Chapter 205 : Chapter 205

Chapter 205: Reina (2)

Rachel, having left Gerard’s office, stood leaning her back against the wall.

“……Phew.”

A sigh coming from deep within her chest.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t disappointed.

However, Skull Mask’s words were also correct.

No. If one considers the situation coldly and realistically, his words were absolutely right.

‘It is dangerous here. And your sister needs you.’

If it were just Rachel alone, it wouldn’t matter.

Since she possessed enough strength to protect herself.

But her sister Reina was different.

She was a civilian, and now, due to the aftereffects of the demon’s possession, she had even acquired a disability that was unknown if it could be recovered.

For treatment and adaptation, her help was needed.

Furthermore, having just woken up from a nightmare, the only person she could rely on would be Rachel herself.

‘Like a fool, I only thought of my own greed. Even though I wanted to see my sister so much.’

Rachel shook her head with self-mockery and shook off the lingering regret.

It was just the sorry feeling of not being able to properly repay compared to what she received.

And, a very small lingering attachment.

“…….”

It was momentary.

Something that would be forgotten as time passed.

‘Thank you. Really.’

Rachel, having conveyed her sincerity towards him who would be inside the office, soon moved her steps downward.

Kyahaha!

Suddenly, the sound of laughter rang through the darkness-submerged interior of Lunatic.

It was Reina’s voice starting from the basement storage.

For reference, since the basement liquor storage also served as Dayle’s workshop, basic soundproofing facilities were installed. But for laughter to leak through such soundproofing, just how loudly did she laugh?

‘Is there something funny?’

Rachel quickened her steps out of curiosity.

Arriving at the basement like that.

There, she saw Dayle passionately speaking toward Luis and Reina sitting on the bed watching that scene.

“What’s so funny?”

“Uh! Sis!”

Reina, who was laughing to the point her face turned red, discovered Rachel and sprang up.

However, she couldn’t fully stand up and collapsed back down.

“Reina! Are you okay?”

Startled, Rachel hurriedly approached the bed.

“Huh? About what?”

But Reina smiled as if nothing was wrong.

“The talk? Did it go well?”

“Uh? Ah, yeah. It went well. More than that, your leg…….”

“What did you talk about? Ah! Is it a secret talk between a man and a woman so I shouldn’t ask? Hehe.”

“What nonsense are you talking about! It’s not like that, okay?”

Reina giggled at Rachel’s excessive reaction.

Watching her like that, Rachel’s heart burned with distress. Because she clearly felt her sister’s feelings of wanting to forcibly hide her uncomfortable leg.

‘She doesn’t want to be a burden to me.’

So Rachel forcibly suppressed her crumbling expression and put a smile on her lips.

“What were you doing?”

“No. Mr. Dayle said…….”

“W, wait! Don’t tell Rachel!”

The night arrived after the bustling atmosphere ended.

Luis and Dayle went up to the second floor, and on the narrow bed, the two sisters who looked exactly alike were lying down holding hands, looking at the same ceiling.

Silence settled after chattering for a long time just a moment ago.

Rachel, who was quietly holding the warmth of her sister felt at her fingertips, suddenly opened her mouth.

“Lying down together like this. It’s been a really long time.”

“Yeah. That’s right. It’s nice.”

“How was today?”

Reina smiled brightly.

“I was happy. Being able to see you again, Sis. Also, Mr. Dayle was nice to me, and Mr. Luis seems brusque but takes care of me surprisingly well.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But the Captain is still a bit scary. Hehe.”

“Eh? Which part?”

“Mm. Just the atmosphere?”

Atmosphere?

Rachel thought deeply, recalling his image in her mind.

She felt like she knew that emanating feeling.

‘His way of speaking, and his eyes too. Since he is such a cold person.’

But Rachel knew well that only his appearance was like that, and inside he was a warm person, typical of someone tough on the outside but soft on the inside.

Just looking back at the conversation they had a moment ago proved it.

He spoke coldly pretending not to be, but he had already considered Reina’s situation. Even before herself, the older sister.

‘So I was curious about his bare face.’

Leaving without seeing his real face hidden inside the Skull Mask, not the Face Mask, felt so regretful and disappointing.

“Who are you thinking about, Sis? Don’t tell me you’re thinking about the Captain?”

At that moment, at Reina’s question heard from the side, Rachel had to hurriedly end her thoughts.

“What? What are you saying.”

“Kickkick. Why are you so surprised? Like you were really thinking about the Captain.”

“I wasn’t!”

“Oh my? Denying it strongly makes it more suspicious? I’m fine with it. Since he’s the person who saved me, the Captain must be a good person too, I guess. I’m all for it, Sis.”

“N, no, I said!”

Rachel tickled Reina’s body with a completely flushed face.

Laughter echoing in the basement once again.

“Kukhuk.”

“Haa. It’s hard to laugh.”

“Really.”

Rachel, lying down exhausted, turned her head to look at Reina.

Reina was also lying on her side gazing at her.

“What do you want to do, Reina?”

“What about you, Sis?”

“I want to go to a quiet place with you and live together. Like this.”

“……Really?”

Rachel floated a question mark at Reina’s somewhat meaningful-sounding question, but nodded thinking it trivial.

“Of course. The problem is that for the two of us to make a living, I have to find a job, but there isn’t much I know how to do.”

“If it’s you, Sis, you can do well whatever you do wherever you go. You’ll find a job quickly too, right?”

“Probably?”

“Yeah. I’ll help too.”

“Thanks.”

Of course, that would be difficult.

Because it was unknown if Reina’s leg would be fully healed.

According to the doctor’s diagnosis, there was a high probability it would remain as a permanent disability.

However, Rachel didn’t bother bringing that up.

In the future of the two people she would draw from now on, a disability like that was no longer any crisis.

