episode_0014

“We’ve been waiting here for you for a week to catch you!”

“What? I’m just a porter carrying the Saintess’s luggage….”

What on earth are these guys talking about…? As I was leaving the bathroom, suddenly a woman opened a window, covered my eyes with cloth, and dragged me here. Hmm… This damp feeling. Is it a cave? No… it’s underground. A hideout, dug underground with stone-lined walls. But why did these guys kidnap me? The moment I held that question, the man sitting arrogantly in a chair began to laugh loudly.

“Hahahaha! Do you really know nothing?!”

“No, if I knew, would I be asking? I was kidnapped by people I’ve never seen before….”

At my words, the man started laughing even louder. What was so amusing that he was laughing so hard his mouth looked like it would split? The people on either side of the room also started laughing like the man in the chair. However, the woman next to the man in the chair, who had kidnapped me, silently stared at me. How does a woman have such strength…? Ah, Aria is like that too, I forgot.

“Hmph… Alright, I’ll tell you! Well… I kidnapped you from the bathroom, which is a bit of a blow to my pride. Do you know what kind of organization we are?”

“Well… you want me to guess? Hmm… Seeing as you’ve built a hideout underground like this, I guess you’re a smuggling organization. In Alteon, the city of trade, there must be many foreigners who would trade with you.”

“Your insight is good! You’re right, yellow-haired one! We are the smuggling organization Rubdon! You must have heard of us!”

“Not at all. I’m also from a foreign country.”

“…”

The man who seemed to be Rubdon’s leader, who had been proudly introducing himself, and the people in the room fell silent, seemingly embarrassed by my words. What is this? Are you guys that famous? The moment I thought that, the man in the chair laughed again and spoke.

“Right, you wouldn’t know! We’re only known by rumor. As a secret smuggling organization, it’s possible you wouldn’t know us!”

“Anyway, why did your esteemed smuggling organization kidnap me? I told you, I’m just a mere porter carrying the Saintess’s luggage! You didn’t kidnap me for the luggage, and you’re not trying to lure the Saintess by kidnapping me, are you?”

“Ah… I heard the rumors. A Saintess in black clothes is traveling the world, right? I already know that the ‘black Saintess’ by your side is her. But we’re not targeting that Saintess, nor are we targeting her luggage, as you said.”

“Then…?”

“Do you know Boska?”

“Boska? That ruined country where slave trading was legal? It was destroyed a week ago, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. It was so sudden that many countries and organizations that traded with them fell into chaos. And… that was our main trading partner, wasn’t it?”

“But what does that have to do with me…?”

“A week ago, we knew you were with the one-armed man who destroyed Boska. Our organization members were near there at the time! We had information that the rumored black Saintess and her porter were with the man who destroyed Boska!”

What? How did they know that? Damn it… I never imagined someone was watching us that night. It’s even more shocking that Aria didn’t notice them either. Aria, who had even detected Riera’s Siren’s Song before… Wait. Aria. By now, she must have realized I’m gone and be utterly despairing, right?!

“Hahahaha! You seem greatly shocked! This woman beside me is my loyal subordinate, who was formerly a slave! You could say she’s a fixer who swore loyalty to me and resolves all my problems!”

“To choose to sacrifice others for your freedom… Anyway, I was only talking to that man for a moment. We have no other connection to him besides that….”

“Do you know why I kidnapped you and not the Saintess? Saintesses are tight-lipped! But… a porter is someone who would betray their master for their own life at any moment! So… if you don’t want to die, tell me the man’s location, yellow-haired one!!”

I see… They kidnapped me, the easy target, to find the location of the twenty mana. This is bad… I left my luggage at that restaurant, so all I have is… just one thing. And the location of the twenty men? How would I know that?!

“Alright, I’ll show you mercy! I’ll let you live! But… if you don’t want to become a slave, you’ll have to tell me the man’s location!!”

“…So your mercy means letting me live a life more painful than death?”

“What does it matter! Living is what’s important, isn’t it! Hahahaha! Then, inform me by tomorrow, yellow-haired one! Ah… no. I’m impatient! I’ll call you back here in an hour! You’d better think carefully until then. Take him away!”

“Yes, Captain Artyun!”

“Melian! Patrol the inside of the hideout!”

“Yes, Captain.”

