Chapter 59

After the date had changed, two hours had passed.

The letter for today still hadn't arrived.

Flam had been waiting at the front door to uncover the sender's identity.

Perhaps due to the fatigue from the battle, she couldn't help yawning.

To resist the drowsiness that enveloped her body, she rubbed her eyes from above her eyelids.

Just then, someone came down from the second floor.

It was probably Milkit coming down for a drink of water.

"Good work."

To her surprise, it was Eterna.

She had indeed said they would take turns, but it was still two hours before their agreed time.

"Eterna, it's too early."

"Flam is exhausted, I'm fine. So, let's switch here."

Originally, Eterna had intended to take on this role entirely herself.

But Flam wouldn't allow it.

These two hours were Eterna's greatest concession.

She had decided that from this point on, no matter how much Flam resisted, she would forcibly take over.

"But... Gadio said he would patrol too."

"He's a physical monster, you can't compare. Besides, I think resting is also an important duty."

"…Well, that's true."

In fact, Flam herself was feeling tired.

Even if she slept soundly until morning, she wouldn't be fully recovered.

"Can't sleep?"

"After seeing so many deaths. Even though I've gotten used to it, it's still painful."

She might be able to fall asleep, but her dreams would probably be bad.

She didn't want to get used to it.

Blood, organs, and the raw insides of people are things you rarely see in everyday life.

The grotesque and disgusting scenes were etched vividly in her memory.

"Maybe you need a change of pace."

"That's not possible in this situation. We don't know when or where they might attack."

"Then we need to increase the density of time."

"How do I do that?"

When Flam asked, Eterna, who had suggested it, showed a puzzled expression.

She hadn't thought it through.

"Hmm... Get along better with Milkit, maybe?"

And that was the answer she came up with.

Flam's shoulders slumped.

Then, with a wry smile, she said confidently,

"That will happen eventually, even if we don't do anything."

This time, it was Eterna's turn to be taken aback.

"Hmm... I can see why you're so confident, but I don't understand."

"What do you mean?"

"You two don't seem to be lovers."

"Ahaha, what are you talking about?"

Flam laughed it off easily.

"Of course not, we're both women. We are good friends, and I do want to be with her always."

"…Hmm."

"What's with that understanding reaction?"

"Well, I thought it would be fine to leave it alone and not worry about it."

Sticking her nose in would probably lead to complications.

Eterna realized that it was best to watch their relationship from a distance.

"Regarding the change of pace, we'll think about it later, but it's a fact that you need to rest. I'll take over, so go to sleep quickly."

"Right... I understand. I'll leave it to you."

Eterna gave a thumbs-up.

Flam handed over the lookout duty to her and went upstairs.

Entering the bedroom, she let out a deep breath.

Despite everything, she was happy to finally be able to sleep.

Approaching the bed, Flam looked at Milkit's sleeping face.

Her expression softened at the cute sleeping face.

Her features were so perfectly formed that it was hard to lie down next to her.

Observing her like this, Flam thought again that she should be much happier.

"She deserves better than me."

As she said this, she gently brushed the hair from Milkit's cheek.

The smoothness of the skin under her fingers was like silk, and she wanted to touch it forever.

"...Hmm."

Then, Milkit's eyes opened slightly.

Turning her head, her gaze caught Flam's figure.

"Ah, sorry, did I wake you up?"

"No... I've been waking up multiple times because my sleep is light. It seems I can't sleep without you, my lord."

With sleepy eyes, Milkit reached for the hem of Flam's clothes and smiled softly.

Even this sloppy smile was cute in its own way.

Flam's heart fluttered.

She felt like shouting in the streets, "My partner is this cute!"

"Then, I'll join you in bed."

Flam slipped in next to her.

The bed was already warm from Milkit's body heat.

As soon as her master was next to her, Milkit clung to her arm and entwined her legs.

"My lord..."

She pressed her cheek against Flam's shoulder like a cat and immediately fell asleep.

She might have been in a dream state rather than fully awake.

"I think she'll forget this by morning, but it would be nice to see her embarrassed if she remembers."

However, Eterna was right.

Just this brief exchange had made the unpleasant memories disappear.

Deciding to fall asleep before she could think about it, Flam closed her eyes.

She must have been very physically tired, as she lost consciousness within five minutes and fell into a deep sleep.

◇◇◇

The sun rose, illuminating the capital brightly.

The letter still hadn't arrived, and the night had passed.

Perhaps they were avoiding being watched and had delayed sending it—Eterna heard footsteps approaching the front door.

The footsteps were light, suggesting a person of average build.

The person opened the mailbox, inserted something, and was about to leave.

Eterna rushed out the door.

The boy, clearly not expecting anyone to come out, stopped in surprise and turned around.

"…I have a question."

Eterna grabbed the boy's shoulder and intimidated him.

He looked up at her with a clearly frightened expression.

"W-What?"

"Is the letter you put in the mailbox yours?"

