"I am called 'Do Not Forget My Name.' Pleased to meet you, clown."
Neuvillette was shocked. What was this place? Who was this mysterious man? And what was the story behind that strange name? However, Neuvillette no longer cared about mysteries—because he was in the world of mystery itself.
Neuvillette looked at 'Do Not Forget My Name,' extended his right hand, and asked,
"Who are you, 'Do Not Forget My Name'? And why did you call me a clown? Is there something hidden that I haven't realized?"
'Do Not Forget My Name' had long, wavy black hair with white streaks, deep blue eyes, and sharp features. His skin was pale white, yet he was handsome, with a well-built muscular physique. His sharp cheekbones gave him an intense look. He wore a sleeveless black vest with some engravings, over a white shirt. His height was between 2.15 meters and 2.30 meters.
He smiled, poured some tea for Neuvillette, and then handed him the cup. Neuvillette took it with his right hand.
'Do Not Forget My Name' placed all ten of his fingers together on the table and spoke:
"It's not important for you to know who I am. What matters is that I know who you are. This is as crucial as looking at the king in a game of chess. And also, 'clown' is not just an ordinary title. It means that someone crimson or mysterious will descend to watch you. Your smile is not just an ordinary smile."
He ended his words with a mysterious laugh.
A shiver ran down Neuvillette's spine as he stared intently at 'Do Not Forget My Name.' A supernatural energy coursed through his veins from all directions.
"Do you mean that by calling me a clown, you're referring to something beyond natural abilities? In other words, are these mysteries watching events unfold—or, more accurately, observing them up close?"
'Do Not Forget My Name' refilled the tea cup and began speaking again.
"It seems you're starting to understand well. You reached this hall not only through your expertise but also through your courage—by standing against the killer who terrorized London for seven years, not six, as you said, clown. I was impressed by your crimson gaze as you solved this case and the others in your original world."
Neuvillette leaned back slightly, resting his hand on the table.
"Seven, not six… It seems you've been watching me, observing everything I look at. And your strange name—it's baffling. Tell me, 'Do Not Forget My Name,' how do you know me?"
'Do Not Forget My Name' stood from his chair, staring at a statue that appeared to be playing music with its wounded fingers. He spoke,
"Everyone knows the strong, the intelligent, and the determined. But the weak, the foolish, and the cowardly are trampled underfoot, never even glanced at. You know that well, clown."
Neuvillette placed all five fingers on the table and responded,
"You didn't bring me here just to throw riddles and mysterious words at me. You're trying to play the fool, but that won't work on me."
'Do Not Forget My Name' turned toward Neuvillette and pointed at him with his right hand.
"Didn't I tell you that you're smart? Listen carefully, clown. This monstrous world needs someone terrifying like you. But you must understand something—you have two missions, and you are fully aware of them."
Neuvillette wanted to ask more questions, hoping to uncover a clue or at least get a clear description, but 'Do Not Forget My Name' raised his index finger, moving it left and down.
"No questions. The answer is already with you, clown. It follows you wherever you go. Wherever you set foot, you will find the truth in the Tartarus of worlds."
He took a sip of tea and continued,
"Now, you have long tasks ahead of you in this world and others. Set those two missions aside for now—focus on your progress."
At that moment, the entire place trembled violently, shattering everything before Neuvillette's eyes. He watched as 'Do Not Forget My Name' vanished before him.
—
Neuvillette woke up in a hospital. The first thing he did was check his wounds.
They were well-bandaged, and most of the pain had subsided.
A nurse saw Neuvillette through the window and quickly went to inform the police officers.
Minutes later, the head of London's police department—Captain Royce—entered Neuvillette's room and sat beside him. Royce smiled and began speaking.
"God bless you, Detective Neuvillette. You made a promise and fulfilled it. After carefully examining the evidence, we confirmed the suspect as the killer. His first crime was the murder of his ex-lover. Some witnesses recognized him, and the girl's father confirmed it."
Neuvillette smiled, though his expression was empty.
"No need to thank me. This was all to save London from those lunatics."
But inside his mind, he thought:
'London is nonsense. That damn killer is nonsense. Damn all of you—I just want to return to my world. Or… am I in the past? Damn everything.'
One of Captain Royce's assistants entered the room—a man responsible for recording evidence and reports. His name was Harry Milsom.
