In the dining room, Gadeon sits with Gaedric—who still has his mask on—and Ami's father, who is already seated.
"Would you like any drinks? And please take off your mask, there's air in here to breathe," Ami's father suggests.
"Yes please, I would like a bubblefruit if you have any, and thank you," Gaedric says as he takes it off.
"Bubblefruit? You still drink that at your age?" Ami's father raises an eyebrow.
This is embarrassing, Gadeon thinks.
"Yeah! What's wrong with that? It's not like it's labelled as a children's drink or something," Gaedric says.
"Yeah, but you're a grown man. It's known for children—"
"Says the one who has bubblefruit in his home," Gaedric cuts in.
"Well, it's Ami that drinks it, not me. And I haven't had any bubblefruit since I was a child," Ami's father says.
"Then join us! Right, Gadeon?" Gaedric says enthusiastically, looking at his son.
Gadeon responds with an unbothered look, resting his head on his hand.
"What? Join you? I don't have time for this. And it isn't mine—Ami grows it himself in the garden we have at the back," his father says.
"Well, you invited us inside your home, so shouldn't that mean you have time for us?" Gaedric replies.
"I only did that since Ami always disturbs you, and I was hoping you'd reject the offer of me offering drinks, making this visit very short and quick."
"Wow, you're just like how Ami describes you. Yikes," Gaedric says, getting more comfortable in the home.
"What?! What is Ami saying about me?" his father asks, suddenly anxious.
"Ask him—he's your son, isn't he?" Gaedric replies.
"When are we getting the bubblefruit?" Gadeon cuts in rudely, clearly tired.
"What? Watch your tone, boy. From the way you asked… and didn't your father teach you the word please?" Ami's father says. He then looks at Gaedric, who gives a nervous grin—something Ami's father notices, recognising that Gaedric is in a similar position as him.
Ami's father heads to the garden, where plants grow translucent membrane pods filled with liquid. The membrane is elastic, like soap film, but strong enough to hold its shape.
When he returns to the dining room, Gaedric and Gadeon are both amazed at how elegant and beautiful the interior of the home is, even from where they're seated.
"If you don't mind me asking, sir, where do you work?" Gaedric asks.
"Just call me Silas. I work for the Current Watchers," Silas answers.
"Current Watchers?" Gaedric repeats, his expression turning cautious—something Gadeon notices.
"Yes," Silas responds.
"I hear that the rate of thieves has been growing steadily. How are you coping?" Gaedric asks.
Thieves? There are thieves here? Well… I mean, a thief is just someone who steals, so I guess they exist in this world too, not just my past life, Gadeon thinks.
"Well, that's why I'm home at this time," Silas says, placing the bubblefruits on the table—one for Gaedric and one for Gadeon.
"Oh, is it part of work?"
"Yes. Like I said earlier, I don't have time."
"Why? Are there thieves nearby?"
"And why should I disclose that information to you?"
"Because I'm concerned for Ami's safety, since he's always left home alone and you're always at work."
"I see… so it's about my son."
Phew… that was a quick-thinking response from me, Gaedric thinks.
"No, there aren't any thieves around here. I came home to pick up a disguise, since I'm being sent on field work."
"Oh, I see. Then I guess work is demanding a lot from you," Gaedric says, then continues, "I actually want to ask your opinion on something."
"You're asking a lot of questions. Thieves ask a lot of questions," Silas says, narrowing his eyes at Gaedric.
"You think someone from the SLT could be a thief?" Gaedric replies, completely composed.
"All I said is that thieves ask a lot of questions."
"Why would thieves ask a lot of questions? Wouldn't that give them away?"
"It's to steal information."
"Is that what you think I'm doing right now?"
Tension builds between Gaedric and Silas—something Gadeon can clearly feel.
"Just ask your question."
"Do you think thieves actually exist, or are they really reclaimers?" Gaedric asks, which makes Silas wear a slightly sceptical expression.
Reclaimers? What is that? Gadeon thinks, listening closely.
"You want to talk about this right in front of your son?"
"Well, as you can see, he doesn't look bothered, nor does he ever listen to me, so I think we're fine."
"I see… so we are both in a similar boat," Silas says, then continues, "So the nonsense about reclaimers—that they're not stealing but actually taking what was rightfully theirs in the first place, correct?"
"That's what they say, right?" Gaedric replies.
"Where's the proof? These thieves who call themselves reclaimers—how do we know it ever belonged to them?"
"Wasn't it written in the journal?"
Journal? Gadeon thinks, intrigued.
"That fairytale book? You believe in that?" Silas says.
"I'm just asking—wasn't it written in the journal?" Gaedric presses.
"That thousand-year-old book? It's so old it's tattered, with ripped pages—marks showing someone has tampered with it. Doesn't that mean it could've been edited by someone claiming to be a reclaimer? Making it biased?"
"But don't you also think… for a journal that old, it's never been forgotten? It still exists, still remembered. Many books, writers, authors, even historical events have been lost—but this journal is something people still risk their lives for, even today."
"That is true… but it could just mean those individuals are delusional extremists."
"That's true also," Gaedric says. "But let's stop there, or we'll be here all day debating."
"I can agree with that," Silas adds. "But I just want to say one last thing."
"What is it?"
"From my experience at work, every person who calls themselves a reclaimer doesn't steal from civilians—only from the government…"
"And?"
"Whereas the thieves we catch will steal from anyone. However, to me, stealing is stealing, regardless of who it is."