Chapter 101: Who Did It

  White.

  That was the first thing Yukari registered. A stark, blinding white ceiling that smelled of antiseptic and starched linen. It was a clean, chemical scent that stung her nose, a world away from the smoke and ash of her last memory.

  She stirred, her body heavy and sluggish, like moving through deep water. Where am I?

  Her eyes fluttered open further, blinking against the harsh light. What happened?

  She tried to push herself up, her elbows trembling against the mattress. The room swam into focus—a sterile, white space divided by pale curtains that rustled softly in a draft she couldn't feel. It wasn't a bedroom. It was a place of healing, or perhaps dying.

  Panic, cold and sharp, pierced through the fog in her mind. Her sense of self slammed back into place, and with it, a single, terrifying name.

  Raito.

  She sat up too fast, her head spinning, ignoring the dull ache in her limbs. Her silver eyes frantically scanned the small enclosure. Where is he? Is he safe? Did the fire...

  Then, she found him.

  Slumped in a wooden chair right next to her bed, his head resting uncomfortably on the edge of her mattress, was Raito. His messy black hair was disheveled, his face streaked with soot he hadn't bothered to wash off. He was asleep, his breathing a soft, rhythmic sound in the quiet room. One of his hands was resting near hers, as if he had been holding it until sleep finally claimed him.

  The tension drained out of Yukari in a long, shuddering exhale. He was here. He was whole.

  "Awake?"

  The voice was quiet, but it carried a weight of authority that made Yukari jump.

  She turned her head to the other side. Standing at the foot of the bed, arms crossed over her chest, was Zhu Lihua. The War Empress looked tired, her usually immaculate red qipao stained with smoke, but her gaze was sharp and assessing.

  "Mother," Yukari called out, her voice a raspy whisper, mindful of the sleeping boy beside her.

  Zhu walked slowly to the side of the bed. She reached out and, with a flick of her finger, tapped Yukari lightly on the forehead.

  "It was a close call, Linlin," she scolded softly, though her eyes held more relief than anger. "That was reckless, what you did back at the museum. Jumping into a burning building? Without a plan?"

  Yukari accepted the scolding, lowering her gaze. "Did I save them?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

  Zhu stared at her for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. Queen Aleena is still unconscious as of this moment, but she is alive. The Princess and that Malik boy... they only suffered minor injuries and smoke inhalation. They are in recuperation now."

  A wave of profound relief washed over Yukari. "I'm glad," she whispered. She looked around the sterile room again. "Where is this?"

  "Kah-Kamun Infirmary," Zhu explained. She gestured with her chin toward the sleeping figure in the chair. "We... no, he took you here in a hurry after what happened. He refused to let anyone else carry you, even when his own hands were burned."

  Yukari looked down at Raito. Now that she looked closer, she could see the angry red marks on his knuckles, the signs of his desperate digging in the fire. Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest.

  "Is that so?" she murmured, a soft, watery smile touching her lips. She reached out, her fingers gently brushing a lock of hair from his forehead. "Then I'm glad I'm married to him."

  She leaned down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to his soot-stained forehead.

  "Thank you," she whispered against his skin.

  Zhu Lihua watched the tender exchange, her arms still crossed, a mixture of confusion and begrudging respect on her face. She let out a small, unladylike snort.

  "I still don't see what is so good about that boy that made you so attracted to him," Zhu commented, shaking her head slightly. "He looks like he would run away as soon as he met a boar."

  "Everything," Yukari giggled, responding instantly. Her eyes softened as she looked at Raito, the expression on her face pure, unguarded affection—the look of a maiden hopelessly in love.

  But then, her smile faltered. A memory flickered in the back of her mind—darkness, heat, and a voice screaming in rage. Her gaze turned serious, snapping back to Zhu.

  "How did he save me exactly?" she asked, her voice dropping. "Did he...?"

  "Yes," Zhu responded, her expression grim. "He used that black flame again."

