Glenn came out of the Magi Brotherhood's teleportation station, ignoring the weak nausea it caused as he recalled Kevin's words a few hours ago. The assistant had been astonished when he tried to get the bounties for Glenn and failed to find anything worth his talents. There were no threats below the Gold-ranked threat, which meant that anyone besides Glenn or similarly high-ranked Fixers could take care of them. Most of the problems that had surged after the Thorn's Cult attack had been taken care of, explaining this lack of work. In consequence, Kevin had dragged himself to his boss with a pitiful expression, ashamed.
"Sir Glenn, I apologize but there doesn't seem to be any work available today," the scrawny man had shaken his head, his unibrow drooping sadly. Glenn had frowned for an instant, before realizing it was a forced vacation. So he had just chosen to dismiss the assistant and give him the day while he'll be taking care of things he had been putting off for a while. After notifying Milena and Liara that he would be away for a while, he took a short trip to the Magi Brotherhood back to the Eastern Town. He had no desire to come back to this place, but fate decided otherwise.
The first thing he noticed once he stepped out of the teleportation station was that nothing had changed, visibly. It seemed like he had landed in the Red District, like the last time he came here, the scarlet glow of magical lights illuminating the streets filled with the scent of perfumes and threatening hints of danger. The young man adjusted his black leather gloves as he trusted his memories to guide himself. One thing that did seem different was the lack of children in the street. The last time he came here, he remembered them hanging in the backstreets, armed and ready to slit throats.
But now, there wasn't a single one of them anywhere. A tinge of worry seized Glenn's heart, making him tense up, but he kept going. One thing at a time. Perhaps he could investigate that later on?
'Why do you always try to dig your way through to every single problem?' Diamanes complained in annoyance. Glenn scrunched his nose and smacked his lips.
"Because I'm selfish. The more good I do, the better I feel about the bad I remember."
Diamanes sneered but didn't dare retort, for Glenn's response sufficed more than enough for him. The young man glared at the pleasure houses, finding them as common as before, as if nothing had changed.
Nothing had changed. Even though the leader of the local Church of Onnea's military force, Norstan Vendor had promised him he would take care of the gangs in the area, even after multiple months nothing changed. And that was a little disappointing.
'No matter. If Vendor didn't take care of the Skinners as he promised, I'll just take it upon myself to burn these bastards to the ground,' Glenn decided coldly as he took a turn to head to a darker part of town. The houses were in a dilapidated state, but it didn't surprise him much. He soon arrived in front of the rundown warehouse where he found the children who escaped the claws of the Occult Wanderers and their insane, earthling leader, Laurance.
Silently, he pushed the door open, listening to the hinges creaking due to lack of maintenance. He entered the warehouse, his fists clenching tighter with each silent, passing second. Once he arrived in the massive room that previously housed around fifty orphans, he almost punched the nearest wall in anger.
None of the kids were there. Vanished.
'Calm down and take a closer look. It's not a recent thing.' Diamanes appeased his host, noticing a few details Glenn had missed. The young man forced his emotions back down the way they came from and kneeled next to an abandoned mattress. It was dusty and didn't seem to have been in use for a while. Glenn frowned and looked around, finding the rest of the room to be similarly neglected. Also, there were none of the kids' makeshift weapons, nor trace of a struggle or fight, which was probably good news.
Now, the question was, where did the kids go to—
Creak...
Glenn swiftly turned on his feet as the Saturn Rings flared up and Gravity Manipulation seized whatever was that thing that stepped into the warehouse. The young man was so used to the pitiful ambushes monsters' laid it was easy to take off those—
"Ah!" A short gasp from the creature he seized, forced Glenn out of his bloodthirsty trance. He dismissed the Saturn Rings but kept hold of the intruder with Gravity Manipulation, keeping them a few meters above ground. Glenn pulled them toward him and froze when he recognized said intruder.
"...Kora?" He blurted out, surprised as he gently let go of the rough kid. Kora was the orphans' leader, due to his charismatic presence despite his young age. And bravery, also. Glenn could remember the kid running at him desperately to protect his friends like it was yesterday. That was kind of fun.
