Nothing is owned by me

Chapter 9

"Mr Sherlock Moriarty, right?"

"Yes."

"Here is your key; your room number is 201. Dinner will be served at 8. We hope you have a pleasant stay at Mantle Hostels," the receptionist replied with a warm smile.

The man, wearing a long overcoat and a top hat, leaned towards the counter and inquired in a hushed tone:

"Hey, I don't mean to be rude, but I just wanted to confirm: is this place safe for the night?"

The receptionist chuckled, "You don't have to worry about your safety, Mr. Moriarty. Although this place ranks a bit low in ratings, our security is top-notch. After all, we are still living in the Greatest Kingdom."

"Yes, the Greatest Kingdom," the man seemed unconvinced.

The receptionist smiled and called someone, "Lem, please come and show our guest to their room."

"Sure thing!" A girl with mouse ears proceeds to take the bags from Sherlock's hand. As he was about to follow her, he heard a commotion coming from outside.

"Forest, how many times do I have to tell you, your girlfriend isn't here?" He walked outside to see an old man arguing with a man with blond hair.

"And how many times do I have to say that I don't believe any lies you spout? You're hiding her, aren't you? Maybe those Atlas officials told you to do it. You're probably planning to sell her out like you sold this establishment. Isn't that the case? Now tell me if I'm wrong."

"Forest, not everything has to be a conspiracy against Atlas. Me selling this building has nothing to do with your girlfriend. She probably ran away with someone else, seeing what a prick you are. Now get out of here, or I'll call the police," the old man shouted.

The man named Forest grumbled and shouted a few profanities at the old man. The back and forth continued a few times until Forest decided to leave saying he will be back again with proof.

The old man turned and looked at him

"You are not with him right?"

"No .." Sherlock replied

"Just stay away from that Pshyco. he knows nothing but to cause trouble"

He huffed and went inside the hostel

"Mr Moriarty," the Faunus girl called him out.

"What's that about?" he asked her.

"Please, leave them alone; this is their daily routine now. That guy, Forest, recently lost his girlfriend and is convinced that we're hiding her here," Lem explained.

"Who is that old man?"

"That's the owner of Mantle Hostels. He's a very nice man. It's just that Forest is bugging him a lot, so sometimes he loses his patience around him. It has only become worse since he decided to sell this establishment to Mr Glass from Atlas" Lem said with a sigh.

"Let me show you your room; please follow me." Sherlock nodded and followed Lem, observing every detail with his keen eyes.

…

"Let me out now!" A voice emerged from Sherlock's suitcase.

"Hang on, Poppy," he replied, unlocking the bag and taking out the two dolls.

"Boss! Next time, we need to find another way. Poppy doesn't like being in a suitcase at all, and Min Chen wasn't happy either," Poppy pouted.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry; I was in a hurry and couldn't think of a better solution. Can you please remove this illusion now? It feels like I'm wearing four layers of clothes," Sherlock pleaded.

"Don't be sorry—be better," Poppy replied, snapping her fingers. The illusion faded away and in the place of the man named Sherlock now stood Whitley Schnee.

Whitley Schnee swiped the sweat on his forehead. He sat down on his bed and pulled out the black scroll.

Trial Mission in progress

Murder by Midnight – A dangerous psychotic huntsman wanders around a decrepit apartment building. With scissors and mallets for hands, he's just outside your room.

Scream Factor: 1 Star

Venue: Mantle Hostel

Mission details: Arrive at Mantle Hostel by 7 pm and survive the night

Rewards: Unlock Scenario Murder by Midnight,?,?

After receiving the love letter from the red specter, Whitley couldn't remain idle. He needed to find a way to escape the specter and return to his normal life, as normal as it could get now. The black scroll had put him in this situation, so it must have a way out. He knew the trial mission will be more dangerous than the daily mission but if Poppy's words are to be considered, the red spectre will be more dangerous.

He decided to accept the trial mission and spend the night with the murderer rather than waiting for his red lover.

Before arriving at Mantle Hostel, Whitley conducted some research on the CCT. Originally an apartment building, it was converted into a hostel about ten years ago by the new owner when the original owner and his family passed away under mysterious circumstances.