  The air in the room seemed to grow heavier. Zhu unfolded her arms, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "I'm not sure if this time it was his own decision or if he acted unconsciously like the previous times... but it is very clear. The more he uses it, the darker the flame becomes."

  Zhu stepped closer to the bed, her fiery eyes locking onto Yukari's. "That power is dangerous, Yukari. I know you can sense it too. That boy... he is slowly losing his senses without even knowing it. When did this happen? Did you notice the start?"

  Yukari shook her head slowly, a cold knot of dread forming in her stomach. "I don't know," she whispered. "The first time I saw it was on the ship, when Blue Beard attacked. But even I don't know when he started using it. I only noticed that... most of the time, it's not out of his own volition."

  She looked back at Raito, sleeping so peacefully, and the thought of that dark, consuming void taking him away terrified her. She reached out and grabbed Zhu's hand, her grip desperate.

  "Is there a cure? Something? Anything?" Yukari pleaded, her voice cracking. "I don't want to see him not being him anymore. Please, Mother."

  Zhu sighed, squeezing Yukari's hand. "Right now, we don't even know the source of this power. But we will find a way." She placed her other hand on Yukari's shoulder, a grounding weight.

  "Thank you," Yukari murmured, blinking back tears. She looked down at her lap, shame burning in her chest. "If only I had been stronger... Raito wouldn't have to fight. He hates being in conflict. He just wants peace. But ever since he is with me, all he sees is conflict. I can never forgive myself for it."

  "Linlin," Zhu said sharply. She reached out and lifted Yukari's chin, forcing her to look up. "It is not your fault. Even I couldn't tame that fire back in the museum."

  Zhu’s face tightened, a shadow of frustration passing over her features. She looked at her own hands, the hands that could summon infernos. "Some Blaze Lord I am," she muttered bitterly.

  Yukari froze. She blinked, processing the words. "Blaze Lord? You, Mother?"

  Zhu looked away, a rare look of sheepishness on her face. "Surprised?" she asked dryly. "Sorry. I wish there was a better way to tell you this. I intended to keep it a secret a while longer." She glanced at the sleeping boy in the chair. "But that boy seemed to already know."

  Yukari stared at Zhu, then looked back at Raito. A bubble of laughter rose in her throat, breaking through the tension.

  "He is oddly sharp when it comes to stuff like that," Yukari giggled, the mood in the room lifting instantly. "He even foresaw Grandpa Sun Yoon and Lily's disguises."

  She shook her head, a smile playing on her lips as she realized the sheer absurdity of her life. "I guess I am not that surprised right now. Or maybe I should be? Knowing that I kept meeting Lords, the legendary demigods, one after another..." She giggled again. "It's ridiculous."

  "Surprised or not, I'll just leave that up to you," Zhu giggled along with her, a rare, light sound.

  Yukari took a breath, her mind clicking back into problem-solving mode. "So what happened next? Who's the culprit? How did the fire start?" she bombarded Zhu with questions, her silver eyes sharp.

  "One at a time, Linlin," Zhu answered, holding up a hand. "But to answer your question... the fire was swallowed by Raito's black flame until it was extinguished. It didn't go out naturally."

  She sighed, pacing a little at the foot of the bed. "Also, we still don't know who set the fire, why they set the fire, nor how the fire started. There are currently too many questions without answers." She shrugged helplessly. "What we are left with are a very angry King, and a short bearded man who is very much stressed because he was tasked to find those answers."

  Yukari groaned, slumping back against her pillows. "I guess that peaceful vacation will have to wait after all. Why is every region like this? Hanyuun, Spica, and now Zarateph... does God hate me or something?"

  "Trust me," Zhu said, her voice turning dark. "From experience, you do not want to rely on God."

