"Sergeant Daysze and Corporal Jae?" Jos asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I think I've heard about those two."
Malvin glanced at him, nodding. "I wouldn't be surprised. They've both served in the Ironguard for years. Their names carry weight for a reason."
Aeron, always direct, leaned forward slightly. "Setting aside Sir Reinhard for now, Captain, how helpful were Sergeant Daysze and Corporal Jae?"
"Honestly?" Malvin said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "They were more helpful than Reinhard in my opinion. If it weren't for them, finding Joshua Ambrose's hideout would've been a much tougher ordeal." He let out a long breath before straightening. "Alright, let's skip the back-and-forth for now and get straight to it. Let me tell you what happened..."
---
The slums hadn't changed. Not that anyone would expect it to improve in such a short time. The air was heavy, the atmosphere oppressive, and the faint stench of decay clung to everything. Malvin glanced around, the familiarity doing little to dull the grim reality of the place.
"This place is a blight," Daysze muttered, shaking his head as his eyes scanned the narrow, trash-strewn streets.
"Tell me about it," Jae replied, her gaze sharp as she watched the few people lingering nearby. Some were walking around them seemingly afraid, while others stood by, their eyes fixed on the group with varying degrees of intensity. "It's something that desperately needs fixing—one of these days, anyway," she added, her voice laced with quiet determination.
Daysze nodded but didn't respond, his focus shifting to a group of children playing with what looked like a rusted can, their laughter eerily out of place in the grim surroundings.
Reinhard's voice broke the silence. "I thought we'd see people suffering from withdrawal scattered all over the streets," he observed, his brow furrowed.
Silas glanced at him, the same concern flickering in his expression. "Yeah, same here," he muttered, starting to worry that the blue-haired thief might have lied to them.
Malvin shook his head, his voice steady as he answered. "There wouldn't be people littering the streets."
Silas turned to his partner, frowning. "What do you mean?"
Malvin's tone grew more thoughtful as he explained. "You wouldn't just hand out drugs to anyone in a place like this. Sure, you could get people addicted and have them coming back for more, but if they can't pay, what's the point? The only people who'd have access are those who can afford it—or those willing to commit crimes to get it. And in the slums, where most people can barely afford food or water, that narrows it down to the criminals. The kind of people who'll do whatever it takes to get their hands on the drug."
Daysze folded his arms, nodding as he added to the explanation. "That would explain the recent rise in crime—not enough to be glaringly obvious, but enough to keep the flow steady without drawing too much attention. Flooding the slums with the drug would only lead to it being discovered sooner."
Jae tilted her head, her sharp eyes flicking to Malvin. "Astute observation, Officer Malvin," she said, a faint note of approval in her voice.
"Thank you, ma'am," Malvin replied evenly, his tone professional.
"Okay, that makes sense," Silas admitted, though frustration crept into his voice. "But it doesn't make finding the people using the drug any less difficult." He crossed his arms, clearly agitated by the added layer of complication.
Reinhard, who had been silent, nodded in agreement. "He's right. Even with the pattern, it's going to take time to pinpoint anyone involved."
Before anyone could respond, a hesitant voice broke the tension from behind them. "Um… if you want help finding them, I might be able to help."
All four of them stopped and turned sharply toward the source of the voice. Standing a short distance away was a young man, noticeably shorter than any of them. His frame was thin, almost frail, as though malnutrition had been his long-time companion. His patchwork clothes, stitched together with mismatched fabrics, hung loosely on his body. His posture was tense, and his darting eyes betrayed his nervousness, as though he regretted speaking up the moment he did.
"Who are you?" Malvin asked cautiously, his tone measured. Though the young man didn't appear to be a threat—his unarmed, almost pitiable appearance all but confirmed that—it didn't hurt to stay vigilant.
The young man swallowed hard before speaking, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Uh, I just overheard what you said, a-and I want to help. Y-you know, to stop the people who are ruining this place—more than it already is." His voice wavered, and his hands fidgeted nervously at his sides. After a brief pause, he added, almost as an afterthought, "O-oh, and my name's Kai."
---
"Kai?!" Clare exclaimed, her voice tinged with surprise. The unexpected outburst startled Malvin, making him stumble over his next words before falling into a confused silence.
"Why did you react like that?" Loreen asked, her brow furrowing as she turned to Clare.
Tores tilted his head, clearly just as curious. "Yeah, do you know this guy or something?"
Clare nodded, her expression firm but thoughtful. "Yes, I do. He helped us out during The Shadow Baron case, when Xain went unconscious after a fight between us and The Shadow Baron's thugs," she explained, her words drawing looks of surprise from the others.
"Wait," Malvin said, his tone incredulous. "That's the same guy?"
Clare nodded again. "It should be. From how you described him—wearing patchwork clothes and looking malnourished—it matches him perfectly."
"How old was he back then, Captain?" Clare asked, turning her attention to Malvin, her gaze sharp with curiosity.
Malvin thought for a moment, his brow creasing in concentration. "A young adult, maybe late teens to early twenties. Somewhere around there."
Clare nodded once more, her confidence unwavering. "Then it's absolutely him. That lines up with his age when I met him."
Jos let out a low whistle, leaning back in his chair. "Huh. Talk about a small world."
Aeron, his tone as dry as ever, remarked, "Small indeed. So, what's he doing now?"
Clare offered a faint smile as she answered. "After the case, I went back to him and his sister to help them out. Got Kai a job, and as far as I know, they should be doing well now."
Malvin allowed a small nod of acknowledgment, his tone neutral but appreciative. "Well then, you'll be happy to know he helped us out pretty well back then." Straightening slightly, he added, "Speaking of which, let's continue."