The Ashes Settle

After a wild night of firefighting, Carolyn and others were able to contain the spread of the flame and wait for the guards to stamp out the final embers. The city paid little attention to the slums, but naturally a major fire couldn't be ignored lest it spill over. Everyone left before the guards arrived because they didn't want any trouble, but unless something unexpected happened, there was no need to worry about the fire worsening.

As for the drug-filled smoke, Carolyn self-diagnosed that she inhaled enough smoke to account for one or two doses of the drug, so she would have to face withdrawal symptoms of the same degree as the slum children, but her condition wouldn't be as dire since her body was more developed. Lavender said she would be fine, though she didn't explain why, but if even Carolyn had inhaled at least one dose of the drug, it was easy to imagine that the slums' residents would be facing much pain in the future.

Carolyn planned on asking Benedict about what they could do to help them, but if Henry was still around to distribute drugs and cause trouble, it would all be for naught. With the sun starting its rise, Carolyn and Lavender went to the church to speak with Benedict. Lavender was determined to express her frustration, while Carolyn worried about how she would face the children after failing to confirm that Henry's rampage would continue no more. However, when they arrived at the church, they found one of the men who had aided in battling the fire waiting at the door. He informed them that Benedict was tying up loose ends and would see them later in the day. He also told Carolyn that the children were asleep after a hectic night, so she wouldn't be able to talk with them. The two turned away, ready to return to the Wild Boar Inn, when Lavender stopped Carolyn.

"Wait. You can't leave like that."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Your outfit. Even with your face hidden, these clothes are still enough to identify you. They might have helped us this time, but I can't imagine that the residents here will be glad to see you again."

"Good point. Maybe I can find an old tablecloth to cover up in the meantime."

"If you're willing to trust me, shall I go for a change of clothes for you?"

"Would you really?"

"Yes. I was thinking of making a change before returning too."

Given the blood and dust on Lavender's outfit, she would definitely look suspicious if someone saw her, so Carolyn nodded in understanding.

"Then, please do. Thank you."

"Wait here for me; I'll be back soon."

After making that statement, Lavender walked off and disappeared soon after. Though she was a little curious about where she would go to get their change of clothes, Carolyn didn't try to follow Lavender. Once she was alone, Carolyn started thinking of the events of last night. There was a stakeout followed by a short chase and then a fight against man and fire.

"It was quite a long night."

She didn't know what sort of hidden measures Benedict had in place, but if she had given up at any moment of this mission, Henry would have probably caused much more damage. Carolyn felt glad to know that her efforts weren't fruitless, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Henry hadn't died in that fire. If that was true, then there was still no time to relax. She knew that this had little to do with her original purpose in coming to Vernum City, but now that she was involved, she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't stick with it to the end.

As for what would happen after Henry was subdued, that was a worry for another day.

While Carolyn was still in her thoughts, Lavender returned in a fresh, bright-coloured outfit.

"I hope you didn't have any trouble while I was gone."

"No, I was thinking about last night, so I barely noticed the time go by."

"It was a trouble-filled night. But fortunately, it seems that was the end of it."

"What do you mean?"

"While I was getting us a change of clothes, I happened to hear that the guards captured the culprit behind the fire. Apparently he was left neatly tied up at the northern gate fresh in the morning with a letter detailing his crimes."

"It must be Mr. Benedict's work then."

"Our thoughts are aligned there. Really, to think he would take all the good parts after throwing the fire on us. How could a priest's heart be so dark?"

"Well, I'm sure he had his reasons. We can just ask him when we meet later."

Hearing that someone likely to be Henry was captured brought relief to Carolyn, but another concern quickly replaced the burden that was lifted.

"Yes, there is a lot that he'll need to answer for. Come with me now; I tidied up a room for you in one of these empty houses. It's not the cleanest, but I hope it'll do."

"No no, I'm grateful that you would go so far."

