*SPLASH*
"..."
A bucket of ice-cold water was poured over Ace's head, but the slovenly-dressed man didn't wake up with a start or shriek in panic. No, he simply opened his eyes, leaned back in the old, leaky wooden bathtub, and stared at the blue sky above.
"Well, that's creepy…"
The person who splashed the water on him was none other than Clara, the white-haired candidate for the goddess's chosen one, and she was rather disturbed by the young man's behavior.
"..."
Ace moved his head to look at her with cold indifference before pushing himself upright and combing the wet green hair back with his fingers.
"You're going to say something or just keep glaring…?"
Clara fidgeted nervously and asked, unable to figure out how exactly she should act around the monarch of questionable character.
"Where's the one I hooked up with yesterday?"
"Pardon!?"
Ace asked out of the blue, causing Clara to back away with a startled expression.
"Even when drunk, I don't hook up with people I know. Especially some brats. But I'm quite sore, so I'm guessing that I hooked up with someone. Your older sister or something, maybe? Do you even have one? Or maybe mother?"
The green-haired youngster shrugged his shoulders with a dismissive expression and pointed out while looking around the yard of a half-burnt house and a ruined barn.
"...what, in Perseverance's name, are you even talking about…?"
Clara gulped down her saliva and asked in pure disbelief.
"Dear goddess… was it your grandma that I hooked up with? What a sinful man I am…"
"Stop spewing nonsense! You haven't hooked up with anyone, you pig! You… you beat up… all the guards… adventurers… and bar patrons…"
Ace snickered mockingly with clear bitterness in his eyes, which made Clara clench her fist and scoff at him only to flinch and look away nervously as she had to face reality too.
Did she really want to test her luck by agitating someone like Ace…?
"I… I did what…?"
"You did exactly what I said! If it wasn't for my sister talking some sense into you, then forget about getting expelled from the Academy! You would be in prison!"
Ace froze up and uttered, to which Clara regained some of her spunk and declared.
"...how many died…?"
"...!"
After lowering his head, Ace asked hesitantly, making Clara flinch and tense up.
"None to my knowledge… But the city is in uproar. You better pull yourself together. They are on the lookout for a vagrant-looking guy like you."
The white-haired girl shook her head, feeling exceedingly disturbed by the question, but ended up adding.
After all, the bucket of water she poured on him so generously wasn't only an alarm clock.
"...?"
"You used your ability. Took away the right to disclose your identity. So everyone involved just talks about a slovenly guy going on a rampage. Some say that it was a demon or something."
Ace raised his brow and stared at Clara with disbelief, causing her to look away and grumble, trying to hide anxiety with annoyance.
"S-so better pull yourself together, or my sister's good will is going to go to waste!"
"There is a sister, then."
The white-haired girl cleared her throat and declared, tossing a small piece of soap and a folded shaving razor bundled in a towel at the green-haired man. He caught everything, even in the disadvantageous position, and pointed out with a cheeky smirk.
"Yeah. You have enough problems with a missing one, right?"
"!"
Clara pouted and scoffed, turning around to walk back into the half-brunt house, completely missing the expression on Ace's face.
"?!"
*THUNK*
"AUGH…!"
The next moment, Clara felt something cold on her neck, and her body was slammed and pinned against the building's wall, forcing a pained cry out of her mouth.
"Wh-what the…?!"
She gasped with her cheek against the wood, turning her head only to see the golden weapon in the shape of a spear with a dull crescent tip that was nailing her neck to the wall.
The weapon was held in the hand of the horrifyingly calm Ace.
"You are going to tell me what you know about my missing sister. Now."
Ace Adonis declared, looking at the wide-eyed girl who had yet to realize what was going on.
"L-let go of me! Is that how you repay someone who… GUH!"
Clara called out in distress, trying to pry herself off, but that only caused the tips of the crescent nailing her neck to the house's wall to dig deeper into the wood and made it harder for her to breathe.
"My sister. How much do you know about her going missing?"
"...!"
Ace's voice was cold like an assassin's blade, and Clara trembled while realizing what kind of a mistake she had made.
"You were the one to mention her to us yesterday. Also, good morning, Ace. I humbly ask of you to release my sister."
"!"
The situation was saved by the entrance of an unassuming brown-haired young woman who explained things first before curtsying and putting in an official request to the shocked monarch.
"Sis…!"
Clara cried out in relief to the woman she couldn't see from her position, and tried to unsuccessfully free herself again.
"Adrianna…!"
Ace gasped, although he didn't release Clara immediately.
"Considering our camaraderie back in Koboldia town, could you please release my sister? I've heard from her that the two of you aren't the best of friends, but she really doesn't have anything to do with your sister… You mentioned her yesterday with great sadness, and my sister must have mentioned her to annoy you because that's how she is. There's nothing more to it. I promise."
"Hey!"
"..."
Adrianna looked between Clara and Ace and said calmly while politely bowing her head, making her younger sister call out in disbelief while the green-haired monarch stared at her in confusion.
"Huaaah… Perseverance almighty… All the girls back in the Academy who say that you know how to treat a lady must have something wrong with their heads!"
Sometime later, the freed Clara was groaning while massaging her sore neck with a red imprint of vice while staring daggers at the dispirited monarch.
"OUGH…!"
"Back to the house. Grown-ups have to talk."
But then she let out a yelp when her older sister delivered a swift hand chop to her head from the side and pointed at the half-burnt building sternly.
"I'm almost seventeen! I have been a grown-up for over a year and a ha-OUGH! Okay, okay…!"
Clara tried to argue back, but that only earned her another chop, making her cower and scuttle back all teary-eyed as Adrianna still had her hand up at the ready.