The fairy maid cheers for her deceased master today.

"Over here!"

Elena grabbed X's wrist and ran quickly through the alley. Angel stumbled after her, her blue eyes filled with panic.

The police's shouts grew closer behind us. The sound of boots on the cobblestones was like a death knell.

"quick!"

Elena suddenly turned into a narrow alley. Ax was pulled and stumbled, almost crashing into the cold, wet brick wall.

The alley was narrow, with damp vines climbing the walls. After two more turns, there was an inconspicuous wooden door at the end, its brass handle already green.

Before the police noticed, Elena took out her keys. Click. The door opened.

"Come in quickly!" she urged.

X pulled Angel along and slipped inside. The door closed behind them, shutting out the noise outside. The sound of the police footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

X took a breath and looked around.

"here it is……?"

"My hideout is also my detective agency."

Irene paused for a moment, then said, "Oh, to be more formal—welcome to Miss Detective Agency!"

This place... does indeed resemble a detective agency.

The oak bookshelves reached the ceiling, crammed with heavy books and files. Maps and clippings hung on the walls, neatly secured with thumbtacks.

A huge mahogany desk stood in the center of the room, piled high with documents, ink bottles, and a brass lamp. In the corner was a small chemistry lab bench, its glassware gleaming softly under the gaslight.

"You still do experiments?" Ex raised an eyebrow.

"Just basic detective work." Irene shrugged, taking off her coat. "Have a seat. I'll make some tea."

Angel looked around curiously, her pointed ears twitching slightly.

Her gaze fell on a small statue at the top of the bookshelf—a silver fairy-shaped ornament with outstretched wings, as if about to take flight.

"Master, the fairies here have wings!" she whispered.

It seems Angel is still troubled by the fairy wings.

Ax didn't answer. His attention was drawn to a newspaper clipping on the wall. It was a report about the "Raven Brotherhood," with the headline circled in red.

In addition, the reasoning process behind some gang intelligence was also written on the white paper on the wall.

"The Raven Brotherhood..." he murmured to himself.

"What?" Elena walked over with a tea tray, the porcelain cups clinking gently on the tray.

"It's nothing." X quickly looked away. "Your firm... looks quite impressive."

Elena smiled, revealing her little fangs. "Of course. As a detective, professional equipment is essential." She handed the two teacups. "Try this; it's black tea I brought back from India."

Angel took the teacup, sipped it, and her blue eyes immediately lit up: "So sweet!"

"I added honey," Elena said. "Fairies all love sweets, right?"

Angel nodded vigorously, her silver hair shimmering under the light.

Ex held his teacup but didn't drink. His gaze fell on Irene, scrutinizing the detective who had suddenly appeared. A jade-green, side-parted long dress, small flowers pinned to her pointed ears, a cheap brass badge glued on with theater prop glue on her chest…

The long dress seemed more like something Elena had put on, found it restrictive, and then casually tore it in half diagonally. This, ironically, gave it a touch of unconventional wildness.

"Speak," Ex said, setting down his teacup, which clattered against the saucer. "What was the meaning behind that absurd accusation you made earlier?"

Irene's smile faded slightly.

She put down her teacup and tapped her fingertips lightly on the table.

“Straight to the point,” she said. “I like that. So, I’ll be blunt too—I know what you did, Sir.”

"For example, there was a minor disturbance at Crystal Palace the day before yesterday. I think you were the culprits, weren't you?"

"Oh?"

Ex deliberately raised his voice.

"An interesting statement. For a jazz musician, that's a very serious accusation."

X picked up his teacup and gently blew on it. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know it's you."

"Alright then, though that's a cliché—but what about evidence?" Ax suddenly remembered he was dead and couldn't drink anymore, so he put down his teacup. "Don't detectives love talking about evidence?"

"Hmm, I don't have 100% proof," Elena admitted. "But why don't you look at the person next to you?"

What?

X turned his head and saw Angel nervously clutching her sleeve, her blue eyes darting back and forth between the two of them. She was trembling with nervousness.

In particular, whenever Elena mentioned the word "thief," Angel would tremble.

Is this what they call a terrible teammate?

X was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "So, this fake detective, what do you need me to do?"

"Not going to argue anymore?"

"I don't think it's meaningful. Because you're just guessing. I'm only trying to help you out of kindness."

I'd rather die than admit it. Besides, I'm already dead, so I'm not afraid of being beaten.

"It seems I need to show real evidence."

Elena reached into her pocket and placed a small, compass-like metal disc on the table.

"This thing can detect a special kind of energy. And this energy can be detected in the relics and in you..."

Ex was startled.

But outwardly, he raised his chin and said, "Interesting."

"It's quite interesting. If you don't want Scotland Yard to find out about this, you'd better cooperate with me." There was a hint of threat in Irene's tone.

Ax's mind raced.

As an experienced gamer, I am not so easily threatened.

Then he smiled again: "Miss Elena, you seem to have forgotten two things."

Irene frowned: "What?"

"First of all, an unknown energy source and an unverifiable watch face are still not enough to prove that I stole anything. That reason is too absurd. Scotland Yard wouldn't accept it either."

"Secondly, if—and I mean if—I really get arrested by the police… then who will help you? At most, I'll be locked up in jail for a while. But how long can you hold out, former Holy Fairy?"

Irene paused for a moment.

This time she remained silent for a very long time: "What do you know? How do you know?"

"To be honest, I also have some talent for detective work."

Especially since I had watched at least several hundred episodes of Detective Conan before I time-traveled, I had a thorough grasp of various criminal techniques. Oh no, I mean, crime-solving techniques.

"And your identity is easy to determine. The church is the best place to monitor fairies... yet you can easily enter and leave the church, know the white-robed priest, and even know how to enter the 'Rain World'..."

"Everything indicates that you were once a member of the Holy Order," Ax boldly concluded.

Irene: "And then you ask how long I can hold out...?"

"That's easier to understand. Deacon Samuel said that the church's testing hall is used to suppress alien contamination or to conduct alien contamination tests."

"Your sudden intrusion into the testing room doesn't seem like it's for testing... so it can only be to suppress the so-called pollution."

"Am I right, Miss Elena?"

Silence fell in the room once again.

Angel glanced at the two of them cautiously, feeling that she no longer needed to worry about being exposed, so she quietly reached for the cookies on the table. She immediately pulled her hand back and secretly ate them.

Elena suddenly gave a wry smile: "Sir, you've surprised me. You're more like a detective than I am."

I've just seen more of the world and played more games.

X waved his hand: "Let's get down to business. I can help you, but I need payment."

What do you want?

Finally, it was his turn to make a request. Ax was quite satisfied.

"It's simple... I need a strong bodyguard to ensure my safety."

Elena leaned forward: "Because of the Raven Brotherhood?"

"Yes, I believe you have investigated me, so you know that I have been targeted by them recently."

Elena nodded gravely: "The Raven Brotherhood... they are certainly not good people."

"Actually, I don't know much about them, who are they?"

"In London's underworld, everyone knows the Raven Brotherhood. They're a secret organization that deals with... shady business. Assassination, smuggling, intelligence trading... they'll do anything for money."

Ax's heart sank. Finding the real culprit had become even more difficult.

"So I need to protect myself." He looked at Elena. "How about we make a deal? I'll investigate what you care about as much as possible. Afterwards, you'll protect me and help me investigate the Raven Brotherhood. How about it?"

"Is it just possible?"

Elena paused for a moment, then gave a hearty smile: "But it sounds... like a good deal, Sir."

"After all, it's rare to encounter someone who knows about special energies... I had no other choice."