Chapter 24

Flam glared at the sudden participant in the conversation, Flamm.

"Why do I have to listen to you, of all people, who's been our enemy?"

However, to his surprise, Ira seemed to side with her.

"It's fine, really. You were feeling down because you were being ostracized by the people who went to the church, right?"

Flamm couldn't help but look at her, but when their eyes met for a moment, she quickly turned away with a snort.

It seemed that Flamm's actions were driven more by her rebelliousness against Dane than by any particular stance of her own.

"True, but..."

The man looked at Flamm, pondered for a moment, then spat and began to speak.

"Phil was the name of the man who was threatened and killed by someone connected to the church."

"Dane was trying to extend his reach into the church."

"He failed and ended up becoming a believer. It's pretty pathetic, really."

Ira said this with a tone of disgust, clearly disapproving of his actions.

"Phil, apparently, was found in a form that didn't seem human at all."

"He was said to have turned into a monster."

"Yeah, his limbs and head multiplied, his body swelled, and according to rumors, a large number of eyeballs entered his body, driving him mad. It was hard to believe at first, but since more bodies in the same state were found, it seems to be true."

"Multiple eyeballs and multiplying limbs..."

It was a different kind of monstrosity from the one in the laboratory, but if the person who threatened church officials had been transformed into this, it was possible that it was part of the same research, despite the ten years that had passed.

"Could they still be conducting research in the capital...?"

"Do you know something?"

Reacting to Flam's muttered words, Ira immediately responded.

"I don't know much, but I suspected it was the church's doing. I had a hunch."

Flamm, however, had more concrete evidence to support her suspicions.

Whether or not one knew about the laboratory, it was reasonable to suspect that the church was involved in some way.

"But Phil's case didn't become public, right?"

"Right, if such a bizarre corpse had been found, I would have heard about it. So why is this one causing such a commotion?"

Flamm asked, and the man shook his head.

"I don't know. There were more of them, and it happened in a busy area, so they couldn't keep it hidden, I guess."

"But why did they do it in such a public place?"

For a church that wanted to keep its research secret, this seemed like a sloppy move. Even if it was some kind of experiment, they should have been more careful.

"Hey, can you take me to the scene?"

He needed to see it for himself. The man was hesitant but eventually nodded and led Flamm away from the crowd. Ira followed, and the guild was left empty, but perhaps they didn't mind since Dane and the others were away anyway. As usual, they were quite casual about it.

◇◇◇

The scene was in the heart of the slums. It was crowded with onlookers, and it was a struggle to get to a position where they could see the crime scene. As they pushed through the crowd, the stench grew stronger.

"Ugh, this is more than just the smell of the slums..."

Ira covered her mouth and nose, her face contorted in disgust. The poor hygiene of the area was certainly a factor, but it seemed there was more to it. When they reached the front of the crowd, the smell became even more intense, and a sight that defied imagination came into view.

"Wh-what is that?"

"Was that really a human...?"

"Even seeing it, it's hard to believe."

Several grotesque objects, like fleshy masses with limbs, heads, and necks sprouting from them, were scattered on the ground. They seemed to be writhing as if alive. Were they really corpses?

The guards who had responded to the call looked at a loss, clutching their heads. The three of them stood in shock for a moment, then a soldier who had arrived later covered the fleshy masses with a large cloth he had brought from somewhere. It was a wise decision, as the sight was too shocking to be exposed to the public.

"Ugh... pfft..."

There were several people who, like Ira, were covering their mouths and trying not to vomit.

"Don't throw up here."

Flamm, however, wasn't concerned about her well-being.

"Why are you so calm about this?"

"I'm an adventurer, remember?"

"Is that a reason? Ugh..."

It seemed Ira was reaching her limit. Flam nodded to the man beside her, and they pushed through the crowd to leave the scene. When they reached a less crowded area, they stopped. The three of them looked grim, though for different reasons. The dim, poorly lit street only added to the somber mood.

"I don't get it. Phil was turned into a monster, and yet Dane sided with the church. Is it really safe to follow him now?"

