Welcome to the fourth chapter of The Tale of the Lost Heart. This story puts us into a world of covert operations, hidden allegiances, and high-stakes missions. Join us as we explore the complexities of duty, the weight of responsibility, and the thin line between order and chaos.

The Tale of the Lost Heart follows History, a second sergeant in the Special Forces of Club Penguin, who the legendary Counselor Scars unexpectedly summons to investigate the theft of a Red Stone, an artifact crucial to maintaining order in their society. As suspicion of a traitor within the ranks grows, History and Scars uncover a conspiracy that threatens to tip the balance of power in favor of the chaotic Blue Rebellion.

– What?! – I exclaimed.

– It was Jojo – Scars stated, who disliked beating around the bush.

– What do you mean? – Only after this question did I remember the rules of politeness. – If I may, how did Your Excellency come to this conclusion?

– Taking advantage of his position, probably with Dillon’s help, he stole the Red Piece. He likely first took Aurora’s ring, since they didn’t get along, to frame her.

– Excuse me for pointing this out – I had to say – but “probably”? How are you sure it was Jojo? And why would he do this?

– Those are just details – Scars replied, still calm. – They’ll be clarified later. The essential point is that only Jojo could have done it.

– But what about the noise Diwix reported and Mare’s poor explanation? – I asked him.

– I suppose it was the jingling of the ornaments that only Jojo wears, which gave him away.

– If that’s the case, why didn’t Mare say so clearly? And would such a distinct sound be considered “strange” by a Lieutenant?

– Everything is strange to a sleepy person. – The counselor rarely used figures of speech (in this case, hyperbole), and even when he did, it was to speak as clearly and briefly as possible. – As for Mare, you certainly know, Mr. History Lover, the reputation I have for only appearing in disasters. So, when she saw me asking about last night, she must have assumed something bad had happened, and that I was looking for someone who was awake at the same time as her. The problem is, Mare is good friends with Jojo. Not wanting to cast suspicion on her friend, she played dumb to avoid accusing him.

– This, Mr. History Lover, is the misery of the imprecise human heart – he concluded. I was stunned by his reasoning. But I was still not convinced. Something seemed unclear, and I couldn’t accept it.

– But… but…

– Silence! – This was the first time I saw Scars express even a hint of emotion, and I was sad that it was anger… and directed at me. – Who gave you permission to ask so many questions? I didn’t choose you to help me investigate, only to take notes. Or do you think your letters can help me?

– What do you mean? – I asked.

– Do you think your writing can help me find the culprit? – He almost challenged me. – Listen closely. In all the times I’ve investigated a crime, I’ve never been wrong. This time won’t be different. Do you know why? Because numbers are clear, while letters are ambiguous. What’s the difference between “x” and “ks”? None. Now, try to switch even one digit in a number, and it’s completely different. While my numbers are exact and can uncover everything, your letters are confusing and can only suggest things.

What he meant was that while I focused on subjective matters like literature, he focused on more objective ones. That’s why only he could investigate, and if I tried, I would only get in the way. This matched Scars’ personality well, as he loved studying sciences. Unlike Sherlock Holmes, he knew very well that it was the Earth that revolved around the Sun. And what could I say in response? It was true; the counselor had a reputation for being a genius at deduction, while I was just a small-time literary talent. So, I resigned myself to his opinion.

– Let’s return to the meeting room. I’ll ask a soldier to summon Jojo and Dillon.

So, we returned to where everything began. Scars sat in the same chair, while I stood by his right side. It was already noon, as the sun was at its zenith. Strangely, the birds were silent. Perhaps they had already eaten and were taking an early nap. Or maybe they were sad. What could make these innocent, happy creatures sad? It didn’t matter; these things were just metaphors for my confusing letters.

Besides the birds, the trees didn’t rustle, the wind didn’t howl, and the flowers didn’t stir. Nature seemed to sense a catastrophe. It was as if even it knew Scars’ reputation…

My ears searched for any sound beyond Scars’ sober movements or my own, but I failed. Suddenly, a fly buzzed by and then disappeared. A bee flew away. A bell rang — it was the chime of noon, the time for the second inspection of the Piece Chambers. But the chimes soon stopped. Finally, I heard footsteps growing louder as they approached. It could only be them: Jojo and Dillon appeared before Scars with the usual bows and polite phrases:

– At your service, sir! – they said, kneeling.

– Mr. Jojo and Mr. Dillon, I arrest you in the name of the Special Forces – Scars said, disliking delays or dramatic phrases.

– What?! – Jojo exclaimed.

Suddenly, two soldiers entered the room quietly and restrained the suspects.

– Now, tell me, where is it? – the counselor asked.

– Where is what?! – Dillon responded.

– Don’t play me for a fool; I already know everything – he replied.

– But we didn’t do anything! – Jojo protested.

– If you don’t remember what you did, let me remind you – Scars began the accusation. – Last night, taking advantage of your duty, you stole the second Red Piece we recovered and tried to frame Counselor Aurora. A double crime. What a shame!

– What?! – the accused both shouted. – We didn’t do anything like that!

Scars sighed.

– Do you think you can deceive me? – Until now, Scars had been using formal language out of respect, but now, using more familiar terms, it was clear he was irritated. – Listen closely. I’ve never failed in an investigation. This time won’t be any different. I already know you two committed these crimes. If you try to deceive me again, it’ll be a triple crime and the punishment…

– But sir! – Jojo interrupted. – I swear, by my rank, by my life, I didn’t steal any Red Piece!

– I second his words, sir! – Dillon added.

As soon as they said this, Scars sighed again. A quick sigh, followed by his slow rise from the chair. Unexpectedly, the counselor slammed his fist on the table.

– Words, words! – he exploded. – Your words are worthless! They just follow your corrupt hearts! Now there are four crimes! Theft of a Red Piece, framing a counselor, lying to a superior, and false swearing!

The two accused were speechless. They could only look at the counselor in front of them with shock and fear as he continued:

– What more can I expect from you? Listen carefully. Use the numbers in your head, not the words. 5 is greater than 4. Five crimes are worse than four. Understand?

Once again, they couldn’t say a word.

– Ah! – the legend sighed. – This is the misery of the human heart, so ambiguous and imprecise. Now, answer me solemnly. If you lie, you’ll be committing a fifth crime. Did you steal the Second Red Piece?!

The pair remained silent. They were clearly disoriented: trembling and barely breathing. A deafening silence followed.

– You’re choosing to stay quiet to avoid a fifth crime, aren’t you? – Scars said in a dark tone. – Is that how you interpreted my advice to use the numbers? Who would have thought!

Some grunts came from the mouths of the accused.

– Guards, arrest them! – Scars ordered.

Suddenly, we heard someone running towards us.

– Sir, sir! – it was Aurora’s voice.

The counselor, who had lost his ring, stumbled into the room and shouted:

– The Second Red Piece… It was stolen!

At that moment, it seemed as if Scars had been struck by lightning, doused with cold water, or had his heart hammered. He was stunned by the news, and his brilliant mind processed an entire story, which I will tell in the next chapter.

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Would you like to be featured in the next chapters of this story? What character has been your favorite so far? What do you think will happen in the next chapter? Do you really think Jojo and Dillon are the culprits?

 

Edu14463
Editor-in-Chief

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