Chapter Thirty: The Curtain Falls, Startling News of Crystal Lake

The flames soared, spreading rapidly to the other abandoned classrooms within moments.

Before long, a large crowd gathered, drawn by the intense firelight and the piercing screams. Under the sheriff’s direction, police tape was drawn, and the fire department began their work. In the United States, regulations vary by state, and local autonomy is significant; regarding fire services, outside of major cities, professional firefighters are rare—most are paid volunteers.

The town’s fire department, for instance, was established through the collective funding of the residents of Clana, who also pay the wages for each fire they fight. Given these circumstances, their efficiency was passably good.

The fire was soon extinguished, and the corpse within was revealed. The sheriff, looking visibly tense, immediately began an inspection. Nearby, Yulinka was being watched by several officers, while David and his mother stood by, negotiating with the police.

A few moments later, the sheriff let out a long sigh of relief upon finding no obvious signs of trauma on the charred remains. "It doesn’t look like foul play. It wasn't that guy. Thank god, thank god."

After arranging for a forensic examination, he approached Yulinka, the sole witness, and directed his officers to check the personnel on-site to confirm the identity of the body. He then began his interrogation of Yulinka.

Yulinka began her performance: she was on the verge of tears, her eyes red, projecting the image of a child who had been terrified out of her wits. Seeing this, the sheriff’s heart softened; there was no helping it—most adults harbor a natural kindness toward children. This was, in fact, a crucial reason why some "evil children" could commit crimes without being discovered.

A moment later, under the sheriff's soothing tone, Yulinka stuttered, "...I... and Esther..."

"What did you say? Esther? That was Esther?!" David, who had been comforting Jenny nearby, was stunned and blurted out.

Yulinka nodded timidly. "She said she was your daughter... she thought we would be sisters in the future, so she wanted to play with me. We came here, but while we were playing, Esther fell. She knocked over the spray paint and... it ignited..."

"I... I was so scared..." Yulinka began to tremble, tears streaming down her face, her terror visible to the naked eye.

The suspicion in the sheriff’s eyes vanished. He had been skeptical at first, given the two recent deaths at the school—the body found in the lake and the student who jumped from the building—which made the situation sensitive. But he would bet his twenty years of police experience that Yulinka’s fear was not fake. Therefore, this was likely just an accident.

At that moment, David ran toward the body, his expression frantic. He scrutinized the remains, muttering that it was impossible. He then stood up and ran toward the dormitory building, only to encounter Louis and Emma on the way.

"Louis, Emma, have you seen Esther?"

"No. She said she was going out to play and never came back."

David collapsed to the ground, his eyes rimmed with red, overcome with grief. It was clear he was genuinely heartbroken. Though Esther had only been adopted recently, it was difficult not to feel sad that such a sweet child had been burned to death.

Louis watched this scene, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. Emma, however, maintained a stoic expression from start to finish.

"Daddy, what happened to Sister Esther?"

"...Esther, she..."

After a while, they returned to the scene, but the sheriff looked at David with a grave expression. "David Grossman, have you ever abused Esther?"

"???" David looked completely bewildered.

The coroner walked over, looking solemn. "Sheriff, something is wrong. The scars on her body were from a long time ago. But that isn't the most critical part—it’s her teeth. The wear is severe. She was wearing braces. I suspect this person is a... dwarf. Of course, we need further instrument testing to confirm."

Scars? A dwarf? Something was very wrong.

The sheriff placed a hand on David’s shoulder, his face unreadable. "Well, it seems Mr. Grossman will have to come down to the station with us."

David: "..." Everything tonight felt so surreal.

...

As David was taken away, Louis and Emma were left in the care of Angela. That night, Angela insisted they sleep in her room, claiming it was for their safety.

Lying in bed, Louis did not think about Esther. To him, the matter was settled; there was no use dwelling on the dead. He was only thinking about the three new esoteric arts he had acquired. Tonight, the utility of the Fire Art had been demonstrated, and that was only at the introductory level—in the past, such things were merely parlor tricks.

Once mastered, it would become true Pyromancy, allowing one to walk through fire without being harmed by ordinary flames, no longer requiring secret oils for protection. Once he returned, he would need to practice diligently to gain proficiency.

As for the Master-level Fire Manipulation, Louis held no immediate hope. Without mana, which he had yet to cultivate, such heights were unreachable.

If the Fire Art was this miraculous, what about the Canine Art and the Concealment Art?

The Canine Art required the selection of specific breeds, which would cost a significant amount of money. As for the Concealment Art, he could attempt to practice the basics until he had the mana to pursue more advanced techniques.

Planning the cultivation of these three arts in his mind, Louis gradually drifted into a deep sleep.

Beside him, Emma suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Louis. Her gaze was a mix of malice and fear, laced with a trace of recognition. She ran her tongue over her lips, but a moment later, she chose to close her eyes.

...

Three days passed before David was released. His release was, naturally, because the investigation had cleared him. Esther’s death was ruled an accident.

Most importantly, the coroner’s identification confirmed that Esther was indeed a dwarf, and her age was nowhere near that of a child. This changed everything. After searching through the remaining items, investigators found clues leading to the Saarne Institute, and after contacting them, the truth came to light.

David was released that day. The sheriff patted David on the shoulder, feeling a bit of sympathy for the man, who remained dazed and kept muttering about how it was possible. Anyone who had adopted a dangerous, mentally unstable dwarf, who had likely wiped out other families, only to have her call them "Daddy" and play the part of a sweet child while living under their roof, would surely feel a sense of horror and deep chill.

The sheriff looked at Angela and the two children who had come to pick him up. "Alright, it's settled. You can take him home."

Just then, the telephone rang. The sheriff picked it up, and his face instantly turned pale with shock.

"What? It’s started again at Crystal Lake? It’s reached Crystal Town this time?! How many are dead? A dozen?!"

Louis, who had been watching David’s misfortune, froze.

Did I just hear a keyword?

Crystal Lake... Crystal Town... a dozen dead...

Damn! Jason!!!