“According to this pseudepigraph, the shroud was cut up by a very greedy man after Bereni’s death. That man was Lombardi.”
When cutting the cloth, some of the cat-shit sun god’s blood contaminated the scissors. But most people had never heard of this because it wasn’t in their Holy Book.
“Like the shroud, the scissors took on a mysterious power. But unlike with the shroud, this stain brought only disaster and misfortune.”
One man wished for a beautiful wife, but on the day of their wedding, his bride-to-be stabbed him to death. Another man used the scissors to become fabulously wealthy, but in an accident a year later, the scissors became lodged in his throat and killed him. Somebody wished for eternal youth, but in gaining it, all others around them aged. Another person wished to be made king, but his territory was then invaded by the neighboring country, and he was put to death.
The Scissors of Lombardi could make a person’s wish come true, but at a price that cost them everything.
“Sounds like a familiar story.”
“I’d thought it was just a kind of fairy tale, but I don’t think it can be written off as such.”
She put her hand to her chest. The Shroud of Bereni had just been a legend, a tall tale, until it came to us as a real object with real powers and saved Arwin’s life.
“Who knows what they’ll do with such a thing if they get their hands on it. Please be careful.”
“Will do.”
I saw Arwin off to the dungeon before returning home. The town was completely at peace. But simply scratch the surface, and you’d find a morass of evil and sin. Ordinary people would sell a purehearted, innocent girl to a pack of villains just for some coins. The people strolling the streets had wholesome looks on their faces, and there wouldn’t be any monsters bursting out of the Millennium of Midnight Sun anytime soon. But the banal evil of humanity remained. It didn’t take much to cause a stampede of its own. We had to be careful, or the next to be crushed would be me, Arwin, or one of those folks just going about their day on the street.
When I got home, the door was unlocked, although I’d set it before I left. I assumed it was a burglar, but it hadn’t been wrenched open. The only ones with keys were me, Arwin, and the landlord. I had my key. The landlord wouldn’t break in when I was out. So who was it? I squeezed the temporary sun and carefully opened the door.
There were no signs of damage. But I could sense a presence. They were in the kitchen. I crept forward, carefully approaching. I was getting a bad feeling that grew with each passing moment. I’d hidden the “ingredients” for the candy in the kitchen. That was Arwin’s great secret. If someone found out about that, Arwin was ruined. I’d killed several people who had learned that secret. It didn’t matter who they were.
Onward I snuck on silent feet. I heard rummaging. As I thought, the intruder was in the kitchen. They had opened the bottom cabinet and were crouched down, peering inside.
“April.”
The silver-haired girl jumped with fright. She turned back slowly, her face pale with guilt. She was holding a mixing bowl. Her fingers were dusty with flour, and the cloth I’d placed over the bowl was removed.
“Didn’t the old man teach you that breaking into other people’s homes is very poor etiquette?” I scolded her. April practically wilted under the pressure.
“Um, I forgot that Arwin had given me her key, so I came back to return it, but then I was curious about your sweets from before, so…”
She feverishly ran through her excuses, but none of them registered in my mind. They went in one ear and out the other.
“I didn’t mean to open it, but your sweets were so delicious that I couldn’t help myself, and…”
Her face was bright red, flushed with excitement, but my head was getting colder by the moment, numb and lifeless.
I should have been more careful about her. The little lady was too curious for her own good. Several possible answers passed through my mind, but I already knew what the correct option was.
“Um, the sweets…I…”
I didn’t say anything. I knew it would be more effective that way.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that—”
“Bad girl.”
A ray of bright sunlight landed on the back of the terrified April. It was the lone detail that isolated her from the darkened room. It looked like she was in a prison of light, or perhaps she was an angel traveling to the heavens.
I walked up to her in silence, feeling my regular strength flood into my arms as I took the bowl from April’s hands. When she squeaked, I felt my resolve slipping. But this was something that needed to be done sooner or later. I willed the strength into my gut.
With April sitting in my shadow, I said coldly, “Didn’t I warn you? You have to let this pound cake batter rest overnight for it to taste right. Checking in on it will only ruin the flavor.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, a shriveling, pitiable sight. I sighed.
