December Thirty-First:
The tenth year of the war
Near the King's Garden was the First Merchants' Pass, a small rest stop before the Capital. This small place was called Novara Village.
On this day of the year, the streets were bustling with all kinds of merchants and travelers. The passages and squares were filled with people since five in the morning.
Even in a place as crowded as this, there was one small shop made in the old Asian style. A 'Closed' sign hung on the door, even at eight o'clock.
In front of that door stood a masked boy, and next to him, a little girl with her eyes covered by a cloth, wearing a green apple pendant around her neck.
The boy removed his mask and said to the girl, "We've arrived. This is the place you'll be working."
The girl gasped, astonished by what he said, and replied enthusiastically, "So this is the Scammer's place!"
The boy laughed at her reaction, knowing she couldn't see anything. Yet, she reacted to every little thing as if she were a normal child.
"Usually, the owner might seem irresponsible, but he's surprisingly serious. So, try not to say that in front of him; he might genuinely get angry."
The boy knocked on the door, but there was no response, yet he stood waiting. After five minutes, he asked permission to enter and opened the door. The shop was an empty space. All that was there was a desk, facing two opposing sofas with a small table between them. Behind the desk, a person had his feet up on the table, hands clasped on his chest, sleeping in a strange position on his chair, his face covered by a small notebook.
He sensed people entering the place and stood up to greet them, assuming they were customers. He staggered as he got to his feet, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with his fingers. His appearance was closer to a military commander than a merchant. He wore long, black leather boots, and his suit resembled a pristine white military uniform. His long white hair was the most attention-grabbing feature; he had it tied and resting on his chest.
When he finished rubbing his sleepy eyes, he said, "Welcome. We haven't opened the shop yet, so please leave."
He had the same eyes as the boy standing before him, but their golden color gave them a calm and cool aura. His eyes met the boy's, and the boy waved, saying, "Long time no see. How are you, Scammer?"
The girl echoed him, waving, "Hello! Pleased to meet you, Mr. Scammer."
With sleepy eyes, the owner looked at the girl, then shifted his gaze to Itsuki, saying, "Oh, Itsuki, long time. What happened to you? Did you finally change your profession to a slave trader?"
"What did you think I was all this time?"
The girl asked eagerly, "As I expected, it seems he has a history, right, Mr. Scammer?"
"How long are you going to continue with these fantasies?"
The owner watched them, yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He interrupted their argument with a question, "So, who is this rude little girl? Unfortunately, I don't have experience in organ trade."
The boy replied, barely maintaining his composure due to their absurd joking, "Absurd—or rather, disgusting. Anyway, this girl is Lina. I want you to find her a job with you."
The girl smiled and spoke to Itsuki, saying, "You two seem close."
The boy answered, a cold look on his face—though 'cold' wasn't the best description, it looked more like weariness. "Why do you think that?"
"Because scammers and thieves are good friends, aren't they?"
They both stood looking at the girl without any reaction. Then the owner turned and said, "Alright, never mind. I'm going to wash my face. Sit anywhere you like. I actually prefer it if you leave by the time I return."
A few hours later, both the owner and Itsuki were sitting around a small table, resting their heads on their palms, looking at the girl sitting near them. The owner lifted his head and sat up straight, crossing his arms, and said, "I roughly understand what you're trying to say, but what can I make a girl like her do?"
At that moment, a woman entered the shop, wearing round, blue glasses—it seemed to be a fashion choice, as she didn't appear to have an eye condition. She had her long black hair styled in a low bun that flowed smoothly behind her head. She was wearing a thick woolen jacket to protect her from the initial harshness of the usual winter cold.
Upon entering, she said, "Good morning," without lifting her eyes. She quickly noticed the presence of both Lina and Itsuki. Itsuki responded, "Oh, long time no see. Are you still working for this scammer, Ms. Camellia?"
"What? It's you. I thought Mr. Aishin finally started working properly and accepting customers. I should have known that nothing could make him open the shop at this hour except for an annoyance like you."
