Chapter 24: Do You Think Someone Like You Can

Flamm fixed her gaze, cold as ice, towards Satyllus until her figure disappeared, while Reach, being a collateral victim of Flamm’s overpowering bloodlust, timidly reached for the girl’s shoulder.

“Uh…Flamm-san? Are you okay?”

The girl felt two taps of a fingertip conveyed through her shoulder and she slowly returned her face forward before giving Reach a smile.

“Aah, I’m sorry, I spaced out a bit.”

“It’s okay if that’s all it was. It feels like the air around you changed since the last time we met.”

A lot of things had happened since the last time the girl met Reach, and despite having only met him some days ago, Flamm couldn’t help but to think of their encounter as a nostalgic memory.

“I still wasn’t shaken back then.”

“Shaken?”

“Let’s say my position in life was still stable. I can’t help but to think about how I should live my life from then on, but I feel like recently I’m getting closer to an answer” said the girl, staring at her palm.

What should the girl do so that she and Milkit could live in peace in this world they were living in? She just wanted to live normally, without even wishing for anything special. The girl dislike killing others, and she abhorred having to accumulate painful memories of her body being torn apart.

Yet she was forced to do so. In order to rebel against the church that treats human lives as if they’re garbage, Flamm had no choice but to cut through those people like garbage. She would also need to sacrifice and shave every inch of her body or else she wouldn’t even be able to lay her finger in opposition against their ringleader, Origin.

Flamm clenched her fists. “You can’t make them disappear just by lamenting, so all I can really do is to take them down by brute force, right?”

“True. Strong people protecting the weak only exists in fiction. Everyone has their own circumstances, and even if their roles were reversed, humans would still repeat the same thing.”

“So as I thought we can only end the problem by cutting the snake by its head” said the girl. Once again realizing her own powerlessness, her grip only tightens.

“I owe you for saving my wife’s life. Just say the word and I’ll lend you my power, so please don’t try to shoulder everything in your lonesome.”

“Please don’t worry about it, I know I have friends that support me. I also can’t get you involved in this affair, Reach-san.”

Reach is a mere merchant. There was no reason for him to spill blood by going against the church just for his profit, so Flamm couldn’t even think of bringing him into this mess, but Reach said “It’s too late for it now” as he laughed it off. “For now I can keep an eye on the church and cooperate with the news agency to search around for some information.”

“The news? You mean the newspaper agency?”

Several newspaper companies run within the capital. They would straightforwardly publish contents such as the events that occur within the city for adventurers and providing information for the church bulletin. However, they were clear in not trying to go against the church, which is only obvious since the church had a firm grasp on their printing offices.

That said, it seemed like Reach knew some news agencies that had some assets untouchable by the church.

“While we’re at it, should I introduce you to them?”

“Huh? No, you don’t have to go through the hassle…”

“She’s just around the corner. Welcy!”

As Reach called out a name, a woman adorning a flat cap peeked her face out of the nearby corner. The woman who looked just at home in her tight jeans lightly waved her hand at Flamm before jogging her way towards the two.

“I’ll go ahead and introduce her to you. She’s Welcy Mancathy, the journalist I said had been cooperating with us recently.”

“What’s up, Flamm-chan.”

Flamm largely ignored her chirpy attitude as she offered a handshake as her mind was preoccupied in thinking why the woman was hiding behind the corner as she did earlier, though it’s likely she had been tailing Reach.

“Mancathy…is she your little sister, Reach-san?”

“Unfortunately.

“What do you mean, unfortunately!?”

Reach showed a bitter smile as he whispered “this is exactly why”. At last, Flamm could relate a bit more with Reach as she finally witnessed Reach speaking in such informal tone.

“Despite who she is, my little sister was quite an outstanding journalist. It was thanks to her that we got the information about how Satyllus is distributing medicinal herbs around the church.”

“Distribution of medicinal herbs within the church? Aren’t those supposed to be banned by them?”

“It’s their way to make sure that the higher ups can still get better if they got sick with ailments incurable by magic. Still though with the huge amount they circulate, if there’s a chance that they might give these illegal drugs to their soldiers to boost their morale, they might have other plans in mind.”

“I think that if we can reveal what they’re up to, we might get a shot at decreasing their strength. Even if that turns out to be a bust, we’ll be able to use this info as a bargaining chip.”

