Arc 2 - Chapter 27: Arena Game (1/4)

While they were having their breakfast, they were being questioned by Lucia, who had joined them as soon as she heard about the incident.

It didn't take long to realize that Lucia was not happy about the city guards showing up at her inn and dragging the guests to the police station.

And it was most likely not because she was worried about Yu and Yurine being disturbed, but because she didn't want rumors to spread that criminals were living in her inn.

If such rumors spread, Lucia's name would be tarnished, the reputation of her other businesses would suffer, and she would lose money.

Yet she did not seem to be completely angry with Yu and Yurine. On the contrary, she took the matter much more calmly than Yu had expected.

"I can't say it's a light offense, especially when it's a child."

"Please don't talk to me like I am holding Yurine against her will. Yurine is with me of her own free will, I have no power to detain her. You could even say that Yurine is the one who detained me. If anyone should be arrested, it should be her."

"I'm being arrested? What do you mean I'm with arrest? What's coming out of your mouth!"

"You forced me to come with you, if I remember correctly..."

"I didn't force you, I gave you a choice and asked you to take responsibility."

"If the second option is to die, that's forcing it, but anyway, I'm glad we're together."

"Hmph, you must be."

Yurine proudly stabbed her fork into the cheese in front of her, like stabbing an enemy in the chest. This scene made both Yu and Lucia smile.

"Anyway..." he said again. "If there's a crime, it's Sharley's false report. He even attempted to kidnap a child, that's a crime too."

"I want to say I hope he gets a good punishment, it's not good that he involved my place, but I don't think he'll get anything but a fine. After all, he's the nephew of someone important."

"Nepotism here too? Surprising, disappointing..." Like Lucia, he rested his chin on his hand in exasperation. "At least I'd like not to meet him again."

As far as anyone who saw him could tell, Sharley was not healthy and, as Yurine said, he was out of his mind. Either way, he was a troublemaker and he was convinced that Yu was holding Yurine against her will.

At worst, Sharley could try to kill Yu and kidnap Yurine, all the while thinking that he was doing what he believed was absolutely right.

"You can go to the court and ask for a protection order," Lucia suggested.

"Could we do something like that?"

"Yes, I've had it done for myself before."

The truth is that even if he could do such a thing, he wouldn't. He was directly involved in an illegal business and did not want to inadvertently expose his own guilt.

"At least I'm going to go to court. I don't want a lunatic attacking my place and jeopardizing the safety of my guests."

"Instead of kicking us out of the place, you protect the place, you are a kind elf with hundred percent customer satisfaction."

"I hope this is a lesson to Yurine, don't mess with troublemakers again and give Mr. Valarfin hard times."

"It wasn't me who infected that disgusting life form, that brazen bastard stuck to us like a leech and wouldn't leave even after I told him I didn't want him. I'm going to kick his ass when this is over."

"Does she mean turn back time?"

She probably meant to drive Sharley away for good after she saved her mother.

"Hmm..." Yu put his left hand to his chin in thought. "Maybe Sharley didn't go crazy afterwards, he's always like that. Maybe that's why Rie didn't make an effort to save him at Sigma Tower, because she didn't like him. I'm curious about the backstory."

Sharley may have had an obsessive side before, and it must have come to the fore after the burning of his body.

"Before I forget, I have a letter for you." Lucia took a letter out of her pocket, it had a swan emblem on it. "Someone from Swann Postal brought it early this morning and left it for you."

Yu opened the letter and read it, it was an invitation from Marino to a match in the arena and there was a ticket in the letter.

"Now that I think of it, swann is also an English word."

He didn't know why he hadn't noticed it before, he had missed a very obvious detail in front of his eyes.

"What is it?" Yurine asked.

"Mr. Swann invites us to the match at noon. He'll be there, we'll meet at the arena."

Yu folded the letter and put it in his inside pocket.

"Weren't we planning to go anyway?"

"Yes."

He wanted to watch the first game where the letters would be distributed. It would also be the first time he would see an arena game.

"But before that, we must go to the guild and talk to Sivina. She needs to know we can't come to Redchapel."

"If you are going to the guild, you can come with me. I will go there now."

"That would be nice."

***

The Adventurers' Guild was even quieter today than on other days.

Yu wouldn't have called it crowded the two times he had been here, but today there were even fewer people than the first two times.

"Good morning, Mr. Valarfin."

As soon as Lucie, who was behind the counter, noticed him, she came to him with quick steps. A small, sweet smile had settled on her face.

"Good morning."

Lucie rocked from side to side, leaning her heels together. She didn't seem jealous of her sister compared to the other times she had seen her with Yu.

"No good morning to me?" said Lucia, taking her sister's arm. "Or to Yurine?"

"Good morning to you too."

"It was the most insincere good morning I've ever had."

As Yurine voiced her discomfort, Yu looked around, his eyes searching for Sivina. He saw her eating breakfast at a table at the far end of the guild.

She was all alone because her friends were not here. Yu felt sorry for her, he felt guilty for separating her from her friends.

Lucie came over to greet her, but she didn't seem to be able to speak, and Lucia didn't have anything to say. Yu pushed Yurine off her shoulder and went to Sivina's table.

"Bon appetit."

"Thank you."

Yu sat down at the table. Yurine followed him, and Lucia and Lucie joined them.

"You're all well and good, but what was the need for this?"

At any other time he wouldn't have minded having Lucia and Lucie with him, but when it came to business, he didn't want to be around other people.

"Do you have any plans for today?" Sivina asked.

"I thought we should investigate the killer's first murder while we still have time, and then Yurine and I have been invited somewhere and we are going there."

"Hmm? Where are you going?" Lucie snuggled up to Yu. Yu could smell her floral scent.

"To see the arena game."

"Mr. Valarfin! Are you gambling?"

Yu sighed when Lucie gripped his arm tightly. He didn't deny that he enjoyed the attention, but being pinched was taking the edge off.

"I'm not gambling," Yu said. Although the letter business could be seen as a form of gambling, he didn't think he was lying. "Where did this come from all of a sudden? I don't understand. My business partner invited us to see the play, that's all."

"No gambling?"

"No."

Lucie brought her face close enough to Yu's to feel his breath and looked into his eyes. Her cheeks were flushed as she did so.

"It will only break your heart."

He could understand Lucie's feelings, if Yu was a girl, he would like himself too. But that didn't change the fact that in the end Yu couldn't be with her and would break her heart.

"Stupid."

Yu felt sorry for Lucie, but being a pervert, he didn't mind being close enough to feel her breath, so he stayed still when Lucie approached him, and when Yu's stillness became abnormally long, Yurine grabbed him by the hair and pulled him back.