Chapter 80: Katarina (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 80: Katarina (2)
Katarina stared blankly at her arm after regaining consciousness. It was set in a splint and neatly wrapped in bandages.
She kept staring at her arm.
The situation didn't feel real at all.
And from her perspective, it was easy to see why.
She had been on her way home, happy with her day's wages.
Then, at a fork in the road, something had shot out, slammed into her, and knocked her unconscious. When she woke up, she was in this state.
"Ouch...!"
A sharp pain shot through her splinted arm as she tried to move it. At that point, Katarina had no choice but to accept it. Her arm was ruined.
'What am I going to do now...'
As the head of her household, Katarina had five younger siblings to care for.
With the daily wages she earned as a third-class dancer, the best she could do was keep her siblings from starving.
But now, she couldn't even earn that.
Who would ever hire a dancer with a crippled arm?
Just as Katarina let out a deep sigh at her bleak reality, a voice spoke.
"Excuse me... I'm sorry."
The man who had run into her was apologizing.
Katarina narrowed her eyes, looking at the apologizing Cloud. He was incredibly handsome, but to her, right now, he was nothing more than an enemy.
"Why were you running in an alley... Ugh... Never mind."
She stopped herself before she could snap at him.
'It was an accident, not on purpose.'
And he seemed genuinely sorry.
She tried to push thoughts of Cloud from her mind and return to her own problems.
"Here... please take this, if you don't mind."
A small pouch appeared before her eyes.
Cloud was holding it out to her.
Katarina tilted her head, took the pouch, and opened it.
Inside was money.
Her eyes widened as she counted the coins inside.
'This is enough to keep my siblings from going hungry!'
No, there might even be a little left over.
Could this be the first time she'd ever be able to save money?
Katarina, who had been beaming, caught herself with a start. She cleared her throat and composed her expression.
"Ahem! What's this money for?"
"You seem to be a dancer, and because of me, you won't be able to work for a while. This is my way of taking responsibility. Please, don't refuse. It would put my mind at ease."
Had the word 'responsibility' always sounded so sweet?
Katarina fought back a goofy grin and nodded.
"Well, if you insist... I can't refuse. I'll accept it gratefully. And you don't have to worry about my arm. I'll be on my way..."
Just as Katarina was about to turn away with a smile, he spoke again.
"Ah, excuse me."
Cloud's voice stopped her.
Was there something else he needed to say? Katarina paused and waited for him to speak. After a moment's hesitation, he said:
"I have a bit of a situation... Would it be possible for me to stay at your home for a little while?"
"What?"
For a moment, Katarina wondered if she had heard him correctly.
But Cloud's voice was serious.
'Is he crazy?'
They didn't know each other—they had just met today—and he was asking to stay at her house?
It was absurd.
Katarina was about to flatly refuse—
"It's not much, but I'll pay for my stay."
Cloud took out another money pouch.
Katarina's eyes wavered slightly.
*
How many people would agree to let a complete stranger stay in their home for a while?
Probably almost no one.
Especially not someone with a family to protect.
Thus, persuading Katarina was quite an ordeal.
I had to explain my experience with how harsh Owlheim's inns were to tourists.
Assert that I was not a dangerous person.
She only accepted after I agreed to several conditions: she would confiscate my weapons, I would help with chores, and I would pay for the duration of my stay.
"It's in a pretty secluded area."
Katarina and I were walking through the slums of Owlheim. She strode fearlessly through the dark streets.
"Isn't it dangerous living in a place like this?"
Katarina scoffed at my question.
"It might look that way, but it's more livable than you'd think. The people here are surprisingly warm."
"Warm, you say?"
I looked around.
The place was crawling with punk-ass thugs spitting on the ground and emaciated beggars.
The kind of people who would turn into robbers the moment they had a sharp knife and an opportunity.
Impressed by her courageous statement, I continued on through the slums. Soon, I spotted a shabby house tucked away in a corner of the street, and her steps were leading right to it.
Katarina pulled on the doorknob of the shabby house.
-Creaak-.
The hinge supporting the door broke off.
"Ah, not again. Tsk... Guess I'll have to borrow a hammer from the blacksmith again."
With practiced ease, Katarina picked up the fallen hinge and nail.
"It's pretty humble, but please, come in."
"Excuse me."
I followed Katarina inside.
Unlike its shabby exterior, the inside was decent enough. A hearth, a pot, a bed—it had all the necessities, though they were quite worn.
"Big sis!"
A small child, barely reaching my waist, ran up and hugged Katarina. Following that child's lead, two other children ran to hug her as well.
The only ones who didn't join the hug were a pair of siblings who looked to be in the throes of puberty and an elderly couple.
The elderly couple's eyes went wide when they saw Katarina's splint.
"Katarina, what happened to your arm?!"
"Did someone hit you?!"
Katarina gave an awkward laugh and shook her head.
"I wasn't hit. I just missed a step on the stairs and sprained it a little."
Katarina hid the fact that she had run into me.
It was likely a consideration to keep me from feeling uncomfortable during my stay.
"Anyway, there's someone I'd like you to meet."
"Someone to meet? Huh?! Don't tell me he's your boyfriend! No way! This old man won't approve!"
"It's not like that! Grandpa, you always make such a fuss over everything."
"I'm making a fuss because it's a big deal! You may not know it, but all men are wolves! Especially a pretty-faced one like him. How many women do you think he's made cry with that face? Don't you dare fall for it!"
"I told you, it's not like that... His name is Cloud. He's a tourist here for the festival, and due to various circumstances, he'll be staying with us for a little while."
"Wh-what?! An unmarried maiden is going to sleep in the same house as a strange man?!"
The old man practically jumped out of his skin. Watching him, Katarina sighed.
