Craving Power

"Come to think of it," Lude glanced at Sally's clothes. "Does the Collector not pay you?"

Sally stared blankly for a moment before coming back to herself. Looking at the handsome, rugged Lude before her, she hunched her shoulders slightly and said:

"She does, but not much. Only good stuff like that little knife of yours can fetch a bit more money. The money I usually get goes toward food, oil, salt, and booze."

"And..."

Sally stumbled over her words, lowering her head even further. "I always thought it was fine to wear whatever, so I never paid attention to clothes."

Lude frowned. "That's no way for a boss to treat her workers."

Sally gave a bitter smile. "When all's said and done, I was the one who went begging for a job. After all, it's not easy for kids like us to make money in Blackwater Town."

She sighed sadly. "If only... sigh, if only we worked for you."

She'd been curious last night about why the bartender had looked at Lude with such reverence, so she'd taken advantage of the drinks and asked him. That was when she learned Lude's famous saying.

The line that had stuck with her: "I don't like seeing people who work for me get the short end of the stick."

"Sure." Lude rolled the cheddar and arugula into the Iberian ham and chewed slowly.

"Huh?" Sally stared at him, dumbfounded.

"I said, sure." Lude spoke as he chewed. "I have a few jobs that need doing."

"Before you hand anything you find over to the Collector, you can bring it to me to take a look. If there's anything I'm interested in, I guarantee I'll pay more than the Collector."

"Besides, there are some special things I need."

"You might not be able to spot anything unusual through your lens, but you can try to sense them with your sixth sense. Or they might simply be things that look strange to the naked eye. I'll take all of those."

"If you find anything that fits what I'm looking for, I can pay you in Sol or in any other way you like."

Lude had given the matter careful thought. He had already borrowed Sally's lens and studied it, and the spirit elements in genuine [materials] were stable.

The spirit elements in the things Sally collected were all active, which meant they had come from outside sources and would fade over time.

From that perspective, the Collector's prices were actually quite reasonable.

Those things weren't worth much to the Collector, and they were worth no more to Lude—in fact, they were worth even less to him. He might be able to use them as single-use components in ritual arts, but they weren't of much use in alchemy.

For Lude, having more materials to experiment with was always a good thing.

The materials Lude could get his hands on so far were all plants and fungi, most of which were used to make consumables.

But the only materials Lude had for smelting were ordinary steel. It was enough to forge Resist-Steel, but better materials were always a good thing.

Delighted by Lude's offer, Sally said, "That's wonderful! I'll contact Silverback and Crow as soon as I get back!"

They said nothing more for the rest of the meal. After Lude ate the last boiled egg, they got up, paid, and left the café. But just as they reached the front entrance, Lude stopped.

He beckoned to the server, who brought over a cloth bag.

"Take it."

Lude smiled as he handed the bag to Sally.

"This is for Silverback and Crow. Take it along when you talk to them about the jobs. You don't want them thinking you're keeping everything for yourself and starting a rift between friends."

The midday sun filtered through the treetops, dappling the ground with light. For a moment, Sally beneath the tree felt a little dazed.

Sally had grown up in Blackwater Town and, in her short life, had met all sorts of strange people.

But she had never met anyone like Lude. His eyes held a razor-sharp glint, and he could take a life while chatting as if it were nothing, yet being around him felt like basking in a spring breeze.

Sally had long since learned that no one in this world was kind for no reason.

It had been the same even at the orphanage. Whether it was fighting over a piece of coarse black bread or trying to shirk a chimney-cleaning job, people born in a poor place would fight over any little thing.

It was even worse with strangers. They never hesitated to assume the worst of others, because their suspicions were always right.

But she didn't have to be that way around Lude. Perhaps she had nothing he could want, or perhaps he was simply so easy to be around that she couldn't bring herself to be wary of him.

Having grown up alone, Sally had learned early on to read people's expressions.

She knew Lude was proud to an extreme. He hardly cared about anyone or anything, and only ever pursued the goals he had set for himself.

The only people he would truly respect and keep close, she suspected, were close friends or rivals who could stand as his equals.

Even so, Sally couldn't help losing herself in the sense of security Lude gave her.

Sally had been raised in an orphanage since she was six. To make money for the orphanage, the mayor sent the children out to work. She still remembered the first time she cleaned a chimney: the oppressive feeling of smoke clogging her chest while darkness closed in all around her.

She had wondered more than once what would happen if she got stuck inside the chimney.

Sally was sure no one would come to help her. Before cleaning chimneys, she had more than once dragged out other children who had choked to death inside. And while working in the textile mill, she had more than once pulled severed limbs from the machines after they had caught someone.

Sally didn't want to do those terrible jobs, but every time, the headmistress's frightening gaze made her back down.

Back then, there had been no one to shield her when she was afraid, to give her the courage to move forward when she faltered, or to teach her how to live when she was lost. There hadn't even been anyone to thoughtfully help her with the little details she overlooked when dealing with her friends.

Just remembering those things made Sally's chest feel painfully tight.

The burning ache in Sally's chest urged her to find Lude, bury her face against his chest, and cry her heart out, to pour out all the grievances she had suffered since losing her parents.

But her reason held her firmly in check, leaving her unable to move.

Even though Lude would never turn her away, she couldn't do that. In the end, she was only a passerby in his life.

If only I could follow Mr. Hastings.

The thought was like a spark, setting fire to the cotton packed inside the girl's chest.

If only I could follow Mr. Hastings, stay by his side forever—not just enjoy the kindness he bestowed almost without thinking, but earn his praise and approval, and experience that indescribable sense of security.

A small ambition swelled until it nearly filled Sally's head. In that moment, desire began to burn fiercely.

What did Sally herself want? A frail girl like her would only cause trouble if she followed Lude. If she truly wanted to walk alongside him, she needed just one thing—

Strength!

True strength, like Mr. Hastings's!

And now, an excellent opportunity lay right before her.

Mr. Hastings had an aura that brooked no disobedience, and people like him rarely broke their promises. The wound that breaking a promise would leave in their confidence and pride would likely run far deeper than any physical scar.

And that gentleman had promised they could choose to be paid in Sol or anything else. This might be her only chance.

"So I absolutely cannot fail Mr. Hastings's mission!"