Considering the Paradise District was on the complete opposite end of the Eastern Contra, it would've been a very grueling trek if not for the public horse carriage services that were available for purchase.
It wasn't too long before we finally reached the north side, which took roughly two hours, picking up and dropping off other passengers along the way.
If one had a permit, they could also get around the city using a personal mount card.
After thanking the coachman for his service, the carriage departed.
Once I attended to my surroundings, I noticed a large sign displayed on the side of a pedestrian bridge, which seemed like a long glass tube–high above ground–that connected two opposite buildings.
"Welcome to Paradise". Those words, with their bright neon glow, seemed to have a daunting effect as they hung over our heads like they were gazing down at us in contempt.
It's like a completely different world here. It was hard to believe that we were still in East Contra, built with many old cottages, greenlands, and hills.
"What a marvelous spectacle!" Jude exclaimed as he stretched his arms up while taking in the sultry air. "This place really does live up to its name!"
He seemed to appreciate the beauty of the architecture, which was completely different from the rest of East Contra.
In the center of this open street, we were surrounded by an array of tall buildings–colored in silver and gold–that seemed to stretch endlessly on either side.
Everything within the district seemed to be decorated with illumination, from the various tall lamps that were scattered across the street, to the different signs that glowed above the buildings of different shops.
"Quiet down, wouldya?" Snapper directed a stern gaze at Jude, however, his eyes weren't the only ones that were full of judgement.
"Hey, guys, is it just me or are people beginning to stare at us?" Amber questioned, as a few strange-looking locals began observing us discriminatingly in an almost condescending manner.
"It's probably cuz we don't look as fancy as they do," Snapper replied, mocking their excessively flamboyant attire. "Just ignore them; we have other things to deal with anyway."
Snapper was right. We had to stay focused on the task at hand without leaving any room for distractions.
"The Viper must be keeping Barshall and May around here somewhere."
Although the Viper's clues had led us here, the chances of us finding all the missing people seemed highly unlikely, considering there were several royal guards patrolling the streets, as well as a decent number of potential witnesses roaming around the district.
"Alright, so what's the plan?" Amber asked.
"We should—"
"I think we should split up," I said, interrupting Snapper. "We should form two groups so no one's left alone: one for each side of the district. That way, we can cover more ground while searching for any more clues that could lead us to them."
"I'm fine with that," Amber agreed.
"Yeah… That's not a bad idea, Wolf."
I was sure Snapper said that because he also came up with the same plan, however, I needed to be the one to take control of the situation this time around.
"In that case, I'll search on this side along with Jude," I said, pointing to the right.
"I guess me and Amber will go this way then," Snapper said, pointing to the opposite side of the street.
"Got any problems with that?" he asked Jude, who appeared to be much quieter than usual as if in a lonely daze.
"Nope... it's all fine by me," Jude muttered. "Let's move quickly; we don't wanna waste any more time."
As he began to move ahead, I started to follow, maintaining a two-meter distance behind him.
"Hey, Wolf…" Snapper said to me as I turned to face him.
He nodded to me silently and I nodded back in acknowledgement, hardening my resolve to finally confront my suspicions.
…
A few minutes had passed without the utterance of another word between Jude and I.
I continued to follow him silently as he wandered the streets without looking back.
At some point it seemed like the voices of the other pedestrians gradually came to a halt, and there was nothing left to hear apart from the echoing of our footsteps.
This part of the street was rather empty, and I suspected it was due to the rumors about the Viper that had been travelling around lately.
The two of us were finally alone: no civilian or guard in sight.
I have to do it now, I thought to myself.
However, the sound of footsteps suddenly ceased, and it was as though the movement of time itself had ceased along with it.
"Is there something you want to say to me?" Jude asked with his back still turned to me.
It was as though he could read my mind, which was slightly worrying.
Nevertheless, I still allowed the words to creep their way out of my mouth.
I made sure to keep a safe distance behind him as I spoke.
"The meeting we planned to have at the station... you knew that Barshall and May were supposed to be there, didn't you?"
He paused for a moment, his still frame growing much more eerie by the second.
"That's correct, but why are you bringing that up so suddenly?"
"Because it means that there were supposed to be six of us this morning including those two."
"That's right, but what does that have to do with—"
"There weren't many people present at the station today, and you were already there before any of us had arrived.
"I saw tables that had spaces for six people to sit at, and yet, you chose to sit at a table that could only occupy a total of four people… It was like you knew that two of us would be missing this morning."
Jude stayed silent, which was the reaction that I was expecting from him. Now, all I needed to do was keep pushing.
