"Why so glum, Papa?!"
Mondo looked away from the window and smiled seeing Irisu standing at the door.
"Ah no... just thinking. "
"Hm? What is it?"
Irisu sat next to Mondo and waited for him to speak.
"Well... sometimes I wonder if I'm taking the right decisions, that's all?"
"Well we can't have you doubting yourself! After all you are our leader, right?!" Irisu smiled and nudged him gently.
"Hm... I suppose so." Mondo chuckled.
"Also... your decisions are far more well-thought than anything we would take. I'm here to listen if you want to talk though."
Mondo smiled.
He still remembered that little girl from more than fifteen years back who had tried so hard to keep him away from her sister.
A rebellious, mistrustful child who had openly declared that she would never accept him.
But with time he had earned her trust and friendship and became a father-like figure for her. Though they shared very few words now, they still had a very strong bond.
"Did you see that man who went out now?" asked Mondo
Irisu shook her head and Mondo continued.
"I just had a visitor. He worked as a dealer in one of our clubs. Yesterday... Debito kicked him out for cheating. He had informed me about his actions and I agreed. Many of our regulars were cheated by that man and since Debito had already made that decision I didn't say more."
"Well, why does it matter then? And besides the rule of cheating is if you get caught you face the consequences. That was his mistake."
Mondo couldn't help but laugh on realising how half of the people under his roof had such loose definitions of morals.
"Caught or not, it was still wrong. That man came here just now, begging to be given his job back. I refused as it wasn't my decision and he.... wasn't very pleased."
"Since when were you bothered by stuff like that?"
"No.... but he said, I'm being so cold only because he was a commoner and that the only people who I care about is the family."
"Is that wrong? To care more about the family?"
Mondo looked at Irisu sadly.
"It isn't right either is it?"
"Papa... " Irisu stood up and tapped his shoulder slightly.
"You have done so much for the people and the island. You gave up on many things and protected them from things most of them don't even remember anymore. You deserve your own happiness now.
You look after the family and we will look after Regalo. You shouldn't get so affected by the words of a sore loser!"
"Ha... I suppose you are right. I - I'm still worried if we had made a mistake by gathering all the arcana together, so I'm a bit touchy right now."
"Isn't it a good thing they are together? Why are you worried?"
Mondo was silent for a moment and Irisu prodded him again to speak.
"Papa.... doesn't this help the World arcana to stabilise? And we are helping them out too! What's to worry about?"
"Too much power in a single place is dangerous. Regardless of whether it is in one person's hands or shared between many."
"What?"
"If it turns out to be a mistake... it's not just the family but all of Regalo that will pay the price."
"Papa, you don't have to worry about Cecil. He will be fine. And the others can control their arcana reasonably well. Why do you speak as if this has happened before?"
Mondo wasn't surprised Irisu was sharp enough to get to the point so quickly.
But now isn't the time to explain...
"Nothing like that, Irisu. "
"Huh? Why are you lying so shamelessly?"
"Ha! Don't you have anything else to do than bother this old man?"
Irisu rolled her eyes.
"Don't tell me. I'll get it out of Jolly. Bye!"
Irisu walked down the corridor deep in thought. From what Mondo and Jolly had said about the arcana it was clear there was something more to them.
Mondo, Felicita and now Cecil all had spoken to their arcana before and based on what she had understood it seemed the whole thing was much more than a simple contract.
Irisu herself had never talked to her arcana but she could feel it's existence and she was pretty sure that the others did too. If they were truly separate entities, didn't that mean they had their own thoughts and desires?
They all have a mind of their own... Some are just not as aggressive as others...
Irisu was shaken from her thoughts then as a piercing shriek came from down the corridor.
Before she could move, two maids came hurtling around the corridor.
"Fire!!! The library - fire-"
"Get Papa and everyone else out! Now!" shouted Irisu and quickly ran towards the library.
Suddenly she heard another scream and another maid came running.
"The rooms- fire-" she huffed.
Before she finished speaking there was a loud sound from the adjoining room. Irisu opened the door and saw the curtains going up in flames.
Through the window she saw a stranger running away. Under normal circumstances, Irisu would have jumped out of the window to chase this arsonist.
But now she had a frightened maid clinging to her arm and the flames were starting to spread towards them.
"Get everyone and run outside!" Irisu shouted at the maid who ran off immediately.
It was mostly the window-facing rooms that had been set on fire and soon others alerted by the staff arrived to control the fire.
