Jean, the Darkness

第18話 Nagaref Village (3)

After eating the bread, Jean immediately took Sahim and headed to the inn. On the way, Jean stopped at a market and saw an old man working at the skewered grill store holding several children in his arms. Jean watched them for a while, then moved silently and arrived on the inn's roof.

"I have some bread and boiled beans, would you like to eat them?"

"Ah, if possible, yes, I would love to."

"Okay."

Jean entered the pitch-black, empty inn and took him to the dining room on the first floor. After turning on the lights in the room, Jean threw the meat dishes and other delicious-looking dishes into the trash can and then placed the clean plates from the kitchen on the desk. The only food left on the table was the bread and boiled beans the old woman had bought. The tea was also poisoned, so Jean threw it away without hesitation. Instead, Jean went outside and then went straight to the well. He drew water from the well, filled a glass, and returned and placed the glass on the desk.

Sahim just silently watches Jean's actions.

"Did you know those foods were poisoned?"

"Yes, I did."

Jean nodded.

"Please eat it. I can't say it tastes good, but it's safe because it contains no poison."

"Ah, alright. I'll appreciate it."

Sahim started eating bread and boiled beans. It didn't taste good, Sahim thought, but it tasted like heaven to him since he hadn't eaten in a few days.

"Where is the person who prepared these dishes now?"

"She's already dead."

Jean answered as he sat down in front of Sahim.

"How did you know she's dead?"

"I killed her."

Jean removed the water bottle from his waist and gulped down the contents. Sahim looked at Jean silently and continued eating.

In the truest sense, Sahim thought, the boy in front of him was a dangerous younger brother.

"Is this your first time on a mission like this?"

"Yeah."

Jean nodded.

"How was it?"

“Honestly, it was difficult.”

"I see."

While Sahim said this, he looked at the glass that Jean had filled it with and thought about it.

"Brother."

"What?"

“Do you understand Tux language?”

"Yeah, I understand well."

Sahim nodded.

“What does Escaveles Anuto Zafia mean?”

Jean asked, and Sahim thought for a moment.

"It means, long live the Goddess."

"Hmm, it was religious-related. So I don't need to remember it."

Jean said and Sahim smiled.

"Who said those words?"

"The old woman I killed. Those were the words she said before she died."

"I see."

Sahim drinks water and looks at Jean. Sahim does not tell Jean the true meaning of the words, because they were an insulting phrase.

"Are you interested in Tux language?"

"Yes, I do."

"Shall I teach you?"

“I would be happy if you could teach me some.”

Jean answered honestly.

“But I will do it after we return to Magraf Village.”

“Hahaha, I can’t help it.”

Sahim chuckled. I can't beat this little kid, he thought as he looked at Jean.

"Your mother must be a smart person."

"Huh?"

Jean tilted his head.

"It has been said since ancient times that children inherit their brains from their mothers. Don't you think it is true?"

“Hmm, I don’t understand the criteria for being smart.”

Jean said honestly.

"...But, my mother can read and write more than 10 languages.''

"That's great."

Sahim looks at Jean with interest.

"Then you'll have to learn more than your mother."

"Yes, I think so."

Jean nodded.

“But I can’t read or write.”

"Well, you are only four years old now."

"Yeah."

Jean nodded.

"Let's study it little by little. It's not difficult to write, so you'll get good at it in no time."

Sahim said as he cleaned up the dishes he had used earlier and placed them in the kitchen. He then washed everything, including the plates Jean had left behind earlier. Jean tried to help, but Sahim shook his head.

After washing the dishes, the two returned to the inn's roof. Jean and Sahim brought up their belongings and carried them away. Jean thought that once Sabadda returned, they would return to Magraf village immediately. Sahim put down Sabadda and Jean's bags and looked around.

"Brother, your birdy is in Magraf Village now."

Jean said and Sahim tilted his head.

“Birdy? Oh, you mean Evska?”

"Yes."

