Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 7: An Unexpected Invitation

When Levi walked out of the Pink Lady Bar, it was already midnight.

Although those courtesans had warmly tried to persuade him to stay overnight, Levi still politely declined.

Judging from the hungry, wolf-like eyes with which those courtesans stared at him, Levi seriously suspected that if he stayed, he wasn’t sure whether it would be a case of a tiger entering a flock of sheep, or a sheep entering a tiger’s den.

So, although going out at night was somewhat dangerous, Levi felt that staying at the Pink Lady would be even more dangerous.

After all, it wasn’t just the courtesans— even Madam Clattie had smiled warmly at him, saying that if he wasn’t satisfied, he could pick any courtesan in the Pink Lady, including herself………

Hmm, if he didn’t leave now, he might not be able to leave at all.

Leaving the dazzling lights of the bar and stepping onto the silent street, Levi finally let out a breath of relief.

He had never been fond of lively places.

In Levi’s experience, whenever he appeared in a crowded setting, there was a high chance he would become the center of attention.

Over time, he had developed a preference for quiet places.

Of course, in the eyes of ordinary people, the foggy city’s nighttime streets were by no means a good place for a stroll.

Besides the rumors of the Courtesan Killer that made people wary, there were also certain individuals who liked to wander around taking advantage of the night.

Just like now.

“Hey, handsome fella, isn’t it dangerous for you to be out here alone so late?”

With a slick and mocking voice, Levi saw a scruffy-looking man walk out from a nearby alley, blocking his path.

In his hand was a dagger, which he twirled skillfully.

Beside him stood a muscular man, glaring at Levi with a look that said, “This mountain is mine, this tree is mine.”

“What do you want?”

Levi stared at the two and asked, while the dagger man chuckled.

“Nothing much, just saw you seemed generous, so we thought we’d ask you for a little spending money. If you can give those courtesans so much, surely you can show some kindness and give us a bit too.”

“And what if I don’t?”

Levi stood there, amused, looking at the dagger man.

It was his first time encountering a roadside robbery, so it felt somewhat novel.

But upon hearing Levi’s answer, the dagger man’s expression changed abruptly.

“Then don’t blame me for being ruthless! I want to see if you can still smile when I turn that fancy face of yours into an ugly mess…”

As he spoke, the dagger man lifted the dagger to his mouth, stuck out his long tongue, and licked it, looking smugly at Levi.

But before Levi could speak, the big man behind him couldn’t help but speak up.

“B-big brother… that dagger… you just stuck it into a rat earlier… and you haven’t washed it yet…”

“Ah————? Ugh!!”

Hearing the reminder, the dagger man’s expression changed drastically, and he immediately threw the dagger aside, then leaned against the wall, gagging and vomiting.

“……………”

Seeing this scene, Levi was speechless for a moment, but he said nothing and simply walked on.

It seemed those two thugs had no time to bother him anymore— but then…

“Stop! Who told you to leave!”

Seeing Levi try to walk away, the dagger man straightened up again and shouted at him.

“Our boss wants to see you! You’re coming with us!”

“Your boss?”

Hearing that, Levi frowned.

He wasn’t surprised that this area had “lively social organizations,” but he was surprised they were looking for him.

At least for now, Levi didn’t think he had any ties to the gangs.

Could it be because of the Courtesan Killer?

That did make some sense— after all, these people also controlled the businesses in this territory, and the Courtesan Killer’s presence was clearly hurting their profits………

And as the local powers, they might even have some useful information.

Thinking of this, Levi nodded.

“Alright.”

Another reason for his decision was simple— Levi had already noticed that apart from these two unreliable guys, there were several others lurking in the nearby alleys.

They had been silently watching him.

It was obvious that if these two failed, the others would step in, and things could get messy.

Since they were going to talk eventually, they might as well talk now.

Seeing Levi comply so readily, the dagger man relaxed and, together with the big guy, led Levi deeper into the alley.

The dagger man seemed to be a chatterbox, and Levi hardly had to try before he got the story out of him.

The “lively social organization” managing this area was called the “Black Panther,” and their boss’s nickname was “Scar.”

According to the dagger man, Scar was all-powerful— though Levi could tell it was just bragging.

If Scar really had that much ability, he wouldn’t be just a local gang leader here.

Still, the name “Scar” reminded Levi of an animal villain from a cartoon he had once watched.

Now that he thought about it, it was strange— why would an animal in a cartoon give itself a name like Scar?

It’s not like they even had knives.

While Levi’s thoughts wandered, the three of them had already passed through the alley and arrived at a warehouse deep in the district.

The dagger man reached out and knocked on the door in a rhythmic pattern.

Moments later, the warehouse door opened a crack, and at the same time, Levi noticed the presences that had been following him quietly disperse.

They were fairly well-organized.

Levi pulled his thoughts back, raising his opinion of this “Scar.”

Finding someone brave and ruthless was easy, but finding someone brave, ruthless, and obedient was hard.

The fact that Scar could keep his subordinates so disciplined meant he had skill.

The orderly arrangements also meant he was a logical person.

However………

Levi gave the dagger man a puzzled glance.

