Chapter 33
Angeline is feeling exhausted .
It’s a normal summer night . The door and windows let the evening breeze run through the old bar; its cooling touch godsend upon the skin . There is a creaking lamp hanging from the eaves of the front door casting a warm amber glow .
Angelina sifts her way through the establishment’s customers, the dancing shadows fly across her face as she takes a free seat at the bar . Miriam and Anessa are not with her today, making the conversations around her seem far louder than they actually were . On the other side of the counter, the bartender quietly tends to his customers, pouring wine into an empty glass .
The black-haired Valkyrie can’t help but let out an exasperated sigh . Despite all her valiant efforts, Angeline has not been able to find a good match for her father . She has already tried several times, but the reactions of Yuri, Rosetta, and Maria seemed far too unfavourable .
She had been so sure that people would be lining up to meet her father . I mean, he was the Red Ogre himself; why was it so difficult?
“Here . You’ll ruin your beauty if you keep on frowning like that . ”
The bar owner casually slid a plate of sautéed duck meat and a glass of cold wine in front of Angeline . The startled girl looks up at the bar owner who immediately went back to drying the glassware in front of him . She watched as his hands twirled and moved with elegance and grace from years of experience .
Slowly, she lifts the glass and takes a sip . The wine is fresh and pleasant, and judging by the unnatural cooling texture, Angeline reckoned it must have been stored in a magical refrigerated cellar .
Swirling the wine in her glass, a sudden thought struck her . Now that she really thought about it, the bar owner also appeared to be single .
Angeline is not actually sure as the bartender hardly ever talks, but he seems to be the same age as Belgriff . And every time she’s visited the bar, she’s never seen a woman who could be his wife, or kids who could be his children . This middle-aged man also seems to be alone, just like her father .
“Excuse me,” Angeline gently places down her glass . The bar owner silently raises his gaze as he finishes the glasses and begins spreading butter in a frying pan on the stove .
“Do you ever intend to get married, mister bar owner?”
The bartender blinked .
“No . ”
Seeing as Angeline immediately went silent, the bar owner returns his attention to the frying pan in his hand, making sure to evenly spread the butter around . However, Angeline pipes up again .
“Have you… ever thought about marriage?”
“No . ”
The bar owner cracks an egg on the side of the pan and begins to stir quickly as it begins to immediately sizzle . His hands are a blur as he adds salt and some spices and very soon a pleasant aroma starts spreading through the air .
“So… do you ever feel lonely?”
“I don’t have time to feel lonely . ”
After a couple of flips of the egg, he flicked it onto a nearby white plate, adding a dash of sauce in a smiley face on the plate . He slides it down the counter .
“Table four . ”
“Understood . ”
One of the young employees quickly walks past and takes up the plate before swiftly walking away . The bar owner quickly throws the frying pan under a stream of cold water and grabs another pan . He then adds a little olive oil, setting aside the next batch of bacon and meatballs .
Angeline lifts her glass once more sips at it with a thoughtful look . “You know… you remind me a lot of my daddy, mister bar owner . You’re both single, you both work really hard, and you’re both really good at what you do…”
“…Did she die?”
“Hmm?”
“Your mother… did she pass away?”
“Ah . No . Daddy’s never been married . He adopted me when I was a baby . ”
“I see . ”
At that moment, a voice is heard from the dining room ordering something . The bar owner turns away from the pan for a split second . A few seconds later a martini ends up sliding into the clerk’s hand .
“Table four . ”
“I tried to find a wife for daddy, and even talked to some people who might be interested . But none of them seemed interested and I don’t know why . ”
The bar owner remains silent and sprinkles some liquor in the pan . It bursts into flames, but he remains calm as he stirs it slowly . He adds a little tomato puree before turning the stove to a lower heat .
“I’m going to be honest with you here . I know nothing about your father nor the people you talked to, so I can’t accurately say why things aren’t working out for you . But think of it this way . It’s hard to express a sincere opinion if you don’t know the other person’s face . ”
“So I should give them a portrait of daddy?”
