game chapter 3

Muscalt was shrouded in even more mystery than Scior. No one had ever seen his face. Even though we lived in the same house, encounters were infrequent. However, since he was always shirtless, every glimpse was a feast for the eyes. Whether it was his personality or a carefully crafted persona, he seemed utterly unfazed by his own behavior. 

I spent a week observing him, wondering what kind of madman he was, but found nothing particularly unusual aside from his state of undress. I could only vaguely discern, through the slits in his mask, that his eyes were red. Muscalt generally kept to himself, speaking to no one. The only time I’d ever heard his voice was when he was talking to his sword. 

Contrary to my expectations, it was a smooth, low baritone. I briefly considered sneaking into his room at night and ripping off that monstrous mask, but the thought of dying before I even got close quickly dissuaded me. It wasn’t a joke; that man was terrifying. He would eliminate me without a moment’s hesitation if I annoyed him. Anyway, the point is, we were hardly on familiar terms, making the prospect of being alone with him in the greenhouse incredibly awkward.

His red pupils blazed through the eyeholes of his mask. That grotesque mask made him even more difficult to deal with. I quickly closed and opened my eyes, and just as suddenly, Muscalt’s gaze returned to the front. The silence was uncomfortable. Ignoring him and walking away seemed rude, so I quietly spoke.

“Muscalt.” My voice was stiff, and I cringed internally.

“I didn’t know you were interested in poisonous plants.”

He continued to stare straight ahead, his eyes fixed on me. Why was he looking at me like that? Was he flustered because I spoke to him first? It didn’t seem like it. Was he trying to tell me he wanted to be left alone?

“You know this is my domain, right?” I highly doubted he even knew my name. I’d lived in Absinthe for almost a year, but our paths had crossed less than ten times.

“You don’t seem to.”

“I do.”

I hadn’t expected a reply and was slightly taken aback.

“Oh, really? Well, whatever you need, the paralytic and antidote herbs are cultivated in Section 6. Feel free to take what you need.”

An awkward silence fell. Before it could grow any more uncomfortable, I made my escape from the greenhouse. Heavy footsteps followed.

“Ren!” A clear voice called from above. Raphelt, his small head poking out of a second-story window, looked back and forth between us.

“And… Muta!” Raphelt’s face immediately clouded over. The difference in his attitude was stark. I remembered when Raphelt and Muscalt first met. The idiot had screwed up his face at the length of Muscalt’s name and started stuttering.

“Mu, Musrucal… Mustacal? What a mouthful. Mustucal?”

He’d chuckled and butchered the name until Muscalt grabbed him by the collar. After that, unable to pronounce it correctly, he’d shortened it to “Muta,” which naturally became Muscalt’s nickname.

“What are you two doing down there?” His tone was sharp.

“Ren, I’m leaving tonight on business, and you have training then, so we don’t have much time. Come play with me.”

Knowing he’d pester me relentlessly if I refused, I decided to humor him. He called it “business,” but every job was a life-threatening mission. This time, I figured I’d let him have his way. But when I entered Raphelt’s room, I found an unexpected guest.

“Yancy?”

Yancy sat beside him, diligently scribbling on a small piece of paper. Startled by my entrance, she looked up.

“Lady Ren.” Her gaze was sharp, almost annoyed, as if I were an unwelcome interruption.

“…What brings you here?”

“The owner of this room summoned me. It seems you’ve been assigned to Raphelt’s division.”

“It hasn’t been officially decided yet. I was just asking Raphelt some questions about the mansion’s facilities, thinking it would be helpful to familiarize myself beforehand.” As if conscious of my scrutiny, her sharp gaze softened, her voice becoming gentler.

“He offered to give me a tour of the mansion. Would you like to join us, Lady Ren?” Her long, purple lashes fluttered like butterfly wings as she tilted her head and smiled sweetly. “I’d be delighted to get to know you better.”