The Devil’s Cage

The seemingly sturdy car was blasted to the sky by the sudden explosion.

As blazing flames devoured the remains of the car, even in the dark night, the thick smoke was visible.

In a building within Sheryl Street, hundred of meters away from the car, Wilberst the merchant put down his telescope.

“Is he really a Monster Hunter? Or is someone impersonating him?”

Wilberst handed the telescope to his servant and took a seat on his sofa.

He was no longer energetic and strong like a young man anymore. His hair was white, his back hunched and he walked in faltering steps. Even with his walking staff, his old looks couldn’t be concealed, or rather, the walking staff made him look older.

“Based on the intel we gathered, he should be,” the servant said. “But how can a Monster Hunter…”

Before the servant could finish, he was stopped abruptly.

A black figure soundlessly appeared in the room and blocked the window.

The servant and bodyguards instinctively reached for their guns but were stopped by Wilberst.

“Stop. Get a cup of tea for our guest here.”

Wilberst looked at the black figure and ordered his men. After that, the old man, seeming to think of something, stared at the black figure and asked, “Will a cup of hot tea do? Or do you want an alcoholic beverage?”

“Hot tea will do,” Kieran said calmly.

“Please, have a seat.” Wilberst bowed.

Kieran nodded and sat on the sofa.

Before the tea was served, both of them sized each other up.

Wilberst’s gaze was full of curiosity and hesitance.

Kieran’s gaze was as calm as still water.

“Greetings, Lord D. Since it’s our first meeting, let me introduce myself. I am Wilberst. I’ve heard that… you have some new thoughts about Quaker’s death?”

Wilberst started the conversation like a merchant, and after some chit-chats and a pause, he entered the topic.

“New thoughts? Then can you tell me what my old thoughts are?” Kieran didn’t answer, instead, he questioned Wilberst.

“The old thoughts… If it’s possible, I’d rather not mention those so-called old thoughts. They say my son died of a heart attack, that something embolus and bigger than normal got stuck in his veins. So he had to die when he was in his strongest, youngest, most energetic years!”

Wilberst took a deep breath, his seemingly calm tone hiding endless rage to the point that his voice trembled a bit.

“Heart attack, eh?” Kieran repeated slowly. He then entered into a state of deep thought.

Wilberst didn’t speak, as if waiting for Kieran’s answer.

Even until the moment that the hot tea was being served, Kieran didn’t have any intention of speaking. Instead, he took the cup and took a sip of the faintly aromatic tea.

The tea was a very traditional red tea. It was supposed to consist of three kinds of red tea leaves, which were all mixed together, with the addition of cherry, passion fruit, and mint, plus the indispensable drops of lemon juice. Thus came the production of this cup of tea.

It was quite a cup of tea, although, when compared to Starbeck’s, it was still very far away.

“Do you want some pastries? My cook is an expert in pastries,” Wilberst said with a smile when seeing Kieran take the cup of tea, all but forgetting about the wait for the answer from before.

“Sure, thank you,” Kieran didn’t reject, thanking Wilberst politely.

Soon, the pastries were served.

They were cookies served with blueberries, but the texture was a lot softer than expected.

“I’m old. I can’t drink alcohol anymore and my teeth don’t allow me to eat hard stuff. Even the almonds I liked so much when I was younger have to be grinded into powder and mixed with tea. That kind of feeling…”

Wilberst shook his head, the almost tea not up to his flavour. The old man then showed sadness in his eyes and continued.

“No matter how bad the tea tastes, it can’t compare to the pain of losing Quaker. Quaker was the only heir that I was fond of. He should have had a bigger stage to show off his talents, not dying in his own garden due to some blind reasons! Do you know how I felt when I got the news? I felt like I was crushed by a mountain! The only reason for me to continue living is to find the murderer and tear him into a million pieces!” Wilberst said with clenched teeth, his palm clutching tightly onto the sofa handle.

“Lord D, please tell me; who killed my son? I am willing to give you everything I have. Since the Wilberst Family lost Quaker, it will eventually go down into the hands of the other useless ones. Rather than seeing it rot like that, I might as well present the whole family as a reward for avenging Quaker.”

Wilberst looked up in anticipation at Kieran, hoping for an answer, but Kieran shook his head.

“I never said that I know who killed your son,” Kieran said.

“Then the meeting here…” Wilberst squinted his eyes, his glare becoming sharp as though a sharp knife was staring at Kieran.

“I am here to tell you the cause of the death of your son. I can tell you that your son did not die of a heart attack. Even though it seems like one, it’s just similar, not a real heart attack,” Kieran said at his own pace, not caring about the fierce glare. He stood up after he finished.

He stepped back and vanished into the shadows, only his voice lingering and echoing in the room.

“Thank you for your tea and pastries.”

…

Kieran was walking alongside the shadows.

Bloody Mary, who had re-appeared, looked at Kieran with a puzzled gaze.

It couldn’t understand why Kieran would let go of such a great opportunity.

An old man that lost his son wouldn’t be a good helper, but if that old man possessed a huge amount of wealth and connections, it would be a different kind of story.

Perhaps Wilberst might not be able to cover the sky above Eiders single-handedly, but it was still a hard to come by aid to Kieran.

So why had he given it up?

The question lingered in Bloody Mary’s mind.

“Because I don’t trust him,” Kieran suddenly stopped walking and answered.

Bloody Mary was stunned, looking at Kieran with a surprised gaze.

It never thought Kieran would really answer its question.

Did Kieran view Bloody Mary in a new light?

Bloody Mary couldn’t help but look at Kieran in anticipation.

“I did not tell you because I am looking at you in a new light, I just don’t want your thoughts echoing in my heart, affecting my thinking. As for why I went to the meeting even though I don’t trust him, it is because he is different.”

Kieran coldly finished and continued walking under Bloody Mary’s expectant gaze.

Bloody Mary was stunned on the spot, watching Kieran walk away as the night breeze blew. It unconsciously tightened its coat.

It suddenly felt tired and cold in its heart.

However, Bloody Mary was soon baffled by a new question.

Different?

Different like how?