"So this is her house?" Bane asked as his gaze fixed on the old wooden structure with a dark, weathered exterior.
As she stood next to him, Sheele's hesitation was evident in the tight grip of her sweaty palm on her red dress, but then she remembered their previous discussion.
--(Few minutes ago at the dumpling stall)---
After Bane had pointed out her deliberate act of avoiding her friend's house, Sheele began to agitate.
After a few minutes, she apologised to him.
She admitted her fear of facing her friend again, and because of that, she ended up telling her full story to him.
Bane, while eating a dumpling, listened to Sheele's story, his expression unreadable behind his veil as he chewed his meal.
"—and because of that, I joined the Revolutionary Army and was then recruited by Najenda alongside Mine, who had the same goal as me." Sheele finished telling Bane about her past, her fear of being seen as a monster by her friend again, and how she was recruited as a Night Raid member.
"..." There was a long silence as Sheele's words hung in the air.
Bane finished his meal, then gave the ten-year-old child nine copper coins for his and Sheele's meal. After that, they walked away from the stall.
"Do you regret it?" He finally spoke, his voice calm.
Sheele wanted to question what kind of answer Bane wanted from her, but then she contemplated his question.
His words implied a multitude of questions ranging from Sheele's decision to protect her friend by taking a life, to her decision to join the Night Raid as an assassin, becoming the most wanted criminal in the Empire who could be killed at any time.
"I-I don't," Sheele said as she slowly shook her head, her deep purple eyes becoming resolute.
After a brief pause, she stated, "If I ever got a second chance, I would probably do it again. I have no regrets about protecting Mika or about defending her by killing some trash." As she finished speaking, a bloodlust started to emit from her, but it was okay, as they were already in a secluded area.
Bane looked back at her as he said, "Then isn't it okay?"
"If you have no regrets for your past actions, then why are you so hesitant to meet your friend?" He pointed at her, "Your friend should be grateful to you instead, as if not for you defending her, she would be long dead."
Pointing at himself, he said, "I've encountered similar situations during missions involving infiltration and assassinations of slave dealers or corrupt lords."
Reflecting on the past, he stopped for a moment and stated, "A few individuals, who were under their control living like street rats, feared me because I had taken a life to liberate them, not that any of them mattered to me."
Sheele looked at Bane, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
He sighed. "Resolve any regret as life is unpredictable, and we could perish anytime in this dangerous profession."
'Especially me,' he thought to himself.
Sheele remained silent, but Bane's words had struck a chord. She knew he was right. In their line of work, every moment was precious. If one day she were to die, she would definitely have some regrets.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "I think I am ready to face her." As she finished, her face behind her veil became more resolute.
—-----------
Both of them were currently standing outside Sheele's friend's house as they watched the house's condition.
The condition of the house could only be described as 'terrible'. It seemed the owner of the house had long neglected any efforts to keep it clean, a fact that was apparent to both Bane and Sheele as they stood watching its miserable state.
"...Yes, this is where she lived," Sheele answered without moving her gaze away from the house, her voice confused.
The house she had visited several times in the past was always clean and well-maintained, not this kind of dilapidated-looking structure.
'Why is her house like this?' she questioned internally but chose not to dwell on it, considering there could be various reasons like her friend moving somewhere else.
Sheele moved her gaze toward Bane and said, "But now I am not sure whether she lives here or not, as you can see from the state of this house." Her mood turned a little gloomy as she finished speaking.
Listening to Sheele's doubtful answer, Bane began to walk toward the door as he said, "Then let's confirm if she still lives here."
Sheele hesitated for a moment, her emotions a swirl of hope and anxiety, but then she followed Bane.
As they approached the door, Bane knocked firmly, the sound echoing in the stillness of the dilapidated surroundings.
They waited in silence, the tension palpable. Moments later, they heard shuffling from inside, followed by the door creaking open.
An old pot-bellied man came into view, scratching his dirty beard, and a foul scent of alcohol permeated the air, entering their nostrils. Even his clothes were filthy, looking like they hadn't been washed in months.
As the drunken man's unfocused eyes fell upon Bane and Sheele, some semblance of sobriety returned to him.
"Who are you two?" he asked in a grating voice, his foul breath of alcohol causing Sheele to swat her hand in the air to breathe.
"We are Mika's friends," Sheele answered, but the old man didn't respond to her answer.
After not getting a response, Sheele tried again, "We are friends of the owner of this house. Do you know where she is?"
"She doesn't live here anymore. She left somewhere else," the old man replied nonchalantly.
"If you got your answers, then you two can go now," he said bluntly, as if shooing away beggars.
He then tried to shut the door but couldn't when his gaze fell below and he saw one leg blocking the door from closing.
It was Bane's leg. His expression remained unreadable behind his veil, but his stance was firm.
"Where did she go?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying an underlying intention.
The old man scowled, clearly annoyed by the persistence. "I told you, I don't know. She left this house with her belongings and didn't say where she was going. I was told by her that I can live here for free."
Bane didn't move his leg. "Think carefully. Someone must have seen her leave or know where she might have gone."
The old man hesitated, then sighed heavily. "Look, she mentioned something about going to another district in the capital. I think she had some business to take care of. That's all I know, I swear."
"Okay, thank you," Bane said, removing his leg from the doorway.
The old man huffed secretly and closed the door, but the next moment, a loud sound of the door breaking echoed as Bane kicked it open and approached the flustered old man.
"What—" The old man didn't even have a chance to finish his sentence before a slap landed on his face, knocking him to the floor.
"Argh!" The old man regained full consciousness, clutching his swollen face and using his limbs to get up like a dog.
A dress came into his view—a sleeveless, high-collared red crop top and blue jeans with a brown belt.
"If you claim that the girl has left this house with her belongings, then why are her clothes hanging on the hook here?" a voice said, making the man look up to see a red-veiled person looking down on him with deep purple eyes.
The black-veiled person who was beside her lifted him up by his dirty hair, causing the old man to wince in pain.
"Who are you? And where is the girl?" Bane asked again.
The old man began to tremble in agitation. "I am Mika's father, and she left for her aunt's house in another district."
Slap.
Another slap landed on his fat cheek, making the man cry out in pain as he fell to the floor.
"Hmm, it seems you didn't understand my question earlier. So I will ask again, where is the girl named Mika?" Bane asked once more.
The old man gritted his teeth in frustration as he yelled, "Didn't I tell you she left for her aunt's house? I can even give you the location-"
Slap
Another loud slap resounded in the room, making the man cry out in pain, his head turning sideways on impact.
"What are you doing-"
Slap
"I am her father-"
Slap
"Now, are you willing to tell me her location, or should I try something more painful using my poisons if you like, I have some experience in getting information you know." Bane said while clenching the man's hair and making eye contact with him, his cold gaze promising to give the old man an endless amount of sweet painful time.
The old man now looked like a broken beggar, beaten blue and black to his face. Even a few of his teeth were on the verge of breaking down if the onslaught continued.
With snot and tears running down his face, the old man admitted, "I sold her a few months ago in order to pay my debt, which I had accumulated by gambling in the pleasure districts."
Upon hearing this, Bane moved his gaze towards Sheele, who was standing behind him with trembling eyes at the dark revelation of the old man.
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