As the penumbra of the next island loomed over us, we sought out a clearing to pitch our camp for the night. We kindled a campfire, its warm glow promising rest after a long day's journey. I assisted the Inquisitors in gathering kindling, and before long, their most proficient Fire Mage ignited the flames with an expertise reminiscent of a premium matchstick. From the carriages, we retrieved provisions and began cooking. To my surprise, the meal was one of the most delectable I had ever tasted, rivaling even the fare of the Hunter's Guild cafeteria. Although taste has never been a paramount concern for me, this feast was undeniably delightful.
What truly astonished me was witnessing all the Inquisitors remove their helmets to dine. I had harbored a lingering suspicion that beneath those ever-present helmets lay some monstrous secret, but I was pleasantly disappointed. A series of amiable faces emerged, their short-haired owners seated cheerfully around the campfire, engaging in lively conversation and banter. Throughout our journey, they had maintained an air of professionalism that made it easy to forget the humanity concealed beneath their helmets. Without them, the barriers dissolved, and their camaraderie reminded me of my own team.
Upon first seeing Inquisitor Dacil's face, I couldn't help but notice his striking handsomeness. His golden hair was neatly cropped, his jawline smooth and rounded, and his teeth perfectly aligned. A grin revealed a smile so flawless it seemed the work of cosmetic bio-magic... But I had to admit, the effect was stunning. I found myself glancing at him repeatedly, growing increasingly exasperated. Come on, teenage infatuation, don't let me develop feelings for an Inquisitor! Losing my life over this would be utterly embarrassing.
"You're not serious, Hannes!" a female Inquisitor burst into laughter.
"I am!" another replied, "My armor's caked in mud; they won't let me into the inner city! I told them I was an Inquisitor, but they didn't believe me!"
"Hahaha! You tripped and fell!"
"It was the middle of the night! How was I supposed to know there was a mud puddle right there? Anyway, I had to walk all the way back to the nearest faucet — and I was already late returning from patrol! By the time I got back, they had already sent someone looking for me!"
"Oh, that's hilarious!" she laughed, "Your captain must have been furious! Did I ever tell you about the time I accidentally destroyed an entire patch of Glitterfungus?"
"What? No! Elaine, how have I never heard this story before?"
"It happened a few days ago! I was resting, heading into a pharmacy, right? The guy behind the counter gave me a look and ran out the back door! I was so confused, then I went into the next room, and wow, Glitterfungus everywhere! If he hadn't refused to sell me the damn painkillers, I never would have found them!"
The Inquisitors erupted in laughter, and I couldn't help but smile faintly. These people, once so fearsome, were actually quite... ordinary. This realization was more disconcerting than if they had all been terrifying monsters.
At least Grand Inquisitor Glaldra was the exception to the rule that "the person beneath the helmet looks ordinary." Her face was relatively normal, although the fine lines on her face were far less pronounced than I would have expected from someone who claimed to have fought in wars forty years ago. On the other hand, the top of her head presented a chillingly inhuman appearance. Her entire scalp, from around her ears to the back of her neck, was bald and etched with patterns of chrome metal: genuine metal. Magic flowed through the inscriptions that seemed to replace most of her skull. The sight was intimidating, adding a tangible weight of magic to her already formidable presence.
I listened to the Inquisitors' laughter and banter for a while, feeling increasingly relaxed. Some even struck up conversations with me, asking about our Hunter squad and recent missions... I suspected they were unaware that it had been my only mission. Someone seemed excited that "such a young person was a Hunter," to which I could only glare. Other than that, I found the evening quite enjoyable.
As night fell, I was relieved to learn I wouldn't be on watch duty. After a long day, both Pinta and I were exhausted. I drifted off to sleep contentedly, sensing that most of the Inquisitors had also fallen asleep one by one. However, I was annoyed when Glaldra's movements woke me up. I peeked through one eye and saw her approach Dacil, pulling him aside. She began weaving a spell, and once completed, the two of them moved their lips without making a sound. Hmph, a silencing bubble. It seemed I wouldn't be able to eavesdrop. I tried to close my eyes, but Pinta wouldn't let them.