Irisu had run to the library by now and she could barely see anything as the room was filled with thick flames.
"Irisu! Is Mondo alright?!"
Irisu turned around and saw Jolly running over followed by Sherlene.
"I don't know! We need to stop-" Irisu broke off seeing Jolly's companion "Sherlene! Take care of this!"
Sherlene didn't say a word as she rushed past Irisu into the library. She raised her hands towards the flames and the fire flickered back as if being pushed by an invisible force.
"I can't put it out, ok! I can only stop it from spreading!" shouted Sherlene.
"It's fine! Just keep it at bay!" Irisu grabbed Jolly's arm and pointed down the corridor "They are trying to put out the fire. All the rooms on this side are affected. Help them out, ok!"
"Where are you going?!" Jolly asked in confusion.
"Catch the guy who did this! This is no accident! Whoever did this is still on the grounds!"
It didn't take long for Irisu's suspicions to be confirmed.
A group of maids huddled outside in the garden claimed they had seen a man running away towards the courtyard and gave a vague description of his features.
"That bastard!" shouted Debito suddenly.
"Uh... that's the guy you kicked out right?" asked Mikino.
"Alright! No time to waste!" Irisu looked at the crowd gathered outside.
"He must still be here. Debito, Mikino take the front garden and gate. Pace, Luca take the side gardens. Cecil come with me. We will search the back garden. Those who can, help with the fire and the others stay here and make sure nobody gets past!"
Everyone quickly split up and raced off. Before leaving, Irisu caught sight of Lucia wandering around.
"Just a second, Cecil."
Irisu grabbed Lucia's arm and pulled her to the side.
"Don't wander off anywhere! Do you hear me, Lucia?!"
"I won't!" shouted the girl, slightly annoyed by how she had been caught so quickly "I just wanted to watch the fire with Elmo!"
Irisu glanced at Elmo who was standing behind quietly.
"It's a fire, Lucia. It's not fireworks." Irisu looked around trying to find someone responsible to hold onto Lucia for now.
Finally her eyes fell of the perfect victim.
"Yukino! Come here!"
Irisu pushed Lucia and Elmo towards her.
"Watch the two!"
Yukino looked unhappily at Irisu but she couldn't say anything. Yukino had been wondering if she should go inside and help but the idea that she would only get in the way had discouraged her.
"Can we go in and watch?" whispered Lucia after Irisu had left.
"Um... no."
Yukino grabbed both kids firmly and walked away from the house towards the west garden. She was not too confident that she could handle Lucia if she chose to run away.
Elmo on the other hand followed quietly.
"Are you alright now, Elmo?" asked Yukino.
"Ah... yes." Elmo's reply was subdued and Yukino turned to converse with Lucia so as not to make him uncomfortable.
"The home I was in almost caught on fire one time! But the old uncle made us put it out! But then someone turned the hose on him and drenched him! And then-LOOOK!!!"
Yukino swiveled around immediately and caught sight of a figure darting off into the bushes.
"One-chan... I think that's the man who caused the fire." said Elmo suddenly.
For a second Yukino was dazed but she quickly got to her senses.
"Elmo! Go inform someone quickly!"
"And we will follow him!' proclaimed Lucia darting towards the bushes.
Yukino chased after her and Elmo ran back.
Yukino wondered if giving chase was the right idea, but now wasn't the time to hesitate.
As long as we keep a distance it will be fine. After all he's just a disgruntled employee right?
The duo moved around the garden trying to track down the man but he seemed to have disappeared.
"Maybe he got lost too..." suggested Lucia.
Yukino was about to say that they should go back when there was a rustling sound from the side.
She grabbed Lucia and jumped back as the man came rushing out towards them.
He looked around wildly and saw the two standing nearby. His eyes fell on Lucia and he reached forward to grab her.
Lucia screamed and dodged away.
"Let me through!" shouted the man.
"Give up. You can't make it out without being caught." replied Yukino as she grabbed Lucia and backed away warily.
There was something very unnerving about the man.
"No! You will get me out!"
Yukino's hand wavered towards her pocket. She still had her pipe but was it right to use her powers against a normal person?
In a moment of carelessness Yukino looked behind to see if anyone was coming.
Before she realised her mistake the man charged at her.
Yukino managed to knock Lucia away but failed to dodge a punch to the face which was followed by two successive punches to the stomach that made her collapse to the ground.
