Chapter 33: She Was Tired—Exhausted, Even

She was tired—exhausted, even. She was at the usual pub, with the doors and windows left open for the summer season. An evening wind blew over her, and the lamp hanging from the eaves outside the door cast long shadows into the building.

Angeline sat absentmindedly at the counter, among the flickering shadows of drunkards. Miriam and Anessa were not with her today. Across the table, the pub master silently cooked and poured liquor into cups.

She had yet to find anyone willing to entertain the thought of marrying her father. Yuri, Rosetta, and Maria did not seem especially enthusiastic. She asked a few more times after the first, but they continued to dodge the question.

But they won’t meet a man better than my dad, Angeline thought. This put her in a bit of a bad mood—they all had terrible taste.

“Hmm.”

The pub master placed sautéed duck and chilled wine in front of her. Angeline took a mouthful of the wine. They must have renewed their magic fridge recently, because the drink was pleasantly chilly.

Come to think of it, the pub master also seemed to be a bachelor. It was hard to tell since he rarely spoke, but he was probably around the same age as Belgrieve. She never saw any kids around the establishment, nor did she see any hints that he had a wife. Wasn’t it lonely for a middle-aged man to be single?

“Hey,” Angeline spoke up, as the master dropped a knob of butter into his pan. “Are you married?”

He answered after a beat: “No.”

She wasn’t placing an order, so the master continued to disinterestedly face the stove. Angeline went on regardless.

“Ever thought about marriage?”

“Couldn’t say.”

He dropped an egg into the melted butter, nimbly mixing it up. Then he threw in a pinch of salt and spices, producing a pleasant, savory scent.

“Are you lonely?”

“Don’t have time to feel lonely,” he replied after a moment.

He shook the pan, sliding the lightly cooked eggs to the edge and onto a plate, then poured sauce from a small pot over the dish.

“Table four.”

“Right on it.”

A young waiter took off with the plate. The master swiftly washed the frying pan before greasing it again, this time with a small bit of olive oil, and started making a stir-fry of eggplant and bacon.

Angeline pensively stuffed her face with duck and thoughtfully sipped her wine.

“My dad is probably around the same age as you. But he’s single...”

“Did she pass away?”

“No. I’m adopted; he never had a wife.”

“I see.”

A husky voice placed an order behind her. The master glanced at it and nodded. He took a cup and filled it from a pot on the shelf.

“Table four.”

“I thought I’d find a wife for him, so I tried asking a few people, but none of them seemed up for it... I wonder why.”

The master silently poured wine into his frying pan. A torrent of steam rose from it before he added crushed tomatoes and spices to the pan and let the concoction simmer.

“I don’t really know. Can’t say much about someone I’ve never seen before.”

“Should I bring around a portrait or something?”

“That’s up to you.”

The boiled tomato stew was poured into a shallow bowl with a thin loaf of bread and handed to the waiter.

“Table three.”

“Right on.”

“A portrait... That might be nice. Hey, Master, do you know any skilled painters...?”

“I don’t. Did you seriously go around asking loads of people?”

“Yeah. It’s better to have more options.”

Without turning to Angeline, the master took cheese and salami off the shelf, cutting and plating them. He drizzled olive oil over the top and set it down for the seat beside Angeline. Then he submerged sausages in boiling water and began washing up a plate that came back.

“Can’t say I recommend that.”

“Why not...?”

“Sure, your father would have his pick, but how about you think about how those women would feel? No one would want to go out there just to be turned down.”

Angeline grimaced. Perhaps that was true. What if someone made the trek to distant Turnera with determination only to be shot down? How sad would that be? Angeline had been treating the matter quite lightly, but it was a life-altering decision.

She could not possibly rank the three women she had reached out to. They all had their merits and flaws, and it felt terribly unfair that only one could win out in the end. She got a feeling she might be damaging the relationship between them.

Am I being irresponsible? Angeline wondered, feeling gloomy.

“You may be right.”

“Well, it’s not like what I say means anything here.”

He dried off the washed plate and tucked it away. He extracted the sausages, plated them with pickled mustard, and set them down at another counter seat. Then, he tossed butter into the pan again.

Angeline downed the rest of her wine in one gulp, then fished around her wallet and placed a coin on the table.

“I need a whole bottle, Master.”