'Haha, Glenn is taking pleasure in bullying little kids? Shame on you!' Diamanes shouted in Glenn's mind, making the latter grimace in displeasure. He quickly shook away this expression and concentrated back on Kora.
"So it was you, Mister Devil's Hand," Kora sighed in relief while Glenn paused in embarrassment, struggling to keep himself composed. Ah, yes, he forgot he called himself that to impress the kids back then.
"...It is me, yes," Glenn muttered a reply, before turning to the warehouse, "...What happened? Did you find another hideout?"
Kora rubbed the back of his head and creased his nose, "...You can say that, yes..."
Glenn frowned. What did that mean?
Fifteen minutes later, Glenn was standing in front of a massive mansion, his hands on his waist. Kora was standing next to him, mirroring the adult's position.
"...So that's your new home, I take it? An orphanage sponsored by the Cleaner's Workshop, is that right?" He confirmed, still a little bewildered. Kora nodded silently and pointed at a banner hanging lazily from one of the mansion's walls. The grand flame on a black background was more than recognizable, with how often Glenn was seeing this particular emblem.
'Why would the Atelier sponsor these children?' wondered a puzzled Glenn. It was great news, of course, since it meant the kids were being looked after properly, but what was in it for the Atelier? They didn't exactly seem like philanthropists.
As if reading in his mind, Kora replied to the unheard question, "I believe Mister Black Swordsman and Baldy cooperated with the kind ladies at the Church to build this place. I..." Kora looked at the ground and twiddled with his thumbs, "...I still have a hard time believing we have a real home and don't have to run away from anyone anymore," He whispered, afraid that speaking his words would turn his fears back into reality. Glenn smiled and ruffled the kid's messy haircut. He was starting to understand how this place came to be, even though he still had a few more questions for Sahro and Loran. Ha, the Baldy. It certainly was a fitting nickname.
"I can believe that. Hey, do you think you can round up all of your friends? I have an important thing to tell you all."
Kora frowned and pushed away Glenn's hand.
"About what?" He asked distrustfully. Glenn's smile turned sadder and he took a short second before replying.
"It's about the other friends that remained behind in that prison you escaped."
Kora's eyes lit up with hope and he opened his mouth to inquire, but he saw the sadness on Glenn's face and backed away slowly. Kora's glimmer of hope faded and his shoulders slumped. Glenn nodded gently before turning away and taking a seat on a nearby bench in the orphanage grounds. The kid had left already to go fetch his friends, as Glenn had asked.
Soon enough, half a hundred children were sitting in front of Glenn, waiting for the bad news to spill. The young man looked at all the kids, his words stuck in his throat, but he forced them out.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
"It's been a while everyone," He drew a deep breath, "...You remember, when, a few months ago I went to try and save your friends?"
The children all nodded, Kora, standing nearby with a resigned look and crossed arms. Glenn looked at the bright, blue sky for an instant, and finally told them the bad news.
"I found them. They're gone," He said softly, closing his eyes as he remembered the cruel sight of the dead and flayed kids lying in the Beyond, a vision of horror that he'll probably never forget. Kora flinched and turned away, grasping at his mouth to shut a nascent cry. Most of the kids took a while to understand Glenn's words, some of them pale and unable to utter a word, others bawling their eyes out. Some were furiously crying and cursing at Glenn for failing to save their friends, while the rest were crying on the floor, hugging their knees. The older ones only shook their head and clenched their fists, unable to direct their hate and anger to anyone. Glenn could tell them the truth, that the murderer of their friends was probably still alive, somewhere in the Beyond, fighting the Knight of Hell.
But he wouldn't do that. Why throw them on a chimeric quest for vengeance? No, there was no need for that. They could live normal, peaceful lives.
Glenn did not feel like sharing Laurance's extermination with anyone else, anyway.
