Chapter 41
Marsha and Berry wandered from tavern to tavern, searching for information brokers who had come in from other regions.
Two young women asking after informants drew suspicion—some barked at them in irritation, while others leaned in with greasy grins, demanding to know why they were looking.
Still, not everyone turned them away.
“I’ve heard a broker is working in the alleys off Third Street,” one bartender finally muttered, “but I can’t say for sure.”
Third Street lay on the far northern edge of the Sedem Market, lined with derelict, crumbling buildings.
Some people called it the “Dead Street.” Masha and Berry had never once gone near it—there had never been a reason to.
Now, with a flutter of nerves between them, the two girls made their way north.
The bustling crowds thinned noticeably the closer they drew to the alleys of Third Street.
Soon, harsh shouts and raucous laughter drifted to their ears.
At the entrance to a particularly damp, shadowed alley, Marsha grimaced.
A crowd clogged the space—men gambling on makeshift wooden boards, others trading goods for coins underhandedly.
A street gambling den…
So this was the so-called Dead Street.
In more ways than one, it fit.
“Ugh… Do you think a broker would really be in a place like this?”
Berry’s voice trembled as she clung close to Marsha.
“Berry,” Marsha said softly, “can you wait for me at the entrance?”
“What? You’re going in there alone? No way—it’s too dangerous!”
Berry shook her head furiously, eyes wide.
But Marsha only offered a faint smile.
“I’m not asking you to just wait. I need you to keep watch. If the city guard or patrol shows up, it’ll be a mess.”
“Oh… right. That could happen…”
Berry chewed her lip, torn. After a long pause, she finally nodded, though worry clouded her face.
“All right. If I see any guards, I’ll warn you immediately. But please—be careful!”
“I will. I’ll be quick. You stay alert too.”
“Mm!”
Watching Berry scan the street with determination, Marsha felt relieved.
She hadn’t wanted to drag her friend into such a place, but at least here Berry would be safer than following her deeper inside.
Not that even the entrance is truly safe. I’ll need to be fast.
Her face was hidden beneath a hood and scarf, but Masha still lowered her gaze, uneasy as she edged into the alley.
Then she heard it—a voice at the far end.
“I’ve got any information you could ever need! Hey, consultations are free!”
The slurred bravado made her frown, but the man was the only informant around.
No choice, then.
With a steadying breath, she approached.
“…I have something to ask.”
The half-drunken man blinked blearily, surprised to see a young woman here of all places.
“Hm? What?”
The first informant she had ever used had been discreet, anonymous—she could make blunt requests without fear.
But now, with her identity so exposed, she needed to gauge this man’s ability first.
“Can you find people?”
He tipped back an empty bottle, smacking his lips before answering.
“Requests like that cost a pretty coin. You’ll be charged the whole time I’m digging.”
“So as long as I have money, you can get me whatever information I want?”
“Ha… women.”
He eyed her with disdain. Whenever a woman asked after someone, the story was almost always the same—tracking down the father of her child, or a husband who had run off.
Such men were rarely worth finding.
Still, brokers took the jobs, stringing along desperate clients to bleed them for coin month after month.
This girl, though, looked far too poor to even afford the down payment.
What savings could a young woman possibly have?
“Impossible. If you’re that desperate, try the capital or one of the great cities.”
His blunt dismissal made Masha clench her fists.
“Then how much would it cost to hire someone like that?”
“What’s with the bold tone, huh? You expect me to hand out price lists?”
He clicked his tongue, but after a sluggish moment of thought, he began counting on his fingers.
“Fifty gold a month, at least. And even with the money, good luck hiring one—they’re in high demand. Hic!”
Pain shot through Marsha’s head.
The money she had scraped together through years of toil would barely cover a single month’s fee.
And even then, there was no guarantee of securing one.
Chasing the culprit through an informant might be impossible… Then what should I do?
Still hiccupping, the broker smirked.
