Laplace Infinitium: Monster of time

Vol. 2 Chapter 3: The murder mystery

Outer rim, Khasalit

Metalbox office of the peacekeepers. Hanabaks who's in charge to maintain the order in the Outer rim.

"The otherside of the wall need a proper maintain of peace and order, to be able to live happily" Was the thought of Khasalit goverment. They took the work to find hanabaks to apply for this.

This action was only giving the good side to the citizens of Khasalit, and for the citizen's of the Outer rim was a complete nuisence.

The assigned hanabaks for the jobs came from the rich families in the rim. Because of this, the peacekeepers always put these families in a higher priority, even if some of then doesn't wanted to. They had to this. This escaletad to the point of half of the time the peacekeepers was forced to collect the debt of others. Some of them didn't need to be forced, those do that on voluntery. And there was some of who resisted to be forced into this.

Why was the peacekeepers forced, and why they put high priority the rich families? Because they are indebted to those families.

To be assign as someone who maintain the peace of the Outer rim. it needed to go to the Goverment of Khasalit, which was over the wall. It needed to pay Nedlyk, they had to.

The quarter where Hajiki and her friend stay the night, The peacekeeper of that plot Nagrasiel Hanchkin had a report of a murder which included a family member of his boss.

The metalbox container, the house and office of the peacekeepers

*bang*

Someone forcefully banging the wall of the containter.

*bang*

*yawn*

"So early in the morning"

*bang*

"I coming, i coming. You don't need to wreck down this even ruined dirthole."

"Nagrasiel, this isn't a wreckage!"

Responded one and only colleague of Nagrasiel, Gezrona Hakraziel.

"Keep what you want to believe. Just don't say it out loud, the roof can't bear with another lie."

"I did not lie, when i sayed this is a fine building."

Gezrona's instant comeback, for Nagrasiel calling her a liar.

At the point when she said it, a part of the roof falled down. The roof was horrifingly rusted.

"See, i told ya"

*bang* *bang*

The person started again his forceful knocks

"Oh, you little pack of impatience. I sayed i coming, so stop"

Nagrasiel goes to the door, open it.

There was one of the servant of Natli family. His clothes was dirty, covered with dust.

"Nagrasiel, the Head of the Natli family is dead."

This shocked Nagrasiel.

"Hatrouki Hannen was murdered"

The report of this servant was so shocking, Nagrasiel hardly found word for it.

"You say, he was murdered. Why you think that?"

"Nagrasiel i saw it, when a girl with scythe chased him and sliced him."

"Hmmm, A girl with scythe. It is a sight of what can't be seen very often. I didn't saw someone with this characteristic in the Outer rim.

Do you think she is from here?"

Nagrasiel and the servants trading information when Gezrona interupted.

"Nagrasiel, why are you asking this from him. Servants usually works in the house. Atleast they have a somewhat good conditioned house."

"Now, you admitted that, this cluster of rust, is a wreckage."

"No. I di-"

"Consider your reply, you know the roof is weak and can't bear your lies"

"Nagrasiel!"

"I don't think she is from here"

Sayed the servant.

"Why?"

"She wore a fancy dress. It would be hard to purchase that one in the Outer rim. Nor the money or the seller could be found."

"Yeah, fancy clothes would be expensive. Merchant don't sell it because it can't make profit for them, the citizen don't buy it cause they don't have the money for it."

Nagrasiel and the servant exchanging points

"Then someone from Khasalit?"

Asked Gezrona.

"It could be, but with this description it also could be someone from other city as well."

Answered Nagrasiel.

"When happened the murder?"

"It was after midnight, around that time. That time the moon was about to sink and fall."

Answered the servant Nagrasiel question.

"Can it be that the person is still here?"

"Could be. But there is another thing we need to atleast talk about."

"Which is it Gezrona?"

"The latest Hanaless alert."

"You mean that, wind demon who rampaged at the edge of ruin forest. It is a bit weird considering that beast hate this hot weather. This is not something which can't happen."

"It could ride the wrong selinium, or chased something. But this isn't the thing which stand out the most"

Sayed Gezrona. The sentence latest part was give a surprise pack to Nagrasiel.

"Huh?? than what it is"

"The occuring of the demon's death."

"Isn't the rescue team was, who killed that beast?"

"Nagrasiel, You didn't see it?! I couldn't not see it. That thing was unmeasureably high, or atleast as high as the largest building at the ruins.

How could you not see it?"

