After waiting for some time, there was no signs of Alexia calming down, with no choices left I had to act bit tough. "Okay that enough. Stop crying."
The weeping girl did not pay any attention to me whatsoever. "Ugh. Stop crying!" I grabbed her hand and pulled her up to look at me, her eyes were red and moist from crying nonstop. "You asked me why I take you for dinner, right? You wanted to understand my reasons, right? Come with me."
I forcefully dragged her to the edge of the city, in a small yet familiar tent. "Where are you taking me? Let go!"
Despite her wails, I only let go once we reached our destination, an old military cafeteria. As expected, it was empty and deserted, yet the smell of strong alcohol lingered in the air.
"What are you doing here, kids? Shoo! Go away before I call the guards." The old man behind the bartender warned us, his eyes lingered on Alexia.
I reached to coin pouch and tossed a bronze coin at him. "Keep quiet, we are here to see the prisoners."
The old man caught coin and smirked. "Please take your time."
As we descended the rotted wooden stairs, Alexia felt her stomach turning upside down from the foul smell. "Altaris. I-I don't like this place. Can we go back?"
I ignore her plea. She reaches to hold my shoulder as we traverse through the dark and cramped pathway. Dora jumps of my shoulder and runs off somewhere, though I couldn't care less about her. "We are here." I say while standing in front of a cell, the darkness was too much to see inside.
"What is this? Is this some kind of beast cage?" I truly pitied her words, at that time for a moment I regretted bringing her here but afterall she was child.
Suddenly Dora ran passed by us and clanged on my leg. 'There are huge rodents here! HIEK! They will rape me! Please, Altaris! Save me!'
The very next second tens of large rodents began surfacing on the floor. I quickly conjectured a small fireball to scare the rodents away. "Damn witch! Why do you bring trouble with us? Alexia! Stand behind me while I keep them at bay."
I glanced at Alexia and was left in awe. She was not scared by the rodents, not even a tiny bit. Instead, my fireball provided enough visibility for her to peek inside the cage. Her body made contact with cold iron bars as she reached out in the cage. "Big sis?"
The small voice quickly broke into scream. "BIG SISTER! BIG SISTER! BIG SISTER!"
Alexia pulled the bars with force, she banged her head on it and yelled till her throat hurt. "IT'S ME! ALEX! ALEXIA, YOUR SIS! PLEASE!"
Helen who was in deep sleep woke up with a jerk, her first action was to cover her face and crawl to the other side. An instinct developed by severe trauma. "Don't come here! Stay away! Stay awa-"
She ate her own words when she recognized the person on the other side. "A-Alex?"
Helen forced herself to stand up. I noticed her limping all the way to Alexia. "It is you. Alexia! Oh! Thank the emperor. Oh!"
The two sisters hugged eachother through the iron cage and wept loudly.
While they were crying, I couldn't help but notice Helen, her condition was worse than before. She looked borderline tortured. Her body naked with red marks on her waist and thighs, her hair looked abysmal and I really couldn't compare her to the Helen I met when I first woke and saw.
"L-Let's go home, big sister. E-Everyone's waiting for you. Pleas c-come back home." To Alexia's desperate call, Helen could only smile.
"Altairs." The girl in distress who refused to acknowledge the scene in front of her turned to me. "Please tell big sister about how much everyone misses her. Tell her about brother Mel. Altaris, help me take her home. Please."
I silently stared at her while Alexia lightly pulled my coat in hope. "Why aren't you doing something?" She screamed at me. "SHE IS RIGHT THERE! DO SOMETHING! WHY ARE YOU-"
Then it finally hit her, the reason I accepted Tarma's contract, the reason I lied to Melsier, the reason I decided to help the kids. Alexia quietly let go, she was disturbingly calm. When she opened her mouth to speak, Helen leaned forward to listen. "How much do we need?"
I answered after three seconds. "100 gold coins."
Alexia stopped breathing, she stared at me with a stunned look, unable to process what she heard.
The silence stayed for few seconds before Helen broke it. "It's impossible. I am going to die in here. It's impossible! HAHA! I AM GOING TO DIE! I AM!" She began banging her head on the iron bar, so hard that it started to bleed.
"No! Stop, big sister!" Alexia tried to calm her down but nothing worked.
I gritted my teeth and grabbed Helen's head. 'Please work!'
I pumped my mana directly into her nervous system which fried her brain which forced her to lose consciousness. As soon as I let go, I felt my own head splitting apart in pain, I struggled to even stand still.
"Big sister! Big sister!"
Dora climbed on my head and looked down at me. 'Playing with mind spells so carelessly? Cheh. Cheh. Cheh.'
"Shut up."
"Oi! Are you done now? Visting time is over!" We turned back to see a silhouette of a solider, probably a city guard.
"Alexia, let's go now."
"But what about-" Seeing me in pain and the guard pressing her to return, she didn't argue much and reluctantly agreed.
On the way back, the guard disappeared somewhere. I could have seen him in my mana field but my throbbing head wouldn't let me focus. Once back, we stumbled into the old bartender. He initiated the conversation with a coin toss. "Keep your coin, kid. I couldn't say no to the governor."
I accept the coin and leave without a word.
It was raining heavily outside, just few minutes ago the weather was nice but now it was pouring. Despite that I stepped into the rain, Alexia followed behind, her dress was already dirty, a bit of rain couldn't do worse than dirt.
We walked silently until Alexia randomly asked. "Was this your reason?"
With my head throbbing, I could only nod.
She bit her lip so hard that it started to bleed. "I-I want to help."
I stopped in my tracks and heard Aleixa repeat. "I want to help you earn money."
She held her dress while sobbed for the millionth time today. "I d-don't to be treated as burden. L-Let me help, Altaris. Please."
Suddenly my heart skipped a beat, Alexia's desperate cry appealed to me as a confession for some reason. For the first time, I found Alexia attractive as woman. This moment was like a fever dream. A boy in suit hearing the cries of beautiful maiden in a dirty party dress, such moments only exist in romance novels. But instead of a confession this was a request.
'She is bleeding.' Dora whispered in my mind.
That's when I notice, Alexia's white dress has turned crimson in the bottom.
"Please."
I pump mana into my eyes and take off my black jacket.
"Altaris, say something. Please."
I kneel in front of her and tie my jacket to her skirt to hide the blood stain.
"Let me help."
After tying the jacket, I stand up and speak with a stern face. "No."