Episode 7. Eagle Vision (2)
“Hey, mister, hey, mister.”
Claire chattered away beside him. He'd only told her where they were headed, not what they'd be doing once they got there, so she must have been bored.
“You know the person we're looking for?”
“No, it was my first time seeing them.”
“But they knew you, mister?”
“That's what I'm curious about too.”
“Hooo...”
From Aiden's perspective, at least, Sephirah was a total stranger. Why she was acting like she knew him one-sidedly was something he needed to figure out now.
“Well, no way someone like you would hang out with criminals anyway. Hmm...”
“What are you thinking now?”
“Oh, was it obvious?”
“With you staring like that, how could it not be?”
Claire was starting to show signs of veering into weird territory. Rolling her eyes away, holding back a laugh without saying a word, lifting the corners of her mouth... And then, like just now, tossing out bait to get him talking about himself.
“That person was super unique-looking and acting all weird, right? Dodging Grandma's cool attacks like nothing.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
“So, maybe they're from the future or something.”
It was the usual nonsense from her. Of course it didn't make sense, and Claire knew that too when she said it. She just threw out whatever to keep the conversation going.
“...”
But Aiden didn't react at all to her words.
“Ah, sorry.”
“Huh?”
“This time it went too far. Even I think so.”
Aiden looked down at Claire, finally sorting his thoughts. She rubbed her chin, nodding twice as if deliberately trying not to dwell on what she'd said.
It wasn't that he was ignoring her because the talk was weird. If anything, he was thinking it might actually be similar to what a Player was.
“It was a good idea.”
“Don't console me for no reason. I'll get used to it.”
“I meant it.”
“Whatever. Time to work now.”
Claire pointed ahead, as if telling him not to worry about her anymore. They'd reached their destination, so no more chit-chat.
She had a point.
“Alright, then...”
Aiden's thinking went like this.
The new system, Focus, visualized things that would normally require other senses to detect. It could pick up footsteps outside a closed door and even show the walker's stride or build as a silhouette.
So, tracking Sephirah's footprints should be more than possible.
Someone who can figure this out just from reasoning or senses alone, huh.
This was bordering on magic territory, impossible with pure physical ability or intelligence alone—but it wasn't magic. For the Players he'd meet from now on, this would be as natural as eyes or ears on a living being.
To not just evade such Players but track them, he'd need to use their methods.
“So, mister, why'd we come all the way here?”
They were in the basement where the bandits had gathered yesterday after their leader left. Luckily, no one had found it yet—no investigation, no blockades. The only odd thing was the bodies that had been left behind were gone without a trace.
Had that Player, Sephirah, come back to clean up?
“The method I want to try is a bit tricky, so we need to start from here.”
“Oh, so not like detective stuff...”
“I can't do that.”
“Then what can you do, mister?”
“Lately, a bit of lost-child protection.”
“Keep calling me a lost child and I'll shut your mouth.”
She'd admitted it herself last time. Claire really hadn't gotten lost—not that she'd ever agreed to follow anyone in the first place.
“Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Your reply's weird.”
That should lighten the mood enough. Time to investigate.
Start with the stairs.
“Claire, step aside a bit.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Claire stretched her leg out, shifting one step to the side. Still not enough.
“A little more.”
“Ehh.”
This time, she whined like it was a hassle, stepping completely away from the stairs and circling back behind Aiden.
“Perfect.”
Next, Aiden shoved annoying chairs and tables into a corner. No other guests since the Player had left anyway.
No real need to clear it, huh?
Anyway, he activated Focus.
Ally footprints and silhouettes appear mainly in blue.
Enemy footprints and silhouettes appear mainly in red.
Only one set of red footprints appeared.
Yesterday, people who could've been labeled “enemies” had roamed around here plenty, so maybe there was some restriction.
And just one blue set too—Claire's.
First time using it, so he wasn't fully used to it yet, but narrowing it to one clear clue for tracking was definitely good.
The most recent “enemy” visitor had to be the Player.
“Find anything?”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Whoa, really? Like, what... what'd you see?”
He could feel Claire watching with weird eyes from the side, but Aiden said nothing.
Explaining a phenomenon even he didn't fully get to someone else was impossible.
Was this how Claire felt when she first said unbelievable things like, “Something's following you from behind, mister”?
“Let's move.”
Aiden followed the footprints while keeping Focus active.