  "I'm not sure what that means, but okay," Yukari said slowly. She tapped her chin. "So what just happened is truly a mystery, huh? No wait—" She froze, her eyes widening in panic as she realized what she had just thought. "I did not just say—"

  Zhu looked at her, confused. "Say what?"

  "MYSTERY?!"

  Raito jolted awake as if he'd been electrocuted. He shot up from his chair so fast it nearly tipped over.

  BONK.

  His head collided with Yukari's, who had leaned forward in her panic.

  "OW! OW!" they both groaned in unison, clutching their foreheads.

  "Did someone say MYSTERY?!" Raito demanded, scanning the room with wild, excited eyes, ignoring the pain.

  "No one said that, idiot!" Yukari responded quickly, rubbing the growing lump on her head.

  "LIES!" Raito shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "I can smell it! You said it!"

  "Did not!" Yukari rejected, her face flushing.

  "You did!" Raito insisted, leaning closer.

  "DID NOT!" She quickly grabbed his cheek and pinched it hard.

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  "OW!" Raito yelped, but his reflexes were sharp. He reached out and pinched her cheek in retaliation. "YOU DID!" he mumbled through his distorted face.

  Zhu Lihua stood at the foot of the bed, rubbing her temples as a headache began to form. She looked at the ceiling, letting out a long, weary sigh.

  "Lei..." she muttered to the spirit of her best friend. "Your daughter gets influenced too easily. Forgive me."

  Raito finally let go of Yukari's cheek, a soft smile replacing his manic excitement as he looked at her properly for the first time.

  "Welcome back," he said gently.

  A day later, the atmosphere in the throne room of Kah-Kamun Palace was heavy, suffocating under the weight of suspicion.

  A large, circular table had been set up in the middle of the grand hall, a makeshift council of war. Around it sat a disparate group: Raito, Yukari (leaning on a crutch, her left ankle heavily bandaged), Zhu Lihua, Bob, Mila, Samira, Malik, Tanvir, and King Ahmed.

  The King sat at the head, his face grim. He looked at each of them in turn, his gaze lingering on the injured.

  "This meeting can only be known by us here," Ahmed began, his voice low but echoing with the absolute authority of a monarch. "Understood?"

  Everyone nodded silently.

  "Tanvir," Ahmed said, turning to the museum director. "What have you found so far?"

  "Right." Tanvir stood up, smoothing his vest. He looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes. "From the traces of the fire we collected... or what's left of it... the fire is not just made of elemental energy."

  He paused, looking around the table to ensure everyone understood the gravity of his next words.

  "It also contained something different. Something that made it stronger. More alive. Something that allowed it to move with a goal."

  "And that something is?" the King pressed.

  "We still don't know," Tanvir admitted, his expression grim.

  "Alright," Ahmed sighed, rubbing his temples. "Then possible culprits."

  "We narrowed it down to twenty people," Tanvir said, sliding a piece of parchment across the table. "The twelve other scholars on the list were in the room when the fire started. And six others."

  He pointed to the people around the table. "Me. The Princess. The Queen. The Malik boy. The Red One. Mila. And the runaways."

  "Why include yourself and my wife and daughter?" King Ahmed asked, his brow furrowing.

  "This is just an initial list, Your Majesty," Tanvir said, unflinching. "Of course, I will exclude them once we have more evidence. But procedure is procedure."

  "Very well," the King decreed, though he looked unhappy about it. "Make sure to gather the evidence thoroughly."

  In the middle of this tense conversation, a hand shot up.

  Raito was waving his hand around like a student in a classroom. "Hey! Hey!"

  "Idiot, what are you doing?" Yukari hissed, her face flushing with embarrassment as she tried to pull his arm down.

  "Is there something you want to say, boy?" Tanvir asked, raising a thick eyebrow.

  "Twenty-one," Raito said simply.

  The room fell silent. Everyone looked at him, confused.

  "I said it's not twenty," Raito continued, unfazed. "It's twenty-one possible culprits."

