North Tivian, Aphro Grace Hospital.
In the underground corridor of the Aphro Grace Hospital’s Mystical Injuries Department, Edmond, wearing a black flat cap and a thick overcoat, walks briskly with a serious expression. Beside him, several Hunters follow nervously. As he walks, Edmond questions his subordinates.
"When did that guy wake up?"
"Not long ago, about ten minutes ago. As soon as he woke up, I immediately notified you," the Hunter responds to the stationed captain. Edmond continues without pause.
"You said he lost his memory? What exactly happened?"
"That’s right. As soon as Davic woke up, he looked completely confused. He asked where he was and who we were. When he saw us in our Hunter uniforms, he didn’t react at all. Afterward, we asked the doctor, who said it might be amnesia."
The Hunter explains further to Edmond, who frowns slightly upon hearing this.
"Amnesia... Could his injuries have caused memory loss?"
"Well... According to the doctor, the brain is the seat of the mind and soul, the most mysterious and unpredictable part of the body. Davic had a head injury and lost a lot of blood, which affected the blood supply to his brain. So, it’s possible for this to happen."
The Hunter reports to Edmond, who doesn’t respond immediately but continues walking briskly."Let me see for myself first."
"Yes, Mr. Edmond."
After walking for a while longer, Edmond arrives at an open iron door. Peering into the hospital room, he sees Davic sitting on the bed in a hospital gown, eating a simple meal. Beside Davic stand another Hunter, a doctor, and a nun—Vania.
Entering the room, Edmond looks at Davic with a scrutinizing gaze. Davic, who is eating, looks back at him with a hint of confusion. After a moment of silence, Edmond speaks.
"Do you really remember nothing? Davic Jones."
"Uh... Davic Jones... Is that my name? It sounds familiar... Hiss... I think I vaguely remember someone calling me that. Do you... know me, sir?"
Davic speaks with confusion and bewilderment. Edmond sees no trace of tension or fear in his expression. Turning to the doctor and Vania, he says.
"Both of you, please wait outside the door for a moment. We need to ask him some questions."
Following Edmond’s instructions, Vania and the doctor nod and leave the room. Once the iron door closes, the small hospital room is left with Edmond, a few Hunters, and Davic sitting on the bed.
Suddenly, Edmond’s expression turns fierce. He steps forward, grabs Davic by the collar, and snarls through gritted teeth.
"Don’t think you can fool me with this amnesia act, you bloodsucking scum! I know what you’re trying to do! You think you can get away with this? Not a chance! If you confess everything honestly today, you might still have a way out. Otherwise, you won’t even know how you died!"
Edmond lifts Davic by the collar and threatens him loudly. Davic, caught off guard, looks utterly terrified.
"Sir! Please calm down! I... I don’t know what you’re talking about... I don’t remember what I did... Please, don’t do this!"
Davic pleads in fear, but Edmond doesn’t stop. He pulls out a small knife and holds it close to Davic’s eye, as if threatening to stab it.
"I’ll give you one chance. Stop pretending and confess. Otherwise, you’ll regret it..."
"I... I’m not pretending! Sir! I really don’t remember anything!"
Davic cries out, his voice trembling. Seeing that this approach isn’t working, Edmond moves on to other interrogation methods.
For the next while, Edmond and his Hunters subject Davic to both physical and psychological interrogation, trying to determine whether he is faking amnesia. However, no matter how they interrogate him, Davic maintains the demeanor of a confused, amnesiac ordinary person, showing no signs of deception.
In essence, interrogation is about applying physical and psychological pressure to break the subject. However, this only works if the subject is truly in a desperate situation, under immense pressure. But the one being interrogated isn’t Davic—it’s a puppet, a living marionette controlled by Dorothy.
No matter how Edmond and his Hunters interrogate Davic, the physical and psychological pressure cannot reach Dorothy, who is completely detached from the situation. The pain Davic feels doesn’t affect Dorothy, and their threats don’t concern her. With Dorothy in complete control, Davic responds to the interrogation with absolute rationality. After a long and exhausting session, Edmond and his team finally give up, almost convinced that Davic’s amnesia is genuine.
“Huff... Most people are still groggy when they first wake up. It’s unlikely he could have come up with the amnesia act so quickly... It seems he really doesn’t remember anything.”
Standing in the hospital room, Edmond looks at Davic, who sits on the bed trembling with fear, and frowns. He feels deeply conflicted. They finally caught a Wolf Blood Society member who seemed to hold a special position, ready to extract information, only to find out he has amnesia.
Clearly, Edmond isn’t willing to let this opportunity slip away. After the interrogation fails, he pulls out a photo from his pocket and approaches Davic again. Davic, seeing Edmond approach, shrinks back in fear.
"Don’t be nervous, Mr. Davic. I apologize for my earlier aggressive behavior. However, you need to understand that before you lost your memory, you were a criminal. Even now, your amnesia doesn’t absolve you of your crimes. You need to cooperate with us, try to recall the details of your memory, and provide us with information. If you do, your sentence may be reduced."
Edmond softens his tone as he speaks to Davic. Hearing this, Davic’s expression relaxes slightly, and he nods at Edmond. Edmond then shows him the photo he’s holding.
"Do you recognize this person?"
Edmond asks Davic. Through Davic’s eyes, Dorothy sees the photo in Edmond’s hand. It’s a black-and-white photo of a middle-aged man—Alex, the Werewolf.
“These guys... It seems they traced Davic’s residence through clues found at Alex’s house…”
Looking at the photo, Dorothy thinks to herself. She then manipulates Davic to show a pained expression, clutching his head as he speaks.
