Chapter 12
“Ariel, did you perhaps leave something outside? If so, I would like you to go find it right now.”
“Haha…”
At Simon’s bright smile and mild teasing, I finally stopped pacing around the counter.
But I couldn’t stop glancing at Simon out of anxiety.
After all, today was the third day of the promise I made with that child.
I knew Simon was busy working…
‘But since he doesn’t say anything, how can I stay still when I’m so curious?’
I was worried that something bad might have happened and he was simply being considerate by not telling me.
‘He does have a somewhat gentle side.’
But even if something went wrong, I wished he would honestly tell me.
“Are you not going out today?”
In the end, I couldn’t hold it in and carefully spoke to Simon, who was sitting by the shop window.
“What is it? You look like you’re expecting something.”
“Huh? I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”
Seeing me blink shamelessly, Simon looked exhausted.
But soon he checked his wristwatch and stood up from the chair first.
“Clean up the shop and follow me.”
At his words, I immediately jumped up from the counter.
“You’re taking me with you?”
“It’s the Captain’s order.”
As soon as he answered, I didn’t add another word and ran upstairs to grab my outer coat.
I decided to ignore Simon looking at me as if I were running off without answering.
‘He should be safe, right?’
I calmed my complicated feelings and hurriedly prepared before following Simon.
He had transformed into a brown-haired young man just like when we infiltrated the auction house.
I hadn’t properly looked at him then because I was tense, but the bright and soft image that blond hair gave was gone, making him look sharper and colder.
As I stared blankly at his face, Simon grinned and joked,
“Why? Do I look worse than my original face?”
“No, I was just thinking that either way, you’re handsome, and it’s annoying.”
“What can I do if you get stubborn? I was born like this.”
Ugh, obnoxious.
But when the corners of his mouth curved smoothly, I couldn’t deny it.
Once again, I lost our verbal battle with Simon and quietly followed behind him.
After traveling about ten minutes outside the city by carriage, we arrived at a small house located deep inside a narrow alley.
When we opened the door and went inside, the Captain and the nameless boy were sitting face to face at the dining table.
“You’re safe!”
The moment I saw the child, all the anxiety and nervousness I had felt vanished like wind.
In its place, relief and happiness took over.
Hearing my voice, the boy turned around, his face turning red as he smiled brightly.
Then I finally noticed the Captain sitting across from him.
I hurriedly lowered my head and greeted her.
“Hello, Captain!”
“Yes, you’re here.”
Even though my greeting was a beat late, the Captain welcomed me warmly with a generous smile.
“Captain, were you protecting him?”
“No, I just met him myself.”
“Then since everyone is here, I think you should share what you know.”
Simon smoothly joined our conversation.
The boy, who was the one being addressed, nodded nervously.
“I’ll tell you everything I know.”
“Then start with the man you called Victor.”
At Simon’s instruction, the boy slowly began his story.
“That man was a worthless thug who operated in the southern slums. I heard he used blessing power to work as a mercenary in the past, and it seems that big scar was also obtained back then.”
Deep wrinkles formed between the child’s brows as he recalled the past.
“Continue.”
Simon motioned slightly with his chin.
“But he couldn’t carry out the tasks he was given properly. He even threatened his clients, so later he was rejected by the mercenary guild and wandered the streets. What someone like him would do on the streets… well, it’s obvious, right? He gathered in groups to bully the weak and do all sorts of dirty work…”
“How did such a third-rate villain run an auction targeting nobles?”
The Captain nodded in agreement with my merciless mutter.
“That’s exactly it. One day, he said he had gotten a connection, or that he was dealing with big customers. I don’t know how he learned of that ability, but some rich person noticed him and gave him business.”
“Ability…?”
This was a rather important point.
The boy nodded and said to Simon,
“That man can prevent the person he touches from using magic. The restraint device was also made with that magic embedded in it.”
“That’s an ability perfect for capturing mages.”
“If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have been captured by such a guy…!”
The boy frowned angrily.
Simon seemed lost in deep thought and remained silent.
“Is that everything you know?”
The Captain asked in a calm voice, and the boy nodded.
“Let’s talk privately for a moment.”
At the Captain’s call, Simon and I moved to another room with her.
“He knew more than expected. That child.”
“Yes. I don’t know exactly what his identity is.”
The Captain responded to my words and let out a thoughtful breath.
Then Simon spoke.
“As for his identity, I did investigate. He was born and raised in the same southern slum as Victor. However, his mother died at birth, and after his magic manifested, he was called a monster who ate his own mother and wandered the streets.”
“That’s too cruel…”
A child who should have been protected grew up on the streets being called a monster.
But unlike me, who was feeling emotional, the two of them had indifferent expressions.
“Though his age is hard to believe, he is seventeen, and it seems he was captured by Victor first.”
“Then we cannot completely rule out the possibility that he is an accomplice.”
“Yes. He needs to be watched.”
Hearing their casual conversation, I flinched and covered my mouth.
Only then did I realize how carefree my earlier mutterings must have sounded to them.
But they did not scold me and naturally continued their discussion.
“First, gather separate information about that man Victor. Cross-validation will be necessary. Capturing him can wait until after that.”
“Yes. However, there is one thing that bothers me.”
“You mean the sponsor? I was also strangely uneasy about that. If it is true, then Victor would be nothing more than a disposable pawn. If it is false…”
“Neither possibility is pleasant.”
Simon said jokingly.
Then the Captain, who had been stroking the area around her chin, suddenly said clearly,
“Well, we’ll find the answer by catching Victor and interrogating him, won’t we? First, we need to verify whether that ability is real.”
“Understood.”
When the Captain and Simon returned to their seats, they treated the boy as if they had never doubted him.
The Captain casually proposed to him,
“By the way, I heard you have some talent for magic. Is that true?”
The boy hesitated for a moment before nodding firmly.
“They were planning to sell me last because they said I had the highest value.”
“Alright… Then how about training under me?”
“What…?”
Perhaps it was an unexpected proposal, because the boy’s blue eyes shook violently.
“You are a victim of an incident the country failed to protect. From now on, you have the right to be protected. And this auntie is surprisingly good at using magic despite appearances.”
“But I…”
“There’s no need to refuse. How could I just watch you return to the streets after becoming an adult? If you don’t like me, then you can find another teacher…”
The Captain paused briefly and handed the boy a handkerchief.
For some reason, he was biting his lip tightly and letting tears fall like beads.
Receiving the Captain’s handkerchief, the boy clenched it tightly in his fist and answered,
“No, I’ll do it.”
“…Good. You made the right choice. Come with me.”
Once it was decided that he would accompany the Captain, the boy stood up and walked toward me.
Simon observed the movement carefully but did not stop him.
Standing in front of me, the boy looked up and said with determined eyes,
“Give me a name.”
“Me?”
I pointed at myself and asked, and the child nodded.
“Am I… being suspected of something?”
“….”
“But you trust me anyway, right? So give me a name. If you do that, I’ll prove it as many times as you want.”
……Everyone knew it.
I had thought he was just a child, but I had been ignoring the instincts of a boy who had lived harshly.
I held the child’s hand and met his eyes.
His long hair framed blue eyes like the sky, glimmering with moisture.
“Alright. From now on, I will call you Lucas. Is that okay?”
The boy, who had quietly repeated the name he was hearing for the first time, smiled with a determined expression.
“…Thank you.”
