Chapter 39: Her Fingers Moved as Though Each Had a Life of Its Own

Her fingers moved as if each had a life of its own, delicately and dexterously. A comb passed through the softened expanse of white hair, which was then quickly braided and arranged. Through all of this, Charlotte looked relaxed as could be.

“All right, you’re done.” Yuri smiled as she tied the ribbon. Charlotte smiled widely at the mirror. Her long hair had been garnished with a tasteful braid over her right ear which was fastened with a sky-blue ribbon that complemented her white hair.

Charlotte stroked her mane as she looked at Yuri over her shoulder.

“Thank you! Tee hee...”

“Heh heh, you’re very welcome. You have such pretty hair, Char—it’s such a pleasure to work with.”

“So fine material makes for fine craft... Good job,” Angeline chimed in from the sideline, giving a thumbs-up.

Charlotte stood, circling around behind Angeline and pushing her on the back.

“I’ll do it for you, sis! Sit down!”

“Oh...? Very well, let’s see what you’ve got.” Angeline sat before the mirror, and Charlotte began to fiddle with her black hair.

They had come to Yuri’s house to play. It was a day off from work, and both Anessa and Miriam had other business to attend to, so Angeline had come with Charlotte and Byaku.

Yuri lived in a rented room a short distance from the guild building. While her room was filled with a decent amount of things, it was kept clean and tidy. If it was a mess, perhaps I’d have to reconsider her as Belgrieve’s wife candidate, Angeline arbitrarily thought to herself. But she was relieved—Yuri would make a good mother after all.

About ten days had passed since Angeline took Charlotte under her wing. There were no attacks in that time, nor any hint of more assailants. Did the assassins forget about them? Was the mission proving to be more trouble than it was worth? Or did the two forces clash and destroy one another? If they never showed up, then Angeline had no complaints, but she wished they would at least tell her in advance.

It was quite tiresome to maintain vigilance all the time. She needed to strain her senses and always had to carry a weapon so she could react to any sudden situation. Angeline was used to exploring dungeons and guarding clients, but it still drained her after so long.

That was what made it so nice to drop in on somebody strong like Yuri—it was an opportunity to finally catch her breath. Although Yuri had stepped away from the front lines, she was a former AAA-Rank adventurer. Perhaps because she had returned to a position where she interacted with many adventurers, her eyes were still sharp and discerning. It was nice for Angeline to have someone dependable around she could trust to have her back.

As Charlotte tampered with her hair, Angeline glanced at Byaku, who was leaning against the wall with his arms folded, looking quite bored.

The boy’s strength was also at the level of a high-ranking adventurer. Granted, he had taken them by surprise, but he still managed to fend off Lionel and Cheborg. In Bordeaux, he had managed to overwhelm the joint efforts of Sasha, Ashcroft, and Elmore. He was nothing to scoff at.

However, for some reason Angeline felt she shouldn’t let Byaku fight. She didn’t care about the demon and whatnot; she felt reluctant to throw a boy into battle when he was younger than her and not even an adventurer.

Angeline wouldn’t go as far as to say she was going to protect him. However, she wanted to keep him out of battle if she could. A lifetime of blood and battle had cast a dark shadow somewhere in his heart—not that she meant to tell him any of this. Nevertheless, Angeline was resolved to fight for the both of them and was determined to make him call her his big sister one of these days. A little sister who looked up to her was delightful, but an impertinent little brother was also an experience in itself.

“Hee hee...family...”

What face will father make when I bring them back? He’ll be surprised, but he won’t look displeased—I’m sure he’ll give them a warm welcome. Then we can all pick cowberries together.

Angeline cracked a smile as she imagined Belgrieve’s astonishment at their growing family; she never could have even imagined that the house was already filled with freeloaders.

“All right, you’re done!”

Charlotte’s voice returned her to her senses. She lifted her face to her own reflection. Her unkempt and loose black hair had been neatly combed and gathered into a large black braid over her right shoulder.

“Oh... This is...”

“I thought a braid would suit you!”

“I don’t know why, but this is somewhat embarrassing... Still, it’s wonderful. Thank you, Char.”

“Yay!”

Charlotte beamed as Angeline patted her. She stood on her tiptoes, pushing her head harder into Angeline’s stroking hand. Angeline had continued to dote on her for ten days, and the girl had become quite fond of her.