"Hiss... I think I remember... I think I see a very, very large black wolf..."
In the hospital room, seeing Davic react to the photo, Edmond feels a spark of hope and continues.
"Think carefully, Mr. Davic. Try to recall something. We need your memory. If you can provide valuable information, I promise your sentence will be reduced."
"Hiss... I’m trying... I’m trying... I remember... I was doing some research... I think I used to read a lot of books... Through these books, I was researching something... I see that I had a lot of research materials... Not just books, but also steles..."
Clutching his head, Davic speaks with a pained expression. Seeing that Davic isn’t recalling anything useful, Edmond sighs and steps away from the bed. He opens the iron door and exits the room, where he finds the doctor and Vania waiting outside.
"I want to ask, does the hospital have any methods to help patients recover their memories?"
Edmond consults the doctor, explaining Davic’s condition. The doctor shakes his head.
"I’m afraid not, Captain. Matters of the mind and soul require specialized mystical items or Beyonders to resolve. These are extremely rare due to their connection to Revelation. We don’t have the means to treat amnesia here."
The doctor explains to Edmond, who looks disappointed. Just then, Vania seems to remember something. She adjusts her glasses and suggests.
"Captain, didn’t you say he reacted to the photo of someone he knew... even recalling something? Why not show him more familiar items to stimulate his memory? From what you said, he seems particularly focused on his research. Showing him those items might help him remember something."
Vania suggests in a helpful tone. Hearing this, Edmond’s eyes light up.
“That’s right... He reacted to the photo. Showing him other familiar items might trigger more memories. Based on what he said, he seems deeply connected to his research. Showing him those things might actually help him remember.”
Edmond thinks to himself, then immediately thanks Vania.
"Thank you, Sister. That’s a great suggestion."
Edmond then re-enters the hospital room and asks one of the Hunters.
"Have the items seized from his house been photographed and archived?"
"Not yet. Some of those items have cognitive poison, so we’re still preparing for the photography process. We haven’t started yet."
The Hunter responds to Edmond. Hearing this, Edmond pauses. Without photos, they can’t bring the images here for Davic to see. The items seized from Davic’s house are numerous, and retrieving them from the evidence room would be a hassle. The only way to let Davic see those items again is to take him to the Serenity Bureau headquarters.
"Prepare a transport carriage. We’re taking him to headquarters. Also, notify headquarters to prepare for a suspect’s evidence identification. Have them get the items ready."
Edmond orders. He plans to take Davic directly to the evidence room at headquarters to see if the items can trigger his memory.
"Yes, sir."
Following Edmond’s orders, two Hunters quickly leave the scene. Meanwhile, the doctor who had been waiting outside approaches Edmond.
"Captain, are you planning to take the patient out?"
"Yes. He’s not just a patient; he’s a suspect. I need to take him out to identify some items. Is that a problem?"
Edmond explains to the doctor, who nods in response.
"Of course not, but I should point out that the patient has just woken up and is still very weak. Taking him out like this could risk worsening his injuries, which would be problematic for you."
The doctor warns Edmond, who nods thoughtfully and replies.
"You have a point, but we need to take him out now."
"Hmm... In that case, I suggest Sister Vania accompany you. Although she hasn’t been a nun for long, her healing abilities are quite exceptional. If the patient’s condition worsens during the trip, she can provide treatment and stabilize him."
The doctor suggests to Edmond. Hearing this, Vania looks surprised.
"Me...?"
"Yes, since he’s your patient, it’s only natural for you to accompany him," the doctor says to Vania, who nods in understanding.
"Alright, I understand."
Seeing this, Edmond nods slightly and says.
"Good. Then, Sister Vania, I’ll leave the patient’s health in your hands. Let’s not waste any more time. We’ll set off now."
Soon, the Hunter transport carriage is prepared. Davic, still on the hospital bed, is unshackled and fitted with special handcuffs. He is then escorted by the Hunters out of the underground dangerous patient ward and out of the Mystical Injuries Department. At the entrance of the department building, the trembling Davic is dressed in thick clothes and placed inside the iron carriage. Vania and Edmond also board, sitting across from Davic.
The iron carriage door is closed, and the windows are sealed shut. With no view of the outside, the carriage begins to move. Driven by the Hunters, the transport carriage quickly heads toward the Serenity Bureau headquarters, its location unknown.
Inside the slightly swaying carriage, Vania nervously looks around. Meanwhile, in her own carriage far away, Dorothy smiles slightly.
"The plan is going smoothly. I didn’t expect to confirm the location of the Serenity Bureau headquarters this time. What a pleasant surprise."
Dorothy murmurs to herself as her carriage, driven by a marionette coachman, speeds into the distance.
…
East Tivian, Silver Road.
On the bustling streets of the East District, countless pedestrians come and go. By the roadside on Silver Road, inside a department store named Donald’s Department Store, the middle-aged, slightly overweight owner, Donald, sits behind the counter, reading the day’s Tivian Morning Post.
Disguised as an ordinary shopkeeper, this member of the Eight-Spired Nest is using the newspaper to gather information about the city’s news. Just then, he feels a sharp pain in his calf.
Feeling the pain, Donald’s expression tightens. He looks under the counter and sees a large, colorful spider biting through his pants and into his calf. Noticing Donald’s gaze, the spider’s back patterns quickly shift, forming a human face.
Then, the face opens its mouth and speaks.
"Next time Adelin comes here to meet you, tell him to stop the mission of searching the black dog’s den. We’ve already obtained the information through other channels and sold it to the Wolf Blood Society. Tell Adelin to focus on hiding and completing his promotion. Don’t attract suspicion…”