Chapter 153 – At that night – part four
(Code’s Point of View)
“A Gift Seal, huh…?
“I did hear rumors about the existence of this kind of thing, but what exactly is it? And how effective is it?” I asked the blond girl.
I have been born and raised in this city, but I never heard of a Gift Seal existing here.
It was also the first time for Zett and Keypick, I’m sure.
A Gift Seal is something I had only ever heard about in fairy tales. I never met anyone who had actually seen one.
Everyone has a Gift.
In a world where everyone relies on their Gifts to get by, a Gift that can seal the Gifts of others is without a doubt terrifying, and definitely not something anybody can ignore.
Regardless of it really existing or not, simply hearing about it once is enough to make anybody remember it. That’s just how terrifying a Gift Seal can be.
“It’s this thing.” The blond girl took a small wooden box out of her pocket.
… This can’t be real.
I truly couldn’t expect her to actually be carrying the Gift Seal with her.
“It seems to be inside this box, but the box itself seems to be locked-
“Eh?” The blond girl started explaining.
Before Keypick approached her at an incredible speed and immediately clung to the blond girl’s arm.
Keypick was staring at the wooden box from up close. Close enough to almost kiss it even.
“A lock. A lock.” Keypick muttered.
The blond girl went silent. She seemed to be completely befuddled by Keypick’s sudden appearance.
She also seemed to be wondering if she should shake Keypick off or leave her be.
“Ah… Well, she really likes picking locks, so… Would you mind letting her open it?” I asked the blond girl.
“I would like to say that I don’t mind it, but… I think it might be better to not touch it and leave it as is.” The blond girl replied.
This hesitation to open the box… Could it be because the Gift Seal was actually a lie?
Or is it because the Gift Seal will be activated if the box is opened?
“I don’t know exactly how effective it is, but the Gift Seal seems to stop one from activating one’s Gift.
“I cannot use any magic while the box is open.
“When the box is closed though, I can use magic even as I touch the box.” The blond girl then started explaining what she knew of the Gift Seal.
When the box was opened, the superhuman strength of the taboo child was suppressed, but not completely nullified.
The taboo child herself also confirmed this part of the story, so that much should be accurate.
Hence why the blond girl speculated that the Gift Seal stops one from activating one’s Gift, as it didn’t remove the taboo child’s passively active body enhancement. It only stopped her from maintaining the reinforcement.
The blond girl also said that the Gift Seal did not nullify the effect of existing magic circles.
However, she was unable to activate the effect of the magic circles… As in, the magic circle was still there and was functioning, but it couldn’t actually exert its enchantment for as long as the box was open.
“The box is covered in a magic circle that seems to be sealing the effects of the Gift Seal.
“Once you open the box though, its effects will probably last until it’s locked again.
“So, if you truly wish to open this box, then you should find the key for it first… I’m sorry.” The blond girl told us.
And the apology was meant for Keypick, because Keypick looked like she was despairing at being denied the opportunity of picking a lock.
“I’m curious about the circumstances regarding how it was used and by whom.” Zett commented.
It was a reasonable question.
“Also, we have been talking about this for a while, but I’m not done with the thing with the red-eyed girl! I’m still all battered up here!” Zett exclaimed.
I guess he isn’t satisfied yet?
To me, this already felt like a resolved issue though.
Or rather, I had already forgotten about it.
… Well, I guess the person who was beaten up won’t forget about it as easily.
“You’re battered up, but we’re talking about something important right now. Shut up and listen.” The taboo child replied.
“What!? I’m the victim this time! And you’re the perpetrator, you bastard!” Zett exclaimed.
When it comes to things related to Zett, I can usually just blame it on his daily behavior, but… This time he is right.
“Don’t you get it?” The taboo child asked.
“Get what!?” Zett replied.
“It’s because you couldn’t do your job!” The taboo child’s anger returned, “You think you can rule this area!? Gonna get money like a gangster that acts for protection fees!? Then why don’t you do your job and protect the weak!?
“If you did your part, then there would have been no reason for us to move!