Dane had likely been expanding his influence in the West District to strengthen his power. He had connections with the guild and merchants, and people had high hopes for his progress, which is why they overlooked his misdeeds. He was a smart ruler who distributed the benefits fairly. However, this method couldn't last forever. If he were to be overwhelmed by a stronger force, his influence would quickly decline. His growth would stop, and he would betray people's expectations, leading to his downfall. A smart person like Dane couldn't fail to understand this.

"We might end up like Phil or those monsters—of course, it's scary. I can understand why someone would submit after seeing something like that. Picking a fight with the church is a losing bet. But it's because we've come this far, pushing through the impossible, that we are who we are! If we're swayed now, all our dreams and everything will be over!"

"That's why it's over. Dane is just trying to save his own skin, and so are the others. No matter how much they talk about dreams and the future, in the end, their own lives are the most important."

Ira said this with a cold tone. It was true for most people. But it was precisely because they were not ordinary that they had followed Dane. His boldness, which could make one admire him, was his greatest charm. While Flam couldn't fully agree with Dane's methods, he had to admit that he had been successful.

"If you're unsure, it might be best to stay out of the West District for a while. We don't know where those eyeballs might come from."

"Yeah, maybe it's best to wait until things cool down."

"I might keep my distance from Dane for a while. I don't want to accidentally become one of those hideous monsters."

It was a wise decision. Flam wasn't a lawless person who would harm someone just because they were distancing themselves from Dane. However, if they were to use dirty tactics to belittle him or those around him again, he wouldn't hesitate to draw his sword. After parting ways with the others, Flam returned home.

◇◇◇

When Flam opened the door and called out, "I'm home," he received three "Welcome back" in response. Milkit and Ink were in the living room, and Eterna was in her room upstairs. Usually, Milkit would come running to greet him, but today, she was sitting with Ink on her lap, unable to stand.

"Welcome back, Master. I'm sorry I couldn't greet you properly."

Milkit looked apologetic when she saw Flam.

"It's okay. What are you doing?"

Flam pointed to the wooden parts scattered on the table. In front of them was a wooden frame with several pieces inserted.

"Puzzle!"

Ink answered innocently. Indeed, a puzzle would be something she could enjoy despite being blind. However, it was unfamiliar to Flam.

"Eterna brought this out from the house. She said it would be fun for Ink."

"Wow, Eterna found it well."

Flam sat down across from them. He knew there were tools from the previous residents in the attic upstairs, but they were dusty and old, so he hadn't touched them yet. It seemed Eterna had already started rummaging through them.

"What about that?"

Flam pointed to a metal toy next to the puzzle, which Eterna had likely found as well.

"It's a puzzle ring. I was playing with it for a while, but I got bored after a while."

"Milkit is amazing. I couldn't solve it at all, but she could do it easily!"

"Wow, you're really good with your hands."

"Well, if you know the method, it's solvable. I've touched one before."

She was being modest, but her dexterity was evident. She handled knives beautifully, and her plating was restaurant-quality. She also learned reading and writing quickly from Flam. She was perfect in appearance and character, and full of talent—Flam was indignant that someone like her had been mistreated. However, there was no one to direct his anger at, so it was just a waste of energy. Calming down, he looked around the room.

"By the way, Sera hasn't come yet, huh?"

The house was unusually quiet without the small, noisy nun.

"She should be here before dinner, right?"

"She comes to exchange information, not to eat, right?"

"Ahaha... But I'm happy. I like seeing people enjoy their food. The more, the better."

She was the perfect example of a good wife. Under the bandages, she must have had a lovely smile. Flam was glad he had brought her out of that cage.

"Hey, Flam. If the place I ran away from was the church in the West District, would I have to go back immediately?"

Ink, who had been listening to their conversation, said this with her head down. She must have had a reason for not wanting to return.

"Mother and your friends must be worried about you, right?"

Still, he couldn't let her stay. Flam spoke to her as gently as possible.

"Are they really friends?"

"Are they not?"

"I was always made fun of for being useless. Mother was kind, but she also thought I was useless..."

Flam sighed deeply after hearing her words. There were always people who said such things, even when the person knew it themselves.

"Well, I've been called useless many times, so I can understand the urge to run away."

"Flam has too?"

"In my case, I was kicked out before I could run."

Flam chuckled and touched the slave mark on his cheek.

"Master... "

"Milkit, don't look like that. Thanks to someone who said we're 'a pair,' I'm starting to think it's not so bad."

