The next morning I woke up well rested and happy that I knew how much longer the game\u2019s plot was going to last. I managed to withstand Keith\u2019s newfound sexiness that had given me so much trouble the day before and smoothly headed to the Magical Ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once I got off the carriage, as I was on my way to the Magical Tool Laboratory, I saw someone from behind\u2014someone who I hadn\u2019t spoken to in a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood morning, Dewey!\u201d I called him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dewey Percy, being only thirteen years old, was younger than me, but we had joined the Ministry at the same time. He had done so through an incredibly difficult admission test, since he didn\u2019t have any magic powers but made up for it by being a grade-skipping genius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood Morning, Lady Claes,\u201d he replied with a somewhat gloomy voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs anything the matter? Are you okay?\u201d I asked, worried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes… I am fine.\u201d So he said, yet he looked anything but. He didn\u2019t seem sick or anything, just very concerned about something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou can talk to me if you want, you know? What\u2019s wrong?\u201d I asked, and he looked up at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cB-But…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before he could come up with a response, he seemed to notice something behind me that worsened his dejected look even further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I followed his gaze and saw Maria and Cyrus, having fun chatting as they walked together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I see, his troubles must have to do with Maria, <\/em>I instantly realized thanks to my renowned powers of deduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid anything happen between you and Maria?\u201d I asked him, and his face went from gloomy to outright sad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot at all… That is the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had no idea what he meant, so I kept listening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe is such a charming girl. Everyone loves her,\u201d Dewey elaborated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She sure is.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI heard that she was recently summoned by the prince,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, actually it was the king who summoned her, but that\u2019s a secret.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd it dawned on me that she is completely out of my league,\u201d he murmured, staring down at the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Poor Dewey! He\u2019s all out of confidence!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAwww, Dewey, don\u2019t say that. You\u2019re amazing yourself! You passed the Ministry\u2019s admission test at your age!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That test was hard even for smart adults, let alone thirteen-year-olds. As if that wasn\u2019t enough, Dewey worked in the Magic Powers Department, where all the most skilled Ministry employees gathered. Despite being so young, everyone already had huge expectations for this child prodigy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat was probably just luck. I do not have any magic powers, and the family I come from is…not good enough to give me the right to long for Maria. Any comparison with her would put me to shame.\u201d Looking at his crush as she walked together with their superior, he concluded, \u201cI wish I could be as wonderful a man as Sir Lanchester is. Unlike me, he is fit to walk beside her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s not true!\u201d I objected, leaving Dewey surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cyrus may be hiding it well, but he can barely even speak to girls outside of work. Maria is smiling, but just look at how stiff his face looks. He\u2019s probably talking to her about martial arts. Actually, he\u2019s <\/em>definitely talking about that. No way could he talk about anything else with her.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cyrus was too shy to even sit in the same carriage as Maria or go out for groceries with her, but since she had asked him to teach her self-defense, he had found a topic that he could manage a conversation about. Dewey was probably closer to her than Cyrus was, since at least he could easily talk to her during meals at the cafeteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wished I could explain that to my very concerned friend, but I had promised to keep Cyrus\u2019s real personality secret. I knew that he was terribly scared of girls from our time together in the fields, but most people, including Dewey, mistook him for an extremely cool, fearless guy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re just as wonderful as he is,\u201d I finally managed to tell him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I shouldn\u2019t have mentioned that to you,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I got this totally wrong…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, since we worked in different departments, I had to part ways with Dewey before I could comfort him in any way. Still worried about my friend, I entered the Magical Tool Laboratory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood morning,\u201d I told Sora, who was already cleaning the office, before joining him in that activity. I considered asking Sora for advice regarding Dewey\u2019s troubles, but then I remembered just how grown-up his response was when I last asked him about romance. He probably wouldn\u2019t be able to sympathize with the childishly complex romantic struggles of a thirteen-year-old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s with that look of pity you got on your face?\u201d he asked me, noticing the way I was looking at him. \u201cYou\u2019re thinking something rude about me, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNope, not at all,\u201d I replied to my extremely sharp colleague.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, sure. I bet you are. Just spit it out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s nothing rude! I was just thinking that you wouldn\u2019t understand the delicate romantic issues of a person\u2019s first love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s definitely rude! You can\u2019t just go and decide what I can and can\u2019t understand!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo you do understand them?!\u201d I gasped, and he started rubbing his knuckles against my head like he always did. \u201cH-Hey! Stop it! You\u2019re going to mess my hair up!\u201d I cried, trying to resist, but to no avail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hah! He\u2019s just trying to distract me because he doesn\u2019t understand the first thing about that!<\/em> I thought, but rather than voicing my doubts, I decided to rub my knuckles against his head too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once Sora\u2019s hair was slightly ruffled and mine completely<\/em> ruffled, our little fight was interrupted by the arrival of our colleagues. I\u2019d gotten no useful advice from that interaction, but I knew just the guy to go to for help. While we were heading to the room where he would teach me about Dark Magic, I told Raphael about Dewey\u2019s problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd so he\u2019s lost all confidence. I want to help him, but I don\u2019t know what to do,\u201d I concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raphael had a thing for understanding people\u2019s feelings, as he had proven with his wonderful advice on how to deal with a kid whom he had never even met before. I\u2019d always admired him as a talented schoolmate and colleague, but now I looked up to him as a wise teacher that I could always rely on. I was sure that he could help me out with the Dewey situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI believe that you…\u201d he started after thinking for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes?! What should I do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh?!\u201d I cried, surprised by this completely unexpected suggestion. I had figured that Raphael would give me some practical advice on what to say or do for Dewey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut he\u2019s so sad! I can\u2019t just let him be!