Reach’s words carry a certain amount of wickedness despite his calm tone, perhaps further showing that the way he had been rising in status was because he had been involved in something shady himself.

“By the way, nii-san, don’t you have something to do with the married couple?”

“Hmm? Ah, that’s right…Actually the married couple from the house you live in had been calling for me.”

“Are they…asking you to return the house?”

“Oh no, not really. That house had belonged to you for a long time now. If anything, I’m actually surprised that they’re still alive. I know it’s rude for me to say, but they’re already at such old ages.”

The talk concerned Flamm quite a bit since it involves the previous owner of the house she’s living in, but she couldn’t possibly stop the man from going through his business more than she already is.

“With that said, my apologies but I have to call it a day. Welcy, give her your business card.”

“Sure, sure, ‘ere ya go. There’s been a lot of things going on around Satyllus recently y’know? So if you happen to find something nasty, be sure to drop by our office” said Welcy, procuring a palm-sized card.

Flamm thought nothing and accepted the card casually, only to realize that there was nothing written on it. Witnessing the girl tilting her head in confusion, Welcy flashed a smile and cast a spell.

“Burn Projection!”

As she did, small letters containing the company name, its address, and the sentence “Print Journalist” along with the woman’s full name were scorched onto the paper. Lastly, the remaining empty space was filled by the illustration of the Welcy herself which was so well done it might as well be a picture.

“This here spell can write letters and burn a visible image. I’m Welcy Mancathy, the newspaper reporter who will tear off the truth from this world! Pleasure doing business with ya!”

Perhaps finishing her introduction with her catchphrase, the girl spoke with a satisfied, smug grin as she walked away with her brother.

Flamm was left alone with that one piece of business card, gazing intently at the words printed on the paper under the early evening shroud of darkness.

“Newspaper reporter, huh…”

Sure enough, not only the sword, but the pen is also putting up a fight against the church, and despite multiple uncertainties around the media itself, having another ally behind her reassured the girl.

Stowing the business card into her breast pocket, Flamm once again heads home.

Tilting the watering can, Milkit watered the planters that decorated the outside of her house. As soon as she finished watering, the girl crouched as she gazed on the lovely pink flowers whose seeds she received from an older lady around the neighborhood. The kind woman had been interacting with the bandage-covered girl for a while and the two had been exchanging snacks with each other for a while.

The plant was nothing but a bud until they started blooming the morning of the previous day, which gave the girl a sense of accomplishment in her heart…an emotion she never thought she would be holding before the girl had met Flamm. It wasn’t something so exciting nor striking, but the gentle, warm feeling was something that soothed the girl wholesomely.

The smell of the day’s dinner wafts from within the house. Today’s menu was a stew of Basilisk meat with mushroom and tomatoes, legume potage with a side of Caesar Salad. As for desserts, she had prepared a citrus fruit called the Tagore, which was a standard cuisine for the capital. The fist-sized fruit looked no different than other citrus fruits, but it was known for its large pulps, strong aroma and how its invigorating smell would spread across the palate once consumed. Additionally, as it wasn’t very sour nor too strong, there weren’t many people who dislike the Tagore fruit.

Although, the girl wasn’t yet finished with her dinner. The girl thought that she would finish her dinner preparation after she comes home. She thought to herself, it’s not like I went outside because I’m anxiously waiting for her return, but as she realized what she’s been thinking, she turned bashful in an instant.

Milkit laid her hand on her chest, where a warm feeling, something that didn’t exist before her encounter with Flamm, lingers within.

Ever since she had been living in that house, the girl had gradually regained her mass. As she did, her master would feel greatly elated by it, so the girl had been continuously going out of her way to eat more…perhaps slightly too much, which is why she decided that she wanted to hold back on it.

However, the main issue at hand was something deep beneath her skin; the warm feeling lingering at the bottom of her heart.

Perhaps this was the culprit behind it all.

The reason for her to go out as she anxiously waited, the reason she made the excuse in the first place, the reason she got embarrassed because of it, and the reason her heart can’t quiet down, was probably because of that feeling.

Once Flamm taught her that it was the feeling of “trust”, but Milkit believed that it was something way more. Even if she were to call their relationship as “master and slave”, the way the girl never held this feeling towards her previous masters made her sure that it was something more than that.

