I Did It

The sudden response made Leila pause her tears and look toward the police officer, puzzled."Someone else?"At the same time, she thought to herself, Does this mean that only one person could have done all this?

The officer was about to say more, but a sharp reprimand interrupted him."Jimmy! What nonsense are you spouting?! Get back to maintaining order and stop slacking off!"Another officer, wearing a higher-ranking uniform, glared at the officer named Jimmy, clearly displeased with his loose lips.Jimmy, chastised, didn't dare argue and quickly lowered his head, moving away.

Leila, watching the retreating officer, looked thoughtful, her red-rimmed eyes now filled with curiosity."I wonder who this incredible person is… Whoever they are, they certainly deserve to be called a hero!"Mrs. Derley, who had also been listening, came to the same conclusion and praised the mysterious "hero" as well.

The excitement continued for almost a whole day and night, with the entire town of Duder feeling like it was celebrating a festival.Some parents, eager to comfort their traumatized children, took them around the town to buy whatever they desired.At first, they had expected the outing to be a major expense, but the children's behavior surprised them.The kidnapped children showed a marked aversion to strangers and unfamiliar things.No matter how much their parents asked them questions, the children buried their heads in their parents' arms, refusing to answer.This strange behavior broke the hearts of the parents, but they attributed it to shock and assumed the children would recover with time.

The next day, in Bayek.

After finishing breakfast, Glen took the time to explain the work requirements to Ravel in detail.The curly-haired boy listened very attentively this time, clearly having learned his lesson from the hunger earlier.Glen inwardly sighed, realizing that the rebellious attitude of the spoiled noble was now gone for good. He then hitched up his deer cart and set off for Duder.

Mrs. Ryan's house still needed a door replaced, and he thought it would be best to get it done early, giving him time to look for a place to start his business.With Deva's endorsement, he felt somewhat confident that his shop would do well.As Glen was mentally planning his day, the deer cart had already entered Duder town without him realizing.Snapping out of his thoughts, he quickly oriented himself and steered the cart toward Mrs. Ryan's home.

As he neared the familiar house, he spotted Mrs. Ryan returning with something in her hands."Mrs. Ryan!" Glen greeted warmly, jumping down from the cart to approach her.

"Oh, Glen, you're early! I'm sorry to trouble you again," Mrs. Ryan said with a smile.She liked Glen—he was young, enthusiastic, and dependable, and had even saved her husband's life."If I had a daughter, I'd make sure you became my son-in-law," she often joked.

"Not making money? You've got a problem with your head," Glen shrugged jokingly."True enough," Mrs. Ryan laughed, then reached into the basket she was holding and pulled out two yellow fruits, handing them to Glen."Here, these are egg fruits. They taste great. You should try one."

Glen didn't hesitate, accepting the fruit. He had tried it before and knew that, indeed, it was delicious."Thanks, but I'll go ahead and replace the door first. I've got other things to do later."

"Well, don't you need to measure the size of the door first?" she asked, slightly puzzled."No need. I measured it yesterday. Your door sizes are all the same," Glen replied with confidence.

After a quick exchange, Glen got to work. He took the wood, hammer, nails, and hinges from the cart, swiftly and skillfully installing the new door.Finally, he pulled out a lock and said, "Here's the new lock for the door. Consider it a little bonus. No extra charge.""How can I accept that…" Mrs. Ryan began to protest, but Glen quickly cut her off."If you refuse, it'll seem distant, Mrs. Ryan."

Mrs. Ryan hesitated, then relented. She could hardly argue with that logic. She felt a little embarrassed, but couldn't bring herself to turn him down.Once the door was fully installed, Glen was about to take his leave when Sheriff Dougley rushed in, looking somewhat anxious.When he saw Glen still there, he visibly relaxed.

"What's the matter, dear?" Mrs. Ryan asked, a touch of concern in her voice."It's nothing. I just need to ask Glen a quick question," Dougley replied, removing his hat and adjusting his balding head.

Glen had a good idea of what Dougley wanted to discuss but didn't refuse. "Can it be talked about here?"Looking at his wife for a moment, Dougley hesitated, then spoke in a lower voice."It's just a work-related matter. Let's go over there, and we can talk while walking."He gestured toward the distant square.Glen nodded and followed him.

Though Mrs. Ryan was not pleased with her husband's secrecy, she said nothing, merely reminding them to come back for lunch before getting back to her own work.

As they walked through the sparsely populated square, Dougley finally spoke up."That thing…"Before Dougley could finish, Glen immediately interrupted."It was me."

Dougley froze, shocked by Glen's candid admission."I didn't expect you to have this kind of power. I was worried about you living in a place like Bayek, but it seems I overestimated the danger."

Seeing Dougley's self-deprecating expression, Glen thought for a moment and then replied,"I won't abuse this power. You can rest assured about that, Sheriff."

"I understand," Dougley nodded with a knowing look. "Years of experience have given me a good eye for character. And from the moment I met you, I could tell you were someone with a strong sense of justice."

Then, unexpectedly, Dougley shifted the topic."We've reported the incident truthfully, but the response from above has been strange, or rather, unusually serious. It might have something to do with that giant bug."

Glen hadn't expected Dougley to bring this up and raised an eyebrow."Are you sure you should be telling me about internal affairs like this, Sheriff?"

Dougley chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. "You've been open with me, so why not break protocol just this once?""Fair enough." Glen shrugged, then pressed on, "So, what's the higher-ups' plan?"

Dougley looked troubled. "They'll send someone down to investigate and take the bug's carcass with them. They'll probably want to talk to you too. It could cause some trouble."

Glen thought for a moment, then smirked."As long as they don't have evidence, what can they do to me?"

"It's not that simple. Don't let the small-town police station fool you. The people from above are often unreasonable."

"I see…" Glen's thoughts wandered as he mulled over the situation.It might be a hassle, but he was already thinking of ways to minimize the impact.

"However, I'll cover for you. The problem is, there are too many people at the police station who know the details. It will eventually come back to you. I think it's best if you lay low for a while."

Dougley gave his advice.

Glen raised his head and smiled, "It's fine. We'll deal with it when the time comes. I have my own way."