The master silently uncorked a bottle for her. Angeline poured herself drink after drink, and after her third glass, she let out a deep breath and held up her reddened cheeks with her hands.

“But I want a mom... What should I do?”

“You can’t just go around arranging marriages. You’re putting people on guard. It’s not like you’re a noble.”

“I see... You’re right.”

In that case, instead of spelling it out, perhaps she could just ask if they wanted to visit Turnera for the heck of it. Once they met Belgrieve there, they would surely understand his charms. And that would be the end of it.

Angeline giggled, and the master looked at her suspiciously. “What?”

“Hee hee... Thank you, Master. I never knew you could talk this much...” Angeline said, as she polished off the last piece of duck. She took out another coin.

The master frowned, taking the empty sauté plate. “What can I get you?”

“Picked olive and sausage...and raw tomato.”

She ended up drinking until the dead of night. The wind was brisk by the time she left, and while there were bars here and there that were still open, most households had their lights turned out, their residents already in bed. The breeze felt comfortable against her drink-flushed cheeks.

Angeline squinted as she slowly followed the road home. The moonlight shone down on the stone pavement. A cat crossed the street, then another chased after it. But there were hardly any people about. She would pass by the occasional drunkard or soldier on patrol. The soldiers would stop her, as she was a girl walking around at night, but they immediately gave in once they saw her S-Rank plate.

“When I return in the fall... Hmm, Yuri has her receptionist job, and Rosetta is busy at the orphanage... I guess that just leaves Maria.”

Angeline intended to go home again at the start of fall. She wanted to eat freshly plucked cowberries, and she was already missing Belgrieve. However, she didn’t want to return too soon—that would surely make him suspicious of her ability to make it on her own. She had to pull through the summer. The excitement that came with looking forward to her future plans made it worth the wait.

She had intended to walk straight home, but the moon was pretty and the wind was cool, so she decided to walk a bit more.

Compared to Turnera, life in Orphen was dizzying. It all went by so fast that when she finally found the time for a leisurely stroll, it felt far more relaxing. She felt a nice, airy sensation as the drink flowed through her system.

Streetlamps lined the sides of the road, lighting the path with vermilion flames. As she trudged on and on, she saw a figure enter the side street ahead. Angeline quietly followed, her suspicion piqued.

She could tell even in the dark—it was a boy and girl standing side by side. They were both white-haired; the boy was around fifteen, the girl no more than ten. It was Byaku and Charlotte, the ones she had fought in Bordeaux.

Angeline suppressed her presence, tailing them silently until she decided to call out to them. “Oi!” As Byaku turned, she grabbed him by the neck and pinned him against the wall.

“Don’t move. Shout and I’ll cut him.”

Charlotte hurriedly covered her mouth before she could scream.

Angeline glared at Byaku. “Why are you here...?”

“Who knows?”

Angeline kneed him in the stomach, eliciting a pained groan.

“I haven’t forgiven you for what you did in Bordeaux...”

“Gah... So what? Gonna kill us then?”

“That would be what’s best for the world,” Angeline said as she grabbed the hilt of her sword. Something soft pressed against her hand, and when she looked she saw Charlotte desperately clinging to her arm.

“I-I’m begging you! Please don’t kill Byaku!”

“Let go. I won’t hold back just because you’re a child...”

“Please! I apologize! I’m sorry! I’ll do anything it takes for you to forgive us! So please, at least spare his life!”

“Let go.”

Angeline grimaced as Charlotte burst into tears, violently shaking the girl off. Charlotte fell to the ground in a spray of coins.

“You’re loaded,” said Angeline. “What? Are you robbers now...?”

“We were planning on returning it,” Byaku muttered.

She turned back to him. “What?”

“I admit it, we scammed people out of their money. We decided to call it quits after you beat us up. We’re going around refunding all the folks who bought our amulets.”

“Do you think I’ll believe you?”

“I don’t. I just said it for her honor.”

Angeline looked at Charlotte, who was now clinging to her feet. On closer inspection, her clothes were torn and filthy, and her sleeves were tattered. Even Byaku looked worse for wear.

Suddenly, what she was doing seemed idiotic to her. She unhanded Byaku, who fell to his knees in a coughing fit.

“I haven’t forgiven you, but...I won’t sully my blade against someone who won’t even fight back.”

