防壁の内側で暮らす者達は、その者が善良ではないとしても、基本的にある程度の倫理は持ち合わせている。殺しは壁の外で、という認識もその一つだ。防壁の内側でモンスターに襲われる恐れが無いとしても、住人同士で殺し合っては外側と変わらない。それでは内側に住む意味が無い。そのような認識から殺しを慎む傾向があり、防壁内の治安維持に一役買っている。
その手本となるべき五大企業の幹部の言葉とは思えない。クロエはそう暗に非難して、相手の自尊心などからスガドメを止めようとした。
「その言葉、理解は出来る」
「で、では......」
「だが私はこれでも坂下重工の者として、東部全体の秩序の維持に貢献する立場であると自負している。そして君が持つカードの危険性も理解している。その上で、それほど危険な遺物を建国主義者に流すと示唆する者を見逃すほど、私は無責任ではない。ここは壁の内側であるという制約と、君がローレンスの一族の者であるという制約を加えても、この場で君を殺せない理由にはならない、と私は判断する」
そう告げるスガドメの口調にも変化は無い。それは自分を殺すことなど普段の業務と何ら変わりはなく、他の業務と同じように処理するだけのことなのだと、クロエに正しく理解させた。
「君を殺した後、リオンズテイル社には建国主義者の支援者を殺したと連絡しておく。
「......先程の言葉が建国主義者に理解を示す君の思想からでは無く、君の無能から出た誤解を招く言葉であったのならば訂正すると良い」
クロエは予想外の話に驚いたが、我に返るとすぐにスガドメの言葉に乗る。
「カードの価値を強調したいが
の息を強く吐き、そのまま荒い呼吸を繰り返した。ハーマーズから手を離されたラティス達も息を吐き、どこかよろよろと姿勢を正していく。ハーマーズはスガドメの横に普通に戻っていった。
「私や君は身体的には戦闘能力など無い普通の人間だ。だが並外れた戦闘能力を持つ者達を動かせる権力を持っている。言うなれば、口先だけで人を殺せる者なのだ。だからこそ、その口先、発言にはくれぐれも気を付けたまえ」
「......御忠告、承りました」
(......本物? 本物ならどうやって手に入れたの? 偽物? 偽物ならどうしてそんなものを用意していたの? いえ、本物だとしても2枚あって困るものでは無いはず。譲渡交渉を蹴る理由には......)
「君がこれを偽物だと疑うのは理解できる。そう
な様子を見せるクロエの前で、スガドメが連絡を入れる。するとクロエの少し前、部屋の立体映像表示装置の上にシロウが現れた。
「忙しいってのに人を待たせてまで呼び出して何の用だよ......げぇ!?」
ハーマーズに気付いたシロウが思わず声を出し、ハーマーズはシロウに凶悪な笑みを向けた。笑ってごまかそうとしているシロウへ、スガドメが指示を出す。
「シロウ。彼女のことは知っているだろう。君が先日彼女に迷惑を掛けたことは分かっている。謝りたまえ」
に俺を呼んだのか? あ、いや、すみませんでした」
シロウは不思議そうな顔を浮かべたが、スガドメから厳しい視線を受けるとクロエに慌てて謝った。
「......え? あ、はい。お気になさらず」
クロエもどこか混乱しながら謝罪を受け入れた。スガドメの意図が読めずに困惑しているシロウとクロエが顔を合わせていると、スガドメがカードを机の上に置く。
「では話を戻そう。このカードが本物である証拠を見せる」
次の瞬間、シロウの横にオリビアが現れた。机の読み取り装置を介してオリビアに連絡を入れたのだ。
「リオンズテイルのオリビアで御座います。御指名での御連絡、誠にありがとう御座います」
オリビアはそう言ってスガドメに丁寧に礼をした後、視線をクロエに向けた。次は無いと警告されていたクロエがあからさまにたじろぐ。警告に従い、自分からオリビアに連絡を取るような
「彼女は私の客です。お気になさらず」
そう言われたオリビアはクロエ達をじっと見た後、視線をスガドメに戻した。助かったと思い、クロエ達が
スガドメがオリビアへ愛想の良い笑顔を向けながらカードをハーマーズに渡す。
「初めまして。私はスガドメと申します。仕事の話に入りたいのですが、
「それは良かった。では詳しい話に入りましょう。ああ、失礼、その前に......」
「申し訳無いが、君達はここまでだ。お引き取り願おう」
スガドメに丁寧に頭を下げて、クロエはラティス達と共に部屋を出た。
クロエ達は行きの時と同じ案内役の職員に連れられて坂下重工の管理領域の外に向かっていた。その間、クロエはスガドメの部屋での出来事を何度も思い返していた。
思案に暮れながら歩いていると、職員に声を掛けられる。
「クロエ様。私はここまでで御座います」
「え? ......はい。ありがとう御座いました」
ウダジマと合流する場所まではあと少しだ。もう自力で行ける距離ではあるが、普通はそこまで案内するものであり、随分中途半端な場所で先導を止めるものだと、クロエは少し
「騒ぎを大きくするのは勝手だが、その騒ぎに坂下重工を巻き込むのはお勧めしない。クズスハラ街遺跡を巻き込むのは非常にお勧めしない。騒ぎの収拾はそちらでするのだろうが、万一、後片付けが出来ない場合はこちらに連絡を、と彼女に伝えてくれ。以上になります」
その言付けを聞いてスガドメの意図を理解したクロエは余りの
職員はそう告げて頭を下げると、特に慌てた様子も無く戻っていった。
信じられないほどの衝撃、そして職員が立ち去って身内だけになったことから生まれた僅かな
「体調が良くないようだが、何があった?」
「......坂下重工の幹部と交渉したのよ? 疲れもするわ」
「そうか。それなら部屋に戻って休むと良い。詳細は後で聞こう」
「悪いけど、そうさせてもらうわ」
「どうした?」
「......何でもないわ。申し訳無いけれど本当に疲れているの。至急の用件で無ければ
クロエはそう言い残し、ウダジマを置いて軟禁場所である部屋に戻る。その途中、クロエは顔を更に険しくさせていた。
(支店長のコネを得たとはいえ、クガマヤマ都市の閑職に追い込まれていた者が坂下重工の幹部との謁見を成立させた時点で、裏を疑うべきだったわ。私としたことが、駄目で元々と頼んだことが予想外に
クロエのスガドメとの交渉は当初の評価基準では失敗かつ失態で終わった。だが元々後の無い立場だ。これでは終われないと、クロエはこれを更に奇貨として積み上げるべく様々な視点で思考し判断し直す。そして気付く。
(スガドメは私の考えを正しく推測していた。その上で自分達を巻き込まないのであれば容認するとも解釈できる言付けを残した。これは坂下重工の容認を取ったとも言えるわ。オリビア様も私を殺さなかった。これも容認と解釈できるわ。これは私が推察したアリス様の意図に間違いが無かった証拠に成り得るはず。......それを確認できて良かったとしましょう。支店長達もこれで私に付くはず......)
