Chapter 11 - 『Bread Crumbs』 (1/2)

After they had their tea, the Adventurers on to do the work they were going to be paid for. Brita went to look at the rest of the property, and it seemed Eve chose to become their support. Cheering for them as they carried the furniture down or up the steps, and over the elevated floor of the common room.

So after some hours of work, Jack just stood there, staring out the large window as people walked by his property. His eyes traced over every face, dedicating it to memory should he ever see it again. Not that it mattered. While he could use a spell to learn everything about the said person, what use was that?

It was an impersonal way of learning about someone.

So as he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes traced over the face of Ninya who was helping Dyne carry a scarred wooden desk down the steps. He watched as they put it down in the corner of the room. They were lining one wall with furniture, even stacking some.

It was looking very organized in the sense that it wasn't just dropped any and everywhere.

He then watched as Ninya walked over to him with a book in her hands. His eyes rested on the cover, the title engraved on the thick cover was ”The First Men,” which from the knowledge he gained from the Slane Theocracy Captain, seemed to be about an Island to the South of the continent.

He reached out and took the book, glancing over it and smiled lightly. ”Thanks,” his eyes rested on the curious blue orbs which were looking over him.

”Something on your mind?”

Ninya made a thoughtful duck-like face, before reaching her arm back and scratching her lower neck. ”You a… You asked for us after you saw us in the market, right?”

It was clear she recognized him, as she had seen him looking at them. Or at least she recognized seeing his robes in the market place. That didn't really bother him though, he wasn't trying to not be seen in that retrospect. If he wanted to be hidden, he would've been truly invisible.

”Perceptive,” Jack rubbed the tip of his nose with the knuckle of his index finger. However his expression had become almost entirely stoic. As if his much more expressive persona which he was wearing earlier was gone.

Ninya nodded lightly, smiling as he seemed to have complimented her. ”Just because I looked like your little sister?” Brita had told her that bit, so it was't all to surprising.

”That and I didn't feel like paying seven people ten gold coins a head, when four can do the same amount of work.” Jack said with a light shrug. Tucking the book under his arm, he looked her over for a moment before glancing back out the window.

Ninya frowned slightly as he went back to looking out into the world. She could see his eyes jumping from face to face, body to body, carriage to carriage. He seemed rather preoccupied.

”Is something wrong?”

Jack opened his mouth, but stopped himself from talking. He was, if he hadn't stopped imself, going to say something incredibly foolish like 'I am not used to this world.' He was still very much used to the modern world. Flushing toilets, music recordings, cars and other things of the like.

”I have a song in my head,” Jack said quietly as he closed his eyes partially, to the point that he saw a bokeh effect through his lashes. So he was seeing the blurry bubbles of colored light moving about outside.

”A song?” Ninya was curious about this song he spoke of, though she could only assume it wasn't a happy one. Music was something a bard often used as entertainment or even a magical weapon. ”How does it go?”

Jack's eyes opened a bit more as he looked to Ninya as she was now standing beside him. While she did look concerned for him, it would only make him smile.

”Did you know, if an angel uses a false name, they disappear from this world?”

Ninya could only blink at the words which left his mouth. They felt like little knives being driven into her as if this was an attack directed right at her. Yet it was subtle and his voice was kind. Just the way he said it made her want to melt into the floor and not get back up again, due to the shame.

”So you know...?”

”You caught on quickly,” Jack turned his attention back to the outside world once more. ”My little sister can detect lies. She doesn't like it when people lie to her, even though she has no problem lying to others herself. Or to herself.”

Ninya's eyes stared out the window, a frowning smile ambient on her lips. Her eyes were sad, but for an entirely different reason other than being found out. ”You're not going to tell them?”

”I don't have a reason to,” he stealthy prodded his index and middle finger against her temple lobe. Causing her to turn her head to look at him again.

A brow raised as she rubbed the side of her head, Ninya looked up at him.

”The song?” She'd inquire before her eyes rested on his hand which he used to summon his item box. She watched as he pulled a small unknown rectangular device from what appeared to be a hole in reality. Her lips parted, her teeth visible between them.

Jack glanced down at the device in his hand. It was a hand held Jukebox that had the appearance of an ancient MP4 player from the twenty first century with a three inch screen on it with a little control ring on its sleek surface. When he turned it on, it had the YGGDRASIL splash screen and start up sound.

He pressed the center circular shaped button which would engage a song which reverberated from its little speakers with crystal clear quality. The song was ”Murder Song” by Aurora, it wasn't a happy song and it was definitely an emotionally provocative piece.

Ninya who had heard nothing like it before, was completely and utterly astonished. Yet she couldn't bring herself to ask any questions about it. Her mind was tingling with pleasure from the sound alone, whilst her eyes were involuntarily welling up with tears.

As the song continued to resonate throughout the house, everyone stopped what they were doing to listen to it. Eve as she was running down the corridor, skidded to a stop and frowned listening to the song. She slowly turned her head as she shifted to look behind her towards one of the many entrances to the common room.

The entire house seemed to be frozen in time until the duration of the song was up and everything started back up like clockwork.

Without any warning, scrawny little arms appeared around Jack's waist, hugging onto him tightly from behind. His free hand slowly, hesitantly, lowered and lightly grasped one of the hand's wrists.

Ninya jumped back slightly, seeing the sudden appearance of the tiny clone. She had her face buried into Jack's back. She just stood there, looking at the siblings for a moment before smiling to herself.

This song was the one which Jack continuously listened to after his sister died in his arms. He had kept asking the original Eve, not to let go, to stay. While that was to be expected, cliché or not, it was something that was always repetitively going on in his mind if he wasn't doing something.