Chapter 3: A Meat Puppet Suited for Testing the Blade

Chapter 3:
A Meat Puppet Suited for Testing the Blade

 

THE TWO LEFT the basement and made their way back upstairs. Within seconds, Hallom was diving into Gadhio’s arms.

“C’mon, Daddy, let’s play!!”

She clearly was tired of waiting; she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

Kleyna came jogging down the hallway, a look of concern on her face. “Don’t just leave Mommy waiting like that when we’re playing hide and seek, Hallom!”

“You must be losing your touch if a child can get one over on you, Kleyna,” Gadhio said.

“It’s not so simple, you know. Hallom’s been getting much better at the game lately. If I don’t do my very best to find a hiding spot, she finds me in no time flat!” Kleyna feigned annoyance to try and cover up her embarrassment.

“You can play now, right, Daddy? You’re done with your work, right?”

“I am, but it would be rude to my guest.” Gadhio gently patted the girl’s head. She looked far from convinced.

“You really like Gadhio, don’t you, Hallom?” Flum asked.

“Yup!”

“Well, I’d hate to get in between you two, so I think I’ll be on my way and leave you guys to your fun.”

“Aww, you’re leaving? Why don’t you play with us, too?”

Flum had figured she was getting in the way, but apparently, Hallom had taken an interest in her.

“Now, now, Hallom, you can’t be bothering other people like that. I’m sorry, Flum. She doesn’t always realize what she’s saying.”

“No, I don’t mind at all. Are you sure I’m not a bother?”

“Of course not. In fact, I’d love an extra pair of hands.”

As Gadhio said that, Hallom hurriedly reached up and seized Flum’s hand. She led her back to her room, where the two played together through the afternoon and into the night.

 

***

 

After turning down an invitation to dinner, Flum left Gadhio’s house with an exhausted sigh. “It’s terrifying just how much energy kids have…”

Even with her boosted stats from her newly acquired cursed equipment, she felt completely drained. She knew Milkit was waiting for her back at the house, so this was no time to drag her feet. She needed to hurry back to the West District. Just as she started off, Flum heard a familiar yet entirely unexpected voice call out to her.

“Well I’ll be, if it isn’t Flum.”

It was Leitch, the man who sent her off to Anichidey in the first place, dressed in a casual white button-down shirt and a black vest. Since he didn’t have any bags with him, Flum assumed he was out on a walk.

“Did you just come from Gadhio’s house?” he asked.

“Ah, well, I…umm, I’ve known Gadhio for some time.”

“Ah, yes. I heard that you’re also living with the famed Eterna Rinebow as well. To be completely honest, it never once crossed my mind that I was working with the legendary Flum Apricot when I sent you off for medicinal herbs, but it all makes sense now. I can’t believe you’d try and pull one over on an old man like me, Flum.” Leitch smirked as he teased her gently.

“I’m hardly worthy of being called a hero. I was never of much help.”

“I don’t know about that, but you were certainly a hero to me when you saved my wife.”

“There’s no sense in trying to flatter me, you know. Anyway, how is your wife doing?”

“My darling’s doing quite well, thanks to you. She was quite thrilled—even said it was just like magic.”

“I’m glad to hear she’s well enough to be telling jokes now, too.”

“I have to say, I had a good chuckle at that.”

Leitch and his wife, Foiey, had been concealing the fact that she was healed with ill-gotten medicinal herbs from the church. Though a rather frank and good-natured woman, Foiey had the sharp wit befitting the spouse of such a powerful merchant. Even if Leitch hadn’t told her exactly what happened, she’d probably guessed.

“Well, well, fancy meeting you here, Leitch.” A woman dressed to the nines stepped up to Flum and Leitch. She wore a glamorous dress tagged with several large corsages, over which she’d layered a red fur-lined coat. Her nails glimmered with prismatic polish, and she wore several rings studded with huge gems. Flum couldn’t help but imagine how much it would hurt to be on the receiving end if those ornamented hands ever formed fists. Her hair had an opalescent sheen, and her face was caked in a thick layer of makeup. Her perfume was layered on so heavily that it practically assaulted the senses.

“Ah, Satils. I take it you’re out for a walk as well?”

