Adori and Emis had been staring each other for a while. They had not spoken since the Yvelin told her how he could feel the evil emanating from the man.
The words shook Adori to the core. Emis was not a normal cat. And a being of such identity would not be spouting some bullshit just to spook her.
Adori was sure of this.
"What do you mean by that?" Adori asked.
Emis started walking around in circles again. His forehead wrinkled in great contemplation as he did so.
From the sight alone, it was clear even he was not exactly sure of what they had ran into.
"You're aware Yvelari can sense a Veyrathi from the aura they produce, right?"
Adori nodded as a response to Emis' question. Seeing the act, Emis stopped his fenetic circling and sat in front of Adori.
"That man...he got the same aura as Veyrathis—"
Adori instantly stood up from the ground the moment Emis mentioned Veyrathis.
"What?!" She shrieked.
She quickly scanned around the area to see if anyone was close by. The word Veyrathi alone was a taboo to utter around normal people—her family rules. No one was supposed to hear that. Anyone who heard of that name was an enemy the moment they were aware.
After making sure no one other than themselves were present in the alley, Adori let out a sigh of relief. Her back hit a wall and she slidded down on it as she took deep breaths.
"Dammit! Emis, you can't just say that out loud. What if someone hears you?"
"You're being dramatic. No one would give a shit about the word Veyrathi if they saw a cat talking."
Emis was right. It was not about people hearing talks of Veyrathis, but the sight of a cat having conversations with a woman. That would have immediately tipped them off.
Adori covered her face with her hands in exhaustion.
"Now listen. The man we just saw—" Emis stared Adori who was peeking from between her fingers. "—He's not a full Veyrathi. He got the same aura as Veyrathis but there was something else, something evil, mixed in his aura."
Adori was confused. "I don't get what you're trying to say."
"Me neither. That's the best I can come up with right now." Emis rubbed his face with his paw.
Adori felt Emis' frustration. Not only had they been unproductive in gathering information about the disappearance, but they also ran into someone who supposedly was an evil version of Veyrathis.
Not to mention the nonchalant manner of that old man. It was almost as if he was completely aware of her identity yet decided to show her mercy by letting her run off.
tsk.
Adori clicked her tongue in vexation. However, it was not because she felt disrespected. If truth be told, she kind of understood the old man.
Afterall, she wouldn't feel like wasting her time on some small fry like herself if she had that kind of powerful aura emanating from her. The reason was clear.
It would be too boring.
If the old man had wanted to harm her, he would have done so from the beginning. But he had not. He had only took two steps toward her as if to shoo her away.
Almost as if he was aware of how weak of a Veyrathi she was.
This was what vexed Adori the most.
"So he's half-Veyrathi." Adori turned her gaze to Emis. "Do you think he's mixed?"
"There's a good chance he is. But I don't think the aura I felt from him was because of his bloodline."
"If its not, then we're both out of suggestions."
"You're right. And I think it's best for us to return and think this through in the safety of our home."
Adori got what Emis meant. Right now, the two of them were too conspicuous and too vulnerable to be talking about such important things out in the open. Not to mention the old man who was still lurking nearby on one of the alleyways.
Adori stood from the ground and carried all the grocery items she bought not too long ago. As she felt the weight on her arms, it started to annoy her of how useless all that splurging on her money had been.
She thought of the amount of money she had left. Adori did some calculations in her head as she walked out of the alley. If her calculations were right, there was only about a month's worth of money left on herself.
She clicked her tongue at the realisation. She really needed to think of something. Or else it wouldn't be a stretch to say she would soon need to sell the house she bought not too long ago.
"I really need to open that cafe. But the money..."
Emis watched her in amazement. Here she was, already thinking of something else entirely not long after they finished talking about that serious topic.
Adori stopped abrubtly on her track when she suddenly hit something. As she turned her gaze upward, she felt like an ice cold bucket of water had just been poured on top of her head.
Why do I keep running into people I do not want to see?
It was Elias Witfield. The detective from the station Adori wanted nothing to do with.
He lowered his head down at her, looking like he just ran into someone he last expected to see, which was evident from the slight frown on his face.
What is wrong with today?!
"Miss Adori, what a surprise," Elias calmly said.
"It's a surprise to see you too, detective," Adori gently answered back.
Elias' face was indifferent. It looked like he had some negative impressions about her and Adori felt a bit lost on why that was. After all, there was nothing wrong with being near the port, as far as she was aware.
Although she wanted to frown at him too, however, she was trying her best to put a friendly smile on her face. As she did not want the man to think too badly of her since she was afraid he would uncover her secret otherwise.
"Why are you here?"
Straightforward as always.
"I feel like seeing the ocean today. You know, unwinding myself and all." Adori waved her hand around in an attempt to showcase the area of where they were.
"But you came out of the alleyway."
Elias pale blue eyes were almost too piercing for Adori as he stared her down.
"Yeah..."
The man was perceptive, Adori could tell the moment she talked with him inside the station. And a man of such great perception was going to find out about her little endeavour, if she did not think of something right now.
It would probably paint such a bad picture on her if he knew she, too, was secretly investigating the disappearance. He might even think she was meddling with the case. This, she did not want.
Adori turned her head toward Emis who was standing near her. She smiled at the Yvelin, as if some sort of dirty scheme just entered her mind. Emis shivered at the sight.
"You see this cat? This is my cat." She pointed her finger at Emis. "He suddenly ran away the moment we arrived at the port so I had to search for him in the alleys."
Emis immediately turned his head toward Adori in bafflement. He couldn't deny the dirty accusation thrown at him in front of the man, as he shouldn't be speaking in front of people. He could only shook his head in disappointment.
"I see. You must be happy since you found your lovely looking cat again."
Adori almost laughed out loud hearing his impression of Emis—almost.
"I am. I definitely am...happy I can hug my lovely Emis again in the future."
The Yvelin was now full-on glaring at her. Adori snickered a bit seeing the sight.
"That sounds fun," Elias said as a matter of factly.
Adori watched him curiously. "And what are you doing here, detective? Surely you're not here to see the ocean as well?"
That put a bit of a smirk on Elias' face. "Not really. I'm here because of work."
"Work?"
"Yeah. I'm currently investigating a case." He looked at his wristwatch. "And I think I should go now. It was nice talking to you again, Miss Adori."
"The pleasure's mine."
Adori twisted her face exaggeratingly the moment Elias disappeared inside the alley.
I hope he forgets about this interacti—
Something suddenly entered Adori's mind.
He said he's working right now.
She turned her head toward Emis, who still held his glare toward her. Adori quickly sat down beside Emis and looked around. After making sure no one was nearby, she told Emis what she just realised.
"He said he's investigating, Emis. Its definitely about the disappearance," she hurriedly whispered.
The Yvelin sighed at her words. "So what? Let's just go home."
Adori frowned. "You don't want to tail him?"
"Woman." Emis was close to losing his composure. "Let's go home. You can still use Unity to spy on him."
The realisation dawned on Adori.
"You're right. Emis, you're a genius. Why didn't I thought of that?"
Emis shook his head in another disappointment. One of these days, he swore, he was going to lose his mind.