episode_0159

Ruyef repeatedly cautioned her. He firmly buttoned Marie’s collar and told her how to act so as not to draw suspicion. That was fine, but he suddenly tried to hand her a small knife, telling her to stab any bad guy who appeared, which they had to stop.

“I’ll be back!” Marie called out spiritedly as she left the inn, and he remained worried.

“Don’t worry too much. She’ll be fine on her own. She knows the way better than us, anyway.” “Hmm…” “It’s about time Marie started venturing out alone, too. Tia used to cause the most trouble at that age.” “That one was an anomaly, so let’s not count her.” “Well, that’s true.”

Ruyef unfolded his arms, his uneasy feeling having somewhat subsided.

“But… that’s not why I’m worried.” “Then why?” “It’s because I don’t truly know my own sister.”

‘Don’t truly know’? I couldn’t understand. If there was anyone who knew Marie well, it should naturally be Ruyef, shouldn’t it? Except when they were working, the siblings were together all day long. He had carried her on his back, dressed her, and fed her since she was very young, so Marie listened to her brother well, and Ruyef was clearly very fond of his sister. So how could he say he didn’t truly know her?

“Once, I lost Marie in the mountains. I searched for a long time until sunset. Eventually, I barely found her hidden in a rock crevice… but when I asked what happened, she didn’t answer. She, who had always answered my questions readily until then.”

This was a very troubling story. …Because Tia had done the exact same thing once.

“After that, she just quietly stayed home.” “You didn’t lock her up?” “I never did that.”

A bad premonition flashed through me. “Has she… still not told you if something happened?” Ruyef nodded.

If so, I thought now was the time to tell him what had happened to Tia when she was young at Fosao’s hands. I couldn’t be sure that disgusting pig hadn’t done the same thing to Marie. It was the moment I was about to speak, my heart a little heavy.

“Ritsu. Just know that much. Don’t ask anything more.” “Why? Maybe something bad happened to Marie, and she’s trying to hide it from you?” “That could be.”

Even without me saying it, Ruyef seemed to have already considered such an ominous possibility.

“But that’s something I, as her only blood relative, must seek to understand on my own. I don’t think forcibly prying into that secret is the right thing to do.”

*Clink.* Suddenly, he picked up the coin purse and emptied it onto the bed. “Let’s stop with the pointless talk and count the money. We’re barely getting by.” “…Alright.” We handled the coins in silence.

Around noon, Marie returned to the inn. She seemed to have finished her task much faster than expected, as there was no sign of fatigue.

Marie began to chatter about what she had seen and heard outside. “Oppa was right.”

As Ruyef had said, Teildon was quiet because of an ‘expedition.’ The lord had apparently taken all the young men and headed to Deseo. However, they weren’t going there to fight a war; they were just going to be stationed there for a few days before returning, which was why the city was temporarily quiet. It had felt strange, the city itself seemed peaceful even though there were no people around. So that was the reason. It turned out to be a good thing. Fewer people meant we could move around more freely here.

“Then what about a carriage to Gordburg?” “I tried to find one… but it seems a bit difficult.”

To get to Gordburg, one absolutely had to pass through the trading post. Marie had secretly observed the process for a bit and said the soldiers were conducting very strict inspections. They checked the identity of the coachman and passengers, and if there was any luggage, they unpacked and inspected it all. The reason given was that thieves were running rampant, taking advantage of the quiet city. If it was that strict… there was no way we, who had no ‘identities’ to begin with, could pass through the trading post safely. This was troublesome.

“What should we do?” Ruyef answered seriously. “We could just steal a carriage and run.” “There weren’t many carriages to steal in the first place, Oppa. They said all of them went to Deseo.” “Then there’s no choice.” It seemed this brother and sister would really have tried to steal a carriage if I hadn’t been there.

“Did you ask about the price?” “It’s 1 gold and 50 silver per person.” That was quite expensive. Considering it was just a horse-drawn cart with no roof, rattling violently, and you’d be mixed in with luggage, that price was just a rip-off.

The coin purse we had just counted contained about 7 gold. Before leaving Breezedon, we had looted all the safes and gotten about 4 gold, and 3 gold was what Madam Lily had given us last night. The longer we stayed here, the more money would go to lodging and food. It would be best to leave Teildon today if possible, but no suitable method came to mind.