The ratings were notably low, even for Mantle standards. Recently, the property made headlines when wealthy Atlas businessman Amoncio Glass decided to purchase the entire establishment with plans to transform it into a 5-star hotel.

Despite numerous negative reviews, Whitley couldn't find any information related to murderers or psychopaths that could be hiding inside the hostel. The receptionist and other staff showed no indications of a psychotic huntsman lurking nearby that should concern him.

Whitley had his doubts about that Forest guy and the owner, they don't look like huntsmen, but he was not certain about anything yet. Forest appeared to have issues with Atlas; it was a good thing that Whitley took precautions by asking Poppy to provide him with a disguise. This way, he wouldn't be targeted because of his Schnee heritage. As for the owner, the staff did describe him as a kind man, he needs more info before planning his next move.

"Knock! Knock!" came a sound at the door, immediately putting Whitley on high alert. He signalled to Poppy, who swiftly transformed him back into 'Sherlock Moriarty.' Straightening his long coat, he opened the door to find the staff member who had guided him to his room earlier.

"Mr. Moriarty," she greeted.

"Yes, Miss...?" Whitley inquired.

"Mikado Lem. No need for formality, Mr. Moriarty. I just came to inform you that dinner is ready. Also, the owner wanted to meet you. He apologizes for how he behaved with you at the entrance," Mikado replied.

"Is that so? Give me a moment, and I'll be there shortly," Whitley responded.

"Of course, take your time, Mr Moriarty," Mikado said before departing.

Whitley wasn't certain whether to view the invitation as a good or bad sign. He couldn't dismiss the possibility of a hidden trap.

"Poppy, stay here and keep an eye out. Let me know if you see anything suspicious. I'll take Min Chen with me to meet the owner of the hostel," Whitley instructed.

"Sure, Boss!" Poppy replied.

Whitley slipped Min Chen into his left pocket and a pocket knife into his right. He also tucked a few vials of dust crystals under his sleeves, ready to use them as explosives if necessary. In his back pocket, he carried a few bottles of Grimm liquid and his trusted mortician's guide for summoning Grimm in extreme situations. As an added precaution, he set his scroll's speed dial to the Ace Operatives' numbers.

Feeling fully prepared, Whitley opened the door of his room and headed towards the dining area, ready to confront the owner of Mantle's Hostel and whatever monster he was rearing.

"Good luck, Boss!" Poppy cheered him on from behind.

…

"Ha ha ha, you're a good lad, Sherlock Moriarty! I've never heard a name like that before. You're not from Mantle, are you?" The owner turned out to be a jolly and overly friendly old man thus subverting any exception Whitley had on him.

"No, I recently moved here for a new job. I'm still trying to get used to the culture," Whitley, posing as Sherlock, replied, proving to be quite skilled at deception.

"Mantle has a very welcoming culture, except for a few folks like Forest. It's those up in Atlas who has a stick up their behinds, ha ha ha!"

"You seem to have a bit of trouble with this Forest character," Whitley inquired.

"Yeah, he's a real thorn in my side. His girlfriend recently left him, and he's convinced that I kidnapped her," the old man grumbled. "He comes here every day, demanding that I release her. I'm losing so much business because of him!" The old man slammed his fist on the table in frustration.

"You may have also heard that this establishment will soon become part of the Amoncio Glass estate," Whitley nodded. "But that Forest is causing problems with that too. Every time Mr Glass' envoy comes to finalize the deal, he starts protesting outside the door, never allowing it to go through. I'm so sick of him that I would do anything to get rid of him."

"Why don't you report him to the police or the huntsmen? Surely they can handle him."

"No good, lad. I've already tried. Forest is a prominent supporter of Robyn Hill's party. The officers are afraid that arresting him would be seen as a political move, and they won't take action against him unless I have solid proof of his nefarious deeds."

Whitley thought for a moment, and then his eyes lit up. "Maybe I can help you, sir. You see, my job is to collect evidence and put criminals like Forest behind bars."

"What do you do for a living, lad?" the old man asked.

"I'm a private detective," Whitley said, surprising him and several others at the dining table.