“That’s your call . ”
The meat that was left to simmer soon found itself on a plate . Freshly baked bread was thrown on the side and soon it was being carried away by one of the employees .
“Table three . ”
“Yes~ . ”
Meanwhile, Angeline was talking to herself . “A portrait… Yes, that might work . Hey mister bar owner . Do you know anyone who can draw portraits?”
“Nope . But you have a lot of contacts, don’t you?”
“I suppose there are some options…”
The bar owner moves a bit away from Angeline, takes some cheese and salami from the shelf and slices them . Then he puts them on a plate and sprinkles them with a few drops of olive oil and finally puts it next to Angeline .
“But if I were you, I wouldn’t do that . ”
“What? Why?”
“You’re looking for the perfect woman for your father, right? What if you found her and then your father ends up rejecting her? The woman could be left with a shattered heart . ”
Angeline frowned .
It certainly could happen . If one of the prospects ends up accepting Angeline’s proposal and travels to Tornela to meet Belgriff, but he rejects her, it would be an extremely embarrassing moment for everyone .
Had she been taking marriage too lightly? It was after all a life-changing decision . It’s not that Yuri, Rosetta, or Marie were in the wrong . Angeline had just been too unfair in dealing with something so delicate in such a one-sided way . She could permanently affect the relationship and the feelings of these people in a very peculiar way .
At the thought of this, Angeline feels dejected by her immature attitude .
“You… may be right . ”
“Well . It’s not my place to talk about other people’s affairs . The decision is yours in the end . ”
The bar owner dries the freshly washed dishes and places them on a shelf . Then he takes the sausages out of the fire, places them on a plate together with some pickled vegetables . When he’s done, he puts butter again in a hot pan .
Angeline finishes her glass of wine, takes a coin from her wallet and places it on the counter .
“I need a bottle, mister bar owner . ”
A blur and a bottle appeared in Angeline’s hand . She immediately drinks three full glasses in quick succession and rests her blushing cheek on the palm of her hand .
“But I really want to have a mother… what should I do?”
“To begin with, I think the marriage interview is overdoing it . We’re not nobles . ”
“Trruueee…”
In that case, Angeline doesn’t need to mention a marriage interview to get the prospects to Tornela . When women see him in person, they will surely fall madly in love with Belgriff’s charms . That would put an end to the search .
“Made up your mind?” asks the bar owner when he sees Angeline’s devious smile .
“Fufu~ . Thank you, bar owner . You have a way with words you know that? “
With that said, Angeline takes another coin out of her wallet and puts it on the counter . The bar owner frowned and set aside the plate of sautéed duck meat .
“What do you want to order?”
“Fried sausage with olives… and tomatoes . ”
After embracing the food, Angeline continued drinking all afternoon . By the time she leaves the bar, the night wind is already sharp and a bit on the chilly side . The wind blowing in the street feels nice on her cheeks blushing from the alcohol .
Angeline starts walking home with a sloppy grin on her lips . The moonlight shines on the cobblestone road . Two cats run out from the shadows of the alleyway, disappearing into the night . A couple of drunkards lie around and a small group of soldiers patrol .
A drunk tries to approach Angeline seeing as she was alone, but a single look at her S Rank tag and they quickly walk away from her without saying more . That or it could be the death glares from said adventurer .
“I’ll go back in autumn . Hmmm, but Yuri will be at the Guild as a receptionist, chances are Rosetta will be busy at the orphanage . I wonder if Granny Mary could join me…?”
Angeline already wants to eat fresh berries and see her father again . However, she didn’t want to go home too soon and upset Belgriff . That’s why she didn’t come back during the summer . The long wait has made her longing to return home even greater .