"No! Yesterday, an uncle asked me to do it. He said he'd give me some pocket money."

She stared into the boy's eyes.

Tears were welling up in them.

She hadn't intended to scare him this much, but it was necessary to determine the truth.

She also tried a scan, but there were no signs of any abnormalities in his status.

He seemed to be just a passing boy.

"Alright, I believe you. You can go now."

When he was released, the boy ran off at full speed.

"He said 'uncle'... but that's not reliable."

There were countless uncles in the church.

It was unlikely that Satoru himself would go to ask, and it would be difficult to track him down.

However, the fact that he had a child deliver the letter suggested that they were aware of being watched, which was unpleasant.

Eterna opened the mailbox irritably, took out the envelope, and read it aloud.

"Two days left. Three seeds have been sown, and they will bloom beautifully. But do not be deceived by them; what you truly desire remains buried deep in the ground... As usual, it's poetic. The church is a collection of idle people."

With that, she folded the letter, clenched it in her hand, and went back inside the house.

◇◇◇

After waking up, Flam headed to the guild to meet Gadio.

But what was different this time was that Milkit, Ink, and Eterna were accompanying her.

Indeed, it would be more reassuring for them to wait at the guild with Slow than to be separated at home and the guild.

Also, it would help ease Milkit's anxiety from yesterday.

There was no reason for Flam to refuse this suggestion.

"Good morning."

Flam raised her hand lightly and greeted Ira at the counter with a sleepy voice.

She responded casually, "Good morning."

Milkit and the others, who didn't know her well, just nodded slightly.

"Where's Slow?"

"She's here, organizing documents in the back."

Listening carefully, the sound of rustling papers could be heard from the back.

"Is that so. Did you stay at Gadio's place yesterday?"

"Yes, Slow stayed with her mother."

Flam knew that.

What she wanted to know was—

"No, I was wondering about Ira."

She glared at Flam resentfully and said bluntly,

"There's no way I could stay, why would you even ask?"

"Because you looked like you wanted to stay yesterday."

"That face... Well, maybe I did."

Unusually honest.

She must have been quite disappointed at not being able to stay.

"There are a lot of adventurers this early in the morning."

When the conversation settled, Eterna looked at the bulletin board and said.

Flam also turned her gaze in that direction.

There was no smell of alcohol, but about ten adventurers, from teenagers to forties, were sitting with their equipment ready.

Seeing the bustling scene in the morning reminded her of the days when Dain was around.

"The master gathered them, as guards in case the guild is attacked. Of course, the guild will cover the rewards."

"Gadio, even though he's already so busy, he arranged for this too."

Indeed, with that many adventurers, they could probably get Slow to safety even if the Children attacked.

Though it might be difficult to defeat them.

"By the way, where is the one who gathered them?"

"He's out, apparently another body was found. He should be back soon."

"I see..."

The Children continued their relentless activities.

Finding freely moving children in this vast capital without any clues would be extremely difficult.

But they needed to stop them as soon as possible and find Mother's location.

"Speaking of which, he's back."

Everyone's gaze turned to the entrance.

Then, Gadio entered, not in his coat but in black armor.

"You're already here."

His voice was slightly lower than usual, and a bit of fatigue was evident.

"Gadio, you're out so early in the morning?"

"Yes, a pile of bodies was found in the slums."

Hearing this, Flam's face twisted.

There was only one child who could do such a thing.

"Is it Nect?"

"That's the correct assessment. About a hundred people were found in a single mass. I said bodies, but a few were still alive."

Milkit covered her mouth, looking nauseated.

Being merged with someone else's body while still alive.

What must that feel like?

There might not be any pain, as no wounds would form.

In that sense, it might be better than being killed by injury, but it couldn't be called a proper human death.

"By the way, Flam, take this."

"What is it?"

Gadio approached Flam and placed something cold in her hand.

When she opened it, it was a pendant.

The pendant top was adorned with a small but expensive-looking red gem.

"It was found near the bodies. I had my doubts, but we need all the power we can get right now."

"Does that mean... it's cursed?"

"That's right, you can scan it to see."

It was probably the property of one of the dead.

However, the incident happened in the slums.

Why would a dead person in the slums have such an expensive pendant?

There were questions, but Flam decided to scan it first.

--------------------

Name: Carmine Pendant of Vanity

Quality: Epic

[This equipment will decrease your magic power by 1521]

[This equipment will increase your senses by 92]

--------------------

"Epic... It's accumulated quite a bit of curse despite the incident happening just this morning."

Still, it was a cursed item, but it increased her senses.

In other words, Flam's status would decrease.

However, the increase in magic power was significant enough to make up for it.

"It was probably cursed from the start."

The fact that a resident of the slums possessed it and that the curse was unusually powerful made sense.

Cursed equipment is cheap.

It's possible that it was something they picked up.

The decrease in magic power is so fatal to adventurers.

On the other hand, people living in the slums don't rely much on magic.

It was probably a valuable ornament for someone who didn't have proper clothing.

