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「You have some nerve attacking Zozo on Lakua soil, Master Seyna...」

Melyn had lunged at the Viridescent Queen and swung at her with a hastily formed club.

With three sharp metal implements between her fingers, Seyna impressively blocked the attack. No more than a single arm was needed to hold the thief girl back.

The two were locked in an intense confrontation.

「Why am I always the butt of your accusations, girl? Can't we bury the hatchet already?」

「Not a chance! You can atone for your sins by taking a dirt nap!」

Melyn, blinded by rage, was unwilling to listen to reason.

Sensing a discrepancy between the situation and the reality of things, I turned to the girl and shouted at her.

「M-Melyn! Stop fighting her! Something doesn't add up!」

「What do you mean Zozo?! She's out to get us again! Just look at your arm!」

「That doesn't make sense though! Why would she go out of her way to break the tenets and kill us?! Let's hear her out before spilling any more blood!」

My insistent calls for the thief girl to cease hostilities had placated her to some extent. She stopped wrestling Seyna and hopped away. Her suspicions understandably remained though.

The Viridescent Queen looked at me and laughed.

「Haha! I hardly recognize you boy! A little over a month later and you're closer to a man than a child.」

「Full restoration magic does wonders to your body. I'm guessing physical aging is more of a detriment to a blossoming flower such as yourself?」

「Ohoh. As always, you know how to use that mouth of yours to amuse me. Very few can do that. Now, with those amusing lips of yours Lorainzo, would you mind explaining this mess?」

It's only funny when I mispronounce names dammit. Paperbuckets is the sole person worthy of such ridicule...

I raised my arm and grabbed hold of the icepick. It did take a considerable amount of effort, but I eventually yanked it out.

Blood drained out of my arm like a running tap.

Thonvir winced, yet managed to cover the young Ysolva's pure eyes before she saw anything too graphic.

「O-oi Lorenzo... ya aight?!」

「Never been better. In fact, it doesn't hurt one bit.」

It wasn't some meaningless show of bravado. After the initial twinge shot through my arm, what followed was the farthest thing from paralyzing pain.

An anesthetic had numbed the injury.

「These aren't just ice picks are they?」

「And is there some correlation with the question at hand?」

I squeezed the handle of the supposed ice pick and out came a dull blue substance. My suspicions were swiftly confirmed.

「It's a syringe. Back during our supposed fight at the churchyard, you also weren't aiming to kill us, were you? You were going to knock us out and heal us with your Ani...」

Her amber eyes flickered for a split second, like a candle flame in a sudden gust of wind.

Though her face was bereft of emotion, the lull in our talk was enough to convince me I was on the right track.

With that in mind, her threats were meaningless to me.

「So, Master of the Hlanu District, what brings you all the way here?」

「Answering my question with another question eh? You're mighty confident in that hunch of yours...」

「Hunch? It's more of an educated guess really...」

Seyna's speed rivaled the Ashen Thief's. In a blink of an eye, I found myself staring at the pointy end of her syringe, inches away from my face.

「Are you willing to bet your life on a false pretense you set for yourself?」

「Zozo!」

I closed the gap between my nose and her weapon and gave a cheeky smirk.

「I'm willing to bet my life on my gut alone. Besides, there's another reason you can't lay a finger on any of us...」

She was stubborn in keeping up the pointless charade for a while. Yet ultimately, she dropped her metal implement and stepped back.

「Fine. You win this time. Smart of you to realize I'm the disadvantaged one here. Harming a hair on your head would just make me the prime suspect of this entire incident.」

「You're in deep water regardless—you've already stabbed my arm—」

A second glance revealed that my wound had miraculously healed. When or how, I was unsure.

It showcased my cluelessness on the full extent of her alchemic knowledge.

The Viridescent Queen crowed with glee at my astonishment and resumed our chat. The rescued orphans and prisoners had gathered behind us, watching our exchange.

「So? You finally turned against that oaf in power?」

「Zozo and I would never betray the Ashen Thief!」

「Your actions say otherwise, girl. Rysef would never authorize a flashy attack such as this. Are you trying to endanger the village or what?」

I signaled the thief girl to leave the talking to me.

Seyna was here for a reason, and I was determined to uncover it.

「Master Seyna, you were down there with us weren't you? Melyn's elevator magic must've taken you off guard.」

「W-what?! Yer kiddin'! I didn't notice anyone 'side us!」

Thonvir blurted out the obvious.

According to Lia, the District Masters knew all ten breathing techniques.

Hu, the easiest technique, functioned as a radar, which allowed me to pinpoint anyone, granted they weren't also Hu users.

It was difficult to get a grasp on, but a real tide-turner.

Now visualize a breathing technique that allows its user to sense people's presence and be virtually invisible to the naked eye.

That was Xi. And she sure as hell used it to spy on us.

「You know of Xi, boy? I'm impressed. Are you truly the same brat who asked me about the significance of hair color?」

「And are you truly the woman who picked a quarrel with a couple of children? You never struck me as the sneaky type.」

Seyna simpered at my retort.

「Haha! I've never been one for attention. You on the other hand, seem to love mayhem...」

The steam explosion at the Churchyard and the currently devastated intersection supported her claims.

Subtlety was not my forte when it came to strategies. Brisk and bold was always how I proceeded.

But her getting on my case for it was like the pot calling the kettle black.

「Hypocritical of you to niggle me like that. Overthrowing the local government and incurring the wrath of the nation isn't my idea of a well thought-out strategy...」

「Whatever... soon you'll learn the far-reaching consequences of your actions, boy. For now...」

She pointed to the children behind me.

「I'll be taking the orphans and guinea pigs to Hlanu. The Lakua village is the last place they should be retreating to.」

A drop of sweat ran down my cheek.

「H-have you gone daft..? What makes you think we'll just hand them over..? Besides, they're Lakua slum dwellers to begin with, so passing them over to you would be fatuous—the tenets explicitly prohibit such a transaction...」

「I invite you to think carefully about this, boy. By now you should be aware of Rysef's stance on angering the Church. He'll turn these brats away as soon as you bring them. That Lakua village is reserved for designated enemies of Vel himself.」

「These kids are enemies of Vel, Master Seyna. The city is no place for them.」

「And how will you get them there? Through the Warrens? The Church has eyes all over the city, you know? Your little stunt only put us in their sights. You can kiss that hamlet of yours goodbye once its location becomes known.」

「But if they have eyes all over the city, what good will relinquishing them to Hlanu do? You're practically on their doorstep!」

「I can guarantee their safety kiddo. After all, the Lakua village isn't the sole sanctuary for the persecuted. I've got two dozen wanted slum dwellers hiding out in the Warrens, protected and cared for by yours truly. Moreover, I've got a team of healers on the standby. We can immediately treat the ones showing signs of addiction and overdose. Does that convince you yet, boy?」

I cast my gaze to the dying mother and her child and thought about it.

Logically, Seyna was the best choice for them. As much as I hated to admit it, she possessed the competency and resolve needed to watch over these runaways.

Facilities would also be more complete. The lack of food and water in our village would only be worsened by the addition of another thirty or so people...

She would never abandon the slum dwellers... that much is for certain.

「Master Seyna... on second thought—」

「STOP IT YA NINNIES!」

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