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At first, Angeline was planning to go straight to her house, but since the moon is looking beautiful in all its glory, the night breeze being pleasant to the skin; she decides to take a nice stroll instead . Although life in Orphen is much noisier and more dynamic than in Tornela, it also has these moments of tranquillity that Angeline enjoys so much . It’s a very pleasant feeling, especially after a good drink .
The lampposts line up on the road in perfect symmetry . The amber lights warmly illuminate the ground in a holy glow .
While Angeline is strolling through the night, she distinguishes shadows moving through an alley behind her . Her ears pick up the slightest trail of light footsteps, her eyes hone in on the outline of shadows that move in the darkness .
When she gets to the alley, Angeline notices a boy and a girl . Both have completely white hair . A heart beat, then a glare . Her hand fell towards her sword as she silently approached . Her other hand slips around Byaku’s neck as he turns around to see who it was . He is instead greeted with a wall pushed up into his face .
“Try to move and I will kill you . Raise your voice, and I will also kill you . Take your pick . ”
Charlotte, who was about to scream, quickly stifles her mouth .
“So tell me, what are you guys doing here?” Angeline hissed as she glared at the both of them .
“Nothing . ”
Angeline’s knee buries itself into Byaku’s stomach .
“I will never forgive you for what you did in Bordeaux . So I ask again, what are you doing here?”
Byaku let out a stifled chuckled as he tried to catch his breath . “And what are you going to do? Kill us?”
“Give me a reason not too . ”
Her icy glare bore down on the boy, her grip tightened around his neck and Byaku started to choke . Slowly, she unsheathed her blade . However, something small and soft clings to her arm . As she looks down, Angeline realizes it’s Charlotte’s hand, clutching at her with all her might .
“No! I beg of you, please! Don’t kill us!”
“I will not forgive you just because you’re children . ”
“Please! I apologize! We’ll do whatever you tell us to do! Please forgive us!”
“How many people asked the same thing of you before you killed them?!”
Charlotte is crying and begging, but Angeline shakes her arm off with ease and the girl falls to the ground . A small bag comes off the girl’s waist and several coins are scattered on the floor .
“Where did you get that money, huh? Did you kill the owners as well?” Angeline asked with disdain .
“W-We thought… we’d… g-give… it back…” Byaku manages to say with difficulty trying to grasp for air .
“What?” asks Angeline, watching as the boy’s face slowly turns blue .
“We made a lot of money cheating people . But after you stopped us in Bordeaux, we put that life aside . We plan to return the money to as many families as we can . ”
“Do you really think I’m going to believe that?!”
“It doesn’t matter! We’re really going to do it!”
Angeline sees Charlotte stand up . Watching her more closely, she realizes that the girl’s dress is dirty and ragged . In fact, they are both in deplorable condition . Angeline’s eyes move back and forth between the two . She bites her lip, shutting her eyes so she can’t see the two, as if telling herself to not care about their situation .
She yells and plunges her sword into the ground, releasing Byaku from her hold . Charlotte looks up in amazement, expecting to have already died .
“I won’t forgive you,” Angeline forces out, her hands balled into a tight fist, her entire body shaking uncontrollably . “I will never forgive you… but I won’t dirty my blade with someone that won’t even defend themselves . ”
Charlotte’s eyes start to water before she breaks out into mushy sobs . “Thank you so much! Uuuhh!”
Seeing her like this, Byaku looks at Angeline with a hateful look in his eyes . He looks her up and down .
“You… are way too strong… despite being a twig . ”
“Shut up . ”
Angeline pulls Charlotte up and shoves a tissue into her hand .
“How much longer do you plan to keep crying? You’re making me look like the villain here . ”
“I-I’m sorry…”
Charlotte buries her face within the tissue . When Angeline sees the younger girl slowly relax, she sighs and turns her head towards Byaku .
“There are a lot of things I want to ask you . I’m sure you know a lot of things . ”
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“…We can’t answer anything . ” Byaku answers, looking away from Angeline .
