Girl – Part 02
Once the smithing work was done, they took their lunch break. Lunch was usually just the two of them, but lately, that had changed.
“Your cooking looks delicious today, too. Great presentation.”
Lisa giggled.
“…”
On sunny days, they set up a table and chairs outside, enjoying their meals in the open air. Today was one of those days.
They secured the table legs on the flattest patch of grass they could find, arranging plates and cold tea for each of them. Today’s menu was pasta made from kneaded wheat, mixed with crushed nuts harvested from the Ashen Woods.
The sunlight was gentle, and the cool breeze brushed gently across their skin.
Three people sat at the table—Luke, Lisa, and…
“What’s wrong, Luke? If you’ve got something to say, just spit it out.”
“Go home.”
“You don’t hold back, huh?”
Cecily Campbell, wearing her usual Knight Guard uniform, had joined them.
Since the recent expedition—or more precisely, since her wounds had healed—Cecily had started visiting the Atelier Liza around lunchtime, using her lunch break from city patrol duty to drop by. Her frequent visits meant Lisa began preparing a meal for her as well.
“How many times do I have to tell you?” Luke said. “No money, no katana.”
“And I keep telling you I want to pay in deferred installments.”
“You can’t just combine two methods of payment, you broke ex-noble.”
“How dare you insult House Campbell!”
“Always banging on about pride, but they’re actually a bunch of cheapskates.”
“Grrr…” Cecily flushed red.
She wasn’t coming to Atelier Liza just to get a free meal. She wanted to order a sword from Luke. Since Luke used high-purity jewel steel for his katanas, the cost was quite high. Cecily was struggling to raise funds, which was why she kept trying to negotiate directly. Luke, however, stubbornly refused her offers.
“Besides,” Luke sighed and pointed out, “you’ve already found a replacement sword.”
Cecily had a sword strapped firmly to her waist. It was a type of sword commonly known as a saber, featuring hand protection on the grip.
“I’m just borrowing this from an acquaintance in the Knight Guard. I’ll have to return it eventually.”
“I see. But why a saber?”
“There’s a reason for that. Anyway, I won’t give up!”
Cecily’s negotiations meant she was also joining them for lunch. Feeling guilty about it, she had recently started bringing ingredients for Lisa. Today’s pasta was made with supplies Cecily had brought.
The conversation was lively, if a bit chaotic.
“How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t eat with your elbows on the table. It’s improper,” Cecily said.
“Who made you the manners police?”
“I’m just saying, as an adult, you should know these things. How old are you again?”
“Seventeen.”
“What, you’re older than me?”
“How old are you, Cecily?” Lisa asked.
“I’m sixteen.”
“So, I’m older. You should start calling me Mr. Luke.’”
“Ew. What nonsense.”
“Just go home already. I mean it.”
Lively meals were always nice, but Lisa couldn’t help but wish the two of them got along just a little better.
“About the bandits we rounded up during the recent expedition,” Cecily changed the subject. “We finally got a testimony from one of them. Turns out they were a group of washed-up mercenaries—just a makeshift gang, really. The leader was some nobody they picked on the spot.”
Luke showed no interest in the topic, but gave a token response to keep her from snapping at him.
“Picked? By who?”
“A merchant, apparently.”
“A merchant?”
Cecily nodded. “We know nothing about him. All we’ve learned is that he gathered the bandits, chose their leader, provided them with Inhumans, and gave them drugs to control them.”
“How could the leader use a Demon Pact?”
“None of the remaining bandits knew anything about it. Based on his age, he wasn’t a veteran of the Valbanill War. They’re still interrogating, but I doubt we’ll get much more.”
“Hmm, a mysterious merchant,” Luke said with a grin. “Cecily Campbell, do you know how to make a Demon Pact?”
“Huh? You told me yourself. You just recite the Death Spell.”
“Exactly. But what is a Death Spell? Where is it written?”
“Some kind of document?”
“There’s no such thing. The Death Spell is written right there.” Luke tilted his fork, pointing it toward Cecily’s left chest.
Cecily glanced down at her chest, then blushed and covered it with both arms. “Y-You pervert!”
“Th-That’s not what I meant!” Luke blushed slightly and corrected himself. “I’m saying the Death Spell is written there.”
“Where exactly?”
“The heart.”
Cecily froze, caught off guard by his answer.
“The Death Spell is etched into every human’s heart. It’s in you, and it’s in me.”
No one knew why. Aetheria, spread across the continent, affected all humans born into this world, marking each heart with words. Research had confirmed this, but why these words triggered a Demon Pact remained a mystery. There were many theories, but all were speculative at best.
“And here’s the thing,” Luke continued. “Every person’s Death Spell is unique.”
“It is?”
“Yes, and only the person it’s engraved on can recite it. Only I can recite the Death Spell on my own heart, and only you can recite the one on yours.”