From behind, Yuri pinched Angeline’s cheek. “Since you’re at it, how about some makeup, Ange?”

“Ah... No, makeup is a bit...”

As Angeline recoiled, Charlotte clung to her.

“Eh? Why? Why? You’re so cute, sis. I’m sure makeup will make you even cuter!”

“No, it’s just not my thing. Or, how should I put this...”

“You’ll never get a boyfriend like that. Life’s about trying new things. Now let’s do it.”

“The thing is...I hate it when something is painted on my face. It reminds me of all the bug repellent I’ve had to smear on in the dungeon...”

She heard chuckling, so she turned to see Byaku, who could barely contain himself.

Angeline frowned. “What?”

“You’d be closer to a fiend than a beauty if you dolled yourself up. You made the right choice.”

Angeline pursed her lips sullenly. But she was quickly struck by inspiration, which turned her frown into a mischievous smile. She turned to Yuri.

“Hey, forget about me. Let’s doll him up with pretty clothes too.”

The expression disappeared from Byaku’s face. He immediately turned on his heels and headed for the door. However, Angeline grabbed him and pinned him to the wall in the blink of an eye.

“R-Release me! I’m fine!”

“Hi ‘fine,’ I’m Ange.”

“The hell’s wrong with you?!”

“It’s just a big sis joke... Accept it, Bucky... I’ll make you cute.”

“Don’t call me Bucky! Hey, someone help— Wait, why are you picking out clothes?!” Byaku cried out in despair as he saw Charlotte helping Yuri pick out women’s clothing. Charlotte happily picked up a set and held it out.

“I think this would look good on you, Byaku!”

“Don’t mess with me, you cheeky brat!”

“Eh? Do you think so? I think this one is better.”

“You old spinster! Don’t get carried away!”

“My, my, Bucky boy. You can’t say that to a lady, you know. Perhaps some punishment is in order?”

With a grin, Yuri changed her choice out for a dress covered in frills. Byaku turned pale. The nightmare of the clothing store came back to him—the moment his dignity had been completely trampled on. Even those evil folks who used me as a tool weren’t this heartless... Perhaps that was an exaggeration, but he was certainly not used to this sort of humiliation.

His heart and the emotions he thought had died out long ago were forcefully wrenched open, making him confused, perplexed, and afraid. It felt as though something was changing deep within him.

Byaku pushed his back into the wall, detesting the thought of letting them do what they wanted, only for Angeline to drag him out and get him in a full nelson from behind.

“Keep up that cool act and you’ll never have fun... Life’s about enjoying it when you can.”

“Shut up! To say the least, I’m not enjoying this at all!”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it...”

“Like hell it’s fine!”

Angeline’s lips curved into a sharp frown, and she tapped him on the head. “What will you accomplish if you keep rejecting everyone around you like that...? You have a whole life ahead of you. Do you intend to be scowling through all of it?”

“What does that have to do with wearing women’s clothing?!”

Angeline grinned. “Because that’s what seems to make you the most emotional. With anything that doesn’t concern you, you forcefully stifle your emotions and act all unconcerned...”

Sure enough, with delicious food, beautiful scenery, and board games, Byaku would always take a step back and watch, completely stone-faced, as if he was at pains to avoid attracting any attention. He had escaped an environment of being used, yet now that he was free, it didn’t seem as if he had changed at all. He wasn’t even considering changing, and this was something Angeline couldn’t stand. He was dyeing his own life in shades of gray, and she couldn’t see any point to that at all.

Still, Byaku continued to scowl. “Brazenly breaking into someone’s heart. I can’t stand it—we both crawled out of the same hole.”

“I don’t care if you hate me... But Char will be sad if you keep frowning forever.”

Byaku furrowed his brow and looked at Charlotte, who was whispering and giggling with Yuri as they hunted for clothes together. It was as if she was a completely different person from the girl who fled from Lucrecia and toured the land as Solomon’s priestess.

Byaku closed his eyes with a resigned sigh.

“Dammit...”

“Heh heh... You’re a good kid deep down. Big sis can tell...”

“Shut it with that ‘sister’ schtick. It’s stupid...”

Angeline smiled and put more strength into her arms.

“Now, Ms. Yuri. The makeup, if you will.”

“Leave it to me. Heh heh, this is going to be fun.”

Yuri rummaged for her tools. Meanwhile Byaku—still in Angeline’s grappling hold—looked as though he had resigned himself to his fate, though he still seemed somewhat unsettled.