"Oh! A detective. I've never met anyone pursuing that career before," the old man mused before bursting into laughter. "Now I remember, there was a story with that name my mom used to tell, `Sherlock Holmes, detective extraordinaire`. It was a popular children's story back in my day; never thought I'd meet the real deal!" He laughed heartily.

"Yeah, I've also heard it from my grandma; she said Sherlock was her childhood hero," Mikado Lem chimed in.

"You could say that my parents were fans and got a bit creative," Whitley said with a forced smile.

'Great going, Whitley, and you thought it would be a great idea to rip names from classics that no one remembers.'

"So, what case are you working on, Mr Detective Extraordinaire? What brings you here?" A tall, dark-skinned man with dark grey hair and brown eyes called out to Whitley from the corner. Whitley noticed the man had a scar on his right eye that looked quite menacing, and he seemed to have some difficulty walking.

"Rhodes, when did you get back?" the old man asked.

"Just now, Frost, while you were talking to Mr Detective here." He moved towards Whitley and inspected him carefully. "Isn't it strange? A place where huntsmen or police won't come, yet a detective suddenly appears?" He asked, glancing around.

"Oh, come on, Rhodes. He's just a guest looking for a place to spend the night. And it's not like we have anything to hide; we're just running a business," the old man, Frost, said to Rhodes.

"Don't worry, lad. Rhodes is an old tenant here and has a habit of poking his nose into everything. He's from Atlas, and you could say he's one of those with a stick up his behind. Ha ha ha," Frost laughed again.

Whitley thought for a while and suddenly had an idea. Rhodes wanted to know about the case he was working on; he could lie and make up some story, or he could tell the truth. He already introduced himself as a detective so saying that he is looking for a Psychotic Murder will not be seen as weird, in fact, he can use this to his advantage.

"Actually there is something I like to share with Mr Rhodes, usually, I keep my clients and case details confidential, but the case I'm working on is exceptional, and I believe everyone here should know. I've received a report from the local police that a dangerous murderer is roaming in this area. He's extremely hazardous and poses a threat to the public. I'm investigating his whereabouts so we can apprehend him."

"A murderer!" Mikado Lem shouted, looking frightened.

Murmuring spread among the rest of the tenants.

"That's very concerning information you've shared, lad, and we're grateful. If there's such a person out there, we need to be cautious." Frost glanced at Rhodes. "Rhodes, did you hear that? I want you to be vigilant. Our tenants' security is our top priority. Lad, it's a good thing you informed us. Rhodes is a retired huntsman and is in charge of safety here. We can count on him to keep us protected."

Hearing the word "huntsman," alarm bells started ringing in Whitley's head. 'Did I just find the psychopathic huntsman?'

Rhodes glared at Whitley, looking quite angry. "You don't have to worry about safety, Frost. I know how to do my job." He left the dinner, but his glare never left Whitley. 'Did I just find the psychopathic huntsman and make myself his next target?'

His phone buzzed with a new message: 'Boss! Get to the room immediately, there's someone here.'

…

In front of Whitley lay Forest, knocked unconscious and bound with rope.

"Where did you find him?" Whitley asked his employee, Poppy.

"He was attempting to scale up the building with a rope, Boss. I knocked him out and tie him up."

Whitley took a glass of water and splashed it on Forest.

"Huh? What? Where am I? Who are you?" Forest appeared disoriented for a moment as he surveyed his surroundings.

"Relax, Forest. You're in my room," Whitley said, maintaining a calm demeanour. "You know it is not good idea to scale up building in night. Not the best move on your part, I'd say."

Forest's eyes darted around the room, trying to find a way out, but his bindings were secure. "Who are you?"

'Dude rather than explaining yourself, this is the first thing you need to ask?'

"I'm Sherlock Moriarty, a private detective. But forget about me; I've been hearing quite a lot about you, Mr Forest. You could say that you're somewhat of a celebrity around here. I'm just surprised to meet a star like you in this situation," he added with a hint of sarcasm.

"A detective? Did Frost hire you?" He asked, his tone somewhat angry.

"No, not yet, but you could say I took it upon myself to look into your case. After all, how could I miss the chance to learn more about a local star like you?"

