I got off the last step on the staircase and found myself in the reception area. Many of the orphans like myself, Asuraj Dragoneye, have finished eating our meal. It was a grand one at that, at least from the perspective of us orphans. Some of the youth walked past me as I scanned the surroundings. None of the younger ones were present. Since I couldn't find that chubby kid here, I had look elsewhere.

I put my hands in my pocket and strutted off, trying to look as cool as possible in front of these orphan juniors. Even if I'm not magically gifted, the magic of long lasting impressions still works. I went through the corridor back to the hall where breakfast had been served. Again I had to take off my shoes to enter the food court. I entered and skimmed through the hall, and still couldn't find that child.

I stepped out the hall, there was no need to wash my hands again, I only went in there to find my lead to the E rank mission.

"Are you looking for someone?"

I was busy putting my shoes back on, when I heard the question, I spun around. In front of me was one of the youth's. He was dressed causally in the common attire that all of us wore in the orphanage but this young guy before me looked well groomed. I was never one to go meeting every single person I came across, thus I wasn't able to know who this brother was.

I asked, "I'm searching for the children, the ones about ten and under."

"I believe they would've went back to there rooms. Then they have classes afterwards."

"Oh yes, great... thanks. I'm Asuraj Dragoneye, what's your name?"

"Benedict, my friends call me Benny."

"Alright, thanks for the help."

I exchanged few more words then left Benny behind, I to go back up to the second floor, unlike the elder orphans who stayed in dormitories which could only be entered from the outside, children had their rooms stationed within the church building. The second floor was the place in which they would reside, it was also safer within the interior of the building.

Shortly after climbing the stairs again, I walked past the kitchen, I could here the gossip by the girls there and then I heard them get hushed by the nun in charge. I too served there in the kitchen and it was the same nun that would shut us up when we made noise. 

"Good times, I'll miss it."

Marching on, the storage room came and was left behind. Soon I made it to where the boys stayed. I asked for the chubby kid, I didn't know his name and could only describe him. It would seem that the chubby kid was not the only fatty that lived here. Just as I thought it was getting difficult, I saw my target walk out a room suspiciously. I didn't say anything, his eyes met me first. Without warning, the chubby kid turned away from me and fled.

He was actually running away from me. Wasn't this suppose to be an easy quest? WHY ARE YOU RUNNING?

I gave chase, the fatty brat wasn't fast but the number of children in vicinity created an obstacle course, I couldn't maneuver as freely as I like but neither could the chubby kid. I was getting closer to him. Eventually my hand reached out and I managed to grab the back of his neck. I held him firmly, at the same time I was doing my best to be gentle. Actually, there was no harm to him but he still struggled to free himself.

"EHHHH... YEEEEE... HOHHHH!!!"

The chubby kid screamed in fright for nothing.

"HEY, SHUT UP!"

"I swear, big brother. The cookies was only two days old. It wasn't stale."

"Huh! You know how swear?" I asked.

The fatty brat shook his head furiously, obviously he was lying. I wasn't here to question his language etiquette and I didn't pursue it. I wanted to find out about the lost orphan. I questioned him, "What's your name?"

The chubby kid replied wearily, "My name, my name is Pranav."

"Good, tell me about the your friend that went missing. Don't tell me you ate him."

"I didn't eat him, I swear."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"You still swear."

Pranav shook his head.

"Okay, tell me about the missing kid."

Pranav said, "You see big brother, wez suppose to swap yesterday. That was the deal. His name is Terrance. He said me he gonna swap today 'cause he forgot yesterday... but today no one could find him. The big sisters where looking for him, but nothing. And then, and then I don't know anything after that."

I heard out Pranav seriously, the only thing I can infer was that he wasn't here in the morning. I asked another question, "Was Terrance here last night?"

"I, I donno."

"I saws him this morning."

"Huh," to my side another kid appeared there. He seened to know about the lost orphan. I added, "What happened?"

"We went to take bath outside. Someone started to call him then he went to see. He didn't come back after that."

"Okay, thanks."

I thanked this new kid. He seemed to know finer details. There was no bathroom inside the church building, there was a bath house towards the back of the property, it was very close to the ones that I used. My knowledge seemed to be disappointed at the difference in civilization. Earth realms modern society had more convenient bathing facilities. 

I shook my head then thought of something. I asked the brat before me to bring me to the room where Terrance stayed. I just remembered that I have an Inspect skill. I didn't think to use it as I wasn't used to it. I always depended on my own intelligence to find my success.

Pranav and the other kid named Jeremy lead me to Terrance's room, once I was inside, I let loose the power of the Planer System. 

