v1c4 - 1
It almost looked like some bizarre creature.
An Insanity of flesh—that’s how much it felt like an illusion.
A human left wrist which was inside that.
In truth, floating inside the transparent cylinder, its shape resembled a spider.
A spider with legs extending in all directions from its body. Neither a clenched fist nor an open palm, but something in between creepily as if frozen mid-grasp, fixed in place, making it appear so.
“—Is that really so important?”
Toru couldn’t help but ask seeing what she was holding.
Hiring people with money, sneaking into the lord’s mansion, and even clashing with the lord—well, that was just the outcome—but this was the item she’d gone to such lengths to obtain. Without any real basis, Toru had assumed it was something like a gem or piece of art.
“Yes.”
Chaika nodded firmly.
It seemed there was no mistake. Opening the coffin she’d lowered from her back—at the middle of its left side, where a left wrist would naturally lie if a body were inside—she placed the cylinder, securing it with what looked like fastening cords.
“…Is this coffin for that purpose?”
“Yes.”
Chaika nodded again.
Her expression was filled with sincere joy, free of any darkness or hesitation.
But…
“What are you going to do with something like that? Or rather...is that even a real human corpse?”
……
“If it is a real corpse, whose is it?”
“…Toru.”
Chaika smiled faintly.
“Akari.”
“—Hm?”
Called by Chaika, Akari tilted her head.
“Gratitude. Remaining. Half payment.”
Rummaging through the coffin, Chaika pulled out a few coins and offered them to Toru and Akari. Silver coins. Specifically, Bohdaan silver coins, widely circulated in the northern countries. With their high silver content, they were easy to use anywhere on the continent.
“...Right here?”
Toru said, exasperated.
Not quite in the middle of the street, but he hadn’t expected to be handed the remaining job payment outdoors on their way back from the mission.
“Or rather—you—”
……
Chaika, still smiling brightly, held out the silver coins, unmoving, silent.
From her demeanor, Toru understood what she meant.
(No more involvement with her, huh.)
In hindsight, her reluctance to share detailed circumstances was probably for this reason.
Whatever her background, to Chaika, Toru and Akari were just temporary hires, nothing more, nothing less than passersby. Perhaps because of the exhilaration from fighting that unicorn, Toru had unknowingly developed an unwarranted sense of familiarity, a kind of camaraderie with Chaika.
They were strangers, after all.
Once the job was done, they’d part ways, that was all what's natural.
Wherever else Chaika was searching for these things, she’d likely leave Del Solant to continue her quest.
“Gratitude!”
Chaika thrust out both hands with the silver coins again.
As if to say, take them already, what are you doing standing?
But Toru hesitated for a moment. Feeling Akari’s questioning glance from the side, he still couldn’t bring himself to reach for the coins.
Taking them would end his and Akari’s connection with Chaika.
It was supposed to end—
But…
—!?
Their reactions were almost simultaneous.
Akari was slightly faster, suggesting Toru’s recent lack of training might be catching up with him. Regardless, Toru shoved Chaika aside, while Akari yanked her back from behind.
In the sudden commotion, the silver coins slipped from Chaika’s hands, clattering onto the pavement.
With a cool, metallic sound, one of those coins—
—Zing!!
...Was pierced by something with a sharp, alien like noise.
What was it?
It was—
(—A throwing needle!)
The petite Chaika practically flew through the air—Akari, catching her, stepped back, then, without resisting the momentum, rolled with Chaika’s body into the shadow of a nearby building.
The entire sequence happened in an instant.
Toru, hand on his short sword at his waist, kicked off the pavement and leaped, ducking behind a slightly oversized trash bin.
And then—
“…Vivi.” A troubled, flustered voice drifted from the depths of the street. “All of a sudden, that’s—”
“Gillette-sama. With all due respect.”
A young man’s voice—and likely a girl’s voice came through, sowly emerging from the darkness, as if separating from it, three figures appeared.
They were…
“Normal conversation with saboteurs is utterly pointless.”
……
Toru furrowed his brow.
He didn’t know who they were, but they clearly knew Toru and his group were saboteurs. Not because of their reaction to the needle, surely—they’d known beforehand and thrown it without hesitation. Toru and the others had reacted to the thrower’s killing intent.
“…Who are you?”