“Don’t let the children starve! Adults should be protecting the weak!
“I don’t care if your body is small, you should still do it if you have power! It’s just wrong to have the small people only work under the big ones!
“If you have the power, you can even beat those who are bigger! You don’t need to be under the thugs forever! It’s your duty! Those with power have responsibilities and obligations, you idiot!”
Everyone stayed silent for a while.
After a few seconds like that, I asked the blond girl, “Do you get what she just said?”
“No, but it was refreshing to hear.” The blond girl replied.
“Aren’t you friends though?” I asked her.
“Friends can’t always understand each other fully.” She told me.
… That taboo child seems to think in truly mysterious ways.
******
“Well, anyways…” I said.
Let’s leave Zett and the taboo child alone.
I really don’t get what she said, and Zett fell silent too, so maybe he too didn’t get it.
“What do you plan to do with the Gift Seal?” I asked the blond girl.
In this place, I was shown something as terrifying as a Gift Seal… And I think there was a reason behind it.
Otherwise, the blond girl would have kept quiet about it. This isn’t something you’d show somebody on a whim.
Especially because I’d never suspect it was in her possession if she hadn’t shown it to me.
The blond girl sighed, “Honestly, I’m having trouble finding a way to get rid of it.
“I can’t return it to its original owner, nor can I carelessly throw it away; never mind actually selling it. I’m sure a catastrophe would happen if I did that.
“Moreover, whoever made this, as well as anybody involved in its creation, most likely don’t even want people to be aware of the very existence of the Gift Seal, never mind its location.
“After all, this is proof that somebody, somewhere, has a Gift that can seal the Gifts of others.
“This would surely be a Gift that would be coveted by many, and many others would definitely want to get rid of the Gift Seal and its creators.
“So, no matter how I look at it, this thing is way too troublesome.
“Do you want it perchance? I might be willing to give it to you.”
“I want it!” Keypick exclaimed.
I decided to ignore Keypick’s statement though, as I agree with the assessment of the blond girl.
“For now, I want the key and accurate information about the capabilities of this thing.” I told the blond girl.
“If you have that, you should be able to use it effectively.” She commented.
“Yeah, but… Honestly, I think this thing is a bit too much for us.” I replied.
It’s not like I’m not intrigued by the true nature of this wooden box, but…
I feel like it would be better to not have this.
I mean, people like us have been involved in all kinds of dangers, large and small, since we were children.
And when taking everything I’ve been through so far into account… I can easily conclude that a Gift Seal isn’t something that will make us a profit, but is instead something that invites disaster.
This isn’t something that makes me slightly anxious. This is a big red flag that should be avoided at all costs.
My intuition tells me to not touch this thing.
“If you want to dispose of it secretly, we can help. We know a lot about this city.” I told her.
After all… This thing may look irrelevant to us, but it actually is not.
The only reason this box is here, is because somebody tried to kill those girls while claiming to be Zett’s underling.
And while this may have been done by an enemy of Zett, it’s also possible that someone who knows Zett well is involved in this.
Or rather, somebody close to Zett might have done it.
I don’t know if I should get involved with those girls or the Gift Seal in the future, but for now, we should try investigating the incident that led to today’s encounter.
“Truly? That would be appreciated.
“Me and Flo are newcomers in this city, and our faces are a bit too easy to recognize, so we can’t do much research in here…” The blond girl replied.
That makes sense.
Everyone raises their guard around newcomers.
Newcomers cannot be trusted in Krozheit. This country isn’t peaceful enough to allow that.
Especially if the newcomers are capable of handling themselves in a fight.
“You can count on us. We’ll start the investigation.” I told her.
Many of our folks have been living in this city since they were born.
Zett’s crew has many allies, friends, acquaintances and enemies.
It’s easy for us to collect information.
And thus, an impromptu collaboration was formed between us and those two girls.
******
(Omniscient narrator’s Point of View)
And while that was happening…
“Congratulations on being the first to arrive.”
The blue-haired young man had safely arrived at the Tower of Bryne.