After she send out her question, something pop into her mind.

"Say you didn't fall asleep, while i was patroling at the Medrice center."

Medrice center is a district which is closest to the wall. The first citizens and the "rich" part of the rim is living there. The building made out of wrecked, dented cargos, old and useless transportation mechanics. Of course those had cm thick rust on it. The district consist of two or three long street around the wall. This is the smallest part of the Outer rim.

"Gezrona, atleast i could have a little rest. After all the incident what Hatrouki and the Nitreaity family caused. We needed to clear that up."

"Oh yeah, really i forgot it."

Gezrona's voice became a little more soft, like how the sudden realizing felling could mix sadness into our voice.

"You had to do it yourself, alone. The city also reiqured the patrols around the appointed districts. And there was other works which the city gave to us. Sorry"

"No problem."

Nagrasiel want to cut it short of that topic. He took the chance and drived it back to the current case.

"So what was that thing and how it connect with our case?"

"There was a 70 stories high monster in a black cape, wielding a scythe almost same high as the wielder. It killed the Kamaitachi with one go. After that, the rescue team arrived...

They came to the same fate as the Kamaitachi"

"Okay... this is really weird."

"That time, there was some scraphunter at the same location. This is what i heard."

"Why do you think there was scraphunter there. I mean, it isn't rare to found scraphunters out there. But they would have escaped while the alarm bell ringed"

"Maybe they didn't escaped and stayed there. Then why would the outlook send out rescue team. If they only wanted to defeat or chase off the beast. They didn't send out the rescue teams."

"You have a point. But how this is connecting to our case? You didn't telled me. I needed to ask this thirth time."

"What is it, if one of the scraphunter who was there is a [cursed one] or an [eldritch]?"

"You mean a Hanaleqium"

After that sentence.

"Excuse me, but what is that [Hanalequim]? I didn't hear this word before?"

The servant asked the question to both Nagrasiel and Gezrona. The servant had a puzzled expression.

Nagrasiel and Gezrona had a suprised face to. They forgot that the servant is still there.

"Sorry, i thought you are gone now. Nevermind"

"Yeah"

A small apology from them. Is could be question, why they do it? Why?

They feeled they need to, the need to do it.

Few second in awkward silence. To break it Nagrasiel answered to the servant's question.

"A Hanalequim is still considered as a Hanabaks. The word is meaned to [Losing his/her precious]. It said in our folklore tales.

that there was one species, which after a tragic cataclysm. Separated into three races. Those who lost their precious belongings, those who had their precious soul and those who had their precious life. The last one, was special so special, they could keep their soul and life. Along side with their [treasure]. "

"Wait, Nagrasiel. This is the story of when THAT one. who is birth that time"

"Yes. You learn it while we was under training?"

"Yeah, you too, Nagrasiel?"

"No, my mom told me these folklore's when i was a child"

"If that scraphunter is a Hanalequim, than what it would mean Nagrasiel?"

"Hmmm.. If that is true, that would mean that Hanabaks will look and act bit different like it used to. It would be dangerous to fight or even meet with it. While he/she is on the Hanabaks side, he/she will be far more stronger than any normal Hanabak"

"Is that so... I hoping that this isn't the case. Based around what i heard now, it would be really hard to handle it.

"i hope too.. But something is a bit off with this."

Nagrasiel comment was filled with lasting hope, and lurking sadness. He feel it, that something off with all of it.

It is nice to hope someone of the same race and population won't gonna lose his/her precious soul.

But with that, they would be on square one, if they go on with that, and it happens, it was true. The thing will turn for the worse.

"We will start patrolling and searching for her"

"Nagrasiel, wait a minute. Till this point you sued both of pronouns, but now you didn't."

"I did, the propability is high to the suspect is a female, based on the clothes she was wearing at that time."

"We can't fully make sure the suspect is a girl just with one thing."

"I know, but it more than nothing.

So, search for the suspect who fit to the description. which the servant gave us."

With that Nagrasiel gave out the jobs.

"Gezrona go with the servant and investigate the place and the home of Natlis.

I will go to Negrata district, i heard there was an strange event around there. Plus i heard that four scraphunter arrived that district at midnight. Maybe they was the one's who was in the ruinforest at that time. Or atleast they know about it."

With that Gezrona and Nagrasiel go to their own assigned location.

"Little they don't know what they started and what will happened to them"

A mysterious quit and soft sound lurked around the place, what they leaved.