Chapter 45.1
Chapter 45.1
Questions piled up one after another, but the conversation was cut short as people passed by. Their disguises were clearly still working. Dressed in factory overalls and sticking to the narrowest paths, the workers didn’t question who they were or where they were going.
“Ah, the forge is just up these stairs.”
Following Rune’s directions, they climbed the long, narrow, gray stone staircase. The air grew hotter against their skin, and the clang of hammers began to echo from the distance.
They climbed for what felt like an eternity. By the time even Adeline, with her considerable stamina, felt her breath catch in her throat, they reached a landing with an iron door and a small, round window. Rune looked back at her, a warning glint in his eyes as he nodded. Taking it as her cue, Adeline pushed the heavy door open with all her might.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Not one loud sound, but hundreds of smaller hammer blows overlapped and echoed, creating a deafening cacophony. A vast workshop stretched before them, dominated by enormous bellows blasting flames and a roaring furnace. Amid the nerve-jangling din, Rune cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled,
“This is safe …! Humans rarely … come here!”
Adeline deciphered the meaning from his repeated lip movements. It was so loud that people generally avoided the place.
The forge was similar in size to the furniture factory with the conveyor belt, but the vertical scale was entirely different. They looked down upon the workshop from the height of the stairs they had just climbed. The furnace’s firelight flickered on the fairies’ translucent wings, creating an ethereal atmosphere. The blurring movement of their wings resembled lace dusted with gold.
“Rune! This is all well and good, but my ears are about to explode!”
Despite her shouting, Rune, lost in a trance, didn’t even glance her way. His wide eyes quickly reddened as he spotted familiar faces. Of course, he wasn’t the only one who recognized the others. The hammering began to cease, one by one, starting with those closest to them.
“… …!”
“……!”
“… … … …!”
Recognizing Rune, the fairies immediately stopped their work and flew toward them. It took less than a minute for Damian, with Rune perched on his shoulder, to be surrounded by dozens of fairies. Their vibrantly colored hair and dazzling wings created the illusion of a blossoming flowerbed.
Such joy and wonder emanated from those tiny petals.
“…! … … … … ! … …!”
Unintelligible, high-pitched voices poured in from all directions. But unlike the screams they’d heard in the tavern, these were mystical and delicate, like the melody of stringed instruments. Some fairies were beside themselves with joy, while others wept at the sight of Rune’s wings. Everyone rejoiced as if they had seen someone they thought they’d never see again.
Adeline understood the joy of a reunion with someone presumed dead. Instead of calling Rune’s name again, she pressed her lips together.
And then, she felt a gaze upon her.
Whirling around, Adeline strode back to the iron door. But…
“…Strange.”
The outer staircase, visible through the round window, was empty. She had definitely felt someone staring directly at her from behind. She was about to open the door and step outside.
“Perfect! My friends said we can hide out here for a while!”
Rune called out cheerfully from among the other fairies. Adeline hesitated for a moment, then released the door handle and turned back. It must have been her imagination.
***
“Report again.”
This was the fourth time.
Instead of getting annoyed by his superior’s demands, Bruja uncharacteristically complied.
“Quería saber dónde estabas. (He asked where the Guild Leader was.)”
“And what did you tell him?”
“Distrito 9. (District 9.)”
Despite speaking perfect Spanish, Eric questioned him as if he hadn’t understood. He looked normal enough, but from the moment he’d heard Adeline’s name, he’d been acting like a screw was loose. Bruja patiently observed the emotions swirling in his bright blue eyes, then, for the first time, ventured a question instead of simply reporting.
“Tienes algo que decirme, no? (You have something to tell me, don’t you?)”
Hadn’t he said she was dead? Yet not only was she alive and well, but she was also traveling with the Snake Charmer, the very person they’d sent to kill her. Aside from the fact that she had come looking for Luce, everything was a confusing mess.
“….”
Eric didn’t answer. He simply scanned the first floor, which was rapidly being restored to its original state.
The damage was minimal considering the scale of the incident. The building could be fully repaired with magic, and there were few casualties. Twenty-four deaths from toxic gas caused by the combination of fire and poison, and one other…murder.
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