‘There are too many suspects.’ Paris thought as she walked along the cruise ship’s dark hallways.

It had been two days since the ship had set off, and she had no concrete evidence in the investigation.

The killers were covering their tracks too well. Almost as if they knew the exact workings of her ability.

While the exorcist community knew her ability due to her being one of the 22 Special Exorcists, it didn’t mean she had revealed the exact effects of her ability. But those who worked closely with her on missions could have discovered what she hid about it.

People who worked with her on missions amounted to less than a dozen. So while she didn’t know who the mastermind behind this ordeal was, she had some excellent guesses that could lead to them.

There was too little evidence left behind at the crime scenes. Despite it being a crime of 'passion' which Paris didn't believe for even a second.

With her many years of experience as an investigator, she could tell that the killer used a scalpel to cut the fingers, not a knife or sword. The killer was methodical and took their victims out with one or two hits.

Paris knew only one clan she had contact with and was also good at removing evidence. They had done many assassinations she had investigated and left no proof behind.

If something cruel happened, and the Dark Sword Clan could gain something from it, Paris would bet her right arm they were involved in it. Through every criminal activity one could think of, the Dark Sword Clan was getting a slice of the pie.

Paris never comprehended how an Exorcist Clan with such low morals was allowed to exist. Though maybe that willingness was what allowed them to outlive a lot of their competitors. Even the Semei Clan, who once was their stronger rival, was exterminated in that incident.

‘Was the Dark Sword Clan involved in that too?’ She wondered. Because one thing was for sure, the fall of the Semei Clan benefited the Dark Sword Clan the most.

Paris shook her head and dismissed such thoughts for now. She already had three main suspects.

The first was Mino Shim, a participant with a lot of bloodlust. In the massacre in the capital, he was responsible for most of the murders there. At least, that was what the witnesses said.

But Mino was a bit too much of an obvious suspect. Something didn't feel right about him, and he was too obvious.

The second suspects were the silver-haired team. There was only one main reason they were suspects. They had no names, no backgrounds to speak of, or anything else that showed their origins.

Well, they had that ‘officially’. But Pairs knew those were falsified records and could distinguish between well-made fakes and originals. That was more than half the job of an investigator.

The third last of the main suspects was Kon.

With all her interactions with him, Paris knew he wasn't a bad kid. But she couldn't ignore the elephant in the room; he was a part of the Dark Sword Clan.

During their last mission with Paris, Kon, and Delia, he had shown that he was willing to take assassination missions. Also, he was hiding something.

"Ah, Lady Paris, that's where you were. I have been looking everywhere for you," the old butler walked toward her. He had a friendly smile on his face.

The butler was also suspicious. It was suspicious how normal he was. Nothing about him stood out.

"Can I help you with something?" Paris wasn't in the mood to play games.

"Well, you haven't eaten lunch yet. So I came here to notify you that the cooks have prepared a hearty meal for you." The older man said with what Paris perceived to be good intentions.

She smiled back. "Yes, can you deliver the food to my room?"

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"Of course, Miss Paris. Just make sure you rest well. These murders have gotten into everyone's minds. Just don't let them put your spirits down." He said.

Paris went to her room on the top deck, next to where many staff lived. It wasn't a luxurious room with only a bed and a window to look outside.

She lay on her mattress with many thoughts in her mind. As soon as her head touched the pillow, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," she said while flexing the Ord inside her body.

With her years of experience, getting into a fighting position would take less than 1/10th of a second.

The butler came in with a food tray and his now iconic friendly smile. "Here's the food, Miss Paris. I won't bother you anymore."

She smiled at him and nodded. But as soon as he was out, she got up, picked up the plates of food, and threw all the food in the garbage can.

For all she knew, the food could be poisoned.

Paris didn't trust any personnel on this ship; in some cases, it felt like they were conspiring against her.

…

Morning came, and Paris felt a bit sleepy. She hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep during her stay on the ship. But she was used to not sleeping for weeks.

An announcement came through the intercom. "Everyone, we have reached Greenbit Island, where the next part of your exam will be held. We ask everyone to come to the deck of the ship."

Paris sighed and felt sluggish.

During Ord battles, what state one was in would greatly influence the outcome. If she had a battle power of ten on average, right now she had a battle power of four at best. Meaning even someone half as strong as her could defeat Paris in this tired state.

She walked to the ship's deck and noticed Kon glancing at her from the corner of her eye.

He brushed shoulders with her for a split second, leaving a piece of paper in her hand.

'Investigate the King's brother.'

For a split second, she was confused, but then she remembered how Kon had helped her for a reward like this; she would need to kill someone for him.

Paris was confident in her power; if anyone attacked her, she would let the first attack land. Which would be considered assault, which was illegal, and then she could easily kill them with her ability.

With that power, why would she need some kids to keep an eye out for anything? The answer was; she didn’t need them.

She had Kon 'protect' her to keep him close and confirm his reactions to the murders. Either he was a good actor, or he really knew nothing. It could be both. He was a challenging puzzle to solve, his motives were strange, and sometimes he didn't act on logic.

It was almost as if Kon knew things no one else did.

As she observed the students getting off the ship, Paris felt a presence move closer. It was the butler. "Are you worried about the Dark Sword Clan's kid?”

‘Is this old man trying to get a read on me?’ Paris sent him a side glance.

She contemplated attacking him to try and test how strong he was; but dismissed the idea, as that would stop her ability from activating, as she was the one who started the assault. Also, it might be an injustice, and her power might kill her.

When she created her ability, she was less morally flexible. Well, she hadn’t changed that much. But some jobs required a bit more flexibility for the greater good. “What are you talking about? The Dark Sword Clan has no enemies?”

“Huh?” The butler looked at her, confused.

“After all, aren’t they quite famous for massacring their rivals? They kill kids, babies, and everyone who might even try and get revenge.” She explained bluntly. Though no one mentioned it, the Dark Sword Clan’s history was covered in blood.

The butler’s eyes widened, but he hid such a look as soon as it became apparent. “I’m sure he will do well in the next part of the exam. So there’s nothing to be worried about.”

“You’re the one who seems more worried,” Paris said, noticing that the old man was on edge. “The Dark Sword Clan is known for its wide spy networks. You wouldn’t happen to be one of them, would you?”

The old butler smiled. “Of course not. The higher-ups personally selected me by a thorough screening process.”

“That wasn’t what I asked,” Paris said, her eyes sharpening, and the butler stepped back. But she didn’t attack him.

Whatever the man’s reason for being here, it was clear he wasn’t courageous. He was likely on the ship to keep an eye on someone.

“Well, whatever you were here for. The next part of the exam will be too dangerous for you to look out or even keep an eye on,” Paris tested the water, and when the butler didn’t say anything.

‘I got him!’

In many places, Paris was registered as a policewoman and investigator. Lying to authorities was illegal. No matter the man’s mission, people wouldn’t risk their lives for no reason.

He said nothing, which was a perfect response; her ability couldn’t do anything against that. Everyone had the right to keep silent.

But the silence was more than enough for Paris to come to her conclusion.

As she thought that, she noticed the next part of the exam had started.