“Hold on...”

“What?”

“You’re a woman, right?”

Angeline’s expression was suspicious. “I am... Why are you asking?”

Byaku squirmed a bit just to be sure, then cocked his head. “I don’t feel anything...”

A somewhat serious fist collided with Byaku’s head.

○

Angeline left Yuri’s house, leading along a frolicking Charlotte and a haggard Byaku. Byaku had looked unexpectedly cute with makeup and women’s clothing, making the girls terribly excited. It went without saying that he kept a sour face the whole time.

The three of them joined the great throngs in search of a place to eat lunch. There were so many people coming and going that they could lose one another all too easily. Angeline held Charlotte’s hand, and Charlotte held Byaku’s.

The sky was painted with a few meager clouds, but they did nothing to shield them from the hot, strong sun. On top of this, all the people coming and going worked up a terrible cloud of dust, and just walking through that was excruciating.

As Angeline looked around for a nearby restaurant, Charlotte spoke to Byaku.

“Hey, Byaku. What do you want to eat?”

“Nothing in particular. Just have whatever you want.”

“Seriously! Sis will give you an earful if you tell her that!”

“She’s already won you over, eh.” Byaku heaved a fed-up sigh.

Angeline entered an alley and began following a narrow side street. There was a small flight of stairs, then a sloping road. But she knew there was a small diner through there that she would visit from time to time.

A nice, cool breeze flooded out as they opened the door. The owner was a has-been magician who cast cooling magic on his establishment. He wasn’t a former magician for nothing; the temperature was perfectly regulated. However, despite how comfortable the store was, the lack of any notable sign outside meant there weren’t many customers.

She looked around the seats, her eyes stopping on a familiar face. Angeline raced up and tapped the woman on the shoulder.

“Granny Maria!”

Sitting peacefully and drinking something, Maria seemed quite peeved when she turned.

“Ange... You come to the strangest places.”

“I rarely ever see you in town, granny... What’s wrong?”

“Hmph. Shortage of materials. I wanted to inspect the ingredients myself, so I came here... And it’s as dusty and unsanitary as ever, this place,” Maria said as she adjusted her muffler. The bag at her feet most likely contained the material she needed.

“You changed your hair, Ange?”

“Hee hee, you can tell...?”

Angeline happily reached out for her braid. After a small sip from her glass, Maria glanced at Charlotte and Byaku.

“So what’s with the kids?”

“My little brother and sister.”

“Huh?”

“Kidding. They’re freeloading at my place.”

“Don’t tell pointless lies...”

“Sorry, heh heh. This is Charlotte, and this is Byaku. Introduce yourselves...” On Angeline’s urging, Charlotte gave a formal introduction, while Byaku barely nodded.

Maria narrowed her eyes. “You have quite a bit of mana for a little girl. Meanwhile, the whelp’s mana is strange. What are you?”

“Who knows?”

“Ha, a cheeky brat you are. Keep those circles of yours in check.”

Byaku’s brow twitched. Angeline looked at Byaku suspiciously.

“You’re keeping those three-dimensional circles of yours flying around? Those invisible ones?”

“Pretty much. For sneak attacks.”

“That’s quite impressive, combining autonomous defense with invisibility. But it’s crude. You should be able to piece them together better than that.”

“None of your business...”

“Silence. It makes me itchy when I see magic misused so flagrantly.”

Maria muttered something under her breath and waved her finger. The magic circles around them could now be seen—Byaku’s eyes narrowed in shock.

“Look. Right here, your spell sequences are only running along the surface. This here should be a sphere. Over there, make the pyramids and tetrahedrons intersect. For that cube, you can’t just focus on the frame. You need to cover the whole surface, or the mana will leak out.”

“Tsk...”

She must have been right on the money as Byaku had no comeback. Angeline giggled and reached for the chair across from Maria.

“Can I sit here?”

“Do whatever you want. Just don’t make too much noise.”

Maria slouched into her chair and took a deep breath.

As Charlotte sat, she timidly asked, “Granny...?”

“Yeah, Granny Maria. She’s an amazing magician. She stopped aging with magic, and she’s already sixty-eight...or is it sixty-nine?”

“I’m still a sprightly young maiden.”

“Amazing,” Charlotte said, staring closely at Maria. She saw the uneven layers of clothing and tilted her head quizzically. “Umm, aren’t you hot like that...?”

