old or new?”

“Y-you know!” Keekee pressed on, “The one you guys posted in the news. The body that was found in the mountains. The cops claimed it was a suicide. That one!”

Officer Roland’s mind had checked out 30 minutes ago so he needed a moment to click them back on. When the gears were running, he snapped his fingers, “Right! Yes, that. Uh...May I see some identification please.”

Keekee pulled out her ID card and handed it to the officer. When the officer turned to Martial Kim...the young master stared at the policeman’s gesture.

“Sir, your I.D.?”

“My...Eye-Dee?” Martial Kim subconsciously touched his eyes, not wanting to hand them over.

Keekee cut into the awkward conversation, “Officer! Hear us out! My friend here, he saw what happened. Murder! I-it could be the Belt Rapist!”

“Er. Sl-slow down there miss. Let me open up a file to get this down.” Officer Roland quickly logged back into his computer, cursed how slow the start up was, and immediately opened a digital report system, “Alright sir, please tell me what you saw.”

Martial Kim exchanged a quick glance with Keekee, before composing himself, “I was in the mountains a few days ago and stumbled onto a man and woman fornicating in the woods. At first, I thought it was something Keekee’s Director was doing, some sort of elaborate play acting. I waited until someone could yell ‘Cut’ to stop the illusion. Only did I find out, the strangling was real. I flew over to save her.”

“...Flew?”

“Yes, there were no bridge or road available for me to run over there in time. I had to act with haste.”

“...Flew?” Officer Roland scratched at his head. Should he write that down verbatim in the report, or interpret in his own words. Like, sure everyone had their own way of perceiving a crime, sometimes incorporating their own spin on the events. Exaggeration is one thing – but flew? Really?

“Constable.” Martial Kim suddenly called.

“Er. Officer. But yes? What is it?”

“Should you not be writing this down?”

“...That’s...what I’m doing...It’s in the computer.”

“Without a brush or scroll?”

Officer Roland looked between his keyboard and the one reporting the crime. It took him a good moment to recovery from that unexpected blow, “...Uh...Let me assure you, my typing speed may not be up to par – but it is definitely way faster than my handwriting... Uh. You were saying. You... ‘flew’ over.”

Martial Kim let out a sigh and continued, “I tried to chase the suspect down, however he fled in a horse wagon into the mountains before I could catch him.”

“...H...horse wagon?”

“That is correct.”

“...The murderer...escaped in a ‘horse wagon’? D-did you get the make and model of this...vehicle?”

“Constable. What I described, was not a toy model.”

Officer Roland’s fingers slipped and made more than a few typos. “S-sir. I meant: what was the brand car the suspect drove away in? Do you recognize the type of vehicle? You know: Sedan? SUV? Hatchback? Pick up truck? Van? Mini Cooper even?”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“...”

“Unidentifiable, it is.”

“Wait,” Martial Kim raised a hand to stop him, “The horse wagon can be identified. Like a sore thumb.”

“H-how so, sir?”

“The horse wagon was able to move on its own – without the power of horses.”

The officer stared at the young master. The former ended up scratching at his eyebrows to calm his nerves, “License plate?...No? Don’t know?...Riiiight...Uh...Did you at least know what colour?”

Martial Kim nodded, “Blue like the ocean. I remember, because the colour reminded me of my friend, Martial Blue Sister. Same colour hair.”

It was Keekee’s turn to give the young master a double take. What kind of messed up pet name is that!? Was what she was thinking.

When the atmosphere grew awkward, the film assistant would lean over to whisper to, “Kim. Th-this isn’t the time to still play in character. Y-you need to tell them exactly what you saw. Or they think you’re crazy! Like legit!”

Martial Kim remained stoic, “I speak the truth. I saw the murderer strangle the victim with a leather sash. Tall man, large build, and possessed a tattoo of a skull bearing a snake in its mouth on the back of his left shoulder. I did what I could to save the victim however she succumbed to her injuries. There was nothing I could do. That was when I stumbled onto a Disciple of the Beggar Sect. I wanted to ask for their help, but I realized – he was nothing more than a charlatan misusing the sect’s name. Shameful, most shameful.”

Officer Roland just...kept typing.

The young master gritted his teeth and continued, “By the time I returned to the victim’s body, your Constables already recovered her. I honestly thought your courthouse would properly do the victim justice and find the truth of her death – but to think you would be curt enough to close the case as a simple suicide. Surely her death and the damages on her body would lead you to suspect otherwise. Hence why I came to report, out of good faith. You cannot close the case and let the murder walk around like a free man!”

Officer Roland chewed on the information he was told. He didn’t bother to eye the clock on the wall anymore. The situation of this revelation was just too heavy to be taken with a light heart. So pressing CTRL and S to save the report draft, he stood up and straightened out his uniform with a serious nod.

“...The Mental Health and Drug Addiction Clinic is two blocks to the left, right across from Pizza House. You can’t miss it. Here’s their contact information if you need to make an appoint--”

Keekee upright slapped the business card out of the officer’s hand, “What the hell!? The woman in the mountains was murdered! And you don’t believe Kim!?”

