Franz followed the group toward the medical station, Maya still perched on his shoulders, her small hands gripping his head for balance. The little girl had long since stopped crying, now more fascinated with the view from above.
"You’re like a really big horse, mister!" she giggled.
Franz exhaled through his nose. "I’m not a horse."
"He’s definitely built like one," Celeste muttered under her breath.
Zane, walking a step ahead, clenched his fists. His chance to be the hero had slipped away so effortlessly that it made his stomach churn. He should’ve been the one catching the robber. He should’ve been the one getting praised. Instead, it was this guy—this ridiculously built, hooded stranger—who walked away with all the attention. It was almost absurd.
Zane had always been the one who managed to talk his way out of trouble, to spin any situation in his favor. Ever since childhood, he had this way of making things work, of drawing people to him. His luck had never truly failed him. But this time, it had.
Who even is this guy?
The group arrived at the small medical booth inside the mall. A staff member took one look at Franz’s bleeding hand and rushed to grab supplies. Lena sat down beside him, eyes filled with concern.
"Seriously, you caught a knife with your bare hand?"
Franz glanced at his palm. The wound wasn’t deep, and the bleeding had already slowed. "Yeah."
Iris pushed her glasses up. "You don’t seem too bothered by it."
Franz didn’t answer. He wasn’t the type to explain things, especially to strangers.
Maya, still seated on his shoulders, suddenly gasped. "Mommy!"
A woman rushed over, relief flooding her face as she scooped Maya into her arms. "Oh, thank goodness! Are you okay?"
"I got a ride on a giant!" Maya grinned, pointing at Franz. "He helped me find you!"
The mother looked up at him, eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you so much. I was so worried."
Franz simply shrugged. "She was a good kid."
Before the conversation could continue, uniformed officers entered the medical booth. One of them, a middle-aged officer with tired eyes, looked around before focusing on Franz. "We need to ask you a few questions."
Lena immediately stood up. "Wait, he didn’t do anything! He stopped the robber."
Zane saw his chance. This was it. He could talk them out of this. He stepped forward, flashing his usual confident smile. "Officers, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I was there when everything happened. This man—" he gestured toward Franz "—was only defending himself and others. Surely, there’s no need to cause unnecessary trouble."
The officer barely looked at him. "We still need to take statements."
Zane’s smile twitched. That usually works...
Franz sighed, standing up. "Fine."
As the officer led him out, the mall grew eerily quiet. Near the entrance, several men in suits stood waiting. The second they saw Franz, they stiffened before bowing their heads slightly in respect.
Lena, Celeste, and Iris exchanged glances.
The officer cleared his throat, looking between Franz and the suited men. His tone shifted, more careful now. "Sir... we just need a routine statement. You’re not in trouble."
One of the suited men stepped forward. "Is there a problem?"
The officer hesitated. "...No, not at all. Just standard procedure."
The suited man turned to Franz. "Sir, do you want us to handle this?"
Zane’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Sir?!
Franz waved a hand lazily. "No need. I’ll talk to them."
The officer coughed. "Right. Uh, this way."
As Franz walked past, he caught a glimpse of the main cast staring at him in stunned silence. Only Iris seemed to keep her expression neutral, though her eyes glinted with curiosity.
Maya, still in her mother’s arms, waved at him. "Bye, mister giant!"
Franz raised a hand in farewell before following the officer. As he did, a notification appeared in his vision.
[Identification Complete: Main Characters of Requiem of Two Worlds Detected: Lena Beaumont, Celeste Ardent, Iris Fontaine, and Zane Walker.]
Franz blinked. ’Oh. So that’s who they were.’
He shrugged. ’Who could recognize someone just from a vague novel description? You could find a dozen people who fit the same look.’
After the questioning, he bought some groceries and moved toward his apartment, leaving behind a group of confused people and a shaken Zane Walker.