The Partner
Endy looked down at the girl clutching the sleeve of his robe.
A young lady who had polished off her ice cream cone and everything else with serious determination, then walked along with a dreamy expression, staring straight ahead.
A few crumbs of the snack clung to the corner of her mouth.
Seeing that her stress had eased a little, he figured she must have found the snack quite enjoyable after all.
‘She really loves snacks.’
She had complained that the burger and donut were too big, and even the recent waffle was way too much, yet she had eaten every bite.
Her face, cheeks puffed out and cheeks smeared with cream, had looked just like a hamster.
Yet despite how well she ate, her size was small.
Sadly, that was probably because she had gone hungry in her back-alley days.
There everything had been in short supply.
Food was the least of it; opportunities to learn, a warm home, and even love had all been missing.
That was why, now that she could eat and concentrate on lessons, Cream’s learning attitude was excellent even if she didn’t like him much.
Moved by her, Endy took the opportunity to reach his goal and fill her thirst for knowledge at the same time.
‘The bookstore… I think it was around here.’
He had spotted it once during a previous outing.
After passing the request office and crossing the fashion district, they gathered the shops selling miscellaneous goods.
Along the way strange things were displayed, drawing his gaze irresistibly.
‘Adhesive Slime (auto-cleaning function)’
‘One bite and you’ll be intoxicated! Come enjoy it casually!’
‘Luck-matching matches’
Curses. Seeing them again made him realize they were all unsafe items.
He sped up quickly, thinking a twelve-year-old girl probably shouldn’t see such things.
“…Where are we going?”
“To the bookstore.”
“A bookstore?”
Cream, who had suddenly picked up speed, tilted her eyes curiously and seemed to be chewing on something.
“…Is that the ‘place with lots of heavy things’ you mentioned before?”
“Correct.”
“Haa…”
Her shoulders visibly drooped.
He couldn’t imagine what she had been thinking, but she had been extremely tense since getting off the carriage.
Now that she had eaten the ice cream, her tension seemed to have eased.
Endy was relieved as he opened the bookstore door.
Cream followed him in, dragging her feet with a reluctant thump.
The moment they entered, the scent of old paper wafted over.
The deep aroma was so striking that he couldn’t help sniffing.
With so many books, just looking around felt satisfying.
“I’ll be looking for something, so feel free to browse, young lady.
You can choose any book you like.”
“…Really?”
“Of course.”
As soon as he said that, Cream started moving stealthily.
Before long she dashed off with a flap of her cloak.
Did she find something she wanted to see?
Endy focused on finding the book he needed.
‘Let’s see…
‘First Step into Divinity — written by the Lake Sect’
He found a good book in the theology section.
He glanced at the table of contents.
It covered the basics of holy magic.
The Lake Sect was one of the major religions, so it should be reliable.
In this world, faith centered on the one true God, but the denominations that followed him were many.
Until the mythological era, the God who had lived with humans had suddenly divided his body into pieces for the world’s survival.
He scattered them across the lakes, plains, mountains, and oceans, and faith sprang up around each piece, creating the different sects.
The major powers were the Lake Sect centered on the Miroa Great Lake in the capital, and the Horizon Sect around the Lint Plains.
There was also a power whose title might not even qualify as a sect, but simply by reputation was the highest: the Holy Land.
The Holy Land was the birthplace of the saint who was said to have housed a fragment of God in his body.
It was the very man who had defeated the first Blood Witch long ago.
Right there in the corner was a famous tale that was even suitable for children’s picture books.
The great legend of the witch who had driven the world to the brink of extinction and the saint who had defeated her.
It was humanity’s eternal bestseller, but for Cream Holybell, successor of the witch, it was a forbidden book.
Buying the holy magic introduction alone would earn him a scolding, so he should keep her away from that corner.
“—I’ll take this book.”
“Oh, Holybell.”
Before he could even think it, Cream appeared holding the forbidden book.
She ran over with bouncing steps, lifted the cover high with both hands, and presented it.
It was a vivid image of an evil witch writhing in agony, unable to even look up at the saint’s holy light.
“Teacher? Why are you looking at me like that? Aren’t I allowed to buy this?”
“No… um… there are so many other books. Why that one?”
“I… I like this story a lot.”
Cream spoke calmly and turned the page.
Soft pastel illustrations and whimsical script told the tale.
‘Once upon a time, in this land, there was a saint.
The saint was born receiving the love of God, in the blessings of the people—’
“Born receiving the love of God… what kind of feeling do you think that is?”
“…
“Why are you making that face? It’s not mocking. I really like this book.
Because it helps me keep my heart in check.”
The smiling girl looked up at Endy.
Even with a smile, her eyes were cold.
She had been innocent while eating the ice cream, but now the grown-up vibe of “How will you react?” had returned.
A girl with a fragmented heart.
That duality was truly pitiful.
“Understood. I’ll buy that book for you.”
“Hehe… Thank you.”
“But choose something else too.”