“Let me guess—you’re looking for some runaway husband. Forget it. Even if you suffer and spend a fortune to find him, what’s stopping him from bolting again? Am I wrong?”
The insult cut deep, but correcting him would mean revealing her true circumstances.
Better to let him keep his mistake. After all, she had no intention of seeing him again.
“…Perhaps you’re right,” she said quietly.
And just then—
A loud crash erupted behind her.
Startled, Masha spun around.
“You bastard! Why’d you flip the board?! I was winning!”
A man in a tattered robe sat on the ground, scrambling to gather scattered chips.
From the looks of it, he had upended the game table in his clumsiness.
The uproar from the gamblers showed no sign of dying down.
“What are you gonna do about this, huh?”
“C-cough! I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”
The man who had made the mistake answered in a low voice.
Marsha’s eyes narrowed.
That voice… I’ve heard it somewhere before.
Just as she dismissed it as her imagination, a rough-looking thug grabbed the man by the collar.
His feet dangled helplessly in the air.
Marsha turned away.
Staying here any longer will only bring trouble.
And getting information here seemed impossible anyway.
In the end, she retraced her steps, head bowed low, leaving with nothing to show for it.
Because of that, she never noticed the gaze that followed her until the very end.
***
The forest path was bathed in the orange glow of sunset.
When Berry realised Marsha had failed to strike a deal with the informant, she spoke carefully.
“Don’t be too disappointed. There must be another way.”
“You think so?” Marsha replied with a faint, bitter smile.
Berry fidgeted with her fingers.
“I know it probably sounds silly coming from someone who doesn’t understand much… but still, I want to say this.”
She knew exactly how heavy Marsha’s burdens had been.
Some might call her life nothing but misfortune.
But Berry wanted her to hear something different.
“I think the reason you exist… is to be happy.”
Marsha blinked her wide eyes. Berry smiled sheepishly.
“So even if things are hard now, I believe a great fortune will find its way to you. I really do.”
The corners of Marsha’s eyes grew warm and tinged red.
No. I can’t possibly be happy again.
She had been blessed with parents who loved her dearly, and she’d found a grandmother and Berry who cherished her.
There were people in the world who never knew love at all, yet she had been surrounded by it.
To ask for more happiness on top of that… it felt unbearably selfish.
Her lips parted. For a heartbeat she considered telling Berry the truth in her heart—but instead, she chose the words Berry longed to hear.
“…Thank you.”
Berry beamed.
Even when Marsha was buried in misery, there were moments when happiness struck her with breathtaking force—and almost always, Berry was the one who gave her those moments.
Because Berry was with her today, Marsha, frightened as a lost child, had still found the strength to smile.
“Ah.”
Berry’s face froze mid-laugh as she looked over Marsha’s shoulder.
Startled, Marsha turned.
Claudio stood there, chin tilted in arrogant defiance, his expression dark with disapproval.
“ I-I should get going! Thanks for helping me pick out a gift today!”
Berry blurted, flustered.
Marsha, caught up in the panic, bowed quickly as well.
“No, thank you. Get home safe!”
“Okay!”
Berry scurried away like a startled flying squirrel. Marsha let out a long sigh.
Not even that dangerous back alley had scared her this much earlier—so why was she so terrified of this man?
What is it about him that makes her so afraid?
Marsha turned to Claudio again, and suddenly she understood.
He’s different.
Among everyone he had met today, no one carried such an aura of dominance.
What’s the word… like a lion.
She thought that if she had met him under ordinary circumstances, she might have been just as intimidated as Berry.
But instead, she forced herself to step toward him.
“Why are you outside?”
“To meet you. Since someone was taking far too long.”
Marsha blinked rapidly.
“Too long? The sun hasn’t even set yet.”
“Bad things don’t wait for nightfall to happen, you know.”
With that, Claudio turned toward the house and jerked his chin—like a man summoning a dog.
Really? Like I’m some pet?
Marsha pouted her lips but followed after him anyway.