"I should just kill you!" screamed the man.
Yukino looked up dazed as he pulled out a gun.
"If you don't let me go, I'll kill you both now!"
"Leave her alone!" shouted Lucia but the man twisted her arm and shoved her to the ground.
He moved back slowly, swinging the gun between the two of them.
Yukino tried to get her pipe but her hands wouldn't move.
Nothing moved.
Her resistance to physical pain had always been low and right now her entire body was screaming.
Not now... please...
She was paralyzed with an irrational fear and as the man pointed the gun towards Lucia, she couldn't even open her mouth to scream.
At that moment something white flashed past Yukino and hurtled towards the man.
Yukino wondered if she was hallucinating, as a giant snow leopard jumped towards the man and brought him to the ground.
Lucia crawled over to Yukino and started to shake her.
"One-chan! Are you ok?! Don't faint!"
Yukino shook her head and saw the snow leopard was still on top of the man, it's claws dangerously close to his eye.
With a snarl, it lifted its claws and was about to bring it down on his face when a clear female voice rang out from behind.
"Jacob! Enough! Get back!"
After a pause, the snow leopard leapt away.
Lucia let out a loud gasp as the snow leopard slowly transformed into a young man.
Yukino saw Debito run past her followed by Irisu. The arsonist trembled in fear but Debito was merciless as he pulled him up and began to punch his face. Irisu had picked up the fallen gun and after examining it she waved it at Yukino.
"It's not loaded."
Yukino felt a sense of relief wash over her.
There was no way she could have known the gun was not loaded but even if she had she doubted she would have had the courage to do anything.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt? Say something!"
Yukino turned around expecting it to be her brother but it was actually Luca who was fussing over her now with a worried look.
"I- I just got punched that's all."
"What? Let me see!"
Luca grabbed her face and started to peer at it intently and Yukino turned red.
"What- I'm fine- Just-" she pushed his hand away awkwardly.
"Luca Oni-chan! One-Chan was actually punched in the stomach!" said Lucia helpfully.
"What?!" Luca immediately looked down and Yukino crossed her arms to cover herself.
"I'm fine! I was just in shock... "
Yukino turned around to get a good look at their savior.
She was surprised to see Sumire standing next to him now and patting his arm gently.
"Who is he, Luca?" she asked.
"I'm not sure... " Luca lowered his voice and continued "I think he's called Jacob. An arcana user Mama found. He's sickly or something. I don't really know."
"He doesn't look sick." said Yukino.
She had manged to get up now with Luca holding onto her arm.
"I know... but look, don't tell anyone what I told you. I got it from my mother. She and Mama don't get along well and I don't know how much of it is the truth."
"Ok... "
A few of the others had arrived now and the arsonist was escorted away.
Yukino could only wonder what sort of punishment he would receive.
Sumire and Jacob were about to leave and Yukino shouted out to catch their attention.
"Hey! Thank you for your help!"
Jacob paused in his tracks.
He looked at her and just nodded.
"Thank you again, Mister!" shouted Lucia "You are supposed to say welcome!"
Jacob stared at Lucia for a few seconds as if he couldn't understand her words.
"If you will excuse us... " said Sumire gently "Jacob needs to rest."
Yukino looked at Jacob.
He didn't look sickly let alone tired. In fact his body language suggested he actually wanted to stay.
Jacob met Yukino's gaze and Yukino was surprised by how empty his eyes were.
Sumire gave another parting smile as she took Jacob's hand and guided him away. Jacob glanced back at Lucia again as if there was something he still wanted to say but he followed Sumire quietly.
"Jacob... Be careful with your powers." said Sumire looking at the young man "I realise that it saved the two girls now but don't exert yourself. Also, please stay somewhere near the house where I can find you."
Sumire waited for him to nod, as was his usual response but this time he didn't seem to even hear her words.
"Did you hear what I said?" she repeated.
"Don't tell me what to do."
"Hm?"
"Don't tell me what to do." Jacob's face showed a flash of annoyance before it went back to it's state of perpetual blankness.
Sumire was a bit startled by this sudden display of emotion but she didn't comment on it.
Any emotion can be considered an improvement in his case
"By the way Jacob, before I forget.... the fire has destroyed your room. I'll make new arrangements. So please wait until then."
Jacob gave a slight nod and continued walking.
He couldn't care less about the room.
Why does something about that girl feel familiar? Who is she?