Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: An Exhausting Day
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The girl's name was Lena.
She was eleven years old this year, a child from an orphanage sponsored by Red.
Lena had snuck out of the orphanage to practice singing in her secret hideout nearby. But then, strangers showed up at the hideout only she knew about.
They kidnapped her.
Lena woke up in a small, dirty room.
The door was shut tight, and a child's strength was no match for it.
Lena trembled with fear, sniffling.
‘Sister, save me.’
The room kept shaking, and a loud roar echoed continuously from outside.
She was terrified. Just like a knight from a fairytale rescuing a princess trapped in a tower, she wished with all her heart that her sister, Red, would come and save her like she used to.
Suddenly, she remembered something her sister had once told her.
‘Right, crying like this won't do any good.’
Lena wiped her tears and mustered her courage.
Her eyes filled with a new determination, the girl stood up and pulled the doorknob with all her might, trying to open the door again.
Lena grunted with effort.
The door didn't budge, as if telling her she could never leave.
But Lena didn't give up.
Failing once, she tried a second time. Failing a second time, she tried a third.
"Ugh, please, open."
And then, surprisingly, the iron door creaked open slowly.
Why? Had the constant shaking from the impacts weakened the iron door? Or was there some other special reason it opened?
The little girl couldn't know.
But what mattered was that the door was open.
‘The door's open!’
Lena peeked her head out and looked around.
‘No one's here.’
There was no one outside.
If she was going to escape, now was her only chance.
‘Now!’
Lena ran out of the room, fleeing as far as she could before the bad adults could catch her again.
Even as her breath grew ragged and her legs trembled.
Lena didn't stop. But in the end, she only had the stamina of a child.
‘Gasp, gasp. I'm tired. I'll just... rest a little.’
Lena went into an abandoned building to rest.
Flashes of light erupted in the distance, and the clamorous sounds continued.
With all the noise, even a child like Lena could tell something terrifying was happening.
She held back the tears that threatened to burst forth.
‘Sister... I miss you...’
After a while, the commotion gradually died down, until it fell completely silent.
And the moment she stepped outside, she met a pure white angel.
***
"...And that's what happened."
Listening to the explanation from the human girl, Lena, I was kneeling, my face in my hands.
Child kidnappings happen everywhere, so that wasn't strange.
What was important now was whether her words were true or false.
She saw me after I deactivated my Grim Reaper form, so she doesn't know I'm the Grim Reaper. But what if she's lying?
She could be lying just to escape the immediate danger.
And after getting out of here safely.
What if she tells the world that the Grim Reaper's true identity is a young girl?
It's obvious what would happen next.
There's no need for a difficult deliberation here.
Even if she doesn't look like she's lying.
Making a rational judgment, eliminating the potential threat is the safest option.
In other words, right here and now, I should... the kid.
No, no, no.
I... I can't do something like that.
Kill a child? How could I do such a thing?
Of course, since I fell into this garbage world.
I've gotten a considerable amount of blood on my hands. But they were all the worst kind of people.
To survive, I fought back because they were trying to take my life.
I rationalized it to myself, saying it couldn't be helped.
I endured by lessening my guilt in that way. By now, my emotions have become so dull that I no longer feel guilt or sin even when cleaning up the trash.
But a child is different.
No. Maybe I could do it if I set my mind to it. In fact, I might even be able to do it easily, as if it were nothing.
But I can't do that.
Even if I think I can, I absolutely must not.
There are some lines that must not be crossed.
"Um... Miss Angel. Are you okay? You don't look well."
My pale face is reflected in her sparkling blue eyes.
Lena is looking at me with a worried expression.
I couldn't bring myself to look her straight in the eye.
Blaming such an innocent child, saying 'This is your fault,' would only make me more miserable.
I forced a smile and shook my head.
‘Why didn't I notice a kid was nearby in the first place? Was I that distracted?’
I resent my past self for not paying attention to my surroundings.
You idiot. Moron. Sea anemone.
Dammit. I want to turn back time.
Lena slowly patted my back.
