It was a stroke of luck that Haruna’s bombshell statement didn’t change my expression.
Even I couldn’t have predicted what she just said.
While I was shaken inside, I chose to view it positively, seeing my ability to remain expressionless as a sign of my growth.
With everyone in the store looking at me, I desperately racked my brain for a response to this bombshell statement.
This oni girl asked me to introduce the oni reflected on my back.
And by “reflected on my back,” she was probably referring to an impression derived from the strike that felled the giant oni.
There’s only one person who comes to mind when I think of that oni.
The strongest oni in my mind, and my instructor.
Oni King Raidou. I call him Instructor Kio, but Haruna, for whatever reason, has judged based on that impression that I have a connection to this oni and desires its presence.
No, let me correct that slightly.
Seeing Haruna’s serious expression, it seems she’s convinced by some sixth sense or premonition.
The fact is, I do have a connection, so this isn’t just a joke.
I was at a loss for how to answer her statement.
If this were within the company and the other party were an insider, I would have questioned their sanity, and if they were normal, I would have threatened them by asking if they were prepared to die or abandon all common sense, before introducing them.
But this is outside the company.
Furthermore, the other party is not an insider.
I don’t know under what circumstances these words came out, but I could easily agree here, yet it’s clear I cannot choose that option.
And in the flow of conversation, refusal would be natural, but…
“…”
Even that word of denial was hard to utter under this scrutiny.
A careless denial would reveal my connection to an oni.
Therefore, I could neither affirm nor deny.
Even my mother, from whom I wanted to ask via gaze why she allowed such a troublesome situation to arise, was prevented from doing so as even her eye movements were under observation.
So.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
My only move here is to deflect.
Neither denial nor affirmation.
I decided that sticking to my ignorance was the best course of action.
Fortunately, no company personnel were present at the scene of that incident.
It was fortunate that the conditions were met, such as no company information leaking elsewhere due to my actions taken on my own initiative.
In that situation, I only needed to play dumb. If I didn’t say anything strange, I could get through this questioning.
I acknowledge her honesty in approaching me directly for cooperation without probing, but I cannot respond to that spirit at this moment.
I answered Haruna’s words without wavering or trembling, slowly drinking coffee as if swallowing the truth rising in my throat.
Glancing at my mother at that moment, she conveyed to me with a wink, in my line of sight, that Haruna’s previous words were not her instruction.
“However, I truly did at that time.”
And, as expected, her answer elicited dissatisfaction.
Haruna tried to press me, saying it couldn’t be true, but.
“Yes, yes, Jiro says he doesn’t know, so stop there. More importantly, we need to discuss what happens next. I’m getting old, and I haven’t been able to rest lately, so I want to get back to my hotel and rest early.”
My mother steered the conversation in a new direction before any more strange talk could arise. This was a welcome development for me. Although the eyes of those around me showed a hint of reproach towards my mother, she pretended not to notice, as if to say, “Who cares?” including Haruna.
However, at that moment, she made a noticeable gesture.
The gesture itself, she claimed, was to ease the fatigue from the aftermath, as she rubbed her shoulder with her hand, a seemingly normal action. A woman of my mother’s age would have done such a shoulder-rubbing gesture once or twice.
At first glance, it wasn’t an odd behavior, but my mother smiled faintly.
I didn’t miss that smile.
I instantly felt there was a hidden meaning and paid close attention to her subsequent actions, which confirmed my suspicion. As she massaged her shoulder, her index finger pointed towards a certain building, and as she rubbed, her fingers formed the number three.
This corresponded to the location and number of personnel monitoring the building that I had been informed about.
Did she notice that from that distance?
I suppressed the urge to grin, my lips twitching, and let out a sigh at her unchanging capabilities.
Additionally, she rubbed her other shoulder and turned her head, glancing outside for a moment.
She was probably communicating that she had noticed the personnel patrolling in front of the store as well.
Finally, as if to say, “There’s more to come,” she smiled and drank her coffee. At this point, I couldn’t help but want to laugh, but I had no choice but to maintain my poker face and sip my coffee.
I felt outplayed, yet I was also impressed by my mother’s skill in achieving both our objectives.