Leitch smiled at the woman and the two massive bodyguards that stood at her side, his demeanor markedly different from when he’d greeted Flum. This was clearly business.

Even Flum, hayseed that she may have been, recognized the woman. Satils Francois ran several stores in the capital, making her a business rival of Leitch’s.

“A change of environment never hurts. And look—it even gave me the opportunity to see you, Leitch. Is the slave girl yours?” Satils shot Flum a familiarly icy look.

“Hardly. This here is quite an accomplished adventurer, I’ll have you know.”

“Well, I’ll be—and here I thought she was completely unarmed. I must admit my surprise that such a girl could carry out any task of note.”

“Appearances and numbers don’t always speak to ability. I trust this young woman entirely.”

Flum felt a tingle run up her spine as he said that.

“Hmm.” Satils gave Flum a demeaning once-over, though she did seem somewhat more interested from Leitch’s reaction. A moment later, she furrowed her brow, and her expression took on a look of bewilderment. She had probably just cast Scan on Flum. “Well, she must be quite a special girl for you to speak so highly of her.”

“That she is.”

“And she’s cute, too. I thought I might have some use for her if she weren’t yours, but I guess I’ll have to give up on that little plan.”

Flum cocked her head to the side. “Use?”

She had no idea what Satils was talking about or how she intended to use a slave. What she could tell was that there was something deeply twisted about her, and it was best to keep her distance.

“Aaah, it’s so hard to find an adorable slave these days. Be a doll and introduce me if you happen across one, eh Leitch?”

“I don’t keep slaves.”

“Is that so? How bizarre to willingly turn down such a useful tool. Listen, why don’t we pop down to the market together sometime. I’m sure you’ll have a grand time once you see them in person!” After letting off a devilish cackle, she turned her back on them and walked away.

Flum allowed herself a sigh of relief once she was out of sight.

“So that was Satils Francois?”

“Correct. As I’m sure you noticed, she’s a beguiling person with ghastly interests.”

Leitch’s response knocked the wind out of Flum. “Wow, that’s…open of you.”

“Publicly, she deals in books and apparel. Behind closed doors, she’s a fence and a smuggler.” Leitch’s disdain for the woman was clear. He made no effort to maintain even the pretense of a smile.

“Why don’t you report her, then?”

“I’ve done my due diligence; I have more than enough evidence of her crimes. But her ties to the church are strong. If I move against her, I’ll suffer for it. The church has no issue with taking out their rivals.”

“Sounds like you know an awful lot about the church.”

“The church broke the apothecaries over their knee, and they keep a hand on the open markets. It pays to pay attention.”

Despite the negative impact they had on the life of the average citizen, the church continued on its merry way, prioritizing their own needs and benefits. Leitch couldn’t be the only merchant who felt his business would be far more profitable and serve his customers better without the church’s input. Alas, they were simply too powerful for anyone to openly say so.

“That’s why they look the other way, despite Satils’ proclivities,” he continued. “Until recently, she maintained a working relationship with a dealer in illegal slaves.”

“Why wouldn’t she just use a legal route?”

“Ever since the regulations around slavery were strengthened, the market’s withered. The only way to get responsive slaves—those who were newly enslaved, or haven’t already given in to despair—is through illicit channels.”

“Responsive… It sounds like they’re being tortured.”

“That’s absolutely correct. Satils takes a perverse pleasure in destroying beautiful things.”

Leitch couldn’t have learned all this by chance. He must have been actively investigating Satils’ activities.

“What’s more,” he continued, “the illegal trader she did business with was recently murdered. It’s not uncommon for such people to be killed by their own slaves, of course, but this was a horrific incident. I hear the scene was like something out of the backroom of a butcher’s shop. Of course, nothing about this ever reached the presses.”

Slave trader, multiple bodies… This story sounded all too familiar to Flum. In fact, she was nearly certain she was the one who killed that man.

“We’ve been looking into ways to locate all the illegally traded slaves, and… Are you okay, Flum? You seem tense all of a sudden.”

“Huh? Uh, no, it’s nothing.” Flum tried to brush it off.

