As they drew closer to the Southern shores of Malta and found a beach to disembark, Leo couldn’t help but groan. No matter what language he used or how wildly he gesticulated, he couldn’t achieve basic communication with the girls.
“You girls don’t speak a lot, do you? And here I was hoping for a story.”
Empowering his words worked, but that relied mostly on carrying over emotional intent and instincts. It wasn’t something to be used for elaborate conversations. Not to mention it was taxing on the mind.
Generally, with his Animus magic he should already be able to read surface thoughts, but those two were magi. Their psyche was naturally stronger and it was near impossible for him to overcome their defenses and read their mind.
Thus, he found himself playing a guessing game for the better part of half an hour, all to no avail. At some point, it seemed like he wasn’t the only one being annoyed.
“Gargh!” a twin finally issued a warped response, one that struck him frozen.
‘Holy shit…’ Leonardo impulsively denied what he’d just seen. Yet, the forlorn pleading gaze of the other sister convinced him he wasn’t hallucinating.
When she exclaimed her plea, he finally noticed that half her tongue was missing! Cut crudely from the middle like second tier pork in the market, it horrified even Leo to see how disfigured she was — and he just butchered two dozen men.
Instinctively, he looked at the other twin. Upon seeing her sad smile and subtle nod of acknowledgment, he could only sigh ruefully.
This was the age of the Inquisition. Even without knowing the details, he already guessed that even in the Khanate - the Western witch trials carried a strong influence. The girls must have been suspected of doing magic.
“I want you to share your story before I can bring you home. I don’t want others to be implicated because I saved you. Focus on letting me in.”
Coming face to face with the mute girl, he laid both hands on her head then held her temple still. Staring into her eyes, he also focused his mind, disregarding the ambiguous posture and close proximity. His voice sounded unusually soothing, and thanks to its usual magnetism — he soon had the girl’s gaze grow blurry and distant.
As if hypnotized, her instinctive defenses were lowered of their own accord. Using more effort than usual, Leonardo finally felt her surface emotions and thoughts. Equally aware that Leonardo was sensing this, she seemed a bit fearful and almost instinctively pushed him away.
“Focus. Think clearly of why this happened. I don’t want to hurt you, but this is necessary.”
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Gradually, hazy images and sound formed as the girl somewhat unwillingly recalled the horrors she underwent. He didn’t want to put them through this, but he cared more for the orphans at home. If they had someone hounding them, it could put the entire Manus Umbra at risk.
The tragedy almost shook even Leonardo, and he didn’t even have to live through it. He merely pieced together distant pieces of unclear memories, but even that summary was enough to steel his heart and fill it with venomous hatred.
“Inquisition… What a great family! What a good witch huntress...”
Ending the mind link, he caught the girl just as she fell unconscious. Gently embracing her, he looked at the sister.
“Yisugei, right? Don’t worry, Yesui will be fine. She just fainted.”
Patting the other girl on her head, he smiled comfortingly as their raft finally hit the shore.
“Come, it’s time to go home!”
Getting his bearings in an instant, he carried Yesui in his arms and slipped into the woods. It was a good 15km to the Manus Umbra, and the lack of a path didn’t make their passage easier. Leonardo wasn’t unprepared for a long trek, however. Over the years he grew quite used to living alone in the woods.
Soon, Yesui woke and they carried on their journey, only stopping at noon for a brief lunch, which mostly consisted of bitter spring berries. When they reached the familiar cove shrouded in cacti, it was already dusk.
Donning a cheap remake of his mask that he casually carved at noon, he pulled the girls closer and made his way over the perimeter.
“Who wanders my forest at night?” a hoarse voice echoed behind them, startling the twins.
“It’s me,” unwilling to play through their silly password protocols, Leonardo nonchalantly waved his hand and bypassed the guard.
“Oh. Lord Prometheus!”
The same guard now yelped in excitement, his previously hoarse voice sounding strangely high pitched. For a moment, Leo suspected it was a girl on night patrol. Only when the guard showed himself from the bushes did he realize it’s a young boy…
“Is Sana in? Send her over. I’ll be in my office. There’s no need to inform the others.”
Bypassing the youth, he soon came before the familiar entrance. The previous cacti walls were expanded further, forming a natural labyrinth of thorns. Leading the way with familiarity, he paved the way for them, though he now had to bend his waist over to fit through the cracks.
The Manus Umbra developed quite well over the years. Their unity and tactics were quite popular among the locals. While some urchins reconsidered and tried to join, Sana was much more selective than Leo. The children had to undergo various trials and tests of loyalty, and only after the better part of 3 months would they get to join the cove.
Counting the small rooms, Leonardo figured they must have exceeded 50 people by now. Most of these numbers were in fact people who go through the back door. Usually, Leonardo would stumble on a child, take pity on them and then hand him off to the others to raise.
As he traveled through the random villages and small towns in Malta, he came across many urchins and orphans. Unlike Valetta, they did not have an orphanage to fall back on. The youngest he took home was barely a toddler. He was abandoned in the woods, and if Leo hadn’t caught his life signature while hunting, the poor boy would’ve died already.
Basically, the ones younger than 7 would be handed to the orphanage. Anabella had enough funds now to care for a hundred children if need be. The ones older than that were brought into the guild, much to the envy of those who had to pass trials to join.
Even if the ones Leo brought weren’t very capable, they were still given years to adjust and learn in a carefree environment. Even so, they didn’t abuse Leo’s kindness and tried not to be a burden. Motivated by Sana’s threats of expulsion, and knowing full well the dangers of living out by themselves, they abided by the rules like the rest.