"Now that I have a short-term goal, the plan is simple: check the rooms carefully, look for money, find a city map, and search the books. I need to understand this world through writing, learn about the era and its customs, and cautiously adapt. After that, I'll decide whether to stay for three months to help the detective complete his task."
Shido thought through his situation, accepting the fact that the detective was dead. The worst part wasn't that this world contained mysterious powers—it was that he had no memory of the original Shido and therefore knew nothing. Other than that, things weren't too bad.
He stood up and walked toward the washroom.
The gas lamp barely gave light even at full power. In its dim glow, he looked at himself in the mirror: dull gold hair, brown eyes, a Western male face around twenty, expression slightly tense, height about 180 cm. Not particularly handsome, but not unpleasant either.
"This is me. Don't be scared of the stranger in the mirror."
Shido whispered to himself, looking cautiously around. He tried once more to communicate with the woman's voice in his head, but there was no answer. For now, he would have to accept that she was silent.
Next came the urgent problem: money. The kitchen had no food, and this body was clearly hungry. Shido needed to eat first.
After searching for half an hour, he finally sat back on the warm sofa, holding a single crumpled ten-unit note. It was the only money he could find, tucked into a crack behind a bookshelf. The note was dirty, folded many times, and bore the portrait of a figure on one side and the coat of arms of the Drarion Kingdom on the other.
"Could it be… that this is all the money I have for three months?" Shido thought, trying to reassure himself. He knew it was impossible.
"No… this won't do."
He leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "Hamilton… you promised I'd have something to survive. I agreed to stay, so you didn't leave me nothing, did you?"
Shido considered survival: if the language was foreign, cleverness could get him by; if the body was weak, courage could keep him alive. But without money, there was no chance.
The detective, Spairo Hamilton, apparently never cooked at home. The kitchen had nothing—not even scraps of food or evidence of rodents. Shido had no idea when this body had last eaten, but he knew he needed money immediately or he might have to search the city for scraps by nightfall.
"No, I won't do that."
Shido looked at the note, his expression as grim as the sky outside. "It's money, at least. And I still have the diary and the Sun 3 card. That should be enough to survive. But I need a steady way to earn money soon."
He realized the detective had left some simple cases behind for him, to keep the office running. Even without full memory or knowledge, Shido could handle them.
He pulled the diary, ledger, and case notes from the desk and bedside table. Spairo Hamilton had been meticulous: even though Shido had no accounting or business experience, the records were clear and detailed. Most of the old cases were simple and nearly complete.
"Find Miss White's runaway sister, follow Mr. Laurence's mistress, locate the lost orange cat Miya, and inquire about an eye doctor… all simple and safe. Hamilton already handled most of it. I just need to finish the follow-up."
Shido studied the notes. The easiest, fastest way to earn money was to follow Mr. Laurence's mistress. The detective had already tracked her for months; only a brief follow-up was required to complete the task and receive the remaining payment: 1 pound and 4 shillings.
It was enough for short-term survival.
Shido found a city map left by Hamilton, combined it with the diary and calendar, and pinpointed possible locations where Mrs. Lassoa (the mistress) might appear. The map even included Hamilton's secret spots for gathering information and black market locations.
Shido also found records of the office's address: number 6, Saint Duran Square, city center of Tobesque. Nearby, the palace called "Yodel Palace" belonged to the royal family of the Drarion Kingdom, according to an old newspaper.
His heart raced—he now had a house in the city center, in the capital city of a powerful kingdom. At least for now, he wouldn't starve.
"Even without Hamilton, I have a place to start. Now I just need to survive three months, earn money, and learn about this world."
Shido leaned back, letting a genuine smile replace his earlier tension. The house might not be his, but it was enough to live in while he figured things out.
End Of Chapter