Team Formation
"Ow!"
Barely ten seconds after bolting, Anastasia snagged me by the scruff and cracked a vicious knuckle right on the crown of my head.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous this place is, just charging off alone like that? Are you so desperate to get yourself killed?!"
Anastasia barked the words with murderous intensity. Even Chloe, for once, wore a stern expression and backed her up without hesitation.
"She's right, Siyul. Even if it was only a moment, you could've been snatched in the blink of an eye. Some abilities include things like teleportation, you know."
"...I'm sorry..."
Thoroughly cowed, I rubbed my throbbing forehead and fell into meek step beside them. Even so, my eyes stayed locked on the necklace clutched in my hand.
I hadn't noticed it in that dim alley, but out here under the brighter streetlights the gem set into it glowed with a pure, luminous violet light. The craftsmanship was exquisite; one glance told me it was absurdly expensive.
Anastasia caught a glimpse and muttered under her breath, puzzled.
"...But is there even a magic tool that raises mana by ten? At that level, isn't it more of an artifact than a regular tool?"
"Artifact?"
I tilted my head in the universal "what's the difference?" gesture, and once again Chloe stepped in with a patient explanation.
"Magic tools are usually things crafted in workshops or the common drops you find in gates. Artifacts come from gates too, but... typically there's only one per gate, or sometimes none at all. Think of them as a gate's 'main item,' I guess?"
"Ah..."
"Of course, artifacts vary wildly depending on grade and function. There are strategic-level ones that affect an entire city—like the translation artifact covering this whole island—and there are also personal accessory-type artifacts that skyrocket an individual's stats."
Leave it to our Chloe-mong for the perfect rundown.
I nodded in quiet admiration and looked back down at the necklace.
So this thing might actually be one of those precious artifacts? Nah, no way. Who in their right mind would dump something that valuable for pocket change? It's probably just a high-performance rare magic tool.
As I turned it over in my fingers, Chloe added in a cautious tone,
"...Siyul. I don't want to lecture you about the necklace you bought, but... since we don't know where it came from, it would be wise to be careful using it."
"She's right. Between that creepy old hag's rambling and everything else, the whole thing feels sketchy."
Anastasia readily agreed. Weird. These two rivals were suddenly in perfect sync—had the sun risen in the west today?
"Got it. I'll keep that in mind."
I answered lightly and simply looped the necklace around my neck.
Oh...?
The instant it settled into place, a strange, rushing fullness surged through my body. My previously pathetic mana vessel ballooned in a heartbeat, and my chest felt... lush—no, grand and expansive.
In high spirits we walked on, finally leaving the Black Market's shadowy alleys completely behind. By the time we reached the outer streets of the academy city, a group of children playing in the open lot in front of a dilapidated building caught my eye.
Kids running around in the slums or outer districts wasn't unusual. This academy city had its share of children. What stopped me cold was the little girl sitting slightly apart from the others.
...Huh?
While the rest laughed and shouted as they played, she crouched in a corner and simply watched them with vacant eyes. What stood out most was the end of one sleeve—specifically, the way her wrist simply... ended, blunt and empty.
A tiny girl missing one hand, propping her chin up listlessly with the remaining one. The moment I saw her, a sharp unease twisted in my chest.
What the hell? This is supposed to be a world ruled by awakeners. A single flash of light from someone's hand heals wounds in seconds—and they just leave a kid like that without her hand?
Sure, regenerating a severed limb might not be everyday healing. But at the very least they could give her a proper prosthetic, or some kind of protection, right?
As we drew closer the children's appearance became painfully clear. They were rail-thin, their clothes stained and tattered. No matter how generously I looked, these were not kids receiving proper care or protection.
I stopped walking, unable to tear my eyes away, and carefully asked Chloe beside me,
"Hey... Chloe. Who exactly are those kids...?"
She let out a short sigh and explained with a bitter look.
"Ah... those are probably the orphanage kids. That run-down building behind them is the orphanage for this district."
I looked up at the structure looming behind the children. It was large enough, but the paint had peeled from the walls and cracks spiderwebbed everywhere—a more wretched sight than even the poor, shabby orphanage of my own childhood.
"An orphanage...? Why is there an orphanage in this academy city in the first place?"
Chloe answered my bewildered question with a wry smile.
"Because they were born here. ...Most of them are the children of imprisoned villains, or kids who were abandoned here in secret when their parents couldn't cope."
"What...? But why...? Why not send them to the mainland where they could grow up in better conditions instead of this isolated island in the middle of the Pacific...?"
It made no sense by any common logic. Chloe gazed at the children with pity as she continued.
