Step Step
The walk towards Madam's office didn't take long. A mere 20 minutes was enough for them to see it from a distance.
"Keep your manners in mind, do not raise your head needlessly unless told to do so." Saori began talking as they got closer and closer. "If you want to talk, signal to me. I'll give you an opportunity to do so. For now, just let me do all the talking."
On the surface, she seemed very cool-headed. Of course, the same couldn't be said for the inside.
In reality, she herself can't seem to register any other sound than her own heartbeat.
"Mm." Everyone nodded solemnly. They are also nervous, perhaps not as nervous as Saori but is nervous enough to cause their palms to sweat.
And Hiyori...
"Oi, don't cry yet. We haven't even entered her office."
"B-but!"
"No buts. If she were to be displeased, there's no telling what she might do. You need to control your behavior for the next hour, even if it's the last thing you do."
"Last thing I do...!? Ah... So this is where my life ends..."
"Haha..." Chuckling at Misaki and Hiyori's interaction, Saori forced out a smile. "It's fine. At most, the meeting would only last 30 minutes."
Any longer and there'd be a problem.
As she said that, they all stopped moving. The reason was because of the massive door right in front of them.
They've arrived at the Madam's office.
A single knock and there's no running.
But they've steeled their resolve the moment they realized Kasuka was meeting the Madam alone.
If she could confront Madam all by her lonesome, why can't they?
Saori lifted her hand and knocked twice.
The sound was barely audible, but they knew the person inside heard them.
After a couple of moments had passed, the door slowly opened, revealing a dark interior.
Unless they went in, there's no way to tell what lies beyond the darkness.
"...Gulp." The sound of someone swallowing their saliva echoed, but nobody could tell who it belonged to. In fact, even the person themselves didn't know they had done so.
Saori made the first step. And then, like a domino, the rest followed suit.
A couple seconds of walking through the dark... and then they turned the corner.
"Welcome again, Saori. Didn't expect to see you again so soon." As if nothing had changed, Beatrice's creepy smile behind the fan seemed visible.
Of course, that was only from the feel of things. Saori wasn't actually certain whether or not Beatrice was smiling.
"Madam." Saori stood her ground.
"Oh? Not kneeling anymore? What's wrong, Saori... you'll only come to me when you need assistance, right?"
"...Please enlighten me on the 'price' you've given Kasuka."
Snap!
Suddenly, the atmosphere became several times heavier, almost as if boulders got dropped onto each of their shoulders.
Hiyori's eyes had turned white, the only reason she's still standing was because she's being supported by Misaki who was also shivering.
Azusa couldn't help but feel intimidated. 'Kasuka met her alone...' But the thought of seeing that small back confronting such monstrosity all alone gave her enough strength to not fall.
And Saori felt the same.
"...Did she open her mouth?" Beatrice placed down the fan which she had just roughly folded.
"...Actually, no. You probably somehow discovered it on your own, right?" Beatrice chuckled. "Her eyes the other day told me that she would never go back on her words. In that case, there's only one conclusion."
"You went against her wishes."
"...!" Saori's eyes widened and she was suddenly reminded of the words Hiyori had told them earlier.
"She told me to go home first... But I got worried and followed her."
Although it was a very small blunder, it still counts as going against Kasuka's wishes.
"Everyone is here except the person in question... That makes sense, but where is she? Where's Atsuko?"
"...Don't say her name."
"Haha, what's wrong? I can't even say someone's name now? What, are you not going to let me breathe the same air as her next?" Beatrice sarcastically said. "Well, she's of no use to me now, you don't need to worry about anything being done to her anymore."
"Actually, you don't need to worry about any more teachings being brought down on any of you. After all, me and that child, Kasuka, had come to an agreement." Ominously, Beatrice turned around and gazed through the window.
"Do you want to hear what it entails?"
"..."
Beatrice watched the ruins that were laid to rest right through the window.
"...Truly, I thought her will had already been broken down back then."
Back then...?
One way or another, everyone understood the implications. Madam had already known of Kasuka's existence long before she met any of them.
That wouldn't be weird on its own, perhaps she dug up some information the day she made Kasuka pay the price.
But if that's not what truly happened, then that only means one thing.
Kasuka had always been on Madam's radar.
Did they...
They did.
They messed up.
Madam had known Kasuka for a while. For her to personally take interest in someone, which meant that the person she took interest in was of value.
But if what Madam meant by 'back then' was what they thought... then she had, at some point, lost interest in Kasuka.
Consequently, their act of sending Kasuka to Madam for treatment led to her reigniting that interest.
So... It was their fault.
Thump
Saori unknowingly fell on her knees at this realization.
The rest of the Arius Squad couldn't lift their heads in guilt.
Well, except for maybe Hiyori who had long since fainted from anxiety.
"In any case, it was thanks to you for bringing her back to me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have rediscovered her worth." Beatrice tilted her head slightly to glance back at the 4 children in her presence. "That's one good thing you've done in a while."
"Lift your head. This isn't time to be praying, I don't want to look at the top of your head while you kneel." Beatrice commanded.
Listlessly, everyone did so, but still nobody met Beatrice's gaze.
"Go on. Perhaps I've been too harsh recently, but I'll give you one reward for opening my eyes to such a valuable asset."
Snap
It felt like a thin string had just snapped due to the pressure it was holding.
"I..."
"We'd like to know the details of the agreement." It wasn't Saori who said that, it was Azusa.