Itsuki was gradually becoming lazier until he leaned his back against the wall and began slowly sliding down. He didn't try to interact with Camellia's reply and said without moving his body, "You're still as cold as I remember you. That's why you still haven't gotten married."
"I don't want to hear that from someone like you specifically. Anyway, have you finally started slave trading, Mr. Aishin?"
Itsuki replied on his behalf, "Is that joke popular now?!"
At that time, the owner, Aishin, had dozed off slightly and quickly woke from his nap. He hadn't realized his assistant had arrived yet, so when he saw her, he said, "Oh, good morning, Camellia. Can you make us some tea?"
Camellia replied while searching for something in her bag, "Make it yourself. I'm not a secretary here."
She pulled a stack of papers from her bag and said, "Anyway, who is this girl? No—no need to answer. It must be something ridiculous, anyway. Also, it seems you forgot what we discussed about the end of this month, so I came to give you this."
Aishin took the pile of papers and said, "Isn't this the list of orders for this month? Why are you giving it to me?"
A flicker of anger crossed Camellia's face, and she replied calmly, "I told you before that I would take a ten-day vacation at the start of this month. Since you forgot, I decided to give you the list before I leave."
"Leave for where?"
Camellia sighed and turned her face to leave. Just then, she noticed the blind girl out of the corner of her eye, so she stopped in her tracks. She approached her face, focusing intently, and then said, "Isn't this the Saintess of the Forest?"
Itsuki responded, "Saintess?! Who is that person?"
"No wonder you don't know anything; you probably live isolated from people, don't you? I'll just mention a few common rumors about this. They say the Saintess is the one who killed the dragon that ruled this land. Some say she resides in the middle of the forest to protect us and the world. And many other things that are said... Something like that. Well, happy new year."
She said those words as she headed towards the door, leaving the place. When Aishin heard the sound of the door closing, he took a deep breath as if a heavy burden had been lifted and said, "Thank goodness she didn't mention the salary. I hope she forgets it for longer."
"You really need to get rid of that habit. I'm surprised she's still working for you all this time."
"Words from a personal burden on society don't move me. I'm going to make some tea."
Itsuki watched Aishin enter the back of the shop, then turned his attention back to the girl sitting in front of him. While pondering what Camellia had said, he corrected his posture and asked her, "What do you think of what you heard, Lina? Do you have any idea about this Saintess?"
The girl replied, confusion evident on her face, "No, I haven't heard of this before. But isn't the Saintess really amazing? It seems she can do anything. I'd like to meet her someday."
Her answer made Itsuki more anxious. "(She doesn't even realize she's become an important person among people. Is she foolish, or is she just this innocent? No, what am I thinking? She's a child after all; it's impossible for her to realize.)"
After several hours, Itsuki and Lina stood in front of Aishin's shop. Aishin came out, carrying a medium-sized wooden box. He carried it with one hand until he gave it to Itsuki and began addressing Lina, "Your first job is to deliver this parcel to someone who lives inside the city. The distance isn't too far, so I think you'll be fine."
Itsuki motioned with his eyes towards the girl, suggesting he give her something lighter to carry, to make her believe she was doing her job. When Aishin realized this, he went inside. When he came out, he had a medium-sized cardboard box, empty inside.
The girl eagerly took the box and shouted with a wide smile, "Okay! I'll go now!"
Itsuki replied, "Yes, let's go."
"I can manage on my own; you don't have to bother coming with me," Lina replied, mindful of Itsuki's presence. Perhaps because she hadn't relied on anyone for something like this until now.
"Don't worry, I'll just guide you on the way; I won't do anything. Also, you don't know the person who ordered this, do you?"
The little girl didn't know how to respond, and her smile turned into a gloomy face, realizing she couldn't rely on herself for something like this.
