Involvement (4)

"So.."

Liliath was all smiles.. let's just say it's been a while since I've seen such a sadistic smile.

Seriously.. what's wrong with her? Did Rin stimulate her sadistic personality or something? She was clinging onto her arm like glue-- and Rin looked incredibly uncomfortable. Her eyes were practically begging for help.

We're in a fancy breakfast restaurant with a properly running heater and tall-glass windows. The place was quite crowded, but fortunately, Miss Margrett booked a table.

Well.. we had to bring in an extra chair because Rin was now joining us.

It's weird.. so to speak.

Did we really just add another party member just like that? Isn't 4 like.. the perfect number? How did it become 5?

This restaurant sells premium hot dogs, cheese, scrambled eggs-- basically, western breakfast cuisine in XL portions. I guess the punchline here is how the food is cuisine from the 'heroes' world.

Liliath and I decided to share a super extra large breakfast platter… with Rin.

I don't get it. Why does Liliath want her so bad? I seriously don't get it.

"Hey," Nine called out, "That maid.."

"That maid?"

"She's dead.."

"Huh? What maid? Dead?" seeing Nine pull her hair.. what in the world is going on? My mind wasn't functioning properly, I don't understand what she's trying to say here.

"Nine-san? Are you alright..?" Jennifer-chan asked.

"I'm fine.. I'm fine just.. my fault for not paying attention.."

"You're not fine," Prune said.

"Ah, here's a tissue"

Nine was crying.

"What's wrong?" Gabriel, who sat opposite of me, asked.

I shook my head.

Then food came. Nine intended to share her's with Prune but..

Honestly, what's going on? The maid died? Which maid? What maid?

"Rin-san do you.."

I paused.

A maid.. was Nine referring to the one who stalked us together with Rin?

I checked the map.

"Her name is.." I don't know.

Tears continued to spill from her eyes.. she pushed the extra large platter away and with the table as the support, folded her arms and wept.

Should I be asking.. about that maid..

I don't know. I honestly don't know..

Prune consoled Nine by stroking her back.

I turned to Liliath-- then at Rin. Rin looked utterly confused.

'Liliath, did Rin have any close colleagues with her?' I texted her privately.

'Un. She did tell me she wanted to say farewell to her friend-- who, like her, was also a maid of the same profession.'

'Do you know her name?'

'Shyna?'

Some info.. but there wasn't much I could do with that. There was no one in the vicinity with the name.

I opened up my map and saw the assassin's marker moving.

I checked with [God's Eyes]. He was moving together with one of Rin's family member. His name is July, I think. Where are they going I wonder?

"I don't know," I mumbled to myself.

Nine barely ate anything for breakfast. Prune couldn't finish the portion so it was divided among the rest of us.

After the meal we left for a short sightseeing excursion but..

"Guys, I'm going," Nine said.

"Where are you going?"

"Shut up and check your map," she hissed.

I looked at the system map and found 3 markers close together. July, April and Vincent. Location being.. the lobby. They were heading out… why is April unconscious? Hah? Vincent is giving her a piggyback ride, what's this?

"What's wrong?" Gabriel looked at us because everyone stopped in the center of the street.

Ding.

An orange marker entered the 10 meter radar.

"Nine wait.."

Prune's words didn't reach her. She just went off running..

"Liliath, you're seeing that right?"

She nodded her head.

"Maybe that's what Nine is aiming for?" What maid was he referring to? I don't get it? Should I ask? Nine said the maid was dead.. let me try this.

'Corpse'

A number of grey markers showed up on the map. One of them was inside the mansion.

"Huh? N-Noel.. L-Liliath.."

I turned to Prune-- towards her line of sight-- at the source of the voice and saw that orange marker adventurer staring right at us.

Really? They're going to do something to us in open daylight?

"Miss Margrett, Jennifer-chan, Gabriel-chan. Be careful, we're being targeted."

"Targeted? Why?"

"Does it have something to do with the issue you brought up yesterday?" Miss Margrett asked.

"Yes. I think we should return."

The adventurer took notice of us, and then walked away.

Huh? Was he.. a scout perhaps?

"I believe it's best we return, for the sake of our safety," Liliath said.

"Right," Miss Margrett nodded.

"Liliath, do you know what Nine is trying to do?"

"Take down Vincent, I believe?"

"Then let me tamper with his stats a lil' bit," I set all his stats to 10. There… oh crap. I forgot that I should've saved his previous setup. Oh well.. and he dropped to the floor with April on his back. How anticlimactic-- with everyone looking at him on the streets too.

"I'll create a concealment barrier, everyone come nearer," Liliath said, and pulled Rin closer.

I wonder if Rin can see mana?

'Nine, I've adjusted his stat.'

A beat later, 'Can see that.'

"Damn it.. what is this.. did I still not take the necessary precautions.." Vincent grit his teeth-- his body being pressed by April's own.

July stood there amidst the crowd, absolutely stunned.

He couldn't believe he saw such a highly regarded assassin trip on the cobblestone path.

He didn't know if he should be helping him or stand there and wait for him to recover himself..

He was uncertain-- scared.

April had been drugged with some sort of narcotic.

The plan was to bring Rin to some encirclement using April as the bait. Her, together with the rest of the party that took her away would definitely notice the discrepancy when they realize how the carriage for the Bougainvillea household had yet to leave or.. Shyna's corpse.

July gritted his teeth and endured the tears.

Did she really die?

He still found it hard to believe that the maid who Rinalanashina waa close to had died in front of him.. no fighting, no visible arrows-- just a needle. A single needle to the throat.

