It had been five days since Finocchio was instated as the new head of the Luciano family, and the preliminaries of the Seven Star Cup were over. The tournament continued without issue, and the seven Seekers who’d won each block were set for the finals, which started tomorrow.
Everything was going perfectly—including my relationship with Bernadetta.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
Bernadetta nodded, but she was wincing in pain. “I-I can manage…”
When we left the hotel, the sky was covered in the veil of evening. It was freezing outside, yet Bernadetta was covered in a light sweat. She looked unsteady on her feet, as though she were trying to protect herself from her own pain.
“Don’t force yourself,” I said. “I have potions on me. Would you like one?”
I couldn’t carry my item pouch with a tailcoat on, but I always kept a few potions on hand. Things had been dangerous of late, and I knew it was best to carry my silver flame and items, even if it made me look a bit bulky in my suit. I reached into my coat pocket for a potion, but Bernadetta shook her head.
“I’m fine. I don’t need it. I’ve heard that potions can cause it to hang around longer.”
“Seriously? That sounds like hearsay.”
“And it may very well be, but I don’t like the idea of making this any worse.”
I chuckled at the girl. She was incredibly pale, and my attitude seemed to annoy her.
“Must be nice for men,” she said with a glare, “not having to worry about the cramps or the mess.”
“I’ve got no comeback for that,” I said with a snicker. Then I took a silver pendant from my pocket. “Have this as a token of my apology.”
Bernadetta took the pendant with wide eyes. “This is the Wild Tempest clan symbol,” she breathed.
The pendant was of a silver winged snake—the clan’s mascot.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“I thought it only proper to give you a gift, but I struggled to think of what would be appropriate for a lady like yourself. You were born into a wealthy family—mere jewelry would be unlikely to move you.”
“I’m not a princess of such luxurious tastes, you know.”
“All the same, it would be true to say that most gifts do not surprise you, yes?”
“I suppose…”
“So I decided to give you my most valuable possession: my clan symbol as a member of the regalia.
Bernadetta looked once more at the pendant in her hand. “Are you certain? I’m not a member, after all.”
“No, but think about our future. No one will object to you owning this pendant. I hope you will think of those feelings as you accept this gift.”
Her eyes nearly popped out of her head, and she blushed. “Thank you, Noel,” she said, smiling. “This makes me so happy.”
I nodded and put my hands around Bernadetta’s waist. She embraced me back, and we came together in a passionate kiss. We lingered there until the carriage arrived. A bashful giggle spilled from her lips as I let her go.
“I feel more comfortable than I did at the beginning, but I’m still not used to this.”
“That makes two of us.”
“Liar. I’ve never seen you look flustered in the slightest.”
“It doesn’t show on my face, that’s all. But look, my palms are sweaty.”
I showed her my hands, and Bernadetta laughed. She threaded her delicate fingers in mine.
“They’re dry,” she said. “Why must you lie?”
“What? Don’t you know what the people call me?” I smiled. “They say I’m—”
Before I could finish my sentence, Bernadetta’s face stiffened.
“A snake,” came a familiar voice from behind us. “And one that strolls around town all lovey-dovey without any bodyguards.”
I turned to see Durinn the dwarf flanked by members of his gang, the Hammerhead family. They stared at us with rude, filthy glares.
“There’s something I’d like to say to you,” said Durinn, gesturing with a hand. “Got a minute?”
I chuckled. “What a surprise. So you are capable of casual conversation. I was convinced your skull was filled entirely with shit.”
“Shut it, kid! Now get moving!”
At Durinn’s roar, Bernadetta clung fearfully to my sleeve. Durinn saw this and grinned at the sight.
“Rest easy, Lady Golding. We’re all gentlemen here. We don’t intend to harm a single hair on your pretty little head. That said, if the snake doesn’t come with us, we may have to…force his hand.”
In other words, do as Durinn says or the girl gets it. I sighed and pushed Bernadetta gently toward the waiting carriage.
“Go,” I told her. “He means business, and he’s not afraid of your father.”
“But—!”
“It’s not like you can fight anyway. I’ll be fine. Now go.”
She nodded reluctantly, stepping into the carriage. “I’ll call for help as soon as I can!”
The driver set off immediately. Once I was sure they were gone, I turned to Durinn and cocked my head to one side.
“So then, where are we going?” I asked.
“Over here! And, uh, be quick about it!”
Durinn was put off by my calm, and he awkwardly ushered me toward an alleyway. His cronies surrounded us, shutting down any attempts at a swift getaway.
Eventually we arrived at a vacant plot of land, where even more of Durinn’s men were waiting. These ones were armed. By my quick count, there were thirty of them. Two in particular—elves with very similar faces—had an aura far different from the rest.
They were the Varen brothers, former Seekers turned gangsters. They weren’t part of the Hammerhead family, but they were on friendly terms with Durinn. They’d been ousted from their clan some twenty years ago because of their behavior, and now they made their living as guns for hire.
The older brother was a Swordsman and the younger one a Lancer, and both were A-Rank. With their unique teamwork in battle, they’d killed countless humans and beasts alike. Rumor had it they’d murdered their entire clan as revenge for being kicked out. Perhaps the old story was untrue, but one thing was certain—they were very dangerous.
Durinn faced me with a murderous smile on his lips. “Guess you regalia types aren’t all you’re cracked up to be. When my boys told me they saw you in a hotel with a girl and no bodyguards, I didn’t believe it. Never would’ve thought a kid with such a pretty face would be chasing tail, but it looks like it made you dead stupid. Let me guess: your brain was so full of sperm that all you could think about was getting it on?”
The dwarf bellowed with laughter as he thrust his hips, and his men laughed along with him. It even brought a chuckle out of me, but that only pissed him off.
“What’s so funny, spermbrain?!” he demanded.
Ignoring him, I took a cigarette and a match from my coat pocket. I sparked up, took a deep drag, and blew the smoke into the air with a smile.
“Y-you human trash, always screwing with me… Enough talk! Time to kill you and send you floating downriver!”
At his shout, Durinn’s men readied their weapons and closed in—but they were in for a nasty surprise.
“The hell?!”
Not a single person touched me. Durinn’s gang found themselves blocked by an invisible barrier, and the impact of it sent them flying.
“A barrier?! How does a Seeker like you know that kinda skill?!”
Durinn was completely dumbfounded, and it tickled me so much I had to laugh.
“You make a better entertainer than you do a gangster,” I said. “Surely you can work it out if you give it a little thought.”
“What the hell’re you talking about?!”
“You still don’t get it? All of you were trapped right from the very beginning.”
When I pointed my cigarette at Durinn, a man in white armor with a sword and shield leaped down from the roof of a nearby building, landing right in front of them all. It was Leon, Wild Tempest’s vice-master. He’d cast the barrier blocking Durinn’s men.