“Well, guess our problem is solved, then,” I said.
“Oh! What about the nobleman?”
The nobleman? I gave Egar a confused look.
“The one who was making trouble in the tavern,” Lange said.
I thought of the aristocrat who’d run away earlier. He was…probably no longer among the living. And even if he was, his days were numbered.
“You don’t need to worry about him,” I assured them. “He’s caused enough problems that he’s bound to have a target on his back.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
I guess they didn’t hear what the barkeeper said. Well, they were probably too awestruck by what they’d done at that moment.
“Anyway, want a drink?” I stashed the contracts in my magic bag and set a bottle of liquor on the table.
“Sounds good.”
Okay, Lange’s in the mood to drink. What about Egar? He looks deep in thought.
“Sure…I’ll have a drink.”
Good!
I got out three cups and poured. I looked at Egar and Lange, my secret sharers, and nodded. I gulped down my drink and fire shot down my throat, making me give the bottle a confused look.
“Oops! I took out the strong stuff.”
I’d pulled out a bottle of liquor without really caring what it was, but it turned out to be much harder than I’d imagined. But it tasted good, so I didn’t really mind.
“This is good stuff.”
Egar likes it. What about Lange—agh! That’s one heck of a forehead wrinkle. Guess he didn’t like it.
“How about we drink this one instead?” I pulled out a different bottle.
“No, I’m okay with this.”
Lange downed his entire cup in one gulp.
Uh, easy there, buddy. That look on your face is unreal!
“Yeah, no…I don’t think I can.”
“Pfft—ha ha ha ha!”
As Egar guffawed, a bitter look filled Lange’s face, and I sipped on my own drink as I watched them. Before long, it was daybreak, and we parted ways in front of the inn.
As I watched them walk away, I chuckled quietly to myself. I could barely get a handle on my own actions—what the hell was I doing trying to help them? But they were reaching out, desperately searching for a way to live, and I wanted to lend them some aid. If I hadn’t grabbed their outstretched hands…there would be nothing.
“I had my master to take care of me.”
When the villagers found out I could take away stars, they all kept me at a distance. So did my family—rather, my brothers cursed me because I’d taken away their stars, and I didn’t blame them. They believed a person’s worth was determined by their number of stars.
In my village, I was all alone. Everyone stayed away out of fear. The adults all wanted me to leave town. And when I was desperately reaching out for salvation, my master was the one who grabbed my hand. I didn’t think I could ever become someone like him, but I still hoped I’d be given the opportunity to someday. And now…
“If I save somebody else…then can I forgive myself?”
Because of me, my family had fallen apart. Things had become more stable since then, but my parents still got harassed. They suffered so much because of me.
I cursed the people of my village. I insisted my family and I were not connected. Truthfully, I should have left Oll, but I was too weak. I couldn’t bear to leave my family behind.
“Ugh, this’s bad. My brain is starting to go strange places.”
I’m drinking way too much. Didn’t master always tell you, Druid? When your brain can only go bad places, don’t let it think.
“Maybe I should just go back to Oll.”
I was done with all my gigs, both official and under the table.
So yeah…it’s time to go home.
I’d figured I would see Egar and Lange again, but I never dreamed that it would happen within the month or that they would have such anguished looks on their faces.
Or that it would happen in Oll.
I hadn’t told them Oll was my hometown. I was a little surprised that they knew where to find me, but it made sense when I remembered their profession—they were good at their job.
Turning a curious glance at their current state, I wondered why they looked like they were on the verge of death. I wanted to ask them what had happened, but I wasn’t sure how to raise the subject.
At some point in my life, I’d found that I had lost all my connections. My childhood friends still seemed to care about me, but I was in no place emotionally to accept their friendship. Until my master came along, I truly lived my life not speaking to another soul all day. That was why I had a hard time knowing how to talk about things like this. To be honest, I was at a total loss. I had no idea what to do.
I gave the pair a good looking over. The hideously dark circles under their eyes implied they hadn’t slept at all. It was obvious just how desperate they were—there was a sort of steely resignation in their eyes. But I knew what they had resigned themselves to was wrong.
I didn’t know what it was that had made them so desperate. Maybe the church had found out about me. Maybe they had received another order to kill. The Life Contract might also have taken effect in a bad way.
Seriously, what do I even do?
I sat there in silence and sighed quietly.
“So, um, we were thinking…”
Egar’s voice drew me out of my thoughts. When I saw the look in his eyes, I made my decision.
I had no concrete proof, but I somehow knew. I knew that they were standing at a crossroads, so I decided to introduce them to somebody who would point them in the right direction. It was presumptuous of me, but I knew my master wouldn’t mind my getting him involved.
He’ll give me an earful…but I can take it. Gotos has been really giving me a hard time lately, too. I’ll take a job and leave these two men in their care.
“Yeah, that’s for the best,” I said.
“Huh?” Lange shot me a confused look.
“Never mind. Come with me.”
The two stared at me hesitantly, but I ignored them and headed for my master’s place. I trusted that they’d follow me.