  "What makes you say that, young Raito?" King Ahmed asked, leaning forward with interest.

  "Because I saw it," Raito said, his voice turning serious. "During the fire. When Yukari and I jumped back in to save the Queen, Princess Samira, and Malik."

  He looked around the table, meeting each person's gaze. "There was a person in a black hood watching us."

  "Are you certain that those words are not just hallucinations from the heat of the fires?" Ahmed asked skeptically.

  "Yes, I am certain!" Raito declared, puffing out his chest. He pointed a thumb at himself with a dramatic flair. "Otherwise, my name is not Shilook Huang!"

  Yukari didn't even hesitate. She grabbed the back of his head and forced him into a bow, slamming his forehead onto the table.

  "We are very sorry, Your Majesty!" she apologized frantically.

  "HOHOHOHOHO!"

  Bob burst out laughing, the sound booming through the throne room like thunder, shattering the tension. "Classic young Raito!"

  King Ahmed sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Brother Boban, please."

  Bob coughed into his fist, composing himself, though his shoulders still shook with mirth.

  "But we will take that into consideration," the King said, turning back to Tanvir. "Put the hooded person as the twenty-first possible culprit."

  He clasped his hands on the table, his expression darkening again. "Now. The possible motives."

  Raito lifted his head from the table, rubbing his forehead. His playful demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp, analytical gaze that seemed years older than his face.

  "Jealousy," Raito said, his voice gruff, deep, and sharp. "Burial of archives. And possible assassination."

  "Hooo..." Tanvir leaned back, stroking his beard, a glint of amusement entering his eyes. "What makes you say that, boy?"

  "The first one, jealousy," Raito stated, standing up. He walked slowly around the table until he was looming over the nervous scholar. "I remember vaguely that this discovery of the mysterious structure was credited to Malik. Is that right?"

  "Hieee!" Malik shrieked, shrinking into his chair. "Y... yes?"

  "That kind of massive discovery... it might shake the entire world of Calvenoor," Raito continued, his voice adopting the smooth, lecturing tone of his literary hero. "Obviously, there will be others who will get jealous. 'Why is it not me?' That thought festers. And pushed them to start the fire."

  He posed, a finger in the air, clearly imitating the cover of a Shilook Huang novel.

  "Ridiculous!" Tanvir slammed his hand on the desk, the sound echoing like a gunshot. "Our scholars are the best of the best! Everyone strives for the same thing—the finding of unknown history! Your statement is an insult to the museum!"

  Raito turned to him, unflinching. "But can you be one hundred percent sure they don't harbor any negative feelings towards their peers?"

  Tanvir opened his mouth, then closed it. He scowled, but said nothing.

  "Exactly," Raito pointed out. "Now, the second. Burial of archives. It is exactly as it sounds. Someone, or maybe something we can never know, just doesn't want the museum to amass too many relics of the hidden past."

  He turned to face the King. "And lastly, possible assassination. Maybe the culprit started the fire to eliminate the royal family. After all, why is it such a coincidence that the people who got left behind were the Queen, Princess Samira, and Malik, the soon-to-be son-in-law?"

  "Then what about me?" King Ahmed asked, his voice steady but his eyes intense. "I was not there during the event."

  "That's easy," Raito said with a shrug. "If the Queen and the Princess were eliminated, then Your Majesty would be grief-stricken. Your decision-making would be greatly affected in the events to follow, sloppy, full of mistakes. Making you an easy target"

  His gaze softened as he looked across the table at Yukari. "And that would make you an easy target. After all... there is no one that won't get affected by their closest dying."

  Silence descended on the room.

  "That..." Mila murmured, her eyes wide as she stared at the young man. She looked around the table, seeing her own shock reflected in the faces of the others. "Surprisingly makes sense. All of it."

  Her expression said it all: Who is this person that is currently talking?

  Raito pulled his hand back, executing a small, sharp fist pump close to his chest—a gesture of pure, unadulterated self-satisfaction.

