Book 5: Chapter 66: Uncleâs Past
âWhat got you arrested, Uncle Skar?â Lilith suddenly asked.
âMe? I came in on my own accord.â
âYour own accord?â Lilith frowned in confusion. This place was a detention center of some sort. Anyone held here was either a suspect in a crime or a witness like herself. So, how should those who came here voluntarily be identified?
Uncle Skar smiled as if he could read Lilithâs mind and explained, âI assure you that Iâm not a criminal. I simply wish to find a quiet place to stay, and it is quite peaceful here. So, I randomly smashed the glass of a store, ended up being arrested, and brought here.â
âYou deliberately committed a crime just to be brought into this place to find peace? Youâre really a strange one, Uncle.â Lilith curled her lips. Just when she was about to steer the conversation away from the dull topic, she suddenly realized that something was amiss.
âWait a minute. The Security Enforcement Team actually arrested you for breaking a storeâs glass? And to top it off, it was actually Team C, which specializes in handling emergencies? Do they have that much free time?ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
The Security Enforcement Team was currently facing a severe shortage of manpower, to the extent that they could not afford to leave a watchman behind here. It was unlikely that they would have the capacity to take care of such a trivial matter.
Uncle Skar chuckled while scratching his head. âHaha, Iâm not sure why it caused such a stir, but I think it may have been because the storeâs name was⦠uhh⦠what was it again⦠Money⦠Center? Ah yes, Money Center.â
âMoney Centerâ¦â Lilith backed away a few steps with a strange look on her face.
Money Center was similar to a bank from Lilithâs previous life. It served the purpose of storing currency and providing crystal cards in exchange for gold, silver, and copper coins. After all, storing significant amounts of these coins could be inconvenient without adequate storage capacity.
Crystal cards were highly uncommon, and only a select few possessed them.
Uncle Skar mentioned that he smashed the glass of Money Center, which meant that the person in front of Lilith wasâ¦
Undeniably a bank robber!
âSorry to have bothered you.â Lilith stood up, prepared to head back to her room. She had many tasks to attend to and could not waste any more time conversing with a robber.
âHey, hold on, young lady. You donât think Iâm some kind of criminal, do you?â Uncle Skar was anxious and almost reached out to grab Lilith, but he remembered about the array and quickly pulled his hand back, as if he had been scalded by flames.
He stood there, nervously explaining, âI really came here to find peace of mind. Iâm not a bad person, I swear.â
âWho knows if youâre a bad person or not?â Without even turning her head, she added, âI have something to do now. I donât have time to chat with you.â
âSomething to do? What is there for you to do when youâre already locked up in here?â Uncle Skar gave her a puzzled look.
Lilith responded coldly, âThatâs none of your concern.â
Uncle Skar refused to give up and began to stroke his chin in deep thought. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he cautiously asked, ââ¦Are you planning a jailbreak, young lady?â
âJailbreak? Sorry, you got it wrong.â
âOh come on, no need to hide it. What else can you do here other than planning a jailbreak?â Uncle Skar teased. âDonât worry, I wonât tell the Security Enforcement Team.â
Lilith suddenly turned around, pointed at the sign above the doorway, and sneered.
âLook carefully, this is the reception room. Despite being next to two detention cells, itâs a proper room to receive visitors. Unlike you, Iâm not a criminal. Iâm a witness and a law-abiding citizen. Why would someone like myself need to plan a jailbreak?â
âOhâ¦â Uncle Skar finally realized the contrasting nature of the two rooms, feeling a bit embarrassed as he mumbled softly, âOh, so you arenât planning a jailbreak. Of course, why would a young lady like you even need to think of something like that. I must be getting old and senile.â
Uncle Skar sat back down and stared at the wall lifelessly. Lost in thought, he began to hum a nameless mellow tune that carried a magical quality.
Lilith found herself captivated by the beautiful melody. It was enchanting, a stark contrast to the unkempt appearance of the person humming it.
The tune evoked a feeling of sorrow and seemed to be conveying someoneâs eternal love. Lilith was deeply affected by it and felt a tinge of sadness in her heart.
âActually, my daughter went missing a few years ago,â Uncle Skar said after he finished humming that little tune. âThatâs why if I come across someone who is about the age of my daughter, I may instinctively try to get closer to them. Please forgive me if I have startled you earlier.â
âIs that so?â Lilith snapped back from her senses. She was a little unsure of how to respond to Uncle Skarâs sudden confession. After a brief pause, she apologized, âIâm sorry, I was being rude.â
âNo, itâs not your fault, young lady. I was being too self-absorbed,â Uncle Skar said with a sad and bitter smile. âItâs been a long time since Iâve met someone who is similar in age and beauty to my daughter, so itâs difficult to control myself.â
âUnderstandable, thatâs human nature.â Lilith forced a smile, not wanting to cause any more pain to a father who had lost his daughter.
It had been a common belief that a daughter was the reincarnation of her fatherâs past lover, and Lilith could understand the origins of this saying.
âBut Uncle, your daughter is missing. Donât you want to go look for her instead of staying in a place like this?â
âOf course, I want to find her. Iâve searched every inch of the land for years, following any clue no matter how small, even if it leads me to a dragonâs den. But that guy is too cunning, always managing to escape at the crucial moment.â
Uncle Skarâs eyes were filled with sadness as he spoke about his search, pounding the ground in anger and helplessness. âIf I catch him one day, Iâll definitely dice him up!â
âThat guy?â
Lilith was a little dumbfounded. âDidnât you say your daughter was missing?â
âYes, that guy took my daughter and vanished!â Uncle Skar grinded his teeth, as if he were eager to feast on flesh and blood.
âIt was three years ago. I remember that night vividly. It was my daughterâs birthday, and I went to great lengths to buy her cake from her most favorite bakery. But when I returned with the cake, my daughter⦠she had been taken by that man! All that was left was a doll that still carried her warmth.â
Tears glistened in Uncle Skarâs eyes. âI⦠was too late, just a moment too late! If only I had reached home a moment earlier, maybe this wouldnât have happened.â
âThis is outrageous! Itâs a blatant home invasion and kidnapping,â Lilith exclaimed with indignation. âDid you not call the cops?â
âCall the cops?â
âAh, I mean report it to the local authorities and seek their assistance.â
âItâs no use.â Uncle Skar shook his head. âThat guy may be insignificant to me, but he has powerful backing.â
Lilith widened her eyes and pretended to be surprised. âHow powerful could they be for the Security Enforcement Team to be unable to take action?â
âNot only the Security Enforcement Team, I tried confronting the person behind that guy, but I was no match for him and got my a̲s̲s̲ whooped so badly that I had to retreat. I may not look like it, but Iâm quite a capable fighter. Itâs just thatâ¦â Uncle Skar let out a long sigh.
âForget it. The more we talk about it, the more disheartening it becomes.â Uncle Skar wiped his tears away.
âThat man canât remain hidden at home forever. Therefore, I have spent years searching for him. One day, I will apprehend him.â
âNever give up, Uncle Skar!â Lilith exclaimed, pumping her tiny fist in encouragement. âGet your daughter back and beat that guy up!â
âI sure will.â Uncle Skar nodded with a smile. âThank you, young lady.â
âI can only offer a few kind words,â Lilith said regretfully. âI have a pressing matter to attend to, otherwise I would gladly assist you.â
âNo, no, no.â Uncle Skar waved his hand anxiously. âI strongly advise against getting involved in this mess. Itâs not something a young lady like yourself can help.â
âUncle, you are a good man. Donât worry about me.â Lilith gave the scruffy man a thumbs up and smiled. âI may not look like it, but I have a very impressive background too.â