Chapter 750: Eness [Top 5 in Golden Tickets Bonus]
An unexpected mourning took hold of the small community.
They had spent the better part of the last year building up this legend of the ghost man. Without them knowing, this urban legend that had started off as little more than a joke had become a part of their daily lives. For these people that didn't have much, the simplest of things could rule their worlds.
The fact that Sylas had made the life of one of their most treasured neighbors better had made them all quite happy as well. Eness was like a mother to them all, and the light pep in her step in the last couple of days had placed down a weight on all their hearts.
How could they not know just how much the widow had struggled in the absence of her husband?
Unfortunately, there hadn't been much that the few of them could do outside of supporting her small business.
Things had taken a small turn for the better when Sylas appeared. It was a small gesture, and seemingly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but it was also this gesture that made them feel as though Sylas was truly part of their community.
He was just like many of them, trying to survive in this cruel world. Maybe it was only a matter of time before he didn't return... but no one ever thought that the last risk they took would be exactly that...
Their last.
...
Eness walked through the streets, pulling on the somewhat shabby shawl that hung around her plump shoulders. This was the best dress she had, but even while wearing it, she felt completely out of place in this district.
Still, she trudged along, her skin spilling out of the low profile heels she had squeezed them into.
Soon, she made it to a building, an off-shoot of the military encampment.
According to System City law, any citizen of the city was allowed the right to ask for the public record of military exploits. This was actually one of the many methods the system used to keep the City Lord and his cohorts under control. But it was also something that was still rarely used.
Eness hadn't come here for this, though. She hoped that there were some remains of the ghost man that she could take back with her.
Considering how he was living, she doubted that he had any family to speak of, so she took it upon herself.
...
"Hello, I'm here regarding the last expedition General Broussard led against the Demons. My adopted son was a part of the list of dead. I would like to see if he left any remains that I can take back with me."
The expression of the woman at the desk softened when she heard this.
"Yes, right away. May I please have your son's name?"
Eness looked a bit troubled when the lady asked this. Of course, she couldn't say ghost man. That wasn't the young man's real name, and she had no idea what it was.
But she had also already expected this. This was why she had lied about her relationship with the ghost man. If she told the truth, they would likely just shoo her away.
"Is something wrong?" the lady asked, her tone still soft.
"... I'm a bit embarrassed to say, but... I do not know. At least, I do not know what name my son chose to register himself as here. We are a poor family and don't have a last name. My son was always embarrassed of this and had dreams of one day becoming a General. I'm not sure if he used the same name or not. But he probably used some variation of his first name... it was Shai."
The lady at the desk nodded with understanding. This wasn't an uncommon practice.
With the system, citizens could be distinguished at a glance, so there was no need for rigorous paperwork. This made situations like this more common than one might think, especially since not many dared to go around scanning everyone-that went doubly so for those at the bottom rung of society.
Who knew who you might accidentally offend?
For a conscription event like this one, the rules were obviously much more lax than usual.
Luckily, Eness had heard through the grapevine that the ghost man used a name similar to this. It was just that she wasn't sure of the spelling, or the last name, so this was the best approach to take.
"I see. I will take a look for you."
A few seconds ticked by and the receptionist began to frown. She had scanned the list several times now, but she didn't find a name that was very similar at all.
A hint of guilt flickered in her eyes, but she had no choice but to break the bad news to Eness.
"I'm sorry, I think your son may have taken a very different name. I don't see any names similar to Shai here."
Eness' heart sank. "I..." she took a breath. "I know that it might be a lot to ask, but is it possible for me to see the report? Maybe I can guess at when my son died by reading it back."
"Nono, there's no need to be so polite. This is your right as a citizen. I will go and check with the higher-ups and get you the clearance you need right away."
Eness bowed. "Thank you, thank you..."
The young lady behind the counter rounded to the front and helped Eness to a seat before hurrying away.
What Eness didn't expect was to spend the next three hours there.
When the lady at the counter returned, she had guilt written all over her face as she avoided eye contact with Eness, but the middle-aged shopkeeper could only continue to wait.
An entire two hours later, a stern-faced Colonel walked into the wide corridor with a brisk pace. Soon, he loomed over Eness, casting a shadow over her.
"You are the one asking for records of someone whose name you don't even know?"
Eness' brows shot up. Why was there so much hostility?
"I-."
Eness was roughly taken by the fat of her arms and pulled to her feet. She couldn't even resist
as she practically spilled over herself beneath the man's grip.
The world spun around her as she was suddenly thrown out onto the busy street.
"Don't cause problems for my government with your nonsense. Scram."
The door slammed shut behind the Colonel.