"Listen, Frost is a big liar. My girlfriend didn't just leave me – she disappeared. I know Frost had something to do with it. I've tried talking to the police and huntsmen, but they won't listen to me. I figured if I could find some evidence, maybe they'd take me seriously. She's my everything; I have to find her. I promised to keep her safe." Forest's eyes clouded over as he spoke.

Whitley sighed, feeling an odd sense of kinship with Forest. After all, he had also recently lost his uncle.

"Brother, I understand the pain of having a loved one vanish, but you have to stay strong and not resort to these desperate actions that only cause you more suffering."

"Understand? None of you will ever understand how I feel, nor have I asked for your understanding…" Forest was not ready to listen Whitley at all

"I'm not lying to you. My uncle disappeared a year ago, and I was devastated too, at first."

"I know it's tough, Forest," Whitley continued, his voice empathetic. "But doing things like breaking into rooms and causing trouble for others won't bring her back. We need to approach this logically and methodically. I can help you investigate your girlfriend's disappearance, but you have to promise me that you'll stop causing problems for Frost and everyone else."

"You don't understand; Frost is the problem," Forest insisted. "Listen, just release me, and I'll show you. Frost's room is on the third floor, and he never lets anyone in there. I just need to find some evidence, and take it to Robyn Hill from the Happy Huntresses. She has a lie-detecting Semblance and has promised to take my case directly to the Ace Ops."

Whitley thought over Forest's proposal carefully. "Before I even consider helping you, I need to know more about this place. Tell me about Frost and why you think he's the one behind your girlfriend's disappearance."

Forest hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Did you know there have been murders in this building before?"

"I haven't heard anything like that," Whitley replied, recalling that there was no such information on CCT.

"Before, this building was called Mantle's Apartments; It has a dark history. Several tenants were found dead under mysterious circumstances," Forest explained. "The cases were never solved, and the building eventually gained a notorious reputation. Things took a turn for the worse when the last owner and his family also died under mysterious circumstances. People started calling this place cursed. The only one left with ownership was a young scorpion Faunus, whom the last owner's family had adopted. Atlas officials, biased against the Faunus, never gave him a chance to present his case. He was sent to a mental ward under the pretext of being unstable, while they whitewashed the building's history and put it up for sale."

"That's when Frost bought the place and renamed it. He made some renovations and reopened it as an inn. The strange thing is that after he took over, the murders stopped. I believe he was involved in those cases, and now he's up to something else."

Whitley was shocked; he never expected this place to have such secrets. He tried to remain calm and maintain his persona of Sherlock Moriarty.

"But why do you think Frost is the reason behind your girlfriend's disappearance? After all, there have been no such incidents in the last 10 years," he asked Forest.

"I'll show you, brother," Forest replied, determination in his eyes.

He took out a scroll from his pocket and showed Whitley his chat with his girlfriend.

The chat was filled with a single message: "SOS," and each one was received at exactly 12:00 am every night, sending a chill down Whitley's spine.

"You see, brother! She's still messaging me, each night I receive her message saying that she's in danger. The messages started coming from the day she rented a room in this building, and I'm certain that Frost is responsible."

Whitley was certain it was not Forest's girlfriend who was messaging her.

'Black Scroll! Isn't this mission supposed to be about a deranged huntsman why do you keep putting a ghost in everything

"This is definitely concerning, Forest. If your girlfriend is still reaching out to you, then we must find her as soon as possible. However, if you stay here, Frost might become aware of your presence, and that could put your girlfriend in even greater danger. You must leave this place, and let me handle the investigation. After all, I am a professional detective."

"You'd do that for me, brother? Thank you! Thank you!" Forest was on the verge of tears.

"Yes, you can leave everything to me," Whitley reassured him, patting Forest's shoulder and untying him.

As Forest prepared to leave through the window, he called out to Whitley once more. "Brother, there's one thing I forgot to mention. I wasn't sure if it was important, but during my investigation, I found out that the scorpion Faunus boy I mentioned earlier became one of the most infamous serial killers in Remnant," Forest said casually.

"What was his name again? Yes... Tyrian Callows."