Concept: World - Chapter 7: Truths After Drinking (4)

"You know..."

Yinbing smiled wistfully into her glass.

"I'm actually a twin."

"I have an older twin sister named Yinshuang. She was born nine seconds before me."

"That's why nine was always her favorite number."

Her voice carried unmistakable nostalgia.

"We looked exactly alike. Same height. Same silver hair."

"Aside from our personalities, we were practically the same person."

"We joined the Battle Corps together and became full-fledged members at a very young age."

"Back then, Tia wasn't Captain yet. Everyone was deployed together to protect the city."

She took another sip of her cocktail.

Only then did Ethel realize—

Yinbing was already drunk.

Drunk enough that she no longer realized what she was saying.

"Yinbing..."

Ethel finally obeyed the warning his Concept had given him.

"Don't keep talking."

She ignored him.

"The Captain at the time said both of us were exceptionally talented."

"He said if either of us ever awakened as Concept users, we'd accomplish great things."

"We fought together."

"We defeated demons together."

"We were the perfect partners."

Her smile slowly faded.

"Then one day..."

"I came down with a fever."

"It just happened to be our deployment day."

"My sister told me to stay in bed and went without me."

"That evening..."

"The squad returned victorious."

"I waited at the city gate, looking everywhere for her."

"But all I received..."

"...was a report."

"'Yinshuang was struck head-on by a demon's attack and launched several hundred meters away.'"

"'The demon possessed overwhelming strength. The chance of surviving a direct hit was effectively zero.'"

"'After the battle, only fragments of bloodstained equipment and a severed arm were recovered.'"

"'There were bite marks on the remains. A smaller Concept Demon likely carried off the body and devoured it.'"

"They declared my sister dead."

"We were sixteen."

"...I'm sorry."

Before Ethel could think of anything else to say—

Thud.

Yinbing's forehead hit the bar.

She had fallen asleep.

An uncomfortable feeling settled over Ethel.

He shouldn't have heard any of this.

Behind Yinbing's carefree personality and seemingly simple-minded smile hid a past this painful.

He stared silently into space.

Lost in thought.

"So this one's down too?"

The bartender had quietly walked over.

He was now the only sober person left in the bar.

"I hope she didn't tell you anything she shouldn't have..."

He glanced at Yinbing.

"...Ah."

"So she already finished."

"Please don't pity her because of her past."

He spoke gently.

"She hates that."

"The unfortunate habit is that whenever she gets drunk, all those memories spill out on their own."

"I'll apologize on her behalf."

He reached beneath the counter, produced a bottle filled with a clear liquid, grabbed Yinbing's head without ceremony—

—and poured it straight into her mouth.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

She sputtered violently before slowly opening her eyes.

"Awake now?"

"Mmm."

Yinbing rubbed her forehead.

"Thanks, Hughes."

"What was that?"

Ethel asked.

"A sobering tonic."

"It instantly clears intoxication."

The old bartender smiled.

"Young man, would you like some?"

"No thanks."

Ethel politely declined.

He was only slightly tipsy.

He could still manage.

"It's nearly midnight."

Hughes looked toward the clock.

"You should all be heading home."

"Thanks, Hughes."

Yinbing stood and effortlessly lifted the completely unconscious Oenone.

"See you next gathering."

"Shouldn't you give her the tonic too?"

Ethel instinctively stepped forward to help before realizing he had absolutely no idea where he should put his hands.

"She hates the stuff."

Yinbing laughed.

"She says getting drunk only to sober up immediately is cheating."

"It's fine."

"I've got her."

She used a little Force to toss Oenone gently onto her back before securing her comfortably.

"We're heading out."

"Good night, Hughes."

"Good night."

"Take care on your way home."

The old bartender waved as the three of them disappeared into the night.

"Are you sure you don't need help?"

"I'm fine."

Yinbing smiled.

"This is exactly why I always stay for the after-party."

"I'm the one who carries her home every time."

After a brief silence, she spoke again.

"...Um."

"Did I..."

"...say anything I shouldn't have?"

"You did."

Ethel answered honestly.

"You talked about your sister."

"...Oh."

Yinbing sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry."

"Please forget everything."

"I'll try."

She smiled bitterly.

"I always lose control of my mouth when I'm drunk."

"I normally don't get drunk."

