TSSAH 16

Chapter 16

“Mana Overdrive Drug?”

Deacon tilted his head as if hearing it for the first time.

But there was no way to know if that reaction was genuine.

After all, pretending not to know anything to extract information from the other party was a basic conversational tactic.

Deacon Gold had been acting overly friendly towards me, calling me his benefactor, but I mustn’t forget.

The person in front of me was one of Knox’s seven executives.

“I don’t know much about it either. Just… that it’s a drug that back-alley thugs take before they fight other gangs, something like that.”

“But you just mentioned ‘addiction symptoms,’ didn’t you? That would mean you’ve seen enough to recognize an addicted person.”

There it was.

He spotted the opening and pounced immediately.

I lowered my head and fidgeted with my innocent sleeve, looking troubled.

At that, Deacon seemed to judge that I was frightened and softened his voice again, coaxing me.

“It’s okay, Rookie. You can tell me.”

“I, I wasn’t lying or anything…”

I hesitated for a moment, gauging the timing, then opened my mouth.

“Before I came to Knox. When I had no money, I sometimes walked the back alleys at dawn. And occasionally, I’d find people who had passed out or were… dead, so I’d search their pockets and sometimes find money…”

“Oh my, that must have been very hard.”

“Anyway, sometimes I’d find bodies like the Green Merchant Guild Master, with purple foam on their mouths, and I learned later that if you take too much of the Overdrive drug, too often, you end up having seizures like that and dying.”

“Hmm.”

Deacon stroked his chin, lost in thought.

His face, which had seemed languid moments before, was now sharply focused.

I sipped my cold tea slowly, giving Deacon time.

He’d have a lot to think about.

I had used the words ‘too much, too often.’

In reality, addiction symptoms as severe as the Green Merchant Guild Master’s don’t appear from taking the Overdrive drug once or twice.

Someone had supplied him with the drug that frequently.

Someone who wanted the Green Merchant Guild Master to succeed in assassinating Killian Knox.

So right now, Deacon’s mind was probably racing through the names of organizations capable of such a deed.

‘For now, I’ve fed the suspicion that there’s an instigating group, but you never know.’

It could also be that someone harbored such a deep grudge against Killian Knox that they would procure illegal drugs from the back alleys and take them until they were addicted.

I knew from personal experience – I’d spent plenty of time pondering how to stab him to make it hurt more.

Just then, Deacon, who had been quiet, asked me.

“Where is Rookie’s hometown?”

“……Lobenhaven.”

“Ah, the territory on the border between the Empire and the Crown Kingdom.”

How did he know the name of that insignificant rural backwater?

While I was inwardly flustered, Deacon suddenly stood up from his seat.

He then staggered as if he were about to collapse.

“Oh dear.”

“Are you alright, Sir Deacon?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. I got a little dizzy from standing up suddenly. It’s a common occurrence while under a mana blocking agent. More importantly, I’m terribly sorry. I just remembered I have somewhere urgent to be.”

“Of course, I figured you’d be busy! I’m fine, please don’t worry about me!”

As I waved both hands and stood up to see him off, Deacon lowered the corners of his eyes and asked.

“You barely got to eat your cookies. You can stay and relax a bit longer. The tea must have gotten cold, I can have my adjutant bring you more…”

“No! I’m fine!”

I had endured earlier only because Deacon was present. If I were left alone and asked for more tea, who knew what that adjutant might try.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! It’s unthinkable for an outsider to be alone in the master’s office.”

I followed Deacon out of the office as he put on his coat, and said,

“Since I was able to give Sir Deacon a cookie.”

Through the closing gap of the door, I saw a window facing the western forest.

“I suppose I’ve achieved my goal as well.”

—

***

Mother’s embrace was warm.

After bathing in warm water every night, Mother would tell me old stories until I fell asleep.

It was precious time I could have her all to myself, something that became scarce after my younger brother, Lucas, was born.

—

“Helena, the moon is very bright tonight, isn’t it?”

“Yaawwwn, yes.”

—

A loving kiss landed on my forehead as I answered with a long yawn.

—

“My adorable baby.”

“Liar. You only ever say Lucas is cute every day.”

