The Calm Before the Storm
"Your little sister is missing?"
"Yes…"
Once I had calmed the woman down, I listened carefully to what she had to say.
She had finished work early and come home, only to find her younger sister gone. The girl never left the house, she said — so something had to be wrong.
Hmm…
I couldn't bring myself to tell her everything would be fine. False hope was supposed to be the cruelest kind of torture — the higher you raised someone's expectations, the longer the fall. I had no interest in making empty promises.
All I needed to do was offer her my hand.
"I'll help you. Let's look for her together."
When I held out my hand, the woman gently clasped it in both of hers.
"Thank you so much…"
"We have to look out for each other, don't we? My name is Hera."
"I'm Dania. It's a pleasure, Hera."
Dania held my hand tightly as she spoke.
I'd offered to help, but…
How was I supposed to help, exactly?
Wandering this vast city street by street would be hopelessly inefficient. Normally you'd go to the local watch and ask for assistance, but the odds of anything like that existing in Drax were basically zero.
If only I knew how to use magic…
Just as mana existed in this world, so did all kinds of magic that made use of it. There were even search spells that could track a person's trail — but I still didn't know the first thing about mana.
Was I really going to have to run around on foot?
I figured I had to do something.
Bram can wait for later… wait.
Bram oversaw this entire district. He might already have information on Dania's sister. And even if he didn't, dozens of people moved at his command. Turning the whole area upside down wouldn't be impossible.
If I went and talked to Bram, I could probably find a way. And if talking didn't work…
I could always beat him within an inch of his life.
It even lined up with what I'd come here to do in the first place. I couldn't think of a better plan.
I turned to explain my solution to Dania — and froze.
Crunch—
She was biting her thumb so hard from anxiety that she'd drawn blood.
I gently took her hand and pulled it away from her mouth.
"Ah…"
"You're bleeding, Dania."
Her face flushed scarlet with embarrassment.
"I-I'm so sorry!… I was just so worried…"
How could anyone stay calm when their family had vanished? Dania's insides must have been burning alive right now.
We need to move fast.
"Dania. Do you trust me?"
I looked her straight in the eye and spoke with complete seriousness.
"W-what??! What do you mean…?"
Was it just me, or was her face getting even redder?
Is she the easily flustered type?
I explained my plan to the woman who had turned into a tomato.
"Bram?!"
The moment I mentioned his name, she flinched hard.
"Yes. If it's him, I'm sure we can find your sister."
"But… Bram is…"
Dania seemed genuinely terrified of him.
I can take that bastard, Dania.
I clasped her hand firmly in both of mine.
"Trust me, Dania. I swear I'll find your sister."
I held her gaze without wavering. She glanced at the men I'd already put on the ground around us — then looked back at me with resolve hardening in her eyes.
"Yes. I trust you, Hera."
After persuading Dania, we followed the directions one of Bram's underlings had given us and arrived at the place.
What stood before us was a massive building — a grand mansion, battered but still imposing. Had some noble lived here before the city was destroyed?
"This place…"
Dania murmured as she stared at the building.
"You know it?"
"Yes. When merchants come through from the Empire, they sometimes hold banquets here."
Though I have no idea what they're trading, she added under her breath.
She seemed to know quite a lot about Bram.
As we approached the mansion, the guards at the gate leveled their swords and shouted.
"Who goes there?"
I grinned.
"Me? The person your boss has been looking for."
One of the guards studied my face carefully.
"Black hair, red eyes… so you're that freakishly strong girl. And beside you is… Lady Dania?"
Lady Dania?
I looked at her with a puzzled expression. Her face had gone quietly sad.
"We're here to see the boss. Let us in."
At Dania's words, the two guards conferred. Then one of them headed inside.
"We've gone to report. Please wait a moment."
It wasn't long before the guard returned — wearing a distinctly greasy smile.
"The boss says both of you are to come in."
He said it while casting a sidelong glance at Dania.
With a visibly uneasy Dania at my side, I stepped into the building.
From the inside, the mansion looked even more spacious. The guard led us as far as the stairs.
"The boss is waiting."
We were headed underground. The further we descended, the more oppressive and gloomy the surroundings became.
"Hera… are you sure this is all right…?"
Dania looked up at me, worry written all over her face. I gave her my brightest smile to put her at ease.
"Don't worry, Dania. I'll protect you."
Her face went red again. She answered in a tiny voice.
"Okay…"
Before long, a wooden door appeared. When we opened it, we found ourselves in a fairly large chamber packed with dozens of people.
From the far end of the room, a low, gravelly voice rolled out.
"Oho… so you're the girl who blew Rick's head off?"
A bear of a man. A massive scar carved across his face — and a face even uglier than the scar. He had the kind of presence that screamed I'm the boss without him needing to say a word.
"And… Dania came too. Heh heh."
"…Bram."
