Chapter 32: Idiot Patriot

As soon as the two returned, in the middle of the afternoon, Clara was not on the terrace. Possibly, the weekly meeting she attended involved important members, though Marcus had a different opinion.

"When you have someone who knows what they're doing or knows the city like the back of their hand, it's impossible to leave them out."

The shooter placed his weapon on a counter under the covered section of the roof, where a small tent provided shade. He pulled up a stool and removed the monocle from one eye, setting it aside. However, the item twisted on its own, transforming into a small lens. Marcus grabbed his carbine and attached the lens to the top.

The forged adjustment fit perfectly into the rail.

"Are you going to stand until she gets back?" Marcus gestured to a stool nearby. "She'll take a while. Those meetings are always at her request."

"And the medicines we found?"

"Don't be so hasty. You've been here two days and already want to help everyone. The place you came from must be pretty naïve." He chuckled. "Even at your age, you've got a youthful spark, huh?"

Dante shot him a sidelong glance and grimaced.

"And you're way too cranky for someone so young. Why don't you join these meetings?"

"Because I'm not very… 'subjective,' as Miss Clara puts it."

Marcus cleaned his weapon with care, turning the wood to work on the other end and sanding the stock lightly. Dante could tell the gun was well-maintained by the way Marcus handled it and kept it close.

"Your ability allows you to swap one object for another?" Dante asked, pointing. "That's a sight, isn't it? And you use this gun with Cosmic Energy?"

"Everything runs on Cosmic Energy these days, even if just a little." He rotated the gun again and pulled a stand from the counter's end, suspending it. "Loading bullets into an ISE Carbine isn't as easy as it looks. Everyone says they like guns but never bother learning how to use them."

"ISE is its name?"

"Model."

Dante scooted closer on his stool. Marcus still wore that dark green scarf over his face but pulled it down. His jaw was rugged, but his nose was thin and slightly upturned. However, it was his amber-brown eyes that gave him such a solid presence.

Whether happiness existed in that man or not, his eyes showed no pity for anything they saw. Dante felt a chill being next to him for the first time.

"Every weapon has a number and model. ISE is an old one, even from before we lost everything." He touched the stock, and the wood shifted slightly under his hand. "No matter what you think of a gun, it can only be tested in action."

"So, you make weapons?"

"First of all, old man," Marcus said, locking eyes with him. "Don't ask people around here about their abilities. Maybe your hometown is full of prying questions and glitzy shows. It's not like that here."

"And how are you, then?"

"I hope never like you."

Marcus's reply made Dante laugh, but it was the last exchange for the moment. Clara returned to the roof, followed by a much older woman. Clara already seemed advanced in age, around fifty, Dante guessed.

But the woman with her had to be over eighty. She was hunched, leaning on a cane, with a cheerful expression etched into her wrinkles and crow's feet. As they approached, Clara introduced her.

"This is Simone Gressh. Dante, she's our elder. She's the one who calls the meetings here in Kappz."

Dante stepped forward, raising his hand and bowing respectfully.

"I'm Dante, from a very distant place, Mrs. Simone. I'm sorry if I've caused any trouble during my stay."

Simone chuckled, her laugh sounding tired as if her body sagged under its own weight. Even her sparse hair seemed worn, swept to the sides in an attempt at braids.

"Your respect for our city is evident; I feel it. I'd like to speak with you, Mr. Dante. In private."

Dante followed her. They crossed the wooden bridge connecting one building to another. Simone led him to a corner and sat on some cushions, rubbing her legs against a thicker blanket.

"I saw when you fell," Simone said with a soft laugh. "It was quite the tumble. Before that, I saw the portal that brought you here. Clara told me you must come from somewhere far beyond what we can imagine, but I believe it when I see a man with grit and a good head on his shoulders. I won't compare you to our residents, but I imagine you have a very different view of our city."

"It's… quite peaceful, to be honest."

"Peaceful is not a word often used here. Clara mentioned that a Felroz was taken down with one punch from you. I don't believe in myths, Dante. Your ability might give you an edge against enemies, but it can also affect your allies."

Dante understood the notion of allies and enemies in the same battle, even within his own group. He just hadn't expected it to apply in an unfamiliar place.

"We're a group that's never been united," Simone said, pulling him back to the moment. "Up here, we write our own history, struggling to survive. Hunting groups never return with more than a handful of rabbits. Those scouring the city rarely find medicine. And what's left of our arsenal… well, you've met Marcus. I always say we're a city without a people, and a people who think they own a city. Clara and Marcus have been helping those in need for a long time, and I don't want you to get caught up in something drastic just because of your kind heart."

Dante thought the last part sounded sarcastic.

The sun blazed in the sky, but Simone didn't seem to care about the heat or the strong winds on the rooftop. She appeared accustomed to her surroundings, still smiling.

"I know you want to leave, Dante. There isn't a soul in Kappz who wouldn't. But I like to believe things happen for a reason." She fixed him with her wise, generous brown eyes. "I hope you'll consider helping those who truly deserve it. Don't let the fools who think they run the city torment Clara or the others. You'll meet a lot of strange people here, that I'm sure of."

Dante smiled at her warmly.

"I've learned to protect those who can't protect themselves, ma'am. Even though I'm far from home, I've also learned to clean, guard, and preserve. I owe my life to what Clara and Marcus have done for me."

Simone raised a hand and pinched his cheek.

"You're so young but pretend to be old, don't you?"

That startled Dante. He hadn't expected Simone to see through his appearance. The elderly woman stood up with great difficulty. Facing the horizon, she let out a long sigh.

"Clara will explain our needs and suffering to you. But I'd like you to see it for yourself when you have time." She pointed to another part of the city, where a purple cloud rose and swayed with the wind. "Rest and recover; we're not going anywhere."

Simone raised her hand, turning away. Clara approached. The old woman made Clara lean down and kissed her cheek, leaving with Marcus as her companion.

Dante watched Simone descend a staircase in the next building and disappear.

"Mrs. Simone said you had a purpose," Clara said, patting his shoulder. Her lips curved into a smile, and she squeezed his arm. "Tomorrow, some people will receive the medicine you brought here."

"It was nothing. We found it by chance."

Clara immediately shook her head.

"Marcus told me you found it in a strange way. I don't care if you have secrets, Dante." She laughed. "We all do. If your secret helps us, then please, when there's trust between us, share it."

Dante nodded lightly.

"Yeah, I'll think about it. I'm very mysterious."

"Old men usually are."

Clara walked away, laughing.