When Artyun, the man in the chair, commanded Melian beside him, Melian immediately went outside to patrol the hideout. Her expression didn’t change. The others were enjoying themselves, but she remained still, like a doll. The moment Artyun’s subordinates were about to take me to the prison, Artyun spoke to me.

“Are you surprised too? Melian lost all emotion when she was tortured as a slave. That’s why she’s like a doll now…”

“Ah… So that’s why you had no qualms about kidnapping me from the bathroom… Hey, Captain-nim… Kidnapping me… might have been a big mistake. You should think carefully too…”

“Hahaha! You’ve got quite the guts!”

Artyun laughed loudly at my words, then kicked me in the abdomen. Ugh… That hurts…. He seems to be a man with strong physical abilities. Artyun gestured to his subordinates as he returned to his chair, and the subordinates dragged me across the floor towards the prison. Aria must be worried about me… Meanwhile, just as I thought, Aria was…

“Sis… Sister! Let’s go together!!”

“Zeke-nim… Zeke-nim… Zeke-nim… I have to find him… Zeke-nim… Zeke-nim…”

With a blank look in her eyes, she was looking around, searching for Zeke. As if Zeke’s sudden disappearance, or rather, her not knowing he was kidnapped, was a huge shock and fear, Aria suddenly started scratching her head fiercely, self-harming, as she walked. Behind her was Karina, who had urgently left Zeke’s luggage at the restaurant and was following Aria.

“Sister!! Calm down!!! You won’t find him just by searching like that…”

“Don’t call Zeke-nim so casually… I’ll find Zeke-nim… I can’t trust anyone… Everyone is a danger to Zeke-nim… Don’t interfere…!!”

‘She’s even using informal speech…’

Karina immediately realized that Aria’s mind was as chaotic as her disheveled hair. Aria was dragging her golden staff along the ground, focused only on finding Zeke. Her trust in others was completely shattered to the point where she couldn’t even trust other people.

“F-first, Sister! What’s around us…”

“I have to find Zeke-nim… I have to find Zeke-nim… I have to find Zeke-nim…”

“Gasp?!”

Hearing Aria repeat “I have to find Zeke-nim” without listening to her, Karina was greatly startled and collapsed onto the spot. Furthermore, whether Karina collapsed or not, Aria just kept walking forward, mumbling about having to find Zeke.

‘She… she can’t hear me at all… What do I do?! How am I supposed to find my brother with her like this?!’

Karina was truly at a loss. She didn’t know how to find Zeke with Aria, who wasn’t even listening to her. Fortunately, it was an empty street, so no one saw Aria’s sudden strange behavior. If someone had seen her, it was obvious they would have seen Aria not as the black Saintess, but as a crazy woman.

“What should I do…? How…”

“Oh my. I didn’t expect to see you here…?”

“Huh…?”

A woman with long red hair and green clothes stood before Aria and Karina, then looked at Aria and was greatly surprised. Certainly, Aria’s current appearance was so ruined that even a stranger would be deeply shocked.

“Heavens… Saintess, why is your hair like this… Huh? But where is Zeke-nim?”

“…Zeke-nim… search…? You…?”

“You don’t know me? I’m Riera! Zeke-nim and the Saintess saved me from a bad path…!!”

As Riera, in her human form, introduced herself, Aria suddenly began to choke Riera’s neck with her right hand. Riera then struggled to breathe and desperately grabbed Aria’s arm that was choking her. Karina was also greatly shocked and wrapped her arms around Aria’s waist, trying to pull Aria away from Riera.

“Ugh… Ugh… Sa-Saintess, what on earth… happened…”

“It’s you, isn’t it…? You, who harmed Zeke-nim… You kidnapped Zeke-nim…!!”

“Ugh… W-what are you talking about?! I just happened to run into you while I was here to sing… What happened… Ugh…”

“Lies… Don’t lie… Die… Die…!!”

As Riera desperately tried to pull Aria’s arm away, looking as if she would truly die, Karina shrieked in alarm.

“Aaaah!! Sister, stop it!! Finding Zeke is the priority, isn’t it?!”

“Ah…!”

Hearing Karina’s words, Aria let go of Riera’s hand, grabbed her staff again, and began to walk forward weakly. Karina approached Riera, who was coughing from the aftereffects of being choked, and asked.

“Who are you, sister?! Do you know Zeke, by any chance?!”

