Chapter 37

With a face as cold as ice, Flamm gazed in the direction where Satyros had disappeared. Reaching cautiously towards her shoulder, Leach felt somewhat intimidated by the killing intent she was emitting.

"Um... Flamm, are you okay?"

A gentle tapping sensation on her shoulder. Flamm slowly turned her head back to look at Leach and smiled.

"Yes, sorry, I was just spacing out for a moment."

"Well, that's good. But it seems like your aura has changed a bit compared to when we last met."

A lot has happened since the last time they met. It hasn't been long enough to feel nostalgic, but to Flamm, it feels like a long time ago.

"At that time, I was still wavering."

"Wavering?"

"About my position, I mean. I didn't really know how I should live my life from then on. But recently, I've started to see it more clearly."

She said this while staring at her palm. How they should live peacefully in this world, how they should coexist with Milkit. Ordinary is fine; she doesn't need anything special. She doesn't want to kill anyone, and she doesn't want to feel pain or have her body torn apart. But she has to. To oppose the church, which treats human lives like trash, she must treat their lives the same way. To oppose Origin, the root of all evil, she must sacrifice herself to even reach him. Flamm clenched her fist.

"No matter how much you lament the injustice, it won't make the enemy disappear. If so, the only way is to crush them with greater power."

"Indeed, the idea of a strong person protecting the weak is just a fantasy. Everyone wants to get their way. Even if the roles of the weak and the strong were reversed, people would repeat the same thing."

"Perhaps the only way to resolve it is for one side to be eliminated."

Feeling the power she didn't have before, she clenched her fist even tighter.

"Flamm, you're a benefactor. If you need help, just say so. Please don't keep everything to yourself."

"That's fine. I have people who support me now. Besides, I can't involve you, Leach."

He is a merchant, after all. He opposes the church for his own benefit, not because he's willing to shed blood in battle. It wouldn't be right to involve such a person—Flamm thought this and held back, but Leach laughed.

"You've already been targeted by the church, you know. You've been working with reporters, sniffing around various places."

"Reporters... like newspapers?"

There are several newspaper companies in the capital. Some publish simple news, some are for adventurers, and some are the church's official papers. However, they all have one thing in common: they cannot oppose the church. Since the printing presses are controlled by the church, it's only natural. But apparently, the reporter Leach is talking about operates from a place the church can't reach.

"Since we're at it, let me introduce you."

"Wait, you don't have to go out of your way to call them..."

"Right there, Welsie!"

When Leach called out, a woman wearing a fedora hat peeked out from the corner. She was wearing tight skinny jeans that suited her well. She waved at Flamm and approached her with a quick pace.

"Let me introduce her. This is Welsie Manci, the reporter I mentioned earlier."

"Hi, nice to meet you, Flamm."

She offered a handshake with a bright smile, but why was she hiding in such a place? She was probably being followed.

"Manci... Are you related to Leach?"

"Yes, I'm his sister, though it's embarrassing to admit."

"Brother, what's embarrassing about me?"

Leach muttered, "That's just the kind of person you are," as he looked at his sister. Flamm, hearing his casual tone for the first time, felt a bit of affection towards him.

"Despite being my sister, she's a pretty competent reporter. She was the one who got the information that Satyros is supplying herbs to the church."

"Supplying herbs to the church? But they're supposed to be banned..."

"There's no guarantee that the church's high-ranking officials won't get sick from diseases that can't be cured by magic. However, the quantity is small, and it could be for boosting the morale of the soldiers or for other purposes."

"If we can reveal this, it might weaken the church's power. Even if we can't, it could be a good bargaining chip."

Leach said this with a cheerful tone, but the content was quite malicious. It's no wonder he's risen to his current position; he's not just a good person.

"By the way, brother, aren't you keeping a couple waiting?"

"Oh, right. I apologize. A while ago, the original owners of the house I gave to Flamm came to visit."

"Are they asking for it back...?"

"No, no, the house is Flamm's now. I was surprised, though. They're supposed to be quite old, and I didn't expect them to still be alive."

The previous owners—Flamm was quite interested in this story, but she couldn't stop him from leaving.

"Anyway, I'll take my leave for today. Welsie, here's my card."

"Sure, sure. I've been chasing Satyros a lot lately, so if you have any good information, come to our company."

Welsie handed over a palm-sized card. Flamm took it without thinking, but it was blank. Seeing her confused expression, Welsie smiled and cast a spell.

"Projection Burn"

The card's surface scorched and began to form words. The company name, address, her title as a reporter, and her full name were written, and she added a self-portrait in the empty space. It was so detailed that it looked more like a portrait than a sketch.

"I can write text and draw pictures, and I can even capture scenes I see and print them on paper. The newspaper reporter, Welsie Manci, will be at your service."

Welsie said this with a satisfied smile and left with Leach. Flamm was left alone with the card in her hand. She held it up to the darkening sky and observed the faintly visible text.

"A newspaper reporter, huh..."

Whether the power of the pen can resist the church's violence is unknown, but having an ally is reassuring. Flamm put the card in her pocket and returned home.

