[R1999] Short Stories' Collection

Mondlicht & Pavia (3): The Wolf & The Girl in Red Cloak

"Want to mess with me again, huh?"

The man batted an eye to look at the little girl wearing a red cloak in front of him, while still leaning against the pillar of the gazebo. Although he looked like he was lowering his guard, he would immediately deal a fatal blow as soon as any threatening movements towards him appeared.

That was how he worked, even if this place was inside Vertin's suitcase.

"No, I want to say something else."

Facing his suspicious eyes, the young huntress slightly shook her head. Her fingers on the "hand-adz" - her special weapon, tightened a little, yet it wasn't a sign of precaution.

In the last two days, Mondlicht had been practicing how to remain calm when facing Pavia. Despite the fact that she had realized he wasn't the same kind with the big bad wolves, her instincts didn't work that way.

The vengeance for big bad wolves had become a part of her since the moment she learnt to fight and it would always be there till the moment she died.

Therefore, her hand-adz would instantly fire and slash, if any of her five senses ever detected the presence of those ferocious monsters. This also included Pavia, who had some traits and a faint atmosphere similar to them.

After asking some members in the suitcase, the little girl was led to an experienced stunt actor, Ms. Bette.

"Me?! O-Of course, you came to the right person!"

Ms. Bette had an ability to change her appearance to anyone she had seen before. Moreover, she was very good at mimicking their gestures and vibes for a short time, which was able to reach 50% of similarity.

Thanks to her quick reflexes as a stuntman, Bette had successfully avoided many lethal attacks from Mondlicht, right after she played her role as Pavia.

As a result of the training, the young huntress had shortened the safe distance between them and restrained her fighting instincts in front of the man.

"I'm sorry for trying to kill you that day."

Mondlicht lowered her crimson eyes and honestly admitted her fault.

"That's all you want to say, after having the guts to bother my resting time?"

Pavia gave her a glower.

"Then you should f*ck off before I'm totally pissed off by your presence."

The mercenary himself hated those annoying brats as much as those hirers who refused to pay when the mission was about to complete. With the previous, he had many ways to make them shut their mouths, yet the only option for the latter was death.

The girl still stood there, remaining in the safe space and now looking straight at him. Just like their first encounter, his threatening words had no effect on her at all.

"Here's my apology gift. Please take it."

As she spoke, a small object was thrown to Pavia's direction and easily caught by him. It was wrapped in a page from an old newspaper, with the astrology section visible in Pavia's sight.

[Your lucky item today is a fairy tale picture book.]

'If it didn't explode, then it wasn't a grenade.'

That thought quickly passed by his head when he was slowly opening the wrapped paper. Soon, various types of colorful candies revealed themselves before the suspicious eyes behind the sunglasses. 

He could recognize some of them, since he had seen the balloon weirdo give them out to all the children in the suitcase the other day.

"I can swear that there is no poison inside."