While the atmosphere in the room was getting heavier, the door swung open without a knock. Someone stepped into the room with angry strides. When Arsh turned around to see who it was, he saw Herman, his face red with anger.
"The person you're referring to is someone who has proven his abilities. By getting in his way, it was your men who caused us to lose an important suspect. I also suggest that you mind your tone when speaking to my people, Mr. Wood," he said in a stern voice.
Although Arsh had thought Herman was a stern man when he first met him, he had never seen him like this. For a moment, he felt uneasy, as if he were the one being shouted at.
But he wasn't the only one feeling uneasy. The chief looked as though he couldn't stomach being yelled at by someone else right in front of his own men.
"Mr. Herman, I didn't expect to see you here. I was expecting your chief. You don't seem all that concerned, either. On such an important day, you are responsible for what the Belowich family lost."
"You are the one who refused to cooperate. You even refused to allow my men to compile a list of what was missing."
"We prepared the report ourselves," he said, gesturing to the man beside him. The man pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Herman. After examining the document for a moment, Herman began to laugh.
"This is the loss reported by one of the richest families in the country? Is this why you're so angry? Since you were arguing so fiercely over your losses, I thought there must have been something truly valuable in that safe. Very well, I'll have these records processed. When we catch the thief, your losses will be compensated according to what is found. If that's all you have to say, I'm taking my men and leaving."
Without looking back, he headed for the door. Arsh, Walter, and the other officers followed in silence. They left the mansion through a side wing to avoid the guests. Soon, they were back at the gate, getting into the two carriages waiting for them. Herman took the carriage with Walter and Arsh.
"Arsh, I heard you say you couldn't see the man's face," he asked as they were leaving the manor.
"I saw it, actually. But I don't know why... it's all a blur. No matter how hard I try, I just can't remember what he looked like; I can't remember his features," Arsh said.
He found it really strange. He usually had a great memory and rarely forgot anything he saw. Yet, even though he'd looked right at the man's face, he couldn't picture him at all. When he tried to think about him, his mind was just blank.
"Think a bit more. Maybe you'll remember something," Mr. Herman said. Arsh could tell by his voice that Herman believed him and was also hopeful.
Arsh nodded quietly, then said what was on his mind.
"I will try to remember. But there is something weird. When the man walked past us, it was like no one saw him at all. The only thing I remember is that he was tall—not someone who would go unnoticed. But it was as if he didn't catch anyone's eye. If the guards hadn't said that entering that corridor was forbidden, I don't think he would have caught my attention either. What's more, I only realized he had entered that corridor once we returned to the main hall."
"...Do you think he has a siuni?"
"Looks that way, doesn't it?" Arsh said.
"It makes sense. That would explain why you haven't been able to catch him yet. Had you never considered that before?" Walter asked Herman.
"No... we've had similar thefts, and they gave us a real headache until we caught the guys. But have you ever heard of a siuni with a power like this? Maybe something similar to yours. Mes must have mentioned something."
"I only listen to about one percent of what that guy says," Walter replied.
"Well, we'll talk more about this later. It might be worth looking at the case from this angle, too," Herman said, rubbing his temples.
...
The next day, they went over the night's events again and again. Arsh spent a long time trying to remember what the man looked like and what he was wearing.
He was tall. His clothes were ordinary—just a white shirt and a jacket. Nothing stood out like the other people at the party or a uniform like the waiters wore. But from time to time, when he tried to remember his face, a pair of cold blue eyes would flicker in his mind, but he couldn't hold on to the image.
After comparing the case with previous ones, it looked more and more likely that the thief has a siuni—someone who can use an ability to get in without being seen or noticed. He is someone who prefers to make a move when the streets are most crowded, slipping in and out of manors without fear of being caught while the owners and staff are wide awake, as if he wants to mock them. This could perhaps be done by a skilled thief. But if he has a siuni that allows him to move around unnoticed, it is an easy task.
As Arsh sat in silence, trying to focus on the man's face, he remembered the way the thief had greeted him. Realizing that the man had been mocking him as well, a sudden wave of shame washed over him.
"Arsh, don't you think it's possible to find him?" Herman asked once again. By then, Arsh had stopped counting how many times he had heard the same question throughout the day. The hope in Herman's voice was starting to fade. Arsh was aware that this change in the thief's profile was making Herman's job much more difficult.
"I've been trying... I still am, but I really can't remember his face. We made eye contact, but that was it. Everything else is a blur." It was better not to give him false hope. After all, the pressure the police chief was putting on him didn't really get to Arsh.
"All right. At least there's a possibility he has a siuni... or maybe he's using an artifact. Let's look through our resources and see if there's anything like that," Herman said.
As usual, when it came to the research, Walter—who could never sit still—slipped away quietly, leaving everything to Mes and Arsh. Or rather, most of the work fell on Mes. Even though Arsh had joined the FFSD, he still didn't have access to the actual siuni records. For now, this was a chance to learn more from Mes.
...
Arsh had thought the Police Chief's pressure wouldn't affect him, but he was wrong. Indirectly, that pressure found its way to them through Herman. After three suffocating days in the library, Professor Reiner finally came to his and Mes's rescue. He sent them both to the city center to pick up some supplies for his research, just so they could get some fresh air.
He and Mes arrived at an apothecary. Inside, there was a blend of strange chemical smells mixed with various types of incense and herbs. It was a quite large shop.
"Oh... Mes, welcome! Did the Professor send you?" the old man inside greeted them as they walked in. After a short chat with Mes, the old man headed to a back room to gather the items on the list.
"Mes, I'll wait for you outside," Arsh said as he stepped out of the apothecary. The heavy smell of herbs and medicine inside made him nauseous. He sat down on a bench across the street and began watching the people passing by.
Ever since he arrived in this city, the same thought had kept crossing his mind. The people here were truly gray. They didn't smile much; they spoke only in brief sentences and were mostly quick to anger. Their lives were much more comfortable than life in the desert. They had more money, more food, and access to all the resources they could ever want to learn from. But no matter how much Arsh thought about it, he couldn't imagine himself living here.
'Once I have my revenge, it's best if I just leave this place. Maybe I can go on missions elsewhere with Juan,' he thought. Otherwise, he felt the city's grayness would eventually rub off on him, too.
He sat on the bench for a while longer, watching the people and enjoying the sun as it peeked through the clouds in the cool air. Back where he came from, sitting out in the sun to warm up was the last thing anyone would do. But here, the warmth of the sun on his skin wasn't scorching—it was sweet.
Soon, he noticed a man passing right in front of him. The man was tall, wearing a white shirt and a plain jacket just like everyone else's. He was holding his hat in his hand. When he noticed Arsh looking at him, their eyes met for a brief moment. The man's eyes were cold blue.