The Ransacked Church

Making it to morning safely was a relief.

Things had been going so smoothly that I'd grown complacent. This was enemy territory, after all.

I slapped both cheeks with my hands.

A satisfying sound and a sharp sting chased out the drowsiness and the carelessness along with it.

"Sorry about that."

Finn wore an uncharacteristically glum expression.

Considering she'd kept up a brazen front even when she'd been badly hurt before, this might have been the first time I'd ever seen her look like this.

"Just so we're clear, even against someone in my line of work, I don't get tracked that blatantly."

"I'm sure."

From everything I'd seen of Finn, she had considerable pride.

She wouldn't tolerate lies from herself.

What she said she could do, she would do.

That girl called Jill was far from normal in every sense.

If we hadn't retreated and it had come to a real fight, who knows what would have happened.

"Can't say much beyond it being a bad matchup."

"She was creepy. More than just the strength. Something else… I can't even put it into words."

"No point worrying about what we can't figure out."

Alexia clapped her hands, putting an end to the discussion.

She was right. We knew nothing about that girl.

Brooding wouldn't give us answers.

"They've probably already been told about us. Something might happen today too. Everyone stay sharp."

"More than us, it's you I'm worried about, Master… I'll stay close to you."

"Please do. I could barely breathe last night."

That was Alexia and Azu's response to my warning.

I couldn't argue with that.

With Alexia beside me, my safety was virtually guaranteed. I'd accept it gladly.

Elza seemed lost in thought, wearing that serious expression she showed from time to time.

"I'd like to meet her again. There are things I want to ask, like how she obtained that power."

"If Iefuda's involved, the opportunity will come."

Not that I was eager to see that man's face again.

Something about him had rubbed me the wrong way from the moment I first saw him.

It wasn't just what he'd done. There was something more, a visceral repulsion.

We ate the inn's breakfast, then prepared to distribute the candy.

By day three, it was routine.

We started handing out candies to the crowd that had already gathered.

Some cheeky ones came back for seconds, but we'd accounted for that.

Word had spread mainly among the children, and by today we'd more or less reached every child in Luido.

For the adults, the rumor Finn had spread that the candy was a health tonic had done its work, and we'd given out nearly everything that remained.

I'd been bracing for some kind of interference, but in the end we managed to get the blue candy, Sky Blue, into the hands of Luido's residents without incident.

For the next several days, the drug would have no effect.

My plan to make them panic and lure them out had failed, but this outcome was fine too.

After last night's commotion, the other side was probably watching and waiting.

"Candy, please."

I went to hand the last piece to a girl.

And froze.

Jill was standing right there.

"You won't give me one?"

She tilted her head, looking puzzled.

There wasn't the slightest trace of hostility.

Alexia, beside me, had already clenched her fists and was ready to move at a moment's notice.

Neither we nor Jill had weapons.

"What are you here for?"

"I came to get candy. The kids told me you were giving it out here."

"… That's true, but."

I scanned the area.

The candy was gone and the event was clearly over, so people were starting to disperse.

Making a scene here was the last thing I wanted.

There was no harm in giving her one. If they wanted a sample, they could get it from any of the townspeople who already had them. It was a moot point.

"Here. Take it and go."

"Thank you very much."

Jill bowed deeply.

"Iefuda told me to do this when someone gives me something. Did I do it right?"

She seemed drastically different from last night.

The expressionless way she popped the candy into her mouth was, in its own way, childlike.

But what she'd just said nagged at me.

It was as though she'd been taught the gesture so she could pass for human.

Was I reading too much into it?

Jill turned her back and walked away, sucking on the candy.

Elza was watching her intently. Her gaze was different from usual, that cold look she showed on rare occasions.

"She really just came to eat candy?"

"Seems that way. She wasn't armed, and I didn't sense any of the hostility from last night."

Alexia unclenched her fists.

"What now?"

"If they're not going to engage us directly, it's Plan B. I want to find where they're processing the drugs."

If we pushed that far, the enemy would have no choice but to act.

It might mean fighting Jill again.

Child or not, if she stood in our way, there would be no mercy.

We would crush this so the drugs couldn't spread.

"I'll handle that girl. So don't worry. If it's Azu, it might still be… a little too dangerous."

"I-I can handle it too!"

"When fighters are that evenly matched, anything can happen. And from the look of it, she might be hiding even more. I'd rather not have people around me when I'm going all out."

Azu waved her hands in protest at Alexia's words, but the argument lacked conviction.

Elza's blessing would help, of course, but Alexia was right. We still hadn't seen the bottom of Jill's abilities.

"I'm leaving her to you, Alexia. I'm counting on you."

"Of course. Leave her to me."

Alexia's reply brimmed with confidence.

When it came to combat, she stood head and shoulders above the rest of our group.

Azu's growth had been remarkable, but Alexia had been growing through their adventures too, and Azu still couldn't quite catch up.

"Then it's my turn. I've already got a few leads. Like hell I'm walking away from this with nothing to show for it."

Finn said that, so I asked her to guide us.

The frustration of being outdone came through loud and clear.

We packed our gear onto the cart and traveled light, then waited for the streets to empty as evening approached.

Winter days were short.

No sooner had noon passed than the sun was already sinking, painting the surroundings in shades of crimson.

"This way."

The first candidate was the abandoned church where Kazusa and the others had been living.

Bathed in the light of the setting sun, the ruined church looked decidedly eerie.

We slipped inside under the shadow of its crooked cross.

It was trespassing, but if anyone asked, we could say we'd come to collect Kazusa's belongings.

The inside of the church was devastated.

Floorboards had been ripped up by force. It was hard to believe anyone had been living here not long ago.

The partitions they'd used had been smashed and tossed aside.

"This is horrible…"

Azu, who had visited this place when meeting with Kazusa, was visibly shaken.

If Kazusa and the others hadn't gotten out, who knew what would have become of them.

The furniture had been destroyed too.

As expected, the poppy pods had been taken.

"This is unforgivable."

"They don't give a damn about anyone else. None of them."

If they had any respect for others, they wouldn't knowingly make drugs.