The woman at the inn gave him a strange look, which Marron could only imagine was due to his disheveled appearance. She informed him that, yes, his friends had reserved him a room. She gave him the key and directions. He sagged up the stairs, opened the door, went inside his room, locking the door behind him, and collapsed onto his bed.
* * *
Meanwhile, in Tira and Chocolate’s room, the other Sorcerer Hunters were conducting a meeting. They were conducting the meeting, of course, on the topic of Marron.
“... But I just don’t see it in him,” Tira was saying.
“There is much we all don’t know about Marron,” Gateau said.
“I know my brother,” Carrot retorted. “I know almost everything about him. And I agree with Tira - I just don’t see cold-blooded murder in him.”
“Yes,” Tira said. “We have all killed in each other’s defense - like that madman, Koh, that time... But there had to be something that drove him to disguise the girl’s appearance, and kill her.”
“We don’t even know that he did disguise her,” Gateau said. “We have to give him some benefit of the doubt.”
“What I don’t understand is,” Chocolate said, “if he did disguise her and kill her - why?”
“That’s what worries me, Sis,” Tira replied. “Only a lunatic would do it. And we all know Marron isn’t a lunatic.” Silence. “Right?”
“Yes,” Carrot said. “My brother may be a little freakish, but he’s no nutcase.”
Another silence followed. “Do you think he’s back?” Chocolate asked. “Should we check his room?”
“I’ll check it, if you like,” Gateau offered. Everyone nodded. Gateau got up, and left the room.
Upon his return, Gateau shook his head. “Door’s still locked, and no answer when I called,” he said. “I think one of us should go out and get him.”
“But I don’t know if I’m comfortable hanging out with a guy who’s just killed an innocent girl,” Chocolate mused. “I mean, I’m an innocent girl!”
“Not if you ask me,” Carrot grumbled.
Chocolate jabbed him hard in the ribs.
“It’s not like we haven’t been without Marron before...” Chocolate mused.
“But we can’t just leave him there!” Carrot exclaimed. Carrot jumped up and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
He walked noisily down the stairs. At the bottom, the woman behind the desk asked, “Looking for your friend?” Carrot stopped. “The girly one?”
Carrot blushed. “Yes.”
“He’s back,” the woman informed him.
Carrot’s face became calm. “Oh,” he said smally.
“Yeah, he came back in around noon.”
“Oh,” Carrot said again. “Thank you.” He wheeled around, and walked quietly back up the stairs.
The door to the Misu sisters’ room opened, and Carrot gingerly stepped inside. Shutting the door behind himself, Carrot announced, “He came back around noon.”
A collective sigh floated into the air.
“I guess now all we can do is... wait for him to wake up.”
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