CHAPTER 14 - The Mindset of a Widow. Part 4
CHAPTER 14 - The Mindset of a Widow. Part 4
We've agreed on the main topic we'll work on: "Trash for Food Exchange: The Solution to Hunger and Pollution."
Lalo García, founder of L. García Technology, is the only man in world history to lift an entire country out of poverty and turn it into the greatest global superpower in just two years.
Ah, that idiot can afford to do something so flashy without fear of being killed.
His hatred for foreigners drove him to improve his country, to prevent foreigners from feeling superior for coming from more developed nations.
Ah, whatever. One of his main inventions is the use of trash as fertilizer and for reclaiming infertile land for agriculture. I don't know exactly how it works, but what matters to us is how he collects the trash.
Homeless people gather trash from homes, streets, and public places, exchanging it for food. This method has spread worldwide, and thanks to it, poor countries can obtain food by trading their trash. Even dry leaves (not green ones) are considered trash, which has greatly increased tree planting, as people ensure they'll always have trash to trade in the future.
And since trash is used to reclaim infertile land where nothing could be grown before, this has boosted agriculture, creating more jobs and, in turn, more food to sell, generating even more jobs.
I'd say Lalo García is a good person, but he mainly does it to be seen as a hero and to prove he's the best.
He's a proud man, after all, worthy of his sin.
"Well, let's leave this for now. We submitted our proposal, and it was accepted. We have 40 minutes free. Ah…"
I need to gain more of her trust. How? Hmm… A game? Yeah, everyone loves games. But I can't pull out my console in class… A game without a console… Hmm… Got it.
I took a graph paper notebook from my backpack.
"Do you know the game 'Dots and Boxes'?"
"Dots and Boxes? N-no, I don't know it," Sylphie said.
I didn't know it either; Yuki taught me. It's kind of boring, but it's good for passing the time and keeping us from getting bored while we talk. I need to know more about Sylphie, because the more I know about her, the more I'll learn about her mother. Any information will be useful.
"Look, as you know, squares have four sides. The game is about drawing a line for one of those sides on any square on the sheet. The goal is to complete the most squares. For example…"
I draw three sides of a square with a red pen.
"Suppose after a long game, this happens."
I take a green pen.
"This is you."
I draw the missing line, completing the square.
"Here, you've scored your first point. Whoever completes the square gets the point."
I write an "S" inside the square.
"You have one point, and I have zero. The trick is to fill the sheet with lines while avoiding setting up almost-complete squares, as that gives your opponent the chance to complete them. At first, it's easy to draw lines, but as the game goes on, it gets harder to place a line without thinking carefully about whether it's a good move. In short, the game is about filling the sheet with lines while preventing your opponent from completing squares. Got it?"
Sylphie nodded quickly.
"Y-yes."
"Then let's start."
I switched to a new sheet since I'd drawn on this one and drew a line with my red pen, starting the game.
Sylphie did the same with her green pen.
…
…
…
Fifteen minutes have passed since the game started, and neither of us has scored a point. The sheet is filling up with our lines, but neither of us is willing to lose.
"Nah, I never liked the food at fancy restaurants. They're more about quality than quantity, and I really hate that. Plus, I'm too lazy to pretend to be some refined guy who knows how to use all the different spoons and stuff. I'm simpler and prefer to eat deliciously in my own way. What about you, Sylphie?"
"I-I'm more into homemade food; I n-never go to restaurants."
"Yeah, I agree, homemade food is better. Sweet or savory?"
"Savory. You?"
"I used to love savory foods and pasta, but now I prefer sweet, especially desserts. I make a dessert at least three times a week. What do you cook often, Sylphie?"
Talking while we play is a way to make her feel less uncomfortable. By focusing on the game while talking, she forgets she's shy, as her brain is busy trying to play, listen, and respond.
"I-I also make desserts; it's what I'm best at, along with savory foods."
"Food you hate?"
"N-none; I like everything."
"Good answer. You should never disrespect food."
Because if you do, you might end up feeling deep regret… Ah, better not think about that.
…
…
…
"Ah…"
I sighed, giving up.
I placed a line that lets Sylphie secure a big sequence of guaranteed points.
"This is harder than I remembered."
I think Yuki let me win the last time we played, or is this game really more about luck than intelligence?
Sylphie… smiled…
She's smiling while filling the sheet with squares.
