Chapter 46: Arc 4: The Burning Port’s Reaper (13)

Carolina woke up and yawned. She rolled from her bed and put on her clothes, consisting of a crisp shirt, a black leather jacket, a skirt and a black tie. She smiled fondly as she put on her signature Beret and tamed her brunette hair.

Last night was a mess. Apolline ruined the party and the girl — Nuan — clung to her like a spoiled brat. It took her most of the night to extricate herself. She also went over some of Hikari’s old files after the party, cutting her nap-time even shorter.

Carolina didn’t know why, but she had this urge to check on Hikari’s orphanage.

This weird feeling confused her. Carolina wasn’t an empathic person. She operated under the tale of cost and benefit. The orphans in that little gray house should be just a tool to her. They were names, assets and liabilities that needed accounting. Carolina saw nothing wrong with this. The planet ran on a cold contract relationship, nothing more, nothing less.

Despite her outlook, Carolina felt something as she went through the name of those children. She was sure it wasn’t empathy. Carolina had been killed since she was ten-years-old. Any form of righteousness and fairness was long squashed from her. Hikari had a fair chance, and she failed. Carolina didn’t need to continue her work for her. That obligation didn’t come with the job.

Carolina nearly dressed herself and walked into the slum to check the orphanage.

She shouldn’t care. It won her nothing to care. A bitch like her shouldn’t cherish kids. That noble purpose was for Xiahana, but reading those names made a memory resurface.

It was a memory of a little girl who lost her guardian — an old grave-keeper with a strange hat. It was a tale of parting from the leaky hut near the graveyard and the old-man who passed his journal to her. His last word to the teary girl was to wish her luck, and a lesson on being unashamed of who you were.

That journal helped Carolina sewn her first zombies. It contained a note about Aura art. With the only piece of treasure ever given to her, the little girl struck out in the wild and dangerous world and climbed her way out of poverty. That opportunity transformed her into a high-ranking officer who can order a custom-made hat to remember someone by.

Carolina didn’t care about those kids, but part of her felt it was unfair. Hikari was too soft, leaving them powerless and naïve. They got no one to guide them but each other, and Caroline doubted the blind could save the blind. Life was harsh, but the weak deserve a fighting chance. Tragedy forged strength. Carolina herself came out of her ordeal stronger with teeny help.

Who was she to deny the kids their chance?

The new head of Onren had no idea how to make it work. Her teaching method was tossing the bird out of the nest to see whether it would fly. Maybe upon seeing the kids, Carolina might have a head or tail on where to put them.

By the time Carolina stopped asking herself some of life's biggest questions, she arrived at the stacked, decrepit existence that was the slum. Carolina nearly gagged from the smell. It was her childhood, but a thousand times worse. What was Hikari thinking? Forget about people being overworked to death, the first thing they must do is dusting up hygiene. She wouldn’t want to deal with an epidemic later.

Hikari was too soft and too caring about the status quo. Save the children was a good slogan, but it was just that. A slogan. It would be a hard sell if it didn’t benefit anyone. She should open with the statement about reducing disease transmission or making poor as dirt people a taxable sheep in the population bracket. Or just started selling the renovation right and shifted the responsibility elsewhere.

To empathize with why Carolina’s idea had merit, a little girl dressed in rags chose that moment to jump her.

Carolina grabbed the girl by the hand and slammed her face into the wall.

Black Magic Rank 1: Drain

Carolina sucked the energy away from the powerless girl, feeling mildly curious about the haggard kid’s furious expression.

“Angry, kiddo?” Carolina whispered. “Here is a tip. Use your brain. What do you think will happen when you jump at the bigger predator? You should study your prey and environment before an attack.” Carolina ground her head against the wall. “And you pick a horrible target. Look at yourself. A scrawny kid with no other skills aside from robbing tourists. One of these days, you will attack a wrong person and accidentally make a kill you shouldn’t.” Carolina whispered to the child. “Do you know what will happen when you kill the wrong person?”

The frightened girl looked into that terrible scarlet eye.

“So you didn’t even consider the consequence,” Carolina whispered. “Their relatives will kill you. They will start a bloody campaign to make sure you suffer. They have the power to do that, kiddo. Here is a lesson from my good will; plan before committing to an action. You don’t need money, kid. I doubt anyone will sell anything to a little thief like you at a fair price. You should pick an unimportant food-stall as a goal instead of leaping at a target out of your league.”

Carolina let the kid drop to the ground.

“Run along, and know the next person who caught you won’t be as compassionate as I am,” Carolina glared at the child.

