房客(糙汉)何璐程曜坤

"I wasn't aware of her death... Turns out that the star power that I used doesn't require the person it's used on to be alive... My power is still active on the... on what's left of Roiso..."

He said and his shoulders trembled as he was forcing himself to stay composed.

"Hey... it's okay. If you lost contact with her and couldn't even remember her, you shouldn't blame yourself like that. I mean, it seems to me that the moment you realized that something was wrong you began to act to make things right."

The amaranth-haired girl looked around with a troubled expression before actually stepping towards the black-haired young man and touching his arm reassuringly.

"It will sound outrageous, but I think that I'm in a unique position that lets me somewhat understand your late friend..."

"...?"

The girl said timidly to the miserable man making him look at her not quite sure what she meant.

"You see, my parents were assassinated when I was young and I ended up being tricked into relinquishing the territory they left me by a high noble who was using the name of my father's dear friend. I fell for it without even trying to confirm things with my father's friend foolishly thinking that I was doing the best thing... Your friend was tricked by someone using your name and I was tricked by someone using the name of my father's friend. But you see, I do not blame my father's friend – I learned that he has no idea what happened. The high noble that tricked me made sure to cover up the entire situation so well that almost no one is even aware that my parents were killed, much less about me ending up on the street. What I want to say is – I am sure that your friend would not blame you for what happened to her. So, umm... I am not telling you to not grieve or to not hate the people who did that to her, but do not blame yourself like that. I would hate it if my father's friend would start blaming himself for what happened to me."

The amaranth-haired girl explained, not quite sure why she was trying to comfort a person that she met for the first time in her life.

She even removed her mask and smiled at him.

"That's... thank you. Wait...! Miss, are you injured?"

The young man raised his brow and responded with a troubled smile. It was the first time that he was properly looking at the girl and the look in his eyes turned worried.

"Eh? This? No, I'm a blood magician, it's okay."

The girl glanced at the bloody bracelets that she still had around her wrists and shook her head reassuringly.

"Don't be offended, Miss, but... how old are you...?"

The young man asked surprised by the girl's appearance.

"T-twelve... but that doesn't change what I've been through!"

The girl flinched and looked away, stuttering with her response before scoffing and holding her ground.

"No, I didn't ask because of that... It's just I have a feeling that your story seems familiar and I got this weird feeling that... If it's okay could you also tell me what's your name, and what's the name of the friend of your father?."

"..."

The young man asked which made the girl back away as she protectively held the documents she worked so hard to get her hands on.

"...if that helps, I do not work for any of the high nobles, not even for any of the great families..."

The black-haired young man added seeing the girl's reaction.

"Maybe... why would you like to know anyway? As I said, my family was so unimportant that no one realized when they disappeared."

The girl did not seem convinced at all and asked, squinting her amaranth eyes at the young man.

"As I said, it just sounds familiar to me. That's all. Oh, and did you inform your father's friend about what you've been through?"

The young man answered and added another question.

"...I did not... I know that he became more powerful and influential, but he has his own things to do. His son went missing a few years ago... if I would go to him emptyhanded I would only make things more miserable for him. That's why I decided to gather all the evidence necessary to punish the people who were actually responsible. With that even though I will arrive at his doorstep with horrible revelation, I will also bring everything that's necessary to bring the guilty people to justice once and for all!"

The girl gulped her saliva and her voice trembled, but as she would speak she would gain more confidence hearing her own words and affirming herself that she was in the right.

"I see..."

The black-haired man nodded with understanding, honestly impressed by the young girl's point of view.

He looked at the neon-pink magic stone floating in the reddish liquid for a few seconds before turning back to the amaranth-haired girl.

"My name is Zoemi Benevi Banemor. The last of the Banemor family, the sixth great family of the Bellcephora kingdom, and the Heavenly Star Warrior blessed by Guide. Considering that you broke into this place, the nobleman responsible for the tragedy that befell you are a traitor to our nation – therefore I swear that I will help you get your revenge even if no one else would be able to do that."

"...!"

Zoemi put his right hand to his heart and bowed his head two full inches towards the amaranth-haired girl who clenched the documents staring at him in disbelief.

"...my father's friend is called Mizoe Auequas. And my name is Aedlier Galamroze."

"!!!"

The amaranth-haired girl ended up breathing out and straightening her back before revealing her identity and stunning the black-haired young man.

