Puppets

"So it was actually Little Hayd who staged his own kidnapping and got Miss Rachel to help cover it up?" Officer Aetris finally seemed to process Ebner's explanation, pondering it seriously and 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," Ebner said, though he kept the second part to himself—that it would be a different story if the supernatural were involved. He shook his head thoughtfully, then 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 slightly before huffing, "I already contacted Mr. Hayd. You're cleared to go in and investigate!"

"Thank you, we will," Ebner corrected, sharing a look with Aetris as they headed into the Hayd home.

Mr. Hayd's expression was a little 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 and immediately declared, "I will find my little Beck myself. We don't need useless officers like you! Leave us!"

Ebner exchanged a knowing look with Aetris, both thinking of the very scenario he had just predicted.

Aetris ignored Mrs. Hayd's rude comments, instead addressing Mr. Hayd seriously. "Did you receive a message about ransom demands?"

Mr. Hayd flinched, startled. "How did you know?"

Ebner interjected, "Your attitudes changed too quickly... And based on my observations, Mrs. Hayd, although she still appears somewhat worried, seems much more relaxed, as if she's already got some leads." Of course, Ebner was only guessing about the relaxation part, using it to fish for more information.

"And what if you're right? We'll pay the ransom to get Beck back. We don't need your meddling!" Mrs. Hayd couldn't hold back from shouting again.

Such indulgence... no wonder their son is like this. Ebner shook his head, ignoring 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 for a moment, then decided to inform the police, as he had little confidence in trusting the word of a criminal.

I've heard of Tannik from my mentor before. He's supposedly an agent the Eternal Blazing Sun Church planted in Backlund, a Sequence 7 on the Sun Pathway, who was labeled as '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 would be a substantial sum, yet to the extraordinary, it's barely enough for ten Demon Hunting Bullets!

Aetris shook his head as well. While he wasn't aware of Tannik's extraordinary status, he understood that a "notorious criminal" with a 3,000-pound bounty from the Storm Church wouldn't stoop so low as to kidnap a child for 100 pounds. The detective's guess was probably spot-on.

"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, Ebner banged his walking stick against the floor with a few heavy thuds. The sound echoed loudly, rattling the chandelier, causing everyone to stare at him in shock—even Mrs. Hayd fell silent.

"Turns out this staff's side effect can also be used as a tool of intimidation," Ebner 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 Ebner once again, and he cleared his throat awkwardly, choosing to change the topic. "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, Ebner blinked quickly, activating the Pure White Eye, using its natural authority to amplify Rachel's anxiety.

"B-because he… he found out about me and Dict," Rachel stammered, her voice shaking. "So he… he threatened…" As expected, Rachel's defenses crumbled under Ebner's words and demeanor. This wasn't a supernatural ability but more akin to the fear people feel when they suddenly encounter something terrifying. Anyone with a firm will or life experience could easily withstand it, but Rachel was clearly lacking in both.

The moment Ebner closed the White Eye, she regained some composure, her face deathly pale. It was clear that she'd said something she hadn't meant to reveal.

"Rachel! What's going on here? Explain yourself!" Mr. Hayd, realizing the implications of the conversation, demanded, "And where is Beck?"

Mrs. Hayd, on the other hand, focused on a different concern. "Rachel, how could you be involved with that penniless Dick?"

Rachel's face paled even further, avoiding her mother's gaze. She mumbled to her father, "Beck… he went to find a friend named Emlyn… He said that 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 was skirting around her role in helping her brother with his lies.

"It really was for those dolls? What a spoiled brat!" Mr. Hayd's face was twisted with irritation. He'd always ignored his son's peculiar interests, never imagining they'd cause such trouble. Containing his frustration, he turned politely to Ebner and Aetris. "I sincerely appreciate your help, and I'll be sure to publish an article in my newspaper to commend you both. But there's still something else—I need to ask for your help in locating this Emlyn fellow."

If I remember correctly, he lives at 48 Riverbay Avenue in the South Bridge district… Ebner 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'—definitely wouldn't trade them on a whim like young Hayd…" As Ebner 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 the public carriage, Aetris glanced skeptically at Ebner's staff. 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?"

Ebner ignored the jab, as 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' meant it when she warned about the side effects. The striking motion increases its weight considerably. If it's this hard to wield, it's useless as a weapon in staff form… or maybe not. Swinging it downwards was unexpectedly effective. Should it be called 'Destroyer of Vehicles and Second Floors' instead?"

While Ebner amused himself with these thoughts, he noticed that some of the Hayds' servants were carrying several dolls past them, heading toward an empty lot. A common incineration spot for discarding unwanted household items.

"Looks like Mr. Hayd, in a fit of anger, decided to take his son's beloved dolls to the flames," Ebner mused, lamenting the fate of the intricate figurines. Many were finely crafted; it seemed 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 within him. Ebner looked closer, but he 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?"

With no clear answer, Ebner couldn't resist activating his "Pure White Eye," hoping for a glimpse into the doll's true nature.

In that instant, he felt a splitting headache and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Before his mind faded into darkness, he had only one word in his thoughts: "Fog!"

He had seen the Gray Fog.