“Thank you so much! Waaaah!”

Charlotte wailed, still clinging to her legs. Byaku held his throat, scowling as he looked at Angeline.

“Where’s all that power coming from in those twig arms of yours?”

“Shut up.” Angeline stood Charlotte up and forced a handkerchief into her hands. “How long are you going to cry for...? You’re making it look like this is all my fault.”

“Waah... I-I’m sorry...” Charlotte wiped off her face.

After a deep sigh, Angeline said, “I have loads of things I want to ask you two... Especially you.” She gestured at Byaku. “You talked as if you knew about me.”

“I can’t answer anything right now,” said Byaku.

“Why? What do you—”

Before she could finish, she felt a sudden murderous intent and drew her sword. A knife flew out of the darkness from the depths of the alley. Angeline grabbed Charlotte as she knocked it down with her blade.

There was a stench that pricked her nose. “Poison? Nasty stuff...” The knife didn’t seem to have been aimed at her. She glanced at Byaku. “Someone must hate you a lot.”

“None of your business.” Byaku waved his hand. There was a crunching of barrels and garbage as several people leaped out of the darkness, all wearing the same clothes and masks.

Charlotte’s face stiffened in fear.

“The Inquisition!”

“Huh...? What’s that?” Angeline said as she intercepted the sword of an assailant.

Their attackers were incredibly nimble, running along the building walls to surround them.

Angeline took her stance as she shoved Charlotte onto Byaku. “Who are they...? Do you know them? Why are they after you?”

“Y-Yes, of course. They’re from Lucrecia’s—”

Several silver blades closed in before Charlotte could finish—all of them sharp and aimed precisely at their vitals. Their movements rivaled those of high-ranking adventurers.

But Angeline was no ordinary warrior. The fact that they aimed for her vitals only made them easier to predict and deal with. She parried a blade and kicked the first assailant, then smacked her hilt into the temple of the second. The mask flew off, revealing a young man. But his eyes were hollow and filled with madness.

“What? He’s like a doll...”

“Don’t let your guard down.”

There was a sound above them—one had tried to get the drop on them, but Byaku sent the assassin flying with his magic.

Angeline glared at Byaku. “I never let my guard down... I knew he was there.”

“Hmph... They erase their sense of self with magic and medicine. They’ll chase you down to their last breath.”

“That’s foul...” Angeline frowned, seeing the attacker move with the exact same deftness despite being bloodied and injured. She hated these sorts of things.

The area was covered in a pale light as Byaku uncloaked his three-dimensional magic circles. This was accompanied by a terrible sound—one of their assailants had been crushed flat beneath it.

“Why do I have to deal with this?”

But those without sanity could not be negotiated with. If they would chase them down to death, then killing was the only option. Angeline shook off her slight hesitation, beheading her encroaching foe.

Byaku was strong enough that even Sasha had been backed into a corner when facing him; once he joined forces with Angeline, their attackers stood no chance. The battle was over in an instant, and then the alley was filled with dead silence.

Angeline wiped the blood from her sword with a frown. “Agh... I can never get used to killing people. Makes me sick.”

She had now sobered up too, even though she had been so pleasantly drunk before. She sighed, then nudged her chin towards Byaku and Charlotte.

“Come. I don’t know what the situation is, but I have things to ask you.”

Byaku looked at Charlotte, who nodded.

“Yes... We’re in your care.”

The girl was shaking. Looking at her like this, she seemed like any ordinary little girl. Did this child really turn Bordeaux upside down with undead? Angeline had to wonder. There was undoubtedly someone pulling the strings.

They swiftly slipped away from the backstreets and hastened to her lodging house. It was a small room, but not so small as to feel cramped for three people.

Angeline drew the curtains and locked the door.

“Sit,” she instructed.

Charlotte fidgeted as she timidly took a seat. Byaku stood behind her.

Angeline placed a kettle of water over a flamestone stove. The stones would let off a tremendous heat when arranged correctly. Stoves using them went for a high price, but the cost was no object to Angeline.

She stripped off her coat before sitting across from Charlotte. Angeline observed the girl—she had lost her hat somewhere. Her soft, silky white hair was disheveled, and she had conspicuous split ends. There were light bruises on her arms and cheek, and her clothes were filthy too.