  Yukari watched him from the side, her eyes narrowing into a look of profound, weary realization. The late-night murmuring she had heard from the infirmary for the past night... the thumping of footsteps... the strange, dramatic pauses in the middle of the night. It hadn't been insomnia. It hadn't been stress. It had been rehearsal. He had been practicing this exact monologue in front of a mirror while she slept.

  This idiot, she thought, a mixture of disbelief and exasperation warring in her chest. He actually prepared a dramatic reveal just for a moment like this.

  But as she watched him, seeing the spark of confidence in his brown eyes and the way he held the room's attention, the exasperation melted away. A small, involuntary smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. This chaotic, over-prepared, theatrically ridiculous boy... this was the Raito she liked. If he could keep this energy, this strange, idiotic flair she is familiar with, then maybe things would be alright.

  "Alright," King Ahmed’s voice boomed, cutting through the silence. He gestured to a scribe standing in the shadows. "Write those down as the possible primary motives."

  He turned his gaze back to the young man standing at the table. "Then, young Raito... where do you think we should start this investigation?"

  Raito didn't answer immediately. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, the playful glint was gone, replaced by the steely, squinted gaze of a hard-boiled detective. He cleared his throat—a rough, gravelly sound.

  "Where it all began," Raito said, his voice dropping an octave, becoming a rough, serious growl that vibrated in the quiet hall. He pointed a finger towards the floor. "Back at the museum. The first crime scene."

  Tanvir let out a snort, a harsh, derisive sound that ruffled his beard. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his massive arms. "You think we haven't thought of that, boy?" he asked, his tone thick with mockery. "We swept that place clean. Me, the other scholars, a dozen volunteer adventurers, and the Royal Guard. We turned every stone. There is nothing left to find."

  "Yes, I know," Raito replied, his detective persona unwavering. He leaned over the table, locking eyes with the museum director. "But there is bound to be something that you missed... Mr. Quake Lord."

  The silence that followed was absolute.

  Tanvir froze. His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again, like a fish out of water. His face went slack with genuine shock.

  "Kid..." he whispered, his voice losing all its bluster. "That is not for the public. How... how did you know?"

  Before Raito could answer, a thick finger poked Tanvir in the shoulder.

  "What?" Tanvir snapped, spinning around to face Bob.

  "Everyone knows," Bob said, his voice a gentle, matter-of-fact rumble. "Everyone in Kah-Kamun knows that, Tanvir. It's not exactly a secret."

  Tanvir blinked. He looked around the table. One by one, the people in the room—Mila, Samira, even the King—nodded in confirmation.

  "You... have a tendency to talk and show off when you've had a few too many ales, Tanvir," King Ahmed said, a hint of amusement coloring his regal tone.

  "One time," Bob added helpfully, "you started a localized earthquake in the tavern just to prove you weren't lying about your grip strength."

  Tanvir stared at them, his face turning a deep, beet red that clashed violently with his brown beard. He shrank into his chair, looking suddenly much smaller than his boulder-like frame suggested.

  "Then... why did nobody tell me?" he asked, his voice a small, mortified squeak.

  "We didn't want to embarrass you," Bob said, patting him on the back with enough force to rattle his teeth. "Only you think it's still a secret, old friend."

  Tanvir buried his face in his hands for a moment, a groan of pure misery escaping him. Then, he took a deep breath, slapped his cheeks, and sat up straight, desperate to change the subject.

  "Okay!" he shouted, his voice a little too loud. "People in Kah-Kamun know! No big deal! Fine!" He pointed a shaking finger at Raito. "But how did that kid know? He just got here!"

  Raito smirked. He raised a hand to his mouth, curving his fingers to mimic holding a pipe. He took a long, dramatic drag of invisible smoke, then exhaled slowly.

  "It's kinda obvious," he drawled, fully committing to the bit. "Elementary, my dear Quake Lord."