"Penelope can read lips," she whispered.
Of course, she could. Great! While two Inquisitors conversed, my slime companion whispered the dialogue into our ears.
"So, what do you think of the girl?" Grand Inquisitor Glaldra asked him.
I swallowed hard. Oh no, this was bad.
"I don't know, Grand Inquisitor," Dacil replied, "I think she might not even understand it herself."
"True, but sensitivity to guiding magic suggests..."
"Involvement with soul magic, yes. Among many possibilities, this is the most dangerous one, and I think we need to be cautious."
Glaldra clutched her chrome head, groaning.
"Damn Watchers! I just wanted to poison Remus, take his sword, maybe melt his damn island. I didn't want to have to kill a child and then be stuck in a purification ritual for a week!"
"I don't think that's a good option either, Grand Inquisitor. A child becoming a soul mage by accident is the most dangerous possibility, but not the most likely. We have indications of soul magic involvement, but no reason to believe she's the source. At least, that's my judgment so far. Grand Inquisitor, have you seen her cast any spells?"
"No, but if you want to think the worst, maybe we wouldn't even notice because we've already been affected. Damn it, this is like the Aersis Crisis all over again! Do you think she's one of the Aersis people we missed?"
"A victim? Hmm... possible. She does show symptoms of manipulation. Did you notice her talking to herself? Sudden mood changes? She might be a fusion."
"So either we missed an Aersis person, or there's another soul mage operating in Skyhope City. Wonderful."
"Well, maybe she's really just a girl with both Scout and Death Touch talents, as she claims."
Glaldra rolled her eyes.
"Sure."
"Uh, I don't want to kill a child over mere suspicion, Grand Inquisitor, so I suggest we keep an eye on her for now. If we find evidence of criminal behavior, we can reconsider. Meanwhile, she's a valuable asset in our mission to eliminate the Navarans."
"Right. Exactly. Her ability to break free from restraints? Actually... if she is a fusion, that would explain her condition earlier today. The other person in her head caused instability? Poor kid. Regardless, she and that Plague Mage are our best hope for the rescue mission. If she turns out not to be an enemy of the Church and State, we need to recruit her before Vesuvius. I really don't want to drink those poison concoctions every day anymore."
"That's assuming she's not an enemy of either, and that she doesn't scream and faint in the forest again, killing herself."
Glaldra snorted.
"Or something like that. How did such a crazy girl survive in the Hunter profession anyway? If our guesses are correct, she shouldn't have even half the coherence she has now. Oh well, whatever. I don't think she's ever set foot in a church; when we reach the Borderlands, I'll personally take her to meet the big shots. See if we can turn her into a believer."
"I've seen that approach work before. I'll talk to her too, and to Vesuvius III. She's known the girl longer than we have. And... Grand Inquisitor?"
"Yes, Dacil?"
"If you want her to like us, maybe consider torturing her less?"
Glaldra snorted and stood up, walking away. I closed my eyes, pretending to sleep. So, what were they suspecting me of, huh? At least it wasn't an immediate death sentence, but this definitely meant a sleepless night. Ah, this was terrible! What should I do now?
"I have a crazy idea," Pinta whispered, "Go talk to him about it directly."
You're right. That idea is indeed crazy.
"Why?" Pinta asked, "Telling him you can read lips will make him want to kill you more? Also, I want to know what a fusion is. People like to be right; if you go along with their guesses, they'll be happy to believe you. It could be a great excuse!"
Why did we have to come up with an excuse that hinted at soul magic manipulation? That would prompt them to investigate! And if you weren't so obvious when controlling the body, we wouldn't need an excuse in the first place!
"...Fine, actually. Being out of control is harder than I expected. I'm sure you, as a fellow monster, understand the instinct for trouble."
I sighed. I guess she had a point.
Alright. I'll consider it.
"I got it. Goodnight, Vita."
Goodnight, Pinta.
I slept better than expected, and the next morning, we quickly packed up the carriages and hit the road again. I picked up my spear, fiddling with it for a while before finally mustering the courage to ask Dacil for tips on technique.