'A good tale of blood, steel, and revenge. A personal vendetta promises to be an enjoyable show,' Diamanes laughed wickedly, his laughter ringing like a reminder for Glenn of the path he had chosen. Nelg would have probably said something to quell Glenn's anger, but Nelg was asleep, busy consolidating his First Circle. Glenn looked at the grieving kids, and slowly stood up, turning away to leave the orphanage. Kora ran up to him, his eyes dry and lids swollen, and grabbed his sleeve.
"I know...I know you didn't have to tell us. But..." The kid sniffled, and with maturity, he couldn't share with any of his friends, bowed his head, "...thank you. Thank you for telling us."
Glenn looked at Kora for a moment, before patting him on the shoulder and turning back, leaving and not looking back. His steps were heavy, but his shoulders were light, rid of a weight he had borne for a few months.
'Heh, this Black Heir bastard could have told them instead of building them an orphanage...' Glenn sneered as he wiped away a small tear, heading toward the Church of Onnea. At least the kids were safe.
The closer he got to the Church, the more..."normal" the town looked. Less and less pleasure houses, and more booths or merchants. There even was a theater, surprisingly, and Glenn was tempted to stop to see what kind of play they would perform there. He didn't remember coming across another theater ever since he came to this world, after all. The world of Limbo wasn't one for culture and casual entertainment, after all.
Well, for now, it was going to wait. He will change his mind later. Glenn arrived at the Church of Onnea, his eyebrows rising when he witnessed priests and paladins entering and leaving it with hurried steps. Seemed like things were quite hectic here. Were they doing the work they promised?
With his expectations set back, Glenn entered the Church, avoiding the running priests one after the other. He went up to the counter, where a tired clerk was barely keeping himself awake.
"Hello sir, are you here to visit a patient? If so, please head to the waiting room number five, we'll call your ticket number..." The clerk said robotically, not even looking at Glenn, before suddenly shaking his head, "...Ah, I didn't give you a ticket. Here it is..." The clerk lazily ripped a ticket from a thick roll and held it toward Glenn. The young man looked at the ticket for a second, before smacking his lips.
"I'm here to see Norstan Vendor."
The clerk froze and slowly looked up at Glenn, squinting his eyes before looking at his desk. He pulled a drawing from a pile of them, compared it to Glenn's face, and suddenly paled.
"Ah—ah, hello, Sir Glenn. Yes, I'll, uhm, please follow me." The clerk panicked and stood up, almost running off in the Church's hallways. Glenn hid a laugh and followed him. He already knew the way but still kept his steps behind the panicked clerk; they didn't take long to arrive at Norstan's office. The clerk made an awkward military salute, "Uhm, thanks for your, uh, service?"
Glenn smirked and saluted back, "Yeah, yeah, sure."
The clerk ran back to his work, sighing in relief. The young man rubbed his chin puzzledly; why was his reputation scaring so many people? He wasn't that dangerous of a guy, after all. He just punished bad people, that's all!
'I mean, you already have two crusades against monsters to your name. Rumors of you being a battle-crazed berserker HAVE to exist.' Diamanes laughed matter-of-factly. Diamanes laughed detachedly. Glenn groaned, but couldn't retort - it was too logical. He pushed the office's door without knocking, finding Norstan buried in a thick pile of paper, sleeping on unfinished documents. The paladin had a thick black circle under his eyes and seemed like he could use the rest.
Glenn stealthily summoned his Mimetic cape and used the Silence Curse on his footsteps, muffling them. He approached the desk and picked one random slip, giving it a quick read. Coincidentally, or probably not, it was a document reporting on the successful eradication of the last Skinner forces in the Eastern Town, alongside the progression of the reconversion of sex workers to new jobs. This last part didn't seem to be going very well, as many of them were very happy with their current work, and even more so now that they could control it and take full advantage of it.
The young man frowned and took the following document, his eyebrows rising with surprise. The sex workers had organized themselves quickly after the extermination of their managers into a much more professional organization, centered around profit, quality, and health for the workers. A transition toward an actual industry was surprising, and Glenn struggled a little to come to terms with that.