“Ah? I’m still cold. That’s what illness does to you.”

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know...”

“Hmph, of course you didn’t. Now quit worrying about me and order already.” Maria shooed the girl away and pressed her cup to her lips.

They ate a meal that, while not spectacularly delicious, was nowhere near bad either. Throughout the meal, Angeline continued to chat with Maria.

“You’re not coughing today, granny.”

“Pretty much. I’m trying out a new medicine... But the materials are too expensive. I’ll have to use it sparingly.”

“Hmm... Making progress in your research?”

“I can’t tell. I wouldn’t have trouble if I could tell what works and what doesn’t.”

Angeline wanted Charlotte to have some means of protecting herself. But she was clearly unsuited to using a sword, and spears, axes, and bows seemed hopeless as well. The girl had an immense amount of mana in her body, enough to have caused such chaos in Bordeaux. If she had to fight, it would probably be through magic.

However, Angeline was not a magician, and the magic Byaku used was too advanced. Miriam was not a good teacher, so she had been considering discussing the matter with Maria one of these days. Perhaps it was a blessing to meet her here. Seeing how she swiftly explained the fundamentals of Byaku’s own magic to him, there could hardly be a better teacher.

“Hey, granny. Char has a lot of mana, right...? You think she can pick up a spell or two?”

“Hmm.” Maria stared at Charlotte, whose expression was stiff. She knit her brow in thought. “Mana capacity doesn’t determine talent. Won’t know until she tries.”

“Would you teach her if I asked you to?”

“Sure, but I’m a harsh teacher. I despise half measures.”

“I see... Then let’s go to Turnera, granny.”

“Huh?”

That came straight out of the blue. Maria blinked a few times.

“You need to work on your conversation skills... How does this lead to that?”

“These kids are being targeted. It’s dangerous to stay in Orphen.”

“And what’s that got to do with anything?”

“That’s why I need to take them to Turnera. It will probably be safer there. If you’re going to teach her magic, then inevitably, you will have to go to Turnera.”

Maria shook her head. “Don’t be daft. I can’t get any of the materials I need in Turnera. It’s not like I want a laid-back retirement. Fighting is a pain, but I want to continue my research.”

“The air in Turnera is nice and clean. I’m sure it will do wonders for your lungs. My dad can look after you if you marry him...”

Maria shrugged. “This again. I don’t want a daughter like you, and I’m not interested in your father.”

Angeline stuck out her lips. “Hmph, you say that because you don’t know him... But whatever. Come to Turnera anyways, regardless of dad... It will be good for your recuperation. And the road will be safer with you along...”

Maria appeared to give this some thought. “I’ll consider it when I reach a good stopping point in my research,” she said before finishing off the rest of her glass.

Chapter 40: They Ended Up Lazing About

They ended up lazing about and chatting until it was nearly evening, and by the time they left the shop, the western horizon was tinged a faint red. The vermilion sky above made it look as if the clouds had been baked in an oven, and the shadows gave them incredibly distinct contours. Night gradually began to loom overhead, with stars peeking out at twilight’s zenith.

As a cool evening wind blew over them, Charlotte looked at the sky and sighed. She looked a little anxious.

“What’s wrong?” Angeline asked, tilting her head quizzically.

Charlotte hesitated for a moment before answering, “I don’t know if it’s right for me to have so much fun.”

She closed her eyes for a moment; she was likely thinking back to a bad memory, as her eyes glistened a bit when she opened them again. It was like the plates of a scale rising and falling, with her happiness on one side, and her mistakes on the other.

Although she had been unjustly driven out of her homeland, that was no excuse for the ill deeds she had committed against uninvolved strangers. Everything she couldn’t see while blinded by vengeance was now coming back to weigh on her heart. She wondered to herself if she truly had the right to be happy.

Angeline gently patted her on the head. “Don’t worry about that... There’s plenty of fun to be had just in being alive.”

“Thank you, sis,” Charlotte said, taking Angeline’s hand.

They stopped by a street market on the way back. Wagons of all shapes and sizes had put up awnings there and played the part of street stalls. All sorts of cooking ingredients colored the racks beneath their eaves. The market was booming with city folk shopping for dinner, while street performers put on extravagant shows and wandering musicians strummed tunes by the roadside—it was almost as if a festival was going on.

