"So let me get this straight," Otoru took a sip from his glass of water. The three were now sitting together at a table inside the cafe, enjoying a fresh bit of air. "You simply just… got the wrong guy?"
"Basically. We were expecting two people on this island. One was a friend, which turned out to be you, and one was the enemy. Joseph and others just confused it. We're sorry about that. I hope Kim didn't hurt you." She laughed nervously, a bit ashamed because of this whole misunderstanding.
"Nah, he a bitch." He crossed his arms and tried to hide the blood streaks on his shirt. "Is that… blood?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, I'm on my period. So?" That was the best lie Otoru could come up with.
That, of course, made the two stare at him in silence.
"What?" Otoru raised an eyebrow.
"Whatever." Pablo rolled his eyes. "What's our plan, Paula?"
"If my insider information is true, no one in the government, or anyone affiliated with the government, is allowed to hunt, kill, or permanently jail you. Though you're not supposed to know that."
"Sucks to suck." He shrugged. Otoru got curious, however. "Why?"
Pablo looked away. Paula noticed this but didn't point it out; Otoru, however, was fully oblivious.
"No idea." Her eyes narrowed. "But I'm sure this has its upsides, as well as its downsides."
"I see." Pablo nodded along. "So you're saying… the Caedis won't hurt me?"
"She didn't say anything about them not being allowed to hurt you, dumbass." Otoru scoffed.
"It is true. The Caedis…" She sighed. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you'll probably be very comfortable with them, Pablo. They will treat you like a VIP."
His eyebrows climbed toward his hairline. "What?"
"Unlike those that are actually in the government… the Caedis are still, technically, criminals. They are just criminals that aren't being hunted. The last thing they want is the government pissed off. And given how they don't know why you aren't allowed to be killed, they will most likely assume you're a guest of honor protected by the government."
A few men entered the cafe and greeted Paula. She greeted them back and returned to the conversation without a pause. "But we don't know that. That's a huge gamble."
"You're right, it is. But given how we know they won't kill, imprison, or harvest you… literally the worst-case scenario is you getting beat up or verbally abused. And the best-case scenario is you getting exactly what you want." She folded her arms confidently.
"..." He thought carefully and got lost in the details of the table, eventually deciding to take a deep breath to gather courage. "Is it okay if I think about it?"
"You shouldn't rush a decision like that anyway." Otoru finished his water, then crossed his arms and leaned back. "Agreed." Paula nodded along. "If they learn you're with us, one wrong move could end up starting a war. The Caedis are ruthless."
"Then why doesn't the public do anything about it?" That was the one thing Pablo just couldn't understand. How could they just get away with it? "You're right. The public's opinion does matter. But they are not doing their crimes in front of everyone. You only know that because he knows that." She pointed at Otoru. "And he only knows that because I know that. And I only know that because of my father, and I can only assume he learned from someone else."
"Hm." He groaned in frustration. "So to the civilians… they are just another royal family?"
"Yep." She nodded.
"Do you know anything about who the family members are? And who are their fighters? If they are just plain old guards, I can wipe them out without a problem." He showed his prosthetic hand. "I can take them on."
"They too have sorcerers and Treasurers fighting for them. Though their main manpower is themselves. Each individual of the family is a very powerful fighter. I don't know their Treasures, but I know their names and their overall strength."
"I'm all ears." He started sitting upright, and so did Otoru.
"There are 5 siblings, who are 2 brothers and 3 sisters. The youngest brother is named Tempus. I don't know his exact age, but the siblings are not that old. Tempus is the twin brother of Lumen, the middle sister. Tempus is strong; he gave Tsuyoi a very hard time back in the day. I can only imagine he got stronger. Lumen, on the other hand, is your average woman. I don't even know if she can fight or not."
As she kept explaining, Pablo took notes.
…Well, not really. He just scribbled since he's illiterate. But he wanted to look like he was doing his best and not just staring at her while she talked.
