Grimgal of Ashes and Illusion - Volume 15 - Chapter 11

11. Hidden Meaning

The structure of the dread knights’ guild had been pretty unique, but the thieves’ guild was even weirder. The entrance Barbara led them to was an extremely low, rusted iron door. The design carved into the center of it — a palm with a keyhole — must have been the symbol of the guild. Without grasping the handle, or pushing, or pulling it, Barbara unlocked the door and opened it. How did it even work? Haruhiro had no idea.

When they passed through the door, there was a narrow corridor with shelves on either side, and when they went around the corner, they were forced to turn their bodies sideways to continue. Past that was a dead end, but they were able to climb a rope to the other side of the ceiling. They crawled through the cobweb-filled attic, and descended into another corridor, before going up and down some stairs to finally reach a room with no floor. Well, no, it did have a floor, but it was way down below. Far enough down that Haruhiro was hesitant to jump. Though, on closer inspection, there was a ladder, and using it they could climb down instead.

“Have a seat wherever,” Barbara said, indicating one of a number of couches in the dimly-lit room, and then sitting on a desk with her legs crossed. “Our thieves’ guild has been remodeled a little since the fall of Alterna. It may seem a bit inconvenient, but you get used to it when you live here.”

“How many are left?” Anthony approached Barbara instead of sitting down. “Has anyone outside the thieves’ guild survived? What happened to the Frontier Army? What of General Graham Rasentra? Did the Margrave survive? And what about the volunteer soldiers...?”

“Ooh, really laying it on me, aren’t you? Everything requires a little foreplay, you know?”

“F-Foreplay?” Anthony backed away in confusion. “...Sorry. I see. Foreplay... Well, there is an order to these things, and that’s important, of course. I was simply in too much of a rush...”

“Well, aren’t you cute?” Barbara chuckled and re-crossed her legs the other way. “The Margrave is apparently alive, held captive in Tenboro Tower, but we haven’t been able to confirm it. General Rasentra was killed in a one-on-one duel with an orc named Jumbo. The Frontier Army was wiped out. Alterna is infested with goblins. The situation sucks, and I’m frustrated as hell. Maybe you want to go a round with me later?”

“Th-That’s...” Anthony glanced at Haruhiro and the others sitting on the couches, then shook his head. “I’m not entirely against it, but I feel like... I shouldn’t...”

“People screw. It’s natural, okay? What do you have to hold back for?”

“Well, yes, but... Wait, really?”

“Are you gonna do me, or not? You’re a man! Be clear!”

“F-Fine, I’ll do you.”

“Hold up!” Neal said, standing up from his couch in an angry huff. “Forget that novice! Do it with me!”

“Who’re you calling a novice?!” Anthony shouted.

“With you, huh?” Barbara took one look at Neal, then licked her lips. “You’re not my type, but you know what, that actually turns me on more.”

“When I’m done with you, your body will never want any other man again.”

“I like your spirit. But men who talk too much tend to leave you disappointed. I’m speaking from experience, here. I hope you won’t be one of them.”

What were these people talking about? Well, he knew what they were talking about, but why had it come up? If Barbara was Haruhiro’s teacher, just what kind of initiation had she put him through?

“Um,” Merry raised her hand.

Barbara, Anthony, and Neal all looked at Merry in unison.

Merry accepted their stares, a slight smile on her face.

“If you want to relieve your frustration, go right ahead. But do it later. We came all this way to get as much accurate information as we can for retaking Alterna.”

Anthony and Neal made no response, just acted a little awkward.

“Oh, that’s good,” Barbara grinned at Merry. “I really like that. I like girls like you. Actually, you might be the closest to my type here. Want to have some fun?”

Merry glared at Barbara and instantly told her, “No way.”

“Mmm...” Barbara writhed with pleasure. “Now you’ve got me even more fired up.”

Merry scowled and shook her head.

“What is with you...?”

Seriously, Haruhiro wanted to agree, but he wasn’t sure about criticizing his teacher. He didn’t know what their relationship was like before he lost his memories, so maybe it was best if he kept quiet.

“Well, let’s stop joking around for now.” Barbara jumped down from the desk and beckoned to Haruhiro. “This way, Old Cat. There’re some things I want to check before we deal with your business.”

“...Me?”

“That’s right. It’s our first meeting, master and student, in a long time. You must have a thing or two to tell me about, right?”

“No, not really...” Haruhiro glanced sideways at Merry.

He had nothing to tell Barbara about. He couldn’t possibly have.

