Chapter 118 Another Variable

Ranpo analyzed all the situations very well. He focused on the murderer's psychology and slowly told the story of a murder case that was planned many years ago, as if he had personally experienced the changes in the murderer's mood when he did these things. But there were also many things he did not say, such as more details of the case that led to the annihilation of the whole family, and how the murderer, in addition to using drugs, brought long-lasting and invisible psychological pressure to the deceased.

In general, not everything is presented on this island, only some fragmented clues, and the source incident long ago was only mentioned once in passing. However, psychological pressure requires the leader to pay attention to the victim's condition at all times. In other words, during the period of at least seven years, Harue Eisai has actually been under someone's observation. Based on these... Edogawa Ranpo turned his attention to the butler who has worked here the longest.

The butler looked at him nervously, as if he had anticipated something.

But then, the next moment, Ranpo looked at Morishima Ai who was a few steps behind him, and said, "Isn't that right? As a child who was lost at a young age, you were able to find your parents by yourself. This shows how much you expect from this natural love, Ms. Morishima?"

Everyone was stunned. In fact, at the last moment, some of them suspected the butler, because he had worked here the longest and knew the situation of Chunjiang Yingcai best. If there was anything unusual, he would be the one most likely to discover it. As for Morishima Ai? She is not even the most experienced maid among them. She is gentle and kind on weekdays, and her smile does not seem aggressive at all...

Komachi Koyuki, who was holding her arms, was also stunned. She turned her head to look at her and saw a look of questioning and astonishment on her face. Ai Morishima put her hands on her chest, which was a defensive posture, and said in confusion: "You, did you make a mistake?"

Komachi Xiaoxue was shocked, and she quickly said: "Yes, love happened three years ago. I'm just an ordinary girl, it's impossible for me to do such a thing..."

"Ryuichi" had been watching from the sidelines. It was a bit strange that the entire process of solving the case was carried out by someone else. He walked over to "Kyosuke" and asked quietly, "Aren't you going to stop it? Aren't you and us on the same side?"

"Kyosuke" turned his head and looked at him: "Since being sent here, have you received any mandatory tasks?"

"Long Yi" thought about it and shook his head. Even before entering this story, the transcendent had come to consult him, and only after he agreed was the invitation sent out.

"Kyosuke" turned his gaze back and said very simply: "If that's the case, why do I have to stand opposite you? Isn't this a matter of personal freedom?"

"Long Yi" was stunned, as if he was lost in thought.

Edogawa Ranpo chuckled: "Ms. Morishima, your disguise is indeed flawless. I can't find any flaws in it, not to mention that you didn't use any tangible means. Even if there are some omissions..." He paused and showed a sarcastic expression: "Another person took them all away. Your methods are really terrifying, and your heart is also meticulous and cold. The doctor is someone who conspired with you, right? Get rid of him and eliminate your last flaw. No one can convict you."

He stared closely at every change in the maid's expression. He saw that she was confused and then aggrieved. Her body trembled and her eyes were stained with red. She bit her lip and defended herself helplessly: "No, it's not me. You must have made a mistake. I can't do this... By the way," she said hurriedly as if she had grabbed the last straw: "I have my own parents. Although they passed away, I am not an orphan..."

Ranpo sighed in his heart. As expected, with her psychological strength, such "false accusations" could not make her fall into the trap of self-proof. He still had too little time. The other party only took real action on the night Chunjiang Yingcai died, and there was not a trace of evidence left at the scene. Even if a forensic doctor came, he could only detect that the other party died of a heart attack caused by drugs and fear, and could not find out more.

No, that's not right. Ranpo thought again and realized that the drug had left traces after all, and the doctor's suspicion could not be completely eliminated. If he was not completely exploited, such a result would not be perfect for them. Unless, he thought of something and quickly pulled the butler aside.

"Medicine?" The housekeeper was confused by the question: "The master did ask about the side effects of the medicine. The daily dosage he takes is..."

He looked at the medicines placed on the bedside table and counted the number. He was extremely surprised and said, "The master didn't take the medicine yesterday..."