At that moment, Reina asked.

“But Sis. I wonder if there’s a need to find a job far away.”

“But Sis. I wonder if there’s a need to find a job far away.”

“……Huh?”

“We can just earn money here like before. It’s the place where you used to work anyway. If it’s because of me, you don’t have to.”

Rachel hurriedly shook her head.

At the same time, she was swept up by confusion about where she should explain.

“It’s not because of you. Th, that’s because the demon did many bad things with your body. So we can’t stay here. Our faces became known.”

“We can just change our faces. Change hair styles a bit. Dye it too. Brother Luis said he’s good at doing things like that?”

Rachel became blank.

‘Is she perhaps talking about Face Masks?’

Seeing her mention Luis, it seemed likely.

It is true.

With Luis’s ability, changing impressions was something easily done.

Actually, Dayle and Luis are also living their daily lives just fine in Icata, aren’t they?

However, there were more problems besides that.

Either way, the true form of this place is a thief guild.

She herself knows that Shadow is far from an ordinary thief guild and is a unique place, but Reina doesn’t know.

It is common knowledge that thieves are Villains who steal others’ things.

If it’s Reina who knows nothing, she would inevitably accept it as a negative image, and Rachel was scared to tell her she worked here.

‘If she knows I’m a Villain, wouldn’t Reina be disappointed?’

At the same time, Rachel realized how shallow and pathetic her thought of wanting to greedily stay in Shadow just a while ago was.

There are so many problems to solve like this.

‘Reina will also find out as time passes. Still, right now the timing is…….’

“Also, if I learn too, I think I can do pretty well.”

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t hear because I was thinking about something else for a moment. Learn what?”

“The work, I mean.”

“……Work?”

When Rachel made a strange expression, Reina clapped her hands and said.

“Ah! You must be thinking I wouldn’t know, Sis. I know where this place is. Shadow. Thief Guild.”

“Who told you?”

“No one told me.”

“Then?”

Reina asked something else instead of answering.

“You know. Do you know what I was doing inside when the demon was seizing my body and mind, Sis?”

Rachel shook her head.

Come to think of it, she was curious.

“What did you do?”

“I dreamed. It was a dream where you appeared, Sis. But, after waking up, I realized. That it wasn’t a dream.”

“……!”

“I, know. What kind of sacrifices you have made for me, Sis. So you don’t have to hide it worrying I might be disappointed. Whether you committed theft, or perhaps did something worse than that, it doesn’t matter. It’s work you did for me.”

Is it because of the thickly connected bloodline?

Or is it because of the Red Mark on the waist which has now disappeared as Lilith was annihilated?

Reina, who knew it was inside a dream but was actually exchanging mind and emotions with Rachel, knew all the truth.

“Re, Reina.”

“Now please live for yourself, Sis. That is my request.”

***

The next day, I visited Lunatic again.

As days went by, the name of Shadow was being mentioned more in people’s mouths.

The thieves who executed not only villains but even a demon, Skull Mask and his guild Shadow.

The situation is a sharp confrontation between voices saying the modifier Villain no longer suits them, and voices saying the more it is like this, the more aggressive means must be used to put them on the execution stand as soon as possible.

Royal Dream, determined to suck even the sweet marrow out of us without missing the opportunity, hung Shadow’s name as articles day after day.

Perhaps because of that, I had just heard a report from Luis this morning that the movements of the Capital Defense Command or the Central Knights Headquarters. And the Special Magic Corps were unusual recently.

I heard they dug some traps.

Their scheme was to deliberately leak information that a Unique Grade Artifact is being transferred to the Holy Kingdom, and use that as bait to lure us out.

But.

‘Would we fall for it?’

Lunatic is exactly the place where the commanders who already know that operation, or their wives, gather privately to drink.

All the contents chattered there were entering Luis’s ears through amplifiers Dayle installed everywhere.

‘Whatever the bastards plot, they can’t catch us. Unless the fact that Lunatic is Shadow’s base is discovered.’

I am curious about what the Unique Grade Artifact is and also slightly tempted, but there was nothing as stupid as going when I clearly know it’s a trap.

Anyway.

So in the current atmosphere, it was better to refrain from visiting Lunatic.

Because there is no need to deliberately create trivial dangers at a time like this.

Even so, the reason I came to Lunatic was precisely because of Rachel.

[Miss Rachel says she has something to tell you.]

[What is it?]

[It seems to be about Miss Reina, but she says she will tell you the details after meeting you in person.]

This is the reason I visited Lunatic right now.

“Right. Why did you ask to see me? Have you already decided where to go?”

At my question, Rachel stood in front of me and placed her hands on her waist.

Her expression was what should I say…… should I say she seems to have made some tremendous decision? Such firm will and determination were visible in the eyes looking at me.

“I decided.”

“Really? I’m curious. May I ask where you will go?”

“Of course.”

The place Rachel pointed to with such a determined expression was,

Right below.

“?”

When I looked up with eyes asking what are you doing right now, Rachel pointed her finger downward once again.

“It’s here.”

“Here? Lunatic?”

“Yeah. We will stay at Lunatic.”

Furrows naturally formed between my brows.

To be stubborn even though I spoke so clearly for her to understand.

“I told you last time too, but your sister is…….”

“I already finished talking with Reina. Reina says she’s fine too. Rather, she says she wants to stay here.”

“Is that true?”

“What? What’s with those suspicious eyes? Don’t tell me you’re suspecting something like I hid the dangerous situation and seduced her into Shadow by picking only sweet words?”

Her wits are quick as ever.

There was nothing more to say.

I went down to the basement storage to confirm Reina’s intentions myself.

Reina whom I faced like that.

“…….”

Reina sitting on the bed was much different from when I saw her before.

‘……Why is that visible now.’