There was even a large wagon with a magic fridge selling fish, with a sign advertising that the catch came from Elvgren. Although the fish were not freshly caught, the cooling kept them looking glossy and incredibly appetizing. The moment she saw the sign, Charlotte tugged on Angeline’s hand.

“Hey, sis. Let’s buy some fish today!”

“Hmm... Not a bad idea...”

They had eaten meat for lunch, so a seafood dinner didn’t sound half bad. Angeline began hunting for a good deal when she heard a gasp from behind. She turned to see several men glaring at Charlotte. Charlotte was quivering.

“Hey, the con artist’s at it again!”

“Think you can shamelessly show your face around town, damn brat?!”

“Eek... I-I’m sorry!”

Seeing Charlotte cower so fearfully brought sadistic smiles to their faces.

“You’re nothing but trouble, you know that? How much damage do you think you’ve done to us?”

“To hell with Solomon. Lies, all of it! How are you gonna settle this, huh?”

As Charlotte bit her lip, Byaku wearily stepped out in front. “We already returned your money. What do you want now?”

“The hell did you say?! Impudent trash, you’re clearly not repentant at all!”

An arm reached out to grab Byaku’s collar, only for Angeline to snatch it by the wrist.

“Stop,” she firmly declared.

“Wh-What’s your deal... It’s got nothing to do with you!”

“I won’t say these kids did nothing wrong. But they returned your money and apologized... It’s not very adult of you to bully them just because you can.”

“Say that again, wench! Don’t look down on us!”

“What are you people doing?!” someone exclaimed in a booming voice—it was Sister Rosetta, shopping basket in hand. She stood there firmly and glared at the men. “Adults ganging up on a child! Don’t you feel any sense of shame?! You will make the Goddess cry, acting like that!”

“Grr, they just keep coming...”

“Hey, picking a fight with a sister of Vienna isn’t a good idea...”

The men, who harbored some feelings of guilt for having temporarily sided with a heretic cult, fled. Angeline breathed a sigh of relief and patted Charlotte, who was clinging to her.

“Thank you, Ms. Rosetta.”

“Don’t worry about it. Did they do anything to you? Those children are...”

Rosetta looked at Charlotte and Byaku. Charlotte was hiding behind Angeline with a frown, while Byaku stood there silently.

“This is Charlotte, and that’s Byaku. They’re mooching off of me for various reasons.”

“Hmm, I see. A pleasure to meet both of you. My name is Rosetta; I’m a sister working at a nearby orphanage,” Rosetta said with a cheerful smile. However Charlotte remained sullenly silent, and Byaku merely acknowledged the sister with a slight nod.

Rosetta scratched her cheek with a somewhat troubled laugh. “Looks like they hate me...”

“Char... Don’t be rude to her.”

“I mean...”

“No means no. She saved you, and Ms. Rosetta is one of my mother candidates...”

“Ange! You’re still on about that nonsense?” Rosetta prodded Angeline’s forehead.

“It’s not nonsense... I’m serious,” Angeline poutingly replied.

“Oh come on...” Rosetta sighed.

“A Vienna cult sister isn’t worthy of you, sis...” the girl muttered.

Rosetta’s eyes widened a bit as she looked at Charlotte. “Looks like something happened... If you’d like, I would be more than willing to hear your story.”

“I’ve got nothing to say to you...”

“Don’t be like that. The light of the Great Goddess’s compassion extends to every corner of the earth. It is our duty to guide her lost lambs.”

“What compassion?! It’s all a fantasy!” Charlotte yelled, causing passersby to stop in their tracks and stare at her suspiciously.

The fishmonger grimaced. “Hey, ladies,” he said. “You’re kinda interfering with business. Can you take this elsewhere?”

So the four of them headed to a corner of the lively crowd. With so many people coming and going, they were a hindrance no matter where they stood, and so they entered a side street to speak among the shadows of buildings.

Charlotte remained despondent, so Angeline explained the gist of her story in her place: how Charlotte hailed from Lucrecia as the daughter of the cardinal, and how she lost both her parents to political strife. Once the story was over, Sister Rosetta quietly formed a small crest in the air in front of her chest and offered a prayer.

“You’ve gone through so much. It must have been hard,” she said with a gentle expression.

“Hmph, I don’t need your sympathy. I don’t believe in anything your church has to say.”