For better or worse, Toru and Akari were now separated from eachother.
Moreover, Chaika’s coffin remained where it had been placed. Perhaps concerned about it, Toru could see Chaika struggling, restrained by Akari, from his position.
(…Akari.)
Toru quickly signaled to Akari in sign language.
Saboteurs had several such specialized communication methods, designed for chaotic battlefields or silent enemy territory, ensuring coordination with allies without confusion in any situation.
(Escape with Chaika. Rendezvous at the back hill. I’ll retrieve the coffin. Let Chaika know.)
(Understood. Escaping with Chaika. Rendezvous at the back hill. Nii-sama retrieves the coffin.)
Akari nodded.
Confirming this, Toru pulled a diversionary smoke bomb from his pocket which when rubbed against something, it ignited to release smoke quietly, but when struck against something hard, it burst with sound and light. He threw the ones in both hands toward the approaching trio.
—Boom!
A dull explosion filled the night street with a flash, momentarily banishing the darkness. To eyes accustomed to the night’s dimness, it was like being blinded by white light.
Akari, carrying Chaika, bolted like a startled rabbit.
At the same time, Toru lunged for the coffin left on the street.
Grabbing what was likely a transport handle, he hoisted it onto his back and kicked off the pavement again. He didn’t forget to slam his last smoke bomb onto the ground for good measure.
But—
—!?
The smoke bomb didn’t detonate.
In an instant, someone—likely one of the trio—had pierced it with a sword in that instant. Without a strong impact, the smoke bomb wouldn’t explode afterall.
In other words—
(This guy…!)
Toru glared at the figure who’d closed the distance in a flash.
(He’s seriously skilled.)
It was a young man with blond hair and blue eyes. Probably the one who’d spoken with a flustered tone to his comrades earlier but this man, unfazed by the smoke bomb’s light or the ensuing smoke, had closed the gap in an instant, piercing the bomb with his sword—not just sharply, but with a precision that avoided triggering an explosion.
No half-baked martial artist could manage to do something like that.
“—You.”
The young man spoke leisurely to Toru, who braced himself.
He didn’t boast about his skill. That, in turn, highlighted the hidden depth of his ability. That thrust was likely routine for him.
“You’re connected to that silver-haired girl from earlier, aren’t you?”
“…What?”
“Vivi, my subordinate...said you’re a saboteur. If you’re just hired for money, don’t get further involved. It’s for your own good.”
……
Toru narrowed his eyes.
This young man's tone defined that he was speaking sincerely.
He held no hostility or malice toward Toru. His words weren’t provocation or mockery. They were closest to a good-faith warning.
Due to their height and posture, he looked slightly down at Toru… but his expression was calm, even refreshing. The unhesitating face of someone acting with a clear sense of duty.
But…
“The attack on Count Abarth’s mansion earlier was you, wasn’t it?”
……
“I’m not here to blame you. It’s hardly praiseworthy, but that’s not my point. You should hand over that coffin and leave. If you do, we won’t pursue you. Our only business is with that girl and the contents of that coffin.”
“The contents...?”
“Haven’t you seen what that girl took from Count Abarth’s mansion?”
The young man tilted his head.
It didn’t seem to be about Chaika’s <magical staff>. Her <Gundo> was visibly old, something Toru could tell at a glance. It wasn’t as if these people were after antiques, so they must be seeking something else and that...
That meant—
“Who knows.”
Toru deliberately played dumb.
He judged it better to let this seemingly good-natured intruder talk as much as possible.
“What’s supposed to be in here, anyway?”
……
The young man closed his mouth and shook his head.
He couldn’t say—or perhaps he wouldn’t. It wasn’t that he didn’t know.
“Gillette-sama.”
A girl stepped to the young man’s left, moving so lightly she seemed weightless. Petite, barely reaching his shoulder. Likely around Chaika’s age—mid-teens or younger. Her features were strikingly cute but her dull gray eyes glinted like blades.
From their exchange, she was probably the one who’d thrown the needle piercing a coin, rather than deflecting it… that suggested extraordinary skill too.
“Talking to saboteurs is pointless. Their mouths move only to deceive and mislead.”
The girl—likely named Vivi—said.
And then…
“I concur.”
A third figure stepped to the young man’s right.
