---

I lay sprawled on the ground—unable to move nor speak. Every muscle in my body ached as I desperately gasped for air.

This horrible discomfort was only further worsened by my sweat-drenched ragged tunic.

The sensation of wet roughspun fabric plastered on my torso was unpleasant, to say the least.

It was an endless marathon of suffering.

So much for "toughing it out"...

Lia was merciless in training me. It was an abrupt shift from her calm and soothing magic lesson.

In half a day, she managed to completely break me. This regimen of hers was way more intense than I'd anticipated.

「Good work out there Zozo!」

With every ounce of my remaining strength, I swiveled my head towards the thief girl's voice. Accompanying her was Rysef, bearing his signature grin.

「Hahaha! Ya really worked him to the bone didn't ya Lia! He looks like a newborn fledgling!」

「I refrained from holding back, just as you requested sir.」

Lia pressed her clenched fist against her chest in a familiar salute—it was her peculiarity at this point. She would no doubt always be at Rysef's beck and call.

「Can you get up kid? Or do I need to carry you?」

I struggled to speak. My mind was only focused on getting air to my lungs.

「G-get... me... off... the ground... please...」

「Can't even muster up the strength to uphold your pride eh? Good. You should learn to rely on us a bit more!」

The Ashen Thief lifted me in his arms.

It would've been foolish if I argued in my state, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel pathetic then.

「Lia, good work today! Tomorrow ya go back t' leadin' th' patrol team! Me apprentice here bit off more than he could chew! He'll be out o' action fer awhile!」

「Understood sir.」

I weakly waved at Lia before collapsing in the Ashen Thief's arms. She briefly nodded and marched opposite our direction into the deeper sewer system.

Melyn walked by Rysef's side as he carried my limp body. Her gaze was set on me as we sauntered through the stone brick corridor towards the well.

「Sheesh! You look like a corpse! So... You finally got your questions about magic answered Zozo?」

「Yeah... that was first on my... priority list...」

「Hmm..? Then have you figured out what kind of magic caster I am?」

Since Rysef is an ani caster, and the sewer prank also involved ina magic...

「Ina magic right..? You can... only use magic affecting inanimate objects. Since the sewer prank involved... both creation and manipulation magic, I'm confident... you're adept at both.」

「Ooh! Close! But I'm actually skilled in three types of magic! Creation, manipulation, and infusion!」

「You... Sentinels... are crazy...」

Melyn gave me a smug wink. It irked me to no end but in my frail condition, I couldn't do or say much.

「What about... things on your end..? How'd the... district master meeting go? Since Melyn's with you, I assume you two... were representing the Lakua district... right?」

「Right you are my apprentice! Everything went swimmingly of course!」

The thief girl grabbed and shook Rysef's arm, prompting my attention.

「Didn't everyone chew your ear off over arriving late? Even I showed up before you...」

「I-if I woke Lorenzo up that early, he'd be unable t' function properly! Quit gettin' on me case Mel!」

I tried to let out a laugh, but my chest disagreed. I could only let out a shaky chortle.

The dim blue rays shone into the well entrance from the night sky—it was like a heavenly light arrived to greet us.

Shortly, we would reach Rysef's manor. I hadn't the familiarity with the place to call it home yet.

「Ah—right. Lorenzo! Once we get back...」

「Yeah..?」

「Take a bath! You stink a lot more than you did yesterday! Haha!」

「You... needn't tell... me banana-brain...」

---

After bathing and rejuvenating myself in the springs south of the slum dweller hamlet, I ran into Melyn on the way back to the village.

Surrounding us was a dense thicket connecting to the forest on the outskirts of the settlement. The sound of the spring waterfall could still be heard from miles away.

The crescent moon peered from behind the trees. It was a beautiful bright night, no darker than day.

The thief girl strolled alongside me through a faded dirt pathway from a bygone era.

She donned an entirely different set of sleepwear. They were still fancy for a supposed slum dweller.

A pink nightgown this time huh..? It really doesn't fit her...

「So Melyn... got something to tell me?」

「Oh, you can tell? Did Lia also teach you the breathing techniques? That was quick...」

「Are you daft? Why else would you be walking with me? 」

Melyn gave me a huffy moue.

「I'm your big sister! Don't I have an obligation to accompany my cute little junior in the Sentinels?」

「Creepily asserting that you're my big sister isn't a good excuse for bugging me you know..?」

The thief girl came to a stop and faced me. I figured this was where she'd spill her true intentions.

「Rysef wants you to meet up with him on that cape overlooking the village. You know, the one by the Nimbus Sea?」

「Hm? Is this about that study of his?」

「All the books there technically belong to me but... no. This concerns an entirely different matter.」

「What does that old man want now? We spent all of last night talking—why does he also want to waste away a beautiful evening like this..?」

「It'd do you good to answer the district master's summons, Zozo. Maybe he has the information you need.」

「I doubt it. He's gonna drone on about nothing like he did yesterday. I could gain more from consulting a pile of books.」

Our conversation quickly turned into a bitter argument—both sides were unwilling to back down.

Even before Melyn initiated the exchange, I was in a bad mood.