Rosetta furrowed her brow, a troubled look on her face. “Yes... Well, I mean, believers come in all sorts. There are people who would use their position and authority to do evil. But there are also those who offer devout prayer and live in peace. Almighty Vienna will never abandon those—”

“That’s a lie!” Charlotte cut her off. Her fist was clenched and there were tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “They were pious! They offered their prayers every morning and night, and thanked Vienna for their happiness! They were never resentful, they never acted out! So why didn’t your goddess save mother and father?! Why... Why?!”

Overwhelmed by emotion, Charlotte lunged at Rosetta with a loud voice, flailing her tiny fists as tears streamed down her face. Though she knew that her rage was unreasonable, she could not bottle up her surging feelings—the tears fell unceasingly the moment her parents’ faces crossed her mind.

Rosetta sorrowfully closed her eyes and placed a gentle hand on Charlotte’s head. “I’m sorry. I don’t have an answer for you.”

“I knew it! I knew you would say that! You hypocrite!”

“Calm down, Char. Rosetta didn’t do anything wrong.”

But Rosetta held up a hand before Ange could say more than that.

“Can you stand back for a bit, Ange?”

“Fine.”

Angeline retreated to watch over the situation with Byaku. Rosetta stooped down, placing her hand on Charlotte’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, I was irresponsible...”

“Hmph!” Charlotte’s nose was running now. “You will never understand how I feel!”

“Yeah... I won’t. I’m not sure I ever will. Even so.” Rosetta gently stroked the girl. “I want you to pray. Not for what happened, but so that your future may be blessed. So you may overcome your harsh past.”

“How idiotic! You’re just paying lip service!”

“That’s not it. I mean, you’re with Ange now, aren’t you? You’ve still got a whole future ahead of you. You managed to return to a warm world from your path of vengeance. You mustn’t reject that!”

“Ugh... Shut up! Shut up, shut up!” Charlotte angrily thrust Rosetta away. Helplessness, anger, and sorrow—various emotions swirled within her, and she burst from the alley once they were too much to bear. She knew running would get her nowhere, but she couldn’t bear the thought of staying even a second longer.

However, she quickly collided with something. Charlotte raised her face, her eyes meeting with the doubtful look of a soldier on patrol.

“What are you doing here?” asked the soldier.

Rosetta raced over and smiled. “Good evening, Soldier. We appreciate the work you do around here. Um, it’s nothing really. We were just talking.”

“Talking back there? At this time of day? That’s dangerous. You might run into a bad egg. A-A-A bad egg, a bad... Wh-What a bad...ch-child you are...” The soldier’s eyes became unfocused, his pupils losing their light. He suddenly drew the sword from his waist.

“B-B-Bad children must...must be killed, right?”

“Eek!”

Charlotte shrunk back as the sword came down at her and she shut her eyes tight. However, she found herself enveloped in a soft warmth before crashing into the ground.

Angeline called out from behind, “Rosetta! Char!”

Charlotte’s eyes snapped open. She felt none of the pain she was expecting. “Huh?! Why...”

Rosetta was embracing her, a feeble smile on her face. “Ow, ow... Are you okay?”

“No... No!”

Charlotte desperately clung to the woman who had been her hated enemy only a moment ago. She felt something sticky and caught a glimpse of red on her hands. Rosetta’s emerald-green vestments were turning a sickly black as the fluid spread from her back. The items from her shopping basket scattered across the ground.

Charlotte fell into a daze, her face a picture of despair.

Even now, the soldier continued swinging his sword, only to be knocked off his feet by a flying kick from Ange. The soldier collapsed, only to rise up like a marionette.

Clicking her tongue, Angeline kicked him again. “I didn’t sense a thing until the last second... I’m so stupid!”

She had taken such great care to keep on her toes, yet this was the result. She despised her own shameful failure. Surely her father would never make such a mistake.

Suddenly, the area was filled with murderous presences, and knives came flying from every direction. Angeline brandished her sword to guard Charlotte and Rosetta, but the knives fell before they reached anywhere close.

“Quit spacing out,” said Byaku, who stood to guard her back. His circles must have flown around unseen.

Hoisting Rosetta onto her back, Angeline grabbed Charlotte by the hand and pulled her to her feet.

“It’s my... It’s all my...”

“Char! Get a grip!”

The air filled with the sound of footsteps as the presences approached. They were soldiers of the capital, and though their eyes were also empty and doll-like, they moved fiercely, racing along the walls just as the masked assailants had done before.