"...Given their origins, nationality issues get complicated. No country is eager to claim the bloodline of a criminal or children of unknown provenance as their own citizens. It's politics."
"..."
"So Babel Academy runs the orphanage out of humanitarian concern... but lately, with pressure from the sponsor nations, funding for the place keeps getting cut..."
Listening to her trailing words, I clicked my tongue inwardly.
They're just little kids. It's not like there are tens or hundreds of thousands of them—and they still skim the budget while watching other countries' faces?
In the end it was always the small ones who suffered under the selfish standards of adults.
I silently dug into my pocket. A few leftover dollar bills from the exchange brushed my fingers—enough to buy dozens of packs of snacks.
Without another word I walked over to the children and pressed the money into their hands.
"Wow! Money!"
"Thank you!!"
The kids whooped as if they'd been given the world, then whooped again and charged off in a noisy flock toward the food stalls lined up near the Black Market entrance.
I watched their retreating backs with a warm smile. At least for today they could stuff themselves with something tasty.
That was when Anastasia sidled up, arms crossed, and muttered,
"...I don't know whether to call that so like you, or just plain dumb."
"Huh?"
"Anyway, I get that your heart was in the right place, but next time buy food and put it straight into their hands instead of cash."
"Food?"
"Yeah. Hand over money and the adults or bigger kids can just snatch it all. Plus... there are kids who hang on the edges of the group like that."
Following the jut of her chin, I froze.
It was the same little girl from before, the one who had only been watching the others play. The scrawny child missing one hand still stood apart, staring blankly after the laughing kids who had run off with the money.
Ah...
Anastasia had noticed, yet I—who'd grown up in an orphanage myself—had completely missed it. The home I'd known had a kind director and kids who all got along, so I'd utterly overlooked this bleak, cruel underside of reality.
...Am I actually an idiot?
My thinking had been far too short-sighted. My impulsive pity had only left that girl with a deeper sense of loss.
I stood rooted for a long while, staring at her small back. Finally I forced my heavy feet to move and tore my gaze away.
"...Hey."
I tried to shake off the gloom, turning back to the two of them with forced cheer.
"Thanks to you both I got a great magic tool today. Really, thank you! I've got a feeling I'll do pretty well on next week's gate evaluation!"
Chloe blinked at my greeting, then spoke with a peculiar expression.
"Huh? Siyul. Are you planning to take the evaluation alone?"
"...What?"
"You can form a team and do it together. You didn't listen to the explanation properly, did you?"
"Ah..."
I had no excuse. I'd been dozing off at the time.
While I awkwardly rolled my eyes, Chloe drifted closer and said,
"Then... would you like to be on the same team as me?"
"Huh?"
"I happen to be looking for teammates too. Scores are based on individual performance, but sticking together as a team inside the gate is way better for survival and clearing the place."
"Ah..."
"More than anything, if you go with me you'll feel a lot safer and more comfortable. What do you say?"
Color flooded my face. Even if grading was individual, this broken overpowered character was offering to clear the path and give me a free ride—what madman would refuse?
"Wow! Really? Of course I'd love that!!"
The instant I answered with a shout of pure joy, Anastasia's eyes blazed with twin flames of rage as she exploded into the conversation.
"...!! You little bastard, seriously!"
"Hey! Who the hell are you to form teams on your own?! I was going to ask first inside the Black Market...! I was going to ask first!!"
At her full-on tantrum Chloe merely smiled with her eyes and replied with cool leisure.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Anya? Oh, do you want to join our team too?"
"Don't talk crap! Why would I team with a bitch like—!"
"If you want in that badly, just ask nicely~ I might specially make room for you."
"This crazy bitch has lost her damn mind...!"
Sparks of pure murder flew between them, bloodshed seeming only seconds away. Yet even while watching their vicious exchange, I smiled warmly inside.
...Thank goodness.
My belief that Johnson and Chloe were avoiding me had been pure delusion. Yesterday at lunch Johnson had walked right up and eaten with me without a second thought, and now Chloe was going out of her way to look after me.
I should ask Johnson separately later whether he wants to team up.
Either way, it was a heartwarming moment—the birth of a solid party.
"Alright, alright! So the three of us are locked in as a team, right?"
"What?! No, why the hell would I with that—!"
Anastasia tried to roar again, but I ignored her completely, stretching out both hands to seize Chloe's and Anastasia's in a firm grip. Then I started walking ahead with a light, almost humming step.
"W-wait...?"
"Hey, you—suddenly—!"