\u201d I desperately explained, and Raphael smiled at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou should be there to listen to him when he wants to talk, yes, but you should probably limit yourself to that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut why? You gave me those perfect lines when I had to deal with Liam…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat is because I felt that Liam wanted someone\u2019s help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd Dewey doesn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. He probably doesn\u2019t want anyone to solve this issue for him. This is something that he has to deal with himself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith no help?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExactly,\u201d he confirmed, nodding his head. \u201cI have spoken with him on a few occasions, and I think that he has a self-esteem problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat being…?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe underestimates himself because he doesn\u2019t have enough confidence. I don\u2019t know the details that well, but I\u2019ve heard that he comes from a poor family. Maybe that is the reason why he thinks so harshly of himself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This sounded right\u2014I knew about his family thanks to the note about the game and by having heard about it directly from Dewey. His folks were so poor that he had to work as a kid, while he was still going to school. That was probably why, despite being so smart, he never made a big deal out of it. I used to think that he was just being humble, but maybe that wasn\u2019t the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOr maybe someone close to him kept pushing him down…\u201d Raphael muttered with the sad look of one who understood how that felt. \u201cWhen you lack confidence, what the people around you do barely matters. You must make the change yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo… I can\u2019t help him in any way?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s not entirely true. You can be there for him and listen to his troubles. And if he does end up asking for your help, then of course you can lend it to him,\u201d he replied with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raphael\u2019s words hit me like a truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course! I was always thinking I should do this or do that…but I can just hear him out! Sometimes, when I\u2019m feeling down, I also just want someone to listen to me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlso, remember that Dewey is a man, with all the pride that comes with that. He probably doesn\u2019t want a woman to worry for him,\u201d Raphael explained with a slightly mocking grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHehehe, Raphael, I knew I could count on you, and I\u2019m glad I did. Thank you.\u201d I smiled at my wise teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cO-Oh, don\u2019t mention it. N-Now, let\u2019s go,\u201d he replied, hurrying toward the room where we had our Dark Magic classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Huh, that reaction was a bit weird. Is it me or is he blushing? Strange. Guess he\u2019s back to normal now though…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Once we reached our \u201cclassroom,\u201d we started with the follow-up to last time\u2019s lesson: shaping Darkness. Two days before I\u2019d done that without any issue, but this time, for some reason, I could only make the Darkness wobble around a bit without taking on any precise shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, you\u2019re just starting out,\u201d Raphael comforted me with his usual smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I do worry about whether I\u2019ll get this right in the six or so months I\u2019ve got left…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n After I was done teaching Katarina her Dark Magic lesson, I told her to go back to the department office before me, and remained in the room, sitting down by myself. I would normally never do something like that, but my throbbing heart needed some respite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These lessons of ours, I felt, had brought me and Katarina closer together, but the distance between us had become much shorter and had closed so much faster since I had advised her about that one runaway orphan. It seemed that she was now willing to open up her heart to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, I was happy to see her rely on me, but I knew of Katarina\u2019s bad habit of completely lowering her guard when it came to people that she trusted. That presented a problem. We spent time together, alone, literally only divided by an arm\u2019s length, and there she was flattering me, looking at me with twinkling eyes. I tried to hide just how much this affected me, but after she left, I always found my heart racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For years, that dreadful woman\u2019s words of spite for Raphael had poisoned my mind: \u201cYou\u2019re such a lovely young man, Sirius, unlike that disgusting harlot\u2019s son.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, however, I was finally free from that poison. Instead, Katarina\u2019s words gave me the strength to go forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re amazing, Raphael!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I stood up from my chair, feeling as if I had all the energy I needed for the long day of work before me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the afternoon, as usual, I was supposed to read the covenant together with Maria. Shut into a small room with a dictionary in front of me, just staying awake was a feat in itself. As always, I wasn\u2019t making much progress either. I\u2019d finally managed to read past the initial warnings, and I\u2019d reached the part that taught how to summon Darkness out of thin air, like I\u2019d recently learned with Raphael.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s still so basic…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n After struggling not to fall asleep for quite a while, it was finally time for our break. On most days, I took this as a chance to stop struggling and just take a nap, but today I couldn\u2019t stop thinking of how Dewey was doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In particular, I remembered what Raphael had said about having someone who was always pushing him down. I tried thinking back over all I knew about Dewey, but I realized that it wasn\u2019t much. He came from a poor family, studied by himself, went to school while working, and then managed to pass the Ministry\u2019s admission test. That was pretty much it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It wasn\u2019t easy to talk to him, since we worked in different departments. That was also true for Cyrus, but at least we always met in the fields, where I\u2019d already learned about how good he was with farming, how bad he was with girls, and so on. In other words, out of all the game\u2019s romanceable characters in the Ministry, Dewey was the one I knew the least about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What kind of guy is he…?<\/em> I thought to myself, staring at nothing, until a beautiful blonde girl stepped into the aforementioned nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, right. Maria probably knows a lot more about him than I do. They work in the same department and they even come from the same town.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, Maria, can you tell me a bit about Dewey?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDewey Percy? From my department?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, that one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs anything the matter?\u201d she asked, probably curious as to why I\u2019d ask about him out of the blue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI ran into him earlier, and he kind of looked distressed, but I don\u2019t know why,\u201d I replied. I actually knew the reason why, but I definitely couldn\u2019t tell Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see… He did make that same impression on me today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So she noticed too. I guess they spend a lot of time together while working, after all.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hope that he has not overworked himself,\u201d she said, sounding extremely worried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou mentioned that he tends to go overboard with work, didn\u2019t you?