At two o'clock in the afternoon...
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After lunch, Madelaine and Cake sat chatting on the couch, waiting for their guest. Cake spontaneously dialed the number written on the piece of paper they had received yesterday after reviewing all the information about the previous incident.
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"I thought the voices from Miss Purcell's recording were difficult to imitate, or is it possible?" Madelaine asked.
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"Indeed, it is quite challenging to determine. It's not impossible to prepare for it, besides being physically demanding, it's quite risky. If we observe the video recording, it seems almost impossible. They brought a camera equipped with night vision, so darkness is not an issue," replied Cake, who was also puzzled.
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"In addition, the two survivors, Purcell and Hedlych, were in charge of documenting the recording. From the static recording of the Purcell group, there are no signs of abrupt cuts. What makes me doubt now is Rhiannon. There is no sign of the girl passing by the visible camera. What do you think, Cake?"
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"Hm... I'm not sure. It doesn't seem like she's lying. Well, maybe it was because it was nighttime and in a haunted place, which made her a bit scared. Or maybe the girl can see things that we can't," Cake crossed her legs and played with her hair.
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"Is something bothering you, Cake?"
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"There are several things to consider. The fact that their cameras had night vision capability, why was it only fully used on the static camera? Second, there was no difference in the mental state between the two groups. Third, there is something suspicious about the running recording of the Purcell group. Fourth, the spirit box that said relevant things," Cake explained.
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"Are you referring to the voices of the man and woman that were caught on the spirit box? Does it have anything to do with ghosts?"
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"Of course, the tools they brought were not toys, and the spirit box is an indirect sign of interference. Based on the book I read yesterday, the author mentioned that ghosts can be like air, filling the room and acting as observers. At the forty-minute mark, Morgaine's spirit box recording said something like 'above' in a woman's voice, then 'blood' in a distorted male voice. And Purcell's spirit box recording at the same minute said 'Something evil' in a male voice, followed by a whispered 'be careful' in a woman's voice," Cake elaborated.
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"I think it's somewhat unreliable. You know that spirit boxes also say random things," Madelaine remarked.
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"Yes, that's true, but..." Cake licked her lips. "Tch! I don't know why all of this is confusing. Well, if it's not, the remaining important points are just those four."
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"Yeah. First, the recording lasted about thirty minutes, and the conversation of the Purcell group diminished significantly. Second, there was a sound of something heavy falling before the panic at the end of the recording. Third, why did Purcell faint while holding a knife, and finally, Hedlych's injury..."
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A few moments later, the sound of a vehicle stopping momentarily, followed by the sound of a car door closing, could be heard. The uniform she was wearing indicated that she had just returned from school. Her confident face appeared as M. Pinchon opened the door. Shee looked around in different directions, examining the entire contents of the Victoria Mansion.
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"Please, Mlle. Morgaine." Madelaine immediately moved from the sofa to sit next to Cake.
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Miss Morgaine quickly adjusted herself, leaning back as much as possible. She then took out five book titles taken from the club's shelf and placed them on the table.
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Gouin quickly brought a dispenser containing orange juice. Miss Morgaine poured her favorite orange liquid into a glass.
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"Eh? A student from Faith Providence High School?" Gouin blurted out spontaneously. She was one of the twin girls who wore glasses.
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"Ah, are you an alumni?" Cake asked curiously.
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Before returning to the kitchen for cleaning, she mentioned that she and Solene had graduated three years ago. She joined the hospitality club while Solene joined the cooking club.
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"Let's get to the point. I'm sure you're the next club president. If so, can you open a supernatural club forum here?"
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"Of course, if there's a computer device available here," Morgaine nodded in agreement.
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Cake immediately fetched a laptop from the reception desk and placed it in front of the girl. Morgaine started operating the device without hesitation, even humming a cheerful tune. It seemed like she had been waiting for this moment.
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"You don't seem to mind, Miss Morgaine?" Madelaine joined the conversation.
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"Not really. Who would allow their house to be searched?" She flipped the laptop towards Cake. "I'm just doing what needs to be done. Of course, I'm looking forward to the answers regarding this case."
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The girl's face lit up with joy, like a child promised an expensive toy, causing Cake and Madelaine to have a strange intuition.
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"Did you enter the wrong club?" Cake asked, directing his mouse to explore the contents of the web forum.
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He was momentarily surprised by the aesthetically pleasing and commercial-like design of the forum website. Cake thought that the forum must have been built with a long and winding history.
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"Why do you think so, Mr. Cake?" Morgaine looked puzzled.
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"Well, because you seem very delighted," Cake replied.
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"Eh?! D-do I look that way, Miss Madelaine?!" she exclaimed in surprise.
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Madelaine only responded with a faint smile, her gaze showing weariness.
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Morgaine explained that in that school, which supposedly had many clubs, none of the clubs she desired to join existed. Instead of letting that regret take over further, it wouldn't hurt to consider the alternative—the supernatural club.
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"Did you find something there?"
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She shrugged her shoulders.
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"Besides ghosts and such, there's nothing else," she added, somewhat too enthusiastically. "Well, because Mr. Cake asked about the book without a code, that's the crucial point!"
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Cake briefly shifted his gaze with seriousness.
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"You investigated it?"
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"Wait a moment." Morgaine took a small note from her bag. "Um, actually, this is not necessarily the answer. Firstly, that book is the only one without a code. Secondly, because of that, it's not found on the forum homepage. Naturally, the book was never sold. Oh, by the way, you can check the book's sales data on the forum page."
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"Oh, really?"
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Morgaine said that the menu was located in the top-left corner. Cake spontaneously pressed the button through the directed cursor.
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There were about thirty titles listed, but Cake was only interested in the titles Morgaine brought today.
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• Ranking #3 - Scream of The Banshee – May Griffith - 30,000 copies
• Ranking #4 - Vengeful Spirit, Onryo – Ivon Bjorne – 29,000 copies
• Ranking #10 - Hanged Soul - Cadell Gethin – 15,000 copies
• Ranking #12 - Secret of Necromancy Lost Sister - Pawn G. Lewis - 10,000 copies
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Cake then scrolled the screen multiple times, trying to find the book title without a code. It turned out to be true, just as Morgaine had said.
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"Thirdly, there are two works published in the same year. Senior Lewis and Senior Griffith were in the same cohort," Morgaine explained.
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Madelaine immediately examined the books, while Cake read the synopses of all four books listed on the web forum page.
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"I'm quite certain your investigation didn't happen overnight. What made you conduct this investigation?" Madelaine inquired.
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Morgaine lowered her head and smiled faintly, intertwining her fingers and twirling her thumbs around each other.
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"It's not quite accurate to call it an investigation, and besides, no one anticipated such a significant case. To appear more enthusiastic about joining the club, I pretended to diligently read the books on the shelf, tried to be more active, and sought connections. Gradually, I started feeling that it actually meant something, and my curiosity grew until it consumed me. Then, one day, I came across a book that didn't have a code at the back."
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"The Newcastleton Forest Expedition? It's true that the writing style is highly professional," Madelaine commented, holding her chin while picking up the book.
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"Uh huh, although based on the documentation, some additions to the story are fictional. If you read the entire book, it's like reading four books at once." Morgaine arranged the stacked books in a line. "The problem is..."
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"Why wasn't such an intriguing book published and why does it lack a code? Who is the author? That might give you a reason to stay in the club," Madelaine interjected.
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"Exactly." Morgaine then looked at Madelaine with a face filled with suspicion and disapproval. "I believe these people have been hiding something."
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