"There's one more thing. Ever since you joined us in this investigation, you've always seemed to have an answer for everything: involving a suspect, the blood analysis, and even the riddles. You're a great detective with vast knowledge, yet, you claimed to not know much about the Viper, despite the existence of several rumors."
At this point, his silence was beginning to speak louder than any amount of words could.
"Not to mention, the way you've been acting during this whole investigation. Your fixation on Mel was one thing, but then you refused to deny the fact that she herself could've been the Viper all this time. Also, you never looked worried, sad, or shocked anytime we discovered something incriminating."
I could never detect any kind of emotion within his eyes; his expressions… they were all fabricated.
All except for that sadistic smile.
"You planted the letters, didn't you? You're the one behind all this: the kidnappings, the deaths… You were even watching us from the very beginning, before it all started."
Concluding that he was the ominous presence that I felt outside of East Contra, I gradually began to move my hand toward the handle of my dagger–resting quietly within its sheath.
"You're the one who's controlling Mel, aren't you…? You're the Voiceless Viper."
Pointing my dagger toward the evil entity name Jude Clover, I watched as his head slowly began to turn until I could finally see that twisted smirk.
…
About an hour ago, before they exited the station, Wolf whispered in Snapper's ear, "I think Jude might be the Viper. I can't say anything more, but if I'm alone with him, I'm certain that he'll reveal himself."
...
Thirty minutes before then, another matter was taking place…
With ropes constraining their arms and legs, and blindfolds restricting their sight, May and Barshall's bodies lay idly against a wall.
Each of their colorless faces bore a single shallow cut, devoid of any blood stains.
Another presence existed among them, lurking inside the darkness.
"... Yes Master, I was able to successfully detain him while draining some of his blood... He also appears to be waking up as we speak."
Barshall's eyelids began to lift open as the sound of Princess Meleragine's refined voice slowly ushered him back to reality.
She appeared to be in telepathic communication with someone, who she referred to as "Master".
"P-Princess!? Princess Meleragine, a-are you there!?" Barshall cried in a panic as he struggled to move his body.
The last thing he could remember was the image of the princess he served, rapidly zooming toward him like a streak of golden light.
"W-What is this!?"
Mel ignored his pointless blabbering.
"... Yes master… I understand." Her eyes twitched once she had received her new command. "I shall continue to await your signal before taking any further action."
The communication ended there.
Mel moved closer toward Barshall, who continued his frantic struggle against his constraints, before crouching in front of him.
Noticing that Mel had gone silent, he began to calm himself down, remaining still until the moment he felt a cold sensation rubbing against his face.
"W-What are you doing!? Princess–!"
Mel quickly pulled down his blindfold, causing Barshall to reflexively flinch.
His widened eyes basked in the appearance of his princess, whose blonde hair seemed to illuminate the darkness that enshrouded the room.
"Princess Meleragine…?" He spoke in a tone of relief, a yellow shine reflected in his watering eyes. "I-It really is you—"
Barshall then noticed the scar on her face.
"What happened to you?"
The princess remained silent, her gaze suspended in Barshall's direction. It was at this moment that Barshall noticed May, who remained unconscious beside him.
"Miss Maybelle... What have you done to her?" Mel remained silent, which caused Barshall's weariness to rise.
"Answer me, princess! Why are you holding us captive like this!?" Barshall took a moment to let her answer, but she still refused to say anything.
"This is unlike you... People are starting to think you are this so-called "Viper"... he's the one that's been making you do these awful things, isn't he? Is he the one you called Master?"
Mel's eyes twitched ever so slightly as they too began to water.
"Princess…" Barshall softened his tone with the intention of comforting her. "You are no longer alone; there are others who have been searching for you, waiting patiently for your return." He gave her a cheerful smile. "I was surprised to discover that you had already made a new friend, but I was also happy because he seems to care for you very much."
The image of Wolf's face suddenly sprung into Mel's clouded mind, causing a tear to fall upon her scarred cheek.
But the image soon dissolved into an abyss, carrying any lingering emotions along with it.
"Princess... please... let us return home."
Mel hesitantly stretched her arms toward his wrists as though she were about to untie him.
"Princess–"
But then her hand quickly retracted before deftly retrieving her sword from its sheath.
"Ack!" The sound of flesh being torn ripped through the silent air as her blade pierced Barshall's abdomen in one forceful thrust.
The moment it was pulled out of his draped body, a cluster of blood spewed from his mouth, his consciousness losing the race against time.
Eventually, the side of his face collided with the hardwood floor.
"Princess… Why…?"
Those were the only words Barshall could quietly muster before his eyelids had shut themselves for the very last time.
Since then, Mel–whose tainted soul was undisturbed by the sin she had just committed–had been waiting for her master's signal: waiting for the ultimate revelation…