Footsteps and lantern light approached. Rock squinted in the direction of the alleyway where the streetlight was out and the stars didn’t shine.
Before long, a city constable wearing a surcoat over his armor appeared from around the corner.
He was likely on patrol. He walked in their direction, shining his lantern’s light over the surrounding area. Then he stopped in front of Krister’s hovel and glanced at the broken door.
Will he find us? Rock held her breath, but the constable only gave the door a fleeting glance. He quickly departed without being alarmed by the broken door or paying heed to the bloodstains at the entrance.
Everyone on the rooftop finally breathed as soon as the constable was entirely out of sight.
“We scraped by on that one.”
“Great work he’s doing, not even checking what happened.”
Ebel and Phoebe seemed relieved, but Rock had mixed emotions.
“…It’s kinda sad when you think about it,” she muttered, getting an odd look from the other two. “We’re the only ones who know this is Krister’s house. It’s just sad to think it will be left forever unchecked even though he’s disappeared…”
Both Ebel and Phoebe’s expressions darkened.
If Krister never came back, the hovel would be left as a vacant house. Getting occupied by a vagrant would be one of the better outcomes, although it was more likely one of the flippant slum dwellers would demolish it and use the materials to build a different shack.
“Is it a bad idea to tell Nisha about it?” Rock asked.
Phoebe was first to shoot down that idea. “She’ll only worry more if she sees the blood.”
“You think so too…?”
“If you’re going to bring her any news, it’d better be good.” Phoebe patted Rock on the head to comfort her. He looked down at her with an affectionate smile. “Since we’ve come this far, why don’t we track him down?”
“I agree,” Ebel said, his expression grim. “Something about this customer of his bothers me. I’ll use my connections to look into what someone could possibly want that many robes for.”
“Please do, Ebel.”
Someone capable of putting out that much money couldn’t possibly reside in the slums. Ebel was the best person to look into that side of things.
They descended from the roof and decided to leave the area for now. On their way out, Rock grabbed Krister’s ledger from his apartment. She thought it might still have some clue to his whereabouts.
“I feel sort of guilty looking at someone else’s ledger, though.”
“Kinda late for that, isn’t it?” Phoebe laughed, then glared at the door he’d broken down. “We should probably seal this place up.” He turned to Rock and Ebel next. “Go on home first. I’ll take care of things here.”
“Will you be all right alone, Phoebe?”
Phoebe even laughed at Rock’s concern. “Who do you think you’re talking to? Besides, we have to return this guy,” he said, holding up the extinguished lantern. The streetlight still stood as just a post without any light behind the hovel.
“You don’t mind if we leave it to you?” Ebel asked.
“Not at all,” Phoebe snorted. “Make sure you safely escort my daughter back home too, Your Excellency.”
“You needn’t worry about that. Her safety is guaranteed with me.”
No sooner did Rock see Ebel stand up tall and confident than he pulled her close again. He launched himself off the ground with her in his arms faster than she could react. They landed softly on top of the roof.
“Ready to head back, Rock?”
“What? B-By rooftop?!” Rock cried out despite herself.
Ebel didn’t seem to mind as he answered mid-run. “It’s safer than by ground.”
“That may be true, but— UWAAAAAAAAAH!” Rock’s protests melted into screams that were swallowed by the night wind.
Ebel bounded under the night sky with frightening agility with her tucked under one arm.
A single cold drop hit Rock’s cheek as she listened to the roaring night breeze while being carried. Startled, she lifted her head and saw gray clouds hanging in the sky. Meanwhile, drop after drop of rain pelted her face.
“Ebel, it seems to be raining!”
He noticed it without her telling him. He slowed down and looked up at the sky.
“There’s still some distance to your place, but…I wonder if it will get much stronger than this.”
They temporarily dropped down from the roof and took shelter in the shadow of a nearby building.
Rain was rare in the imperial capital. There was little rainfall throughout the year, and ladies exclusively used umbrellas as parasols.
The rain poured down on the slums, making quiet noise after its long absence.
“I hope Phoebe’s all right…” Rock’s thoughts went straight to her father and then to the hovel. “The bloodstains will be washed away, won’t they?”
Ebel cast down his eyes, understanding what that meant.
“In the end, we might’ve been the only ones to have discovered it.”
“That’s likely… We have to do whatever we can to find Krister.”
I want to find him for Nisha’s sake, not his own.
Rock was completely on Nisha’s side. The reason for that didn’t need explaining.
She stole a glance at the man standing beside her. Ebel was looking up at the sky from under the eaves, trying to get a feel for when the rain would let up. Raindrops glistened on his burnt sienna hair, some of the locks sticking to his handsome face. His melancholy expression brightened when he noticed Rock’s gaze.
“Doesn’t look like it’ll let up any time soon. Care to put your trust in me?”
“What do you mean?”
“I shall carry you to your rooms without letting a drop touch you.”
No sooner did he finish speaking than he scooped Rock up without warning again. This time he held her sideways in front of his chest with both arms. When he looked down at her, Rock was flustered by how he was carrying her and how close his face was.
“U-Um, you needn’t go this far for me!”
“Your father instructed me to safely escort you home.”
“But this is embarrassing…”
“You mustn’t move. Please hold on to my neck.”
At his request, Rock timidly wrapped both arms around his neck.
“Perfect.”
He flashed her a blinding smile.
Then he rushed out from under the eaves and leaped onto the rain-soaked rooftop. Leaning forward, he sheltered Rock from the rain as he ran.
As the one being protected, Rock was tormented by feelings of guilt and embarrassment. Even so, she never took her eyes off of Ebel’s determined face as he raced through the downpour.