“……” As I rested my chin in my hand and pondered quietly, a question suddenly came to mind.

How did Fosao take Tia, a wanted criminal, to Gordburg?

If the inspections were that strict, the soldiers would have immediately arrested Tia the moment they saw her red hair. But Fosao had said he already had a method ‘prepared.’ I didn’t know what it was. Even if I wanted to see his memories, there was nothing left to touch, so I couldn’t find out how they traveled.

…But if it was Fosao. I somehow felt I knew.

After seeing countless memory illusions, I now understood his past, personality, and even his way of thinking.

*Slide.* I got up from my seat and walked to the window. Through the sparsely walking people, I could see the sun-drenched street. If that gloomy guy had something to do in Teildon, he probably wouldn’t be frequenting sunny places like this.

Perhaps… the street with the dilapidated houses clustered together, closer to the distant seashore. He would be more familiar with the ‘red-light district.’ Fosao had said he learned massage there, and he had visited its black market when he needed to acquire medicines for Tia. I hadn’t known until now because I hadn’t even approached the red-light district, but perhaps Fosao was a somewhat familiar figure there? It was clear he knew more than I did, at least.

Ruyef saw me standing blankly by the window and asked, “Why? Did something suddenly come to mind?” “Yes. Ruyef, follow me. Marie, you stay here and rest.” “Yes.” “Where are you going?”

*Click.* I stepped out into the hallway and firmly closed the door.

“The red-light district.” Ruyef frowned. “What?” “…To the black market there. I have something to investigate.” “Ah, right. Okay.” Was it just my imagination, or did an awkward silence fill the air?

***

Teildon’s red-light district was much dirtier than I had imagined. And most of the prostitutes seemed to have followed the expedition, as the streets were very quiet. It was only natural, with no young men, who were their main customers. Occasionally, scantily clad women stared at us, but I walked on without giving them any attention. Before long, the prostitutes started gesturing one by one.

“Oh my. You look tired. Want to have some fun?” “Boys—come over here.”

But it was just words. They didn’t dare grab our arms and pull us into their shops. It seemed Ruyef, who was following me, had a very intimidating expression. He was pushing the prostitutes away with a chilling gaze, as if he’d instantly crush them if they dared interfere.

We were walking straight towards the black market when it happened.

“Screech! Let go of me!”

Suddenly, the door of a shop burst open, and a woman rushed out. She was a blonde woman with disheveled hair. Almost naked, she rushed out and then slipped and fell in front of us. Behind her, other prostitutes were hurrying to catch her.

“Eilli! Stop right there!”

That seemed to be the woman’s name.

The woman called Eilli frantically looked around, then saw me and screamed, running towards me.

“H-Help me!”

Ruyef started to step forward to help me, but I raised a hand to stop him first. The prostitute, with a crazed look on her face, grabbed my arm tightly. Then she started spouting something utterly incomprehensible.

“Bandits! Bandits are coming! W-We have to run!” “Bandits…?” “Eilli—! Oh, she’s at it again!” Ruyef said gruffly. “This woman doesn’t seem to be in her right mind.”

Yes. She was a madwoman. But… I didn’t know. Why did this woman’s face look familiar? It was a name I’d never heard, I didn’t know anyone with such disheveled blonde hair, and I’d never even been to this red-light district. Yet, a feeling of familiarity, as if I’d seen her somewhere. And what was this ‘sense of relief’ rising in my chest?

“Help me! That child… she’s in the m-mountains! I have to help her quickly…!”

Finally, the other prostitutes rushed over and snatched the madwoman by the nape of her neck. They held her tightly so she couldn’t move, then bowed to us.

“So sorry—young man! This girl sometimes loses her mind!”

She was carried away like a sack of luggage.

Seeing the situation resolved, Ruyef urged, “Let’s go quickly.”

But an inexplicable, subtle feeling lingered in my mind, preventing me from walking forward again. A sense of unease seemed to fill my entire body. Was it just my imagination? I tried to shake it off, taking a step, when the prostitute being dragged back into the shop mumbled.

“Tia… is she dead?”