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right after joining the Ministry, Maria, Dewey, and I, among others, were all sent on a mission together. It was then that Maria had commented on how much of a workaholic Dewey was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. He had nobody that he could rely on in his family, so he has always been doing what he could by himself. I believe that this has become a habit for him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She must be so worried about him because she\u2019s the same… She\u2019s always trying to do things by herself without relying on anyone.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy the way, you say that he had nobody that he could rely on, but what kind of family did he have?\u201d I knew that his family was very poor, but that was about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why would a kid even have to struggle to go to school? What happened to his parents?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria seemed to think deeply about her answer\u2014I imagined it was no easy topic to discuss. She looked straight at me, and I returned her gaze, silently telling her that I would keep everything she was going to tell me confidential. Understanding this, she nodded and started speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe has several siblings, but all of them have to work to support the family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd what about his parents?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey do not work…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre they ill or something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have heard that they are more than healthy, especially<\/em> when they go out to drink and have fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They make their children work so they can have fun?! She didn\u2019t say that outright, but the look of pure disgust on her face must mean just that…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd when did those siblings start working? How did they go to school?\u201d I asked. I knew that Dewey had barely managed to attend school, so depending on her answer, my opinion of his parents could potentially get much worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI remember that some of them were made to work at home from before they were old enough to even speak properly. It seems that Dewey is the only one who was able to go to school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As it turned out, they were terrible parents. In my old world, child welfare would have probably taken all of those children away from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t other people step in?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had been to Maria and Dewey\u2019s hometown once, and I remembered that, despite not being as advanced as the capital, it wasn\u2019t that run-down either. I assumed that the neighbors or somebody else would speak up against this kind of child abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome have tried, but his parents are rather…difficult people. Whenever they hear someone complaining, they respond by treating their children even worse. So eventually, everyone just stopped trying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wow, Dewey had it even worse than I thought…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wonder,\u201d Maria spoke softly, \u201cif Dewey is upset because of something his parents told him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cN-No, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s it,\u201d I rushed to say, since I knew that his issue was thinking that he wasn\u2019t fit for Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I remembered what Raphael had told me about someone close to Dewey pushing him down\u2014he was only guessing, but after hearing about those terrible parents, Raphael\u2019s guess started sounding pretty spot-on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They are the kind of people who would send their children to work while they laze around… I can\u2019t even imagine what they could have told their son. Surely it\u2019s nothing good.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou know, when you think about it this way, Dewey\u2019s making it into the Ministry is even more impressive than I\u2019d realized.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ministry\u2019s admission test, which was already extremely difficult, could only have been made worse by the fact that he had to work while attending school. I couldn\u2019t even begin to understand how much effort he had put into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI agree. He really is,\u201d Maria concurred, and as she did so, her worried expression changed into a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cListen, Maria, I think that…you should look over Dewey from afar like you always do, but without helping him out unless he asks you to. You know, he\u2019s got like, his pride as a man, right? So maybe it\u2019s awkward for him when a girl helps him out,\u201d I told my friend, basically parroting what Raphael had told me just earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPride as a man? I see… I will follow your suggestion,\u201d she assented with a giggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I know, I know. He\u2019s only thirteen, and he looks even younger. Not really what you think of when you say the word \u201cman.\u201d I also kind of giggled when Raphael said that… But boys of that age must be going through a lot. I remember that Keith was moody all the time back then, and father explained that I should just let him be. Raphael\u2019s advice makes even more sense when I think about it that way.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n After we agreed that the best course of action in regard to Dewey would be…taking no action, we went back to reading our respective covenants. \u201cWhew, I\u2019m done for today. I even managed to stay awake the whole time, albeit barely,\u201d I announced once our workday was over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have recently seen a tea for sale that purportedly helps with excessive sleepiness,\u201d Maria declared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I need that. Where do they sell it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn a shop near the center of the capital…\u201d Maria explained where the shop was supposed to be located.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI kind of get it, but I\u2019m not confident I could get there… Oh! I know! Would you go shopping there with me?\u201d I asked her. That way, I would be sure to find it and I would also be able to shop with my friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course, I would love to,\u201d she replied, and we decided that we would go there as soon as our days off coincided, which, thankfully, was going to be very soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I parted ways with Maria, already looking forward to going out with her in a few days, and went back to the Magical Tool Laboratory to get my stuff. When I walked into the office, I found my colleagues inside having a tea break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, if it isn\u2019t Lady Katarina. Would you care for some tea?\u201d the incredibly muscular Laura, in her perfect makeup and gothic lolita outfit, asked me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She could look kind of flashy, but, as I knew from going on a mission with her shortly after joining the Ministry, Laura (officially \u201cGuy Handerson\u201d) was a very kind and talented individual. Sometimes we had lunch together, and she would teach me about cosmetics and whatnot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I checked the time, and, since it wasn\u2019t that late yet, I accepted her offer. \u201cThank you. With pleasure.\u201d I sat down beside her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She even poured my tea for me\u2014sweet, kind Laura.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Along with her were the perpetually lost Nathan Hart, the incurable narcissist Nix Cornish, and the ventriloquism-loving Lisa Norman. Not a normal person to be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not like there\u2019s any normal person in this whole department anyway.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh oh oh, I\u2019m so glad that we\u2019ve been able to finish work on time lately.