Angeline sheathed her sword and held Charlotte close.

“Byaku, they’re being controlled! No killing them!”

“Tsk...” Byaku swung his arm. His invisible circles blasted a group of soldiers away. “No dawdling! Get out of the alley!” he shouted.

“You’re coming with us! I’ll protect you—you don’t have to fight!”

Otherwise, he’ll never open his heart, Angeline thought as she smashed the pommel of her sword into the solar plexus of a soldier blocking their path. She used her free hand to drag Byaku’s arm.

They raced out into the main street. It was dim; the sun had nearly set. There was still light from the stalls and the lanterns hanging from the eaves; the shadows of shoppers shifted as one living being.

Rosetta breathed feebly from Angeline’s back. She wasn’t dead yet. But she had taken the brunt of a slash protecting Charlotte, and she was bleeding terribly. She would certainly die if nothing was done.

She left Charlotte—who still wasn’t all the way there—to Byaku, and let her mind race.

“The orphanage...is a no go... Then, the guild!”

The orphanage was nearby, but they couldn’t drag the sisters and children into it. It would be impossible to protect any more people alone.

Angeline weaved her way through the crowd and Byaku followed behind. She could sense the controlled soldiers following. At times, these puppets would receive hateful stares from the people whom they brushed against with their elbows and shoulders.

Angeline puzzled over them while she ran. Someone had to be controlling them; until that person was defeated, the soldiers would pursue them even to their last breaths. This practitioner had to be watching them from somewhere, whether by magic or from a good hiding spot. They couldn’t be far, seeing that the spell had such fine control.

However, Rosetta’s treatment took priority. The guild had a stock of elixirs, and she prayed the sister’s heart didn’t stop beating before they arrived.

She sensed people racing parallel to her atop the buildings on both sides. Their assailant had to be watching from above. I could take care of them if my hands were free, Angeline thought, gritting her teeth.

The crowds worked in their favor, and Angeline managed to reach the guild building. She burst inside, sending waves through the adventurers loitering around the lobby. Paying them no mind, Angeline jumped at the counter.

“An elixir! Get me an elixir!”

The receptionist jumped and shrieked. “Ahhh, Angeline?! D-Did something happen?!”

“No time to explain... She’ll die if you don’t hurry!”

The receptionist’s expression tightened as she saw Rosetta.

“Understood! I’ll get her to the sick bay!”

“Got it... Is the guild master in? Or Silver, or General, I don’t care who...”

“There was a call from one of the noble investors, so they all left...”

“Argh! Just when I needed them...”

Angeline entrusted Rosetta to her care, then turned to Byaku. Byaku was frowning, while Charlotte was still in a daze.

“Byaku, let me see her...”

The moment Angeline reached out was the same moment the manipulated soldiers flooded into the building. There were even more of them than when they first started the chase. Some were bleeding, others with their arms and legs clearly broken, but still, they held weapons and lurched on with hollow eyes.

The adventurers in the guild stood abruptly, readying their own weapons. They raised gruff, intimidating cries, ready to fend off these intruders at any moment. Angeline hurriedly reined them in.

“Wait! These people are being controlled! Don’t kill them!” she said as she pulled her sheathed sword from her waist. “We’ll be fine once I take care of the practitioner. Hold them back until then!”

“That’s a tall order,” one of the adventurers complained as they drew back. The soldiers raised their weapons and pushed forward.

And then, there was a large boom and a flash, and many soldiers in the back were sent flying into the air. Angeline and the other adventurers opened their mouths blankly. Someone flew over the ranks of falling soldiers, their sea-blue hair trailing behind.

“Ah! Yuri!”

“My, what exactly is going on here?” Yuri brushed her hair aside, frowning as she watched the soldiers lifting themselves up around her. “They’re soldiers... Did you do something bad, Ange?”

“Wrong. Someone’s controlling them... I’ll take care of the caster. Don’t kill them!”

One of the soldiers got up and lunged at Yuri. With just a small sway to the side, she dodged and struck his jaw with her fist. A white flash burst out at the impact, and after convulsing, the man fell flat on the ground.

“I don’t really get it, but for now, we have to incapacitate them. Correct?” she asked, quickly tying her hair back. When she clenched her fists, the motion was accompanied with popping and sparking, as though her hands were electrically charged.