“Cough… cough… What happened…? Seeing the Saintess react like that, it seems something happened to Zeke-nim…”

“I think Zeke was kidnapped… While Aria and I were talking, Zeke was…”

“Gasp… Wh-what did you say? Ki-kidnapped? So that’s why Aria-nim is like that…”

“But who are you, sister…?”

“I am Riera, a minstrel fairy who owes a great debt to Zeke-nim and the Saintess. But… for such a thing to happen here… Phew… I understand the situation. Black Saintess!!”

Aria just walked weakly forward, seemingly not hearing Riera’s cry. Then she suddenly started scratching her head fiercely, which deeply shocked Riera.

“W-what is that…”

“She’s been like that for a while! If we don’t find him quickly, Sister might be in danger too…”

“I see… Black Saintess!!! Do you want to find Zeke-nim…?!!!”

The moment Zeke’s name was mentioned, Aria turned her head towards her, which startled Riera. And at that moment, Aria quickly approached Riera and said to her.

“So it was you, you bastard, who kidnapped him… How dare you kidnap Zeke-nim…? You took Zeke-nim away from me….”

“I don’t know where Zeke-nim is either!!”

“What…?”

“But I’m a fairy! I can use sound and wind to pinpoint Zeke-nim’s location! So, snap out of it, Saintess!!”

“Lies… I can’t trust you… I’ll find him alone… I don’t need anyone else’s help…”

“Don’t be stubborn, Saintess! How will you find him…”

“Shut up… I can find Zeke-nim without help from someone like you… Don’t interfere….”

As Aria stubbornly kept staring at her with bloodshot eyes, Riera gulped and bravely asked Aria.

“Why don’t you want help…?!”

“I alone am enough for Zeke-nim… Everyone else, get lost… Get lost…!!! Get lost!!!”

Aria suddenly started scratching her head fiercely, which made Karina and Riera greatly startled. They then tried to block Aria’s arms with their entire bodies. But Aria continued to scream as if her mind had broken.

“I know how much the Saintess loves Zeke-nim! I knew it when you kept Eli in check! Still, shouldn’t you do anything for someone precious to you?!”

“What do you know…!!!”

“I know too!!! I know too!!!”

“…. What?”

“I also tried to protect my family, to keep them from being humiliated by others, even buying the Siren’s Song! But Zeke-nim and the Saintess were the ones who saved us, weren’t you! I also need to repay that kindness!!”

“How is that the same!!”

“You were the first outsiders to help us! Because no one else cared about us!! Everyone shunned our family, calling us a family of philanderers!! So please trust me!!”

“But I don’t need help from others…!”

“If you don’t receive our help, the Saintess might lose Zeke-nim forever!!! Weren’t you willing to do anything for Zeke-nim?!”

“…. Anything… Zeke-nim….”

Aria seemed greatly agitated by Riera’s words, and the strength in her arms gradually loosened. But unable to stop Aria yet, Karina, who was clinging to her waist, desperately cried out to Aria.

“Aaaah… Sister! For Zeke, you’ll need others’ help too! So please, snap out of it and let’s go find Zeke together! You’re not the only one who owes Zeke a debt!”

“…”

“Didn’t Zeke help you when you were alone, Sister?! What you’re trying to do now is the complete opposite of what Zeke would want!!”

“…. Zeke-nim….”

The words that Karina and Riera had said, blocking her with their whole bodies, finally seemed to reach Aria. She lowered her hand that had been scratching her head and pulled out a comb from her inner pocket. Then she tidied her disheveled hair and let out a deep sigh.

“…. To save Zeke-nim… I must do anything… Still, I don’t wish to receive help from others….”

“But saving Zeke-nim is more important, Saintess… It seems I’ve become the one to stop you this time…”

“…. It’s not welcome, but… I will accept your opinion, Fairy… No… What was your name again?”

“…. It’s Riera.”

“…..? The Riera I saw before didn’t have this human form…”

“Ah, we Melodian Fairies all use magic to transform into humans to live in harmony with them. All my sisters are currently wandering minstrels and use this magic. So, Saintess. What is your answer?”

“…Please help me find Zeke-nim… I ask you…”

As Aria bowed respectfully at the waist and made her request, Riera closed her eyes and began to sense something. Then, as if she realized something, she nodded and opened her mouth.

“Hmm… I’ve been pinpointing the source of sounds. It seems there’s an underground facility here… I think that’s where he is.”

“…! Underground… To get in there…”

“Follow me. I will guide you, Saintess.”