So what is it then?

As the girl continued spacing out trying to figure out the answer, her cheeks were wrapped in a warm sensation as she heard the words “I’m back, Milkit.”

Turning her face up, the girl could see Flamm’s teeth, exposed by her smile.

There was a quagmire of things she was thinking about, but all of them were washed away as the girl prioritized herself in replying “welcome back, master” as her cheeks slackened.

“Sorry I’m late. Do you have anything I can help with for dinner?”

“All that’s left is the finishing touches, if you can help with that.”

“Okaay. Let’s get it over with and shut this starved stomach by the world’s most delicious cooking made by the one and only Milkit!”

The bandaged girl chuckled. “I do wonder if I can make your expectations.”

With such exchange, the two held each other’s hand and entered the house. The warm atmosphere seemed to have moved with them, as when the two entered the front door and closed it, the stone pavement immediately returned to a cold, inorganic scenery.

As no one remained, a large-bodied man passed through the street in front of the house. Gazing upon the building briefly, the man scoffed before stepping away.

This is a tale that occurred fifty years ago, when the empire was just beginning their human experimentation.

Their initial objective was to create an artificial demon that surpasses humans in lifespan and mana, and their subjects are the lone children left without relatives that they kidnapped from the slums. The children underwent countless surgeries and administered mysterious drugs day by day. Deaths were not uncommon, and those who survived was broken beyond belief with their body and soul transformed into something unhuman.

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At that time, Eterna was still an immature girl who were barely ten years old. Without her parents, the girl was living within the storm of desire and violence within the slums.

She thoroughly distrusts others, which was the only thing that kept her alive.

However, she, too, was kidnapped.

“e211-Nα” was the name bestowed upon her at the facility, something carved and tattooed to her flank that she still has to bear.

At that time, she didn’t mind being treated as an object, since the name she had before was nothing but an identification code that was given by someone she didn’t even know. This time, the letters were only changed into numbers.

“Then from now on, your name shall be Eterna.”

However, that man, Günther Lynnbow and his wife Claudia Lynnbow opted not to call her by mere letters numbers. They gave everyone names and interacted with them kindly, perhaps as a form of atonement from getting the children involved in their human experimentation.

Obviously, everyone was being cautious of them at the start, thinking that they were mere hypocrite and that they will resort to violence sooner or later if they let their guard down…or at least that’s how some wished they were, since some had accepted the fact that there are no kind place for them in this world.

However, their expectations were shattered.

At the very least, Günther and Claudia were truly good people, which allowed the children and Eterna to slowly open up their hearts across the three months period of their interaction. At the end, the children would refer the two as “dad” or “mom”.

Outside of their experimentation time, Eterna and the children were forced to live together in a dormitory that was prepared. They were given plenty to eat, had their own rooms, and when they had some spare time, their supervisors Günther and Claudia would spend some time with them. Despite the horrific experiments the had to go through, their lives were more fulfilling than the cold, lonely place the slums was…they were given a moment where they can live as humans for once.

“Mom! Dad! Look, I made a flower out of magic!”

Holding her hands aloft, Eterna created large flowers out of thin, stretched membranes of water, creating a fantastical scenery as they reflect the lights that illuminate the room.

Günther and Claudia praised the proud-looking girl, giving her a generous applause as they did.

Eterna’s Mana level was so high that she couldn’t even be compared with other children of her age as she demonstrated the high level of control in her arts, and given the notice of her masterfulness, the remaining child alive in that place was down to her and only her.

The plan to create an artificial demon has succeeded; they had created someone with superior mana and extended lifespan. The color of her skin stayed human, but Eterna was an existence that can rival demons.

However, due to the low success rate and reproducibility, the project was eventually discontinued.

Dispose the subjects and link up with the next project—was the ruthless order Gunther and Claudia received.

“As if we can do it! Eterna is our child! She’s not blood-related but she’s still our family…!”

Confessing their entire order towards Eterna, the two tightly hugged the stunned girl.

“Eterna should have enough strength to live on her own…she should be fine alone, right?”

They made a choice…even if they were to go against a direct order from the empire, Eterna could still escape their wrath.

Thus, one night, the two snuck the girl into a wagon and had her escape the capital.

“…terna?”