The child looked at the monster with crimson eyes with fright and ran away.

Carolina didn’t know whether the kid heed her advice, and frankly, it wasn’t her business. People made a choice, and it wasn’t her business to fuzz with it.

…

Carolina instinctively knew someone had fuzz with her.

The gray house that should be full of orphans was empty aside from a familiar girl she was too annoyed to see.

“Hello, Carolina-chan,” Nuan waved. “I guess you are too late to find the kids.”

Carolina addressed the hippy little girl in a colorful hanfu. She didn’t like the girl. That hair color was garishly annoying. The orange was bad enough, but the yellow and red highlight was down right excessive.

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Loud as she was, Carolina doubted Nuan was harmless. Her brief research made her aware she was the Yulong Empire’s Dragon Maiden. Nuan Yulong wasn’t someone she dared underestimate.

“You moved the kids,” Carolina said.

Nuan giggled, “I'm afraid it wasn’t me.” She looked at Carolina with utterly mirthless eyes. The ball of energy was now less loony, instead staring at Carolina with disdain. “I simply delayed you until she does the job.”

Carolina immediately realized what happened last night, “You two are collaborating. Apolline’s job was moving the kids, while you stall me.”

“Nah, it is much more touch-and-go than that,” Nuan shrugged. “Apolline visited those kids every day. We know something must have happened to Hikari-chan when you got instated. The moment she confirms Hikari is gone, she immediately moves to save the kid before you can send anyone to stop her. The only thing I did is buy time before you can send an order to spy or ambush her yourself.”

Carolina feigned a smile. Nuan totally overestimated her. She didn’t even care about where Apolline was going. The plan to visit the kid wasn’t some evil machination, but random whims of hers. Nuan thought she had everything planned to the last detail, and it was freaking Carolina out. When faced in this kind of situation, Carolina quickly fell back on her proud acting skill.

“So you saw through me,” Carolina nodded. “Well, I decided to give you some head-start, but I must ask you. What kind of deal Hikari made for you to go out on a limb for her?”

Nuan smiled like a kid with cotton candy, “Nothing. I just love Hikari-chan, that is all?”

Carolina blinked, “Eh?”

“She is cute, isn’t she?” Nuan droned all about the greatness of Hikari. “Smart and serious exterior with a soft, vulnerable core beneath. She got the style and the skill. For me, it is a love-at-first-sight.”

Carolina blinked again. The revelation caught her like a ‘kick-me’ sign being slapped on her back.

“It is quite annoying that she is playing hard-to-get, but love is all about that,” Nuan said. “Trophy girls have their place, but I actually prefer someone with actual dreams and depth. Romance centers on getting into the pants is doomed the moment the hormones fade.” Nuan further exalted the value of the relationship. “What makes love worth it is the journey! I want to support Hikari, you know. I know very well that egotistic fart on Onren’s throne will never come around. Basically, I am killing time staying here. Hikari needed someone to cheer her up, so I volunteered as the clown for the job.” Nuan cracked her neck. “It is damned tiring to play the political game. You know how much clout it cost to prevent my sibling’s deployment? If those temperamental loudmouths make landfall, Hikari would die, and I can’t have that.”

Nuan dropped her cheery tone and looked at Carolina with the glare of a warrior.

“And you ruin it, you moron,” Nuan’s statement was venomous. “You dare touch Hikari? Unbelievable. Your research skill must be rusty.” Nuan closed the distance and spoke an inch from Carolina. “You think you are good at the game? You aren’t even the player. Enjoy your seat to your heart content. Without her, this place will crumble, but rest assured. You are mine, C-a-r-o-l-I-n-a-c-h-a-n.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” Carolina tried to convince herself.

Nuan's final message was simple, “You will be.”

Nuan walked away, leaving the gray house and Carolina alone to reflect on the war she started.

…

In the Harriett House, Amy exited the room into the corridor with a gloomy-looking Ciel.

For a brightly painted house meant for recreation, the atmosphere was the definition of gloom.

“How is she?” Ciel said.

“Xia patched her up, but her ability isn’t enough to heal her eyes,” Amy said. “Physically she is stable, but mentally…”

“She is in shock,” Ciel said.

“Yes, losing her sight affects her badly,” Amy said. “Xia and Betty are scouring the [Library] for some clue to get back her sight, but I doubt the book they bought in random Eleanor’s bookstore can help.”

Ciel sighed, “Should I visit her?”

“You should,” Amy nodded. “She needs every support, right now.”

Amy walked down the corridor, leaving Ciel alone in front of the sliding door.

Ciel prepared himself and stepped into the room.

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