Near dusk, Glen finally sold all the black boars he'd hauled in, netting 2,400 copper coins—his pockets visibly bulging.
Finally free of poverty, at least for now! Time to treat myself. I'll cook something good, go home, and make hot pot. Oh, and Laila and Bonnie—they must've been terrified yesterday. I should check on them after buying groceries… After all, that mess is kinda my fault.
Glen tidied up the mess around his stall, planning to load the trash onto the sled so the street cleaners wouldn't hassle him.
But he didn't leave right away, because a group of plainclothes people was heading toward him.
Glen had noticed them earlier—they'd been lurking at the edge of the crowd, watching his whole pork sale, and only now made their move.
Doud police? Glen guessed their identity. In his past life, he'd dealt with cops plenty; he knew their demeanor and how they carried themselves.
"Are you Mr. Glen? We're officers from Doud. Can we talk?" the leader, the mustached captain, got straight to the point.
"Police?" Glen feigned confusion and a flicker of nervousness. "Did I do something wrong?"
He already knew why they were there—probably Laila and Bonnie had reported the incident, so the police needed to question anyone involved.
"Relax, sir, we just have a few questions. It's about a case—please cooperate." A younger officer smiled reassuringly.
Glen let out a long breath. "Go ahead. I'll tell you everything I know."
"Thanks for your cooperation." The captain pulled out a small notebook and pen, official tone in place. "Your full name is Glen Nibanklu, correct?"
"That's the name I use now. Before, it was Dylan Nibanklu."
Not sure how official info circulated in this world, Glen gave the original owner's name too—hiding it could cause trouble if they cross‑checked records later.
The captain jotted something down, then looked up. "May I ask why the name change?"
"Had some things happen. Wanted to close that chapter, Officer."
The captain nodded thoughtfully, then continued, "Yesterday at this time, Miss Laila and Miss Bonnie were at your house, right?"
"Yes."
"Do you know Laila's father, Bob?"
"No."
…
The questioning lasted only about ten minutes, covering basic details from yesterday.
At the end, the captain asked in a strangely careful tone, "You really live in Bayek?"
"Yes. Is that a problem, Officer?" Glen was curious about the captain's attitude.
"No, just… good you're okay." The captain smiled, glanced around, then leaned in slightly. "When I took over as captain, we were told—avoid that place unless it's absolutely necessary."
Glen was taken aback; his curiosity deepened.
"You were probably tricked into buying property there. Trust me, kid, if you can, move out. It's better for you."
With that, the captain and his team left.
So the kingdom's government knows about Bayek… but why don't they do anything? There are obviously evil‑looking creatures there… Glen stood thinking for a moment, then shook his head, pulled the sled to a corner, and went grocery shopping.
…
"Captain, still no leads. What now? That young man doesn't seem connected to the case," an officer said after they left Central Street.
"Maybe," the captain replied cryptically. "At least he's not with those guys."
"If they strike again in town, it'll cause panic," another officer worried.
"They won't act in town anytime soon," the captain said as they walked.
"Why?" the team chorused.
"Their targets were always outside town, meaning they're afraid to act inside. Something in town makes them hesitate. It's not us—they wouldn't fear us that much. Recently, the big figure in town is Berlin. They're afraid Sir Berlin will intervene. There are only a few families with kids outside town, and they've all been hit. Beyond that, it's not our jurisdiction. Now they'll shift to targeting inside town. Until Berlin leaves, they'll stay hidden."
The officers looked enlightened but unsure.
"But Sir Berlin only arrived two days ago, and the disappearances started five days ago," one objected.
The captain's expression didn't change. "News of Berlin's arrival spread a week ago. If they'd acted during that time, word would've reached town. Once Berlin arrived and heard, his knightly nature would drive him to act—and he'd likely find them. They definitely considered that."
"Shouldn't we ask Sir Berlin for help? Then we could catch them faster."
"Sigh… I tried. But the mayor won't let me see Berlin. He says Berlin's only here briefly, with urgent duties—won't waste time on this."
The officers looked deflated. The captain turned sharply, tone severe. "Listen up, you idiots! Do we really need someone else to solve cases!? Remember what's on your uniforms! Bringing criminals to justice is our job!"
Startled by the rebuke, they snapped to attention. "Yes, Captain!"
"Keep patrols steady. We'll find them eventually."
…
Mes Academy
Glen stood silently before the iron gate, the large lock making it clear the academy didn't welcome visitors.
He stepped forward a few paces; his footfalls crunched on fallen leaves along the stone path.
The gate was made of vertical black iron bars and symmetrical spiral patterns—classic old British style.
Glen leaned in slightly, peering past the gate at the campus buildings: earth‑yellow spire towers standing quietly, mixed sounds of lecturing drifting to his ears.
Looks like they're in class… Glen straightened up, then felt a gaze on him.
He looked up—the feeling seemed to come from the carved crow statues on the stone pillars flanking the gate.
This should be a normal school, right? No magical constructs… Hmm… maybe normal schools have them, but ordinary students—including the original owner—just don't know. He lowered his head, no longer staring.
He'd followed their scent to check on Laila and Bonnie, worried something might've happened. But seeing the school like this, the girls were probably fine. He couldn't risk barging in and getting mistaken for a threat.
Just as he turned to leave, he caught a different sound.
Something's up. He looked toward the noise, judged it wasn't far, and moved along the wall to investigate.