What should I do?

Merry seemed confused, too, and tilted her head to the side a little.

Doesn’t look like you can avoid it.

Haruhiro stood up.

“Okay... Barbara-sensei.”

“Good. Over here. You know where I mean.”

Barbara walked over to the wall.

Suddenly, she vanished.

That was how it looked.

“Huh...?”

Haruhiro chased after Barbara. He touched the wall, and it wasn’t a wall at all. It looked like a wooden wall at a glance, but it wasn’t. It was soft. Cloth? It was designed to look like a wall.

He walked through the curtain designed to look like a wall, and there was a little room behind it adorned with wall-mounted lamps... and nothing else. No Barbara, either.

“...Damn, what is this?”

There had to be some trick to it. He tried all sorts of things, and found one of the walls turned. It was pitch dark on the other side.

“Is this...?”

“Old Cat,” Barbara’s voice came from beside him.

Barbara was right there next to him.

“Se-... Sensei.”

“Are you really Old Cat?”

“...What do you mean?”

“You don’t know me, do you?”

“That’s ab-...surd.”

“When I first met you, I never expected you to live long.”

Barbara felt so close he could touch her, but at the same time far away. Was she moving? He wasn’t sure. He couldn’t tell.

“Gradually, I started to think you might actually have promise. When I heard you might have bit it down in the Wonder Hole, I was uncharacteristically disappointed.”

“...Sorry.”

“That was already four years ago now.”

“Four years...”

“I heard a rumor that the Typhoon Rocks ran into you after that, but nothing since. I had to assume you’d died, after all, you know?”

“Yeah... That’s fair.”

“Do you not remember, maybe?”

“...Huh?”

“Tell me honestly.”

Something wrapped around his throat.

A hand.

It felt cold.

Probably Barbara’s.

“What happened? No... Something happened, and you don’t remember me. That, or it’s a different person inside.”

Did she know something? She might have some idea. If not, she wouldn’t think he’d forgotten, or that he had no memory of her.

“Th-The Forbidden Tower,” Haruhiro said, and the hand around his neck tightened.

Haruhiro grunted, and had trouble breathing, but Barbara quickly loosened her fingers.

“Continue.”

“...I woke up there. Underground. In the Forbidden Tower. When I did, I didn’t remember anything but my name. Merry and the others... my comrades, and Io were there, too.”

“Io. Of the Day Breakers?”

“...I don’t remember anything about that. There was also Hiyomu—”

“Ohh. ...The woman who likes to act younger than she is, huh?”

“Hiyomu was there, too. She was acting like she had no memories, too. But it was a lie... It was like... she was trying to trick us.”

“Trying to trick you?”

“...Well, not her, but her master? I guess? There was someone she called Master. That guy was apparently the one who stole our memories. She said if we wanted her to explain everything, we had better do what she told us.”

“Stealing memories? That’s possible? Was it a relic? But still...”

“Oh, but Merry, who came with us, didn’t lose her memories. Because of that, everyone but Io, Gomi, and Tasukete turned down Hiyomu’s... offer? It was more of a threat, though.”

“Then, after a whole bunch of other stuff, you met me again, huh?”

“Yeah... But like you said, I don’t remember you.”

“Is that Anthony guy with the Frontier Army?”

“He said he escorted a messenger to the mainland.”

“And Neal?”

“One of the reinforcements from the mainland... He’s a scout with the Expeditionary Force, or something like that.”

“So this Expeditionary Force is trying to retake Alterna?”

“It seems to be.”

“Honestly, I wasn’t holding out hope for it, but it looks like the mainland has made their move on schedule. Old Cat.”

“Yes. Um...?”

“What?”

“What is that ‘Old Cat’ stuff about?”

“Thieves call one another by work names. It’s tradition. As your instructor, I gave you your name.”

“Old Cat...”

“Because you’ve got the eyes of an old cat.”

“...Ahh.”

“When a cat’s lived a long time, it never misses a trick. They’re always aloof, living life as it suits them. It was my hope that you’d survive and become that sort of thief. I’ve never told you this before, though.”

Haruhiro didn’t remember a thing, so it shouldn’t have made him feel anything when she told him that, but for some reason it did. He was scared that his emotions would cause him to make the wrong decisions, but this woman was his teacher. He owed her a debt of gratitude.

Barbara finally removed her hand from Haruhiro’s throat, and stroked his cheek.

“Just how many of the students I taught all the basics of being a thief are left now?”

“What, uh... happened to the volunteer soldiers?”

