༺ Searching For Mother (1) ༻
After defeating the vampire Shehrazade, I returned home.
It was now the weekend, and I was walking alongside Naru in 5th Street’s park.
The sky was blue, the sun’s rays warm, and flowers were blooming in blinding fashion. It was a violent yet beautiful depiction of spring.
Perhaps it was because of the pleasant weather, but I couldn’t help but yawn.
“The weather really is wonderful today.”
On a day like today, I would normally take a nap.
However, because I lived like a shut-in, Brigitte had made me go and play with Naru at the park.
“Look at this! It’s a grasshopper!”
Swish-!
Suddenly, Naru had a grasshopper in her hand.
It was just as big as her palm.
━Kyaeeeek…!
“……”
Its body was jet black, and its cry was eerily horrifying.
However, Naru didn’t seem scared, she giggled as she held the grasshopper.
“It’s a really big grasshopper! It must be the leader of the insects in this park!”
When I was young, I used to catch creatures like grasshoppers and ants to play with them.
Naru seemed to be in a similar state.
“Molumolu, have a good meal!”
Naru offered the grasshopper to her shadow.
However, the eyes that appeared within her shadow merely uttered a noise.
━Grrrrr…!
“You don’t eat grasshoppers?”
━Meow.
“You ate the strawberries I gave you yesterday. It seems Molumolu is a picky eater!”
“……”
I observed the interaction between Naru and her furry familiar.
In the days following the incident in 61st Street.
Naru had bonded with an unusual familiar, its species remaining a mystery.
I did ask Brigitte about it as well.
However, she too shook her head in confusion.
“I don’t have a clue what kind of animal this is. Is it from Edea? Perhaps it’s a creature that lives in the same dimension as the Demiurges.”
It seemed Brigitte didn’t recognize the furry creature either.
Even Enkidus merely commented on its docile nature but refrained from making any comments about its species.
Perhaps Cariote the Demon Hunter, would know better.
However, following the incident at 61st Street, she had disappeared without a trace.
“Did you hear? 61st Street was completely razed to the ground.”
“….From what I heard, monsters were running rampant over there.”
“Still, I guess they managed to get rid of them. It was such a horrifying place, I’m relieved.”
“My friend who works at the town hall told me there was talk about officially assimilating 61st Street.”
Although I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, I could hear the people around me talking about the incident.
It seemed 61st Street would be undergoing some well-needed changes.
“Despite all that though, I wasn’t able to find a single clue to the location of Young Lady Leone.”
The missing daughter of the Ragdoll family.
We had scoured 61st Street in our attempt to find her, but our efforts were for naught.
Whether it was a blessing or a curse, there was no one, even amongst the low-ranked vampires we defeated, that resembled Leone von Ragdoll.
Just when I began to feel the melancholy of our failure, I sensed someone behind me.
“I could feel you following me for a while now. If you have something to say, say it.”
I uttered a casual remark without turning.
As I spoke, a rustling could be heard from the bushes nearby. Soon, a large, muscular figure emerged.
His face was extremely weathered, covered in scars and wounds. It made him look like some sort of orc bandit.
“You… you’re that muscle thief Baraba.”
“Please just call me Baraba.”
Muscle bandit Baraba was a member of the Shadow Council of Freesia, and was someone who had attacked me previously.
He was also someone who had made the chocolates I had given to Naru.
“What is it?”
I questioned him.
As I did, Baraba cautiously gazed at his surroundings before replying.
“Because Scheherazade of the Tenebris fell at your hands, I was just here to report that 61st Street is safely under the rule of our 「Shadow Council」. That’s all.”
“I see.”
“Because the darkness that has been plaguing Freesia for the better part of a decade is dead, I hope that peace will come. Judas, it’s all thanks to you. From now on, we will take care of all business within the red light district, including prostitution.”
“……”
“We will be the only ones doing the kidnapping. Additionally, gambling is fully under our control. Judas, I truly thank you! I’m ashamed that I ever doubted you.”
…Peace really will return, right?
I had the feeling that a cycle of rebirth would occur from the ashes of the former criminal organization.
Truthfully, I wished for 61st Street to be completely demolished for the sake of Naru’s safe commute to Graham Academy.
Regardless of what I wanted.
A place to collect trash was always needed.
If there were no landfills, the trash would spill out into the streets.
Still, I should give them a warning.
“If you kidnap women from now on, make sure you send them back after receiving a ransom. Punish those who don’t follow this rule, and even those who refuse any ransom.”
“I will follow your order, Judas. I’ll inform the Thieves’ Guild. By the way Judas, I heard you were searching for Young Lady Leone Ragdoll.”
“Is there something you know?”
The Thieves’ Guild is known as the Shadow Council.
It was a location rich with information.
If they even knew that I was searching for Young Lady Leone, their intelligence-gathering operations weren’t something to scoff at.
Baraba spoke.
“25 years ago, 61st Street was under the iron rule of a man named Jack The Ripper. He was a ruthless outlaw who even refused to join the Shadow Council.”
“Is that so?”
“Over the years, he kidnapped people from all over the world and sold them as slaves. He was as vile and cruel as Shehrazade. To be quite honest, he might have been even worse. He would do anything that made money.”
An outlaw that would do anything if it made money.
It would create a far worse situation than those vampires.
At least the vampires didn’t make a fuss during the day.
I questioned Baraba.
“Did Shehrazade come and drive him out? This Jack The Ripper fellow seems far from ordinary.”
“He wasn’t a match for you, Judas, but he was some of the worst trash in existence. However, the vampire Shehrazade wasn’t the one who forced him out. He was instead killed by a black-haired Barabarian.”
“A Barabarian?”
“The world was in quite the chaotic state at the time. I was but a mere baker during that period, so I’m not sure of the details. However, I do know some friends who witnessed it firsthand.”
