“When one observes an object. What does he see? What does he truly notice.”

“Eh.” She tilted her head in confusion.

“Not to be presumptuous, but I do notice, the clothes you’re wearing. Let’s just say inappropriate.”

“Eh,” She tilted her head further.

“You exclaimed yourself as a goddess who guides people to a new world. But, then why such a dress? Calling it a dress would be inappropriate. You look half nude.”

“Ehhhh” Her face frowned.

“Tell me, are you here to recruit people or seduce them?”

Veins bulged on her forehead.

“I still don’t get it. You want to me save some random world. Why? But let’s keep that aside for now. If your job is to recruit people then, I find that you’re terrible at it.”

More veins bulged on her neck, but she tried to maintain a proper smile and speak.

“But, I have not offered anything yet. So—” He interrupted her, “I’m not done speaking,” He said with cold black eyes.

She shut her lips tight.

“When you try to recruit someone. You have to take notice of certain things. For example the environment. Here we both are. Above the clouds, on an open palace. Sitting on chairs, facing each other and a round table between us. You must like open places. That tells me a lot about your character. However, the very fact that you tried to recruit me in an open area. Tells me you know nothing about my personality.”

Her fingers flinched, and her palms started getting sweaty.

“Another thing, that tells me about your scanty knowledge, is the fact that you expect me to fight. Another blunder on your part. And—”

She interrupted, “But you can also get anything you want. Money, wealth, fame. So—” He interrupted. “Didn’t I say, not to interrupt?”

Underneath the table, she tightened her fist.

“Women, Wealth, Fame. Naive girl.”

Her face reddened, and her veins bulged when she heard the word, ‘Naive girl.’

“If you wanted to recruit me, you should have offered something else. The first one, women. From my face, can surely tell that I would have no trouble obtaining women. Second, Wealth. Risking one’s life when there’re over a million simpler ways to make it. Seems foolish. I am not the luxurious type. So, I would be fine with a decent amount of money. Third. Fame. I won’t bother explaining why I don’t care.”

Trying to keep her calm, she politely asked, “So, what do you want?”

“You tell me,” He said with a light smile.

Her face reddened further.

He chuckled.

“So, not only do you lack bargaining skills but also dearth bargaining chips.”

Her face reddened further.

“I seldom knowledge about you Gods and Goddess and whoever runs this. However, from, our conversation, I learned it’s no different than business. A trade. Now, the only way I see you recruiting me or establishing this trade is through blackmail. And it might work. I am terrified of many things. But you won’t do it. You’re prideful, you’re sensitive, you’re naive. But you’re not malevolent, are you?. Besides, I doubt, you have the stomach to blackmail someone”.

She slammed the round table.

“Enough. You…you have no idea, what I can do,” She said while pointing her finger.

He chuckled.

Her face reddened further.

“Argh…I cannot deal with this” She jumbled her hair.

____

____

He found himself inside an office. The setting seemed the same—he on one side and a girl on the other. And in the middle a table. But unlike, previously, this place seemed to be a typical office room. And the woman in front wore a simple tie, coat, pants rather than mythical goddess clothes.

“Does this place suit your preferences?” She asked in a monotonous voice.

“Dark place. No windows. Proper dress up. Indeed it does. So I take it, you’re also a Goddess.”

“You tell me.”

He chuckled, “So, the blonde one, decided she could not handle me and sent me here to a redhead.”

“She did”

His eyes did not shift much, but he noticed some files on the desk with his peripheral vision.

She leaned back and crossed her arms, “So, do I look like someone who can ‘Handle’ you?”

He also leaned back, “Sure, you look like someone who does not care about anyone. I am looking forward to seeing how you blackmail me.”

“Why do you think I would blackmail you?”

He chuckled, “If you really think, you would be able to send me to a battlefield, willingly. Then, you’re greatly mistaken, my dear. I hate violence.”

She chuckled

“What’s funny?” He asked

“Nothing. Your potential would be wasted if we sent you to fight monsters. Tell me, you love mysteries, don’t you?”

“You would know the answer if you researched about my life.”

“I know, more than you realize, Michael.”

“So, you know my name. At least, you know more than the previous one.”

She leaned forward, “On a place similar to Earth. During the timeline similar to the Victorian Era. There lived a certain individual. People referred to him as ‘Mystery Magician’”

He avoided her gaze and gave a light smile, “Lets me guess, he either killed a lot of people by starting wars or destroyed the world using his magical powers. And, now, you want me to stop him.”

Her expression remained unchanged.

“No. He never killed anyone. The magician became famous, for being a thief and the performances, he pulled during those thefts. The man lived his entire life doing what he loved. He thrived upon the thrill of getting chased. And at 103 years, he died of old age. Meaning, he never got caught.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Your job is to catch the thief. Mr Detective” He noticed the change in her tone when she called him Mr Detective.

He leaned back.

After a moment of silence, she spoke, “It seems you might require some time to think.”

He gazed into her red eyes, “No need. There would be no point”

She chuckled and asked, “It must be killing you inside. Right? Detective. You must be extremely curious. What’s an afterlife? Who I am? Who are the Gods? What’s our purpose? and mainly what would people like me gain if you catch him? No matter the calm exterior your thoughts must be in shambles right now. After all, that’s your nature. Detective”

He realized right when she used the term ‘Detective’ Her tone turned playful.

“You seem to be confident about my nature”, He exclaimed

“What can I say? I cannot help but be confident after learning the way you died. I was truly amazed.”

His fingers flinched upon hearing the statement, but his face never lost its composure.

“You seem silent. You spoke with the previous one, so freely. Yet, you seem shy with me. I feel offended.”

“The blonde girl seemed nice. It was fun talking with her. I liked her. I don’t like you.”

“Such a rude to say, to someone you just met”

He leaned forward.

“You seem to know a lot about me, and you prepared a task suiting my nature. Or choose me for the task because of my nature. But, I wonder, why I met the blonde girl, first? When you seem to be the one who made plans for me.”

She also leaned forward,

“I wanted to prove her ways were not effective against everyone. And irritate her. You got a problem with that?”

He leaned back,

“Not at all. What can I say, when you bluntly admit it, like that”

She also leaned back, “So, you accept the deal? or do you think it is some kind of ploy”

“Every offer is some form of ploy. One must learn when to turn a blind eye on such ploys especially when he lacks knowledge and cannot be sure whether he can or cannot face the consequences.”

“So?” Her eyes narrowed

“I accept,” He said, without any hesitation

“Right decision, Michael. I look forward to working with you.”

“Sigh, I need more details.”

“The time period is similar to Victorian Era. But with some minor changes. It’s an alternate world after all. You would occupy the body of a man who shares your name. He’s also a detective like you.”

He chuckled, “So, I just steal someone else’s body.”

“Of course not, he gave you his permission.”

Micheal’s brows narrowed, “And you won’t tell me why he gave me his permission.”

“That’s how it works. Besides, you’re a detective, aren’t you? Deduce the answers.”

“Someday, I will.” He said, meeting her eyes with a light smile on his face

After she explained the details, his vision faded.

As his vision returned, he found himself in an unfamiliar place.

“Sir. What do you think, suicide or murder?”

He looked besides hearing an unfamiliar voice. There was another man similar in height with him. Standing beside him, holding a note and a pen in his hands.

“Suicide or Murder?” Micheal looked around. He stood there in a vast room filled with bookshelves, paintings. A large window. A desk. A woman lying dead on the chair behind the desk.

“Not in my home, not even in a private place, but directly sending me to a crime scene. That crazy woman,” He mumbled to himself.