◇◇◇

When Milkit tilted the watering can, water flowed from the spout and moistened the soil in the planter in front of the house. After watering, she squatted down and gazed at the cute pink flowers that had bloomed. She had received them from a kind neighbor, a woman who had been good to her even with her face wrapped in bandages. Recently, they had started to share side dishes with each other. The flowers, which had not even had buds at first, bloomed beautifully yesterday morning. The small sense of achievement filled her heart. It was a feeling she had never experienced before meeting Flamm. It was comfortable—a gentle and warm feeling that healed Milkit's heart in a mild and steady way.

The scent of dinner wafted from inside the house. Today's menu included basilisk meat and mushroom stew, pop bean soup, and Caesar salad. For dessert, she had prepared a tangerine called Tagore, which is a standard fruit in the capital. The fruit is about the size of a fist and not much different from other citrus fruits, but it has large seeds, a strong aroma, and a refreshing scent when bitten. It also has a mild taste with no particular flavor, so it's rare to find someone who dislikes it.

The dinner wasn't finished yet. She thought she would finish it when Flamm returned. It wasn't because she was waiting for her to come back and felt lonely outside—she suddenly realized she was making excuses and felt embarrassed.

Milkit placed her hand on her chest. There was a soft sensation there, something she didn't have before meeting Flamm. Since living in this house, Milkit's body had become slightly fuller. Each time, her master would look happy, so she would end up eating too much. So, she would try to be a bit more restrained—though that wasn't the important part right now.

The warm sensation deep within, beyond the skin. This was probably the culprit. The reason she was waiting for Flamm to come back, the reason she felt embarrassed, and the reason her heartbeat was loud—all of it was because of this. The unknown emotion was growing day by day. Flamm had once told her that she would call this feeling "trust," but it felt like it had already surpassed that. The master and slave relationship—she had never felt this way about any of her previous masters, so it had already surpassed that. Then, what was this?

While pondering this, she heard a voice.

"I'm home, Milkit."

Her cheeks were enveloped by warm palms. Looking up, she saw Flamm's smiling face with white teeth. She had many things to think about, but she prioritized relaxing her cheeks and responding, "Welcome back, Master."

"Sorry for being late. Is there anything I can help with for dinner?"

"Just the finishing touches, so if you could do that."

"Got it. I'll finish it quickly and silence my noisy stomach with the world's best Milkit's meal."

"Hehe, I can't guarantee it will meet your expectations."

With that, they held hands and entered the house. The soft, happy atmosphere that enveloped the space disappeared the moment the front door closed, returning to a cold, lifeless stone floor.

A tall man passed by the now empty area. He stopped in front of Flamm's house, observed it, and then left with a snort.

◇◇◇

—This is a story from fifty years ago, when the kingdom had just begun human experiments. Their initial goal was to artificially create a demon race that surpassed humans in both lifespan and magic power. The test subjects were abducted children from the slums with no family. They underwent various surgeries and were given unknown drugs daily. Many lost their lives, and some became so far removed from human beings that they broke down.

At the time, Eterna was a child, not even ten years old. She lived in the slums, where she had never known her parents and had grown up in a place where desire and violence were rampant. She survived by never trusting anyone. However, one day, she was suddenly abducted.

"e211-Nα" was the name given to her in the research facility. Even now, a serial number tattoo is still etched on her side. Being treated as an object didn't bother her. The name she originally had was also given by a stranger, a kind of individual identification number. It was just a change from letters to numbers.

"But from today, you're Eterna."

However, Kinder Limbau and his wife, Claudia Limbau, did not approve of the test subjects being called by numbers and symbols. They gave everyone names and treated them kindly, as if to make up for involving them in the experiments. Everyone was initially wary. They thought they were just hypocrites who would eventually resort to violence. Some even wished for it, as it would confirm their belief that there was no kindness in this world. However, their expectations were betrayed. At least Kinder and Claudia were genuinely kind, and after three months, everyone, including Eterna, began to call them "Father" and "Mother."

Eterna and the others were forced to live in a dormitory when not in experiments. They were given sufficient food, had individual rooms, and when they had free time, Kinder and Claudia would spend time with them. The experiments were terrifying, but compared to living alone in the slums, their days were more fulfilling. They felt like they were living a human life.

"Father, Mother, look! I made flowers with magic!"

When Eterna raised her hand, water formed a thin film and bloomed into countless large flowers. The light reflected off the room's lighting, creating a fantastical scene. Kinder and Claudia praised the proud Eterna and clapped enthusiastically. Her magic power was far beyond that of children her age, and her control was precise. By the time she reached this level, she was the only survivor left in the house.

The research to artificially create a demon race was miraculously successful. Increased magic power and slowed growth. Eterna, with human-like skin, had acquired demon-like characteristics. However, due to the low number of successful cases and the difficulty in reproducing the results, the project was terminated. The remaining test subjects were to be discarded, and they were immediately ordered to join a new project.

"That's impossible! Eterna is our child, even if we're not related by blood...!"

After revealing everything to Eterna, he hugged her tightly as she stood in shock.

"Eterna, you have the strength to live a proper life now. You'll be fine on your own, right?"

He made a decision. Even if it meant opposing the kingdom—Eterna would be set free. One night, they sne