✯ Chapter 9 ✯
“W-Why… why did you call me?”
After walking into the alley, Hannah put on the most harmless smile she could and asked the first thug.
“Ah, well…”
“You idiot! You piece of trash!”
At that moment, the second thug smacked the first thug on the back of the head.
“You fool! Out of everyone, you had to call the orphanage teacher? Can’t you see those kids over there?”
Why are they fighting each other?
Hannah stared at them in confusion.
It seemed the second thug knew who she was. He pointed at the children while scolding the first thug.
“That’s not it! I just wanted to ask where she bought those honey breads! The kids were eating them so happily!”
“Then don’t shout like some criminal!”
“……”
Are they Dumb and Dumber? A comedy duo?
What were these two even doing?
Standing awkwardly between them, Hannah felt incredibly uncomfortable.
“Um… I bought them from the food stall at the market entrance…”
Hannah carefully took out a honey bread.
“Would you like one?”
She held it out.
The two thugs suddenly became quiet.
“But… isn’t Teacher in danger?”
Masha asked Ian.
“You’re only worried now?”
“Well… I actually thought Teacher was going to run away.”
“But she walked in there looking so determined.”
“I wondered if she secretly knew martial arts or something.”
“Should we go to the butcher?”
Since Hannah had been talking with them for quite a while, Masha scratched his head.
Jeremy, who had been listening nearby, stuffed the last piece of honey bread into his mouth, swallowed it, and spoke.
“Why do we need to get someone else?”
“I’ll go!”
He proudly placed his hands on his waist.
“Saving people from villains is my specialty!”
“Hey, Jeremy…”
Ian was about to tell him to stay where he was.
But Jeremy had already run into the alley.
“……”
“He’s fast.”
Masha casually turned toward the butcher shop.
Now that Jeremy had gone in…
He had a feeling something was definitely going to happen.
“Teacher!”
Jeremy shouted as he rushed into the alley.
“H-Huh?”
Hannah turned around.
The two thugs also looked at Jeremy.
“…What are you doing?”
Jeremy had expected Hannah to be getting robbed.
Instead…
She was peacefully handing out honey bread.
“Ah…”
Hannah awkwardly scratched the back of her neck.
“Wow!”
“Mister, that’s such a cool knife!”
Jeremy! Is this really the time to admire that?
And what’s so cool about it?
Cold sweat rolled down Hannah’s forehead.
Jeremy’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
We need to leave.
Hannah quietly began stepping backward.
“…Well then, we’ll be going now.”
“Take your money.”
The first thug tried to pay her.
“No, it’s alright.”
Hannah politely refused and quickly backed away.
As she retreated, she grabbed Jeremy, who was still standing there like a heroic warrior, and tucked him under her arm.
Even while being carried away…
Jeremy couldn’t stop staring at the thugs’ knives.
“The knife! Mm! Mmm!”
Just as Jeremy was about to praise the weapon again…
Hannah quickly covered his mouth.
Please… read the room!
They may act like a comedy duo, but they’re still dangerous people!
“Well then… have a good day.”
…Why did I even say that?
Hannah hurried out of the alley much faster than she had entered it.
“Jeremy!”
“Why did you follow me in there?”
The moment they left the alley, Hannah scolded him.
“But Teacher…”
“Why did you give those men your honey bread?”
“Honey bread?”
Ian tilted his head.
“Teacher was giving honey bread to those scary-looking men.”
You don’t understand.
Losing honey bread is much better than losing money.
Hannah quietly justified her own actions before answering.
“They looked pitiful.”
“So Teacher helped them a little.”
“Those men?”
“Yes.”
“They looked hungry.”
“If you ever meet someone who’s struggling… you should help them too.”
Ian and Jeremy both looked at her with complete disbelief.
“Where’s Masha?”
“He went to the butcher shop.”
As soon as Ian answered…
Hannah looked toward the butcher shop.
The butcher was running toward them with Masha…
Holding an enormous butcher knife.
“Ahhh! Masha!”
Seeing the huge man charging toward them with a knife, Hannah was startled and ran over.
“I’m alright!”
“Nothing happened!”
“Please don’t come any closer!”
She waved both hands frantically.
“Haah… Haah…”
“Masha… you’re really quick.”
“Teacher… weren’t you in danger?”
“Teacher from the orphanage!”
“Are you alright?”
Hannah knew the butcher well from buying meat there.
He had a strong sense of justice.
“I’m perfectly fine!”
She spun around once to show she wasn’t hurt.
Then she immediately picked Masha up.
Masha looked at her with wide eyes.
“Teacher…”
“Did you defeat the bad guys?”
“No.”
“They weren’t bad people.”
“They were just… curious citizens.”
“Curious?”
Hannah couldn’t continue.
Yeah… calling them kind citizens is probably going too far.
“Thank you so much for coming to help us, Mister.”
“How could I just stand there!”
Next time… please don’t run over carrying such a bloody knife.
It’s terrifying…
Of course…
She didn’t dare say that out loud.
“Be careful out there!”
“There have been all kinds of suspicious people around lately!”
“Yes.”
“We’ll be careful.”
“By the way… your beard looks very handsome today.”
“Ahem.”
Embarrassed by the compliment, the butcher stroked his beard before returning to his shop.
“Phew…”
“Let’s go buy the doll now.”
At least…
She had managed to protect the money meant for the children’s trip to the market.
