MA: 105. An Extreme Warning

What’s our grandma scheming?

Red pressed herself flat against the curtains, unaware that her silhouette was showing through. She believed she was hidden simply because she couldn’t be seen through the fabric.

But in reality, Elda and the other person could see her very clearly.

Oh. He’s going. My heart’s telling me to stay put. But my other heart is saying to have look. But what if Snow gets mad that I’m creeping around? Damn you Snow. Why does making you angry annoy me so much? Is there something wrong with me–!

“–I apologize for the late visit. I will say, it’s quite rare for two people with red eyes to be in the same place.”

Red only realized that she had been lost in thought when the Herald spoke from beside her. The man didn’t stop to say hello. He simply walked towards the staircase. His job here was done.

“W-What the– You snuck up on me. That’s… are you an assassin too?”

“Not at all.” The man began, right as Red pulled up his stats.

Her heart then suddenly sank.

What… Are those Stats…?

//////// < EXTREME WARNING > ////////

< This warning will only appear for targets that you have no possibility of winning against >

Herald
Act X

< Messenger >

Soul Rank: Violet | Atelier: Act X

LEVEL : 100     ORIGIN : Construct     HP : 4,500

ATT : 1,250     MAG ATT : 1,250     AGI : 40

His HP was low. Red acknowledged that least.

But her heart raced at his ATT stats and Level.

The warning did not arrive merely because Agate decided to show it.

She felt as though it was a response to her own recognition of what kind of monster this was.

Not only that…

Act X

< Observation Level 1 >

< The Commandments come before all >

Herald

< Observation Level 1 >

< One of the lowest ranking members of Act X. They are the primary envoys of the Scripts >

This was what caused Red to lock up.

A Herald of Act X not even their strongest member.

She could only imagine how powerful the Ateliers were, if just one member was over level 100. It put Scarlet Logic to shame, although she had only seen their Fodder and the Dawn Team.

While dying was not a problem, she did not want to put her hand into what was the equivalent of a sleeping dragon.

It wasn’t fear that she felt. There was even a sense of exhilaration. It was that she understood the consequences of picking such a fight.

Did Red want everyone here to die.

No. Because it was wrong, and it would make Snow very sad.

The end.

Just when Red was about to tiptoe back to bed and shrug this off as a bad dream, the Herald then spoke to her again in a light voice.

“Be careful with who your trust here in Aire. Your village Elder’s eyes have already captivated some. Your presence will have undoubtedly brought more unwanted attention. Fear that attention. Farewell. I find it humorous that the Script did not account for you.”

And just like that, the man disappeared. She silently rushed to the balcony and waited for minutes.

Yet the man did not appear at the front.

He had seemingly vanished.

“Little Red.” Elda softly addressed. “Would you like me to rewarm that cup? It hasn’t been touched by our vistor.”

“Who… Or what was that? He was strong.”

“Unbelievably strong. He hails from a faraway place.” Elda pointed towards the mountains. “Past those peaks, beyond the forests, there is the fifth city of the Nex Megalopolis. The City of Strings. That man hails from that place.”

Red took a seat across from her.

She stayed silent, absorbing Elda’s words like a sponge as she took the cup and sipped at it, as though it was still hot.

Elda was the second person she trusted the most.

Red saw her as Snow’s grandmother, and the fact that Elda was the first to welcome her back also reinforced her bond with this lady.

“Dear Red. The City of Strings is a place I would advise all to never visit. Though it is protected by an Atelier, its streets only know of mandated cruelty. There are no neighbors. Only targets. Do keep that light in your eyes. If you ever find yourself lost or lacking purpose, never accept their offer of a Script.”

“How come? Wouldn’t it be easier to follow a Script?”

“Humans, Red, are not determinantal beings. We choose what we would like to eat. We decide how much sugar this tea needs. Who we love. To be tied to a Commandment is to exhume ourselves of our humanity.”

“So no following?”

“No. The only thing one should follow is their own light. Not all stars lead to where you want to be. Any light in the darkness of desperation will feel like the right one.”

“Like Snow… she’s also afraid of these ‘stars’.”

Elda knew a lot of things, Red came to realize. She had never talked with Elda like this before, so it was surprising to hear her echo some of what Snow had talked to her about.

But then again, did Elda teach these to Snow? Or was it common knowledge?

“Can I ask you something? Ma’am?”

“Oh sweetheart. Please, call me by my name. Elda. You have my permission. I wouldn’t want one of my children to feel so distant. You may ask me whatever you want.”

Red shifted slightly on her chair. A warm, fuzzy feeling caused her to grin like a pampered child.

“Elda. What is ‘humanity’?”

“Humanity is to be able to question what humanity is, rather than to have a definition of it.”

“… That… makes no sense.”

The answer didn’t satisfy Red in the slightest. She wore a dejected look as Elda rose from her seat.

She has stayed up for too long, and drowsiness was taking over.

Before she left, she placed a warm hand onto Red’s head and gently brushed her hair.

“One day, it may very well make the most sense amongst all the answers you have found. Rest well, my dear child. Tomorrow will be a long day.”

“… I’m not a child.” Red whispered.

“But you all are in my eyes. All of you are still learning. Still growing. I wish to nurture that.”

“… no matter what?”

“Unconditionally.” Elda pinched Red’s cheek, promising this. “Goodnight.”

Red touched where Elda had pinched her. It should have annoyed her. Snow always did this to her.

But with Elda, she recognized it as one of affection. It was warmer than any hug, and any words ever said to her.

“I’ll remember this.”

Red waited a minute before returning to her bed. It was no more than a thin strip of cloth laid out on the ground. Her place was right next to Snow, though for some reason…

“Grrr. Why don’t you like to sleep right next to me?” Red pouted at the arm’s length gap between their beds. “One day, I’m gonna cozy right up into your arms. And you’re gonna get frazzled. Heh.”

She laid down parallel with Snow and stared at her trusty companion.

You’re the only human who knows the real me. I hope you also know how much our grandma loves us. I don’t think I would’ve been able to tell if you didn’t tell me that you cared about me.

Red inched closer. But not too close.

And it wasn’t because of Snow’s boundaries.

Rather, it was because of a strange sting in her chest.

“Wait… I gotta be on the lookout. What if that guy’s still in the house?”

*

The next day…

“… Red… what happened to you in your sleep to end up like that?”

Snow found Red hanging with half her body over the balcony railing that morning.

“She was talking about wanting to catch someone in her sleep. Ended up sleeping there. Isn’t she funny?” One of the girls giggled.

Snow had offhandedly called Red a Thrum, and she had been regretting it ever since. It was an incredibly derogatory term to use, and Red was by no means mentally incapacitated.

But Red wasn’t making it any easier with her antics.