Haruna wanted to leverage my connections, while I didn’t want to expose those connections to the world.
That’s why my mother orchestrated this charade. She only hinted to the Japanese side that there was something behind me, thus respecting my wishes, but by making Haruna say those words, she conveyed to our company that we were seeking contact.
She had anticipated that my presence here would warrant surveillance, hence this meeting. The surrounding personnel were ostensibly there to monitor Haruna, preventing her escape, but they were undoubtedly investigators examining me as well. I bowed to my mother’s skill in accomplishing this while evading their eyes.
Although I was outmaneuvered, I found the outcome acceptable and had no intention of complaining.
“So? I understand that she doesn’t resent me, but should I hear the rest of the story? Based on her account, it doesn’t seem like I can help.”
Playing along seamlessly, I chimed in with my mother’s conversation, feigning ignorance.
I figured I had to maintain this facade to deceive them; I couldn’t show any signs of nervousness.
I assumed that the Japanese side believed my mother had some information about me, and they were likely playing the long game, hoping I’d slip up.
“Probably. I told Jirou it was beyond his capabilities and that I’d handle it myself. Kirie insisted that you be informed, otherwise, she wouldn’t approve Haruna’s adoption. That’s why I’m here.”
“Then my trip was in vain. I doubt I can personally assist with an organization-related matter.”
But then again.
That’s beyond the scope of the issue. She wouldn’t reveal anything if she understood that.
“I suppose so. For my part, I believe the incident is resolved, and being told that this child doesn’t resent me is enough for this matter.”
“Please do that. I worked overtime for this. If I’m forced to work any more, I’ll be done for.”
Relaxing my shoulders, I engaged in casual conversation with my mother.
I pretended to be speaking naturally, without thinking, but I was keenly observing the surroundings for any unguarded comments, though they didn’t know it.
“Kirie left me some compensation. Do you want it?”
“Is it something that will increase my taxes?”
“No, I made sure the procedures were handled that way. What’s wrong? You didn’t want it if it increased your taxes?”
“No, I just thought the procedure might be troublesome.”
“I see. Here, take this. It’s for you. Buy your wife some clothes with it.”
“I will do that.”
I wouldn’t make such a mistake.
If I did, I’d be in for a scolding from the supervisor.
I tightened my resolve inwardly, not wanting that, and accepted the thick envelope my mother handed me.
It was at least a million, by conservative estimate.
It likely included hush money as well.
“Honestly, Kirie is so stingy. Only preparing five hundred?”
“Don’t say ‘only’ to an amount that sounds like a salaryman’s annual income. It’ll make me sad.”
“They put their body on the line. They should get twice that to be worth it.”
“Eight figures is too much, honestly.”
The amount inside exceeded my expectations. As a windfall, it was quite good. My thoughts shifted from saving to indulging a little, wondering what to spend it on.
I remembered Himik mentioning wanting to try some of the high-end ingredients here. I’d buy some on the way back.
But before that.
“By the way, Mom.”
“Yes?”
“What did you mean when you said you were going to ‘settle things’?”
I wanted to hear the truth from my mother.
“It means kicking those who are keeping their mouths shut behind the scenes. But that’s only after they can move again.”
“Oh, scary. Should I stay quiet to make sure I don’t get dragged into it?”
If my mother made a move, a storm would follow.
My condolences to the “people behind” who would be targeted, those referred to as VIPs or superiors.
Understanding this, I shrugged my shoulders, playing the part of someone who was intimidated.
My mother’s grin as she saw it seemed to be spurring me on to work.
I wondered if there were any other mothers who would push their sons like this, and then, turning to Haruna, who still seemed to have something to say.
“I’m afraid I can’t be of assistance. I’m sorry, but please look elsewhere.”
With that, I prepared to leave, signaling the end of our conversation.
I reached for the coat I’d taken off upon entering the store and put it on.
“Yes… Thank you for your time.”
To my words spoken with gratitude,
Haruna, who seemed about to be disheartened, showed only a slight shadow of disappointment before slowly bowing and seeing me off.
Seeing that, I felt a pang of guilt.
However, I had laid the groundwork.
I had subtly altered my intonation. I wondered if she had noticed. Even if she hadn’t, my mother would explain it later.
