Lilith once told Jiang Jiu that the An Group behind An Ning was an authority on researching anomalies. So as the young lady of the An Group, it was only natural for An Ning to have a constitution far beyond normal people.

It had only been half a day, yet the grievous wounds on her body—wounds that could've easily killed an ordinary person on the spot—had healed for no clear reason. Jiang Jiu's healing magic had helped, sure, but more of it came from An Ning's own inhuman body.

Like a lizard or a starfish, her torn muscles visibly writhed, grew, and filled in the gaps. The wounds closed along with them. Not even scars remained, only faint marks that looked paler and more delicate than the surrounding skin.

Other than the weakness from the energy her body had burned through during the repair process, plus the side effects brought by [Screenwriter], she had almost completely returned to normal.

Rising from a sickbed on the verge of death, she asks where the tavern is.

And after returning to normal, the first thing An Ning did was look for the maid to drink.

It was the next day after work. The customers had all left. The ward that drove people away was in effect. It had just rained, so the air felt much fresher, and the night sky was rarely this clear and clean.

The entire building the bar was in belonged to Lilith, so Jiang Jiu could casually bring An Ning up to the rooftop. She also grabbed the half bottle they hadn't finished last time, along with two glasses.

The two of them sat on the edge of the rooftop, their legs hanging in midair. Beneath them was a hundred-meter drop. Anyone with a fear of heights would've probably gone cold all over, gone limp, or even passed out. Luckily, neither of them was like that, so they calmly poured the drinks, raised their glasses, and clinked them together.

Glug.

The maid drained her glass in one go. She set it down beside her, propped herself up with one arm, and idly swung her white-stockinged calves as if she were kicking at water.

"Actually, neither of us can get drunk anymore."

She said it suddenly, then turned with a smile to look at An Ning.

An Ning froze for a moment, then quickly understood and slowly nodded.

"Mm..."

At least physically, she was no longer an ordinary person. Naturally, mere alcohol couldn't numb her. In fact, unless most of the blood in her body got replaced with Snow Beer, Tsingtao, or Budweiser, she would stay bright-eyed and full of energy no matter how much she drank.

Yeah. Probably the kind of sober where she could go pilot a warship at any moment.

"The greater the power, the greater the responsibility. Could that also be read as, the more you gain, the higher the price rises with it?"

The maid turned to look at the sky and sighed softly.

"Once you have an inhuman body, you obviously can't experience the kind of happiness that belongs to ordinary people anymore... Though saying it like that makes me sound a little too out of touch, doesn't it?"

She smiled, then softly asked An Ning again,

"Miss An Ning, have you ever wished you could lose everything you have now and live on as an ordinary person?"

"...Yes."

"So you really have?"

"But not now."

"Hm?"

The maid looked at An Ning. An Ning, meanwhile, stared at her own hand with a slightly lost expression, unconsciously curling it into a fist.

"I still need power right now," she said. "Ordinary people can't get revenge."

If I put down the sword, I can't protect you. If I pick up the sword, I can't hold you.

That really is... painful.

"True enough."

Jiang Jiu nodded. She took out her Enchanted Wand and gave it a light flick. The bottle placed between them hopped up lightly and poured two full glasses on its own.

She picked up one of them and gestured toward An Ning.

"To your revenge succeeding, Miss An Ning."

An Ning said nothing. She silently picked up the other glass, clinked it against Jiang Jiu's, tilted her head back, and drained it in one swallow.

Whiskey was supposed to be sipped slowly, really. There was a reason people called it tasting. Only by holding it in your mouth and savoring it bit by bit could you feel its unique flavor, instead of drinking it like An Ning, emptying the glass like a brute trampling flowers.

This wasn't drinking.

It was more like self-harm.

Because she was in pain. Because she was hurting. Because there were things she simply couldn't do no matter what. So she could only punish herself like this.

So Jiang Jiu didn't pour her another drink. She just quietly stared at the night sky overhead, lost in thought.

Then she heard An Ning take the initiative to start a new topic.

It was an apology.

The girl, as taciturn as a drawn sword, said in a low voice,

"I'm sorry. I lost the umbrella you gave me."

Jiang Jiu paused for a moment, as if she hadn't expected that to come up so suddenly. But she quickly reacted and smiled as she shook her head.

"It's fine. It was just an umbrella. If it's lost, it's lost."

"But that umbrella should've been very valuable, right? Like... a Contained Artifact."

As An Ning said that, she suddenly remembered the flashing blades and shadows of last night.

She had been surrounded and attacked, fighting an Apprentice Witch and the monsters under her command. That big black umbrella had remained unbreakable the whole time. It had blocked who knew how much damage for her. She had even used it as a weapon, and it had neutralized the magic the Apprentice Witch used on her.

Ordinary people had no right to possess supernatural power. Their only way to come into contact with the supernatural was through so-called Contained Artifacts.

Objects with supernatural traits. Dangerous and expensive. Strange items that would be contained and sealed away by the relevant authorities.

The short sword [Screenwriter] that An Ning almost always carried with her was a Contained Artifact, and one of the more valuable three-digit ones at that.

She didn't know what level of Contained Artifact the black umbrella Jiang Jiu had given her was, but she knew it was useful. It had even pulled her back from the edge of death several times.