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy, yes, being able to sleep properly has made my skin shine even brighter than usual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHaving Miss Larna in the office makes a lot of difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt sure does. This is probably the first time she has ever been this present since she became department head.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I listened in surprise to my chatting colleagues. Sora and I usually went home as soon as the workday was over, mainly because we were still newcomers, but apparently all the more experienced people had to stay overtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWas it always that busy around here?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHah!\u201d Nix exclaimed, suddenly jumping out of his seat. \u201cIt sure was! So much so that we would often have to work through the night, leaving me sleepless and my skin depleted of its natural brilliance. It was such a tragedy!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was pretending to sigh and cry, and I couldn\u2019t do anything but stare, waiting for him to finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe makes it sound made up, but that\u2019s how it really was,\u201d Laura added, tiredly resting her chin on one hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lisa, or rather the plushie that she used to interact with the world, nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat must have been tough, especially if you say Miss Larna has never been this present before…\u201d I mused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, but she is still a good superior, mind you. She never complains about how I dress, for example,\u201d Laura replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd she also understands the beauty of my wonderful outfits,\u201d Nix added, puffing up his chest as he flaunted his sparkling clothes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey wouldn\u2019t know how to deal with a guy this weird in the other departments,\u201d Lisa(\u2019s plushie) commented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, Lisa! Need I remind you that I was accepted into the Magical Ministry because of my incredible magical skills?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI thought you got accepted because a relative of yours put in a good word for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cH-Hey! As if you\u2019re one to speak! You didn\u2019t take the admission test either! You got in on a recommendation!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, a recommendation I got because of my good grades and magical prowess. Unlike someone<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWh-What are you trying to say?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBack at the academy you always were one of the runners-up for worst-performing student, weren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just wasn\u2019t trying hard enough back then!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeing Lisa and Nix bicker like that, I thought it was a good opportunity to ask them about something that had been on my mind for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHave you two known each other for long?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, very long indeed,\u201d Nix replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, unfortunately,\u201d Lisa answered at almost the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These two different replies made them start bickering again, and Laura had to step in to provide me with an explanation: \u201cThey\u2019re the same age, you see, and they\u2019re childhood friends. They even attended the academy together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The way they were at each other\u2019s throats really made it feel like they\u2019d been friends for a very<\/em> long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey mentioned they were both recommended to enter the Ministry. Was it the same for you too?\u201d I asked Laura.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some people joined through the same admission test that Dewey had taken, and on top of their test score, they needed someone to vouch for them. However, particularly promising academy students were often recruited on a recommendation basis and could skip the test. Since I knew that Laura had quite strong magic powers, I assumed that the latter was the case for her too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, not at all. I just took the standard admission test,\u201d she unexpectedly replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everything about her seemed to imply that she came from a noble family and could have taken the easy way in, so learning the truth shocked me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHehe. I\u2019m not only beautiful, but smart too,\u201d she declared, noticing my surprise. I thought it was best not to pry any further, in case that was an unpleasant topic for her. \u201cNathan got in in the same way too,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, because I don\u2019t have any magic powers,\u201d Nathan explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut he\u2019s incredible, you know? He passed that test studying all by himself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like Dewey! That\u2019s amazing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s very difficult to do, isn\u2019t it?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI would say so,\u201d he replied after thinking for a while, \u201cas the test isn\u2019t only about magic, but a variety of other fields of study as well. However, even though I never formally attended any school, I had several highly skilled tutors teaching me. Saying that I studied by myself would be a bit disingenuous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSeveral tutors? How so?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy family is part of a group of traveling merchants. When I was young, the other merchants shared their vast knowledge with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see. A group of traveling merchants sounds really cool though. Why did you end up leaving them?\u201d I asked him, and Nathan fell silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe was smart,\u201d Laura replied for him as she laughed, \u201cbut he\u2019d always get lost while they were traveling, so they kicked him out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey didn\u2019t kick me out. They just…very strongly suggested that I find a job that doesn\u2019t involve any traveling,\u201d he corrected her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d seen him get lost just walking inside the Ministry, so being part of a group of traveling merchants must have been very hard\u2014for the rest of the group, that is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat being said, even with so many talented teachers, passing that test was no small feat. Doing so with no outside help would require an enormous amount of effort,\u201d Nathan said, possibly trying to swerve the discussion away from that embarrassing story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An enormous amount of effort… The environment that Dewey was in made it difficult to study at all, let alone pass a test that even adults have trouble with. It must have been so hard for him. Even harder than I thought before.