[This is an issue] Kotori thought
The boy wasn't talking despite dragging him back to a private room at Fawks's inn he wasn't speaking.
Frankly, Kotori was stumped.
His name was apparently Yukio and he was a youth around 10 years old. He had a slim build and tanned skin like many of the people in the city. Unlike the orphan that Kotori charmed earlier Yukio had long unkempt dirty blond hair that looked like it was roughed cut in several places for convenience and so that it didn't cover his eyes.
At first, she thought he was just exceptionally loyal but she soon found out that the boy disliked Mr. Gerard even as much as she did
The mere mention of the name turned the boy's face into one of disgust.
She had already tried to [Charm] the boy as well so whatever was preventing him from talking was exceptionally important to him. She knew the charm worked from the way the boy was blushing at her but the moment she started asking about Gerard, it was like the boy's lips were suddenly sealed shut.
She was caught in a conundrum.
Kotori wasn't really in the mood to take a karma hit from torturing the poor child and the thought of it left a poor taste in her mouth.
[Is he being blackmailed?] Kotori wouldn't know why an orphan would be attached to anything but she decided to ask anyway. She shifted her line of questioning from Gerard to something else
"Is there something preventing you from talking?"
The boy nodded
"Can you talk about that?"
He shook his head
Kotori frowned she was getting closer to the truth but still needed to prod deeper, if he was being blackmailed in some capacity it would make sense that something was being held, hostage
"Do you have a family?" Kotori asked.
The boy's eyes teared up.
"My Onee-san…" He started to say
[Oh? So he does have some family] Kotori thought
"Tell me about her" Kotori said encouraging him.
"Onee-san used to take care of me, she took care of us all… and that that stupid Mr. Gerard took her away! He told me I could work to buy her back but she keeps getting more and more expensive" he said getting visibly upset.
[I see] Kotori's original assumption that "Onee-san" was his sister was wrong. It seemed like she was an older girl that was taking care of the orphans. The city didn't have an orphanage. The concept was apparently foreign. Flare was very much a city with no real social welfare programs, the concept itself is not very developed yet in this world.
Kotori herself thought, it was a little backward, but she didn't want to comment on the natural political development on this world.
Still, from the way the boy was skirting this concept it seemed like this Onee-san was the main reason he wasn't talking. Based on what Kotori knew she was probably taken to be one of Gerard's "toys". At worst she was probably addicted to sweet leaf and had lost most of her mental faculties. With enough time she would be able to rehabilitate, but once again this city had no social welfare programs.
The fact that the boy was being tricked, to work for Mr. Gerard was a shame as well.
Kotori wanted to use the boy, finding other people in Gerard's enterprise to give information would be difficult. This boy already seemed to dislike Gerard so it would be wise to use him.
If she wanted to get the boy to talk it would be best to save this Onee-san
"Do you want us to save her?" Kotori said
The boy looked awestruck
"You can!"
Kotori nodded.
"Of course, if we save here will you talk"
The boys nodded vigorously.
"I'm not talking before then though!" He said crossing his arms
[How shrewd] The orphan must be used to being betrayed. He was going to wait until Kotori and the others fulfilled their part of the deal before speaking.
"Ok, Ok, Do you mind telling us where she is?" Kotori asked
Kotori was annoyed that she had to be this conspicuous, but even though, she made the deal with the boy she would have still had to consult with Fawks before making a move.
If Fawks had another idea to getting dirt on Gerard they could get rid of the boy.
Kotori probably wouldn't kill him, but she try and find a way to hide him at least until their scheme was done.