Itsuki watched her sullen face, realizing what she was thinking. He gave a warm smile that changed his calm, cold features. "You don't need to be mindful of someone like me, you know. If I can't help people like you—if I can't be a help to those who are needy and broken—then my existence is worthless anywhere. You can just consider me as an older brother accompanying his little sister... or something like that."
"Really?! Won't I be causing you trouble? Can someone like me really have an older brother?" the girl asked with a little shyness.
Itsuki was slightly surprised and said, "Oh, yes... I was saying it as an example. I didn't think you'd take it seriously. But I truly don't see any objection. You can call me whatever you like."
A wide smile spread across the girl's face. "Then, from today, I'll call you my Older Brother. Older Brother Itsuki."
"Yes, yes. Anyway, let's hurry; we're close to the city."
Itsuki and Lina arrived at the gate of Novalean City, the city most exposed to attack due to its geographical location. When Itsuki entered, he had put his mask back around his face. As he passed, he heard the guards whispering.
They were saying, "(It seems the Commander of the Fourth Division will be in charge of security in this city.) (That seems a bit harsh. I heard he's obsessed with applying justice, even in these circumstances. If you ask me, I prefer the Commander of the Third Division.) (Me too, but Commander Hayazaki has already left the King's army. Thanks to that person, a city like Novalean has been able to hold out for the past two years, even though it's directly in front of the Capital.) (Right, I remember. Didn't they catch the thief of the Queen's souvenir? What was it... Oh yes, that necklace that the noble families revere. What will we do? The Fourth Commander will arrive soon.) (I don't know. I feel bad for the thief and a little pity.)"
Itsuki and Lina were already inside the city streets. The wide streets and suffocating crowds. The carriages of the nobles and high-ranking officials heading towards the Capital. The luxurious cafes and many restaurants. All revolving around the most important landmark in this city: a statue of a beheaded woman holding a sword and plunging it into the neck of a dragon statue beneath her feet.
While the words of those guards echoed in Itsuki's head, Lina held the edge of his robe so she could walk with him. Amidst the crowds and the long traffic, the sights of the passersby reflected in Itsuki's eyes until he seemed to spot someone he knew. He rushed forward, grabbing his hand among all those people, and said to him, "There you are, the necklace thief."
The one he grabbed was a small boy, appearing close to Lina's age. He replied to Itsuki with fright and fear, "That's not true... I didn't steal anything. I was just wandering around looking for food and happened to meet a boy who gave me this necklace."
Without thinking, the boy said exactly what Itsuki wanted to hear, "Heh. I didn't expect you to speak so easily. That's a little funny."
When the boy realized what he had said, he quickly covered his mouth with his hands, his face slightly red with embarrassment. He replied, "But what I said is true! I didn't steal anything. I would never do something like that."
Itsuki smiled faintly behind the mask and told him, "I know that very well. If this necklace is so valuable, I doubt a boy like you could steal it this easily. Don't worry, I'm not here to lecture you or catch you. I'm just trying to give you a small piece of advice."
Lina was listening silently to their conversation, standing quietly and still.
"I didn't do anything wrong. I have nothing to do with what they're looking for, as I didn't steal anything in the first place. Also, we don't know yet if this is the necklace they are looking for." The boy spoke while looking at the ground and gripping the edge of his clothes.
Itsuki replied, "But I'm also not sure if it wasn't stolen or not... No, forget it. I just wanted to tell you to watch out for yourself. From now on, arrests and charges without evidence will begin, so be careful."
The boy frowned, looking at the ground, clenching his fist in frustration.
Itsuki then stood up and pulled out three coins. "'How can someone like you understand what I'm going through?' Isn't that what your facial expressions show?" Then he smiled as he took the boy's hand and placed the coins in his palm. "I don't think you're wrong about that. Nevertheless, no matter the circumstances, there's never a justification for stealing. Even if you're not the wrongdoer, that doesn't change the fact that you're taking what others worked hard and struggled to obtain, without right. That's all."
Itsuki took his box and proceeded to continue his journey. Then the boy asked him, "But I still don't know how you were able to tell I had the necklace so easily."
