It took about twenty minutes at the government office for my identification to be officially settled. I could not help feeling surprised by Uncle Hank's network of connections. On the surface, he was just a carpenter who took on various woodworking jobs. Even in the story, it was already somewhat unexpected that he had such a close relationship with Dr. Jaeger. Now, however, it was clear that he was also well acquainted with people within the government, and not in a casual way either. These were old friendships, forged over many years.
What struck me even more was Skog's attitude toward Hank. Despite holding a management position within a government department, Skog treated Hank as an equal. That alone made me start questioning Hank's true identity. He was definitely not as simple as a mere carpenter. Because of that, the reason he and Yato had adopted me, as well as his later murder in the plot, could not have been simple matters either. Someone had clearly been pulling the strings behind the group of human traffickers. The road ahead suddenly felt as though it were swallowed by thick fog.
"Phew," I let out a long breath, a dull headache forming.
"What's wrong, Jax?" Hank asked with a hint of concern.
I adjusted my expression before looking up at him. "Back at the office, I felt a lot of pressure being around Uncle Skog."
"Oh, that's normal." Hank smiled and gently patted my head. "Skog used to be a member of the Survey Corps. He killed quite a few Titans back in the day. Later, during an expedition beyond the Walls, a Titan bit off his left hand. After that, he retired and took this relatively idle post as a deputy director here. You probably noticed he wears gloves on both hands. That is to hide the prosthetic on his left."
Thinking back, Skog's left hand had indeed seemed a bit stiff. I hummed softly and nodded. Then I asked, "I noticed you and Uncle Skog seem very close."
"Haha, Skog and I were childhood playmates, so of course we get along," Hank replied lightly.
I did not fully believe his explanation, but this was not the right time to press him. I simply responded with a brief acknowledgment and stayed quiet.
"Come on," Hank said, deliberately steering the conversation elsewhere. "Let's go find Mikasa and your Aunt."
He took my hand, and we headed toward the main road.
After wandering around for a while and visiting a few shops together, we ran into a panicked Yato as we stepped out of one store. The moment she saw Hank, she rushed over.
"Hank, Mikasa is gone!"
Both Hank and I froze. "Gone?" Hank grabbed Yato's hand, his voice urgent. "What happened?"
"I was buying things in a shop, and Mikasa was right behind me," Yato explained, her words tumbling over each other. "She suddenly said she wanted to catch a butterfly. I told her not to run off, but when I finished shopping and turned around, she was gone." Her eyes were already brimming with tears.
Hank clenched his fists, clearly trying to stay calm. "Where did she disappear?"
"Over there." Yato pointed toward a shop about fifty meters back.
"Check the nearby alleys," I said quickly. "She might have gone into one of them."
"Oh, right! There are three alleys there!" Hank said, realization flashing across his face.
He rushed over immediately, with Yato close behind him. I stayed right on their heels. There were two alleys on the left side of the main road and one on the right. Hank and Yato went into the two on the left, while I turned and entered the alley on the right.
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