That was enough.

"I can't compensate you right now," she said softly with her head lowered. "I'll have to wait until after I get my revenge and think of a way... You saved me twice. No, many times. I can work like a horse for you."

Having the former young lady of the An Group work like a horse for her would probably be quite a fascinating experience.

After all, it was something countless men could only dream of.

Jiang Jiu thought that, but she neither refused nor agreed. She only kept smiling.

"That umbrella wasn't a Contained Artifact. It was just the ordinary umbrella I use for rain. I probably used it too much, so it got stained with magic and turned into one."

That part was actually true.

Jiang Jiu had never thought of taking advantage of someone when they were vulnerable. Sure, doing that could quickly build favor and leave An Ning with a good impression, but it was too boring, too tasteless, and too fake. She didn't like that.

Lady Witch had called her a scumbag before, and Jiang Jiu didn't really accept that. How was she a scumbag? She just fell for one girl after another, broke up, then started new relationships, endlessly ending and beginning them, all because she wanted to give every pretty girl in the world starved of love a warm embrace.

At the very least, she was serious about every relationship.

And An Ning didn't really know what kind of person she was. Of course, she also wouldn't feel even more grateful just because of Jiang Jiu's explanation. But honesty at the right moment could make people like you more. For example, if someone broke your belongings and felt uneasy, and had already assumed the item was expensive, then sure, you could take advantage of that information gap and admit it, making them compensate you or feel even guiltier toward you. But you could also choose to tell the truth, let them breathe easier, and make them feel more favorably toward you afterward.

Naturally, An Ning would feel that Jiang Jiu was more trustworthy now.

She gave a rare smile, then shook her head again.

"It makes no difference. Whether it was an ordinary umbrella or a Contained Artifact, it saved my life. So after I get my revenge, I'll still find a way to repay you."

But as she spoke, her gaze dimmed slightly.

"If I can survive."

She added that last part.

It had already been nearly half a month since her father died, and she still didn't even know who the killer was. She was just fighting and killing without any direction, rushing around like a headless fly. She had uncovered some things along the way, sure, but none of them seemed important.

She felt like a moth caught in a spiderweb. No matter how hard she struggled, it was useless. Worse, her struggling would shake the web and wake the hunter hidden in its nest. And after that, one night, she would die soundlessly at the hands of an anomaly.

Just like during the last Witch's Night, when she had been surrounded by those pure-black humanoids.

That time, the maid had happened to be out buying snacks and saved her.

But what about next time? And the time after that?

The maid couldn't be there every time. And she couldn't keep conveniently running into kind-hearted people every time either.

If this kept going, then sooner or later, she would die.

Silently.

Without anyone noticing.

An Ning lowered her eyes and picked up the bottle to pour herself another glass.

She hadn't liked drinking before. But now she was slowly starting to like it. Maybe the pressure was too much. Or maybe she just didn't know what else to do, so she could only rely on alcohol to numb herself.

...But the most ironic part was that no matter what, she couldn't get drunk.

Thinking that, she was about to put the bottle down when she suddenly saw another glass move over.

"Why drink alone in silence?" she heard the maid ask. "Aren't I here with you?"

She looked up instinctively and met the maid's gently smiling eyes.

Her heartbeat suddenly skipped, then sped up.

The hand gripping the neck of the bottle trembled for a moment, but quickly steadied again.

"Mm."

She lowered her head. Her short hair fell down and covered most of her face, making it impossible to tell what expression she wore.

The drinks were poured. Two glasses.

Each of them picked one up. Their glasses touched with a clear, pleasant clink.

...

Time passed slowly. The remaining half bottle was almost gone. The two glasses had been set down on An Ning's side, their walls pressed tightly together.

Neither witches nor anomalies could get drunk, but Jiang Jiu was an Apprentice Witch, and An Ning was only a half-finished anomaly. Neither of them was fully mature yet, so alcohol could still affect them to some extent.

A faint flush had appeared on the maid's pale face, and her mood seemed pretty good. Then she seemed to think of something, so she patted her thigh and tilted her head as she softly asked An Ning,

"Do you want to... lie down for a bit?"

An Ning froze.

Her gaze lingered for a moment on the maid's white-stockinged thighs, soft-looking and pleasantly full. Then she stared at her face for a while. At last, she hesitantly leaned over.

"Mm."

A little awkwardly, she lay down on the rooftop edge and stiffly rested her head on the maid's lap.

There was a faint scent of lavender drifting in the air. Looking up, she could see the full curve above her and the girl's quiet expression. Ink-black long hair flowed down like water and brushed against An Ning's cheek. It tickled a little.

The maid began gently massaging An Ning's temples. Her fingertips were slightly cool, the pressure just right. In the distance, the city's neon lights shone like a sea of stars. Below them, traffic flowed endlessly. Everything was so beautiful it felt like a dream.

"If one day, I suddenly died, what would happen?"

An Ning asked suddenly, almost like she was talking to herself.

The maid heard her, thought for a moment, then asked in return,

"Have you ever heard this line?"

She lowered her head and met An Ning's eyes. A faint smile rested in her gaze as she murmured softly,

"Those who perish in the rain will all be reborn in flame."

[To be continued]