Maybe it was a result of the ruthless training I endured or maybe my pubescent body was finally acting up...

Nevertheless, I was ready to throw away my sensibilities as an adult and pick a fight with a little girl.

The epitome of deplorable.

「Come on, you can spare him a bit of your time... It's not like you're busy, Zozo...」

「And that's the problem! You know why I'm not busy? It's because you're holding me up!」

「It'd be rude to stand Rysef up after he let you in!」

「Stand him up?! He's the one with the unreasonable invitations! It's not like me skipping out will stop him from talking to me anyways!」

「Zozo, just go! It'll only take a while!」

「I'll meet him after checking out the books. Is that compromise acceptable enough for you? If he wants a chunk of my time, shouldn't he give up a chunk of his time waiting as well?」

「No! It has to be now!」

The thief girl desperately tried convincing me to go, but her persuasion attempts fell on deaf ears. I just about had it with her.

「I've had enough of this. Tell Rysef I'll meet him tomorrow morning. We sleep in the same house, right? We're bound to run into each other... You can stop talking now.」

「Don't go Zozo!」

Melyn grabbed my arm as I turned away from her.

It was at this point, I couldn't take it anymore. Her constant nagging, the condescending pet name she used, the night breeze we dawdled in growing colder...

I finally snapped.

「GET OFF OF ME! I'm done! Just leave me be you obstinate little shit! If I hear 'Zozo' one more time, I'll bash your face in! I don't care anymore! If you're going to retaliate by killing me, then go ahead! But know I'll reserve a place in hell for you!」

I forcefully pulled away from her and stormed off towards the village.

Melyn stood motionless. Her eyes widened as the shock settled in.

My outburst washed out the sounds of the distant waterfall and echoed through the thick woods.

I had no idea what kind of face I wore. Judging from the thief girl's reaction, it was enough to leave a deep impression on her.

Yet unexpectedly, she continued to speak.

「Say... Zozo...」

I angrily turned around, expecting her to prolong our meaningless quarrel. My hands clenched into fists.

「I'm seriously ready to—」

「Do you... hate us..?」

Hearing her question, I stopped and loosened my fingers. It came so far out of left field, I didn't know how to reply.

「W-what..?」

「Me, Rysef, Lia... do you hate all of us..?」

I could've easily denied it, but I knew my heart would say otherwise.

「You're seriously gonna shift the conversation to this..? You don't play fair do you—」

「Please... just answer...」

The thief girl's voice faltered—her crimson eyes trapped behind panes of watery glass.

I knew Melyn could decipher truths from falsehoods and that lying would do more harm than good but...

How do I get around this..?

「I-I wouldn't say I hate you slum dwellers... but...」

「Stop it...」

「I really don't mind you calling me Zozo! In fact, I'll start calling you big sis Mel from now on!」

「Stop doing that...」

「Big sis Mel, I was only kidding around! Let's go meet Rysef together! After all, I'm nothing without—」

「STOP LYING TO ME!」

I flinched.

I'd never heard Melyn raise her voice before. Even when we'd clashed at the rooftop, she'd always maintained a soft and soothing tone.

I've done it this time...

「Don't sugarcoat it... Tell me how you truly feel... please...」

A single teardrop streamed down the thief girl's rosy cheek. Her honest sentiments pierced my heart—at that moment, I felt like an irredeemable scumbag.

So, respecting her wishes, I swallowed my guilt and decided to give her the answer straight.

「Fine then... I was getting tired of this act anyways... Put it simply...」

There was no weaseling my way out of this...

「I don't care about you.」

I exaggerated the sneer but didn't bother mincing my words. A part of me found some catharsis laying into her.

「I'm using all of you for my benefit, and nothing more. The slum dweller tenets are a joke. You think I'm gonna share my savings with all of you out of the kindness of my heart? Don't be stupid! Why would I? You, Rysef, Lia... you're all mere stepping stones to my ultimate goal of becoming the richest—」

I held my tongue.

Melyn had wrung her hands together tightly. As the wind cast her bottle green hair asway, she looked up at me.

Though the blinding moonlight cast a shadow over her face, I saw it. The glistening ruby eyes which would forever be etched into my memory.

「Well, that's only natural right..?」

It was a forlorn smile, paired with a river of tears.

The teardrops converged and dripped off her delicate chin. A waterfall—way gentler than the springs' raging shower—had formed.

I couldn't call her expression warm, nor could I call it cold...

It was lukewarm, unsatisfyingly so.

「W-wait Melyn, I didn't mean...」

Before I could explain myself and soften the blow I'd dealt to her, the thief girl broke into a spurt and disappeared into the woods.

I chose not to chase her down. I didn't even know how to face her.

Her sincere words conveyed through an unsteady voice left me only with dwindling notions of wariness.

My feelings towards the slum dwellers, my feelings towards Rysef, my feelings towards Melyn... They had remained the same since day one.

You shouldn't buy into trust so easily. Though... with Melyn...

Regret polluted my mind. I was slightly stunned by the sudden chain of events, that I couldn't help but cast my gaze downward.

Eventually, with nothing better to do, I set off to meet Rysef at his designated rendezvous point.

---