Vincent crawled up and pushed April aside.

He looked at his own two bleeding hands.

He didn't understand what the hell was going on. Why was he bleeding from such a meagre fall? Why did his plan crumble at such an early stage? What exactly did he mess up in the plan? Or was he..

"Haha.. ha.." Vincent laughed.

July, at the constant stares of the crowd started to sweat.

"I see.. it's over. I didn't expect this.. I was naive. She was right all along."

"What was right?"

"If that's the case then.." Vincent took out a needle from his pocket and..

"W-Wait what are you!!"

Stabbed it into his neck.

"W-Wha.." July took a few steps back, inciting the crowd to do the same.

Vincent grunted, his breathing grew ragged, veins started to pop from his skin, pulsating. Something grew from his shoulder blades-- black icky goo--

[Purify]

In the next moment, a gold light was brought forth from within-- then he dropped dead to the ground, spilling black blood from his orifices.

"This is bullshit. I didn't think it'd work."

July heard her voice, he looked up-- he didn't recognize her but..

"Dead? Yes? Dead? Yeah, he's dead. He killed himself, I didn't kill him.." Nine spoke to herself.

"W-Who are you.." July croaked.

"He casted purify.. isn't that a spell only the high priest is able to manage?"

"Maybe it's a different variant."

"The light felt different."

"You saw it flickering right?"

What Nine used with in fact, a stacked version of [Purify]. It was registered into the autocasting widget by Liliath. The cheapest way to control the one-time output of the spell was to just stack it.

Why [Purify]? Because the needle Vincent held, Nine appraised it to be some sort of corrupted demon blood. By some random intuition, she thought perhaps if this contamination was cured before the full transformation took place, it would stop it entirely-- and it did.

Though, Nine herself didn't know if the poison would actually transform this person into some monster-- she felt that it would happen. She had [Intuition (S)] equipped after all.

Nine stood there and got her breathing in order. She then turned to July.

"Where was he bringing her?"

"I-I don't know.."

"Bring her back."

"B-Back?"

Nine exhaled deeply, wiggling her brow. She shook her head once and picked up April herself.

The surrounding crowd raised in awe. Seeing such a small girl pick up a person bigger than herself was quite a surreal sight.

Nine brought a concealment barrier into existence and ran towards the mansion.

To July, it looked as if Nine had just disappeared.

"Why.."

July didn't know, didn't understand. Why was he so slow? So ignorant?

"What the hell was he thinking.." Nine was huffing. Not because she was tired-- but because she was mad. Angry. Frustrated.

She came all the way to the room where Shyna the maid had died, realizing the door was locked, she kicked the door down and barged in.

There laid her corpse.

Blood spilled all over the ground.

Nine dropped April on the bed. Ehe was safe, only sedated.

Nine then turned to Shyna on the floor.

What should she do?

That was what Nine wanted to know.

For fuck sake, if only she paid closer attention-- if only she decided then to spare 100 points and interrupt their conversation-- pass her the elixir to drink..

No.

This was a world where death is common. To see someone die-- that was supposed to be how it is.

This was a world where the strong toyed with the weak.

Nine took out the rest of the elixir from the inventory-- and appraised it.

[Vial of Elixir]

[Description: Can cure any disease, and in large doses, even bring the dead back to life.]

It wasn't specific enough. What did bringing the dead back to life even imply?

Could she be saved?

Nine pondered, walking in circles, holding the urge to bite her nails.

Would delaying the decision cause any further irreversible outcomes?

What should she do..

"W-What.."

Nine turned to the entrance and found Elaine standing there– she was looking at the corpse.

"What should I do.." Nine asked-- without knowing why she asked. She was desperate, she didn't know.

To bring her back to life or to leave her be?

Was there any worth in bringing her back to life?

"You.. killed her?"

Elaine's shivering words caused Nine to freeze up. She.. why did she come here?

A misunderstanding was about to occur.

This was bad.. really bad.

"I didn't, I swear I just.."

Elaine took a few steps back, images flashed through her mind and a lightbulb lit, an idea sprouted.

She'll use this chance to tell Nine (boy) what this girl did to a maid.

Elaine wasn't convinced that this Nine (girl), didn't kill this maid. It was very clear that the door was broken, and the fact that he chose this place where the hall was quiet..

"I-I'll imagine I never saw this so spare my life.." Elaine said.

"Elaine.. if it were you.. would you save her or.. just leave her be?" Nine squatted beside the corpse, noticing the needle stuck to her neck, she pulled it out.

"Wh-what do you mean? Save her of course.."

"Then it's decided."

She decided not to care anymore.

How much elixir was required to bring back the dead to life? She didn't know. One thing for sure here is that Shyna died with her whole body intact.

How long had it passed since her death? Almost an hour?

Nine bought another Vial of Elixir for 600 points, using her individual savings-- it was the only thing she could afford. She went over to Shyna's side, and poured it right into her mouth. Then she lifted her head to allow the elixir to flow down her throat.

Nine was shaking, scowling because of the absence of any effect. It wasn't enough.

She poured the remaining half-vial of Elixir that was saved for Prune into her mouth.

No reaction.

Still not enough.

'Noel, Liliath, Prune, please let me use the shared points. Please.'

We were standing right in front of the mansion, seeing the numerous carriages leaving from the front gate, when this message came.

Shared points? Use?

'Sure. Just spend it.'

I replied back without giving too much thought.

I didn't know then that Nine was about to spend so much-- to do the impossible. My mind was too occupied with keeping watch of the orange markers to realize..

We entered the mansion.

And saw July.

He stared right back at us-- at Rin.

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