“…What?”
Endy took Cream to the next corner.
The price of books here wasn’t cheap, but he couldn’t refuse.
Thanks to yesterday’s completed request, his pocket was full.
The monthly salary from the Holybell family wasn’t bad either, and now he had extra income.
“This section…”
“Feel free to choose whatever you like.”
He brought her to the corner filled with books she might like: an introductory book on making dolls and picture books for children.
It suited a girl who already had a fairy tale and a stuffed dog in her arms.
Cream’s face instantly softened and her eyes widened as she looked around.
Then, unexpectedly, she headed for the side corner.
She didn’t come back, so Endy followed.
There, a girl with cotton-candy hair was lined up books on the shelf and thinking deeply.
Herb dictionaries and introductory books on herbal medicine, all carrying that herbal scent.
‘Herbs…’
He remembered that in the original story, she had a deep understanding of medicine.
In her back-alley days, when hungry, she had eaten whatever herbs she could find on the roadside.
When she came to the estate, she had refused to call a doctor because it would earn her scolding, so she had studied and made simple fever reducers or fatigue recovery potions herself.
It was troublesome, but she had genuinely enjoyed the process.
It had been one of the few times her stress had eased in that gloomy mansion.
‘…Making dolls is the same.
She really likes creating things.’
And that accumulated knowledge had shone in the latter half after the curse awakened.
The blood that had awakened the curse in Cream was extremely poisonous, a potent toxin filled with negativity.
But just as poison could become medicine or medicine poison depending on use, Cream had used her own blood in many ways.
Even on its own, it was enough to ruin people, and she had mixed it with anesthetics, sleeping pills, and other things to strengthen effects or twist the efficacy of healthy fever reducers to actually cause a fever.
‘…Wait.’
Thinking of that, recent events came to mind.
A certain maid who had left the estate with a smile a few months ago.
While thinking back, he secretly glanced at Cream.
She was looking at him too.
The tiny girl shrugged her shoulders.
“W-well… I had a lot of trial and error too.
Thinking back, there are many things I’m sorry for.”
“…
“So I thought I needed to accumulate more knowledge.
This is fine to buy, right? You said I could choose freely.”
The knowledge from dreams was hazy—
Cream swallowed the rest and smiled faintly.
“Yes. You can buy as much as you want.”
“…You’re doing it again.”
Endy, as always, had been positive.
“It’s about medicine.
The knowledge that saves people.
Of course I welcome it.
Moreover, it’s information you have to know precisely so you don’t make mistakes.”
“Not all medicine is good.”
“Of course, there’s a dark side to every bright side.”
“You might even use that dark side on me, Teacher.”
“Always welcome.”
“Haa.”
Endy would have kept arguing, but Cream turned away.
After finishing the purchase, the way out felt different from when he had first come to the commercial district.
Cream now had items in her arms: fairy tale books.
Endy held the holy magic introduction and Cream’s herb dictionary.
“I’ll carry them. I’ll carry them.”
Even though they were a bit heavy, Cream was so happy to have her own books that she insisted on carrying them herself with bouncy steps.
“It’s too heavy. Let me carry them.”
Endy ruffled the girl’s hair gently.
She immediately pouted her lips.
Endy, still secretly brushing her hair, turned to leave, but then she suddenly remembered something and rushed back to grab his sleeve again.
“Fine. Then shall we go to the park and rest?”
“It wasn’t a public execution…”
“What?”
“No.”
Walking together with Cream, who muttered something incomprehensible.
Late spring turning into early summer.
A refreshing breeze brushed past their cloaks.
The gray brick road looked a little dull, but the sky was so blue that it was actually nice.
“…Teacher.”
“Yes, young lady?”
“…
“Young lady?”
“…
The young lady calling Teacher out on the street paused for a long time.
Five seconds, ten seconds, thirty seconds, one minute.
Endy was walking silently, wondering why she had called him out in the first place.
“…Thank you for today.”
“…
She had wanted to say that.
A stubborn young lady who wanted to say such a thing.
Her hood was pulled up and she was even covering the lower part with a doll, so he couldn’t see her expression.
Still, hearing that tiny, frail voice brought back old memories.
A time when she had said, not long after Endy came to the estate.
“Just… I’m grateful that you’ve always been with me…”
At the time he didn’t know if it was sincere or an act, because she had been hiding her true self.
Still, Endy decided to believe her as she said.
Since he had decided to pour out infinite positivity and love, he thought it best to interpret this positively too.
Moreover, he had something he wanted to say at this opportunity.
“Young lady.”
“Why? Why? Today Teacher bought me various things, so… I thought we should greet each other even if we’re not enemies, but I didn’t think it would be this deep—”
“If today has made you feel grateful, how about not going on a purification request with me next time?”
“…What did you just say?”
Cream stopped walking.
“Let’s go on a purification request together.”
“Again… what did you really just say?”
“Please become my purification partner.”
The witch girl looked up at Endy with a completely mad expression.