Angeline grinned. “You got it!” she shouted as she knocked a nearby soldier down with her sword. The other adventurers begrudgingly wrapped their weapons in cloth or sheathed them, trying their utmost not to kill the foes they intercepted.

Nevertheless, even as they refrained from lethal strikes, their enemies certainly came at them with killing intent. What’s more, they rose back up no matter how many times they were knocked down. It was as if they were dealing with the undead, and the adventurers were gradually losing their will to fight. It wasn’t as if they had any obligation to help Angeline.

Within all of that, Yuri nimbly leaped around the battlefield, her charged fists teaching soldiers the taste of dirt one after the next. As expected of a former AAA-Rank adventurer, there wasn’t a more reliable ally. With her abilities, it seemed she could return to the front lines whenever she wanted.

The area was covered in a faint glow. Sand-colored masses of geometric symbols flew about. Byaku had revealed his circles, hammering them into any foe within reach. He would press them down on the backs and arms of these attackers, increasing the weight until they could no longer move. Many adventurers cried out in amazement.

Angeline looked at him, clearly displeased. “I said you didn’t have to.”

“Hmph... Why do I have to be protected by you? It’s your fault for being so slow.” He directed his circles with a wave of his hands, containing soldier after soldier.

Angeline bit her lip. Despite everything she had said, she was ultimately unable to accomplish anything on her own. As she was now, it was like she was simply trying to imitate Belgrieve, and she had gotten in over her head because of it.

“Dammit...”

I need to find the practitioner, she thought as she kicked off. She slipped easily through the ranks of soldiers now that their movements were dulled and escaped the building. The sun had now set, and under the glow of the streetlamps, it was difficult to make out the expression of everyone passing by.

Where are they? She looked around, extending her senses to their limit. If her foe was using puppeteering magic, surely there were threads of mana she could follow. The chaotic mix of magics from all of the magicians in the guild made it hard to identify, but even so, she managed to detect a feeble hint.

“Over there...”

She launched off the ground, latching onto a pillar and climbing to the top of an awning. She raced all the way up to the roof in one burst.

“Found you.”

A group of several masked figures looked back at her. The one casting the spell had a slightly different symbol on his mask. His cohorts charged at Angeline with their swords.

“You get no mercy!”

She drew her sword, cutting each one as soon as they entered her range, never losing any speed. As she aimed her sword at the spell caster, one of the masked men used his own body to block it. The blade was wedged hard between flesh and bones. It would not budge.

As she scowled, the swords of others came for her. However, Angeline released her sword and swiftly stooped down to evade the attacks. She drew a knife from her belt, thrusting it into the throat of one while sweeping another’s leg, sending him tumbling from the building and causing a commotion on the streets below.

“Let’s hope he didn’t land on anyone...” she muttered as she kicked a masked attacker while yanking a sword from the figure’s grasp. Keeping up that momentum, she used that blade to once again clear away all around her in the span of one breath.

She lifted her face to glare at the practitioner. It was hard to tell their expression as they wore a mask, but they continued muttering something under their breath.

“Great One...Almighty One...protect us from the wicked...”

“Is this what you do to people, Lucrecia?!” Angeline yelled as she swung her sword. The spell caster’s head flew into the air as the threads of mana stretching out from the corpse fizzled out.

Angeline wiped the blood from her sword before sheathing it. She felt exhausted.

Hobbling over to the edge of the building, she looked at the street below. She could hear the soldiers groaning from their wounds, having returned to their senses. Though they had survived, they were thoroughly beaten up.

“I’m no good at all.”

A somber mood came over her, but as she recalled Rosetta and Charlotte, she realized she didn’t have the time for that.

○

A man in a white robe stood with folded arms. His hood was pulled over his eyes. He was somewhat distant from where Angeline had fought, but he had observed well.

“Hmm...” The man placed a hand on his chin. “She’s certainly strong... But that can’t be it.”

The man flew through the air to where the battle had taken place, where the bodies were still littered and the smell of death rose with the summer heat. He walked through the corpses, checking them one by one.

“I thought that would be a good test, but they were far too weak to measure her strength... I guess that goes to show that the Inquisition does not know how to deal with adventurers.” He glanced at the guild. “How about another one then?”

He produced a dark gemstone from his breast pocket. After chanting a spell of sorts, he channeled his strength into his hand. A pale light seeped from his palm, his sleeves flapping wildly despite the lack of wind.

“Off you go.”

The man chucked the stone towards the guild.