“Oh? Did you just talk back to me?”
“N-No, ma’am!”
“On your knees.”
“Urk...” The man’s enormous frame crumpled, and he collapsed to his knees as if drained of strength.
“So, tell me,” she cooed. “Why did you fail?”
“W-Well, there was...some weird guy. He got in the way. I don’t know how he did it, but he somehow blocked our trump card, the Bomb Stone...”
“Oh? You’re telling me someone can actually do that?” The woman pressed a pale index finger to her red lips, then asked in a sultry tone, “So...was he handsome?”
“U-Uhh...” The large man struggled to find his words as he stared at the sweet-voiced woman standing before him in this corner of the damp underground sewers. “It was dark, so I couldn’t get a good look,” he managed, his tone respectful as he remained on one knee. “He was wearing a black cloak, I think...”
“That’s not what I asked. I want to know if he was handsome.”
“I-I’m not sure. I didn’t get a good look at his face. I think he was human.”
The woman let out a long sigh. “You’re no use at all.”
“I-I’m sorry!”
After a brief silence, the woman continued slowly, “But it is as I suspected. A new leader has emerged in the slums.” She chuckled. “How intriguing.”
“A leader?” the man echoed.
“Don’t you think it’s odd that the demi-humans would suddenly be friendly and organize a festival? They were at each other’s throats until very recently. I had wondered if a new player had entered the scene and brought them together, and this must be him. If he can make the demi-humans stop fighting each other, then he must be quite powerful indeed.”
“I-I see.”
“Have you forgotten the purpose of our attack was to stir up trouble and draw out their leadership?”
“R-Right, that was why... You’re so smart,” he praised her, lifting his head. “B-But what will you do after you’ve flushed out this new leader?”
“On your knees.”
“Gah! Urk...” The man’s knees suddenly bent, and he was forced into a prone position.
The woman gazed down coolly at his back. “Aren’t you a fool? When the demi-humans were having their little spat, there were too many factions at play, and trying to do anything would’ve meant being dragged into an endless conflict. But now that the slums have come together, we take down the head, and the whole thing comes crashing down.”
“Y-You’re right.”
“I’m going to make him dance for me. All of the slums will be ours. I’m getting quite bored of scurrying away underground.”
As he lay prostrate on the ground, his eyes widened with realization. “Wh-What an amazing plan!”
Pleased with his reaction, the woman snapped her fingers. As if released from a spell, the large man finally managed to stand up, swallowing hard. “He looked like an ordinary guy, but if he could bring together and control that deranged demi-human lot, the bastard must be dangerous...”
The woman chuckled. “A little spice makes him all the more worth controlling.”
Enthralled by her sinister smile, the man blushed. “How many men will we need?”
“Not that many. He’s just one man. All we need is to find him; bringing him to his knees should be trivial.”
“You’re incredible, Lady Liz.”
The woman grinned at the praise.
***
A day later, the morning’s work had just finished at the clinic.
“Um, Zenos? Are you okay?” Lily asked.
“What do you mean?” Zenos replied.
“I mean, you were zoning out again. In the middle of examining people too.”
“Huh? Was I?” Hadn’t Lily said something similar to him only recently?
“Were you thinking about Mr. Becker’s letter again?”
“Oh, no, not that...” Zenos scratched his cheek awkwardly and leaned back on his chair, stretching. “Just... Last night I dreamed about my old life at the orphanage, for some reason.”
“The orphanage in the slums where you grew up?” she asked as she poured hot water into the teapot, the sweet aroma of tea leaves wafting through the air. “What was the dream about?”
“Well... Uh, about how like, all we’d get for the day was water with a pinch of salt. Or how we were so desperate for food, we’d eat strange mushrooms growing out of old pillars...”