Angeline’s eyes narrow dangerously . “What do you mean?”
Suddenly, Angeline feels a strong bloodlust behind her and immediately pulls out her sword from the ground . Without warning, a knife flies out of the dark alley . Angeline pulls Charlotte towards her and deflects the knife with her sword . The knife scatters harmlessly onto the ground, a trickle of something familiar irritates Angeline’s nose .
“Poison… how cowardly . ”
The knife, however, hadn’t been aimed at her, that much was easy to tell . The trajectory was terrible if she was the target, so that left only one option .
“How many people want to kill you?”
“Shut up and mind your own business,” Byaku says as he raises his hands .
Suddenly, an explosion is heard along with the sound of rocks and boxes being destroyed . Several people rushed out of their hiding places . They all wear the same tunics and masks .
Charlotte trembles upon seeing them, her face is filled with terror .
“Inquisitors…”
“Who?” Angeline asks, turning to face the new arrivals . By now they were all armed with swords .
The assailants are incredibly agile and with quick movements climbed up the walls of the buildings in the alley and surround Angeline .
“Who are these guys? Do you know them? Why are they attacking you?”
“They’re from Lucressia . As for who they are, their basically agents of the church… they hunt down those that have sinned . ”
As if on cue, the first assailant blurs forward . Angeline watches his movements; clearly and precisely aimed for Charlotte as if Angeline wasn’t in his sight at all . Angeline felt like she was being looked down upon .
She pushes back Charlotte gently towards Byaku, the sword barely missing her neck, before sending back the assailant skidding across the ground with a powerful kick . His mask flies away, scattering on the ground . He looks back towards Angeline, his blank eyes bore into hers in an empty manner .
“He looks like… like a puppet… are they all like that?”
Behind Angeline, an explosion is heard and an assailant is knocked out of the air . Byaku sends her a condescending look . “Don’t let your guard down, twig . ”
Angeline growls back at him . “I never lower my guard . ”
“Hmph…”
All the assailants charge forward, Byaku pushes Charlotte behind him before raising both his hands . A golden defensive runic pattern erupts, catching all the blades in it’s glow . Angeline’s blade flies out, catching multiple swords in a block, her hand and a leg holding back the arms of the assailants on her side . For a split second, no one moves . The golden magical shield expands before exploding, sending the attackers flying . At the same time, Angeline sweeps her blade in an arc, sending her attacks skidding back across the ground .
Charlotte looks on in both fear and awe at the two backs protecting her .
Byaku peers back at Angeline . “Their minds have been lost to drugs and magic . They will never stop trying to kill their target . ”
“How cruel . Is there a way to cure them?”
“…No . ”
Suddenly, a pale golden light begins to illuminate the area . Byaku’s magical pattern bursts into life . At the same time, a loud, unpleasant noise is heard . As she turns, Angeline sees an assailant being crushed into the ground, killing them like an insect .
“T-That’s inhuman,” Angeline stammers .
“Welcome to reality, twig . ”
The assailants rush forward once more at the same time and all hell breaks loose . Byaku blocks the first strike with another golden shield, before sending the attacker flying into his friend . Angeline parries the next strike, uppercutting him with her palm before sending her attacker rolling backward . Behind her, she heard Byaku’s magic crush more of his assailants’ bones into the ground .
Angeline wants to feel sick at the thought of random people being killed . With her mind in disarray, a blade passes by a cuts her lightly on her cheek as she barely dodged in time .
“Put aside your sense of justice, twig . They’re long gone already . If you want to spare them, give them a peaceful death . ”
Angeline grits her teeth . She blocks another blade, breathing heavily as she catches one of her assailants within her grasp . Behind her, she hears another body get squished by Byaku . Growling, she pushes her doubts to the back of her mind and crushes her assailant’s neck .
From then on with Byaku, Angeline is like a whirlwind of death . She closes her heart to these random strangers . By the time she is done, Angeline wipes the blood from her sword . She frowns at the blood, feeling it fall past her fingers .
