Chapter 23: Puppets
"So it was actually Little Hayd who staged his own kidnapping and got Miss Rachel to help cover it up?" Officer Aetris finally processed Enber's explanation. He pondered it seriously, beginning to see the sense in his reasoning.
"Whether that's true or not can only be verified through further investigation. What I said is merely a possibility—a hypothesis—which could be wrong. Besides, my theory is based on typical scenarios," Enber replied. He kept the second part to himself: that it would be a different story if the supernatural were involved. Shaking his head thoughtfully, he asked Aetris, "Do you have any thoughts on this?"
"My thoughts? My thought is that detectives are just full of it, aren't they? You've said everything forwards and backwards—what's left for me to say?" Aetris gritted his teeth, rolling his eyes before huffing, "I already contacted Mr. Hayd. You're cleared to go in and investigate!"
"Thank you. We will," Enber corrected, sharing a look with Aetris as they headed inside the Hayd home.
Mr. Hayd's expression was peculiar, as though he had something to say but couldn't bring himself to. Mrs. Hayd, on the other hand, didn't bother hiding her hostility. She immediately declared, "I will find my little Beck myself! We don't need useless officers like you. Leave us!"
Enber exchanged a knowing glance with Aetris—this was exactly the kind of reaction he had predicted.
Aetris ignored Mrs. Hayd's rudeness and instead addressed Mr. Hayd seriously. "Did you receive a message about ransom demands?"
Mr. Hayd flinched, startled. "How did you know?"
Enber interjected, "Your attitudes changed too quickly... And Mrs. Hayd, although she still looks somewhat worried, seems much more relaxed, as if she already has some leads." Of course, Enber was only fishing for more information, guessing at the "relaxed" part.
"And what if you're right? We'll pay the ransom to get Beck back. We don't need your meddling!" Mrs. Hayd shouted again, unable to hold back.
'Such indulgence… no wonder their son is like this.' Enber thought, shaking his head. He ignored her outburst and turned to Mr. Hayd. "Sir, if my guess is correct, the 'kidnapper' you're dealing with must have a rather notorious reputation?"
"Yes. The letter was signed by 'Red Devil' Tannik. He's demanding a ransom of 100 pounds…" Mr. Hayd deliberated a moment, then chose to inform the police. He had little confidence in trusting the word of a criminal.
I've heard of Tannik from my mentor before. Supposedly, he's an agent the Eternal Blazing Sun Church planted in Backlund, a Sequence 7 on the Sun Pathway. He was labeled 'Red Devil' after the Storm Church uncovered his identity. Would someone like him kidnap a child for a measly 100 pounds? Ha! Little Hayd probably just heard the name somewhere and used it.
For most people—even middle-class families—100 pounds was a substantial sum. Yet for the extraordinary, it was barely enough to buy ten Demon Hunting Bullets.
Aetris shook his head as well. He didn't know Tannik's Sequence, but even he understood that a criminal with a 3,000-pound bounty from the Storm Church wouldn't stoop so low. The detective's guess was probably right.
"Dear, how could you tell them the details? What if they provoke the man and he hurts our Beck?" Mrs. Hayd screeched.
Fed up with her shrill voice, Enber banged his walking stick against the floor in three heavy thuds. The sound echoed loudly, rattling the chandelier. Everyone stared at him in shock—even Mrs. Hayd fell silent.
Turns out this staff's side effect can also be used as intimidation, Enber thought, amused. He'd only meant to get the couple's attention, not cause an earthquake.
At that moment, Miss Rachel Hayd, who had been hiding in her upstairs room, rushed down in a panic. "Papa, Mama! Was that an earthquake?"
Everyone's eyes focused on Enber again. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he changed the subject. "Perfect timing, Miss Rachel. I have a few questions for you."
"F-for me?" Rachel stammered, wide-eyed.
"Yes. I'd like to know why you helped your brother lie and tried to scam your parents." As he spoke, Enber blinked quickly, activating the Pure White Eye, its natural authority amplifying Rachel's anxiety.
"B-because he… he found out about me and Dick," Rachel stammered, her voice trembling. "So he… he threatened…"
As expected, Rachel's defenses crumbled under Enber's words and demeanor. It wasn't a supernatural compulsion, but more like the fear someone feels when confronted with something terrifying. Anyone with a firm will or real life experience could withstand it—but Rachel clearly lacked both.
The moment Enber closed the White Eye, she regained some composure, but it was too late. People present could clearly see her face go pale. It was obvious she had revealed something she hadn't meant to.
"Rachel! What's going on here? Explain yourself!" Mr. Hayd demanded. "And where is Beck?"
Mrs. Hayd, however, latched onto something else entirely. "Rachel, how could you be involved with that penniless Dick?"
Rachel's face drained of color as she avoided her mother's glare. She mumbled to her father, "Beck… he went to find a friend named Emlyn. He said if he couldn't get the money from you, he'd trade some of his… some of his dolls with that friend, and then use the money to buy…" She trailed off, skirting her role in helping Beck lie.
"It really was for those dolls? What a spoiled brat!" Mr. Hayd's face twisted with irritation. He had always ignored his son's peculiar interests, never imagining they'd cause this much trouble. Containing his frustration, he turned politely to Enber and Aetris. "I sincerely appreciate your help. I'll even publish an article in my newspaper to commend you both. But there's something else—I need your help in locating this Emlyn fellow."
'If I remember correctly, he lives at 48 Riverbay Avenue in the South Bridge district…' Enber thought, but refrained from blurting it out. That would be far too suspicious.
Who would have thought the future 'Moon' had a friend with the same odd hobby? Although, Emlyn is protective of his treasures—he definitely wouldn't trade them on a whim like young Hayd…
While Enber mused, Aetris had already agreed to investigate Emlyn's whereabouts.
Afterward, they took Rachel's statement before bidding the Hayd family goodbye.
As they waited for a public carriage, Aetris eyed Enber's staff skeptically. With a smirk, he quipped, "That explains why our carriage earlier was so slow. I think the driver should've charged extra for hauling that thing! What's it made of, anyway?"
Enber ignored the jab. His thoughts were still on the staff. While it usually felt heavy, it had never been heavy enough to shake a room. Only when striking a target did its weight seem to multiply.
Seems the 'Artisan's Agent' wasn't joking about the side effects. The striking motion really increases its weight. If it's this hard to wield, it's useless as a weapon in staff form… or maybe not. Swinging it downward was unexpectedly effective. Should it be called 'Destroyer of Vehicles and Second Floors' instead?
As Enber amused himself with this thought, he noticed some of the Hayds' servants carrying several dolls past them toward an empty lot—a common incineration spot for unwanted items.
"Looks like Mr. Hayd, in a fit of anger, decided to burn his son's beloved dolls," Enber mused, lamenting the fate of the intricate figurines. Many were finely crafted; it was a shame to destroy them.
Just then, a doll with cat ears, about the size of a bust, caught his attention. It sparked an unusual sense of awareness in him. Enber looked closer but couldn't pinpoint anything extraordinary about it—only that it gave him a strange feeling, as though it might be important to his future.
'Is my sensitivity to the supernatural being triggered by some presence? Or… is this thing really connected to my fate?' Unable to resist, Enber activated his Pure White Eye, hoping for a glimpse into the doll's true nature.
In that instant, a splitting headache struck. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.But before his mind faded into darkness, only one word echoed in his thoughts:
"Fog!"
He had seen the Gray Fog.
(End of Chapter)