She was taken aback to hear sudden mention of the man she killed, but something else was bothering her. A person buying up slaves from an illegal slave trader to torture them out of a desire to destroy something beautiful…it all came together too perfectly.

Could that Satils lady have been Milkit’s previous master?

If Flum’s hunch was right, then she was also the one who gave Milkit that poison.

She could feel the anger welling up within her. Flum glared in the direction she watched Satils depart in, suddenly desiring nothing more than to chase her down and lop her head clean off.

She took several long, deep breaths to calm herself down. Though she was able to steady herself some, it did nothing to change the fact that that woman had hurt Milkit. The knowledge set a fire blazing in Flum’s chest. She was surprised by her ability to maintain even this much of her composure as the rage in her heart solidified into pure hatred.

“Then we’ll just have to kill her.” Flum’s voice was barely audible as she balled her hands into tight fists. Her nails left bloody half-moons in her palms.

Leitch slowly reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, shocked at Flum’s sudden change in demeanor. “Are you okay?”

She felt his fingertips tap on her shoulder.

Flum slowly turned her head to face the older gentleman and smiled. “Ah. I’m sorry. I just kinda got lost in thought for a second.”

“Oh, I see. That’s fine, then. I was just thinking about how much you’d changed since we last met.”

A lot had happened since then. It hadn’t actually been that long at all, but it felt like a lifetime ago to Flum.

“I just finally found a purpose, is all. Back when we last met, I still wasn’t sure what I should do with my life.” Flum flexed her hand, gazing at her palm. What would she have to do to ensure she and Milkit could live here in peace?

All she wanted was a normal life. She didn’t want to have to kill people, or to be constantly wounded and dismembered herself. But there was no other way for her to hold her own against the church, an organization that treated people as if they were disposable. If she didn’t put herself at risk, then she’d never stand a chance against Origin, the source of all her problems.

“You can cry about how unfair the world is, but that won’t make your problems disappear,” she said. “All you can do is fight back.”

“That’s true. You need to be strong if you want to protect the weak. People can’t help but want to push their own will on others, after all. If the roles were reversed, I imagine those who were previously weak would quickly become the strong.”

“Having one of them disappear is the only solution.”

“Flum, I am forever in your debt. If there’s anything I can do, anything at all, just say the word.”

“No, it’s fine. I already have someone who supports me unconditionally…and besides, I really don’t want to get you involved.”

Leitch offered up a knowing smile. It was already too late for that. “The church has already been watching me for some time, you know. I have a reporter who’s been doing some digging.”

“Reporter…you mean, like from a newspaper?”

The capital had several different newspapers—ones that merely reported recent events, newsletters sent out by the adventurers’ guild, and yet other publications which served as the church’s mouthpieces. The one thing they all had in common was that they never dared paint the church in a bad light. To do so would be career suicide.

And yet, somehow Leitch had a reporter working for him?

“Well, since you’re already here, why don’t I introduce you? Welcy!!”

A moment later, a woman wearing a hunting cap rounded the corner and waved before jogging over, her form-fitting pants hugging close to her body.

“This here is Welcy Mancathy.”

She smiled brightly and offered out a hand. “Nice to meet ya, Flum.”

“Mancathy…so that must make her your younger sister?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean, Leitch? Huh?” Welcy demanded.

Leitch mumbled to himself about how this was self-evident even under the oppressive pressure of her gaze. “Anyway, my sister is quite a gifted reporter.”

“Hey, I was the one who found out Satils was supplying medicinal herbs to the church, ya know.”

“To the church?” Flum said. “But why…?”

“Well, even people in the highest echelons of the church can come down with illnesses that magic can’t cure. But they’re trading in considerable amounts of the herbs, so that can’t be all there is to it,” Welcy said.

“We’re still getting all the facts lined up, so we’re not ready to publish just yet. However, this should help win some room to negotiate with the church.” Though Leitch’s tone remained calm and composed, the conversation had taken a rather serious turn.

“Anyway, aren’t you running late, Brother?”

“Hm? Ah, yes, right. You see, the previous owners of the house I gave you came by to visit, Flum.”

“Do they want the house back?”

