In her past life, she'd seen it happen too many times.
Innocent children abducted by human traffickers, one family after another shattered overnight.
She still remembered a movie she'd seen as a child. It told the story of a young girl abducted by traffickers. Her mother cried herself to death, and her father sold everything he owned, riding a motorcycle across the country in search of his daughter for twenty years.
That film was based on a true story, and in the end, they showed a photo of the girl—her sweet face made you wonder how anyone could be heartless enough to do such a thing.
Baobhan Sith despised traffickers above all. Murderers and drug dealers were secondary; in her previous life, she'd imagined countless ways to torment human traffickers.
Even death by a thousand cuts felt too light. She'd heard of a punishment where they'd slice a cross into the top of someone's scalp, peel the skin back, and pour mercury over the muscles. The victim would walk away, leaving a full skin behind.
Maybe it was that hidden bloodthirsty streak that made her Saint Graph such a perfect match for Baobhan Sith.
If that's the case, would I also be a good fit for the Countess of Blood, Carmilla?
But these curse users she'd encountered in this world… they were far worse than ordinary traffickers.
Not only had they kidnapped children, but they'd also killed their caretakers!
Unforgivable! They should suffer every last torture known to humankind!!
Unknowingly, dusk was settling over the mountains to the west.
Baobhan Sith looked up at the fiery clouds on the horizon, almost like blood splattering across the sky.
Her first kill, yet she felt unexpectedly calm.
Even though, in her past life, she'd never even killed a chicken…
She'd imagined scenes like this many times, but this was her first real taste of it.
"Senpai… are you alright?"
"Oh, I'm fine, Mash."
Tilting her head back to watch the sun set felt a bit dramatic—a perfect pose for striking a heroic figure, if only it weren't so hard on the neck.
"I'm not a child. I understand there are rotten people in this world, and I won't be shaken so easily."
"I'm not naive enough to believe in a world without evil just because I see a little bit of good. Nor will I deny the good that exists just because I encounter evil. I'll simply be true to myself."
"Having power doesn't make me a savior. The last person who got that arrogant was blown apart by a man-made being. I'm just going to take hold of what's right in front of me."
If she hadn't stumbled upon this, maybe it would've been different. But having encountered innocent people suffering before her eyes—and knowing she had the power to help them—
Why not reach out?
Using a few persuasive methods, Baobhan Sith learned from the surviving curse users that the children in that cage weren't the only ones taken. There had been several abductions like this before.
In the heart of this forest lived a prominent family of curse users who hunted down gifted children each year and brought them here. No one knew why, as the survivors were all low-ranking mercenaries or members of the clan.
The highest-ranking member's corpse had gone cold by now; he wouldn't be answering any questions.
Maybe it would've been better if I hadn't killed him so quickly…
"Let's go check it out."
When Baobhan Sith made her decision, Da Vinci and Mash both gave her looks of resigned approval.
Their expressions almost made her think she was a kind person.
Yeah, right. Can a "kind person" smile sweetly while dismembering someone?
Even though both Da Vinci and her instincts told her that most of the children taken by this family were likely already gone…
She couldn't shake the feeling until she confirmed it for herself.
But there was still the issue of the children here. She couldn't just leave them.
Then Da Vinci, ever-resourceful, offered a solution.
"Are you sure that setup will hold?"
"Don't worry! With a magic array designed by the great Da Vinci, not even mages from the Age of Gods could detect it."
Territory Creation A: Due to her training as a mage in the land of fairies, she could construct a workshop with ease.
Baobhan Sith's Saint Graph skill allowed her to create a magical hideaway flawlessly, even with Da Vinci's remote instructions guiding her through her first experience with magecraft.
She'd set the field for maximum stealth, so its defensive strength was low. It simply cloaked the children, prompting passersby to overlook the area or veer around it.
After securing the children in this hidden array, she instructed them to stay put and wait for her return.
Of course, she placed them some distance from the bodies of the curse users, just to be safe. She even had Da Vinci check if the kids carried any tracking spells.
She'd eliminated every risk she could think of—enough that even Da Vinci teased her about being overprotective.
If all the children had shown that same dead look in their eyes, Baobhan Sith's precautions might've felt unnecessary. Yet one little girl still had a glimmer in her gaze.
Though faint, there was a spark in those eyes, and as Baobhan Sith spoke, that girl watched her intently, her small face reflecting Baobhan Sith's own.
Baobhan Sith recognized her as the child that one scumbag had used to threaten her—a memory that lingered vividly.
I hope she listens to me… and maybe helps look after the others.
When she was giving her instructions, Baobhan Sith had one other worry.
After all, she hadn't forgotten her first interaction with the curse users. All she'd wanted was directions, yet somehow, her words had turned into insults—"small fry," "trash," one after another.
She worried she'd slip up and scold the children, too.
But to her surprise, her tone remained gentle as she spoke to them, her words kind. In Baobhan Sith's naturally pleasant voice, she even felt a touch of motherly warmth.
Even Baobhan Sith was shocked at how soft her voice sounded.
Does this Saint Graph… actually treat people differently?
And at that moment, a thought crossed Baobhan Sith's mind.
"Could it be… that Fairy Tristan herself already knew the curse users were bad people, and her dislike of them influenced my personality?"
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T/N: When talking to the mighty and great Da Vinci-chan I'm putting the dialogue in italics! If it's too bothersome to read let me know and I can stop doing that ASAP!