C130
Shirone felt a lump in his throat. How badly abused must a child be to utter such words?
“From that day, those words became a sort of spell. Every time my adoptive father beat me, I would say this. 'It's okay to kill me.' Then my adoptive father stopped beating and left with an angry expression. Ha, I just lived like that. Even when I was twelve, thirteen, until I left the house at seventeen.”
“You were around my age then.”
“Yes, at the right age to open one's eyes to the world. Then one day, I finally realized the meaning of the actions my adoptive father had done to me. No, maybe I knew it already. That's why I didn't ask for anything.”
Shirone could now guess. Marsha's adoptive father had a terrible thought that he should never have had. (H: FFFFFFFFFFF. I really don’t want to curse but this, ffffffffuuuuu-)
“Foolish. If you want to, why not just go ahead and do it? I wouldn't have been entangled messily for 17 years then. In the end, he was a pitiful coward who could neither do this nor that. From then on, I carried a knife in my bosom. One day, I saw my adoptive father's eyes as he was hitting me. Ah, I couldn't bear to see him so pitiful, so I just told him.”
Marsha spoke calmly with restrained emotions.
“You can embrace me.”
“...Did your adoptive father do that?”
“Ha, strangely, there's no twist in this story. He pounced on me as if he had been waiting, and I stabbed him in the throat with my knife. To be honest, I didn't feel anything. After that, I left home and wandered around the world until I drifted here.”
Shirone was heartbroken. When he heard from the mouth of the person concerned about the story he had only heard about in books or rumors, unknown resentment filled him.
“Um, I don't know what to say…….”
"It’s okay! Now I just have to eat and live. My adoptive father died, but my Kleptomaniac didn't disappear easily. It's not the first time or two that I've been in trouble because of this. Ugh."
When Marsha smiled brightly, Shirone also felt better. He thought she was incredible, knowing how to consider others despite having been through such an experience.
“If it is an unforgettable pain, embracing it is also a way. Old Sis doing your best to overcome the pain. I’m sure Old Sis’ Kleptomaniac will disappear soon.”
“Thank you, for understanding. If you were thinking about doing something to me tonight, you would have had a hard time.”
“No! I really……!”
“I know. Don't blush for nothing. It wouldn't be boring if I had a younger brother like you.”
“I feel the same. In fact, I also thought that Old Sis Marsha was really like my biological sister.”
"Hihi! Yes, thank you.”
Shirone was sincere. The other day, he thought about how he wished he had a brother while watching the relationship between Rian and Reina.
Had he have a sister, would he feel the same way he do now? Her every word and action made Shirone's heart feel at ease.
Meanwhile, the bartender who had gone into the room came out.
He didn't know the details, but it seemed that all kinds of information was being gathered in the room he came out of.
“Gamose alarm is off. He seems to have found a woman he likes, and he's returning to the mansion to have a party.”
“Phew, thankfully it's not too late.”
Marsha glanced at Shirone with sullen eyes.
“Hmm, you seem to hate being with me that much? Just a moment ago, you were begging in a baby voice, 'Marsha, please become my real older sister.'”
“...I didn't say it like that.”
Shirone also felt regretful. It was the first time that he, who was not used to women, had a conversation without noticing the passage of time.
However, for the sake of the chefs at the villa who were waiting with a grumbling stomach, he had to leave.
“I think I should go back. Can I see you again?”
“Of course. What, are you going to run away in the middle of the sea? If you're bored, come visit. I'm planning to stay here.”
"Haha! Yes, then.”
As Shirone hurriedly left the bar, Marsha ordered a strong drink with a light expression on her face.
As expected, two men who had been watching for their chance approached as if they had been waiting.
“You're pretty. Maybe because I was drunk with you, I paid more for my drinks than usual.”
“Are you getting a room? This is a place where you never know what might happen to a woman alone. What do you say, should we go in together?”
Marsha didn't even turn her head.
“Get lost. Before I kill you.”
"What? Did you say something? Want to really get it tonight?”
The man held the bottle upside down on the table. People looked back at the bar with a sudden sense of tension.
As attention focused, Marsha sighed inaudibly. Then she suddenly changed her attitude and let out a scathing laugh.
“Hohoho! Alright, let's go to the room. But can you handle it with just the two of you? If you have friends, why not bring them along?"
“Wha- What?”
"Bring them along. 10 people? No, even 20 is fine. I'll play with you all night long, so bring them. I hate it when things get cut off in the middle."
The men became uncomfortable without even knowing why. But Marsha knew. She knew that when sexual competition intensifies, males reveal their innate weakness.
"What, what the hell. Seems like she's crazy. Let's go."
"Eh, so unlucky.”
Marsha looked at the retreating men as if they were pathetic, then turned her body around.
Before she knew it, the drink she ordered was up. She gulped it down in one go, and the heat sprang up in her throat, making her mind hot.
"Huuu, this is what alcohol should be like. Bartender, one more."
Instead of bringing a new glass, the bartender came over and poured directly into Marsha's glass.
“….Are you Marsha?”
“Huhu, is there another Marsha?"
“I heard that you're wanted by the Magic Association, but you've been avoiding it so far. Have you decided to come in?"
"No. I'm leaving soon. I just came to sort things out."
"I'd appreciate it if you could proceed quietly. If a big shot like you causes a disturbance, the island will get confused. We don't want the agreement to be broken. If you promise to cooperate, you can stay here for a while."
