Achie now stood in front of the door where caretaker Walder had appeared from yesterday.
This time, he didn't knock.
By using his Sin power called ~Heartcoat~, stone started spreading over both his arms like living armor.
With that he took a short run-up and crashed straight through the wooden door. It exploded inward as Achie barged into the room.
Inside, it looked… ordinary.
A desk, bookshelf, sofa and a large closet standing against the wall.
Achie frowned and thought,
Where does this guy even sleep? Who turns their bedroom into an office?
Suspicious, he began searching. Desk drawers were yanked open and papers scattered. He even shoved the bookshelf aside, scanning every inch of the room.
Nothing…
Finally, he grabbed the closet handle and pulled. Instead of opening normally, the entire door folded downward.
Achie stepped back just in time for it to unfold a bed that was hidden inside.
So it wasn't a closet, but a fold-away bed.
Achie then stepped onto the mattress and knocked on the wooden back panel.
-Knock-
The sound was hollow and a slow grin formed on his face.
"I've read enough books to know what that means… a secret passage."
He stone coated his fist again as he punched through the back of the cabinet. Wood shattered and left a rough hole behind.
Achie leaned in, peering through the opening.
On the other side was a dark corridor that stretched into nothingness.
What are you hiding, Walder…?
He then widened the hole with repeated stone coated punches until it was large enough to step through.
The corridor led to an old metal elevator that operated with rusted metal chains.
But he faced a problem, because the elevator wasn't there. And there was no mechanism to call it back up.
Achie sighed and with his stone coated hands, he grabbed onto the metal chains and began sliding down.
Sparks scraped off the metal chains by the friction with his stone skinned hands, as he descended into total darkness.
The streets of Verdane were alive.
Children ran between colorful tents as laughter echoed through the air.
Artists performed on raised wooden stages and jugglers, musicians, dancers spinning to rhythmic drums.
Food stalls lined the streets, selling various kinds of food and sweet pastries to anyone passing by.
At one stage, kids sat at long tables crafting wooden figures and paper masks with their hands stained with paint.
Nearby, volunteers acted out short plays, exaggerated voices drawing cheers from the crowd.
This was the final day of the festival and joy overflowed everywhere.
Axel walked through it joyfully and watched happy families, excited children, and relaxed citizens. He had left the inn and was now heading towards the city hall.
"Strange…this doesn't look like the dark city Verdane everyone talks about," he muttered while shaking his head.
As he passed a small stage, a voice called out to him.
"Young man."
He turned and saw a mysterious woman sitting behind a low table, dressed entirely in black.
A hood covered her head, shadows hiding her face and wearing silver rings glinting on her fingers as she shuffled a deck of strange cards.
"Would you like to know your future?" she asked softly.
"With my magic cards, I can reveal your destiny of happiness… or despair."
Axel laughed lightly and replied.
"No thanks, I don't care about destiny." as he walked away.
"I'll forge my own future."
The city hall was busy, filled with officials rushing back and forth to manage the festival.
Axel had entered the building and approached the secretary behind the counter…
and slammed his hand down on it, at the exact same time as someone else that now stood beside him.
"I'm looking for the lieutenant!" they said simultaneously.
Surprised, Axel turned his head.
Beside him stood a tall, broad-shouldered man with a thick beard, messy black hair, and a long battle scar running across his cheek.
They stared at each other for a few seconds as recognition hit Axel.
That's… a captain that I've seen at the end of the Fresh Blood Tournament.
Axel smiled respectfully and said,
"You go first, sir"
Captain Stefan laughed.
"Does it even matter, because it seems like we're looking for the same person."
"Looks like it, yeah."
Their moment was cut short.
"I'm afraid I have bad news," the secretary said flatly.
"He isn't here today."
The captain's expression hardened.
"Where can I find him then?"
"I… don't know, Sir Stefan."
Axel sighed and muttered,
"That's three days in a row. When are we supposed to receive the mission details?"
Stefan turned sharply. "Three days?"
Axel nodded. "My university group is here on assignment. The lieutenant is supposed to give us the details, but no luck meeting him so far."
Stefan looked back at the secretary, eyes narrowed.
"All officials managing the festival are working from the city hall. He coordinates them, so he should be present. What exactly is so important that it takes priority over managing this event?"
The secretary shook her head.
"I don't know, sir." she replied quietly.
She turned to Axel apologetically.
"I'm sorry, but please try again tomorrow after the festival. I'll even leave a note on his desk saying you came three times."
"Well," Axel sighed, "Let's hope the note will work."
He told them both goodbye and left the city hall.
But instead of heading to the city center where his group were going to meet up for him, he walked toward the location Professor Stoker told him about.
The old orphanage…
Where hints lay to the horrors that will befall this city today…
After Axel had left, the secretary turned to Captain Stefan.
"Can I help you with anything else, sir?"
"Yes," Stefan replied. "I'm looking for records on a boy named Aiden. From the orphanage."
"I'll look into it for you," she said. "It may take some time."
Then she remembered.
"Oh– speaking of the orphanage. The city hall issued an advance payment to them this morning. It's under your name sir. Would you like to cover it now?"
Stefan nodded casually.
"Oh right, how much damage are we talking about?" he asked smiling.
"134 gold coins."
His smile vanished instantly from his face.
"134?... Are you sure you didn't forget a comma?"
She shook her head.
"And there will be monthly expenses."
Stefan froze.
"…Monthly?!"
"But," she added, "we can reduce the cost… if you help us."
Captain Stefan's eyes lit up. "Tell me!"
Her expression turned serious.
"Yesterday, a house burned down. There were casualties and we need someone to investigate the cause, confirm the number of deceased, and handle the report."
She nervously added,
"Normally, this is the lieutenant's job. But due to the festival… he's unavailable. But as a captain, you're more than qualified to substitute him sir."
Stefan nodded and she handed him the location.
"I'll go right away." Stefan said
And as he turned to leave, he called back:
"Oh, and don't forget to prepare Aiden's records for me when I return."
"I'm on it, sir," she smiled, while waving him off.
Moments later, Captain Stefan walked through the crowded streets heading toward the burning incident.
When he arrived, the place where the house should have stood… there were only blackened walls remaining.
Ash covered the ground and burned beams twisted unnaturally.
Citizens gathered around it, watching from behind marked tape that soldiers put up to keep them at a distance.
Stefan then stepped forward and the soldiers recognized him instantly and saluted.
"At ease," he said.
"I'll handle the investigation of this incident."
He pointed at one of the soldiers, a brown haired man wearing glasses.
"Name?" Stefan asked.
"Erick, sir."
"Alright, Erick. Follow me."
They stepped inside the burned down building with charred remains surrounding them.
He then stepped into a room beside what should have been the living room… and stopped dead with his eyes widened.
"…What the hell is this I'm looking at?"
Erick lowered his head out of sadness.
"Those are the remains of children who didn't escape the fire, sir."
Captain Stefan rubbed his eyes with his fingers, overcome with grief.
What the hell caused this disaster?, he thought to himself.