“Oh, really?”
“The former slave auctioneer during that period lives on 5th street. He’s now living an honest life, but he owes a debt to our 「Shadow Council」.
“I see.”
The information was crucial.
It was almost like finding a waypoint in the midst of a labyrinth while on the brink of being lost.
“Thank you. I’ll be able to save a lot of time by going to him.”
“We should be the ones thanking you. The entire city-state of Freesia suffered under Shehrazade and her servants. Although the media doesn’t seem to care about your achievements, we will remember you.”
Now that I thought about it, the 「Shadow Council」 had suffered great damage against Shehrazade.
Baraba then gazed downward at Naru, who was hiding behind my legs.
“Is this little child your daughter?”
“That’s right, she’s also a student of Graham Academy. Don’t even think about kidnapping her. Make sure you tell the others as well.”
“I suppose she is the princess of a very narrow alleyway. You didn’t ask, but I also have a daughter of my own. In fact, I have three. Two have already gone and gotten married, and the youngest is opening a bakery of her own.”
Seriously?
To think that this mountain bandit-looking fellow had given birth to three daughters.
He was far more impressive than he looked.
* * *
5th Street was primarily a residential area for government employees.
Within Freesia, employees of the government consisted of the elite and powerful.
Thanks to that, 5th Street was always well maintained.
This included strong public security and convenient infrastructure.
“So the man who used to run the slave auction now lives here. I don’t know who it is, but they sure as hell are living a successful life.”
I had come to the location that the muscle bandit Baraba had instructed.
Soon, we would be visiting an upscale residence fit for a government employee.
Observing the similarly luxurious houses nearby, I couldn’t help but marvel at the large gateways.
“This place…”
At that moment.
Naru began to furiously swivel her head.
“This place is…”
“Naru, what’s wrong?”
“Naru…knows this place…! Naru came here with Mom…! Once we turn the corner here, a large fountain should be there…! There’s even a playground…!”
It was just as Naru had proclaimed.
There was a grand fountain, and we could see other children running around the playground.
“Naru and Mom went on a walk here together! Whenever I held mom’s hand and followed, she always bought me ice cream or cotton candy from that vendor over there!”
Naru seemed to vividly recall her past.
Perhaps something had set off her memory, almost like the trigger of a gun being pulled that brought her memories flooding back.
The place Naru was pointing to really had a cotton candy vendor.
Naru stood some distance away from the playground and stared intently at the other children holding their mothers’ hands and eating cotton candy.
“Mom! I asked you to buy me grape-flavored cotton candy! I don’t like mint…! I don’t want to eat it anymore…!”
“You eat what’s given to you! All cotton candy is the same! If you keep behaving like this, I won’t give you dessert after dinner!”
“Ugh…!”
It was a peaceful image of a mother and her child.
Naru’s hand suddenly began to grip my own harder.
Did she want to see her mother?
Naru’s search for her mother had been delayed by a number of events.
Still, there were some clues we picked up along the way.
“Naru, I know when your birthday is.”
“My birthday?”
Naru’s eyes sparkled as she climbed all over me.
I carefully searched my memories.
As I attempted to recall Naru’s birthday, the memories of what the astrologer had told me began to condense like droplets.
“It was something about a lion tearing into a maiden’s dress. Do you have any idea, Naru?”
“Naru is the daughter of a lion? Is dad a lion?”
“No.”
I personally felt like I was more of a tiger than a lion.
My name originally meant ‘a large tiger’.
As I began to think, Naru began waving her arms as she cried out.
“Oh, holy shh! That means mom was a tiger and dad was the maiden!”
“……”
Was that it?
It didn’t really matter.
After giving Naru a stick of cotton candy, we began to walk once more.
We made our way to the residence of the former slave auctioneer.
At the main gate, we caught sight of a familiar face.
“Cariote, what are you doing here? It’s been a while.”
“I’ve been following the traces of Young Lady Leone. It seems you’re here for the same reason, Judas.”
I see.
Cariote had independently been gathering information and had latched onto the same location as us.
Her skills were truly impressive.
“However, there’s a problem. The auctioneer Tourette won’t open the door. I’m sure he’s inside, but even when I ring the bell, he won’t respond. The gate is locked too.”
“Really?”
The gate was firmly locked.
Without any alternative, I ripped out a strand of hair.
As I placed it inside the keyhole, the door opened with a clack.
“Now it’s not locked anymore, right?”
“I shouldn’t be surprised after being around you for so long. Still, I’ve never even heard of someone using a strand of hair to pick a lock.”
“I’m probably the only person capable of doing that. It’s quite an advanced skill.”
Screech-
I walked past the now fully unlocked gate.
As I did, I could hear a loud commotion inside.
“Mr. Tourette, are you here?”
—Y-You Barbarians! This is trespassing! I’ll call the guards!
I see.
No wonder Cariote had been left standing by the gate.
He hadn’t been opening it because we were of the Barboi tribe.
“I have no choice. I’ll open it by force.”
I raised my hand, intent on pulling out another strand of hair.
As I did though, Naru tugged on my pants before speaking.
“Naru wants to try this time!”
“Really?”
Snap-
Naru plucked a strand of hair and rolled it up. Then, she began to maneuver it in various ways.
After some time, the door unlocked with a satisfying click.
“I did it!”
Naru was thrilled.
However, I was a bit shocked.
I had struggled for about three months to master this C-rank skill 「Hairpicking」. I had noticed this before, but the pace Naru learned at was too quick.
…What’s more, I felt like Naru’s princess power fell after she successfully picked the lock!
I guess it was natural for it to fall after she did things related to thievery.
Should I not use any of my skills in front of Naru anymore?
I made my way into the estate with that thought in mind.
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