INSPECT

Immediately cogwheels diplayed itself wherever I looked. A thread on the floor had information to be confirmed. The data, a new word I learnt, had a similar profile like that when I tried Inspect on the roof outside. Profile, Material, Age. There was a difference though, the things I found in the room had some additional features added on, Owner.

Initially, I had no idea who this Terrance kid was and had no idea what things were his. But after looking through the interface information, I was able to find the things belonging to him. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Terrance had few possessions, that was common with everyone in the orphanage. The kid mainly had some clothes here and a figurine or two. I glanced back at the two brats that stood aside quietly.

NAME  PRANAV AGE 8 RACE DIMLINIAN TITLE ORPHAN 

NAME JEREMY AGE 9 RACE DIMLINIAN/ ??? TITLE ORPHAN

Woah, my eyes widened in surprise! It was brief, neither kid noticed my reaction. I didn't think that I'd be able to use Inspect on people. Pleasant discovery,  that would makes things a lot easier. This way I'll be able to identify the missing child for sure.

I was glad about that, however, some things in the Profile caught my attention. Jeremy is Dimlinian, no doubt about that but what's with the question mark. Is Jeremy something other than Dimlinian? I couldn't understand, I've never seen anything other than Dimlinian people, myself is the exception as I only found out that I'm a mere human.

The second thing was the title, what's would that? I don't have that title in my Profile. Does it disappear after reaching adulthood? It was wasn't something I could just answer on a whim. 

"Big brother, we have to, have to go for lessons now. Or the big sister is going to make us look at the wall whole day."

I don't think that would be a whole day event and that couldn't really be called a punishment, that would actually be a blessing in disguise. You wouldn't have to do anything but I guess it is difficult if you got a restless mind. Its a punishment fitting for those the age of these two.

"Fine, go!"

I waved at them, signalling that they should leave. I followed them out as well, it was better to not remain in the kids quarters. I didn't desire any misunderstandings should someone find me suspicious. I proceeded through the corridor and found myself stepping down a flight of stairs soon after. My destination was to check the bath house. Maybe there's a clue of some sort there. Reaching the reception again, I aimed for the outside.

Outside the church building, it was quite lively. Many locals came to offer their morning prayers here at the chapel. It wasn't so much as to fill up the benches there but it was enough to keep the place active. Considering that a child went missing, I raised a suspicious eye at the people. Thinking about it, I wouldn't be surprised if the person who called out to Terrance was someone who frequented the church a lot.

As I walked towards the bath house at the back, I noticed that my roommate, Bryon was here. He seemed to conversing with the some of the guests. I ignored him since he was busy and proceeding to the back of the building was my current aim.

When I got there, Linda was hanging clothes on the line along with some of the nuns. This was an area was for the ladies. At the far end, in the opposite direction, men would hang their clothes there. There were three out houses, children shared one. The other two were for men and woman separately. Strolling towards the bath house that Terrance used, I kept on checking the cogs that manifested under the Inspect skill.

There was nothing that could clue me in on the whereabouts of the child, after entering the bath house I found nothing here either. If there was, it probably got washed out after use.

I went outside. Jeremy said that someone called out to the kid, my thoughts lead me to the back of the out house. It was a pleasant sight here. Next to the stone wall that fenced us in, a garden with many flowering plants lined up here. I got to learn some of their names while I looked. Suddenly my attention was to a standstill. There were some plants here with thorns and one of them had flesh stuck on it. I came closer to have a better look while the manifest cogwheel span, the text box opened up and Terrance's name popped up.

"Bingo!"

This was a clue, that kid came this way. I checked the surrounding around the thorn bush and a clear footprint was on the soft soil. It wasn't the child's footprint but an adult one, merely, the name was the same as Terrance's. That was too coincidental, was there a connection with the two? Does the name Terrance have some special significance, I didn't know and had never heard of such a thing.

I stepped further away from the thorn bush and from the footprint. The wall wasn't high enough that I couldn't reach the top with my hand. With a bit of effort I could force myself to scale it. I did just that, I took a safer route away from thorn bush, without hesitation, my foot stomped on a defenceless plant beneath it. I leaped up and caught the top of the stone wall. Using the momentum, I heaved to the top.

"Haa, now that's done."

I stood up. The wall was thick enough for me to plant my feet solid on it, side by side, there was no way I could lose my balance unless I was afraid of heights. I used Inspect again to see if anything pops up. Indeed, a cog appeared over what looked like dried blood and on the other side of the stone wall, on the ground, several footprints.