As a message that I would also take action, I assumed my mother would have noticed.
The question now is not what I can do, but how the Demon Lord’s Army will react to this conversation.
My mother likely brought this up because she believed it would be beneficial for both the company and the Demon Lord’s Army.
As I stood up, thinking I should return to the company quickly, I reached for the receipt, but.
“It’s fine. Ichiro will pay for it.”
“Not your mother?”
My mother must have received some unexpected income, but it would come from my father’s wallet.
This, I thought, was a depiction of modern Japanese spousal dynamics.
The receipt was gently taken, and my mother, waving it with a flourish, pointed her thumb towards my father. It was exactly as I had imagined.
With a wry smile at her actions, I thanked the Master, who saw me off with a smile.
“Now, what should I do?”
I headed straight for the station without hesitation.
However, I wasn’t going back to the company.
They likely knew where I worked and lived.
After all, my opponent was an organization connected to national power.
They probably had a general idea of my address and occupation.
Therefore, they would seek more information, I mused, glancing at the glass of a storefront. Two figures that looked like they fit the bill appeared.
And, a few security cameras moving suspiciously.
“This is excessive. I’m just a salaryman on the surface.”
Well, not exactly. My status as something else was the reason for their suspicion.
Attempting to lose them in the crowd might be futile, but I decided to do it for preparedness.
I swayed my coat and walked down the cold street.
Coming from a warm cafe into the cold without any enhancement of my magic crest, my body felt the chill, no matter how much I trained.
Under the cold sky, I thought about the future.
A normal company would end by now, but unfortunately, this company is exceptionally abnormal in its uniqueness.
Ordinary investigation wouldn’t even get close to its tail, let alone see its shadow.
On the surface, I should appear as an employee of a trading company.
They might assume my organizational backing is an overseas entity.
No one would imagine an organization from another world.
While pondering this, I reached the station and, blending into the crowd, boarded a train heading in the opposite direction of my company.
And then.
“Number three, yellow.”
“Roger.”
A brief exchange.
Just as my hands were completely blocked by people, the person who slipped past me tucked a piece of paper into my coat pocket and got off the train without a glance.
I wouldn’t be foolish enough to check it here.
I slowly rode for about three stops, got off, went through the ticket gates, and hailed a yellow taxi I spotted.
“Where to?”
“Just drive around for now.”
“Understood.”
The taxi driver readjusted his hat, seemingly acknowledging my request.
At that moment, I noticed his pointed ears and his light brown skin, which helped me determine his affiliation.
“How is it out there?”
“There are various novelties, but the crowds are a bit overwhelming, and the lack of them is a real drawback. It feels suffocating compared to over there. Also, there aren’t as many promising customers as I’d hoped.”
So, they were scouting for suitable individuals using taxis. A well-thought-out plan, I mused, but the results were mediocre, like a sales job.
“I wish I could finish work quickly and go home to see my children.”
“You’re having a tough time.”
“Not as tough as you, sir.”
In his car, I rummaged through my coat and took out a piece of paper. While conversing with the driver, a dark elf man disguised by concealment magic, I peeked at what was written.
“Oh, is something so troubling written there?”
“If it weren’t for this cold, I’d gladly go.”
It was a message from the supervisor, ordering me to go buy a cake at a cake shop I’d visited long ago.
And the current route was probably no coincidence.
“Did you have a destination in mind?”
“Well, I’m only driving as instructed.”
This driver has quite a sense of humor, I thought.
Today’s Word:
One must be careful, both when speaking and when listening.
That’s all for this installment.
Thank you for your continued corrections and feedback.
If you enjoyed this, please leave a review, rating, or bookmark.
*The first volume of the novel has been decided to be published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.*
*It was released on October 18, 2018.*
*An e-book version was also released on October 31 of the same year.*
*The second volume was released on December 19.*
*The third volume was released on February 20, 2019.*
*The content has been revised and expanded from the original contribution on Shosetsuka ni Narou, with the addition of an unpublished interlude.*
*Please consider purchasing the new releases as well!*
*A manga adaptation is also decided for Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.”*
*Thank you for your continued support of this work.*