"The oldest brother is Don. That's not his real name, but everyone calls him Don. He's in charge of the whole operation and is… how does one put this? 'Man of the house.' But the one in control is still their mother, Crudelis. She is terribly powerful; she isn't someone just anyone can fight. Just avoid her." She noticed Pablo's ass was not writing shit, yet she didn't point it out.
"The rest aren't that important. The oldest sister is Catharina, just a year older than Lumen. But they call her Caitlyn. She is known for rejecting her family and attempting to escape countless times. I can safely say she's the only one that is trying to actively destroy the family."
"That's great!" His face lit up. "Why don't we take her to our side, then?"
"Pablo, who do you think gives me my 'insider information'? Caitlyn has been helping us for several years, but she isn't telling everything she knows because after countless attempts of escaping, they are keeping a close eye on her. However, you shouldn't reveal to her that you're with us. At the end of the day, she's a Caedis."
"That's a bit cruel, don't you think? She's trying to escape her family." He raised an eyebrow. "Oh no, she herself said, 'I wouldn't trust me either.' She understands, rightfully so."
"Who's the other sister, then? The youngest." Otoru jumped in the conversation.
"Why? You looking for a girlfriend?" Pablo grinned. "Nope. I like 'em older. And I mean older. I'm talking historical levels of old."
"...Ew." He regretted even asking; his grin instantly dropped.
"Anywho," she tried her best to ignore Otoru's stupid remarks. "Her name is Bulla. And she is just a kid, don't even worry about her."
"What should I do once I'm in there?" Pablo leaned forward, weighing his options. "You said something about your disease. Even if I don't know why you want it from them specifically, that shouldn't be your first goal. In my opinion, getting definitive proof of their wrongdoings is the best move. Then once you secure that, you should dig in to get more information about whatever your disease is." She stood up and headed for her office. "Acting like a cocky, spoiled brat should get them pissed off. If you do that, they will want you gone as fast as possible, which means they will give you what you want quicker."
"How do I do that?" A sliver of doubt crept in. "Like you don't know." Otoru rolled his eyes.
Before closing the door, she waved at them. "I'll be here if you need me. Once you're ready, give me a visit."
As the door closed, he found himself waving weakly. "What'll you do when I go, Otoru?"
"If they wouldn't recognise me, I'd come with you. So I'm afraid you'll have to fly solo." He got up as well. "I'll be around, see if there is anything worth my attention. I'll look for Kori too; she gives me the creeps every time she disappears."
"She does that…" Unlike the others, Pablo remained seated and conflicted. "See you around."
As hours passed and nighttime struck, he found himself roaming the streets with an empty mind, not really paying attention to anything. It was quiet, peaceful, and a perfect time to overthink.
It was raining pretty heavily, but he didn't wear anything over his head. The scent of sugar overwhelmed and distracted him; he still wasn't used to it despite being on the island for a while.
His feet dived into a deep puddle when he wasn't paying attention. "Shit!" The accident pulled him out of his trance. "Stupid road."
However, he didn't continue walking.
He stared at the puddle beneath his feet, specifically, his own reflection on it.
"Stupid you."
"You talking about me?"
"Yes? Who else?"
"You look like the stupid one right now."
"Says the stupid one."
"Fuck you, I'm smart."
"Yet you still can't figure out if you'll actually do it."
"Do what?"
"Be the tiebreaker you promised to be? Is leeching off of everyone you meet the only thing you're good at?"
"Projecting much?"
"The only projection here is you, literally."
"Are we talking about the narcissist or the reflection?"
"Stay on topic."
"Then stop yelling at me and do what you want to do."
"I want to live."
"Which will destroy the lives of everyone else."
"I won't let that happen."
"Who the fuck do you think you are?"
"I won't let that happen."
"Look at you, playing hero again. I thought I already split someone that justified his own hatred with ideology in half."
"You're splitting yourself."
"I won't let that happen."
"Who do you think you are?"
He couldn't respond to that question; he didn't respond a moment ago.
Pablo took a deep breath and looked up, facing the giant castle at the center of the island. Flames, powerful as the hatred within his soul, roared in his eyes.
He took a step forward. His voice came deep from the throat.
"You."