The Bookkeeper-Chapter 48: The Twins from Kingston City

Raiden rested on a sofa, his eyes darting at the chandelier above, while Speed sat right beside him in silence. Outside, the others were training while Leo went through the bookshelves across the house. Neither would speak first—too arrogant, both of them.

Raiden had wondered why he didn’t receive any ability from Speed after their pact, but he’d already dismissed the concern. Probably because he was wrapped in Ash’s chains at the time, his crest barely recognizable. Not that he would have asked about it anyway—Speed himself wouldn’t have known.

However, after a brief moment, Speed set his pride aside and spoke up. "We are very grateful for your help, but I’m afraid we don’t serve anyone. We aren’t slaves."

Raiden tilted slightly toward him. They were already his servants, so he couldn’t understand what Speed was mumbling about. Beyond that, he didn’t want people working for him solely because of some contract they’d formed.

They had to have a personal reason, something to gain from serving him. So he said nothing; he simply tilted back to stare at the chandelier and began wondering how they were made.

"Soul and I have been through a lot, and I’m not going to let that happen anymore." His voice carried both rage and sadness.

Raiden immediately understood what was going on. Speed wanted to speak his heart out. Perhaps there was something he expected from Raiden but wasn’t receiving, leaving him confused and conflicted.

Soul tilted upward too, staring at the chandelier. He smiled. "When we were around eight, our parents suddenly vanished. Whether they’re dead or alive, no one knows."

He paused. "A few days later, the rent was overdue. Soul and I were kicked out."

Raiden’s expression darkened. Had Speed been taking care of his little sister since they were eight? It seemed both impressive and impossible, but he held back his questions. He didn’t want to disrupt Speed’s sharing.

"We both had our crests, so we decided to leave Kingston City. It’s right next to Coast City, on the west side." His eyes stayed locked on the chandelier above, ignoring even the breeze that drifted past.

"It was a small city full of commoners, but we thought having crests would be enough to make it in Persia City—even as commoners ourselves."

He smirked again. "How wrong we were."

Speed’s mention of commoners brought back memories for Raiden—the day of his duel with Levi, when crowds had swarmed his carriage downtown. He’d assumed they were just migrants from smaller villages, not realizing they’d come to Persia City specifically hunting for riches.

"As it turned out, commoners would always be commoners regardless of their magical status."

"We spent months on the streets. Just the filth on our clothes was enough to get us kicked out of places. Most people wouldn’t even acknowledge we existed."

Raiden smirked. He understood Speed’s experience all too well. Even as a high-class noble, he’d struggled to get people’s attention on Persia City’s streets. Everyone seemed too busy to be bothered.

"That’s when we finally understood the nobles. It wasn’t really their fault. Just maintaining noble status and staying in the major cities was a full-time job."

"So we tried to fit in without nobility, without education."

"We survived on restaurant scraps day after day, until he appeared. Seth." Speed’s expression darkened at the name.

"He seemed kind-hearted, bringing us food and water. I was suspicious, but Soul wasn’t—probably because she was the one getting most of his attention."

"Sometimes he showed up only to see Soul, give her food, and watch her eat it."

Raiden’s expression darkened. He’d never realized how predatory Seth had been behind that calm facade. If he’d known, he would have made Seth’s death much slower.

"It didn’t take long before they invited us into their home. Soul trusted him, you see." Speed’s voice went cold. "That’s when the experiments began."

"Seth started hurting Soul daily, making her drink various potions. He was obsessed with creating a new type of devil milk—one designed specifically for silver crests that could grant more than thirty abilities."

His voice dropped and trembled, the unmistakable sadness sending chills through Raiden. He hadn’t been expecting this.

"Soul would cry herself to sleep, sometimes couldn’t even talk or walk. The potion side effects left her without food or water for days at a time." He clenched his fist. "I tried to help, but I was too weak. So I decided to steal devil milk to make myself stronger."

He touched his mask. "I didn’t know what devil milk was supposed to look like. So when I reached the laboratory, I just took the first potion I could find and drank it."

He closed his eyes briefly. "Turned out it was acid. Burned through part of my face and tongue." He sighed heavily. "My screams brought everyone running, and after that, they made Soul pay for what I’d done."

Raiden fought back the urge to laugh. Not at Speed’s suffering, but at the sheer stupidity of drinking a random lab potion. One look at Speed’s tear-filled eyes, though, and he knew laughing would be cruel beyond measure. Even for someone like him.

"We were twelve then, and it didn’t take long before Soul’s crest turned black from all the potions she’d been forced to take."

Raiden’s face darkened. Speed had said "we"—that was troubling enough. But what really perplexed him was that Soul’s corruption hadn’t followed the traditional path.

"Soul stopped aging. Now she’s 17 but still looks like she’s twelve."

Raiden’s eyes went wide with shock.

Seventeen?—The thought hit him hard. He couldn’t believe that little girl was actually his age.

"Worse still, they locked her in a dark room with barely any food or water. Seth had written her off as useless—called the experiment a failure." Speed rubbed his eyes. "But to free her, I had to do whatever Seth and Mack demanded."

He finally looked at Raiden. "Five years I worked for them, and in the end, it took you to save us from that hell."

Raiden offered a sardonic smile, awkwardly accepting the gratitude when all he’d really done was give a command.

"But don’t celebrate yet. We’re thankful, but we’re not going to carry out whatever twisted schemes you have in mind. Those days are over."

Raiden relaxed, his expression easing. He’d read Speed right. Speed was suspicious of why Raiden wasn’t giving cruel orders despite being their master—that wariness made perfect sense. After what he’d endured, Speed had learned to expect the worst from anyone in power.

Raiden burst out laughing, slapping his thighs while Speed stared in confusion. Sure, he’d give reckless orders without hesitation, but he wasn’t that cruel. His psychotic side only emerged with people he saw as enemies.

Speed stared at Raiden for a moment, then let out a sigh. "Just so you know, with both Seth and Mack dead, the Jasper family will be seeking revenge."

Raiden’s laughter stopped abruptly. Why hadn’t he thought of that? But before he could dwell on it, Leo burst in clutching a book.

"I found it!" His excitement was obvious as everyone turned to look. "The Book of Aaron."

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