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n After listening to the argument between Nix and Lisa for a while longer, I left the department and headed toward the gate\u2014by myself for once, since Sora wasn\u2019t working in the office that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On my way there, I saw Maria and Dewey walking together. The overly respectful distance that they kept between each other made me kind of sad, but, more than that, I felt that I couldn\u2019t look at Dewey the same way I used to before. It was as if I could see the weight of all that he\u2019d been through lying on his shoulders. Sprinting for a while would\u2019ve been enough to reach them, but I decided to leave them alone and rode on my carriage home. Back at the Claes mansion, I found Keith busy being so obnoxiously sexy that all the maids were having trouble focusing on their work. Thanks to all the other stuff going through my head and the resistance I had built up from years of living with him, I was able to resist his charm. For the sake of the maids around me, I tried to ruffle up his hair and his clothes in an attempt to make him less attractive, but unfortunately this seemed to have the opposite effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I need to remember to ask the Ascart maids how they\u2019re able to cope with having Nicol in the house. Keith changed so suddenly though…and Jeord too. They got a hundred times more charming just because I told them that I would think about my feelings once I was done surviving doom, but at this rate, I\u2019m scared I won\u2019t be able to survive <\/em>them. I\u2019m probably going to go crazy from the sexiness to the point I won\u2019t be able to think about anything at all… <\/em>I thought to myself right before falling asleep. The next day, I went to the Ministry and did my usual work. It felt like I was running into Dewey more often now that I was worrying about him, but even though he still looked kind of depressed, I followed Raphael\u2019s advice and refrained from doing anything about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria, who was spending the afternoon with me deciphering her covenant, seemed to be worrying and waiting just like me. We actually spent a few days like this, until it was finally time for us to go shopping together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I prepared myself and rode on the carriage to the Ministry dormitories, where Maria was already outside waiting for me…with Dewey by her side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood morning, Maria. And Dewey too!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood morning, Lady Katarina,\u201d they both replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will be on my way then,\u201d Dewey then declared, ready to go back inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWait, Dewey. Are you working today?\u201d I quickly asked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, today is my day off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you have any plans?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNothing in particular. I was thinking of going to the library.\u201d He explained that he just so happened to pass by here and stopped when he saw Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hey, this looks like a good opportunity. I can\u2019t just let him leave like that.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I had decided I\u2019d do as Raphael had told me and just be there for Dewey when he wanted to talk with somebody, but we never had enough chances to talk to begin with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSay, Dewey, why don\u2019t you come to the city with us?\u201d I suggested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I took a quick glance at Maria, just to be sure that she was okay with this, and she immediately started nodding her head while looking at me with sparkling eyes. She obviously had no problem with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, Dewey shook his head. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want to be a nuisance while you two are trying to enjoy yourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The way he thought that his presence would be a nuisance made me think that Raphael\u2019s theory about Dewey\u2019s lack of self-confidence was spot-on. He looked pretty sad, and I knew that I couldn\u2019t give up so easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t be silly! We\u2019d have even more fun if you came with us. Am I right, Maria?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes!\u201d she agreed, nodding her head once again. \u201cCome with us, Dewey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our friend started looking as if he couldn\u2019t decide what to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I bet it\u2019s different now that the girl he loves so much invited him too. Convincing him won\u2019t be so ha\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEveryone seems to be here today, huh?\u201d a familiar voice suddenly interjected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEr… Miss Larna?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood morning, Miss Katarina,\u201d the owner of the voice replied, waving her hand at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The reason I couldn\u2019t be so sure of who she was at first was that she looked nothing like she did at work\u2014she wasn\u2019t wearing her uniform and had either dyed her hair or was wearing a wig. She was a master of disguise, and while she always looked the same in the office\u2014probably just another disguise too\u2014outside of it she changed her appearance so much that you couldn\u2019t even recognize her. Today\u2019s disguise was probably in the middle of these two extremes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy are you here?\u201d I asked, remembering how I\u2019d heard that she didn\u2019t live in the dormitories as she had a house\u2014or rather a mansion, since she was probably<\/em> a noble\u2014of her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSee, I so much as show my face in this place on a day off and they immediately have me running errands,\u201d she replied, taking out a piece of paper from her pocket, \u201cDewey Percy, there\u2019s a letter for you here. It\u2019s from your family. It was delivered to the department by mistake, and I\u2019ve been asked to bring it back to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dewey, just like Maria, lived in the Ministry\u2019s dormitories. Receiving a letter from one\u2019s family sounded like something perfectly normal, but his reaction seemed to imply otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?!\u201d he shrieked with a look of horror on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I guess reacting like this makes sense, considering what Maria told me about his family.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI came to deliver it immediately because it said \u2018urgent\u2019 on it. If there\u2019s any problem that needs to be taken care of, just let me know and I\u2019ll try to help out,\u201d Larna said, handing him the letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She could sometimes forget about everything because of her obsessive love for magic, but, in general, Larna was a good, caring superior. After hearing her say something like that, putting the letter away and reading it later wasn\u2019t really an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After hesitating for a bit, Dewey opened the envelope and started reading the letter. As he went through it, the expression on his face turned darker and darker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria and I, concerned for him, just looked on and waited for him to say something. Larna, however, made sure we wouldn\u2019t have to wait too long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? Did something happen?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTh-The letter says that one of my younger sisters is terribly ill, and that I should go back home as soon as possible…\u201d he nervously explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s terrible!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDewey! My carriage is parked nearby, so let\u2019s get aboard and go to your home in that!\u201d I suggested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cB-But…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will come too. Let\u2019s hurry, Dewey,\u201d Maria joined in, grabbing his arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He still looked befuddled, but he nodded at her. And so, my shopping trip with Maria was canceled and it was decided that we would go to Dewey\u2019s house instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUhm, excuse me,\u201d I spoke up once we were on the carriage, \u201cnot that it\u2019s a problem or anything, but…why are you coming with us, Miss Larna?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m curious about Maria and Dewey\u2019s hometown,\u201d she nonchalantly replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s like curiosity dictates anything she ever does… Oh well, it\u2019s not like I have any reason to stop her from coming.