Cecily and Hina decided to follow the trail of the butterflies.They were curious about what had happened to Tywin, Naru, and Elizabeth, but they couldn't stop walking.
"......"
Of course, Cecily often stopped to look back.She was unsure if it was right to leave Naru behind and chase after the butterflies.To her, Hina spoke.
"Naru will handle things on her own... Naru is, in many ways, clumsy, but she's our 『Erinyes'』... leader... Of course, there's only a slight difference between her and I, Hina... Very slight... Like a sheet of paper...."
"Speaking of Erinyes."
Hina's words made Cecily reminisce about a long-distant past.
「Erinyes」 was a term that encompassed Hina, Naru, and Cecily.It was a nickname given by their nanny Sifnoi, said to originate from three goddesses of ancient times known for punishing the wicked.
Three fearsome sisters whose very names made evildoers tremble.So cruel that their names were hardly ever spoken aloud.
It was indeed a sentimental tale that Sifnoi, their nanny, had given the nickname of such violent and destructive sisters to Naru, Hina, and Cecily.
━Why are you trying to bury this Sifnoi in the ground...? Is it because you loathe nymphs...? This Sifnoi only ate five more 「Gromishet Bananas」 than allowed...! Hiiik...!Looking back now, it was a fond memory.Almost enough to wish for a return to those times.
'Return...?'
Suddenly, Cecily became curious.What would become of them as time passed?
"Hina, if Dad and Mom have a baby... what happens to us? Can we still exist as we are? Or...?"
"......"
Hina did not respond.Her eyes, however, were now shining with relief upon spotting a swarm of butterflies at the far end of the playground.
'Found them. The butterflies.'
They would follow the spell of the butterflies.Hina's plan was to borrow their power to help Mom and Dad. But soon, Hina was shocked and angered by what she saw.People in strange protective suits were wildly catching the butterflies with insect nets.
"The butterflies are swarming in!""Quick, catch them! Hurry!""Amazing! There must be at least a hundred! Where were they all going together?""Don't know! But inform the headmaster first! We've caught the butterflies! These butterflies, I tell you, are pure magic essence! The experimental indices and results are going to skyrocket!"
They were adults.Clearly, researchers from Freesia's laboratory.They captured all the butterflies Hina and Cecily were chasing and locked them in glass collection jars.Flap— Flap—
The butterflies beat their wings in the jars, but it was a futile effort.
"What should we do, Hina? All the butterflies have been caught! Not just the ones we were after. Those people have caught so many!"
"......"
Hina was also panicked.The adults had suddenly appeared and disrupted Hina and Cecily's plan. Should they try to defeat those adults now?
But there were many adults.At least ten.Cecily and Hina, who had just started first grade, were outnumbered.
"If Naru was here, she could have easily taken down the adults...."
Cecily muttered with regret as she took out her slingshot. Naru was a natural-born fighter, after all. The nickname 「Erinyes」, meaning goddesses of punishment and vengeance, was mostly because Naru was too active and caused trouble.However, Hina frowned at Cecily's murmuring.
"...It's okay without Naru. We can do it ourselves...."
Saying so, Hina looked around. She was searching for something that could be used as a weapon.
'If Hina also had... a butterfly knife....'
Dad's butterfly knife was an amazing item.
It was sturdy and unbreakable, and the fact that it was a treasure cherished by Judas appealed to her. Originally, it was an item he didn't give to anyone, but somehow, Naru had it.
'...Hina wanted it too.'
Of course, Hina also had an inheritance from her father, Judas.An unbreaking rope.That was enough.
"Cecily, I'll draw their attention. Meanwhile, you use your slingshot to... break all the glass jars... and save the butterflies...."
Pop—Hina dashed out even before Cecily could respond.
"Arrrrr, garrrrrr!"
Tying a branch to the end of the rope, Hina created a decent weapon, and as she swung it around, the researchers in protective suits were greatly alarmed.
"What, what is this?! A student from Graham Academy?""Crazy brat! They say there are 'study addicts' among Graham's kids who study so much they go crazy!""A weird one has appeared!"
Successfully attracting attention in various ways,Cecily loaded a stone into the slingshot she pulled out from her pocket and fired.
Swoosh— Pop—Crash—!
"What! The butterflies are flying away!""We've been catching them since dawn without overtime pay and now they're goooone...!""Who are these kids? Catch them! Catch them!"
The researchers were thrown into disarray by the sudden attack.
"Call for backup! Who has the transceiver!?""To be cornered by elementary school kids! Does this make any sense!?""Run away!"
Hina and Cecily's combined attack was quite satisfactory.Not as perfect as the formation of the tongue, lips, and teeth trio, but even just with the tongue and lips, the attack was satisfying.
"Researchers, you seem to be struggling. Should I lend a hand?"
Pop—That's when someone appeared from a high place.He wore a hat like a pirate and donned a navy coat torn apart by the sea breeze and various incidents.A middle-aged man with a wrinkled face, his waistband full of pistols, belted to his trousers.At his appearance, Hina stopped twirling her rope and tensed up.
"You are..."
"Know me? I'm the pirate 'Blackbeard'. I like to steal and plunder. But is that the 'Magic Rope' by any chance? Not something a little kid should have."
Hehehe, Blackbeard laughed, revealing his yellow-gold teeth.The man's eyes soon turned to the compass Cecily had on her waist.
"Wow, is that the 'Sparrow's Compass'? Rope and compass, you're not ordinary kids. Got it. You're Judas' daughters? Little Princesses of the Back Alleys. I'm friends with your dad."