I see. She feels happy being able to accomplish something, in this case, winning a simple game.
Wow, wow… Feeling happy for achieving something, even something as small as a game… Interesting. This could be useful.
"I give up. Good thing we didn't bet anything."
"I-it was a good game. W-wanna play another round?"
"This game lasted 35 minutes; we only have 5 minutes left, so I don't think we'll make it. Let's play tomorrow."
"T-tomorrow?"
She looked down, trying to hide her smile.
"Y-yeah, sounds good. L-let's play tomorrow."
Trying to hide the fact that you're happy to have a friend to play with, huh? You get happy over such simple things… That'll be useful.
"Sorry, Saik."
Ah, now what?
Saoto stood next to me, smiling.
"Are you joining any clubs?"
A club, huh? I know it's normal to join one, but I don't want to. It's also normal not to join, so I won't. I have little free time, and I won't waste it on a club. I'd rather spend time with Yuki or study.
"I'm not interested in joining a club; I don't have time for that."
"Oh… I see… That's all I wanted to ask. Thanks. Have a nice afternoon."
He returned to his seat.
What a polite guy. I guess he comes from a strict family with good manners. Ah, so lazy.
"Are you joining a club, Sylphie?"
Though I already know the answer.
"No… I don't have time either," she said with a fake smile, but I can sense her sadness.
Sadness over your mother's situation or because you can't be a normal student like the others?
Sylphie, I'm sure you're not ashamed of working to support your mother; you're sad because you can't enjoy your school life, like joining a club or going out with friends to the movies or stuff like that.
I hope you make the most of the help I'll give you.
"B-by the way, Saik, does it still hurt?" she said, pointing at the adhesive bandages on my arms.
"Not as much as before; it just itches now. Growing up with maids who did all the hard work made me useless, so much so that I didn't know how to install glass in a window, and it fell on me. At least I didn't die."
I touched the bandage on my neck.
"If it had been deeper, I'd be dead. What a stupid way to die that would've been, huh? But let's not talk about depressing stuff. You mentioned you have a scholarship, right?"
"Y-yeah. My family isn't wealthy like the others. I-I hope that doesn't bother you," she said, looking down and rubbing her right arm.
"Don't worry; I honestly don't care about other people's financial situation. I only asked because I'm running out of things to talk about."
Sylphie looked up and met my eyes (or at least tried to), and her sadness faded as she started feeling better… Wow… Her glasses are slightly broken; I'm just noticing that. The slap she got must've caused it.
"Do you like bread? I do, especially cake. That counts as bread, right?"
A small smile appeared on her face, and she nodded.
"Y-yeah, I like bread."
… I was going to offer her money to buy new glasses, but that would be too much help, and getting so much help from someone you barely know is weird. It'd make it seem like I'm trying to win her over and buy her affection with money. I gave her mother a ton of money, so she'll give Sylphie the money to buy new glasses.
Remember, Saik, helping Sylphie too much would make her dependent on me, and I don't want that. Help Sylphie, but not always and not too much.
Ah, so lazy.
•
•
After a long day of classes, I can finally leave.
It's 4 p.m., the perfect time to eat. I think I'll go buy some burgers.
"W-wow, there really are a lot of clubs at school," Sylphie said, walking beside me.
"The school has a big budget, so having around 20 clubs is easy."
Sylphie nodded at my words.
"It's the advantage of expensive schools," she said, looking at the people around us.
The school has fewer students compared to others, so there aren't many people in the hallways blocking our way.
"100 first-year students, so there must be 300 total. Very few for such a big school. They're really focused on quality over quantity."
"Y-yeah…"
Sylphie answered, but her gaze is fixed on the cooking club. I guess after years of cooking for yourself and your mother, you've grown fond of it.
"The cooking club interested me too. Ah, it's a shame I don't have time for that."
"… Yeah… Same here."
Huh? An occult and magic club?
Magic exists, but the club members probably just do cheap tricks. It'd be boring…
Hmm… Wow… A girl is talking to the club members, but there's something odd about her. Do I know her? She has the same hairstyle as me; her hair covers her face… I feel like I've seen her before… Well, doesn't matter.
We left the school, but I'll take a different route than Sylphie. We follow almost the same path, but I need to detour; I sense dangerous gazes on me.
"I'm going to buy some stuff. See you tomorrow, Sylphie."
"S-s-see you tomorrow, Saik."
I walked away from her.