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSarah, you are free to spend today however you like,\u201d my master told me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was not the first time that he had granted me that freedom on a whim. When it happened, I would usually go back to my room and wait for the day to pass by without doing anything, as I didn\u2019t know what to do with my free time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, today I felt restless. That had actually been the case for a while now. Having something to do would have distracted me, but sitting by myself with nothing to do kept me thinking. I thought back to Katarina Claes, and how she had hugged that boy and told him to reach out his hand. That memory deeply agitated me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had heard that she was going to be in town for leisure on this day. That woman was the whole reason behind the turmoil I felt in my heart, and I wanted to do something about it\u2014something about her<\/em>. I had been told not to kill her, but anything short of that would have probably been fine. Compelled by an unfamiliar emotion, I left my room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The people around town will probably know where she\u2019s gone. I just need to use Dark Magic to make them tell me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n For the first time, I had acted out of my own free will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n Riding along the familiar road to Maria\u2019s town was doing nothing to make the atmosphere inside the carriage less gloomy. Dewey was still clenching the letter in his hands, reading it over and over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d heard that he and his siblings were very supportive of each other, and something like \u201ccome back as soon as possible\u201d meant that his sister\u2019s situation was quite scary. I could imagine how anxious he was, and I promised myself to introduce him to a good doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The carriage, which wasn\u2019t the fancy Claes family one but an unassuming one I\u2019d had prepared so we could go shopping, took us all the way to Dewey\u2019s house. His was even further away from the town\u2019s center than Maria\u2019s house was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy house is not a place fit for people of your class,\u201d Dewey told me and Larna as soon as we were there, \u201cso you can wait outside if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat doesn\u2019t matter at all. I\u2019m also worried, so I\u2019d like to go in if you don\u2019t mind,\u201d I replied, and he agreed to let us in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, doesn\u2019t matter to me either,\u201d Larna concurred, casually coming after us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once we got out of the carriage, I understood why Dewey had said that. Rather than a house, it was a shack, and a flimsy one at that. It looked like a gust of wind would have been enough to take it apart. That was worse than I had expected, but I had seen people living in buildings like those when visiting other poorer towns, so I didn\u2019t have any problem going inside one. The confusing part was how such a run-down house was located in this relatively wealthy town not so far from the capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we got closer, the door opened and a young man, probably slightly younger than I was, peered out from behind it. His face was somewhat similar to Dewey\u2019s, who confirmed my suspicions by whispering, \u201cHe\u2019s my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The young man, even though he couldn\u2019t possibly have heard a whisper that quiet, noticed Dewey, and seemed to be extremely surprised by his presence. \u201cWhat are you doing here?!\u201d Dewey\u2019s brother yelled, making it clear enough that he wasn\u2019t welcome there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though I knew his parents were terrible people, I had been under the assumption that the siblings were on good terms with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI received a letter. That is why I\u2019m here,\u201d Dewey, who looked hurt by his brother\u2019s reaction, answered laconically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat letter?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHere.\u201d He handed the letter to his brother, who gave him a spiteful glance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you trying to make fun of me? You know I can\u2019t read!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh… Right. I\u2019m sorry,\u201d he replied sadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria had told me that Dewey was the only one in his family who had managed to attend school, so it made sense that his siblings wouldn\u2019t be able to read and write. In a country such as Sorci\u00e9, where education was free and most of the population was literate as a result, lacking that skill sounded like a disgrace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo? What\u2019s it say?\u201d Dewey\u2019s brother asked without changing his unwelcoming facial expression one bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell… It says that Bell is very ill, and that I should come back immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh? What are you talking about? Bell\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two Percy brothers were looking at each other in confusion when an inappropriately happy voice rang from inside the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, is that Dewey?! You came?! I\u2019ve been waiting for you, my boy!\u201d The voice belonged to a huge guy, who stumbled out of the door making his round belly flop up and down. Judging from his gait and from his red face, he was obviously drunk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDad,\u201d Dewey murmured under his breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That huge, drunk guy is his dad?! No way! He doesn\u2019t look anything like him! Or…maybe he would if he lost a <\/em>lot of weight?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When thinking about the father of such a prim and proper boy as Dewey, I certainly wouldn\u2019t have imagined such a dirty, untidy man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat do you mean you were waiting for him? Did you send that letter to him?\u201d Dewey\u2019s brother asked his father. His voice was clearly angry, but his father didn\u2019t seem to notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, yeah, I sure did. My tab at the pub\u2019s got so long they won\u2019t give me one drop of booze. That\u2019s why I called my boy prodigy back home. He\u2019s at least got enough saved up to buy his old dad some liquor, ain\u2019t that right? And I knew he\u2019d come back running if I told him that Bell was ill or something like that. He\u2019s a sweet one, my Dewey boy,\u201d the drunken dad replied, walking toward his young son and giving him a couple of pats on the back, strong enough to make him sway. \u201cSo, you see, I need some coin. You send me some every month from that nice salary of yours, don\u2019t you? But I need more. Not that much, don\u2019t you worry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was silence. \u201cThe money I send is not meant for you. It\u2019s for my siblings,\u201d Dewey finally replied, glaring hatefully at the man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dewey\u2019s brother looked as surprised as I was to learn that he had been sending money back home from his Ministry salary. That unforgivable old man was probably taking all of it for himself, leaving none to those it was actually meant for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once again, the man was left unfazed by his sons\u2019 anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhatcha talking about? My children\u2019s stuff is my stuff. That\u2019s not the problem. The problem\u2019s that it\u2019s not enough. You should start sending a bit more from n\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before the man could finish his sentence, Dewey\u2019s brother had grabbed him by the arm, dragging him away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWatch it, Ronnie! Can\u2019t you see I\u2019m having an important discussion with your little brother?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ronnie, as I now knew he was called, didn\u2019t reply to his father\u2019s complaints. He simply shoved him back into the house and slammed the door closed, standing in front of it so that he couldn\u2019t come back outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the big idea?! You\u2019re gonna treat your own father like this?!\u201d the old man shouted from inside the house while banging on the door. This time it was Ronnie\u2019s turn to ignore his father\u2019s anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s just as you heard. Bell is fine. Now leave,\u201d he coldly said to his younger brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut…\u201d Dewey, shook by receiving this cold treatment, replied as he looked at the door behind which his father was still shouting, but Ronnie left him no time to say more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou left this home, so whatever happens here is none of your business. Now get out of my sight and don\u2019t you ever come back again!