In an instant, Alice and I were on the roof of Emily's house.
"What do you think?" I asked, looking at her.
"To be honest… I'm pretty surprised by everything that happened. I never thought we'd run into mid-level people in a place like this," Alice said, still processing what we'd experienced.
"Yeah, I find it incredible too. I'm sure everyone in the clan would be just as surprised. Especially by the fact that my mom taught someone and even gave him a manual with mid-level skills… one she wrote herself. My dad's going to be shocked."
"And how do you feel about the fact that Aiden… you know… had that kind of relationship with your mom?" Alice asked, her voice cautious.
"Honestly, considering how it happened… it doesn't bother me. Aiden… I can tell he's a good person. Everything he does is for the sake of the slums. I'm sure my mom saw an opportunity to help these people through him, even if she couldn't be here herself."
"Once we're done with all this… are you going to report it?"
"Well… I'm not really sure. My mom definitely broke the rules. Even if she's gone, I don't want her name to be tarnished by something like this. And I'm sure Aiden wouldn't want that either. I think it's best if we say that the two of us figured everything out, that Jacob was the one behind the assassination plan… and that we took him down ourselves. I'll think carefully about how to tell the story."
"we'll only tell the real version to our parents".
"Yeah, I think that's for the best. Speaking of Jacob… we now understand how Aiden became so strong. But Jacob, in theory, is on a similar level. That means he's also rank 3, and not exactly weak. How is that possible?" Alice asked, thoughtful.
"Yeah, it puzzles me too. I highly doubt my mom had anything to do with Jacob, so the fact that he has that kind of strength is a mystery. That's why, once we beat him, we have to interrogate him."
After we finished talking, we waited a few more minutes to recharge our mana reserves. We knew that once we entered Lisa's house, we'd have to use the Illusion technique again, which would stop us from recovering more mana.
Alice can restore 100 mana units per hour, while I reach 110. That allows us to fully recharge in about eight hours, which is considered extremely fast. Most rank 3s take twice as long.
Still, we couldn't stay there for hours. Dawn was approaching, and I could feel the Iron Jackals starting to move. If we stuck around, someone would see us.
We activated the Illusion and went into Lisa and Emily's house. They were both still fast asleep. Alice and I returned to the spot we'd been in before leaving.
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Two more hours passed.
It was time to start the day. Lisa was the first to get up.
"Alice, Ethan? Did you sleep well?" Lisa asked.
"Yes, Lisa. Alice and I rested well," I replied calmly.
"I'm glad… Oh, looks like Emily's waking up too," she said with a smile.
In just a few minutes, Emily got up from her mattress, as lively as ever. She walked over to us with her usual bright smile.
After everything that happened last night...
Seeing her is...
Comforting.
She's like the brightest star in the dark night sky.
I wonder what my mother would have thought of her. Knowing her… I'm sure she would've loved her.
Maybe she would've even taught her something?
I don't know…
Aiden's situation was much more dire. He wanted to become an Apostle, he was ready to fight against the evil in the slums. My mom saw an opportunity in him.
I'm not sure she would've seen something like that in Emily.
Most likely, she would've just helped however she could; food, shelter… but I doubt she would've trained her in mana use.
"Brother Ethan… are you okay?" Emily asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
When I looked down, I saw her staring at me with curiosity.
I guess I got lost in my thoughts…
"Yes, Emily. I was just thinking about something. Want Alice and me to walk you to school again?" I said, changing the subject.
"Yes! I want to play with you guys on the way!" she answered cheerfully.
"Emily, you shouldn't be late for school. Besides, Ethan and Alice have to go to work, they can't play too much," Lisa said in a gently scolding tone.
"Don't worry, Lisa. We'll just keep her entertained a little while we walk. We'll make sure no one's late for school or for work," Alice replied with a smile.
"Well… if you say so, Alice."
"Yay, let's go!" Emily cheered, grabbing Alice's and my hand.
We headed out while Lisa watched us with a slightly exasperated expression… though she couldn't hide the small smile on her lips.
Despite everything, she's happy to see Emily having fun.
She really is a good mother...
I'm sure that if that sky Aiden talks about truly exists, she'll have a place waiting for her there.
---‐----------------------------------
With games and laughter, we walked Emily to school.
As we returned to Lisa's house to let her know everything went smoothly and then head off to work with Hugo, I felt two presences inside.
When we opened the door, we saw two people. One of them we already knew Dorian, the Iron Jackal we'd met at the bonfire.
When he saw us, he greeted us.
"Alice, Ethan. Good to see you again. Hugo told me you did a good job yesterday with the debris," he said kindly.
"Hi, Dorian. It's good to see you too. Alice and I were just doing our job. We just stopped by to let Lisa know we got Emily to school safely. Is something wrong?" I asked.
"Well… you could say so. Mason, one of our members, was found dead in some abandoned buildings this morning," Dorian said seriously.
I saw Lisa tremble slightly in the old chair she was sitting in.
"Since one of the last places he was seen was here, I came to ask Lisa if she knew anything. But really… it's just protocol. Judging by the state of the place, we're pretty sure Aiden was responsible. This was the last spot he hadn't visited in recent months… and he's the only one with the strength to cause that kind of damage. Knowing that maniac is back here is a real headache," Dorian added, visibly tired.
"Well, that's all. See you around. Good luck at work," he said, and he and his partner left the house.
I walked over to Lisa, who was still sitting with her head down. She was trembling slightly.
"Mason… he's… dead?" she murmured.
"Lisa, are you okay?" I asked, gently touching her shoulder.
That seemed to snap her out of her trance. She stood up from the chair and looked at me.
"Yes, Ethan… it's just that the news caught me off guard. It's… a shame, what happened," she said, trying to sound calm.
But…
I noticed it instantly. Unlike Aiden, Lisa's emotions were clear as water.
There were many.
But one stood out above all the rest.
Relief.
I could see it plainly in her eyes… like she'd just shrugged off the weight of a planet.
"Well, Alice and I are heading out," I said.
"Have a good day, both of you," she said with a smile.
"You too," I replied.
As I was closing the door, I caught a glimpse of Alice's face.
Looks like we did the right thing last night…
I wonder if Aiden feels the same every time he takes down someone evil.
I wonder if I'll feel something like that when we defeat Jacob and the Shadow Fangs… the great evil of the slums.
Well…
It won't take long to find out.