So the two of them already knew each other. I'd have to ask her about that once this was over.
"Funny. I was looking for you too."
Confusion flickered across Dania's face; she clearly didn't understand what he meant.
Bram tipped his chin. The crowd parted — and there, collapsed on the floor, was a child.
"Lily!!!!!"
Dania was already sprinting to the girl before I could blink.
"Lily… are you okay? Lily!!"
She shook the girl desperately, her face raw with panic.
"Nn… Unnie…?"
"Lily!!…"
The moment she confirmed her sister was alive, Dania crushed Lily in a fierce hug and broke into tears.
"Hic… thank god… thank god…"
"Unnie… I'm sorry… I…"
"Am I being ignored here?"
Bram snickered as he watched the sisters.
"Bram!!!!!!"
Dania's voice shook as she screamed. She pulled a dagger from her clothes.
Humm—
Dense gray mana coiled around the blade.
"Why did you touch Lily?!"
Bram only shrugged.
"Hey now. That's not fair, Dania. I'm the victim here."
"Stop playing games, Bram."
She snarled and leveled the dagger at him.
"Heh heh… Ask your little sister. She's the one who came at me first."
"…What?"
Dania looked at Lily. The girl immediately averted her eyes.
"Lily…?"
"That little bitch charged me with a knife. Lucky for me I dodged — otherwise I'd have been hurt bad."
Bram jerked a thumb at his own back. There was a faint scratch where a blade had grazed him.
"Lily. Is that true?"
When Dania looked at her with wavering eyes, something long bottled up finally burst. Lily shouted at her sister for the first time.
"He's the one who torments you!! If he were gone, you'd never have to cry again!!"
It was the first time Lily had ever raised her voice at her.
"I hate seeing you cry… hic… so I…"
Squeeze—
Dania pulled Lily into a tight embrace.
"I see… Lily… you were looking out for me. Thank you."
"Unnie…?"
After holding her for a long moment, Dania finally let go and turned her gaze on Bram.
"Let Lily go."
Bram answered with lazy insolence.
"And why would I do that? She tried to kill me."
Dania had no comeback. She bit down hard on her lip — then, as if reaching some terrible decision, dropped to her knees in front of him.
"I'm begging you… I'll do anything you say. Just please — let Lily go."
"Unnie!!"
Lily grabbed at her, trying to stop her. Dania turned a freezing look on her sister.
"Be quiet, Lily. If you make this any harder for me, I'm going to get angry."
Had her sister ever looked at her with eyes that cold? Lily flinched at the stranger wearing her sister's face.
"U-Unnie…"
"Hmm…"
Bram drummed his fingers on the desk, watching Dania in silence as if turning something over. Then a nasty grin spread across his face, as though a delightful idea had just occurred to him.
"Fine! This generous soul will let it slide. But there's a condition."
"…Say it."
Bram pointed at Dania's dagger.
"Stab yourself with it. Do that, and I won't lay a hand on your little sister ever again."
"What?! You insane bastard!!! That doesn't even make sense!"
Lily snarled at Bram.
"Lily!!!"
Dania's shout cracked through the room.
"Please… just stay quiet, Lily."
She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood as she spoke. Faced with a side of her sister she had never seen, Lily couldn't say another word.
Dania closed her eyes.
There's no way to beat Bram.
She had crossed blades with him before. She knew exactly how strong he was.
Overwhelming power. Overwhelming speed. No matter how much mana she poured into her sword, she couldn't so much as scratch him — while a single one of his blows had shattered her like glass.
This is the only way to save Lily.
Hadn't she already decided to live for Lily's sake? For her little sister, she could give up anything. Even her own life.
"How am I supposed to trust that you won't touch Lily?"
Bram looked at her with a rare seriousness.
"On my honor as a warrior."
He might be a criminal now, but Bram had been a warrior once. He had cut down countless enemies and built a name on real achievements.
Right up until the day he murdered his own comrades.
"Well. Believe me or don't — that's up to you. Not like you've got much choice, is there?"
She hated to admit it, but he was right. Getting both herself and Lily out of here safely was impossible. There was nothing left to hesitate over.
Dania steeled herself and met Bram's eyes.
"Keep your promise."
"Unnie!!!!!!!"
She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped the dagger in both hands. The instant she was about to drive it into herself—
"Dania."
A pure white hand closed firmly over hers. Dania looked up at its owner.
A presence that was terrifying and warm all at once.
Hera.
"Hera…"
Hera gently took the dagger from Dania's hand, then stroked her hair.
"Stay back."
It was a voice that left no room for refusal. As if entranced, Dania stared into Hera's eyes for a moment — then took Lily and retreated behind her.
"You little…"
Bram muttered, clearly irritated.
Hera looked him dead in the eye.
"You'd better prepare yourself, Bram."
The girl's eyes — painted the color of fresh blood — were perfectly still, and yet they burned with a savage light.