"That's right," Ranpo analyzed in his mind, "Everything is just a means. The source was set up many years ago, and the medication in the middle was just for maintenance. No one would suspect that the medicine was wrong, because he didn't need to take the medicine at all, so there was no need to tamper with the dosage. In the end, the deceased didn't take the medicine that night, which was a stroke of genius. It was precisely because he didn't take the medicine that his mental state could not be suppressed, and he saw hallucinations, which frightened him to death. This logic is completely reasonable! The doctor was also invisible in this, and he would not be in any danger!"

Edogawa Ranpo witnessed the effect of time for the first time. He was now like standing at the end of a river, stretching out his hand, but unable to reach the past. Solving everything is not the end; finding evidence is the victory as a detective.

So how did the original story reveal the murderer's true identity? In the midst of a mess where he had no idea where to start, Ranpo couldn't help but think about the possible plot of the book.

"In that case, the 'doctor' is dead. This is something that never happened in the original story. This is the variable! This variable is brought about by us. 'I' am very different from the original detective. Everyone is different from their original selves, which caused the change." Ranpo thought: "Will she really tolerate such a change? A person who holds everything in her hands, even if she was not originally of this temperament, will become such a person after so many years of vigilance training. The core of her heart is 'revenge', and revenge is not a completely derogatory word."

"Then, is the person who killed the 'doctor' also a variable?" His eyes swept across "Kyosuke" and then glanced over everyone else.

[The only person I can trust is Dr. Ikei. He is a very good person. A large part of the reason I was able to find my biological parents was due to his help. Who would have thought that someone would record the story of a couple looking for their child so many years ago and also keep the test report? Why he did this, I couldn't understand.

Emotion cannot adapt to this world, but rationality is too cold and underestimates this world. Neither dim nor bright, perhaps this is the universal color of this world.

But then...

He promised to help me, and was even willing to do some not-so-glorious things for it. I could see that he had no intentions towards me, he just felt guilty towards me. He actually felt guilty for helping me find my parents! He thought that he had led me to a tragedy, and if I had never met them again, I might never have sunk into this hell of sorrow. He condemned himself for this!

Those who do good suffer because of their good, and those who do evil rejoice because of their evil. This world is really crazy! 】

"Don't worry," Morishima Ai suddenly heard someone beside her whispering to herself: "He said so much, but he actually has no evidence at all. He can't be completely sure that it was you, right?" She grabbed her arm so hard that it hurt.

Morishima Ai was a little surprised, and then she saw Komachi Koyuki's tearful eyes. After Edogawa Ranpo pointed her out, even though she was not nailed to death, the people around her stayed away from her. Only this girl, who was so frightened that she was about to cry, refused to let go of her hand.

She was obviously very scared, and she could read her mind, but she was unwilling to give up a friend she had only been with for almost a year. Her naivety was so incomprehensible!

"What a pity," Edogawa Ranpo suddenly said, "Maybe I should wait a while, until the variables trigger a bigger change, until the murderer collides with the variables and reveals weaknesses and flaws." He said something that no one could understand, and under the confused gaze of some people, he muttered to himself, "But I'm not here to solve the case after all."

"Those who are favored by the Transcendent are probably the best among men," Edogawa Ranpo stood alone against everyone, even "Ryuichi" was excluded by him, "Dazai told me that this Transcendent is not isolated from the world, and there will be 'guests' visiting his alternate dimension. It's just that the ones he met were all positive characters, and last time, someone sacrificed himself to send them out."

"But he forgot," Edogawa Ranpo lowered his voice, "he himself is not so innocent. And this time, I probably met a person who is completely opposite to us."

"That's right," Long Yi, who was standing aside, had already come to a conclusion: "Just as Kyosuke said, there is nothing we must do in this story. Even if our identities are opposite, the Doctor can stand on our side as long as he wants. He did that because he wanted to. There are actually two murderers. If it wasn't Miss Morishima who did it, it means that there is another real murderer among us, and unlike Miss Morishima, he did it himself!"

"It disrupted the murderer's original revenge plan. It was beyond her expectations and the script," Edogawa Ranpo said coldly, "Such a variable could not have existed in the first place. 'He' could only have come from the outside world like us!"

He didn't go to see "Kyosuke" again. This man was simply uncooperative. There is nothing unusual if he does not move. When faced with a person who "does not fight", he can only regard him as an option. "Long Yi" looked at him several times. He instinctively felt that this man's character was quite similar to that of one of his friends.