We practiced together for a while, and after some time, I slowed down, putting enough distance between us and the carriages. Not too far to be dangerous, but far enough that I didn't think anyone could hear us. I took a deep breath, ready to lay my cards on the table.
"...What's a fusion?"
Pinta smacked my leg with the shaft of her spear. I guess she thought my question was too blunt. Dacil looked up, but unlike last night, he was wearing his helmet again. I couldn't read his expression from his face... but judging by his calm soul, I guessed he was surprised.
"How did you...?"
"I can read lips," I replied straightforwardly, "You and your boss talked quite a bit last night."
He sighed.
"I see... How much did you hear?"
"Pretty much all of it. Uh, thanks for, uh, telling the Grand Inquisitor to be nicer to me. And not to kill me, I guess."
I have to admit, it was hard not to be angry at myself for looking so young and small, yet managing to elicit even a hint of sympathy from someone with 'Exterminator' in their name.
"Ah... It's my pleasure, Hunter Vita. But you asked about classified information. If we're going to work together, please don't eavesdrop on obviously private conversations in the future."
Ah, damn it. I guess I wouldn't get any answers from him. Alright, no more trouble. Back to training!
"How about this," Pinta interjected, taking control of the body, "Give me a hint, huh? I don't want you to reveal your organization's secrets, but I really want to understand."
He sighed.
"Why don't you tell me about your abilities and concerns, and then I'll see if I can help?"
Pinta frowned, and I stuck out my tongue at her mentally. Because of this, she was going to have to do the spear training next. I was getting distracted.
"Fine," she muttered, starting to practice her movements.
We didn't discuss the topic further that day, but Inquisitor Dacil and I spent a lot of time practicing with the spear, even sparring a few times. He beat me thoroughly, but not as brutally as Remus usually did. Each attack stopped just short of hitting me, with him pointing out my mistakes. In fact, I learned a lot and gained insights into combat that I had never had before. Glaldra seemed to take Dacil's advice, mostly leaving me alone, which I was grateful for. By the end of the day, no one had tried to kill me! I considered that a victory.
The next day was similar. Dacil was a patient and kind teacher. Sometimes too kind. He treated me like delicate porcelain, which was occasionally infuriating, but I held back my complaints. Almost all the Inquisitors were calm and polite, and a few even joined Dacil and me for training during the day. However, one Inquisitor named Frederic was an asshole.
"So, how does a little runt like you get into the Hunter Guild?" he asked, approaching where Dacil and I were practicing, "They must have been desperate to recruit a teenager."
"I was just lucky," I replied, resisting the urge to frown, "I have a good scouting talent, and they needed a scout."
"Oh, really? Wow! I've never seen a scout who yells while working! I'm sure your teammates love that."
I couldn't hold back anymore and furrowed my brows.
"Do you want to fight, or what?"
He snorted.
"Kid, where did you grow up?"
"On the streets, so what?"
"Exactly, you have that street urchin vibe," he sneered, "So don't be stupid enough to provoke someone stronger than you."
Asshole. As he walked away, I greedily eyed his soul. It was purple, smelling like stewed meat. I wanted to devour him.
Pinta deliberately bit the inside of my cheek.
Ouch! I was kidding!
"No, you're not," she whispered.
...Oh.
Dacil cleared his throat.
"Vita, I'm sorry about what he said. If there's anything I can —"
"It's fine," I interrupted, "But I need a break. Sorry."
"Of course."
I put away my spear and headed towards the carriage, trying not to pay attention to the turmoil in my soul, which was twisting and turning with an increasingly intense dull pain. I had been getting angry too easily lately! I really didn't like this. Just because someone was a bit rude, did I want to eat them? Even if the thought itself wasn't bad (actually, it was quite bad), such an attitude could get me killed! No matter how uncomfortable it was, I had to keep it bottled up inside. I started to worry about what I really was... For the next half hour, Pinta kept nagging me about only starting to worry now. Hmph, what did she want me to do? It's normal to be hungry.
A growing girl needs to eat something, right?