Chapter 9
“Pretty ordinary.”
Aside from being an Awakened, his profile was nothing special.
“How did such a weak-looking guy end up in a place this rough?”
I shrugged off the question.
“Enough, Chuck. This isn’t the one.”
“You can tell just by looking?”
“The stars whisper the truth in my ear.”
As I turned away with a nonchalant reply, I heard a snicker. It was Aaron.
“What? You think I’m funny?”
Shut up! I’m embarrassed too, that’s why!
With that in mind, I gave him a sharp look, and Aaron waved his hand apologetically.
“Sorry. I was rude since this is our first meeting. You just said something so sudden…”
“That’s fine. Hmph!”
I snorted and stomped my feet as we headed to the next suspect’s house.
“This is the last house?”
I wiped sweat from my forehead. Visiting only five houses felt like we’d been through ten.
“It’s because this neighborhood is completely messed up!”
This place was truly haphazardly built. The houses were crooked, expansions were slapped on randomly, and the streets twisted and ended arbitrarily.
It was a maze-like neighborhood.
Ricky rubbed the back of his head and muttered.
“The first five weren’t it, so this one has to be the culprit. Right?”
“Yeah.”
Otherwise, it’d be a huge problem. We’d need another method, but unfortunately, I wasn’t smart enough for that.
“I’m not a professional investigator. How would I figure that out?”
Knock knock.
We knocked on the door of the last house.
“…”
No response.
Knock knock knock.
“…”
We knocked again, still no response.
Chuck’s short patience had run out.
“Where is this guy? If I call him, he should come out immediately!”
Bang!
Chuck lifted his massive foot and kicked the wooden door. His strength was so great that the hinges ripped off and the door flew open.
I clicked my tongue.
“Breaking the door because he couldn’t handle two knocks? Isn’t that a bit much?”
“He wouldn’t have heard it anyway. Breaking it beforehand or after is the same.”
Chuck answered brazenly and stomped into the house with his dirt-covered boots.
“Shouldn’t you at least take off your shoes when entering someone’s house…”
I was about to protest, but seeing the state of the interior, I shut my mouth.
“What a mess.”
How could the inside be dirtier than the street?
“He lives like an animal, so no need to treat him like a human.”
Chuck snorted and pointed at a hunched figure sitting amid a pile of trash.
“That’s Seth. The last suspect this lady will meet.”
Seth, as introduced, was curled up and intensely focused on something.
“This guy is a sculptor. As you can see, he can barely do anything besides sculpting.”
Looking around the house, Chuck seemed right.
I poked Seth’s back.
“Excuse me, hey.”
“…”
“Can you hear me, Seth?”
“…”
“Hey!”
“…Ugh!”
Only after being poked did Seth lift his head. He was startled to see Chuck and me and asked awkwardly.
“Wh-who are you? Ch-Chuck? I thought the investigation was done. Why are you here?”
“This lady wants to see your face. She said your appearance, energy, and aura matter.”
“You mean, like a fortune-teller?”
“A psychic.”
Chuck unnecessarily introduced me for me. I just gave him a side glance.
“Hello. We’re here to further investigate the counterfeit coin case.”
As I met Seth’s eyes, his info popped up.
Name: Seth
Race: Human
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Hometown: Gerk Basin
Traits: Counterfeit sculptor, artisan, naive, pure, diligent, easily fooled
It was clear Seth was a suspect because he was a counterfeit sculptor.
“Hm…”
But I had a strong feeling he wasn’t the culprit.
It made sense; the info even labeled him a “naive fool,” and someone like that couldn’t commit a high-level crime like counterfeiting coins.
“Hometown is Gerk Basin?”
That place seemed familiar. Thinking back, it was the same as Aaron’s hometown, the first suspect we visited.
Their ages were similar too: Seth was 32, Aaron 34.
“What’s going on? Is Seth connected to Aaron…?”
I muttered unconsciously, and Chuck suddenly exclaimed.
“Wow! You’re linking Seth to Aaron? That wasn’t in my report. Thought you were a quack psychic, but maybe not?”
“I’m Awakened, and my ability is real, you know?”
I asked slyly, pretending to be upset at the doubt.
“Anyway, what’s the relationship between Seth and Aaron? Their ages and hometowns match, but I see nothing beyond that…”
Chuck shrugged.
“That guy watches out for him quietly. Aaron’s usually cold, but maybe he feels a connection because they’re from the same place.”
Aaron was the one who gave Seth, who could only sculpt, some work.
“Despite appearances, Seth is the best craftsman here.”
Only then did I notice the sculptures strewn across the workshop.
“Impressive. Really detailed.”
I quietly admired a delicate wooden flower sculpture.
“That’s a replica of Alteus’ vase, right?”
“Ah, yes, it’s a forgery of that piece.”
“Your forgery skills are impressive. No wonder you’re a suspect. But you only sculpt wood…?”
“Ha, haha. Wood is all I can handle.”
“Then what about metal casting…”
“I-I don’t even know what casting is.”
“…Alright. Seth seems straightforward and intelligent. Understood.”
While discussing and admiring Seth’s work, something tapped my foot. A flat object bounced like a brooch.
“What’s this?”
I picked it up and my eyes widened.
“It’s a gold coin? …Well, since it’s wood, should I call it a wooden coin?”
It was a wooden sculpture of a gold coin, perfectly proportioned like the real thing, with the emperor’s face carved in exquisite detail.
As I examined it, Seth panicked and tried to grab it.
“I-I made this just for fun!”
“For fun? It’s incredibly detailed.”
“It’s just a hobby, I swear!”
“You had this kind of strange hobby?”
Chuck pressed him further. Other forgeries could be sold as real, but this was literally a wooden gold coin—useless except maybe as a child’s toy.
“You’re acting suspicious… you little…”
Chuck rolled up his sleeves and approached Seth, who stuttered and shivered.
“N-no, Chuck! You’re sc-sc-scaring me!”
I narrowed my eyes.
‘What’s with this reaction? My suspicion is growing.’
Seth, usually talkative, suddenly acting so suspiciously was definitely odd.
I poked Chuck’s side to stop him.
“Chuck, you can’t pressure someone without evidence. Seth might have his reasons.”
“What?”
“We’ve seen enough here. Seth’s scared of you. Let’s go.”
I winked, and Chuck exhaled slightly, understanding.
“…Fine. We’ll back off for now.”
“Good call.”
I slyly pocketed the wooden coin sculpture—a seasoned pickpocket’s move.
“We’ll come back in three days. Take care until then.”
As we exited, Chuck, Ricky, and I exchanged glances.
“Strange, isn’t it?”
“Completely.”
“That guy!”
“But it’s just a hunch. We need solid evidence to convince the lord, right?”
So the next step was clear:
Tail Seth.
We needed to uncover something—anything—to find a lead, no matter how trivial.
…Right?
