"Stay behind my foot! I'll go take a look; maybe I'll run into her." Pasha gritted her teeth and made up her mind. At worst, she would use some excuses later to explain her absence; it wasn't a big deal.
Pasha ran quickly toward the source of the green light. As she passed an alley, she raised her hand and cast a powerful Shadow Spell, merging herself into the shadows.
Soon, Pasha reached the spot in the Ivisa South District where the green light was coming from. At the entrance of an alley, she saw a group of Investigators gathered around.
Pasha hid in the shadows under the eaves, quietly observing the place they were surrounding.
"(ancient greater saya language) Hypnosis—" An Investigator was seen holding a pocket watch, using Hypnosis on a bandaged boy in tattered clothes.
"A boy? Could he know clues about the Green-haired Woman?" Pasha was a bit skeptical, but she continued to watch intently.
"What is your name?" the Investigator asked the boy.
The boy was dazed, his gaze vacant as he looked forward, murmuring, "Edward."
"Edward, do you know a tall, thin woman with green hair?"
"No..." The boy's expression was clearly struggling, but after a moment, he continued, "I do."
Almost all the Investigators began to look grave, and Pasha couldn't help but hold her breath.
"How do you know her?"
"A friend of hers cured me... she came for a follow-up visit."
"What is her name? Who is her friend?"
"...I don't know. Her friend... I'm not sure either."
"What did she do to you?"
"She... told me not to lose the courage to live... she told me to think of my sister when I'm in despair... she asked me about the Ivisa Factory... she asked for my opinion on the Church of the Goddess of Hope... she gave me 10 currency and left."
"Have you seen her since then?"
"No..."
The Investigators looked at each other. This sudden involvement of the Church of the Goddess of Hope and the Ivisa Factory made the Green-haired Woman's motives somewhat elusive.
However, the Church of the Goddess of Hope and the Ivisa District were closely linked. If one was paying attention to the Ivisa District, it was only natural to also pay attention to the Church of the Goddess of Hope.
"Hmm..." The Investigator thought for a moment and asked, "Is she a doctor? Coming for a follow-up? What kind of injury did you have? Why did her friend save you?"
Friend? Miss Silver Crow? Pasha suddenly felt it was very likely. This child really knew their whereabouts.
"I... fell from a height. She stitched my body back together and let me live. My body has completely recovered..."
"Then why are you still wrapped in bandages?"
Hearing this, a flash of pain crossed Edward's dazed eyes. He said tremblingly, "Because... I've become a monster..."
"A monster?"
The Investigator who was questioning looked left and right at his companions, confirming with their eyes.
Then, he slowly reached out and unwound the old bandages from Edward's face layer by layer, while another Investigator tore open the bandages on Edward's hands.
When Edward's full appearance was revealed to them, the air fell into a dead silence.
Only the fingers protruding from his eye sockets were waving aimlessly, and the eyeballs on Edward's hands scanned everyone present with confusion. With skin of varying shades and black sutures on his hands, Edward looked like a doll that had been forcibly stitched together.
"Report... report to headquarters... quickly!"
In the shadows, Pasha's mouth also opened uncontrollably... Even she, who had seen many oddities, had never seen such a terrifying and eerie stitched man.
"Was this... Miss Silver Crow's handiwork?"