Alright… Hmm… Yeah… Four men are following me; I can sense it thanks to my survival instincts. I don't feel much hostility; they want to hurt me, but they don't want to kill me.
Yeah, I figured. It was a good idea to boost my luck in a fistfight; it increased the chances that she'd want me beaten up, not killed.
That saved me a lot of unnecessary trouble.
They're not students; they're adults. It'd be suspicious to confront them in places with security cameras, but I've already taken care of that. As long as they don't attack me first, everything will be fine.
"Saik, Saik!"
Yuki caught up with me and started walking beside me.
"That girl called her dad! His thugs are going to beat you up!"
She just called him? And they got here fast… How much power does her father have over the city? How many people does he have under his control? Whatever it is, it won't affect me. I have emergency plans for these kinds of situations to keep my normal life from being ruined, so I don't need to worry.
"Yeah, I know. Yuki, I suggest you don't follow me. It won't be pretty to watch. Go home."
"B-but…"
"Please, I'm asking you as a friend. Go home. I'll call certain people to protect me, but I don't want you to see what's going to happen. They won't kill them, but they'll end up badly beaten. I don't want you to see that. Go home."
"… Please, be careful."
"I'll be fine."
Those scumbags are no match for me.
•
•
Alright… An alley… An alley… Found it.
I researched the city when I moved here. I memorized the fastest and most hidden routes to escape situations like this without looking too suspicious. Plus, this area has no security cameras, and if they install any, they're removed. The city's red zone. No one will record me entering the alley; I'm safe. This will look suspicious, but I already have a plan to avoid being found out.
For now, I'll focus on taking them out. They're still far; they're cautious. Do they want to know where I'm going? I wonder what their exact orders are. Whatever. When they see me enter this place, they'll rush to catch up, knowing I've spotted them. I have less than a minute to prepare.
I entered the alley, dropped my backpack on the ground, and took off my uniform shirt.
I haven't neglected my physical training; I'm proud of my body and skills. I could kill them with my fists and dispose of the evidence, but that would definitely be suspicious, and I'd get caught.
Ah… I don't want to use that… I promised myself I'd never use it again… But I can use the ghosts.
They have weapons. They might not plan to kill me at first, but if I put up a fight, they'll try to use them. I need to prevent that.
I took a pen and wrote the number 31 on my palm.
"Legendary Ghost Number 31. Ghost of Speed."
A woman in lingerie appeared in front of me and caressed my chest. It's been a while since I last saw or used her, but she doesn't seem mad about it.
"Well, well. Will you finally accept me, darling?"
Don't get it wrong; I'm shirtless to avoid getting blood on my uniform.
And stop rubbing your nipples, visible through your bra, against my chest. It's uncomfortable.
"Enhance my body and disappear. I don't have time for your sexual harassment."
"What if I suck your…?"
"Do it now."
"Ah… You're so boring sometimes, love."
She snapped her fingers and vanished.
I feel the power of Number 31 activating in my body. Perfect.
Alright… They're getting closer.
I put my hands on the ground and started doing push-ups, just to distract them.
… Here they are.
"If I want to win that race, I need to build my endurance… D-damn, I'm already tired," I said, pretending to be exhausted.
The four men approached me.
"Hey!"
Alright, time to act.
I stood up and dusted off my hands, pretending to be startled by them.
"W-what's going on? P-please don't hurt me."
Ah, I look so pathetic pretending. Yuki, seriously… Ah…
"This is a warning. Don't touch the boss's daughter again."
The boss, huh?
He tried to punch me, but thanks to Number 31's power, which boosts my reaction speed, agility, and attack speed, I could see his fist in slow motion.
I dodged by moving my head to the left and countered with a punch to his face, knocking him out. Ah, it's hard to hit without killing them.
"Hmm… He looked tougher."
They all tried to hit me, and the result was the same.
I dodged Number 3's attack by ducking. I jumped and hit his chin with my knee, causing his brain to rattle (I think) several times in his skull, knocking him out as he fell to the ground.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed they were about to draw their weapons, so as soon as my feet hit the ground, I launched myself at them, landing punches on their faces before they could pull out their guns.
In less than five seconds, they were all on the ground.
Ah… Pathetic. I expected a bit more resistance.
But now I need to pretend I escaped.
"Come out."