'Well, for some of them, that's what they do best. The only difference now is that they're going to do their job willingly, without a knife poking in their back. Heh, no pun intended,' Diamanes explained with an unsurprised voice, laughing a little at the end. Glenn sighed and slowly placed the document back where it belonged, careful not to disturb the slumbering Paladin's rest. He stepped out of the office and closed the door behind him, dismissing his Mimetic cape. It had done a good job at concealing his presence, but it needed more testing to see how good it was. The Silence Curse would have been enough in that situation.
Anyway. Glenn left the Church and finally headed to the Cleaner's Workshop of the Eastern Town. He wanted to see Sahro, to see how the Black Heir was doing, and ask Loran about that orphanage. It probably wasn't going to take too long. Glenn soon arrived at the Workshop and stepped into the empty, silent main hall. Loran was leaning back in his seat with his feet on the counter, flipping through a book. He looked up when he heard Glenn's steps echoing in the Main hall, smiling at the newcomer's arrival.
"If it isn't my favorite Devil's Hand! How are ya doing, Glenn?"
The young man smiled and went to shake Loran's extended hand.
"Probably better than you, Loran. I heard you also got yourself a nickname?"
The Cleaner frowned and scratched the top of his head.
"What do you mean? I'm not actively out there, I couldn't..." He trailed off as he saw Glenn's increasingly wide smile.
"Baldy."
Loran looked at him, his eyelids trembling as he slowly got his feet off the counter.
"...What did you say?"
Glenn smiled even wider, before clearing his throat and shrugging.
"Well, I met those kids you sponsored, and the orphanage you built for them. They all called you Baldy, so I supposed it was your new moniker, you know?"
Loran's eyes widened and he stood up with his fist clenched at the sky, hissing through his teeth: "These little bastards...!" He sighed and shook his head, letting go of his anger as he sat. Glenn laughed and leaned on the counter.
"So what's up with that?"
The bald Cleaner crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat before replying. "An initiative coming from your Black Heir colleague. Sahro accumulated quite a bit of wealth, and it was more than enough to kickstart the construction of the orphanage. He bought the land through me, while I selected the workers who would take care of the kids and the orphanage. I don't get much from it, besides a promise that they will come train here and take care of small jobs." Loran paused and looked at Glenn, whose anger was suddenly rising. He hurriedly raised his hands defensively and explained himself, "They're really small jobs! Finding lost kittens, picking up herbs, or delivering stuff. Things that Copper Fixers usually do."
Glenn calmed down as he realized Loran had no intention of exploiting these kids. He rubbed his chin and tilted his head to the side.
"What about the Church? I heard from the kids that they were also invested in this somehow?"
Loran nodded, "Well, they are the ones who are going to take care of the kids. I believed putting their education with Priests and Paladins of Onnea would be a better choice than whoever idiot's out there..."
Glenn chuckled approvingly. "They probably won't turn too bad, then. That's good." He sighed in relief and relaxed, finding things to be much better than he had expected. The Eastern Town was well on the path of reconstruction and to become a town of entertainment, while the orphans were taken care of and promised a bright future and education.
"Where's the other idiot?" He asked curiously. Loran gritted his teeth and shook his head.
"Out on a mission. He signed a non-disclosure agreement, I can't tell you about it. But don't worry, you'll get your friend back in a month or so. Maybe less if he does his job perfectly, heh."
Glenn shrugged disappointedly and nodded at Loran. "Alright then. What about Manalok? Any idea when he will be done with the job I gave him? I didn't receive any news on his progress or anything."
Loran blew raspberries, at a loss, "No idea. Manalok is a guest here, he pretty much does anything he wants. He doesn't have to answer to me. But I'll send it to you when he's done, don't worry. Come on, get the hell out if you're not here to work, Glenn. I have a lot of stuff to do, like finishing this novel, alright?"
Glenn laughed and shook his head. "Alright then, Baldy. I'll see you around."
Loran flipped him off before diving back into his book. Glenn left the Workshop and pulled out his Exan-Egg. It was already 3 P.M. The young man looked at the sky for a moment before sighing.
"I guess I'm done here..."
'Hey, at least you got that break you wanted so much!'
"Sigh..."