"That's okay. I had no intention of staying here from the start."
The bartender wiped the beer glass until it squeaked. After keeping silent for a while, he casually threw out a comment.
"The boy must be disappointed."
"Hehe. It's okay. It's normal to experience heartbreak at that age."
"I thought you liked him?"
“It was fun. Haha, to be honest, it was a bit risky.”
Marsha hugged her shoulders and looked up at the ceiling.
"How can there be such a disgusting human being?"
Prioritizing (1)
The villa was quiet, as if no one was there.
Amy was sitting on the sofa by the fireplace, and Rian and Tess were too busy staring at her to say a word.
Shirone wasn't coming. It's been already 2 hours since he went grocery shopping, unless he was pulling fish out of the sea, he should've been back by now.
"Sh- Shirone is late, huh?"
Tess, who spoke to melt the frozen atmosphere, was startled. She felt as if her voice was louder than usual.
Yet, Amy was still staring into the darkness, not moving at all.
'Uh, it's totally like walking on thin ice.'
Tess shuddered. Amy seemed not in a good mood, as if she could feel the chill.
Of course, as a woman, she could understand perfectly. Beyond the meaning of a couple's trip, wasn't this a thrilling first vacation for the two?
'Shirone, you were too insensitive. This is disappointing for me too. Tsk!'
Tess sided with Amy, thinking 'a crab sticks to a crab'. (It implies that individuals with similar traits or interests often gravitate towards each other and form close relationships.)
As a woman, she knew how much Amy had yielded to Shirone.
Despite a disagreement at the port, she readily offered to cook. Men might think it's not a big deal, but to a woman, it was an action that honestly expressed the sentiment 'I want to make up with you quickly.'
But Shirone was an hour behind Rian. If he’s lost, there may be a reason to worry, but Amy hopes for even those small concerns to be taken care of with a sense of responsibility.
"Ah, I'm hungry. Why isn't he coming? Should I go look for him?"
Rian murmured, holding on to his stomach without noticing. Since he's not the kind of guy who eats a fixed number of meals a day, an hour delay was quite a long time for him to wait.
"It's okay. You might miss each other."
"Is it? Then, can I eat the potatoes I brought?"
Tess glared and shouted..
“Why are you so thoughtless? Think about Amy.”
"What's so serious? Shirone had more groceries than me. It's normal to be late."
Tess was stunned. Even though Shirone wasn't her own partner, she already resonated with Amy, but Rian seemed to hate her. (시로네가 자신의 파트너는 아니지만 이미 에이미와 공명한 그녀는 리안마저 미워 보였다.)
“Even if Shirone has a lot to buy, it's only natural he should arrive sooner because he's smarter than you. So it's a very serious matter! You can just eat potatoes or green onions in the corner.”
“Why are you so upset? What have I done?”
Rian scratched his head like a bear. He couldn't be called selfish since he was indifferent even to insults.
Amy opened her mouth for the first time. She was trying to smile, possibly feeling sorry for ruining the mood.
“I'm sorry, because of me. Just cook and eat first. I'll eat when Shirone comes.”
“That's not possible. It was a cooking competition.”
“But Rian is hungry. It's because Shirone is late anyway. Let's just say we lost.”
Tess soothed Amy with a tearful expression.
“It's okay, Amy. Actually, I'm not hungry at all. We just need to figure out what to do with that food junkie.”
Rian was really chewing raw potatoes in the corner. He was a man who couldn't even do Schema but had the equivalent strength.
In a way, it was pitiful for him, as his calorie consumption would be several times higher than that of a normal person in order to maintain his tremendous strength.
Unable to reach a conclusion, silence ensued, and Amy propped her cheek on her knee as she put her feet up on the chair.
'Why isn't he coming? Did something really happen?'
He’s not a kid who doesn't keep promises. Neither was he foolish enough to make a mistake and delay time.
Perhaps there were unavoidable circumstances.
However, no matter how much she consoled herself, she couldn't help feeling disappointed.
'You brought me here. Other than you, everyone I'm meeting today is new.'
It was lonely. Although they became close, but Rian and Tess had a mutual understanding as partners. There was no room for Amy to squeeze in between their relationship.
Thump. Thump.
Someone knocked on the door. Tess' face lit up, and Rian clenched his fist thinking he could finally eat.
“Is it Shirone? Wait a minute...!”
Before Tess could finish her words, Amy walked to the door. She opened the door impulsively and shouted.
"Hey! Where the hell are you and what are you doing now... Huh?"
Amy stood there blinking her eyes with the door wide open.
It wasn't Shirone. But it wasn't a stranger either. What was certain was that he was someone who should not be here.
Jis, who they argued with in the port, stood there.
"What? Why are you coming here?”
Jis' face turned red. He never thought it would be this woman who opened the door and came out.
He gritted his teeth when he remembered the events of the day, but his heart skipped a beat when he saw her unfamiliar figure in comfortable clothes.
Gathering his senses, Jis shamelessly inspected the interior of the villa. His abdomen, which was hit by Falkoa, was aching, but there was no distortion in his expression.
“Wow, this place is really nice. It's different for nobles, isn't it?”
“I asked what's going on? How did you know we were here?”
“I found out by asking around. If the ruler of the port, Jis, decides to, it's not a big deal. Now you know how sharp I am on this island, right?”
"So? You came here just to show off that one trick?"
---
Tags:
Infinite Mage (Novel)
