The Divine Hunter

care about his family.
The first thing he does when he wakes up is drink, and the only time he’ll sleep is when he’s drunk.” Vivien seemed unperturbed by her father’s actions.
She was numb to them at this point.
Vivien sounded resigned and mocking.
Anyone with a father like that is just unlucky.
“Bob has never done his job as a father.
He doesn’t even care about his missing son.”

His son? Vivien’s brother? The one Cardell said was nonexistent? Roy looked at her weirdly.
“What’s going on, Vivien? Can you tell me about it?” Since he needed to persuade her, Roy added, “I’ve been following a witcher around for a while.
To be precise, my teacher is a witcher from the Viper School.
He’s taught me ways to handle weird and bizarre happenings.
Maybe I can help you.”

“Is that true?” She arched an eyebrow, doubtful of what Roy had just said.
“From what I’ve seen, the shape and color of your eyes are different from those witchers.”

“Because I’m still a disciple, and I haven’t passed the Trial of the Grasses yet, so I’m no stronger than an ordinary human.” Roy then talked about his journey with Letho.

Vivien kept quiet for a while.
“Alright then, Roy.
I trust you, though I don’t understand why a witcher’s disciple is working at an herb booth in the marketplace.
Since you’re willing to hear me out, and you have experience, I can tell you what happened.
At least you won’t think me mad.” She took a deep breath.
“It’s incredible though.
I can’t even be sure about what my brother looks like, or how old he is, or where he is right now.” She laughed to herself, and she looked conflicted.
Even she herself thought it was ludicrous.

“Everyone thought I’d gone insane when I first told them about my brother.
Nobody had ever seen him.
Not Miss Cardel, and none of my cute students either.
Nobody remembers I have a brother.
I tried to prove to that drunkard that he had a son by showing him boy clothes that were lying around, but he said I had a bastard son instead.
My mother doesn’t know what I’m talking about.
It was then I realized that everyone would’ve thought me possessed by a demon if I’d kept that up.
They would’ve burned me at the stake.
Since then, I kept it a secret and led my life normally.
It’s been two years since then.” Vivien went quiet again.

Her explanation added to Roy’s questions.
“That’s weird, Vivien.
If nobody remembers him, then how are you so sure you have a brother?”

“Because I have evidence.
I told you there were clothes that belonged to a boy in my home.
I would show them to you, but that drunkard burned them all.” Regret flashed in her eyes, then she resolved herself.
Vivien was sure she wasn’t imagining things.
“Also, since I started working with Miss Cardell, I made a habit of recording my life in my journal every two weeks or once a month.
It’s to jot down everything that left an impression on me, whether it be at home, the school, or the streets.
It’s been ten years.” She stopped for a moment.
“I would read my journal once in a while.
I’ve set a high bar for myself.
My dream is to become someone respected and well-beloved like Miss Cardell one day, so I would correct my inappropriate actions after reading my journal.”

“You’ve done it though, Vivien.
Everyone in the school likes you, and even their parents do too,” Roy answered earnestly.
He thought Vivien was pushing herself too much.

“No, I still have a long way to go.” She shook her head and spaced out at the sky.
“When I went through my journal two years ago, I found some strange records.” She stopped, but then said solemnly, “Aside from me, that drunkard, and my poor mother, there was another person in my house.”

Roy felt goosebumps on his skin, for Vivien’s story had taken an eerie turn.
She took off her necklace, pressing down on it to open it.
She took out a wrinkled piece of paper and laid it out.
It was the size of a palm, and on it was a crude drawing of two people.
One of them was taller than the other, and they were holding hands.
On the left was a tall lady, and on her right stood a boy with red cheeks.
They were beaming, and the two looked close; they were obviously siblings.

“Then I found a bunch of clothes for boys in my home.
The clothes are far smaller than the drunkard could handle, and there’s also this weird drawing in my necklace.
This is why I’m sure I have a brother.
But for some unknown reason, I can’t remember him.” Vivien looked confused and frustrated, and she only continued after a while.
“That feeling was strongest when I helped you out in the slums.
I know you and him must be really alike.
Even though I don’t know what he looks like, I have a feeling he exists.”

Oh, that explains why she’s so nice to me even though it was our first time meeting each other.
But Roy still thought something was off.
He decided to go along with her story to find out what was happening.
“Pardon me, Vivien, but can I see that part of the journal?”

“Of course.
Ask me if you come across words you don’t know.
I can explain them.” Vivien looked tense, and she whispered carefully, “But don’t tell anyone about this before we have any definite evidence.
This is for your own good, understood?”