"Would someone really want to dress up so much that they'd use cursed equipment?"

"Isn't that what every woman wants?"

"Umm... I prioritize ease of movement over appearance. A hairpin from Milkit is enough for me."

She proudly showed the hairpin holding her bangs to Gadio, who smiled slightly.

Milkit, standing next to Flam, lowered her eyes slightly, looking a bit embarrassed.

However, regardless of how it was obtained, this necklace was a significant step forward for Flam.

The amplification of magic power would directly enhance her ability to reverse.

As Gadio said, they couldn't afford to be picky about equipment to increase their strength.

She needed to become stronger.

To protect and to gain.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the number of enemies she faced had increased recently, and the curses on the equipment had become even stronger.

--------------------

Name: Soul Devourer Zweihänder

Quality: Epic

[This equipment will decrease your strength by 508]

[This equipment will decrease your magic power by 223]

[This equipment will decrease your health by 441]

[This equipment will decrease your agility by 379]

[This equipment will decrease your senses by 255]

[This equipment will melt your flesh]

--------------------

This was the state of the Soul Devourer that Flam had checked during her watch in the early morning.

In other words, the total status values were—

--------------------

Strength: 2077

Magic Power: 2879

Health: 1689

Agility: 1322

Senses: 1745

--------------------

9712.

She was still barely in the A class.

But if she continued to wield the Soul Devourer, surpassing ten thousand was only a matter of time.

That didn't mean she would immediately reach the S rank.

Flam's actual adventurer rank was still D.

"You can wear something like that?"

Ira looked at Flam, who was putting on the pendant, with a cold eye.

"If you say that, these boots were dragged out from a pile of corpses."

"...Well, no matter which way you look at it, it's still creepy."

No matter what Ira said, Flam needed to increase her cursed equipment to become stronger.

She tried turning off the pendant, which was an Epic item.

A red mark appeared on her collarbone.

"Slave marks and body tattoos, you're looking more and more like a prostitute."

"Shut up."

"I think it looks cool."

"Hehe, thanks, Milkit."

Ira, seeing them smile at each other, huffed.

However, despite the seemingly argumentative exchange, Gadio didn't try to stop them.

He knew that, despite their bickering, Ira and Flam had built a good relationship in their own way.

"Good morning!"

Welsi entered the guild, greeting everyone energetically.

She looked around and said, impressed by the crowded scene,

"Wow, it's busy this early in the morning."

"Hey, why are you here, Welsi?"

"I was called by Gadio."

"Did you call her to investigate Slow's mother?"

"Yes, I asked her directly yesterday, but she wouldn't say anything."

Hosting Slow and her mother at the mansion was primarily to protect them.

But it was also to gather information about Slow's father.

However, Slow's mother managed to remain silent even in front of the intimidating Gadio.

This suggested that she had a significant secret.

"Hmm, Slow's mother. Who is this Slow?"

"It's me, me!"

He poked his head out from behind the counter and waved.

After looking at his face for a moment, Welsi tilted her head and asked Gadio,

"Ah, is he a new member of the guild or something?"

"Exactly."

"Why would you ask a civilian like him to investigate his father? I think it would be better to ask someone else for a background check."

Welsi was a newspaper reporter, not a detective.

"Actually, it seems he's being targeted by the serial killer causing a stir in the capital."

"Oh, that... "

Welsi's expression darkened, clearly affected by the gruesome incidents.

There might have been victims from the East District, including her acquaintances.

"But being targeted... They seem to be acting randomly, so it might be a coincidence..."

"It seems that's not the case. I fought them directly."

"If Flam says so, then it must be true. So, there might be a mystery surrounding Slow's birth."

Welsi, looking dark and thoughtful, suddenly perked up and snapped her fingers.

"Speaking of the serial killer, have you been to the plaza in front of the castle?"

"Plaza in front of the castle?"

"Is there something there?"

Eterna asked, and Welsi looked puzzled.

"Isn't there? The kingdom has posted wanted posters of the four suspects in the yesterday's incident in the plaza."

"What...?"

Gadio frowned upon hearing this.

"The reward is high, and it's a hot topic, so a lot of people have gathered... I heard that the notice was sent to the guilds in the East and Central Districts, but not here yet?"

She spoke as if they should have known.

But no one, not even Gadio, the master, had been informed.

"Ridiculous... Gathering people in one place in this situation!?"

"I think it's a bad idea."

"What's the problem?"

Welsi, confused by Gadio and Eterna's agitation, didn't understand the situation.

"It's like giving them bait!"

"Gadio, let's go!"

Flam immediately suggested heading to the plaza.

Gadio nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Eterna, come with us."

"Of course."

The three of them headed for the guild's exit with serious expressions.

The plaza in front of the castle, where both adventurers and curious civilians gathered.

After yesterday's incident, the security should be tight.

But if a single child managed to slip in, how many people would recognize and eliminate the culprit?

Especially since the child had the power to