“Ma’am,” Officer Roland shoved his chair back into the desk. He was officially, and spiritually, so done for the day, “With all due respect, I don’t know what your friend is on but it’s clear he is not in his right senses. And, let me remind you how making a false report is a crime! I could have you both arrested, and have your buddy here go through a drug test!”

“Please, j-just listen to him!” Keekee insisted, “He’s not drugged and he’s not insane! Tell him Kim!”

Martial Kim could say a 1000 things to clear up any misunderstanding. He had the experience. However, he chose to say something else, in only a few words. Starting with, “Constable—”

“Officer, Roland.”

“...Would you believe me, if I told you the murderer was right here?”

“No not reall—Whoa what?” Officer Roland stiffened and looked around, hand on his holster, “Wh-what are you talking about?”

“I saw their horse wagon on my way in, right outside. Blue.”

“WHAT!?” The officer raced to the nearest window and snapped down a hole in the blinds. He looked left and right.

Blue!

....Red...Some Green...A couple of Black. A little bit of Orange. Bright ass Yellow. Hell, there were a lot of cars parked right outside of the station. It was a smorgasbord!

“For the love of—” Officer Roland gritted his teeth and opened the front door himself, “Sir, Ma’am, please vacate the premises before I charge you with misconduct.”

Keekee was about to give him a piece of her mind, but Martial Kim’s hand on her shoulder silenced her. This was not the first time the law showed him the way out, “Constable. I said what I said. My words are as true as gold... I leave the rest, on your conscious.”

“You have a good day as well,” Officer Roland curtly responded and showed them the door.

They stumbled out – as if the young man was afraid he would run into ANOTHER invisible wall – and vanished from sight. Not without Keekee leaving behind a complimentary raspberry with her tongue. Bleeeeh!

“TikTokers these days,” Officer Roland mumbled as he closed the door and returned to his desk, “The things they do to get attention...Oh crap. The girl forgot her ID—Hey you...Double crap.”

The door was empty for the day, making Officer Roland curse. He returned to his desk to log out, making sure the report was saved...Wait. Why bother?

He then hovered the mouse cursor to hit that CANCEL but--

“Oh Officer Roland. Did you bring your dog to work again?”

“Ah? Professor Stone?” Officer Roland turned away from his computer screen to greet the Forensic Chemist who came into the station, waving a folder and tablet. The policeman then followed up with an exhausted frown, “No not really. Wh-why do you ask?”

“Then what is with all the hair?” Professor Stone inspected the chairs at the front desk. “My god, they’re everywhere! Are your dogs shedding or what!?”

“Huh? Oh, they must be that nut case. He looked like he had a bad haircut – should have told him to get a refund.”

“You don’t say........Hmm...” Professor Stone should have moved on with his day, but something about the hair caught his attention. Where have he seen it before? “I saw what happened, the lovers that walked in. They sure left in a bit of a huff. What happened?”

“Nothing,” Officer Roland grumbled and reached for his mouse to delete the report, “Like I said, just a nut case. Was having delusions about saving the woman in the forest, you know the one we found ‘hanging’” Air quotes. “I bet the guy was lonely and was fantasizing about the victim when he saw her face in the news. We get that those kind of desperate guys every now and then.”

“Oh-ho?” Professor Stone couldn't resist leaning against the counter to distract the officer, "Go on."

"Sir, there’s really nothing to go on about. Report is completely bogus, believe me. No doubt you’re in a rush to—”

“Baaaah. Detective Fraulein can waiiiiiiiit. Just don’t tell her I said that. Hahahaha.”

In that moment, the seeds were sown – setting the stage for brilliant minds to clash in a battle of wit and will.

image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/e5d49d01-e685-46aa-8d92-b07d57dc33fb/didaiyy-7cc70b06-faf9-4771-a24f-b7127efe7b76.png/v1/fill/w_1280,h_207/moon_tavern_page_break_by_suimaifiles_didaiyy-fullview.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MjA3IiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvZTVkNDlkMDEtZTY4NS00NmFhLThkOTItYjA3ZDU3ZGMzM2ZiXC9kaWRhaXl5LTdjYzcwYjA2LWZhZjktNDc3MS1hMjRmLWI3MTI3ZWZlN2I3Ni5wbmciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTI4MCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.V__LDKPGxPLEElJXKGgxKvmlMcRIG9Nv3hgCGY_VlEE]

image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/e5d49d01-e685-46aa-8d92-b07d57dc33fb/di6ht8a-6b7841a9-7268-4fab-a51a-b1367877f8d8.png/v1/fit/w_828,h_1210/moon_tavern___pavilion_arc__lightnovel_image_01__by_suimaifiles_di6ht8a-414w-2x.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTY2NyIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2U1ZDQ5ZDAxLWU2ODUtNDZhYS04ZDkyLWIwN2Q1N2RjMzNmYlwvZGk2aHQ4YS02Yjc4NDFhOS03MjY4LTRmYWItYTUxYS1iMTM2Nzg3N2Y4ZDgucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTExNDEifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.1MRXBAT-lkHjJI86BlLFW_2-DsZ2mPQmrpQnyPY-Ay8]