"Grandpa, please... I've been through so much today, I'm exhausted. Can't you just let me rest?"
"Dear, your grandfather may be overreacting, but this is a serious matter. It concerns your safety and the children's."
The old woman said gently, folding her wrinkled hands over Katarina's.
Katarina smiled faintly.
"Thank you for your concern. But it's okay. He's agreed to let me hold onto his weapons, and I'm confident I can protect myself and my siblings."
"Katarina, dear, please reconsider..."
The elderly couple tried persistently to persuade her, but Katarina's decision was firm. Faced with her stubbornness, they had no choice but to back down.
"Hoo... Alright. Who could ever change your stubborn mind? We'll be going now. Let us know if you need anything."
"Keep a close eye on that wolf and make sure he doesn't try anything funny!"
After each getting a final word in, the elderly couple left.
"Who are they?"
"They live nearby. They look after my siblings while I'm out working as a dancer."
"They seem like good people."
"See? I told you. It's a surprisingly warm neighborhood."
Katarina took vegetables like cabbage and carrots out of a large basket.
"I'm making soup for dinner. You'll have some, won't you, Cloud?"
"We seem to be around the same age. You can speak casually."
"Really? Then you can speak casually too. So, are you eating with us?"
"Sounds great. But can you cook with one hand? Need some help?"
"I'm fine. I can make soup with one hand easily enough. You're a guest, so just relax."
As she spoke, Katarina began chopping the vegetables on a cutting board. She seemed to have her own technique, using flicks of her wrist to chop them skillfully with just one hand.
I couldn't just sit around doing nothing, so I picked up the hinge and nail Katarina had left on the table.
"Hey, what's your name?"
I asked the adolescent girl who had been staring at me. Startled, the girl pointed a finger at herself.
"M-me?"
"Yeah, you. What's your name?"
"Brena..."
"Alright, Brena. Can you help me out for a second?"
"O-okay!"
Brena scurried over.
"How can I help?"
"I'm going to fit the door into the frame. I need you to hold the doorknob and keep it from falling over. Can you do that?"
Brena nodded vigorously.
"Okay, when I give the signal, hold on tight. One. Two. Three. Now!"
Brena grabbed the doorknob and held on. Meanwhile, I positioned the hinge and nail against the doorframe.
I placed my thumb on the head of the nail and pressed down firmly. The nail slid in as smoothly as a fork through jelly.
I drove in the remaining nails the same way.
"Want to try opening the door?"
Brena opened the door, her eyes widening.
"Wow... it's really fixed! You're amazing! How strong do you have to be to push a nail in with your finger?"
"I'm a little strong, I guess."
After fixing the door, we had dinner.
While slurping her soup, Brena recounted the story of me fixing the door, with some exaggeration.
Hearing the story, Katarina's eyes sharpened.
.
.
.
.
.
"Seriously, don't you think this is a bit much?"
"We agreed from the start that I'd confiscate your weapons. After hearing Brena's story, I realized your whole body is a weapon."
"Yeah, but tying up my wrists and ankles... How am I supposed to sleep like this?"
"Quiet. Be grateful I'm only tying you up at night."
As if to say she wouldn't hear any more arguments, Katarina turned her back on me. Thanks to her, I was left to curl up on the floor alone like a caterpillar in a cocoon.
After a while, once Katarina was asleep, I undid the knots. It's not hard to untie knots tied by an amateur.
When I went outside, two people with their faces covered by masks were waiting for me.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. It took Katarina a while to fall asleep."
"Why did you approach Katarina?"
Straight to the point, huh?
I didn't mind that.
"Before we talk, why don't you take off those stuffy masks? Grandma, Grandpa."
"..."
They silently removed their masks.
The faces of the elderly couple I had met at Katarina's house were revealed.
"...How long have you known?"
"From the moment I first saw you."
The flow of their muscles and ki was not that of ordinary old people. Theirs were bodies that could only be forged through intense training. This meant they were not the kind-hearted, ordinary elderly couple they appeared to be.
"You have sharp senses. The rumors that the Hero of the Prona Kingdom has completely changed were true, it seems."
The old man nodded. Then, his voice laced with killing intent, he said, "We've shown our faces as you asked. Now answer the question. What are your intentions with Katarina?"
"No special intentions. I was just the one who broke her arm, and I felt bad, so I wanted to help a little."
"Don't give me that nonsense. As the Hero, you had more than enough ability to heal Katarina's arm. There was no need to come all the way to her home. Tell us your real motive."
"No."
"..."
The killing intent radiating from the two elders intensified.
"I won't tell you, but I will promise you this: I will not do anything to harm Katarina. So tell your daughter not to worry."
"How did you... wait, what?"
The expressions on the two elders' faces hardened.
"...How much do you know?"
"Everything. Don't worry. I have no intention of interfering."
"..."
"If you don't believe me, then there's nothing I can do."
As I interlaced my fingers and began to casually crack my knuckles, the two elders pulled their masks back on.
"...We'll trust that you mean it."
With that, the elderly couple leaped up onto the rooftops. After confirming they were gone, I called out to her.
"Shedia."
"Yes."
Shedia emerged from my shadow, which was cast by the moonlight. In her hands, she held the severed heads of the vampires who had been tailing us.
"You took care of every last one?"
"I killed them all, except for the two you let go earlier."
Shedia placed the heads on the ground and held out her hand to me, her face full of expectation.
"Not yet. The job isn't finished."
Shedia's face fell.
*
"Is that so. He won't interfere... I understand."
As he nodded, the two elders took their leave.
After sending them away, he gazed at the statue in the center of his room.
It was a statue of a beautiful dancer performing a sword dance.
He murmured in a distant voice.
"Anneliese."
The name of Owlheim's greatest dancer of the past.