"Here, this will make you feel better. When I'm having a hard time, my sister does this for me, and it always calms me down."
The little girl's bright smile.
A huge, sharp dagger called guilt stabbed me for the wicked thoughts I'd just been having.
‘Alright. Let's trust her for now. She doesn't look like the type to lie, so it should be fine.’
Children are the future and hope of the world.
If you forsake the future and can't believe in hope, what can you believe in in this world?
And if I'm wrong, then.
‘It just means I'm a terrible judge of character.’
I stood up and raised both arms to show her I was okay.
Lena, delighted, spread her hands wide.
Now, let's solve this kid problem.
‘I can't leave a child here alone, so I'll take her with me for now. There seem to be a lot of Fixers here, so if I grab one of them, shove some money in their hand, and ask, they'll probably take her home.’
Before we left, I was about to put on my hood and mask, but I stopped.
Let's just go like this.
If I put on the hood and mask now, it might become a hassle later if someone recognizes me somewhere else.
Besides, it seems this kid prefers seeing my bare face.
I held out my hand to Lena.
"Are you taking me home?"
I nodded.
Lena hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to trust a stranger, but she soon firmed her resolve and carefully took my hand.
Hmm, even though I was the one who offered, I was surprised.
To think she'd trust a suspicious person. Or does she have some reason to believe she can trust me?
Whatever. I don't need to know all that.
Let's just hurry up and hand this kid over to a Fixer.
I started walking toward a presence I felt in the distance.
As we walked, Lena, like any child, showed an innocent curiosity about me.
"Miss Angel, why are you here?"
"Are you alone, Miss Angel?"
"Why are you helping me, Miss Angel?"
She keeps calling me an angel.
Well, with looks this amazing, it's not surprising a child would mistake me for an angel.
"Um, Miss Angel..."
I remained silent in response to Lena's questions.
I can't talk anyway. And communicating with gestures is surprisingly tiring.
Besides, there's no need to have a long conversation with a child I'll be parting with soon.
"...Can I sing?"
Glancing at her, I saw a look of deep longing in her eyes.
How could I say no to those eyes?
I nodded.
Lena began to hum a song in a small voice.
She sings well. She has talent.
"How was it?"
I answered Lena's question with a smile.
A joyful smile spread across Lena's lips.
Excited, she started to sing a few more songs.
As I walked while listening to the cozy, warm melody, I heard something and stopped in my tracks.
I gestured for Lena to wait for a moment.
I went up to a high place by myself and focused my gaze in the direction of the faint sound.
‘There!’
I saw an orc.
He looks pretty strong.
The orc was shouting.
Listening closely, I heard the word "Lena." Lena is this girl's name.
Does that mean the orc is looking for her?
I went back to the girl and explained with gestures.
That an orc was looking for her.
The girl's expression brightened.
She squeezed my hand tightly.
And in a joyful voice.
"It's Mr. Stal!"
Looks like it's someone she knows.
Just in case, I gestured to ask if he was someone she could trust.
Lena nodded repeatedly.
"Mr. Stal is my sister's friend."
Really? Well, I guess it's fine.
It's more reassuring to hand her over to someone she knows than to a stranger.
I took her hand and walked toward the orc.
A moment later, seeing him from a distance, Lena jumped up and down, pointing her finger.
"Mr. Staaaal!!"
As Lena shouted loudly, the orc turned this way.
I should probably head back from here before things get complicated.
I patted Lena's back and gestured for her to go.
Lena ran toward the orc. Then she stopped, turned around, and gave me a deep bow.
I gave her a casual wave.
Lena turned back around and ran.
‘What a truly exhausting day. Let's go home and rest.’
***
"Mister!"
"Lena!"
The orc and the human child embraced.
Stal checked Lena all over to see if she was hurt.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm fine."
Seeing no serious injuries, Stal let out a long sigh of relief.
What a relief.
To think she was taken hostage by a criminal organization, and on top of that, the ultra-high-risk Grim Reaper appeared, yet she came out without any major injuries.
It was a stroke of heavenly luck.
"An angel helped me."