“Huh.”
“To perform a Demon Pact, you have to recite your own Death Spell. No one else can use it. A Demon Pact is an offering of your own body, by your own will.”
“W-Wait a minute,” Cecily interrupted. “If the Death Spell is engraved on the heart, and only the owner can recite it, how did that bandit leader learn his own Death Spell? And if it’s written on the heart, how can anyone even make a Demon Pact?”
“That’s exactly why the Valbanill War was called a nightmare.”
To speak of the Valbanill War without touching on Demon Pacts was impossible, as the two were deeply intertwined.
“When nations realized that Demon Pacts could be weaponized, they poured resources into figuring out how to use them. And their research led to one conclusion.” Luke ran a finger down his chest in a straight line. “You cut open a person’s chest while they’re still alive.”
Cecily swallowed hard. “B-But wouldn’t they die?” She turned pale.
“They use anesthesia to prevent that,” Luke said with a mischievous grin. “They perform surgery under a Prayer Pact’s anesthesia. They cut open the chest, peek at the heart, copy down the text they find, and show it to the person after the operation. Even if they can’t read it, someone else can recite it and the person can just repeat it. Or, they show it to them during surgery with a mirror, while their chest is still open.”
“W-We’re still eating, Luke.”
“Not a fan of gore? I thought you’d be tougher,” he teased. “Anyway, they forced soldiers to undergo surgery. Officially, these soldiers volunteered for it. Back then, there were decrees to perform these operations openly. Of course, some died when the procedure went wrong, and there was public backlash. Yet, Demon Pacts continued to be enforced, and many lives were lost. That’s what the Valbanill War was all about.”
“My grandfather fought in that war. I’d heard bits from my father, but now I see why he was so reluctant to talk about it.” Cecily sighed deeply. The weight of the conversation seemed to have drained her energy. “So, you think the merchant performed that surgery on the bandit leader?”
Luke nodded. “That merchant is starting to smell really fishy. You should investigate him thoroughly.”
“We will. This is very valuable information. We’ll make sure we catch him.”
“…kill… less.”
“Hm? What did you say?”
“Nothing,” Luke replied curtly, and Cecily frowned.
Lisa didn’t participate in their conversation and simply observed. She wasn’t fond of grim topics, but she had been listening carefully, not missing a single word, including Luke’s murmur.
“Just kill them. Someone like that deserves nothing less.”
His face was terribly cold. Lisa didn’t comment, knowing exactly what those words—and that expression—meant.
“So, why did this merchant gather the bandits? Did you figure that out?” Luke asked.
“Yeah, we got that much. You’ve heard about the fair happening in the Third District next month, right?”
The fair. A festivity held every three months in the city. The location rotated between the first six districts, excluding the Seventh, which was reserved for public farmland. Next month, the Third District was hosting it.
The main draw of the fair was the auction held on the main street and in the squares, where stores from across the city would sell their most prized goods, along with rare items brought in from distant lands. Since there were no inspections for mere entry into the city, people from outside flocked to this large-scale gathering.
“The bandits were ordered to raid the fair in exchange for a hefty reward. Since the event wasn’t until next month, they spent their time robbing people. Ironically, that led to their entire operation getting exposed.”
“And what was the objective of the raid?”
“They were supposed to steal an auction item. But they weren’t told what it was. The merchant planned to gather the manpower first and then reveal the details right before the event.”
“An auction item, huh? Must be something they couldn’t get their hands on without a raid.”
“We don’t know yet. We’ve requested a list of auction items from the committee. We should have it by tomorrow. Until then, the Knight Guard is ramping up security.” Cecily folded her arms, concern on her face. “Luckily, we managed to arrest the bandits beforehand, but I have a feeling there’s a second plan. These people are willing to use Demon Pacts. They won’t be easy to deal with.” She nodded to herself, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Lisa, watching Cecily’s profile, had her mind on something entirely different from the conversation. Why, she wondered.
“Why aren’t you asking?”
The moment the words left her mouth, Lisa instantly regretted them. It was too late. Cecily gave her a puzzled look.
Lisa gathered her courage and repeated herself. “Why aren’t you asking about us?”
Cecily should be at least a little curious. About what happened during the expedition, the heated katana, Luke’s surprising knowledge of Demon Pacts, and so much more. Yet despite her regular visits to Atelier Liza, she never delved deeply into these matters.
Cecily thought about it for a moment before replying. “I would be lying if I said I’m not interested. There are many things I’d like to know, and in fact, I’ve tried to ask several times. But I figured pressing too hard would be disrespectful to you guys.”
“…”
Cecily smiled. “I’d like to learn a little at a time. As we interact, within the boundaries of what you’re comfortable sharing. Would that be all right?”
“Yes,” Lisa agreed with a smile.
Cecily then gave Lisa a light pat on the head. It tickled.
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