"It's just a hunch. Luckily, you admitted it easily."
Itsuki waved to him as he left, and the boy rushed away through the crowds.
A few minutes later, Lina pulled on the bottom of Itsuki's robe to stop him. This was the signal the girl used whenever she wanted to tell Itsuki she needed a rest from walking.
Then the girl began to speak, "You are very kind, Older Brother."
Those words came out in a serious and delicate voice from the little girl, leaving Itsuki puzzled about what she meant. It made him flinch for a moment, then he said, "Why this suddenly? Actually, I wouldn't say that about myself... No, no one would. You say 'very kind.' That's only because you can't see. No one would say it after seeing who I truly am."
For a small moment, the forced smile disappeared from his face. The considerate way of speaking he had adopted with the girl was left behind. All that remained was an ordinary, emotionless face—or perhaps closer to a frown.
"That will never happen. Maybe I don't have the ability to see, but I can feel that warmth. That voice that is about to break at any moment. It's perfectly clear to me. No matter how much you try to hide it with cold words, it's still perfectly clear. I don't know who you are, I don't know what you are, I don't know how you've lived until now, and I don't know anything about you. But for some reason, every time you speak, I see that light dwelling inside you. Every time I see it shine a little, then it shatters and breaks with great force. Every time you try to get up, I see how you fall even harder. Every time you gather your scattered pieces, you are torn apart again more terribly. I don't know what all this is—why I can see it. But what I am sure of is that your extreme kindness is what breaks you every time."
Itsuki's features didn't change even slightly, and he listened without interest to what she was saying. Just as he was about to respond to her, a slightly short girl passed by him. She had long black hair tied back and serious crimson eyes, while carrying a sword on her back.
Immediately upon seeing her, he called out loudly for her to hear, "You're Wendy, aren't you?"
The girl stopped and turned towards him to see who was calling her. When she couldn't recognize who it was, she pointed at herself and said, "Do you mean me?"
Itsuki quickly took her hand and headed toward a quieter place. When he arrived in front of an old, abandoned building, he began to remove the mask from around his head. When he finished, he looked at the girl and said, "It's me, Itsuki. Don't you remember me?"
Upon seeing his face, the signs of fear vanished from her face. Her anxiety suddenly turned into happiness upon seeing him. She said, "It is you, Itsuki! I can't believe you're still alive since the last time."
"Well, a lot of things happened back then. I apologize for not trying to contact you all this time, but I didn't want to cause you any more trouble."
"Don't worry about that at all. I can imagine what happened. You must have suffered enough. But it seems you've grown taller in these two years. You're even taller than me now."
She grabbed his neck with her arm to bring him down to her height. Like a high school bully, she said, "Don't get too proud of yourself, child. Don't forget what my job was in the King's army. Even at this moment, I can still assassinate you."
"Heh, I can imagine the kind of poison you'd use against me. After all, you still remember the scorpion box, don't you?"
Wendy laughed loudly while patting his shoulder. "I'm glad you still remember. As you know, I haven't forgiven you yet for what you did to my lovely pets."
Lina was unable to understand what was happening, but she realized that she was someone Itsuki knew, so she tugged at his robe to ask him, "Who is this girl full of energy, Brother?"
"Oh, sorry, I completely forgot you were here."
Itsuki introduced Lina to Wendy and told Wendy most of what was happening. Upon hearing about Lina's job of delivering orders, she smiled slightly. She sat in front of her and placed her hand on her head, saying, "Lina, your name is lovely and suits a beautiful girl like you. I actually have a little brother about your age, but he's not cute at all. He's mischievous, very childish, and stubborn, too. He's always causing trouble. I wish he were calmer, just like you."
Lina was unable to respond or speak to Wendy. She wasn't used to receiving compliments so directly. Therefore, her face slowly turned red as she tried to reply. After a period of silence, Lina quickly ran and hid behind Itsuki's leg.
Itsuki was surprised by her reaction because she hadn't shown such concern or shyness before.