Blackbeard was one of the Shadow Lords.Cecily vaguely knew that Judas had recently gathered the Shadow Lords for some request.But why did she feel so tense?
'This man, he's suspicious.'
Like all thieves, pirates, and robbers, he was particularly suspect.Indeed, Hina growled like a dog that had encountered an intruder.
"Blackbeard... traitor..."
"Smart kid, aren't you?"
Whoosh—Suddenly, Blackbeard drew a pistol from his waist.
Bang—!A bullet was fired without hesitation towards the children's heads.Of course, it never reached them.
Clang—!For a moment, a sharp metallic clashing sound was heard.Blackbeard realized that a thief, draped in a pink veil, had stepped between him and the children, deflecting the bullet with a dagger.
"Salome, huh?"
"Blackbeard, I knew you would betray us. Saw it in my picture diary."
"Picture diary? The hell you're talking about?"
Salome and Blackbeard were at a standoff.Soon, the researchers regained their senses and began to flee with the butterfly, and the children bristled at the sight.
"They're escaping...""Stop right there...!"
Fwip— Fwip— Fwip—The children ran after them.Blackbeard looked regretfully at their retreating figures, but he was powerless. If he let his guard down, Salome's blade would be at his throat.
* * *
5 seconds, 10 seconds.30 seconds...No, maybe about 5 minutes had passed?
Blackbeard dripped thick sweat from his forehead.Then, to lift the silence pressing down like the heavy pressure of the deep sea, he parted his lips.
"Truly the Princess of the Back Alleys. Your thirst for life is immense. Is it because you're Herod's daughter? Herod, you're just like that bastard. You'd stab my heart without hesitation, wouldn't you?"
"Someone afraid of me betraying Judas? That doesn't make sense."
"Look, Salome. You know as well as I do. The way thieves, robbers, and pirates survive. It's by siding with those who have the upper hand. Just like I went from the navy to piracy."
Siding with the advantageous─.An obvious thought process.Which is why Salome didn't understand.
"Betraying Judas is to your advantage?"
"I’ve seen the dungeon. It's a monster beyond understanding. Never have I seen a man so cruel."
"Monster? What are you talking about?"
Salome asked to gather information.But Blackbeard just teased, "Looks like you haven't seen it in your picture diary, huh?"A vicious battle of wits.This was the feeling of a duel between thieves and robbers.They didn't care about the methods as long as they could catch the opponent off guard.
"Hah, as expected, Salome, you're a beauty. Just as fierce as Herod but you’ve certainly inherited your mother, Herodias' looks. Speaking of your mother..."
"......"
"Herodias had a heart-shaped mole on her left thigh. Everyone loved that heart-shaped mole. Especially your father, Herod. But is Herod really your father?"
"......"
"Maybe I'm your father. After all, I was the one who kidnapped Herodias from the Sultan's palace and brought her aboard my ship. I was the first to lay hands on her, so if you do the math... it's been about 22 years."
Blackbeard laughed, revealing his golden teeth.The words bursting from his lips were cunningly mixed with lies and truths, so Salome's heart was slightly unsettled.
"You could be my father?"
"Who knows?"
Blackbeard mumbled vaguely.Just as he thought he'd shaken her, he realized Salome had vanished from his sight.
And suddenly, a cool blade touched Blackbeard's throat, its speed reminiscent of the King of Thieves he had encountered in the dungeon.
"Impressive. That's no ordinary speed. Did you receive a blessing from Snix or Nocturne? It's a speed worthy of being called a miracle of the gods."
"I'm the one who asks the questions. If you don't want to die, you better answer my questions. What's in the basement?"
"Hey, are you planning to kill your father?"
"Yes."
Throb—Pirate Blackbeard's neck burned as if touched by fire.His throat had been slit.
"Wait, just a moment. Salome! Stop!"
"Why."
"This guy, she really tried to kill me, right? Fine. I get it. I'll surrender. It's not worth dying here. There is a Demon King in the basement. Yes, a Demon King. Nothing else fits."
"Demon King?"
"Yeah. You’ve seen the butterflies flying around since this morning, right? I was asked by some bespectacled woman to gather them. That's when I saw it in the basement. It was no longer human."
Blackbeard pictured in his mind what he had encountered in the basement.It was death incarnate, wearing a human form.
"The researchers, they probably went to the basement with the butterflies. Those kids just now followed them into the basement. Is it really okay to just stand around? The Demon King, you see, despises children terribly."
"Hates children?"
"Of course, children are good and innocent. The purity of a child's heart can dampen the power of evil karma, so for someone pursuing the path of evil, it's natural to dislike them."
Blackbeard rambled on and on.Probably trying to buy a little more time for his life.Salome decided to ask one last thing.
"You're not lying?"
"About there being a Demon King? It's true. I swear on my beard."
"No, not that. That you might be my father."
"Hehehe, that? Well, I'm not sure. The number of men who could be your father is well over twenty. But including me, only about ten are still alive."
"Ten..."
"Salome, you must be happy to have so many fathers. Hehehe, back when we looted the Sultan's palace, we were a bit crazy. Those were the good old days when we could do anything we wanted─."
With those words, Blackbeard collapsed forward, spraying blood from his neck.Salome watched calmly and spat out a loogie.
"Now there are nine left."
Salome then looked up at the sky.The beginning of summer.2 PM.The sunlight was blindingly bright.
"I have to follow the kids."
***
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