Chapter 153 – At that night – part four
(Code’s Point of View)
“A Gift Seal, huh…?
“I did hear rumors about the existence of this kind of thing, but what exactly is it? And how effective is it?” I asked the blond girl.
I have been born and raised in this city, but I never heard of a Gift Seal existing here.
It was also the first time for Zett and Keypick, I’m sure.
A Gift Seal is something I had only ever heard about in fairy tales. I never met anyone who had actually seen one.
Everyone has a Gift.
In a world where everyone relies on their Gifts to get by, a Gift that can seal the Gifts of others is without a doubt terrifying, and definitely not something anybody can ignore.
Regardless of it really existing or not, simply hearing about it once is enough to make anybody remember it. That’s just how terrifying a Gift Seal can be.
“It’s this thing.” The blond girl took a small wooden box out of her pocket.
… This can’t be real.
I truly couldn’t expect her to actually be carrying the Gift Seal with her.
“It seems to be inside this box, but the box itself seems to be locked-
“Eh?” The blond girl started explaining.
Before Keypick approached her at an incredible speed and immediately clung to the blond girl’s arm.
Keypick was staring at the wooden box from up close. Close enough to almost kiss it even.
“A lock. A lock.” Keypick muttered.
The blond girl went silent. She seemed to be completely befuddled by Keypick’s sudden appearance.
She also seemed to be wondering if she should shake Keypick off or leave her be.
“Ah… Well, she really likes picking locks, so… Would you mind letting her open it?” I asked the blond girl.
“I would like to say that I don’t mind it, but… I think it might be better to not touch it and leave it as is.” The blond girl replied.
This hesitation to open the box… Could it be because the Gift Seal was actually a lie?
Or is it because the Gift Seal will be activated if the box is opened?
“I don’t know exactly how effective it is, but the Gift Seal seems to stop one from activating one’s Gift.
“I cannot use any magic while the box is open.
“When the box is closed though, I can use magic even as I touch the box.” The blond girl then started explaining what she knew of the Gift Seal.
When the box was opened, the superhuman strength of the taboo child was suppressed, but not completely nullified.
The taboo child herself also confirmed this part of the story, so that much should be accurate.
Hence why the blond girl speculated that the Gift Seal stops one from activating one’s Gift, as it didn’t remove the taboo child’s passively active body enhancement. It only stopped her from maintaining the reinforcement.
The blond girl also said that the Gift Seal did not nullify the effect of existing magic circles.
However, she was unable to activate the effect of the magic circles… As in, the magic circle was still there and was functioning, but it couldn’t actually exert its enchantment for as long as the box was open.
“The box is covered in a magic circle that seems to be sealing the effects of the Gift Seal.
“Once you open the box though, its effects will probably last until it’s locked again.
“So, if you truly wish to open this box, then you should find the key for it first… I’m sorry.” The blond girl told us.
And the apology was meant for Keypick, because Keypick looked like she was despairing at being denied the opportunity of picking a lock.
“I’m curious about the circumstances regarding how it was used and by whom.” Zett commented.
It was a reasonable question.
“Also, we have been talking about this for a while, but I’m not done with the thing with the red-eyed girl! I’m still all battered up here!” Zett exclaimed.
I guess he isn’t satisfied yet?
To me, this already felt like a resolved issue though.
Or rather, I had already forgotten about it.
… Well, I guess the person who was beaten up won’t forget about it as easily.
“You’re battered up, but we’re talking about something important right now. Shut up and listen.” The taboo child replied.
“What!? I’m the victim this time! And you’re the perpetrator, you bastard!” Zett exclaimed.
When it comes to things related to Zett, I can usually just blame it on his daily behavior, but… This time he is right.
“Don’t you get it?” The taboo child asked.
“Get what!?” Zett replied.
“It’s because you couldn’t do your job!” The taboo child’s anger returned, “You think you can rule this area!? Gonna get money like a gangster that acts for protection fees!? Then why don’t you do your job and protect the weak!?
“If you did your part, then there would have been no reason for us to move!
