The Master of Luwak Street? Who, this person? I, Alan, thought as I glanced over in surprise. I could tell from their physique as they stood at attention that they were a woman in men’s clothing. Her body shape differed from the prostitutes on the street, but she was clearly female.
She gave a small chuckle, but it was difficult to discern her age from her voice. Plus, based on the way she touched her hand lightly to her throat, I figured she knew how to modulate her voice at will.
The Master of Luwak Street seldom made public appearances, and their age and gender were both unknown. Still, the fact that thugs like Guido could claim relation to the Master without being wiped out was proof of their existence. Whoever they were, they were indispensable in keeping the city backstreets under control.
And this woman was that person?
The chuckling figure turned her gaze on the blue-eyed boy—the one called Chris. The Master’s eyes, hair color, and facial features were difficult to make out in the dim light. I had a feeling that was by design.
“I humbly beg your permission to speak, O Exalted One. I am the owner of this house, a servant sent by the guild. I’m afraid your suspicions are entirely unfound—”
“In that case,” Chris interrupted her, a laugh in his voice, “why did you stop that makeup ghoul from talking?”
“Because it was an offense to the ears, of course.”
“How convenient,” the boy countered. “The truth is that you don’t want him spilling your secrets, isn’t it? That goes for the Master of Luwak Street, the Maritime Merchants’ Guild, and the mayor of Kelk Harbor alike. You three always maintain a careful balance. You ensure that no single one of you gets a march on the others, yet you all reap the benefits of evil behind the scenes, just like this man claimed. This particular incident escalated past what could be resolved between relatives, and you were forced to eliminate a loose end before things went public. Do I have that about right?”
“Hardly,” the Master replied in a voice that sounded neither masculine nor feminine. “I seem to have given you cause for confusion, O Exalted One. I would like to apologize again on behalf of the higher-ups and offer a proper explanation. Shall we take this conversation elsewhere?”
I saw Randy, the spiky-haired boy, narrow his eyes and lower his stance at the implicit demand to stop digging. It was a gesture of loyalty, a signal that he wouldn’t let anyone stand in his lord’s way. The boy was as forthright as appearances would suggest.
Sensing tension in the air as both sides refused to back down, I decided to intervene. I gathered that Maurie’s brother and the other missing children had been rescued from the phony Master’s boat and taken into custody for the time being, so there was only one thing left for me to do: return the favor. To that end, I pulled out intel I’d been saving for the right moment.
I said it like it was no big deal. Like I was just your average informant.
“You are the Master of Luwak Street, aren’t you?”
The Master shot me a look that could kill, and I shrank in on myself, clutching my lute to my chest. There was a reason the Master didn’t want anyone uncovering her true identity.
“Um, you see...” The terrifying look on her face had me sweating bullets on the inside, but I stood strong and explained my rationale. “The grown-ups always take a cut of what we children earn, but it’s our rightful money. So, one time, I tailed Gui...um, one of the men who was always shaking us down. That’s when I first heard what you sounded like.”
What I heard now was the same unmistakable sound I’d heard back then. There was only one possible explanation.
“Of course, you’d never be caught so easily. Even your own relative Guido didn’t know your gender, name, or what you looked like. Still, I heard a strange sound coming from the one known as the ‘Master.’ I hear that in some foreign countries, there’s a certain object you can strike against a gold, silver, or copper coin to determine almost exactly how much it’s worth. Usually, their value is estimated based on weight, but different coins make a distinctive sound when struck by this particular tool. On occasion, it can be used to tune musical instruments too. It’s apparently very, very valuable.”
I flashed her a smile. “Every time you move, I hear the same sound I did back then. If I had to guess, I bet you’re carrying that tool in your breast pocket.”
There came a snort of approval. It was that boy called Chris.
His words were short and few. “Well done, boy.”
My heart pounded in my ears. I’d heard a certain sound ringing from his chest for some time now. It was just like what I’d heard about in the stories long ago.
“Master of Luwak Street. I don’t care if you feign ignorance of that truth, but it’s a different story if you’ve had a hand in creating the counterfeit money circulating through Sauslind. I intend to get to the bottom of this scandal and crush it at the source. However, it’s not too late to settle this with a discussion.” His mouth lifted in a smirk. “It’s like this boy said. You have an obstacle of your own. I assume it’s the mayor who runs this city—the man appointed by Duke Odin. I know how those indoctrinated by the duke like to do things. Just as this makeup ghoul said, he wants the front entrance swept clean.”
The realization hit me with a start. As far as the higher-ups were concerned, Guido and the Master of Luwak Street were no better than the rest of us—just more of the same trash.
The silent figure at last let slip a small sigh. This was probably what her voice really sounded like, stripped of all camouflage. “Honestly... I’ve allowed quite the troublemaker into my home.”
She brushed back her hair as she spoke, letting her long, dark locks spill free. Her whole image changed with that one gesture. She had a one-of-a-kind presence, all her previous politeness nowhere to be found.
Her eyes locked on to me, the one who had revealed her identity, and she spoke as if quietly appraising me. “I’ve heard the stories about you, Alan the Honeybee. Rumor has it there’s a skilled musician among the children of the slums. He learned how to play the lute from a traveling band, and in just a month, he was good enough to put a professional to shame. You have a keen ear for sound.”
Her tone of voice was gentle, yet it had an element of danger to it. I gulped, realizing I had stepped into something I shouldn’t have. The Master couldn’t have been pleased to be unmasked by a child like me. I wouldn’t be surprised if she had me taken out behind the scenes. The children who had been sitting around and waiting on the phony Master had long since fled, and Marcus and Maurie were half-asleep, huddled on top of one another. I was probably the only one in danger.
“I haven’t forgotten how you framed a relative of mine either. Not that I mind, since it saved me the trouble of getting rid of that good-for-nothing. You were able to identify a counterfeit coin with your hearing alone. That’s quite a rare gift. Now, in light of all that...what am I to do with you?”
I could tell the Master was weighing her options concerning me: she could either wipe me out or use my skills to her own ends. When I saw the way she was looking at me, I was struck with the thought, Not again.
This had happened to me once before. Just like when I’d been chained to the bow of that ship, this gift of mine would fasten yet another collar around my neck. By “gift,” I meant that my ears were a little sharper than the average person’s. It was all thanks to that skill that I’d survived life on the backstreets. It was hard to deny that most things had gone my way, and I’d saved up more money than my peers. Still, in the end, it would be my ability that ultimately decided my fate.
It was as I was chewing on my lip that someone called out to me. His voice was flat and even. “You there. Boy. Your name is Alan, isn’t it? How would you like to come work for me?”
“Huh?”