“So, about that.”

“Yes?”

“...We need to think things through here. Can we trust the mainland? We don’t know if the Expeditionary Force’s goals and the mainland’s goals are the same, either.”

Haruhiro’s teacher was apparently a cautious, thoughtful person. How old was she? Haruhiro didn’t really know, but he could be certain she was a lot older than he was. She was probably experienced in a whole lot of ways, and had plenty of information that Haruhiro and the others didn’t know, or couldn’t have known.

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t hesitant, but he figured that she was someone he ought to trust.

“Sensei.”

“Hm?”

“The general of the Expeditionary Force said that if they can’t retake Alterna or Riverside Iron Fortress, the mainland is probably planning to seal the Earth Dragon’s Aorta Road.”

“The mainland and the Expeditionary Force aren’t a monolith, then, huh?”

“I have no guarantee that the general was telling the truth, so I can’t say with any certainty. But looking at the quality of the Expeditionary Force, their low morale, and factoring in the speculation of Anthony, who went to the mainland, I think it’s true.”

“The mainland doesn’t want to lose the frontier. However, they don’t intend to take risks and throw good resources after bad to take it back, either...”

“It looked like most of the soldiers in the Expeditionary Force were deserters, or thugs.”

“Getting rid of nuisances, huh? What was their commander like?”

“...Is it best if I tell you everything now?”

“Of course. Tell me all of it, in as fine detail as you can. I want to talk business.”

“That’s fine, but... If I explain it all to you from the beginning, it will take a fair bit of time. Won’t they think we’re up to something weird...?”

“Let them think that the student and teacher met up again after a long time, and had a passionate fling.”

“Uh, them thinking that we did that is kind of what I was worried about.”

“Ohh, Merry, was it? Is she your woman?”

“No. I’d never be a good match for her. Just look at me. It’s obvious.”

“Oh, you silly boy.”

He suddenly felt something soft pressed against the area between his chin and lips, and heard a smooch sound.

“Wh-Wha...?!”

Haruhiro touched that spot. It was faintly moist.

“Wh-What are you doing, Sensei?”

“There’s nothing wrong with a handsome face, obviously. But a man is more than that.”

“...Maybe there’s more wrong with me than my face? I’ve got no memories, after all.”

“It’s not for you to decide if you’re good enough or not. That’s up to your partner. I, for one, would like a taste of you, myself.”

“You’re joking again... right?”

“You think so?”

As for whether or not Barbara was serious, and what happened between her and her student after that, is something that will have to be left to your imagination. Whatever the truth is, third parties will have to fly on the wings of imagination, and come up with a scenario that seems likely to them.

After a not-so-short amount of time had passed, Haruhiro and Barbara returned to the room where the other three were waiting.

The atmosphere in the room was something else.

“...You took a while.”

That was all Anthony said, but as he sat there on top of the desk, he looked kind of sullen.

Neal, who was sitting on a couch, legs spread, and elbows rested on his knees, clicked his tongue audibly.

“You’ve got a look on your face like you just blew a load or three, huh? Just the two of you get to relieve yourselves? That’s not funny. I can’t stand this.”

Merry was sitting on another couch, clasping her hands uneasily. When she saw Haruhiro’s face, she immediately looked down.

“U-Um... Haru.”

“Wh-What?”

“I’m, uh...”

“Y-Yeah?”

“We’re not children anymore, so...”

“Well... Yeah, I guess? We’re not children... Huh?”

“We’re adults. I won’t say anything. To anyone. Anything I shouldn’t. So... It’s okay.”

She’d misunderstood. Even Merry had fallen captive to her imagination, and she was convinced something happened that never did.

“Whoa, huh?! You’re wrong!”

“You would say that,” Neal said with a smirk. “It’s easy to say. Whether it’s true or not.”

Anthony hit the desk in frustration.

“What thieves do together is none of my business. It doesn’t matter.”

Haruhiro slumped his shoulders.

“It does matter...”

“I’ve more or less heard the situation.” Barbara stroked Haruhiro’s chin. “From my boy here. At length.”

“Senseeei...”

“Whaaat?” Barbara said in an awfully syrupy voice. “You haven’t had enough? You naughty boy.”

She was having way too much fun.

She was totally playing with him.

He looked at Merry, who was mumbling to herself and nodding again and again, like she was trying to convince herself of something. How was he going to clear up this misunderstanding?

“...It’s impossible, isn’t it?” Haruhiro muttered.

His head hurt.