“Don’t let the children starve! Adults should be protecting the weak!
“I don’t care if your body is small, you should still do it if you have power! It’s just wrong to have the small people only work under the big ones!
“If you have the power, you can even beat those who are bigger! You don’t need to be under the thugs forever! It’s your duty! Those with power have responsibilities and obligations, you idiot!”
Everyone stayed silent for a while.
After a few seconds like that, I asked the blond girl, “Do you get what she just said?”
“No, but it was refreshing to hear.” The blond girl replied.
“Aren’t you friends though?” I asked her.
“Friends can’t always understand each other fully.” She told me.
… That taboo child seems to think in truly mysterious ways.
******
“Well, anyways…” I said.
Let’s leave Zett and the taboo child alone.
I really don’t get what she said, and Zett fell silent too, so maybe he too didn’t get it.
“What do you plan to do with the Gift Seal?” I asked the blond girl.
In this place, I was shown something as terrifying as a Gift Seal… And I think there was a reason behind it.
Otherwise, the blond girl would have kept quiet about it. This isn’t something you’d show somebody on a whim.
Especially because I’d never suspect it was in her possession if she hadn’t shown it to me.
The blond girl sighed, “Honestly, I’m having trouble finding a way to get rid of it.
“I can’t return it to its original owner, nor can I carelessly throw it away; never mind actually selling it. I’m sure a catastrophe would happen if I did that.
“Moreover, whoever made this, as well as anybody involved in its creation, most likely don’t even want people to be aware of the very existence of the Gift Seal, never mind its location.
“After all, this is proof that somebody, somewhere, has a Gift that can seal the Gifts of others.
“This would surely be a Gift that would be coveted by many, and many others would definitely want to get rid of the Gift Seal and its creators.
“So, no matter how I look at it, this thing is way too troublesome.
“Do you want it perchance? I might be willing to give it to you.”
“I want it!” Keypick exclaimed.
I decided to ignore Keypick’s statement though, as I agree with the assessment of the blond girl.
“For now, I want the key and accurate information about the capabilities of this thing.” I told the blond girl.
“If you have that, you should be able to use it effectively.” She commented.
“Yeah, but… Honestly, I think this thing is a bit too much for us.” I replied.
It’s not like I’m not intrigued by the true nature of this wooden box, but…
I feel like it would be better to not have this.
I mean, people like us have been involved in all kinds of dangers, large and small, since we were children.
And when taking everything I’ve been through so far into account… I can easily conclude that a Gift Seal isn’t something that will make us a profit, but is instead something that invites disaster.
This isn’t something that makes me slightly anxious. This is a big red flag that should be avoided at all costs.
My intuition tells me to not touch this thing.
“If you want to dispose of it secretly, we can help. We know a lot about this city.” I told her.
After all… This thing may look irrelevant to us, but it actually is not.
The only reason this box is here, is because somebody tried to kill those girls while claiming to be Zett’s underling.
And while this may have been done by an enemy of Zett, it’s also possible that someone who knows Zett well is involved in this.
Or rather, somebody close to Zett might have done it.
I don’t know if I should get involved with those girls or the Gift Seal in the future, but for now, we should try investigating the incident that led to today’s encounter.
“Truly? That would be appreciated.
“Me and Flo are newcomers in this city, and our faces are a bit too easy to recognize, so we can’t do much research in here…” The blond girl replied.
That makes sense.
Everyone raises their guard around newcomers.
Newcomers cannot be trusted in Krozheit. This country isn’t peaceful enough to allow that.
Especially if the newcomers are capable of handling themselves in a fight.
“You can count on us. We’ll start the investigation.” I told her.
Many of our folks have been living in this city since they were born.
Zett’s crew has many allies, friends, acquaintances and enemies.
It’s easy for us to collect information.
And thus, an impromptu collaboration was formed between us and those two girls.
******
(Omniscient narrator’s Point of View)
And while that was happening…
“Congratulations on being the first to arrive.”
The blue-haired young man had safely arrived at the Tower of Bryne.