Eterna did not hear anything else about Günther nor Claudia afterwards. The girl lived inconspicuously, deep in the mountains, further developing her knowledge in her arts of sorcery along with the knowledge of medicinal herbs and anatomy she heard from when she was in the research facility

“Hey, …ter…na…are………ning…?”

Fifty years went by, but the girl’s body didn’t grow, still looking like she was in her teens, though since she is someone who is a close imitation of the demons, age is as much as a threat as a running water. Before long, the villages around the base of the mountain would spread rumors about a witch living in the mountain, though Eterna was sure there was no ill will behind it. After all, it was a rumor about a kind witch who gave lost travelers mysterious medicines that somehow purged what ails them.

And the person who came as a messenger from the capital was—

“Eterna, you should get up. It’s time for dinner.”

Ink’s voice finally reached her.

Lifting her face that was buried in her desk, the woman absentmindedly looked towards the bed, only to see the figure of Ink, sitting on the bed with an exasperated look. She must have called out to her multiple times now.

The girl was still wearing a shirt borrowed from Flamm, which was still a size too big, while her black hair seemed slightly ruffled, perhaps since she was just lying down until just now.

“Did I fall asleep?”

“Out like a light. You were in a deep sleep just now.”

“That’s a blunder.”

“Also, you said something about mom and dad in your sleep.”

“…really…”

Eterna stubbornly expressed her usual interjection before bringing her hand to rub her eyes.

Blinking two, three times, her vision cleared, and the woman heaved a sigh.

“I guess you had parents as well, don’t you?” asked Ink, innocently curious as she never even saw her parents’ faces.

“I’m only human, so obviously I have parents…though I never saw my real parents’ faces.”

“Huh? Really? Then we’re the same, aren’t we?”

“And we’re both the test subjects for the empire’s human experimentation.”

At that confession, even Ink couldn’t help but to be surprised.

“I didn’t know…”

“It’s because I never told anyone. I was experimented on years ago, and this house is the place I lived when I was a test subject.”

“Oh, right, I remembered Flamm saying you were intruding when she first came here though…”

“I used to live in this room back then, so I felt so nostalgic I couldn’t help myself.”

Still, being able to hold herself back or otherwise, a crime is a crime, but at the very least, Ink understood that Eterna wasn’t intruding just because she wanted to. The impression Ink has about Eterna had been amended from a “pretty weird person” to a “normal weird person”.

“By the way, you said you were experimented on years ago, right?”

“I did.”

“How old are you? Judging by your voice you don’t sound that older compared to Flamm.”

Her question was reasonable. Ink could not see Eterna’s figure, but even if she did, it would only add to her confusion. Both her figure and her voice felt no older than a girl in her teenage years.

“I honestly don’t know. I don’t even know when I was born, so probably…60?”

“Granny Eterna!”

“I have feelings you know. Stop it.”

It would seem like despite her longevity, Eterna still despised being treated like an old lady.

The woman dropped her shoulders and heaved a huge sigh, and hearing that response, Ink cackled like a mischievous child.

“But…if you’re that old, then maybe your mom and dad aren’t here anymore.”

“That was why I took on the quest to take out the demon lord as well. Before we go on that journey, I dropped by the capital and went to the area where they live…I’ve settled my thoughts then and considered that a visit to their grave.”

“Really…I bet they were really glad that their daughter grew up really healthy.”

“I hope so.”

Every time the woman closes her eyes, the memories of Günther and Claudia never failed to flood her mind, and even more so now that she is living in this house. It was a shame that she could never see them again, but…even she couldn’t mourn from the tragedy of her long life.

“Eterna-san! Dinner is ready!”

Flamm’s voice echoed from downstairs.

“What she said.”

“I’ll get going. I’ll get you your portion later.”

“Yep, looking forward to it.”

The little girl sends the woman off with a smile on her face.

Ink was still unable to leave the room. Judging by her looks, she seemed to be chipper than ever, but her condition is still far than optimal.

Just to be prepared if anything were to happen, Eterna left a floating sphere in the room, something that would inform her if something abnormal happens through another one she brings with her.

Finishing her preparation, the woman left the room, only to be greeted by an appetizing smell of tomato stew that shrouded the hallway.

With an adorable sound of her stomach rumbling, Eterna descended the stairs with a hand holding her stomach.

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