"You're just bragging as much as you can. I think you've just read too much of that shabby detective novel of yours."
Marinel acted as if he looked down on Jobtran and said arrogantly.
"Don't try to change the subject, Marlin. Personal attacks won't affect my judgment. Because I've seen through your tricks."
After hearing Marin's comments on his father's relics, Joe Butran immediately pointed out Marin's conspiracy to everyone.
He would not allow outsiders to comment on his father's work. Now that they have fallen out, it would be better to be direct and expose this conspiracy.
"My trick? Don't slander me." Marinel said to Jobtran with disdain.
"You are wrong. I, Joe Butran, never make an accusation without any certainty. It is you who is slandering others, and it is you who killed these birds."
Joe Butran shook his head and said.
"Why do you say it was me? I slept well last night."
Marlin argued.
"It was this tree that told me, Aunt Karma, can I get the wooden broom?" Jobtran turned to Karma and asked.
Sister Karma nodded her assent, and Jobtran turned to Tristana and Aengus and said,
"Keep an eye on this scene, don't let anyone touch anything here."
The two of them agreed, and Jobtran and Aunt Karma went to get the wooden broom that was placed at the door of the courtyard.
Everyone gathered around the big tree to see what Jobtran was going to do with the broom. They saw him holding the broom with both hands upside down and hitting the ground.
The end of the wooden broom was made of thin branches, and the blow left streaks on the ground.
Joe Butran pointed to the ground, then to the trunk of the tree and said,
"The murder weapon was this broom. Marlin sneaked out of the room late at night and hit the tree trunk like I just did.
You can see the same scratches on the tree from the branches that you see on the ground.
As for why I could identify it as Marlin, it was because everything was too coincidental. "
Joe Butran paused here, pointed at the bird on the ground and continued,
"Excuse me, how many of you knew there was a bird's nest in this tree before today?"
Everyone present looked at each other in surprise. They had only heard that there was a bird's nest on a tree, but they had never explored which tree it was.
There was dead silence, and no one except Tristana and Angus raised their hands.
"Since we have been ruled out, the only two people who know there is a bird's nest here are Aunt Karma and you two, Marin. Aunt Karma would never do such a thing, so the only possibility left is you, Marin."
Jobtran pointed his index finger at the pale-faced Mariner. Mariner knew that he had been exposed, but he was unwilling to admit his mistake and continued to argue.
"What good will it do me to kill these birds?" Mariner secretly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and defended himself.
Instead of answering Marin's question directly, Jobtran turned to Mother Karma and asked her,
"Mammy, what impression do you have of Marinel and Angus?"
"Angus is more gloomy and doesn't get along well with others, while Mariner has a good reputation among the people and is also good at studying."
Mother Karma gave a rather pertinent comment.
"That's right. When Marlin couldn't improve his own status, he showed his sense of privilege by belittling Angus."
Joe Butran said seriously, then threw the broom in his hand to Marlin.
"If you think your plan is so perfect, you can just stand here holding a broom. Your height matches the marks on the trunk, and your room is at the end of the corridor, closest to the stairs. I think you should have nothing to quibble about. After all, facts don't lie."
Arnold came out from behind the crowd, clapping his hands and saying,
"Excellent logical thinking and keen observation, boy, I like you very much. Would you like to consider becoming my disciple?"
"Ah, Reverend Arnold, what brings you here?"
Aunt Karma said in surprise.
"I'll explain it to you later. Besides, I'm not a pastor anymore. Ahem." Arnold said awkwardly.
"Why don't you take care of the children's problems first?"
After hearing this, Mother Karma nodded and said,
"Let's all go away first."
After hearing this, the children left one after another, leaving only a few people involved in the incident at the scene.
Mariner saw that the water had already reached the bottom and was beyond redemption, so he simply knelt on the ground and begged for mercy from Sister Karma, slapping himself in the face and crying.
"Mammy, I was wrong. Please punish me."
But at the same time, he cursed in his heart, "I will remember this grudge."
"In that case, after you have cleaned up this place, come and get the ten teaching sticks yourself."
Mother Karma said this with a cold face, then ignored Mariner who was kneeling on the ground, and led everyone to her office.
"Please take a seat, Reverend Arnold. There are limited seats here so you guys can take them first."
Mother Karma pulled out a chair in front of her desk and spoke to the children.
"Then I won't be polite. My legs are not in good condition and it's tiring to stand all the time."
After saying this, Arnold sat down calmly.
Jobtran, Tristana, and Angus stood by the desk.
Jobtran showed a puzzled look, then looked at the man in front of him who was sitting on a chair with a cane.
“What good is it to be your disciple?”
Jobtran asked bluntly.
Upon hearing this, Mother Karma tapped Jobtran on the head with the back of her hand.
"How can you talk so disrespectfully? This is the famous Reverend Arnold of the Yesu Society. When I was in the same parish with Reverend Arnold, I received a lot of care from him."
"It's okay. It's a good thing to know how to judge the situation. I like this kid very much."
Arnold responded with a laugh.
"What? Come with me? I'll take you to experience a different world. You no longer need to stay here, but can use your strengths to do what you want to do, such as being a detective?"
Jobt Brown was a little moved, but Tristene pulled Jobt Brown's sleeve, looked at him with big watery eyes and asked,
"Joe Butler, are you leaving?"
Jobtran's heart softened, and he touched Tristene's messy hair.
"No. Who will take care of you if I leave?"
Arnold saw this and said with a smile,
"I can bring your little brother along? It's not a big deal, but you have to be responsible for his living expenses. Isn't that fair?"
Jobtran thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Okay. What exactly do you need me to do?"
This was a decision Joet Brown made after careful calculation in his mind.
"Although the man in front of me has a disabled left leg, he looks upright and dignified. Judging from Sister Karma's attitude towards him, he should be a reliable person."
"Well, that's great. It's settled then. What procedures do we need to go through next?"
Arnold turned around and asked Sister Karma about the details of the adoption procedures, while Tristana jumped up and down with joy.
Angus looked at the two people whose fate was about to be rewritten with envy and lowered his head.
In his heart, Angus actually longed to be adopted one day, but at this moment he lowered his head, and his long hair covered the expression on his face.
After seeing this, Arnold asked Angus,
"Strong boy, do you want to come with us?"