Number 31 emerged from me and hugged me from behind. Ah, she's licking and biting my right ear. Taking advantage of the fact that I'm almost 17 and you can now grope me without feeling like a pedophile? Before, your sexual harassment was just words, but now it's actions. Ah, I need to get used to this.
I don't dare get mad at her or scold her harshly. After all, she's my most loyal legendary ghost and the one who's helped me the most. Letting her do this is the least I can do for her, as long as it doesn't lead to sex, because that I won't allow. Normal people only have sex with the person they love, and I don't love Number 31.
"You've developed quite nicely this past year, love. Has the thing down there grown more? Fufu. Darling, I…"
She was about to grope my crotch, but I grabbed her arm before she could. I don't have time for this.
"Number 31, this is serious. Do what I say and save the sexual harassment for later."
"Yes, yes, I know. What do I do?"
This will draw the attention of those idiots, so I need to prepare.
•
•
Ninda, losing patience for not receiving the photo she wanted—a picture of Saik beaten and humiliated by her father's lackeys—called her father to demand answers, unaware that it was the other way around: Saik was the one who beat and humiliated them.
"Dad, have you done what I asked?!"
"Daughter, I don't have time; because of you, I lost four of my best men! We'll talk later!"
"Because of me?"
"I don't have time!"
Her father hung up, and the girl punched the wall, frustrated for not getting what she wanted.
"What happened now?!"
•
•
Ah… I almost forgot the feeling of defeating bad guys. It still feels… boring. Nothing special… I just feel the same.
Did they have families…? Ah, I don't care. They condemned themselves by getting involved in organized crime.
I had to pretend I went to visit a prostitute my mother once helped, who nearly died from an illegal abortion. My mother saved her.
I already knew she didn't live there anymore; I only went to have an alibi.
When I got there, a prostitute attended me, and I told her I needed protection because some men were following me and wanted to hurt me.
She took pity on me, and I stayed with her for about two hours. She even invited me to dinner.
As thanks, I gave her 10,000 dollars, saying it was for protecting me and saving my life (and also because gaining her trust could help me in the future). She refused at first, but I convinced her, and she ended up accepting it.
Good, I have an alibi, so I don't need to worry too much.
"Hey, hey, aren't you Saik? Fufu. Not all geniuses are serious and boring, huh?"
… Who's this random? And why is he hugging me with his arm? I don't feel in danger; he's a normal, average human. A classmate?
Red hair, red eyes… No, no idea. Never seen him before.
"You here to have fun too?! Oh, by the way, I'm Ether, from Class D."
"I just came to visit someone; I'm not here for prostitutes or drugs."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," he said, winking.
… Why did he wink? Does he like me?
This is awkward.
"Well, see you later. If you ever want to have fun, call me. I know the best places to get easy ass. Bye."
… Did he just slap my butt?
He turned and left… Easy ass? Prostitutes?
He has sex with girls he doesn't love, despite being younger than me… Is this normal?
"Ah, I still have a lot to investigate about normality."
•
•
I entered my house, and Yuki rushed to me, very worried since I took so long. Sorry, Yuki, that prostitute was nice, and I stayed with her longer than planned. She's 50, and her way of talking and treating me made me feel… Ah, no… Better not think about that. It's bad for my fragile heart.
"Are you okay?!"
"Doubting my skills? I managed to escape in time; a cop helped me."
Yuki sighed in relief.
"Good. But what if they try to attack you again?"
"I hired extra security; they'll keep the house and me safe. Don't worry."
"Oh, I see, I see! The advantage of having tons of money, huh? Fufu."
Sorry for lying to you, Yuki, but I don't want you to know the truth.
I dropped my backpack on the ground and sighed.
Today, I used several legendary ghosts. That drains my mind too much. Not using them for so long weakened my body.
"I'm taking a bath."
Noel approached me… wearing an apron… Did he really take the role of housekeeper seriously? I only asked him to clean the house and cook while I'm at school because I don't want him near Sylphie. I forbade him from approaching his family for a while, saying it would only make them sad, as they'd feel him nearby even if they couldn't see him… A lie. I don't want him near them because having him at school all the time would be awkward and annoying, and I don't want him near Iris because he'd figure out what I'm doing and get mad. I'd rather keep him here to clean and cook.
Hey, I'm helping your family; this is the least you can do for me.
"Saik… How's my daughter?"
"Yuki forced me to be her friend. Let her tell you the details; I need a bath."