A deep, rusty voice came from a giant of a man, broader-shouldered and a full head taller than the young man. Unlike Vivi, he had a rugged, rock-like appearance, exuding an imposing presence. His mere steps seemed to stir the air and echo with heavy footfalls. Even standing with arms crossed, he radiated overwhelming intimidation.
On his back was a greatsword.
It was—
(—A <mechanical sword>?)
Like Toru’s short swords, it was a rigged weapon.
“Saboteurs are the antithesis of knightly values. Never negotiate with them directly—”
“You talk big,” Toru growled.
“No reason to be mocked that much by assassins or mercenaries.”
……
……
Vivi and the giant showed only a slight flicker in their expressions.
But Toru’s read was likely correct.
The central figure, “Gillette-sama,” was a knight.
The girl to his left, “Vivi,” was an assassin.
The unnamed giant to his right—probably a mercenary.
A mismatched group with no apparent unity, yet acting together for some purpose.
“Nikolai. Vivi. Whoever they are, our target is fundamentally her alone. Someone hired without knowing the circumstances bears no fault.”
……
Toru bristled at Knight Gillette’s words.
What was with this condescending tone?
Gillette wasn’t deliberately belittling Toru. He was likely as earnest and good-natured as he appeared. That’s why, without even realizing it, he looked down on others naturally. His knightly—noble—upbringing pride made it second nature to view non-nobles as lesser.
And—
(What’s this “hired without knowing the circumstances” nonsense—?)
Toru glanced at the silver coins scattered on the ground.
Yes. In truth, Gillette’s words described Toru’s position exactly. Just a passerby. A hired hand. His connection with Chaika would end once the job was done. Nothing more, nothing less, as Chaika herself had made clear with her attitude.
That’s why… being called out by a complete stranger stung all the more.
True, in battle, saboteurs were ruthless—acting without hesitation if a method was effective, even if it defied ethics. Taking hostages, ambushing from behind, spreading lies, setting traps—they embraced vile and cowardly tactics, taking on the dirtiest roles to win at all costs in wars dominated by knights, warriors, and grand causes.
But—
(…That’s exactly why.)
He wanted to achieve something In that storm-like world of war—not to be a mere insect, tossed about and crushed. To not live without knowing why he was born or why he’d die. That wasn’t a way of living.
That day, as a child.
When that person died.
Toru—
“You’re a saboteur, aren’t you?”
“…So what if I am?”
Toru scowled, responding to Knight Gillette’s probing question.
This was a bad situation indeed.
Facing these three, with no smoke bombs left and carrying the coffin, escaping was impossible. Abandoning the coffin—and the “wrist” inside—might let him get away, but…
(…That girl.)
Chaika.
Barely able to speak their language properly.
Without reliable allies, heedless of profit or loss.
Yet she pursued that “wrist” without a trace of doubt. Doing what she could, step by step, toward her goal. She probably knew her life was at risk. For such a clumsy, inefficient girl to have survived alone this long was a miracle. Even in postwar times—no, especially in postwar times—bandits and deserters-turned-thieves were everywhere. Perhaps, unbeknownst to Toru, she’d already faced countless hardships.
Yet still—she never wavered.
If that was what she sought so earnestly…
(No way I can abandon it.)
That’s what Toru felt.
He was aware that this mindset was, in a sense, abnormal for a saboteur. His delayed debut wasn’t due to lack of skill but because his master had seen through this trait in him.
But…
“I’ve heard saboteurs are thorough rationalists. Unless you’ve sworn loyalty to her as your lord, you have no duty to protect her. I’m a knight, and as a knight, I want to avoid pointless conflict.”
“That's very noble of you,” Toru said to Gillette’s calm words.
He was being underestimated.
In essence, Gillette was saying - You can’t win, so kneel and obey. A rational judgment would tell you to hand over the coffin and disappear—that’s what this man was implying.
(…<Iron-Blood Transformation> isn’t usable for a while.)
It hadn’t been two hours since infiltrating the lord’s mansion. He needed at least half a day’s rest, or it’d be dangerous in every sense.
(Can I take these three in that state?)
It’d be extremely difficult.
So what should he do?
“Come. Hand over that coffin.”
The Knight Gillette declared.
(Think...think, Toru Acura.)
Chiding himself, Toru gripped the coffin’s handle tightly.
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