  "ARGGHHHHHH!"

  Tanvir burst, throwing his hands up in the air in a gesture of pure, unadulterated frustration.

  King Ahmed cleared his throat loudly, the sound echoing off the stone walls like a judge's gavel, bringing the chaotic room back to order.

  "Very well," the King started, his gaze fixed on Raito, a new, respectful light in his eyes. "You have my permission to conduct your own investigation in the ruins of the museum. Interview anyone you deem necessary. From today, you are my... Kah-Kamun Royalty Private Investigator."

  "YES!"

  Raito broke character instantly. He jumped into the air, pumping his fist. "YES! YES! YES!" He bounced on the balls of his feet, his face glowing with pure, childish glee. "I have been dreaming of a day like this!"

  Then, realizing everyone was staring, he froze. He coughed, smoothed his jacket, and dropped his voice back down to the gravelly growl.

  "I mean... I won't let you down, Your Majesty," he said, executing a sweeping, regal bow that was slightly ruined by his earlier hopping. "In the name of my master... the Great Detective Shilook Huang."

  "Kill me," Yukari groaned, sliding down in her chair until she was practically under the table, her hands covering her burning face.

  "That is your husband," Samira giggled, leaning over to whisper to her.

  "No, he is not," Yukari whispered back from the shadows beneath the table rim. "I regret everything."

  "But you secretly like it," Samira whispered again, her voice teasing, poking at the truth.

  Yukari paused. A small, defeated sigh escaped her. "Yes," she admitted softly. "But don't say it to him."

  "Okay," Samira beamed. "It's a promise between girls."

  Raito straightened up from his bow, his eyes scanning the room with renewed intensity. "Then, without further ado!" He pointed a dramatic finger. "Ruboo!"

  The people in the room looked around, confused. Who was Ruboo? Was there a dog hidden somewhere?

  "Hey, Ruboo!" Raito called out again, this time pointing his finger directly at Yukari, who was trying to merge with the floor. "We need to move!"

  Yukari emerged from under the table slowly, her eyes flashing dangerous sparks. "If you call me Ruboo one more time..." she hissed.

  "Of course you are Ruboo!" Raito declared, oblivious to the danger. "My trustworthy canine companion! Sniffer of clues! Biter of evil! Who else but you?"

  WHACK.

  A wooden crutch flew through the air, spinning end over end, and cracked Raito squarely in the forehead.

  "I AM NOT RUBOO!" Yukari shouted, stumbling as she stood on her good leg. She turned to the King and bowed deeply, ignoring her groaning husband on the floor. "We are so, so sorry, Your Majesty. But we promise we will find who did it. We won't let you down."

  The King nodded, suppressing a smile. "You have my blessings."

  "This looks so fun!" Samira stood up abruptly, her chair scraping on the floor. She grabbed Malik’s arm, hauling the surprised scholar to his feet. "Me and Malik are in!"

  ”What?” Malik surprised, “No, absolutely not”

  ”Yes, absolutely yes!” Samira turned to him.

  "Dear," the King said, his expression softening into paternal panic. "Isn't this a bit dangerous?"

  Samira walked up to her father. She stood on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear.

  "You will let me go," she whispered sweetly, "unless you want me to tell Mom about the drinking contents of that 'secret meeting' you had with Uncle Bob and Uncle Tanvir last night."

  The King paled. He cleared his throat nervously. "You... may join them, hohoho," he said, his laugh strained.

  "Hohoho!" Bob burst out laughing, slapping his knee, clearly enjoying his brother's predicament.

  "Then it's official!" Samira declared, turning back to the group. "Me, Malik, Raito, and Yukari will be the Shilook Squad!"

  She grabbed Malik with one hand and Yukari with the other. "Let's go!"

  They marched toward the exit, dragging the limping Yukari along, leaving the unconscious Raito sprawled on the throne room floor.