"Well, I ordered him to go back over there."

"Even though you seemed tense, you still have time to write a letter.'"

When Jean asked, Sahim smiled bitterly.

"Err, what to say..."

Sahim scratched his head. Even though this child was only 4 years old, he saw through his actions.

"I just came to this area. I collected information and sent it over there regularly."

"Does that mean Magraf Village?"

"Yeah, that's it."

Sahim nodded.

“I had just written a report when I noticed something strange and when I went to check it, I saw a child had been assaulted nearby. So I quickly finished the letter, and at the end, I wrote a request for help, put the message on Evska, then sent it flying home.”

"So, is your luggage still around here?"

"Well, if it isn’t taken, it is still there."

"Let's go get it."

"Nah. It's not a big deal, so we don't have to."

"But you have a poison bottle in your bag, don’t you?"

Jean asked, and Sahim froze.

"Why do you say that?"

"Hmm, isn’t that common sense?"

"Are you also a poison user?"

"Yes, I do."

"..."

Once again, Sahim thought that this boy was an extremely dangerous younger brother.

"Okay, but don't tell anyone about that, okay?"

"Yes, Brother. I'm sorry."

Jean said and Sahim smiled.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is your poison?"

"It’s the Goddess' Smile."

"It's dangerous."

Sahim sighs and throws Sabadda's and Jean's bags over his shoulder. The poison is too dangerous to be a toy for a 4-year-old.

"Did you get it from Father?"

"No, I didn't."

Jean shook his head.

"I got it from Grandpa Sabil."

"Sabil.., Sabil Efrad?!"

"Yes, he is."

"Why?"

"Because he’s my grandfather."

"..."

Sahim couldn't help but stare at Jean.

"Are you the grandson of that Sabil Efrad?"

"Yes, I do."

Sahim blinked. He realized in an instant how dangerous his father had been. The Tareq family has been in the assassin business for many years. Of course, the Efrad family also does business, but their main business is bodyguards and assassinations. The two families do not disturb or interfere with each other. And since they are from the same Magraf village and are family, they don't kill each other. For some reason, his father remarried the daughter of the Efrad family. Sahim surmised that both families would become extremely powerful in the underworld by gaining Jean. However, Sahim did not tell Jean about this idea. Besides, by seeing Salam's attitude, it is clear that Jean was part of the Tareq family and was cherished.

"Then, shall I go get my luggage?"

"Yes, I think so."

Jean nodded and stood up. Sahim moved lightly, holding Jean in his arms.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I do."

“It’s right there.”

"Okay."

Jean nods and looks around.

"You're tiny."

"Well, I am a 4-year-old boy, so that's why."

"Hahaha"

Sahim laughed and landed on the roof of a house. After dropping off the bags, Sahim opened the window and went inside.

"The room was completely ransacked."

Sahim checked his bag in shock. He was missing his wallet, but his clothes and stationery were safe.

"Is the poison bottle safe?"

"Then it's here."

Sahim moved the bed and tore off the paper from the wall. Behind the paper was a small bottle.

"Is making a hole in the inn's wall okay?"

"It's okay when nobody knows."

"Hmmm, understood."

"..."

Sahim looked at Jean in shock and put the bottle in his bag.

"Brother, if you don’t mind me asking, what is the name of your poison?"

"It's jet-black eyes."

"That's a pretty name."

"Most poisons can be given pretty names. That way, the enemy won't notice."

"Hmmm, I see."

Jean nodded.

"Brother, do you have a weapon?"

"No. the enemy stole it."

Sahim went outside again, carrying Jean in his arms, and moved again. They see Tux's army fleeing into the village, but the two watch them from the rooftops.

"Why did the Tux Kingdom attack this village?"

"Because there is an oasis here."

Sahim moved again and landed in relative peace.

“Isn’t there no water in the Tux Kingdom?”

"I think there was. There was the Tux River, and there was also a port. However, there seems to be a severe drought recently in the east and south of Tux."