Wendy smiled and said, "Isn't that sweet? You two really look like a big brother and his little sister."
Wendy's cheerful expression changed. With a gentle smile, she said, "Anyway, let's continue our conversation on the way. Follow me, both of you."
Itsuki and Lina were heading towards the recipient of the order, while Wendy was heading towards her home. They exchanged conversation along the way. Before they knew it, they were already at the door of Wendy's house.
When they arrived, Itsuki pulled out the receipt to confirm the address. "Wait a minute, this is the place we're supposed to deliver the box to. Does that mean the customer is you?"
Itsuki was looking at Wendy as he spoke, while she was unaware of the matter. "Wait, are you working with that strange merchant? I can't believe it. Does this mean my order has actually arrived? I never imagined it would arrive on time, truly. What a comedy."
The girl laughed mockingly, and Itsuki then realized something. "Wait a minute, if you are the customer, does that mean..."
Itsuki quickly put down the box and started opening it. When he lifted the lid, his face quickly turned pale upon seeing its contents. The box was full of large, highly venomous snakes. He stepped back a little and said, "That's why I was hearing a rustling sound the whole way. As expected, you're still collecting these things. I feel sorry for your family having to endure such things all the time because of you."
"That's rude! Can't you see how cute they are?" She took one of the snakes and placed it around her neck, stroking it. Meanwhile, Itsuki was wrestling with another one that was trying to bite him.
"And also, my parents are no longer around for me to worry about that."
He grabbed the snake's head, put it back in the box, and closed it. Then Itsuki said, "What do you mean by that? Does it have anything to do with your missions in the King's army?"
"I don't really know, but my father and mother were killed by Elves during an attack near the western lands. Since then, I became afraid of losing my little brother too because of my responsibilities in the army. So, I decided to leave and live quietly with my little brother in a place far from the war. But I can't easily find a place to live in safe areas. That's why we currently live in this place."
Then a small boy came out from inside the house. He wore a white scarf and had short black hair. He said, "Sister, are you back already?" Then he saw the snake wrapped around her neck, trying to choke her, while Itsuki was trying to free her from it. The boy's face quickly turned pale, and the words he wanted to say vanished. He couldn't stop himself from commenting, "Did you buy more snakes? We don't have enough to feed ourselves, and you're ordering disgusting things like this. When will you grow out of this childish mindset?"
While Itsuki was trying to reach the snake, it was also trying to bite him while squeezing Wendy's neck. "Isn't that right? What a nuisance, truly. I feel bad for you having to put up with a sister like this... No, this isn't the right time to scold her. Come and help me before this meeting turns into a funeral."
Without a reaction, the boy replied, "No need for that." With a deep sigh, "Hah, and here I was worried about her." Calmly, he closed the door, saying, "Good night."
"He really closed the door. Well, I don't blame him. If I were in his place, I'd do the same thing."
Foam then started coming out of Wendy's mouth as she lay on the ground. Itsuki had forgotten about the matter for a moment and quickly returned to save her.
A few minutes later, Itsuki was sitting near the closed box, holding his arm, which was bleeding from the snake bite marks. He sighed deeply and said, "In the end, this is what happened. Well, it's not like the poison would actually kill me, but pain is pain in the end."
Wendy stood over him, looking slightly frustrated. "I'm sorry, this all happened because of my carelessness. But don't worry, I have the antidote for all kinds of poisons."
Itsuki laughed sarcastically and replied, "If I were to die because of something like this, maybe it would be easier. Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine. Anyway, I'm relieved that you're okay now. So, I think we should go back."
"So soon? Why don't you stay for dinner? You must not have found a place to rest yet, right?"
"That's fine; I don't mind this traveling life. Besides, who would eat your cooking anyway? I'm sure your brother handles the food, right?"
"Exactly right." As Wendy composed herself, it dawned on her that she had realized something. She started looking around as if searching for something, then said, "Tell me, Itsuki, what happened to the girl who was next to you?"