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dewey flinched at his brother\u2019s sudden yelling, then he gave up and started walking back to the carriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am very sorry that you had to see this. I have nothing else to do here, so…we can go back now,\u201d he told us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWai\u2014\u201d I started objecting, but Larna put a hand on my shoulder and shook her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Catching her drift, I nodded and silently followed Dewey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We kept walking like that, without talking, until we reached the carriage. Once we did, Dewey turned around and said, \u201cI\u2019ve just remembered something that I must do. Please go back without me. I will ride a public carriage later on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He started running in a direction different than the one we had come from, and before we knew it, he had already gotten quite far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI cannot let him go by himself like that,\u201d Maria declared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She was right. He looked like he could burst into tears at any moment. We couldn\u2019t just leave him alone and go back by ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGot it. We have other things to do, so we can\u2019t go with you, but you go and make sure that nothing bad happens to Dewey, all right?\u201d Larna replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After nodding in agreement, Maria quickly ran after Dewey, leaving me and Larna alone in the carriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExcuse me… What other things do we have to do?\u201d I asked her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I just thought this might be the perfect<\/em> opportunity to introduce ourselves to the Percy family,\u201d she replied with a creepy grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was painfully clear from her face that whatever she was planning wasn\u2019t a simple friendly introduction. Still, after seeing the trouble that Dewey was going through and the way his father just laughed it all off, I found myself thinking that letting Larna loose on the guy wouldn\u2019t be so bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m really mad at him right now…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay. Off we go,\u201d she said, heading toward Dewey\u2019s house, and I followed her. As we got closer, we heard angry screams coming from inside the shack. We started running, and my fears were confirmed as soon as we were close enough to see what was going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The screams were coming from Dewey\u2019s father, who was beating up Dewey\u2019s brother. He pushed his son down to the ground with that huge body of his and kept kicking poor Ronnie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStop!\u201d I shouted, making the man stop for a moment. Immediately after, Larna used her Wind Magic to blow him away and against the shack\u2019s wall. The man only let out a brief groan before passing out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She\u2019s not kidding around…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Larna went to check on the dad, so I rushed to see how Ronnie, who was still on the ground, was doing. I noticed some kids, probably Dewey\u2019s younger siblings, standing to the side with tears in their eyes. I crouched down near Ronnie and saw that his face was swollen from the beating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat happened to the old man?\u201d he asked me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If he\u2019s asking that, he hasn\u2019t seen Larna using her magic. Good… Pretty much all the people that can use magic are nobles, and they aren\u2019t supposed to use it willy-nilly anyway. Of course, this called for it, but it\u2019s even better if he didn\u2019t notice at all.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere was a sudden gust of wind, and he stumbled, slammed against the wall, and passed out,\u201d I explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh,\u201d Ronnie replied without questioning my story in the slightest. Maybe it was easy to believe because his dad was constantly drunkenly crashing into things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blood started flowing out of Ronnie\u2019s mouth, probably from a cut he had gotten while he was being beaten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you okay? Here, use this.\u201d I offered him my handkerchief, but he took one look at it and shook his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m good. Wouldn\u2019t wanna get it dirty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIsn\u2019t that the point of handkerchiefs?\u201d I asked, taken aback, and he gave me a sad look in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s too fine of a luxury for people like me. This<\/em> is what I get to do,\u201d he said, wiping off his mouth with his already dirty sleeve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPeople like me…\u201d He sounds just like Dewey. Maybe it\u2019s growing up in this environment that makes them think those things.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell-off people like you shouldn\u2019t hang around a place like this. And also, please tell Dewey to stop sending that money,\u201d he continued before I could reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After taking a look at his still unconscious father, he addressed his younger siblings, telling them, \u201cgo back to hiding in case he wakes up and gets violent again. I\u2019m off to work now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He tried to wipe off some of the mud that had gotten on his clothes and then started walking off, still bleeding, dirty, and even limping as if he had just hurt his leg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re hurt! You need care!\u201d I cried, but he ignored me and kept walking. I understood that going after him would be pointless, and trying to fix someone\u2019s wounds while he was resisting would have been too difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I was thinking about what to do, I heard a groan from behind\u2014his father had woken up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSheesh… What was that…?\u201d he said, rubbing his head with his hand and trying to stand up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, so the sluggard at last woke up.\u201d Larna stood close by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The man replied with an affirmative grunt. He was probably still drunk, and his face was as red as ever, but seeing a man that big with his eyes full of anger was a scary sight. What made it worse was that not only was he big, but he also had no qualms about beating his own son until he started bleeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You could tell that he ate more than enough from his round belly and healthy-looking skin, and the stench of alcohol left no doubts about the drinking either. His kids, on the other hand, all looked pale and overly thin, starting with Ronnie. The more I thought about it, the more I felt the rage building up inside of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unable to control myself, I scowled at the man, angrily addressing him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow can you do something like this?! Violence toward children is unforgivable!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh? What\u2019s your deal? They\u2019re my children and I do what I want with them. Get out of my face,\u201d he told me before starting to yell, \u201cKids! Where are you?! Can\u2019t you see your father is hurt?! Come and fix me up! And bring some money! I need to buy my booze!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The children seemed to have hidden themselves just as Ronnie had told them, and they were nowhere to be seen. Realizing that his yelling wasn\u2019t going to do him any good, the man clicked his tongue in annoyance and slammed his fist against the wall of his house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI told you to come out, you brats! If you don\u2019t show up right now, you\u2019re gonna get double the beating!