"Hmmm."

"That's why they came to attack this village, which has abundant water."

"Even if it means a war?"

"If you cared about war, you wouldn't do it in the first place, would you?"

"Ah, that's right."

Jean nodded.

"So, is there going to be a war?"

"I don't know, but there will probably be a war. I also sent a letter to the king."

"..is that so."

Jean doesn't know when it was sent. But Jean thought that Sahim as being a spy, would not talk about it.

So before coming here, Jean remembered what Jahir had said. Whether the national army will come or not.

"However, as Brother Salam came here, I'm sure we'll be able to take back this village."

"What will you do if enemy reinforcements arrive?"

"What will we do?"

Sahim thought.

"You didn’t come here alone with Sabadda, did you?"

"No, I came with Captain Naseem Abbas's unit."

"Where is he now?"

"I heard he's in the south."

"I see."

Sahim sat next to Jean and thought. Naseem Abbas' unit is the first assassination unit. Sahim thought that if that unit were to be dispatched, it would be used to clean up enemy forces in the south.

"Didn’t you meet Brother Salam earlier? Did he go west?"

"Yes, he went west."

Jean nodded.

"Other than that?"

"Teacher Jahir and the Magraf village guards went to the northwest."

"Mr. Jahir...I heard that he is a teacher of Sabadda."

"Yes, he is."

“But are you also Mr. Jahir's disciple?”

"Yes, I am."

"..."

Too soon, Sahim thought. But that does explain Jean's actions. Despite Jean being a young child, he was competent in doing such an assassination technique, which meant he had a very talented teacher.

In Magraf Village, no one doesn't know about Jahir's skills. He heard that such a skilled assassin stays in the village and takes apprentices. In Sahim's memory, among many applicants, Jahir chose three disciples. There is one child of the same age as Sabadda and one child of the Efrad family.

"Jean!"

Jean turns around and sees Sabadda. Sabadda's clothes were red from the returned blood.

But instead of being scared, Jean stood up and smiled.

"Brother Sabadda!"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am!"

"That's good."

Sabadda hugged little Jean.

“Brother Sabadda, are you hurt?”

"No, I'm okay."

Sabadda smiled and pinched his cute little brother's cheek. And he looked at the man over there and he smiled.

"Brother Sahim is also safe."

"Yeah. Thanks to Jean. He saved me."

Sahim said, and Sabadda laughed and then looked at Jean again.

"Shall we go now?"

"Yes, brother."

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes. I received half a piece of bread from Brother Salam."

Jean said and Sabadda nodded.

"What about Brother Sabadda?"

"I ate bread during the day."

"So, you're hungry now, right?"

"No problem."

Sabadda stood up and took his bag from Sahim. Sahim looked at the grown Sabadda for a while, and he said nothing.

"Brother Sahim doesn't have a weapon.''

"Really?"

Jean said, and Sabadda thought about it.

"Let's go get the horse first. It's in the stable at the inn."

"Okay."

"Brother Sahim will move with us. This is Father's order."

Sahim nodded and looked at Sabadda who was holding Jean. Then they started moving and headed for the stables at the inn. When they arrived at the inn, there were already several men there. Sabadda gestured as if he knew them, and they nodded. When Sabadda and his friends went into the stable and took out the horses, they were already gone. Instead, one man brought two horses.

"I will escort you to Magraf Village."

"Okay."

Sabadda said as he attached Jean's bag to the horse. Then he put Jean on his horse and then mounted his horse. Sahim also rode a horse.

"May I ask uncle's name?"

When Jean suddenly asked, the man was surprised and turned around unconsciously. When he realized it was him, he smiled and bowed his head.

"I am Jafar Aziz, Mr. Jean."

"Thank you."

"It is my duty. Therefore, please do not use honorific language."

"Okay."

Jean answered honestly, and Jafar smiled. Sahim silently watched their interaction and began to move with them.