“You’ve earned this one. I’m going to bake this cake now, and your punishment is to eat it. I won’t guarantee the flavor. Got that?”
“Yes.”
I put the pound cake batter to bake in our brand-new oven. April practically danced on her toes in anticipation of the sweet treat. While she was distracted, I allowed myself a moment of silent relief.
I was very glad I’d decided to move the candy and its ingredients to the hiding spot behind the ceiling panel. My general practice of being overly cautious had paid off in an unexpected way. I didn’t want to have to kill any more people I didn’t want to kill.
“What’s the matter, Matthew?” April asked, noticing my gaze. Her pure, straightforward, innocent eyes peered into mine. She had no idea of the sins I bore.
“Nothing,” I said, turning away. “Just thinking of how I can fatten up a certain greedy little girl.”
“Didn’t I apologize already?”
“I’ll be using plenty of sugar and butter. You won’t be hungry for dinner tonight. Then your old grandpa will yell at you.”
“Meanie!”
April kicked my shin. She was going to be just fine.
“By the way,” I said, trying to come up with a different topic for discussion, “what were you about to say back there? You know, in that empty house.”
“I was saying something?” she asked. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember. It’s fine now.”
“Okay.”
So she doesn’t remember what it was, but also, it’s fine now? If she didn’t want to talk about it, that was all right. I wasn’t going to pry the answer out of her.
“Yeah, it’s fine now. I don’t think…I can win,” she said sadly. I didn’t know what she meant by that, but I wasn’t going to demand more details. I wasn’t in the habit of prying into a fair maiden’s secrets.
From there, I fed her a whole bellyful of pound cake, but the sun was still high in the sky.
“So what’s next? You going home?”
“I was thinking of visiting the orphanage.”
“To make them bow and scrape to you, huh?”
They’d pulled some bullshit on her. Let them grovel until their faces were covered with mud. They owed April that much. Eddie had come to save her and put his safety on the line like a knight in shining armor, but he was also the first one to try to sell her out.
“Nooo, it’s not like that,” she protested in frustration. “I just want to talk to everyone again.”
She was so sweet and earnest, after everything she’d been through. Most people would lose all their faith in humanity. I certainly had.
“C’mon, I’ll walk you there.”
Who knew what those little idiots would do. The bounty had been taken off her head, but there were always exceptions. And April was already fourteen. There would be more and more people looking at her with inappropriate thoughts in the years ahead.
We went outside and walked side by side, drawing plenty of attention. A stall worker awkwardly looked away. I recognized him: one of the people who’d chased April around after Harrison offered them money. The next time I passed him on the street, I’d leave him a big fat fart cloud.
“How is Oliver doing, by the way?”
“Oh, he’s so happy.”
The fat cat was officially April’s pet. After everything he’d put her through, the old man couldn’t turn April down when she asked. The cat mostly just slept all day, but every now and then he caught a rat when he felt like it, then offered it to April. People said they heard her screaming late at night when she saw these presents.
“And how is it going finding a replacement for Nora?”
April’s maid had been extremely distressed over this incident, which had worsened her back pain. She had retired from her position and was being cared for by her family.
“Someone new is coming. She’s really strong, so she’ll also act as a bodyguard,” April revealed. Knowing the old man, I’d have figured he would hire a whole band of knights for her.
“Is she pretty?”
“It’s a secret,” April said mischievously. “I’ll introduce her to you sometime, Matthew.”
“I’m looking forward to that.”
She nodded, then looked a bit downcast. “So…I’ll be going to the guild and the orphanage like usual.”
“…You’re not leaving town?”
After the incident, April must have realized the evil lurking in this town’s heart was hideous and merciless. One day, the old man wouldn’t be around anymore. And a pampered, rich young lady without protection was the perfect target for a pack of villains.
Harrison was in prison, but the bones of the Devil’s Alliance were still strong.
“…Grandfather told me to leave this city and go to school in the royal capital.”
“I think that would be good for you.”
She could study and learn and make normal friends. It would be a much better life than hanging around with adventurers, the dregs of society.
“But this is where I was born,” she said.
Her hometown. That was an emotion I wouldn’t understand. I’d never wanted to go back home.
Then April smiled to herself.
“And it’s where everyone is.”