“What is the Inquisition?”

“They are a secret organization from Lucrecia. They covertly deal with heretics and those who oppose the papacy.”

“Hmm... So why are they after you?”

Charlotte seemed lost. It took some time before she mustered the resolve to speak at length: about how she was born to a Lucrecian cardinal; how she was dragged into a power struggle and labeled a heretic for her albinism; how her parents gave their lives to let her escape; how she wandered before meeting those attempting to revive Solomon, and ended up touring the empire as a saint of the cult; and finally, her travels after being defeated in Bordeaux.

Angeline gave a satisfied nod. The reason the cult’s activities had died down in Orphen was because this girl had stopped inciting them. The organization had no strong foundation; it had gained zealous followers on the spot from Charlotte’s speeches and “miracles.” Apart from the fraudulent talismans they distributed, they had no proper organizational structure or management. With no leaders, it was clear why they had fallen apart.

Charlotte’s spirits sank the more she spoke.

“I really believed—if I gained followers, I was sure Solomon would help me do something about the rotten clergy of the Vienna cult. I knew somewhere in my heart it would never happen, that we were scamming. But my eyes were so blinded by revenge, I refused to see it...” Charlotte sniffled. “Once I lost my ring, I decided it was time to stop... I hate Vienna, but revenge wouldn’t make mother and father happy.”

Angeline narrowed her eyes coldly. “And yet, you turned Count Bordeaux into an undead fiend...?”

Charlotte froze. Her shoulders quivered. Her eyes let out tear after tear. “E-Even... Even I don’t know why I did that! I-I didn’t...know! I just hated it... I wasn’t thinking...”

She sobbed to the point she could no longer form words. Angeline frowned, thinking the girl was strangely shameless about it.

Finally, Byaku opened his mouth. “Count Malta was the one who suggested using the former Count of Bordeaux.”

“How fishy. You expect me to believe that?”

“I’m not telling you to believe. I’m stating a fact. The matter stands whether you believe it or not.”

“But, but... If I hadn’t done that...”

Presented with an albino girl clasping her chest, sobbing, and heaving, Angeline’s mouth remained stretched into a straight line. She would not waver so easily. She recalled how painful it was just imagining herself in the same situation.

Then, she wondered what Belgrieve would have done. He wouldn’t have forgiven her just like that, but he wouldn’t hold it over her either. Angeline couldn’t imagine him acting so sharply out of personal resentment either. Charlotte was still ten years old, and it would be immature to denounce her for not always being rational. For whom did she harbor such anger at Charlotte? Belgrieve wouldn’t be happy if she bullied someone for her own selfish rage.

Angeline closed her eyes to contain her emotions. Her anger was not mistaken. But at the very least, she did not have the right to judge them. It made sense to bring them before Helvetica in Bordeaux.

“You’re pretty beaten up...” Angeline said, opening her eyes. She reached out and stroked the bruises on Charlotte’s cheeks. Either ticklish or in pain, Charlotte lurched back. Her eyes were tired and red.

“I went to the people who bought talismans, and told them I was sorry, and to please take their money back... But they called me a liar and hit me. Byaku helped me when they were going to get more violent than that... But now that the Inquisition has their eyes on us...”

Angeline added floral tea to the boiling water before responding. “By the sound of things, you’ll be a traitor in the eyes of whoever was supporting you. The Inquisition sees you as heretics. You’ll be targeted no matter where you go...”

“Ugh...” Charlotte covered her face.

Angeline placed a cup of tea in front of her. “Drink. It will help you calm down.” Then she turned to Byaku. “I can’t let you run free. You have the answers I need—it would be troublesome if you were erased. I’ll let you stay, at least for the night.”

“You sure you can trust us? I could strangle you in your sleep.”

“Do you think I’d lose to the likes of you? Just settle down already.”

Byaku furrowed his brow but said nothing. Taking that as an affirmative, Angeline patted Charlotte on the head. “You’re ruining your beautiful hair... Let’s go to the bathhouse tomorrow.”

“Huh...but...”

“I haven’t forgiven you. But that’s why I need to bring you to Bordeaux so you can apologize. Okay? I’ll protect you until then.”

“O-Oh!”

Charlotte cracked a slight, relieved smile. Her face was simply that of an innocent ten-year-old girl.