“No, no, the house is yours now. Actually, I was quite surprised to see them. Rude as this may sound, I was surprised to learn they’re still alive.”

Flum was intrigued about the previous owners, but Leitch appeared to be in a hurry, and she didn’t want to stop him.

“Well, I should be going then. Welcy, please give her your card.”

“Right, gotcha. I spend most of my time chasing after Satils right now, so if you happen on any dirt, be sure to stop by my office, okay?” Welcy pulled out a palm-sized card and handed it over to Flum.

Flum looked down at the card, which was completely blank.

Welcy looked at her confused expression before shooting her a grin and casting a spell. “Burn Projection.”

A flame licked across the front of the card, leaving her company name, address, job title, full name, and even a small caricature of her. Actually, that didn’t quite do it justice. It was a full-blown portrait.

“I use words and pictures to accurately depict the world on paper. Welcy Mancathy, world revealer and newswoman extraordinaire at your service.” She ended her clearly practiced catchphrase with a satisfied grin before turning to follow after her older brother.

Flum held the card up against the darkening sky and read the contents once more. “Newspaper reporter, huh…”

Just how much damage could the power of the pen do to the church? She didn’t know the answer, but she was happy to have made a new ally.

Flum stuffed the card into her pocket and turned toward home.

 

***

 

Milkit angled the watering can ever so slightly as she drizzled water over the planters lining the front of the house. Once she was finished, she knelt down and leaned in close to gaze at several pink flowers that they received from an older woman in the neighborhood. Despite her bandaged appearance, the older woman was kind to Milkit and had started stopping by recently to pass along dishes she’d made.

The seedlings weren’t even beginning to show signs of budding when she first received them. With care, though, they’d grown, and just a day ago, begun to flower.

Milkit felt proud of the achievement, however small it was—a feeling she never experienced before meeting Flum. She was, simply put, comfortable. It wasn’t an earth-shaking feeling, just a warmth that calmed and soothed her heart.

Sniffing the air, she caught a whiff of dinner cooking in the kitchen. Tonight, she was making mushroom and tomato stew with basilisk meat, a thick pop bean soup, and a Caesar salad. For dessert, she purchased some tagore, a type of citrus fruit common in the capital. The fruit was about the size of an orange, but it came apart in large chunks and had a notoriously potent fragrance whose sweetness bombarded the senses as you ate it. It was far less tart than most citrus, which made it massively popular in the capital.

She wasn’t done making dinner and had no intention of finishing it until Flum got home. It wasn’t like she’d found an excuse to come outside because she’d been wondering where Flum was and why she hadn’t come home—of course not. Or, at least, so Milkit told herself.

She brought a hand to her chest.

Ever since she met Flum, something had fallen into place where she’d never even known there was a gap to fill. As they began living together in this house and Milkit was able to eat properly, she could feel her body filling out more. Her master seemed to approve of this development, so she continued to push herself to eat, perhaps to excess. She would need to start cutting back eventually, but that was hardly important to her right now.

A gentle warmth seemed to emanate against the palm of her hand, coming from deep within her chest. Maybe that sensation was what pushed her outside, impatiently waiting for Flum’s return.

She had no idea what it was called, though it grew stronger and stronger by the day. Flum had told her that the feeling was called “trust,” though something inside told her it had grown far beyond that. It wasn’t the relationship between master and slave—after all, this was unlike anything she ever felt for a previous master.

So just what was it? Milkit stared off into space and mulled it over, but no answer came.

“Heya, Milkit.” She felt warm hands rest on her cheeks. Looking up, she was delighted to see Flum’s smiling face.

There were still some things she wanted to think about, but right now, just offering up a warm smile and greeting her master took priority.

“Sorry I’m so late. Do you need help with dinner?”

“I just need to get a few things ready, but I’d appreciate the help.”

“Gotcha. We’ll knock it out and chow down on some of your world-famous cooking.”

Milkit giggled. “Well, I hope I don’t disappoint.”

The two walked hand in hand, taking the warmth and happiness surrounding them over the threshold. As the door closed, the world outside returned to being cold and unassuming, made of brick and stone.

A lone, burly figure stopped briefly in front of Flum’s house before snorting and continuing on his way through the empty streets.