“This was inhuman…”
And to think that until a few moments ago, she had been drinking peacefully . Feeling awake and sober, Angeline turns to Byaku and Charlotte and beckons them with her head .
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“Let’s go . I don’t know what your circumstances are, but there are things I need to ask you . ”
Byaku turns to see Charlotte and the girl nods silently .
“Thank you very much . ”
Charlotte is shaking visibly . Right now she looks like a normal little girl . Angeline finds it hard to believe that this is the same girl who nearly brought Bordeaux to its knees . Thinking of the events that just happened and the sudden lost personality of Charlotte, Angeline’s eyes narrow as it becomes evident that another puppetmaster is the one pulling the strings behind Charlotte .
The three quietly made their way through the city, making sure to keep to the shadows as best as they can . They arrive at Angeline’s rented room . The room is relatively small, but it can accommodate three people without major problems .
Angeline locks the door and pulls the curtains shut .
“Sit . ”
Charlotte shyly sits in a chair while Byaku stands behind her .
Angeline pours water into the teapot and puts it in an oven with a small flame stone powering it . She slips off her coat before grabbing a nearby chair and facing it towards the Charlotte, before unceremoniously plopping in front of Charlotte . For the first time since they met, Angelina observes her closely . Her hair, once white and beautiful, is now dirty and disheveled, as are her clothes .
“What exactly are the Inquisitors of Lucressia?”
“They are agents who work for the Church of Lucressia under the direct orders of the Pope . They are in charge of hunting down heretics or those who oppose the Church . ”
“Huh, that so? And why are they chasing you?”
Although Charlotte seems distressed, she finally begins to speak as if she had made up her mind .
She was born in the house of a cardinal from Lucressia . After being involved in a power struggle, the other cardinals finally accused her and her family of being heretics, just because Charlotte is an albino . Her parents were prosecuted, but managed to help their daughter escape . After wandering through dark streets and alleys, she encountered individuals seeking to revive Solomon’s doctrine, which eventually led her to attack Bordeaux and ultimately lose to Angeline and her party .
Charlotte had a somber expression as she spoke .
“I wanted to stop them… to get revenge . I hate the Vienna Doctrine, but now I don’t think my parents would be happy if they knew what I’ve been doing so far . But to think they would send Inquisitors…”
Angeline frowned as she prepared the tea infusion and boiled water .
“So you’re a traitor in their eyes? That’s why they send those agents . And no matter where you go, they’ll follow you until you are dead, correct?”
“Y-Yes . ”
Charlotte tries to remain strong, but soon can’t help but bury her face into her hands, breaking out into uncontrollable sobs . Angeline lets out a sigh and puts a cup of floral tea in front of the girl .
“Drink . It’ll help calm you down . ”
Angeline turns to Byaku .
“I can’t let you guys leave, not without fully understanding what’s going on here . I still have many questions, but it’s getting late . You’ll both be sleeping here tonight . ”
“You’re awfully trusting all of a sudden, twig . Aren’t you afraid I’ll try to kill you in your sleep?”
“Do you really think you can?”
Byaku frowned but said nothing more .
With a gentle expression, Angeline stands up and approaches Charlotte .
“And for the record…”
Charlotte looks up at Angeline who grabs at her hair gently, letting it fall from her fingers slowly . “Your hair is beautiful . ”
Charlotte feels her heart race, unable to look into Angeline’s eyes . She lets out a small smile .
“But it’s also a mess so I’ll give you a bath tomorrow . ”
“T-Thank you . ”
“I still haven’t forgiven you yet,” Angeline continues . “That’s why I’m taking you back to Bordeaux to apologize properly . Okay? Until then, I’ll keep you safe . ”
“Y-Yes!”
Seeing Charlotte’s relieved face, Angeline can finally see that she really is just a ten-year-old girl .