“Ian! Jeremy!”
“Come on!”
The children quickly walked over.
Masha was still hanging comfortably in Hannah’s arms, swinging his legs.
Hannah smiled at him.
“So?”
“What kind of doll are you going to buy today?”
“Hmm…”
“I don’t know.”
“My teddy bear needs a friend.”
“But I also want a princess doll.”
“Think carefully.”
“You can only choose one.”
Masha immediately fell into deep thought.
“Ian.”
“Besides gloves… isn’t there anything else you want?”
“No.”
“Oh, come on.”
“Think about it.”
Even she…
An adult…
Always found countless things she wanted whenever she visited the market.
How could a child want nothing?
“Teacher!”
“Teacher!”
“Please buy me that knife from earlier!”
Jeremy tugged on the edge of Hannah’s skirt.
Unlike Ian…
Jeremy always wanted something.
“No.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“But!”
“A hero needs a sword like that!”
…You’re not going to become a hero.
So there’s no point.
“No.”
“Ian, is there any book you want?”
“There’s a bookstore next to the doll shop.”
Hannah pointed at the bookstore sign.
Ian looked toward it.
Books clearly interested him.
“…Then… just one.”
His shy answer made Hannah smile.
“First, the doll shop!”
“Alright.”
“But Masha…”
“Are you ever going to walk?”
Masha was still clinging to her side like a little koala.
He was getting heavier.
“But it’s comfortable.”
Then at least stop swinging your legs…
In the end…
Masha stayed attached to her all the way to the doll shop.
“Wow!”
He happily ran toward the entrance.
Then suddenly stopped.
“Hm?”
“What’s wrong?”
Masha stopped in front of the doll shop?
That’s impossible.
She followed his gaze.
A newly opened shop stood next door.
Almost as if he had been hypnotized…
Masha slowly walked toward it.
“What is that?”
Curious, Hannah followed him.
“Wow…”
“What is this place?”
Inside the display window…
There were all kinds of strange things.
Dried frogs.
Insects.
Bloodstained feathers.
Skulls.
Bones.
Even what looked like human hair.
“……”
“Amazing…”
Masha’s eyes shone as though nothing in his nine years of life had ever shocked him this much.
“It’s so…”
Weird.
“Cool!”
“Cough! Cough!”
Hannah almost choked.
“Cool?”
“That?”
“Eww…”
“What is all this?”
Jeremy frowned deeply.
“What a cool doll!”
That looks more like a cursed doll…
“Wow!”
“That skull is so shiny!”
At least he knows it’s a skull.
Before anyone could stop him…
Masha had already rushed inside.
“…I really don’t want to go in there.”
Naturally…
Hannah didn’t want to step into such a creepy shop.
It looked exactly like the kind of place where a hook-nosed witch with a wart sold cursed items.
“Have fun.”
Before she knew it…
Ian and Jeremy had already backed away several steps and were waving at her.
Traitors…
Left with no choice…
Hannah entered the shop alone.
“Teacher!”
“Look!”
“They say this is rat’s blood!”
…Why would anyone sell something like that?
“O-Oh…”
“I see.”
She couldn’t ruin Masha’s excitement.
“Wow!”
“What is this?”
Masha asked the shopkeeper.
“…A man-eating fish.”
The quiet voice startled Hannah.
She hadn’t even realized someone was standing there.
At least make some noise if you’re there!
The shopkeeper wasn’t the hook-nosed witch she had imagined…
But there was something gloomy and eerie about him.
He had so little presence that she would’ve believed he was a ghost.
“Wow!”
“It looks so disgusting!”
At least…
Hannah realized Masha’s sense of beauty wasn’t completely different from everyone else’s.
“So you do think it’s disgusting.”
“I want it!”
You just said it was disgusting!
Why does that make you want it even more?
Is this what modern children are like?
Hannah couldn’t understand Masha at all.
After that…
Masha wandered around the shop again and again.
Everything he picked up looked creepy.
Yet Hannah could only keep smiling.
“Teacher!”
“Hm?”
She had grown bored and was absentmindedly touching an ostrich feather when Masha called her.
“I want this!”
“Hmmm…”
In Masha’s hands…
Was a skull.
…Is that really fake?
It looked disturbingly realistic.
Hannah seriously hesitated.
Should I really buy that?
Can we even take something like this back to the temple?
And why is Masha’s taste…
Suddenly…
A terrifying thought crossed her mind.
Wait…
Could his strange taste have something to do with his future?
After all…
Masha was destined to become a crazy dark mage.
“Have you completely lost interest in teddy bears?”
She asked, holding onto her last bit of hope.
“The skull!”
“……”
In the end…
Hannah weakly opened her wallet.
“How much is it?”
“Five silver.”
The gloomy shopkeeper, who had barely spoken until now, suddenly smiled like a true businessman while stating the price.
Wait…
Was that gloomy personality just part of the shop’s image?
What incredible professionalism…
Feeling strangely impressed…
Hannah paid for it.
Ding.
With the sound of the bell…
Hannah exchanged part of her precious salary for a skull.
Masha walked out of the shop with the brightest smile on his face.
“You actually spent money on that?”
Jeremy stared at the skull in horror.
“You’d be better off digging one up from a grave—”
“Jeremy.”
Hannah called his name.
Then she firmly shook her head.
She absolutely did not want him saying things like that.
She was genuinely afraid he might actually go dig up a grave.
