OLD-WORLD EXTRA-Chapter 147: Evelyn’s Resolution

{The ID you've dialed is unable to respond.}

'So they've even got her shop's ID already...' Emir thought as he jogged along the lower district's sidewalk.

Letting out a sigh, he mumbled out loud:

"Guess this is their reply to Vincent. An example of what they could do, huh..."

Turning the corner, he spotted the shop and instinctively slowed his pace as he approached.

Gently tapping on the door, he waited with a heavy heart for a moment until Mariane opened it.

Her short brown hair appeared uncombed, and her eyes bore the telltale signs of recent tears. The business suit she typically wore was absent, replaced by casual clothing, a clear indicator of the turmoil she must have been through.

She nodded silently, opening the door to the shop and letting him in.

The interior was hauntingly different, a stark contrast to its former bustling self.

Every weapon, gadget, and gear had been confiscated, leaving the racks bare and the once- busy terminal at the front desk missing.

It was a far cry from what it used to be, as the emptiness in the air seemed to echo the weight of the loss, the shop now reduced to a hollow space.

Emir followed her quietly into the room behind the counter, which appeared to be the remnants of what was once an office.

And as he entered, he was greeted with the unexpected presence of Evelyn, someone he never wished to see again, as he simply had no idea how to feel about her.

Tears seemed to have visited her as well; her long black hair slightly disheveled, and her eyes swollen, a mirror of Mariane's emotional state.

'Hmm... I thought that she was just a close customer, a friend, but it looks like they're closer than I expected.'

'Was it really a coincidence?...No, I shouldn't draw any conclusions for now.'

With those thoughts out of the way, he entered the room, only to be embraced by Evelyn, who crashed into him like a force of nature.

'Not bad. Stronger than Kiera.'

Patting the back of the crying Evelyn, his thoughts continued to play out in his mind:

'Is this going to be a trend, though? Kiera can be explained, I made her dependent on me, but Evelyn? We only went on one date and a patrol... I guess women love hugging me for some reason.'

Concluding it with that simple, out-of-mind thought, he whispered while continuing to stroke her back:

"I'm here for you, alright? Just let it all out..."

His words were the straw that broke the camel's back, as her wailing only kept rising in volume.

'What the hell?'

'...This can't be a reaction one would have with friends. Is she her sister? Or is she just an oddball? Not even the most sensitive of women would react like this...'

Thinking that, he looked up to Mariane only to see her nod, confirming his thoughts.

'So she is her sister. Though it doesn't look like it... Wait, maybe not sisters, but friends that treat each other like one? Oh yeah, that's probably it.'

Soon he stopped patting her, and taking it as a signal, Evelyn spoke:

"I'm sorry."

Dug deep into his embrace, she finally let go of him, and he did of her.

They both stepped back, with Emir leaning against the wall next to the exit and Evelyn by Mariane's side.

With his eyes locked with Mariane's, he said:

"Hey, it's been a while."

She let out a defeated chuckle.

"Yes, it has. And this... This wasn't quite how I imagined our meeting to be after so many months... I expected that you'd be gone for a few weeks or so, but not this long... Add the fact that there is no shop to welcome you, this is a goddamn embarrassment!"

Raising a brow, Emir snickered inwardly:

'Even she swears when under pressure, eh?'

He understood that Mariane didn't need any encouragement, pity, or advice, as she had likely faced a lifetime of that with Evelyn around.

And he had come with a purpose-to seek answers and offer a solution.

"What did they use against you?" He asked straightforwardly, his words carrying deeper implications.

Mariane caught on immediately.

"There isn't anything public or legally implicating that they could use against me... But they seized the sales records of my shop. Since I often offer free ammunition or other items as incentives to customers, they twisted it and fabricated an entire scheme, accusing me of operating an illegal distribution ring of high-ranking ammunition for profit, utilizing Evelyn's high hunter rank."

Her words explained the hidden topic he subtly brought up, as Evelyn wasn't much of a businessman.

"Witnesses?"

Her face twitched in anger as she said:

"Yes. It seems like they've brought the best-paid actors they had. But there's something I just don't understand... Why Us?!"

With one heavy step after another, she approached Emir and grabbed him by the shoulders, her head slamming into his chest.

"Why?!"

"I did nothing wrong..."

She paused for a moment and looked up at him.

"You... I heard that you've been exploring undiscovered ruins with that woman, Amanda. I think her name was... Anyways you've even bought a shop, how?"

"... You only opened up recently, and in all my time running this shop, I haven't had a fraction of your company's success, you... You must've done something, and somehow at the same time, this happened!"

With her right arm raised, she lightly hit his chest, doing the same with her left, each one carrying the weight of her emotions-a storm of frustration, sadness, and anger.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"

"You must've done something..."

"This shop is my lifeline, what do I even do now?"

Emir took her punches without a hint of movement, it didn't phase him in the least, not even

taking his augmented suit's force shield into account.

He is a paladin, for god's sake, how would a mortal hurt him...

'Mortal? No, no, she isn't, her hits are strong, and no amount of training would lead her to

become this strong...'

'...She's a celestial.'

Taking him out of his thoughts, Mariane head-butted him once again, but as she was about to

pull away, he held her head to his chest.

At first, she struggled to free herself, but gradually, the tension ebbed away, and she surrendered to the moment, finding solace in his strong embrace.

Mariane's body trembled with the aftershocks of her outburst, but his presence seemed to

soothe her frayed nerves.

Her trembling subsided, and wanting to regain her space, she pinched his hand.

Emir chuckled, acquiescing to her silent plea, and observed as she stepped back, her face

sulking.

"What am I even doing? Acting like that in front of a thirteen-year-old..."

Wanting to bring up the mood, he joked:

"I'm fourteen now and don't worry about that, it's not your fault that I'm so mature."

Evelyn, who was watching their interaction from beginning to end with tears in her eyes, finally stepped in and joined her hand with Mariane's, silently expressing her undying

support.

They shared a look and couldn't help but let out a soft laugh at their pitiful situation, feeling a twinge of embarrassment that a young person not even of adult age was showing concern for

them.

Marianne then returned her gaze to Emir, her mouth slightly ajar as if she was about to say something, but he silenced her with a raised hand.

"It's alright. There isn't any need for apologies, I came here for answers, and now I've got them. So now it's time to provide a solution..."