“Eung? Was our Helena feeling left out?”

“……I don’t know.”

—

Pretending to be sulky, I burrowed deeper into the warm embrace. Mother laughed and held me tighter.

—

“Let’s see, what kind of interesting story should I tell to cheer up our Helena?”

“The story about the Moon, the Stars, and the Crow.”

“Again?”

—

‘How many times is this now?’ The sound of Mother’s laughing voice brought a smile to my lips as well.

Even though my earlier jealousy had completely faded, I urged her on.

—

“Hurry up.”

“Alright, alright, I got it.”

—

Mother patted my back slowly and began the story.

—

A long, long time ago, in a time very, very far past.

It’s a story from when the world was still only filled with darkness.

In the sky, there was only the Moon.

The Moon shone alone in the night sky, illuminating the world.

But the Moon knew.

There were places even the Moon’s bright light could not reach.

Behind the mountains, inside the forests, deep down in the valleys, there were shadows that defied the moonlight.

So the Moon made the stars.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

At last, seven stars began to shine beside the Moon.

The stars tried their best, illuminating the places the Moon couldn’t reach.

The star behind the mountain, the star above the forest, the star overlooking the valley.

Now the night was no longer dark.

But you see, Helena.

There were things that remained unseen even when light touched them.

There were bad shadows, darkness that had learned to hide within the light.

They lurked secretly beneath the moonlight and starlight, plotting evil deeds.

No matter how brightly the stars shone, it was useless.

The Moon grew worried.

How to find what cannot be seen even when illuminated by light?

Just then, a crow flew in from somewhere and perched near the Moon.

It was a crow with feathers blacker than the night and red eyes.

The Moon asked.

「Who are you?」

The crow answered.

「I am called a crow, Moon. I was born in the shadows. And so, I know what they are hiding.」

「Is that true?」

The crow nodded.

「But you must help me, Moon. My eyes can see into the darkness, but if it’s too dark, I lose my way. Please lend me a little of your light, Moon. And the light of the Stars too. Then I can fly anywhere and find all the hidden shadows.」

The Moon smiled brightly and shared its brilliant moonlight with the crow.

The seven stars also each gave a handful of their own light.

The crow was finally able to hold the moonlight and starlight beneath its feathers and take flight with great power.

From that night on, the crow flew through the darkness.

Whenever it discovered a shadow hiding in the light, it would quickly inform the Moon.

Because the crow’s feathers were so black, no one knew it was flying around.

But the crow saw everything.

Then one day, on a night when the Moon had fallen into a deep slumber and shed no moonlight.

A very large, terrifying darkness tried to swallow the Moon.

Neither the Moon nor the Stars knew the darkness was approaching.

Because it was a darkness that had learned to hide in the light, like a shadow.

But the crow saw it.

The crow flew towards the Moon with all its might.

And it cried out as loudly as it could, until its voice almost broke.

「Moon, danger! The bad darkness is coming!」

At that cry, the Moon awoke from its slumber, and the Stars gathered their light all at once.

The darkness could not withstand that light and scattered away.

Since that day, the Moon has not spent a night without the crow.

The crow is always near the Moon, seeing what no one else can see, hearing what no one else can hear, and if the Moon is in danger, it flies and warns the Moon faster than anyone.

So, Helena, don’t be afraid if you happen to see a crow flying in the night sky.

That crow is flying diligently, guarding the Moon even while we sleep.

—

“Mother, you know what.”

—

After the story ended, I said to Mother.

—

“The reason I like this story is… because it seems like the Moon won’t be lonely anymore. That’s why I like it. And actually.”

—

I cupped my still-small hands and whispered into Mother’s ear.

—

“When I grow up, I’m going to become a crow. The crow that’s the Moon’s closest friend.”

—

But Mother reacted strangely.

I thought she would praise me, saying, ‘Our Helena will become a wonderful crow!’

Instead, her hands gripping my shoulders felt only forceful.

—

“Ow, Mother… that hurts…”

“Helena, no. That’s not what you need to remember!”

“Mother?”

“Remember, my baby.”

—

My Mother’s wide-open eyes were clearly bloodshot.

—

“The crow is always watching you.”