"An angel...?"
"She had such clear eyes."
The kind of angel from the Bible?
Stal didn't understand what she meant.
Did a passing Avian help her?
It wasn't uncommon for a child to see an Avian's wings and mistake them for an angel.
'Come to think of it, I thought I saw someone next to Lena.'
They were far away, and it was too dark to see clearly.
But the figure looked like a child.
Stal was lost in thought when the face of his colleague flashed through his mind.
‘Right! This is no time for that. I need to call and tell her the kid is safe.’
Stal took his phone out of his pocket and called Red.
Stal couldn't help but chuckle at the childish ringtone.
Anyway, he waited for the call to connect, but she was slow to answer.
Just as anxiety began to bloom in his heart, wondering if something had happened, the call connected.
Stal breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew Red wasn't one to be easily defeated. But he had been secretly worried when she ran off to fight the Grim Reaper.
Stal told her the child was safe.
The two had a brief conversation, agreeing to meet in the parking lot before ending the call.
"Lena. Let's go to your sister."
"My sister?!"
"Yes, your sister is here too."
At the mention of her sister, Lena's eyes welled up with tears.
Stal's large hand gently stroked Lena's small head.
So they wouldn't get separated, the two held hands tightly and headed to the parking lot.
The parking lot was bustling and noisy with the other Fixers who had participated in the request.
Among the Fixers, talk of 'The Grim Reaper appeared' and 'What happens to the request now' could be heard.
Such conversations were going back and forth.
The two sat on a bench and waited for Red to arrive.
Lena must have been tired, as she kept blinking her eyes.
Her drowsy body kept swaying, repeatedly slumping against Stal's large frame.
'Well, after what she's been through, of course she'd be exhausted. I should get her in the car.'
Stal was about to pick up the drowsy Lena when.
"Lena!"
Red had arrived.
The neat appearance she'd had when she first left was nowhere to be seen.
Her clothes were torn here and there, and she was covered in wounds.
Lena woke up at her sister's voice, her eyes widening when she saw her.
Tears began to well up in Lena's eyes, and soon, the floodgates she had been holding back burst open.
Lena ran to Red.
She burrowed into her sister's arms. Red held Lena in a tight embrace, as if she would never let go.
The younger sister sobbed in her older sister's arms.
"I'm so... so glad."
"Sister. *Sob... sniffle.*"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't be with you."
"It's not. It's not your fault, sister."
Lena cried until she was exhausted and fell asleep.
Red picked up her little sister and carefully laid her down in the back seat of the car.
Then, she reached out to her sleeping sister's forehead, gently brushed her bangs aside, and went over to Stal.
"You look like hell."
"What do you expect? I went up against the Grim Reaper."
Red put a cigarette in her mouth.
The exhaustion she had been holding back in front of her sister finally showed on her face.
"So how was it? Was she really like the rumors say?"
Stal lit a cigarette next to her.
Red was lost in thought.
After a long silence, she opened her tightly shut mouth, exhaled smoke, and lowered her gaze.
"Yeah, she was really strong. I get why those rumors started. She's a total monster."
"If you fought her again, do you think you could win?"
"...I don't know. I wasn't fighting seriously either, but neither was she."
"How long has it been since you've shown that kind of attitude?"
"I don't know... I can't remember."
Stal's expression hardened at his colleague's desolate appearance.
It was understandable, as Red was no ordinary Fixer.
"An opponent that even one of the city's few SSS-rank Fixers isn't confident against... I really hate this. As if the recent rampages by the Cult of the Grim Reaper or whatever weren't annoying enough."
Stal scowled as he blew smoke into the air.
The two smoked in silence for a while before Stal broke the quiet.
"Still, we rescued Lena safely, and that's what matters. Right?"
"You're right about that."
Red nodded.
After they finished smoking, the two got in the car.
Red sat in the passenger seat, and Stal took the wheel.
"I'm going to get some shut-eye. Wake me when we get there."
Red slightly reclined her seat, leaned back, and closed her eyes.
It had been a truly exhausting day.