Captain Royce continued the conversation about the crime.
"Can you explain how you discovered the case, leading up to the moment you killed the suspect? Or are you too exhausted? If you're tired, we can return later."
Neuvillette smiled and asked Royce a question instead.
"I'm perfectly fine, Captain. But I have a question—how many days have I been unconscious?"
Royce checked the records before answering,
"It says here—three days."
Neuvillette was shocked. He placed his index finger and thumb on his chin, thinking to himself.
'Three days… This has never happened to me before.'
Royce noticed Neuvillette's reaction.
"Would you like to delay this for another time?"
Neuvillette pointed to a bottle of water.
"I'd like to drink some water first. Then, I'll explain everything in exhausting detail."
Harry handed Neuvillette the water bottle.
Royce prepared to listen, and Harry readied himself to take notes on everything Neuvillette would say.
Neuvillette squeezed the bottle slightly, then gently placed it near his mouth before clearing his throat with a faint sound—"Ahem"—to grab their attention before speaking.
"At first, I went to London Central Hospital to examine the bodies. Most of them were women and children. But I didn't focus much on the children, as they were killed in a chaotic manner. The women, however, were killed in a consistent pattern, though the killer changed his method occasionally.
He would fire three shots into the victim's head, forming a triangle on the forehead. He also had a dagger, which he used to carve an 'X' onto the victims.
But the question is—did the killer shoot first or use the dagger?"
Neuvillette drank from the bottle before continuing.
"The answer is—he cut them first, then shot them, prolonging their suffering before finally killing them with three shots to the head.
From the beginning, I knew these symbols weren't random. There was a deeper mystery behind them. So, I instructed Elizabeth to gather newspapers from the past seven years—not six.
When investigating a crime, always start before the crime even happens.
Ahem."
He coughed lightly before resuming.
"In the second headline of the third page, I found an article: 'A Madman Brutally Kills His Lover—Father Accuses the Ex-Boyfriend.'
After a long time of analyzing, I visualized the triangle—what letter could it symbolize? It turned out to be the letter 'A.'
And the 'X' carved onto the victims? It represented the second part of the name.
'A' for Alexander. 'X' for Xander."
Captain Royce and his assistant, Harry, began applauding the terrifying effort in analysis. Harry was so shocked by the amount of information that his pen fell to the ground. Captain Royce spoke with a broad smile,
"This is pure brilliance! Honestly, this exceeds all expectations. I've never seen someone as brilliant as you."
Neuvillette smiled a fake smile and calmly replied,
"What I did was for London and its people—to ensure they live a beautiful life, free from fear and constant anxiety over the past years."
Captain Royce looked at Neuvillette, as he had a series of questions in mind.
"How did the killer find you? And why did he brutally dismember Elizabeth with such cruelty and lack of mercy? Was there a motive behind it, or what? Can you answer this question?"
Neuvillette raised two fingers and said,
"There are two things: First, the killer hunts women, particularly those with blonde hair, and Elizabeth was one of them. The second thing is that the killer had been watching me from the moment I apprehended him until I arrived at the hotel and began investigating crime scenes. But the second option is the most accurate—because I got too close to capturing him and bringing him to justice. So, the killer murdered Elizabeth and attempted to kill me as well."
Harry asked a clever question directed at Detective Neuvillette:
"Why didn't anyone hear the gunshots in Elizabeth's room? It seems strange, doesn't it, Detective?"
Neuvillette took a sip from the water bottle and answered,
"If you pay close attention, you'll notice that he carefully placed the pillow over her head to muffle the gunshot sound, with the gun in a suppressed position."
Both Harry and Captain Royce were astonished by this revelation.
"Could you clarify further, Detective?"
Neuvillette sighed before explaining in simpler terms,
"The idea is that you wouldn't hear the gunshots at all. The sound is suppressed to such a degree that no one could detect it."
Neuvillette adjusted his sitting position and continued,
"The killer, Alexander, fulfilled one crucial thing in this scenario—he shot her and then killed her because he knew well that Elizabeth was a trained officer capable of resisting him for a while or at least causing some noise."
Captain Royce asked a question that had been on his mind:
"Detective, in your opinion, how did the killer enter Elizabeth's room? Could it be that he climbed in through the window?"