"Saik was amazing, Noel! He hit a girl to protect Sylphie!"
"P-protect her?! W-what happened?"
So sleepy.
I entered the bathroom and took off all my clothes.
Ah… Those idiots won't leave me alone, not as long as their boss's daughter keeps hating me. Becoming her friend would harm Sylphie, so I can't do that… I need to resolve this the violent way.
"Fufu. You killed again."
"It wasn't exactly me, but yeah."
Legendary Ghost Number 31 appeared in front of me and stretched her arms.
Her nipples are very visible through her bra, as is her private area through her panties. I didn't used to pay attention to that, but now that I've grown, I notice it more, though not much. It just seems curious to me.
She has very large breasts, bigger than my head. I'd say they look uncomfortable, but Number 31 is a ghost; she doesn't feel their weight.
"Ah… Being free feels so good. Being inside you feels really, really good, but I wish it were the other way around," she said, winking.
"Me inside you?"
"Yes, sweetie," she said, caressing my cheek.
"You're the legendary ghost here, and I'm your master; don't forget your place."
"Argh. You didn't get it."
I turned on the bathtub faucet, and she started caressing my abdomen.
Ah, I'm used to her harassment, so I don't care… Or so I thought. This time, her sexual harassment feels more… sexual. Before, it was just simple caresses on my abdomen and cheek; now, those caresses feel more perverse… Ah, puberty? More like adolescence. Puberty was five years ago.
"Fufu. I missed feeling your body. I'd lick you all over… Again. Fufu."
"That only happened once, and I did it to distract you and defeat you. All these years, and you're still on about it?"
"But that doesn't change the fact that I took your virginity. Besides, if you want me to stop mentioning it, replace that memory with a newer one. You know what I mean," she said, licking my neck and kissing it.
… Ah… Why can't I hate her? You're lucky I have some affection for you, Number 31.
Huh? Is she sucking my neck with her lips? Why? Ah, gross.
"No, thanks; it's not normal to have sex with a ghost. And you didn't take anything; I did it because I wanted to. Sex never mattered to me, so I don't care what we did in the past. To me, it was just in and out. Stop saying nonsense and give me the information."
"Ugh, as cold as ever. I love it! Fufu. Someday you'll be interested in sex, and I'll play hard to get."
"Give me the information."
"Ah, you're so cold… We found the rivals of the Soiko family and confronted them. To avoid leaving obvious traces of energy, I used regular ghosts to control the bodies. It'll be obvious they were controlled by ghosts, but at least we didn't leave energy traces."
"Yeah, don't worry. Those idiots would know this is ghost-related anyway; trying to hide it would be pointless."
"We killed each other, so we've taken the first step. I absorbed their souls and gathered the most important information. Are you getting back in the game, darling? What happened to being a pacifist and all that?"
"Just temporarily. I want to keep my peaceful life, and to do that, I need to resolve this issue before it gets worse."
Just this once, I'll do it. If I don't fix this, it'll affect me sooner or later.
"And scoring 100 on the entrance exam will definitely draw their attention, considering your past grades."
"Did Number 2 tell you?"
"I saw the congratulatory letter on your desk. What happened today, combined with your past grades, will lead them to conclude you're not an ordinary person."
"I know, and I already have a plan if that happens."
"They'll probably ignore you, considering they could never defeat you. Messing with your life would just be a cry of: please, please, kill me."
"There are a lot of idiots in that organization, idiots who hate me. Trying to ruin my normal life could be their way of getting revenge."
"And people who've always wanted to know your true identity."
"Yeah… Ah, whatever, worrying about those losers isn't worth it. I have a lot to do tonight."
"Fufu. Will Shadow return?"
"Ah… Yeah… He'll return."
Yuki, this is why I didn't want to help Sylphie; I knew it would get me into unnecessary trouble… Ah, damn it.
(Ghost Abilities #1: Soul Absorption)
Souls are connected to the entire body, especially the mind. Ghosts can take over bodies by destroying the person's soul, as the soul prevents the ghost from taking control. But they can also absorb the soul instead of destroying it, though it's much more complicated. By absorbing souls, ghosts become more powerful, but only temporarily, as unlike their own soul's energy, the energy from foreign souls can't be recovered. Once it's used, it's gone. Soul absorption also allows ghosts to see people's memories, letting them act like the human whose body they stole to avoid suspicion, but only temporarily, as they soon turn into demons.