Carolyn followed Lavender into one of the houses and was led into an empty room with a dress hanging from a hole in the ceiling and a bag on a chair to hold her clothes and other items after changing. There was nothing too inappropriate about the dress that Lavender brought for her, but Carolyn could tell that she had fun choosing it.

When Carolyn stepped out of the room after changing into the dress, Lavender immediately clapped and praised her. The minor burns from last night made some patches of skin redder than others, but they didn't look like injuries to an untrained eye.

"Wow! It fits even better than I imagined."

It was a short-sleeved cyan blue dress lavishly decorated in flower patterns. Despite the childish design, on Carolyn it seemed to transform into the magical gown of a fairy. Carolyn had taken off her mask so she couldn't hide the blush on her face, but that only emphasised her innocent appeal.

"I'm thankful that you brought me a change of clothes, but won't this stand out too much?"

Though Carolyn was normally good-looking, her usual appearance wouldn't have been enough to pull off this look. It was only possible because some of her makeup had worn off after wearing a mask through a night of intense fighting and labour. Seeing that Carolyn was unaware, Lavender kept quiet about this fact, but even she acknowledged that it would be best that they returned to the inn without too many encounters.

"I suppose so. It's a shame, but we'll have to stay out of sight. Well, at least I get to keep this sight of you for myself."

"Yes?"

With Lavender leading, the two soon arrived at the Wild Boar Inn. Carolyn planned on heading straight to her room to change and return the dress to Lavender, but they were stopped once they entered the front door.

"Lavender. Carol. I know you just came back, but I need to speak with you two."

Given that the sun was already up, it wasn't odd to find Margaret at the front door, but Carol was still shocked to see her. Lavender was more composed, but her expression was tense as she responded.

"Ah, Big Sis Marg. I would love to talk, but Carol and I are really tired, so how about we—"

"Follow me into the tavern. I'll give you something to keep you awake."

Margaret gave no room for refusal before heading into the tavern.

"Um, Ms. Lavender?"

"Sorry, Carol. I'll take care of this, so just follow my lead, okay?"

Carol felt guilty for relying on Lavender, but she wasn't sure how to face Margaret, so she meekly assented to her proposal.

Upon entering the tavern, Carolyn was surprised to see every member of staff waiting, including Kanna and Rod. Their gazes held a mixture of feelings, but the two most common emotions were concern and anger. As Carolyn's surprise turned into worry, Lavender strode forward.

"It's nice to see everyone gathered like this. You must be the new girl, Kanna, right? I'm Lavender; it's nice to meet you."

Lavender tried to find a gap in the encirclement, but though she was new to the inn, Kanna wasn't a pushover.

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Lavender. I hear you've been taking quite good care of my friend, Carol."

"Haha, well..."

"The both of you, sit here."

Standing next to a table with two steaming cups of tea, Margaret called Lavender and Carolyn. The pair obediently followed her directions and sat down, but neither could find themselves able to drink the tea presented. Instead, they waited to hear the reason for the tense atmosphere inside the room.

"Since you're still awake, I'll get right to it. Lavender, what were you doing last night?"

"Oh come on, Big Sis Marg. You know that I work at night. I get it; you're worried about me bringing Carol with me, but you can trust me to look after her. Have I ever let you down before?"

"More times than I can count."

"Eh? Really?"

"Lavender. I already told you that I won't shove my nose into what you do for a living as long as I get my rent on time. And if you got Carol to join you willingly, then I don't got an issue there either. But, the boy is different."

Hearing the mention of a boy, Lavender's expression finally faltered. While Carolyn wondered who this 'boy' was, Margaret continued.

"When I caught him sneaking into the house last night, even I was shocked for a bit, but I can't say I'm impressed with how you got him out of his room."

Lavender didn't think that Margaret knew the full story, but she was certain that any lies or half-truths wouldn't work against her.

"… I was shocked that he went outside too. No amount of threats or tricks from me could get him to do that. That was his own will. Though, I do admit to asking for his help."

"I'll think about what to do with you later."

While Carolyn was still confused by their conversation, it was her turn to face everyone.