"..."

"..."

The two looked at each other - Aedlier appeared to be tense and ready to try and escape in case Zoemi lied to her, even though she was aware that getting away would most likely be impossible judging by the abilities that he had already showcased.

"...Mizoe Auequas...? Did... did you just say that your family name was... Galamroze...? And you said that you were twelve... but... that would mean..."

"Are you okay...?"

Zoemi stumbled back as if receiving a devastating punch to the stomach and muttered covering his eyes with one hand to which Aedlier cowered and asked cautiously.

"...Miss... are you... Ludier's daughter...?"

"!!!"

The young man asked and the girl flinched in surprise.

"You knew my father...?!"

She gasped in disbelief.

Zoemi moved his hand from his eyes to his mouth while his brain was working in overdrive.

"...that fucker dared to sit in front of me so confidently even though he orchestrated the assassination of my godfather and his wife and robbed their daughter of her territory...?"

"?!?!"

The black-haired young man once again released the blood-curdling oppressive aura and the amaranth-haired girl backed off in fear

"...it's Derizno family... or rather, the head of the Derizno family is behind it all... isn't he...?"

"How do you...?!"

Zoemi asked in a blood-chilling voice and Aedlier gasped before glancing at the documents in her head as if expecting the signature of the main perpetrator behind her situation was right there for everyone to see.

"I was so focused on my personal grudge with that little shit Grazio and the Espines that I left the other great families alone... The filth runs so deep in their veins..."

Zoemi started muttering to himself. He wrapped one arm around the magic device containing the liquified remains of Roiso and picked it up as if it weighed nothing.

"...!"

Aedlier stared at him as he walked out of the archives and towards the exit.

"Miss Galamroze. Follow me. I will let you deal the final blow to duke Derizno as he would crawl at your feet begging for forgiveness after I will be done tearing off his limbs."

"EH!?!"

Zoemi said causing Aedlier to let out a shocked voice.

"Don't worry, his crimes will be made public and he will be put to trial and condemned publicly, but all of that can and will be done to him post-mortem."

The young man stopped and looked over his shoulder, showing the startled girl the most demonic, hatred-filled grin she ever saw.

...and honestly? That was also the expression that made her trust him completely...

|If anyone would be able to help me with my revenge, it would be this demon-like person...!|

Aedlier thought to herself and hurried over to Zoemi's side.

"...!"

As they passed the gate, the amaranth-haired girl froze for a moment in stunned silence.

Thanks to the information she gathered the passage leading to the secret facility should be completely hidden underground beneath a trapdoor that would open only with a special device.

She foolishly thought that Zoemi entered the facility in that way – but then she was faced with reality.

Because the moment she stepped into the cave behind the gate she was hit by a refreshing breeze – the narrow passage leading to the hidden trapdoor had been blown apart by some unknown force and was hence exposed to the outside world with no obstruction whatsoever.

The four fresh corpse puppets were waiting for them outside, guiding the recently created entrance together with one gold-haired one that Aedlier didn't meet yet.

"Everything inside should be okay, but just in case I will not remove the spiritual energy so you might have trouble keeping up the connection."

"It's okay, I will keep that in mind."

Zoemi said to the gold-haired puppet and she nodded with understanding after which the rest of the corpse puppets walked right back inside.

"Hold it. Not him."

"...?"

All of a sudden Zoemi stopped a brown-haired corpse puppet making him raise his brow.

"Is he needed for anything important? Will we need him for something very specific, for example, is he the only person an important witness would respond to?"

The black-haired young man asked in a cold voice.

"Hmm... no. He is not."

The man himself furrowed his brows and shook his head in response after a brief moment of consideration.

"Then please cut off your consciousness from him."

"...okay..."

Zomei asked and the brown-haired man agreed the next second his head hung down loosely and he started swaying back and forth about to lose his balance.

*WHAM* *SPLASH*

"!!!"

Zoemi proceeded to wind up his right hand and punch the idle corpse puppet so hard that it instantly exploded, turning into a red splatter in the range of several dozen feet, which surprised Aedlier enough to make her jump.

"...and who this young lady might be?"

The gold-haired corpse puppet turned to the amaranth-haired girl and asked curiously.

"The daughter of my godfather, so let's say she's my cousin."

Zoemi glanced over at Aedlier and answered while nodding to the younger girl reassuringly.