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Chapter 52
🕑 Added 2025-08-15 16:36:47 +0000 UTCIt dawned on me when we were sitting at a cafe across the road from Central Park that really, we either looked like a couple of nutjobs, or the most indiscrete duo ever to exist, maybe even both at the same time.
Caren in her nun's habit, and me with my dark aviators, jeans and turtleneck. Yeah, we 100% made for a scene pulled straight out some shonen manga, maybe JJK or Sakamoto Days or something. Specifically, those scenes where a new set of major antagonists or allies arrived in the city where the story was set.
"He is definitely going to notice us," The sassy priestess mumbled, putting the straw of her juicebox against her lips. "At least buy me a change of clothes."
"Why do I need to be the one to be buying things? You're loaded, spend your own money."
"What a shitt-... stingy magus. Isn't it up to a kidnapper to provide basic living?" She shot back shamelessly, and a wayward cop shot me a questioning glance, reaching for the pistol on his belt. Once again, I snuck a look at my skin... "I pity anyone you do kidnap."
I snapped my fingers and flicked her in the side of the head. "If I was a kidnapper, I'd lock you up in a shitty room with a bucket."
Shamelessly, Caren stole my pastry.
"That was what you wanted to do from the start, you deviant. Ah no, you're not supposed to say that kind of thing."
"Don't call me a kidnapper while stealing my food, you brat. What kind of upbringing does this to a person?"
"Hm. My upbringing was fine." She tilted her head ever so slightly and I almost let out a sigh of relief.
Lately, everyone I met had a messed up life in one way or the other, like Heine or Jiroubou, or literally any of my classmates. Even Caules had told me about how he got caught up in a bloody power struggle after his sister abandoned the Forvedge Family to live a 'normal' life. The nerd hadn't shown a single hint of that kind of backstory since we met so it came as a huge surprise.
"Unless you count my caretaker or my absent father who shoved me on him. I really wonder why he hated someone as nice as me."
"Yeah, I REALLY wonder why someone would hate you."
Someone other than me of course, a foul-mouthed girl like her was right up my alley. Jokes aside, with the continuous sexual jokes and whatnot, it stood to reason that people would wish to avoid her.
She shrugged, sucking her straw, "I don't know what you're talking about. He hated me for being born outside of wedlock. Like before, I still fail to understand why that justified treating a child like some slave."
My face froze. In silence, I tapped a finger against the table between us and watched the snow-haired girl guzzle down my food... my food. People did that a lot. I didn't really mind, but it was still strange.
"You know where he lives?" I leaned in, the most innocent of smiles playing across my lips. "I'll give him a good punch in the teeth if I'm ever in the neighbourhood. No, a kick. Several kicks."
Now, I was a very tolerant person who held little concern for what people wanted to do or what aspirations they had. BUT, people who treated children horribly really really grinded my gears. My horrible experience with an abusive mother in this very city made me genuinely want to beat the ever living shit out of someone doing even remotely the same thing.
Henry was blessed with a good mother. Many others were not.
"It is not our place to judge. That is a right reserved solely for the Lord."
"Then for this once, I'll be the instrument of your Lord's will. I'm pretty sure even he'd be fine with me crushing the jaw of a child abuser."
Caren shook her head from side to side, "I joined the Citeaux Abbey later so it's fine. They gave me a proper room and meals too... Though, hm, the disciplining can be a bit severe at times. Still, I can not complain."
...
I rested my chin on my palm, narrowing my eyes.
"Does that disciplining have something to do with the scars on your body?"
Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second. "So you noticed?"
I'd only caught a brief glance in the morning when she walked half-naked out of the bathroom in an attempt to 'seduce' me for some god-forsaken reason. In that situation, faced with a girl, while having a girl, I did the only reasonable thing and immediately exited our third-storey apartment via open window, right onto some crackhead's mattress.
Anyway, under her habit, Caren's whole body was usually wrapped in bandages upon bandages, bandages that hid a variety of scars.
"But no, you're wrong. This is the trial the Lord has ordained for myself." She explained. Calmly, she rolled up one of her sleeves and undid the badges hiding her scarred wrist. "They appeared by themselves. They are Stigmata. A sign of the Lord's blessing."
