From the Ship of Fools to Earl of Wugang

The two teammates, who were not familiar with each other, greeted each other when the sound of rain outside the window suddenly stopped.

The water droplets that slid down the glass were suspended halfway, their color gradually changing from grayish-white to dark red, and the watermarks gathered on the window surface to form neat lines of text.

[The Sign of Four, Act I: The Strange Legacy]

[Mission 1: Meet at 173 Baker Street and investigate the truth behind the case; Mission 2: Find the real killer.]

[Final Mission: To uncover the truth behind the "Four Signatures" and expose the related crimes.]

[Cast: Hector Vermont ("The Republic"), private detective; Arthur Doyle ("Star Sword"), retired military doctor; Vera Sholto ("Torrent"), knight officer; Mary Morstein ("Crystal"), governess; Charles Grayson ("The Pipe"), London police inspector.]

[The actors' extraordinary abilities in the script will be limited by energy level, ranging from skills exceeding the first-tier energy level.]

After the final period was formed, the dark red watermark quickly faded and returned to ordinary rainwater.

The sound of rain, which had been briefly interrupted, resumed at the same moment, tapping softly on the window frame, as if it had just been a mere illusion.

Conrad muttered to himself, "It seems Dionysus has arranged a job for me as a military doctor."

Edmund picked up his teacup to hide his expression. His Highness was clearly not satisfied with the arrangement, and his restrained complaints dispelled the tension in the room.

Conrad closed the door, sat down in the armchair near the fireplace, and poured himself a cup of tea.

"It seems like it's just the two of us here. We can chat for a bit before the others arrive."

Although it was supposed to be a chat, the topic inevitably veered towards recent hot topics.

"I was involved in the investigation before I came here," Conrad said, looking at the tea swirling in his cup. "There's still no news of my brother, and I apologize that I cannot reveal any further details."

Looking at the curve of the prince's fingers as he held the teacup, Edmund felt that he didn't need to ask any further questions.

"This time, I hope we can get the highest rating possible." Conrad looked at his teammates. "Right now, I probably won't give up any power or knowledge."

"I will do my best," Edmund replied. "However, the high praise for the last performance was at least partly due to choices made outside the script."

Conrad gave an encouraging smile: "Considering our experience with the last script, I believe this collaboration will be just as enjoyable. I look forward to your best efforts."

After exchanging a few more casual words, Conrad stood up and opened a first-aid kit next to the living room. He took out a hemostatus clamp, examined it, and then put it back in its place.

"The identity that Dionysus gave me is that of a doctor. I remember that this person once served in the Knights Legion and became a military doctor after being wounded," Conrad said thoughtfully.

Edmund, nestled in his armchair, asked, "Do you really feel like you've been practicing medicine for many years?"

"Perhaps. The medical experience a doctor should have exists in the form of memories... in the mind of this person." Conrad shook his head. "It should be assumed that I have medical skills."

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Conrad went to open the door.

"Hello, sir. You should be one of the 'Sign of Four'..."

"Hello, I am 'Star Sword'. Also, let me meet this 'Ideal Country'. He shone brightly in the last script."

Footsteps approached from behind: "Okay, I'm 'Crystal,' and... Mr. Black?"

Edmund turned around abruptly and saw a familiar face—Rebecca Young was holding a pair of wet gloves and staring at him in shock.

"Uh, hello, Ms. Crystal."

Rebecca's face was a fascinating mix of sudden realization and slight resentment: "Mr. Black, you owe me an explanation."

Edmund glanced at the prince, who had closed the door and was looking in their direction, clearly interested in the two of them but restraining his curiosity out of politeness, and stood up with a headache.

"Ah, well... I can explain. Someone was following me, and I left without saying goodbye because..."

Rebecca pursed her lips and exhaled through her nostrils: "Fine, I'd rather get a 'detailed' explanation as soon as the script is finished—not an 'email'."

Edmund could only nod. Conrad closed the door and came over to pour Rebecca a cup of tea.

After thanking her, Rebecca sat down in another armchair and said that her character memories had begun to emerge, but it would be best to wait until everyone was present before explaining them together.

The ensuing conversation was inevitably somewhat awkward. Edmund couldn't explain his abrupt departure to the prince, nor could he press Rebecca about her subsequent experiences. He could only briefly explain the rules of the Dionysian play to her along with the prince.

After finishing a cup of tea, the doorbell rang for the second time. Edmund, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, went to open the door.

The man standing outside was wearing a long gray overcoat and looked quite familiar.

Douglas looked up, his gaze passing over the doorframe and landing on Edmund's face, the weariness in his eyes suddenly dispelled by shock.

He even forgot to observe the other two people in the living room, and his right hand instinctively reached inside his trench coat, ready to rush forward.

"What the hell, Lane Hall?"

Upon remembering this man, Edmund immediately took a few steps back, dodging the inspector's large hand that reached out to grab him.

"Wait, this is a play, you can't harm your teammates."

"Don't even think about running away—"

But the inspectors eventually stopped their actions.

Edmund nimbly slipped behind the fireplace, while Conrad stood up, looked in their direction, and coughed lightly.

Upon recognizing the face that frequently appeared in newspapers and on television news, Douglas's expression froze briefly before he immediately bowed.

"Your Highness Conrad, please forgive my rudeness."

Conrad gestured for him to stand up: "This is the stage of Dionysus, not the Silver Bell Palace. You can use code names."

After the ceremony, Douglas's gaze returned to Edmund.

"Whether this is reality or not, answer me: how did Ryan Hall escape the blockade on the Fool's Ship, why did he later appear in Flamingo City as Evan Black, and your supernatural abilities—these are all matters that the Ninth Bureau is investigating."

Rebecca, standing beside him, widened her eyes again, while Edmund's face twisted slightly, his mind reeling from Dionysus's perverse sense of humor.

Fortunately, he quickly came up with a solution: "First, the Veridia Federation's arrest procedures cannot be carried out here. Second, I have not harmed any innocent people."

Douglas scoffed: "You escaped from the Ship of Fools and then operated under multiple identities; that's enough to get you to the Ninth Institution."

"That's enough to raise doubts, 'maybe.' But there's no need to go all out in the script." Edmund looked at him frankly.

Douglas's jaw tightened, clearly dissatisfied with the answer. Conrad, standing nearby, spoke up: "Now there are three things."

He stood between Douglas and Edmund: "First, as a member of the Ninth Bureau, you are to investigate the Republic; second, I personally witnessed in the last play that the Republic is a very reliable teammate; third, Dionysus has already delivered the mission to us."

Conrad turned and looked at the two men in turn.

"The third matter concerns everyone's safe departure and should be addressed first. Therefore, Inspector, could you wait until the script is finished before taking action, given that you have the actual capability to conduct the investigation?"

The living room was quiet for a moment. Although Douglas kept staring at Edmund, he eventually took off his hat and put it on the coat rack by the door.

"Okay, but I'll be keeping a close eye on you." He pointed at Edmund.

Edmund shrugged, knowing that the plan he had just come up with needed to be implemented as soon as possible.