Thanksgiving had passed two weeks ago, and the new year was fast approaching. The academic term at the Charity School was also drawing to a close. During this time, aside from regular classes and volunteer work, the biggest change was with the Enforcer teachers. After class, they would quickly disappear from campus, especially Livlan, the elven girl. Aside from teaching, she was rarely seen around the school.
For the past two weeks, Hobick hadn't left the White House once. In fact, Mrs. Lily wasn't quite sure what to do with him. Captain Dodge hadn't contacted the White House at all during this time, and Hobick hadn't used that button he claimed could communicate with other dwarves. He spent his days eating, drinking, and sleeping. With only a month left until the new year, the streets of Brighton City were suddenly bustling with residents, many returning from the Eastern Continent to visit the South for the holidays, along with tourists enjoying the end-of-year break.
After finishing his day at school, Arthur returned to the Charity White House, where Mrs. Lily was nowhere to be found, and Hobick was perched on a chair, fixing a broken oil lamp for her. Arthur dropped his bag on the couch and went to help by steadying the chair.
"Kid, what did you learn today?" Hobick wrapped tape around the cracked lamp shade. Over the past few days, Arthur had learned that, at ten years old by dwarf standards, Hobick was still considered a child, equivalent to around fifteen in human years. Yet, in dwarf society, children were declared adults at eight, expected to be independent and work.
Holding the wobbling chair steady, Arthur ignored Hobick's teasing. "You're the kid. Anyway, I'm not talking to you about that. Do you know what the Enforcers have been busy with lately?"
Hobick rolled his eyes. "What does the Enforcers' business have to do with me?" He jumped down from the chair after reinstalling the repaired lamp in the center of the ceiling. But come to think of it… this morning…
"A purple-skinned elf stopped by this morning, chatted with Mrs. Lily about something, though I was hiding in my room and didn't catch much." Hobick gestured for Arthur to return the chair to its place as he flopped onto the couch himself.
It was Livlan. Arthur immediately thought of his elven teacher, who hadn't had any classes or been in the teacher's office that morning. So, she had come to the White House—did something happen? Arthur was pondering this when the door suddenly opened. Mrs. Lily entered, breathing heavily, her hurried steps sounding unusual.
"Not good! Hobick, Arthur, you're here?" Mrs. Lily, visibly shaken, entered the hall, touching Arthur's blond hair briefly before picking up her cup and downing a drink to steady herself.
Taking on an air of authority, Hobick held out his hands to calm her. "Take your time, Madam." Ignoring Arthur's eye-roll, he added, "Weren't you planning to visit the Enforcer Hall?"
"Yes. Livlan told me this morning that Captain Dodge had been missing for two weeks. To be safe, I went to the Hall myself." Mrs. Lily's tone grew more composed.
Two weeks. That meant Captain Dodge hadn't appeared since bringing Hobick to the Charity House. So, did Dodge's mission involving Raiburg Village and the water mage Parish fail? But why had the Enforcer Hall only recently realized Dodge was missing? This was supposed to be an Enforcer mission. Dodge had mentioned that due to special reasons, he couldn't take Hobick back to the Hall and hadn't called on Josh or others for help.
Why was that?
Arthur couldn't find an answer and listened intently as Mrs. Lily recounted her visit to the Hall.
Mrs. Lily, in her large dress, was explaining her entry into the Enforcer Hall. "There was only a young girl at the front desk. Not a single Enforcer from the first or second squads was there. They must be out looking for information, so I had to ask the girl. She said Captain Dodge had taken a support mission, but that night… oh, I can't say more…"
Arthur wanted to prompt Mrs. Lily to share more details about that night. He recalled Dodge's insistence on keeping everything secret and held back, instead turning to the dwarf with a serious look. "You know what Captain Dodge's mission was, don't you?"
"Yes, I do."
"And do you know where he is now?"
"I think Parish might know, but I can't say."
"Why not? Captain Dodge is missing. What do you mean by saying nothing!?"
"I'm sorry. I just… can't say." Hobick looked down, unwilling to say anything further no matter how much Arthur pressed him, a stark contrast to his usual attitude.
Mrs. Lily signaled for Arthur to calm down. They were likely the last people aware of Dodge's situation. On one side, the Enforcers were searching high and low for him; on the other, Dodge's priority was hiding Hobick. Weighing the risks, Mrs. Lily decided that they should keep quiet about Dodge's disappearance, a complexity she couldn't fully explain to Arthur, and that Arthur couldn't grasp.
Mrs. Lily had no idea that Hobick had informed Arthur and George about the water mage Parish. She only knew there might be secrets between Dodge and the Enforcer Hall, and as a retired Enforcer clerk, she preferred not to pry.
Not long after, George and Katerina returned from school. Hobick stayed silent until dinner, then retreated to his temporary room without a word after finishing his pancakes.
"Is he sick?" George asked, stuffing his mouth with pancakes and oats, puzzled by Hobick's unusual behavior. He noticed Arthur was also staring blankly at his dinner, not eating or moving, just sitting there.
"Is he sick too?" George turned to Katerina, and they exchanged an awkward glance before quickly looking away.
Above Brighton City, the Water Moon shone brightly.
On the roof of an abandoned building on Balmer Street in the East District, water trickled along the slanted roof and into a gutter, forming a small pool in the alleyway below. A pair of hands emerged from the pool, followed by a man in a long white robe. He had shoulder-length, wavy brown hair and pale blue eyes that drew immediate attention.
The man, fully emerging from the water, pressed the first button on his collar, closed his eyes, and felt the pull emanating from the button.
"It's in this direction," he murmured.
A moment later, he opened his eyes, looking westward toward Etzikri Street.