Neuvillette pointed his fingers and said,
"That's correct. The killer entered through the slightly open window. It seems he took advantage of our absence—when Elizabeth and I were out searching for clues—and managed to get inside the room in some way."
Harry, flipping through his notebook, noticed something and said,
"When you were found unconscious, we discovered that you had both a gun and a dagger. The strange thing is that the dagger is unusual—its blade is extremely sharp. Where did you get them from?"
Neuvillette quickly responded, making up a near-plausible lie,
"That was due to an incident where a civilian tried to kill me, thinking I was the murderer. But Elizabeth defended me and gave me these weapons so I could protect myself."
Both Captain Royce and his assistant Harry stood up. Captain Royce looked at Neuvillette and said,
"Thank you for these valuable insights, Detective. I hope you recover as soon as possible."
Neuvillette smiled. Just as Captain Royce was about to leave, the door opened, revealing an unfamiliar, grotesque-looking man. He was enormous and overweight, with deep red eyes. This man was none other than Mayor Ivan Collins.
Both Captain Royce and his assistant stood respectfully. The mayor smiled and approached Neuvillette for a handshake. However, the moment Neuvillette shook hands with him, he saw a strange, unclear vision of the future—something he couldn't fully comprehend.
Mayor Ivan Collins reeked of alcohol, his breath laced with the stench of liquor, as he spoke with a fake smile,
"How are you, Neuvillette? I am Mayor Ivan Collins. I came to personally thank you for your tremendous efforts in solving this case and eliminating the terror that plagued London for so many years."
He pulled out a document containing some information and continued,
"And so, from now on, you will be the Chief Detective of London.
You will have the authority to recruit whoever you wish and do as you see fit. You have proven to us, on your own, that you can solve the mystery of the killer—a case we failed to crack for years."
Neuvillette looked at the mayor and smiled his usual fake smile.
"This is a great honor, Mayor Ivan. Thank you."
Just before the mayor left, he remembered something and informed Neuvillette about it.
"Also, there is another rather mysterious case. It involves a killer who murders every four years using bizarre and complex methods. Once you have fully recovered, we will brief you on the rest of the details."
Neuvillette thought to himself,
'Look at this bastard—he wants me to solve another case for him. Damn you, you filthy pig. But I have no choice but to accept… it's the best option.'
Neuvillette looked at the mayor and responded,
"Of course, I can take on this case. But when was the last time this killer struck?"
The mayor placed his thumb and index finger on his chin before answering,
"If I recall correctly, it was last year. And the killer always commits a massacre during the fourth month. The killer also sent a cryptic message, which we could not decipher. This was its content:
'The world must prepare for the greatest and most terrifying crime that will take place in London—or perhaps, the entire world. Hahahaha!'
When Neuvillette heard the message's contents, he smirked mysteriously and responded with confidence,
"The killer wants a challenge? Very well… we'll give him what he wants. I will drag him out like a pig to the slaughter."
Mayor Ivan grinned, removed his hat, and bowed slightly forward before saying,
"All our hopes are pinned on you, Detective. For now, we will grant you full rest. There were many questions, but you should at least get some sleep."
With that, the mayor left, followed by Captain Royce and his assistant, Harry.
Neuvillette lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, filled with countless questions.
'Damn it… so many questions. But the one thing that unsettled me the most was Mayor Ivan. Who the hell is this bastard? I couldn't even see his fate clearly.'
He shifted his sleeping position and continued thinking.
'Also, I've noticed significant improvements—whether in seeing the future or in intelligence. My intelligence has taken a whole new level. But these strange titles—like 'The Jester' and 'Eleonora'—who is Eleonora? Damn it, my head is going to explode. I need to get some rest.'
In the dark and terrifying corners of London, where even the police and government dared not set foot, four individuals sat on wooden chairs. A fifth person stood before them, calmly smoking a cigarette. The silence was broken when one of them spoke:
"It seems a mysterious figure has emerged—one who has shattered the legend of 'The Vein Cutter.' His name is Detective Neuvillette."
The man took a deep drag from his cigarette before pulling it away from his lips and saying,
"Hmm… as long as he doesn't come near us, there is no danger. But if he dares to touch a single thread of our web… he will be slaughtered like a lamb."
Then, he laughed mockingly, bringing the cigarette back to his mouth, enjoying the moment of silence.
"Detective Neuvillette… hmm…"