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I heard a muffled crying voice come from a tree near the house. A girl who looked like she was around ten years old came out from behind it, carefully trying to protect another child who looked much younger still. The look of surrender on her face was simply devastating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat took you so long?! When your father calls you, you gotta hurry up!\u201d the man blustered, raising his hand and getting ready to lower it forcefully into the girl\u2019s face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was so shocked that I couldn\u2019t even react, but…his arm halted on the way down, blocked by a gust of wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStop it,\u201d Larna coldly ordered the man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fear I felt toward the man was nothing compared to the aura of enraged contempt that was emanating from Larna right now. This was probably the first time that I\u2019d ever seen her get mad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet me tell you something, scum,\u201d she continued, face completely expressionless. \u201cKids are not tools. They\u2019re people<\/em>, and they\u2019re not yours to use as you please.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once she was done reprimanding the drunkard, Larna sent another gust of wind toward him, flinging him face-first to the ground. He let out a groan and stopped moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The children were observing the scene with their eyes wide and their mouths shut. That also went for me, of course. I\u2019d never seen Larna use her magic on someone to that extent, not even when fighting thugs. I didn\u2019t know what had caused her to snap like she had, but the drunkard wasn\u2019t going to get up for a very long while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI-Is it okay to use magic like this?\u201d I asked her as soon as I recovered from the shock. He was going to beat a child, sure, but he was still just a civilian, so this seemed like overkill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Larna, whose rage had now subsided, thought about it for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I need to make sure that what happened here stays here. Don\u2019t worry about that guy\u2014he\u2019ll be unconscious for the whole day at the very least. Be right back,\u201d she promised before quickly disappearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What am I supposed to do now? At least I don\u2019t have to worry about that man, but…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you okay?\u201d I asked the girl who was still standing as if to shield her younger sibling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her little shoulders twitched in surprise before she feebly told me, \u201cYes…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fear on her face made me sad. These kids were probably subjected to violence like that on a daily basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry. That woman who just ran off is going to take care of things,\u201d I tried to comfort her, smiling warmly, knowing that Larna would never leave these kids to themselves. She was definitely going to do something about it, and if she didn\u2019t, I would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The girl\u2019s terrified frown mellowed out a little bit. She seemed to ponder for a while before nervously asking me a question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you friends of my brother Dewey?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, so she really is Dewey\u2019s sister. She does kind of look like him too.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. We\u2019re friends and also work colleagues. Were you here when we all came here together earlier?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMm-hmm. I was looking from inside the house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see. You should\u2019ve come out though. I bet Dewey would have loved to see you. He still hasn\u2019t come back by the way. Maybe I should go and tell him to come here,\u201d I suggested, but the girl shook her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo… Ronnie\u2019s gonna get mad at us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRonnie…is your brother, right? The one who was being beaten before. Why would he get mad at you?\u201d I asked, surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe said that Dewey is different from us,\u201d she explained with a sad face, \u201cso we can\u2019t meet him or talk to him anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So not only did he tell Dewey not to come back, but he\u2019s telling his other siblings to avoid him as well.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cForget about Ronnie for a second. What about you? Would you like to see Dewey?\u201d I asked, trying my very best to sound gentle and reassuring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI-I want to see him. I want to talk to him. He\u2019s so kind and he knows so many interesting things. I love my brother!\u201d she exclaimed, and as she did so, tears started welling up in her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I reached out my hand and patted her head. This girl was probably just doing as Ronnie had told her, and she couldn\u2019t talk to anybody about how she really felt. Maybe she opened up with me because I told her I was a friend of Dewey\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The girl started sobbing, shaking as she did so, and I softly hugged her. She seemed surprised at first, but then she let herself go and rested her little body against mine as she kept wailing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While I waited for the poor girl to calm down, I thought about Ronnie and Dewey. The former said that he didn\u2019t want anything to do with the latter, but looking at how he actually interacted with him gave a somewhat different impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you…\u201d The girl seemed a little embarrassed once her tears had stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry.\u201d I patted her head once more. It was then that I noticed several pairs of envious eyes looking in my direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More of Dewey\u2019s siblings, all even younger than the girl I had just spoken to, had come out from hiding and were now staring at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you all want me to pat your head?\u201d I asked, and they all nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDewey always did that for us, but Ronnie never does, so…\u201d the girl shyly explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, then it\u2019s head pat bonanza time<\/em>!\u201d I announced, stroking all of the children\u2019s hair in turn, until they were all smiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey,\u201d I told the girl after I was done, \u201cI guess I want to have a proper talk with Ronnie. Can you tell me where he works?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA…proper talk with him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. About Dewey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut he doesn\u2019t…\u201d she started saying, leaving her sentence unfinished. He doesn\u2019t like Dewey,<\/em> is what she probably wanted to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have to talk to him to be sure,\u201d I replied, trying to put some confidence into my voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You could never guess other people\u2019s feelings, no matter how close they were to you. The only way to know the truth was to ask them directly. The girl, persuaded, told me where her older brother worked. Leaving the children\u2019s fate in Larna\u2019s capable hands, I headed toward Ronnie\u2019s workplace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The next morning I woke up well rested and happy that I knew how much longer the game\u2019s plot was going to last. I managed to withstand Keith\u2019s newfound sexiness that had given me so much trouble the day before and smoothly headed to the Magical Ministry. Once I got off the carriage, as I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tak-berkategori"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3727"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3728,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3727\/revisions\/3728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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