...
They did look like barbs too.
Honestly, this shit was kinda sad-
"So, now that you know who I am, do you pity me enough to adore me?"
I pursed my lips. "No. Maybe if you didn't say that bit at the end."
"Well, I would have to question your principles and integrity if some sob story was enough to move you." She smiled thinly, clearly enjoying my stupefied expression as she finished up the last bit of MY cake. "Are you sure you're even a magus?"
"Wait, so you made that up?"
Caren put a finger against her lips, mischief writ in her eyes, "Who knows. Maybe I trust you enough... or maybe I'm trying to deceive you for my own mission."
I bopped her on the head.
"Being so guarded doesn't look good on anyone."
"I... don't know what you're talking about."
My phone alarm buzzed.
It was exactly 6 pm.
I blurred, melding the rapid-movement of the Raven Flight and the controlled application of Blue the original wielder of the Cursed Technique used to achieve an even faster speed, and appeared atop an apartment building overlooking Central Park.
A brief glance at the park with my aviators lowered later, I was sitting right next to Caren again.
"Not here. So much for that info."
"Have you, in your infinite wisdom, considered that people can be late?" She eyed me blandly, hands crossed over her knees.
Shrugging, I watched the passers-by go about their regular lives with my head on my palm. I did not envy them. Boring routines, jobs, studies, responsibilities... blegh. I truly did not envy them. I'd sooner die than return to a world that looked a complete drawl compared to the one I lived in now.
Sure, there was safety and stability, but why was either important anyway? My obsession with magic and growing suicidal tendencies had landed me royalty as a significant other, spells, good friends I'd fight for, money and most of all, excitement. What more was there to ask for?
Anyone who disagreed was a lesser man I wouldn't even humour.
"It's a nice day, isn't it?"
I cast a glance at the gradually darkening grey sky, and then turned to face the one who'd asked the question.
A grey-haired man with an amiable smile, hands behind his back. He wore a simple black suit, and parted his bizarre hair down the middle. It was a weird haircut that'd be more suitable for a child than well... someone that was clearly in their 30s. But hey, this was New York.
He'd stepped up to us out of nowhere on this fine day. Maybe some salesman? Nahhh, I recognised him.
"So-so, thunderstorms are more cinematic in my not-so-humble opinion. A light drizzle would do too."
I noticed the Roman collar around his neck.
"I prefer sunny days myself. But well, yes, I see where you're coming from. Thunder does impeccably at hiding the delightful screams of suffering heathens from those that would intrude."
Woah-
In the blink of an eye, a Black Key slipped out from his cuff and, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he jammed it through Caren's neck. Or, at least, that was what I assumed he wanted to do. Instead, his blade struck my hand and easily glanced off the diamond-like stone under my skin I'd synthesised from my blood in that very same blink of the eye.
"I've always wanted to do that~." I chirped giddily, one eye closed. "That said, attacking the girl first. You priest folk are weird as ever."
"It elates me that you recognise me for what I am but..." He smiled wider than I did, and leaned forward. "Filthy subhuman trash with contaminated chink blood deserves a brutal death regardless of gender. Ah ah, she'd have looked so pretty choking slowly on her own mongoloid blood."
WOAH!
What was with these church people and saying the most insane shit ever at the drop of a hat?
"My father was Japanese, Mr. Sancraid Phahn." Caren pointed out calmly, not the least bit bothered.
The racist piece of shit smiled further, somehow, stretching his mouth beyond what was biologically possible. "Even worse! But really! Couldn't the Church have left little old me alone? I wasn't bothering anyone in my little corner of this world... except the slave folk, but who cares about them anyway?"
...
"That's gotta be racist." I coughed into my free palm.
But, all that aside, my target had just walked up to me. This was... more than ideal. Perfect, even. I'd even thank him with a drink or two if he wasn't a genuine skinhead that would definitely try to make me join the Klan or some shit.
That said... this was just the slightest bit unideal too. I couldn't blast him in the face without risking public exposure of mystery.
"Are you a Grand Wizard?" I couldn't help myself.
He just kept smiling.
-
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