Why send this guy to fetch me? Couldn’t they have picked someone more reliable?

But Levi’s question was soon answered.

“Boss Scar!”

The dagger man squeezed through the crack in the door and shouted loudly.

“We brought you the one you wanted!”

“Cliff!”

However, to Levi’s surprise, the reply wasn’t a gruff male voice but a gentle, slightly irritated female voice.

“How many times have I told you not to call me that!”

“Eh? But isn’t it cool?”

“???”

Hearing the exchange, Levi blinked in surprise and looked into the warehouse.

Then he saw a figure standing in the middle of the empty space, cloaked and masked.

He— no, she— had a petite, slender build, and judging from her curves and voice, she couldn’t be more than sixteen or seventeen.

This girl was the boss of the entire gang?

What kind of joke was this?

Levi’s expression didn’t change, but inwardly he was extremely surprised.

Through his earlier 【Investigation】, Levi had noticed that her choice of words was very refined—something an uneducated person could never speak.

It was clear this young lady had not only been educated, but had also received a high-level education.

Yet here she was, running off to this slum to play the role of some gang boss?

Young people in this era really knew how to have fun?

The girl seemed to give up on arguing with the dagger man.

She looked at Levi again, and at the same time, Levi sensed her draw in a quiet breath.

But with the mask covering her face, he couldn’t see her expression.

Well, he didn’t need to— Levi had experienced this sort of thing far too many times.

“Good evening, Detective.”

The girl spoke again, and her voice became much softer and more elegant.

“I’m terribly sorry to trouble you. If I have been rude, please forgive me. The reason I asked you here is that I have some questions and hope you might offer me some guidance.”

“………………………”

Levi glanced around the worn-down warehouse.

If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was inviting him to dance at a banquet.

“You want to ask about the Courtesan Killer?”

“That’s right.”

The girl nodded.

“I heard you’ve spoken with the ladies at the Pink Lady. May I ask if you’ve gathered any clues?”

“I have a few, but…”

Levi studied the girl, looking her over from head to toe.

“I’m curious—what do you want with this information?”

If Scar had been a fierce, burly man, Levi could easily guess— a gang boss would likely want to capture anyone causing trouble on their turf and slice them into pieces.

But this young lady didn’t seem like that type.

Then again, after years of exposure to modern information, Levi knew better than to think appearances told the truth.

Maybe she was one of those who looked sweet but was pitch black inside.

“I only wish to hear your account.”

“My account?”

“Yes. Why are you investigating the Courtesan Killer? You’re not from around here, are you? Were you hired? Or is it for the reward?”

“…………………”

Levi frowned, not quite sure what she was getting at.

But he still told her what he had experienced—there was nothing to hide.

The girl simply stood there listening, then sat down on a nearby wooden crate.

After Levi finished his account, she was silent for a long while.

“I see… so, who do you suspect is the Courtesan Killer? The Black Panther can help you investigate!”

How would they investigate?

Kick down doors and ransack the place?

Levi grumbled inwardly but didn’t say it aloud.

He still preferred the police over gangs—at least the police had laws to follow, procedures, and evidence that could stand scrutiny.

Relying on these “energetic” gang members to smash and grab might solve the case, but it would hardly look good afterward.

“I have some suspicions, but I haven’t confirmed them yet.”

Levi spoke, watching for the masked girl’s reaction.

“And I don’t think it’s appropriate for local gangs to get involved.”

“Why?”

As expected, her voice turned displeased.

“This is our Black Panther territory. Of course we must protect everyone here… Ah, I’m sorry, Detective. I didn’t mean to accuse you. I just… just feel uneasy.”

Uneasy?

Hearing that word, Levi didn’t react— but the dagger man gave her a surprised glance, though he kept his mouth shut.

“To bring them to justice, it’s best to follow the necessary processes and rules.”

Levi patiently explained, as though speaking to a young girl.

“Only then can we bring the criminal to justice. If we use illegal means to punish them, even if the case is solved, it will be hard to justify it. Following the rules is better for everyone—whether it’s you, me, or even the criminal.”

“Sounds nice!”

The girl, who had been polite earlier, now seemed annoyed.

“Rules, rules, rules! That’s all you people ever talk about! But these rules can’t get anything done! By the time those useless bureaucrats finish handling the case, I’ll be an old granny!”

Ah, typical youth.

Levi used to think the same— that sticking to the rules without flexibility was just making trouble.

But after stepping into society, he realized that rules existed to protect both sides.

Sure, some people abused them for personal gain, but most of the time, rules were the best way to solve most problems.

Still, for young people, it was too early to grasp that.

So Levi simply stayed silent, waiting for her to finish venting so he could leave.

He had figured it out—this young lady probably just came to hear a story.

She wasn’t going to give him any useful intel.

It was basically a wasted trip.

Just as Levi was about to take his leave, the girl suddenly focused on him again.

“You mean you plan to catch the killer through the rules?”

“That’s right.”

At least through rules the police could accept.

“Good.”

The girl nodded.

“In that case, I’ll investigate with you! I want to see exactly how you plan to catch a murderer through the rules!”

“………………………?”