Indeed, without the mark, they might never have met. Flam would have continued his journey in a self-deprecating manner, never realizing his true potential. And Milkit would have been eaten by ghouls in that cage and died. It was a place of despair, but meeting each other had made them smile again—though he had no intention of forgiving Jean.

"Flam, you have Milkit, that's great."

"Yeah, I think I wouldn't have made it without her."

"Can I stay with you too, if I can escape?"

Ink whispered this in a small voice. Flam understood her feelings deeply. However, Flam, who had been abandoned, and Ink, who had run away on her own, were in fundamentally different positions. There were people looking for her. She hadn't realized how fortunate that was. First, she needed to talk to her guardians properly.

"Well, if you really want to, you can stay here, but—"

"Really!?"

Ink leaned forward, her face beaming at Flam.

"But you need to talk to your guardians first. You weren't being abused or locked up, right? You were able to run away on your own."

"I don't know. But I wasn't forcibly locked up, I guess. I've never... been outside before."

Flam couldn't help but ask for clarification, and Ink nodded immediately. Even for a blind child, it seemed strange not to have been taken outside of the facility at all.

"It was an orphanage, right?"

"I don't know."

"How many children were there?"

"Only four. Only Mother was there besides us."

A facility with only five children—was it really an orphanage? In a city the size of the capital, there should be a significant number of orphans. The orphanage in the West District was known to house dozens of children.

"Hey, Ink. Why did you run away from there?"

"..."

Ink fell silent at Flam's question. The reason for running away was a sensitive topic. He had deliberately avoided asking on the first day, but things were getting suspicious. Asking might hurt her feelings, but confirming the facts was more important.

"There was no abuse, and you weren't locked up. Was the environment just uncomfortable?"

Ink shook her head without a word.

"Was it because your friends were mean to you?"

She shook her head again.

"Then why?"

Ink seemed to be struggling, as if she were forbidden to reveal the truth to others. However, her trust in Flam seemed to win out. After a moment of silence, she spoke in a small voice.

"I was excluded from a deeper place than just friends or family. I thought I shouldn't be there, so I ran away."

This seemed to be a different issue from being called useless. The phrase "deeper place" was unclear, and Flam couldn't help but ask for clarification.

"Sorry, I don't understand. What do you mean by 'deeper place'?"

"I could communicate and play normally, but... how do I say it? I was a different kind of creature... or something?"

Even with the question mark, Flam didn't understand. However, the image of the deformed human he had just seen came to mind.

If Ink had run away the day before meeting Flam, the timing of her escape coincided with the discovery of Phil's body. The eyeballs and the sewn eyes were common elements. However, she hadn't left the house since then, so it was impossible for her to be responsible for the recent discoveries. Her status was also normal. It was more likely that someone connected to the church's research facility, not the orphanage, was responsible.

They might be searching for her using some ability, like controlling a large number of eyeballs. However, was it worth the risk of exposing their secrets to find her? She didn't seem to have any special powers, and her attributes were ordinary. Even the other children and Mother had acknowledged her as "useless." However, this raised the question of why she was living with children who had powers. Flam knew from the underground facility that they weren't kind enough to take care of failures. The church would have "disposed" of her. So, was she a success? If so, there should have been some anomaly in her status, like the Ogres.

She had no spiral marks, and her status was normal. She didn't seem to be lying. Therefore, Ink was not a criminal. Flam wanted to believe that. For now, that was the only conclusion he could draw.

If so, the best Flam could do was to keep her existence hidden and protect her. However, Sera had likely already contacted the church in the West District. Depending on the content, the church might already know that Ink was being protected here. In that case, Sera—

Flam stood up from his chair.

"Master, is something wrong?"

"I'm going to the church in the Central District. There's still time before dinner, right?"

"Yes, I'll start preparing now. Are you going to Sera's place?"

"Yeah, just to be safe."

As Flam was about to leave, Ink called out to him loudly.

"Wait!"

"From your reaction, you know something about the place I came from, right?"

"There's been an incident outside, and it might be related."

"Incident..."

Ink seemed to have some idea, as she pursed her lips and looked troubled.

"Is Mother or everyone looking for me...?"

"Maybe. Did the children you lived