I felt them fluster behind me, but I never looked back. I simply faced forward, thrilled by the fact that our party had successfully formed, and called out,
"Then to celebrate forming a team, let's go eat! My treat!"
I burned through a lot of points converting currency earlier... but whatever. Sometimes you've got to treat yourself!
At my bold declaration, Chloe behind me burst into a soft laugh.
"Ahaha. Is it because you're Korean? You're really serious about food, Siyul."
We decided to look for a restaurant. But the outer district had nothing decent, so we planned to head toward the livelier area near the academy. That meant catching a bus.
On the way to the stop I halted for a moment and said,
"...Hey, mind if I hit the restroom real quick?"
Anastasia's brows knitted hard at the random request.
"What? Why right now? Just hold it. The bus is almost here."
"I'll be super fast! Just a second!"
I fidgeted and pleaded desperately. Chloe and Anastasia studied me for a beat, as though they'd sensed something. Then both gave small nods.
"...Fine. Go ahead."
"Yes!! Be right back!"
The moment permission came I spun and sprinted full tilt. I dashed into a shabby convenience store on the outskirts, grabbed every pack of snacks I could reach from the shelves, and paid with points. Then I burst back outside and kept running.
It was definitely around here.
"Huff, huff, huff..."
My lungs burned, but I never slowed. Desperately retracing my earlier memory, I finally reached the spot. I ducked into a side alley and immediately pulled a mask from my pocket, tugging it on. Pulling my hood low completed the suspicious getup that had made Anastasia freak out earlier.
Ready, I headed straight for the corner of the lot. There, the girl from before was kneeling on the ground, curled in on herself.
A shadow fell over her. She lifted her head. Her small eyes were brimming with tears.
Whether the other kids had never let her approach in the first place, or whether they had simply ignored her when she tried... I said nothing as I pulled the convenience-store bag from my jacket and settled the heap of snacks into her arms.
"...Huh?"
She stared down at the sweet chocolates and cookies in startled wonder. Once I saw the rigid set of her shoulders ease a little, I spoke carefully.
"Can I... see your hand?"
She flinched on instinct, wary. But when I stayed still and simply waited, she finally, shyly, held out her right arm.
A child's slender arm with thin blue veins, ending where the wrist should have been. I quietly hid my own right hand behind my back. Then I reached out with my remaining left and gently brought it near her chest.
...I still don't know exactly how to use it.
Even so, something told me that right now, I could.
A strange pulse rose near my heart. Something stretched out from my chest. A silver chain, glowing with pure light, split the air and linked softly to the area over her heart.
At the same moment, horrific pain flooded the hidden right hand behind me. It felt as if every finger bone was being crushed and ripped out whole. I gritted my teeth and forced the agony down behind the mask, eyes fixed on her arm.
From the blunt stump, flesh began to swell, bone aligned, and slender fingers gradually grew into being.
The girl watched, eyes round with wonder, as her right hand miraculously returned.
Sssss...
The silver chain slowly dissolved into the air. The moment all five perfect fingers filled her vision, I hastily withdrew my left hand and pressed a finger to my lips.
"Shh. You absolutely can't tell anyone. Got it?"
Before she could answer I spun and sprinted like mad. Just as I cleared the lot and reached the mouth of the alley, her voice floated after me.
"Um, excuse me...!"
Creeeak—
Right on cue the old door of the orphanage building scraped open across the lot. Someone had come outside.
"Huh...? Yuria unnie? Yuria unnie! Look, look at this! I-I! My hand! It came back...!"
"...What? H-how did that happen?! Helen...?!"
Yuria.
The name felt vaguely familiar, but I had no spare brainpower to place it now. The flustered girl began babbling hurried excuses.
"Well... some oppa...? Ah! He told me not to say...! No, um... it just grew back on its own! You know how! Teeth fall out and grow again, right? Nails grow, hair grows... so, so a hand could grow back someday too, right...?"
Leaning against the wall, I listened to that paper-thin lie and let out a soft snort of a smile.
"...I told you not to talk. Your lying is way too obvious."
Muttering to myself, I looked down at my right hand. From the wrist down it was completely gone—an empty void—yet bone and flesh were already forcing themselves back into existence at a terrifying speed.
A faint smile still clung to my lips, but inside I felt crushed under a heavy weight. Even with the trait cutting the pain in half, my guts still churned into chaos. There was no room left for reasons. I simply felt like I was being shoved to the edge of a cliff, breath locked in my throat.
It hurt so much I genuinely didn't know how I was still standing.
I forced my regenerating right hand into a tight fist. Then, in the darkness, I slowly started walking.