The person who opened the door was somewhat unexpected to Violet. Instead of a rough and tough brute, it was a girl with short gray hair, dressed in simple clothes, who appeared to be about the same age as Mr. Side-Swept Bangs. Her face was gentle, though not extraordinarily beautiful, she was quite delicate, at least above average by human standards.
For some reason, she seemed a bit excited, forcefully pushing the door open, but when she saw Mr. Side-Swept Bangs and Violet, she clearly hesitated for a moment, instinctively stepping back, speaking cautiously.
“Who are you? What’s the matter?”
Violet noticed that her gaze kept flickering towards the large sword behind Mr. Side-Swept Bangs, probably because it was the only weapon among the three of them, or for some other reason.
Seeing her, Mr. Side-Swept Bangs visibly became somewhat... excited, but he seemed to be trying hard to suppress that feeling, maintaining his composure, he replied in a somewhat deep voice.
“Eileen, it’s been a long time. I’m glad to see you’re well.”
“Huh? You... are...?”
Without saying much, Mr. Side-Swept Bangs simply pushed up the hair covering half of his face, revealing his whole face and the vicious scar on his forehead, smiling bitterly.
“It’s you!!... Cyrul?! Is it really you, Cyrul? You’re alive!!!”
Instantly, all vigilance and wariness disappeared. The girl named Eileen covered her mouth with both hands, tears streaming down her cheeks. Then she hugged Mr. Side-Swept Bangs tightly, almost too excited to speak coherently.
“I-I thought you were dead! They all said you were dead! Dead in the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains, killed by monsters! It’s been a year, do you know I’ve been living in despair all this time! Cyrul, you jerk, since you’re not dead, why did you wait until now to come find me!!!”
“I’m sorry... I’m sorry, Eileen, I... I missed you too, but I couldn’t come find you. It would go against the agreement between me and the captain, and I was afraid that after seeing you, I wouldn’t be able to restrain the urge for revenge, harming both you and myself. You know, that’s just how I am...”
Mr. Side-Swept Bangs also seemed a bit overwhelmed, holding Eileen tightly in his arms, explaining intermittently with a heavy heart.
Hmm, something fishy’s going on here...
Although it felt a bit unethical to interrupt them at this moment, Violet didn’t come here to watch their emotional drama. So, she cleared her throat and deliberately raised a question.
“Is she the one you mentioned, the one who can lead us to the Ghost Thief Group?”
“Ah!”
The interruption from the priestess finally snapped the two of them out of their long-awaited reunion. Realizing that Violet, who had been watching them all along, was there, they quickly released each other. Eileen blushed and turned her head away, while Mr. Side-Swept Bangs awkwardly scratched his nose and turned to Violet and the young dragon girl.
“Uh, let me introduce her. This is Eileen, a child who grew up in the slums just like me. Our parents were good friends, but they both passed away early. Eileen and I have been relying on each other for a long time, you can think of her as my sister.”
“Sister?”
Violet looked at the two of them, who were acting coyly, with a strange expression on her face. She didn’t dwell on their relationship, what mattered to her was whether this girl named Eileen could help them achieve their goal.
“Ahem... Anyway, this matter is a long story. Eileen, is it safe inside? We need a place to discuss things.”
“Huh? But Cyrul, they just said they came to find...”
“Call me Cyril. I’ve decided not to use that name anymore.” [1]
Mr. Side-Swept Bangs gently touched the girl’s gray short hair, smiling affectionately.
“Eileen, do you believe in me?”
The girl paused, then brushed away Mr. Side-Swept Bangs’s hand, seemingly annoyed.
“What nonsense are you talking about, Cyrul... no, Cyril, right? How could I not believe in you? If even you can’t be trusted, then who in this world can I trust? I understand what you mean. Come in.”
With Violet and the other two, Eileen turned back and entered the house, locking the wooden door behind them again.
The interior of the wooden house was just as rundown as it looked from the outside, with very limited furniture. There was a wooden plank bed, a wooden table and chairs with a hint of age, and a rudimentary stove made of bricks.
“Eileen, why is your place still... I remember you had quite a bit of money left at home... Was it all taken by those bastards...?!”
The gray-haired girl gently took the man’s hand and shook her head.
“Alright, Cyril, stop being so angry all the time. No one has bullied me, and I’ve kept the money safe. It was earned through your risking your life, and its source... Anyway, if you want it, I can give it to you now...”
Mr. Side-Swept Bangs opened his mouth, and the anger on his face gradually subsided, replaced by a hint of shame.
“Sorry, Eileen, you’re right, now and always. I understand now that poaching is indeed a dirty business, and that dirty money... we should find a way to deal with it if we get the chance.”
“...Let’s not talk about that now. Tell me what really happened back then.”
Spending some time, Mr. Side-Swept Bangs recounted in more detail, from a different perspective, what Violet had once heard from the certain Captain.
The gist of it was nothing more than the story of a young man who used to be a poacher, betrayed by his companions, saved by a kind-hearted soul, then meeting genuinely reliable partners, turning over a new leaf, and deciding to start anew.
Violet had already heard it once, her inner reaction barely stirring, probably just wanting to sleep. Little Dragon Girl remained indifferent, while only the side-swept bangs of the person involved and Eileen seemed to be filled with emotion and reflection.
“So, it was Bryce who betrayed you? Wasn’t he a companion who grew up with you in the slums? You guys always got along so well. After you disappeared in the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains, he took great care of me...”
“I don’t know, but it’s obvious that guy intended to lead me to my death. Coming back this time, on one hand, it’s at the Leader’s behest, on the other hand, I want to find him and get some answers, settle things once and for all.”
“...I understand.”
A fleeting shadow crossed Eileen’s face, barely perceptible, as she nodded heavily, turned around, and laboriously moved the old wooden bed frame outward, with the side-swept bangs hastening to help.
With their combined effort, they soon cleared the space under the bed, and Violet stared for a while before surprisingly discovering a very inconspicuous metal zipper covered by a thin layer of gray.
Obviously, there was something hidden beneath.
The girl skillfully found the lock fastened to the floor and, as she pulled it upward bit by bit, she also took the opportunity to explain to Violet and the other girl she had met for the first time.
“Cyril and I are both peripheral members of the Ghost Thief Group. This organization is very large, not all its members have to leave the city to hunt for ‘goods.’ People like me, who can’t fight, are responsible for intelligence liaison and managing one of the entrances to the dark zone.”
“The dark zone?”
Violet, who was thinking about something else, heard the term and couldn’t help but tilt her head in confusion.
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“Well... it’s hard to explain. You’ll see when we get there.”
Eileen subconsciously stroked the smooth necklace hidden by her clothes, with a nostalgic expression.
“I actually don’t like poachers, but Cyril insisted on doing this job. His violent temper... you’ve probably seen it. I was worried that something might happen, so I joined the organization, hoping to lend some support... Haha, I didn’t expect such a day to come.”
TL Note:
[1]
“西瑞尔” (Xīruíl) : Cyrul
“西里尔” (Xīlǐěr) : Cyril