"But tonight was fun."

"I guess I ended up drinking more than I realized."

"Sorry for putting you through that."

"It's alright. I—"

His words were interrupted.

Someone had just called his name.

"...El..."

It was Oenone.

Still asleep on Yinbing's back.

"Why..."

"...aren't you a Complete One..."

"Uh..."

"Drunken nonsense."

Yinbing sighed.

"Please ignore her."

Then Oenone murmured something else.

Something that made Yinbing stop walking.

"I wish..."

"...I could ask you..."

"...to look inside little Tia's heart..."

"...and tell me how to save her..."

"My pocket."

Yinbing spoke without turning around.

"There's some tape."

"Please tape her mouth shut."

It felt a little cruel.

Even so, Ethel quietly did as instructed.

If Oenone kept talking, she'd almost certainly reveal things she shouldn't.

"...I suppose that's something I'm not supposed to know."

"Probably."

"But you know."

"I do."

Yinbing didn't deny it.

After all, Oenone had already admitted during their very first meeting that it was classified information—

—and that it involved Ethel.

"I actually noticed something strange a long time ago."

Yinbing continued.

"Ever since Captain Tia took command, almost every major demon subjugation has been handled by the First Squad."

"Our squad sometimes doesn't get deployed even once in an entire month."

"At the same time..."

"The First Squad's casualty rate has remained exactly zero."

"Meanwhile, casualties still happen whenever the Second or Third Squad deploys."

"How could the squad that fights the most never lose a single person?"

She looked straight ahead.

"I think the First Squad fights in a very abnormal way."

"Normally, Concept users lead the battle."

"That doesn't mean Force Users just stand there watching."

"They fight too."

"And that's usually where the casualties happen."

"Force Users contribute less than Concept users, and the risks are much greater."

"But having more people suppress a demon gives the Concept user breathing room."

"It's an old-fashioned strategy."

"Brutal, even."

"But it's been proven effective."

"It greatly increases the chance of a successful subjugation."

"The downside..."

"...is that Force Users die."

"It's cruel."

"But everyone knows that when they join."

She paused.

"That's why I started wondering..."

"What if Captain Tia has been fighting every demon alone?"

"No Force Users."

"No supporting battle."

"No casualties."

"As long as Captain Tia survives..."

"...no one would ever know."

"At first I thought the idea was ridiculous."

"How could one person possibly subjugate every demon alone for three straight years?"

"Even someone as powerful as Captain Tia shouldn't be capable of that."

"But..."

"The more time passed..."

"...the more believable it became."

She had arrived at the truth.

Anyone outside the First Squad would have dismissed the idea as impossible.

But years of experience as a vice-captain had guided Yinbing to the truth hidden beneath the surface.

"Ethel."

Her voice became unusually serious.

"You know the truth."

"Can you tell me..."

"...whether I'm right?"

"...I'm sorry."

Ethel walked a half-step behind her, careful not to let her see his expression.

"I can't answer that."

Exactly the response she had expected.

Yinbing didn't press further.

She couldn't satisfy her own curiosity by forcing someone else to reveal classified information.

Even so—

she was now almost certain her deduction was correct.

No matter how absurd...

or heartbreaking...

the truth might be.

After returning to Central Headquarters, Yinbing said a brief goodbye before carrying Oenone back to her room.

"See you tomorrow."

Returning to his own room, Ethel could feel the alcohol wearing off.

His mind was now completely clear.

He had never truly considered what Tia's solitary subjugations actually meant.

After witnessing several battles, he had simply assumed they were normal.

He thought Tia refused to let others fight because she wanted to protect them.

Only now did he understand—

the price was burning herself away instead.

Demon subjugation was never a trivial matter.

The fact that such an extreme method could even work was unbelievable.

That it had continued for more than three years...

was almost unimaginable.

Daybreak City cannot afford to lose Tia.

Ethel remembered Oenone's words.

As long as this continued—

the probability of Tia dying in battle would only continue to rise.

Luck would not remain on her side forever.

"...What else can I do?"

Standing alone in the darkness, Ethel asked a question that had no answer.

On the surface, Daybreak City appeared peaceful.

But beneath that calm exterior...

a crisis of unimaginable proportions was quietly approaching.

And once it erupted—

no one would remain untouched.

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