Outdoors had way more prints than the basement, but the info stayed the same. Brushing red-glowing spots with his foot or random citizens overlapping them didn't change what his eyes saw.
Claire doing the same—her blue prints and form—might interfere a bit.
“...?”
But no worries there. She was just trailing behind, tilting her head when their eyes met.
He was leading, so no need to put her in front.
“Mister. Um, so... what exactly are you looking for on the ground?”
Claire finally asked after quietly following for a while.
A question that had to come since he hadn't explained properly.
Also one he'd been pondering how to dodge convincingly.
But Aiden still hadn't decided how to describe what only he could see.
In the end, he spat out an unsatisfying excuse.
“Looking at footprints. Among the traces from the basement, the smallest ones should be that woman's.”
“Yeah, she looked pretty short... You can see that...?”
No lie—pure fact.
Though visible footprints would've been gone long ago to the naked eye.
“But if you're tracking her... won't we end up at that grandma's house?”
“Uh...”
Was that it?
Aiden slowed, pondering.
He'd assumed the Player returned to the basement for cleanup.
But if not?
“Well, if so, the basement would've stayed messy. She came back once and left traces.”
“And if not?”
“...Then not.”
“Eue...”
Claire shot him a dissatisfied look, but nothing else to do.
Only one tracking method available now.
If I could share Focus, we'd brainstorm together, but...
For now, he just hoped it proved useful.
And that hope crumbled fast.
Satyr's house wasn't far.
“It led here after all. The footprints you saw, mister.”
“...Yeah.”
“Ha.”
Aiden sighed, door to Satyr's house right in front of him.
Clearly just one set of visible prints.
“Hahaha.”
Maybe not as helpful as hoped? Short duration? Complicated criteria?
No, not time limit.
Timeline-wise, other prints should've been there.
“Silly mister.”
Player followed right after Aiden's chaos, achieved goal, vanished.
Left the dead bandits, so cleaned basement meant someone returned later for cleanup.
Even without others, the last visitor's traces should've remained—
“Si-ly.”
“Claire...”
“Hee.”
She giggled briefly after he called her name, then shut up.
Honestly, a bit irritating this time.
But she wasn't interfering now, so Aiden focused, ready for talk.
Help.
Preparing response.
Not as helpful as thought. Blame my inexperience?
Query confirmed.
Figuring how the system helps was all on him. He knew that.
But disappointing compared to first impression of total insight.
If this was it, hard to find real uses ahead.
As he pondered, a voice replied.
Step a little closer.
Any further and he'd bump the door.
Prints led straight there, but obvious endpoint, so he'd stopped.
Did he need to get closer to see something?
Whoosh—
Red smoke rose before Aiden's eyes.
He instinctively swiped at it, but the intangible smoke drifted freely, ignoring the motion.
Another Focus-only illusion.
What trace is this?
If from sight or sound, definitely Player-left.
But smoke-shaped? No clue.
Change approach: What did Player do right at the door?
Instant relocation.
Smoke highlights traces requiring direct investigation.
Fast Travel destination confirmed.
Info on a place flooded his mind.
A secret spot somewhere in the city. Entrance deliberately ruined for total isolation—perfect hideout only Players could access.
Memories like he'd been there himself etched in, successfully pinpointing the Player.
Finally, things were clicking.
“...This is it.”
“You're not telling me to follow some other weird thing you see, right, mister?”
“This time it's definite. Luckily.”
“Yeeah, yeah. So which way now?”
“Not walking.”
A compass-like pattern appeared on Aiden's right hand-back.
The ability he'd used last time to warp to distant Claire.
Player system: Fast Travel.
“Oh, that thing from before.”
“We'll use this to go.”
“Hmm... Do whatever. I don't get it anyway.”
Claire circled him lazily, easing boredom.
Watching his focused inspection was novel but fruitless so far.
Not especially observant, she couldn't take lead.
She'd try if asked, but no guarantees of perfection.
So, she'd mess with Aiden while pondering her own ideas.
“Huh?”
Until he grabbed her wrist.
“W-what? Suddenly?”
Didn't know why, but Claire hadn't had her wrist grabbed by anyone in ages.
Not painful. No threat or disgust.
Just... she startled easy from wrist grabs.
Anyway, why suddenly—
“Might feel dizzy for a sec.”
“Huh? Wait, what are you—”
“Fast Travel.”
“Mister...?!”
Claire got dragged to an unknown place without a clue.