この賭けは降りても負けても破滅なのだ。ならば勝つしかない。まだ負けていない。まだ終わっていない。クロエがそう意気込み、自身に言い聞かせる。
「そうよ......、勝つのよ! 何をしてでも!」
だったのか? だったらもう帰って良いか? 忙しいんだ」
「駄目だ。勝手に帰った場合、坂下から明確に逃亡したと
「いや、それはちょっと、ほら、俺には彼女を雇う金なんかもう無いし」
「安心して良い。全額こちらで負担する。それで、オリビアさん。彼の護衛は可能でしょうか?」
「護衛対象本人から承諾さえ頂ければ、今すぐに対応致します」
具体的な残り時間を告げられたシロウの顔に更なる焦りが加わる。
「護衛を受けるのであれば定期報告も免除する。1ヶ月後に
むハーマーズの顔が、それが本来どれだけ有り得ない返事であるかを示していた。
スガドメがシロウをじっと見る。シロウは死刑宣告を受けたかのように固まりながら、それでもじっと見詰め返していた。
そしてスガドメが場の緊張を流すように態度を緩め、申し訳なさそうな様子でオリビアに頭を下げる。
「オリビアさん。申し訳御座いません。本人がどうしても嫌だと言っておりますので、こちらがお呼びした身で恐縮ですが、依頼は又の機会とさせて頂けませんか?」
「お気になさらず。またお気軽にお呼びください。当社の御利用を心からお待ちしております」
オリビアは全く気にした様子を見せずに笑ってそう答えると、丁寧に頭を下げて姿を消した。
しい。定期報告を忘れないように」
シロウがたどたどしい様子で頭を下げる。そしてそのまま回線を切り、姿を消した。
ハーマーズは困惑を顔に出したまま、詳しい事情をスガドメに尋ねて良いものかどうか迷っていた。そしてその迷いが、聞くだけ聞いてみるか、という判断に至った時、逆に声を掛けられる。
「君への指示を修正する。今まで通りシロウ君の捜索を続けるが、発見した場合、実際に確保に移る前に、私に必ず連絡を取り指示を求めること。連絡が付かない場合はシロウ君の命に関わる状況でない限り手出しを禁ずる。以上だ。席を外してくれ」
余計なことを聞くのは得策ではない。ハーマーズはスガドメの様子からそう考え直し、黙って一礼して退出した。
「......まずい、まずいぞ」
具体的な残り時間を決められてしまったことも厳しい事態なのだが、シロウをそれ以上に追い詰めていた懸念は別にあった。
振り払うように、シロウが首を大きく横に振る。
「......いや、バレたのなら即座に俺の拘束に動くはずだ。だからあれは俺の身を案じての提案のはず。あのスガドメの態度は、変な意地を張ったガキへの不満のはずだ。幹部の気遣いを無下にした馬鹿にはどんな制裁が適しているか考えているだけだ。バレては、いないはずだ......」
そうであって欲しいという願望が多分に混ざっていると理解しながらも、シロウは絶望しない
「あの条件を蹴ったのだ。やはりほぼ確定と考えて良いだろう。少なくとも、備えておくには十分な理由か」
結論を口に出し、自身で推察した内容の再確認を済ませて軽く
、ですがね。......あくまでも懸念。最優先にする必要は無いですが、それなりの優先順位で調整を。......ええ、場合によっては本社の軍を派遣して頂きたい。......いえ、そこは調査結果次第です。まずはその調査の
の人員を寄こして欲しいということです。その結果が
賞金首生活を続けているアキラにハンターコード経由で再び秘匿回線への接続コードが届いた。その通知元を確認したアキラは驚きよりも困惑を強くしたが、安易に交渉を蹴るなというキバヤシの忠告と、予想外の者からの連絡という点に興味を持ち通信を
繋
「駄目よ。護衛が護衛対象から離れてどうするの。それに何かあったら私も一緒に戦うって言ったでしょ?」
そう言って当然のことのように笑うキャロルに、アキラも軽く笑って返す。
「そうか。じゃあ、準備を済ませて出発だ」
アキラはどこか上機嫌にキャロルと一緒に準備を始めた。
荒野のある場所で、背広を着た男が車両から降りてアキラの到着を待っていた。男の
「そろそろ時間なのだが......」
交渉場所を危険な荒野にした上で交渉時刻に遅れるなど普通は認められない。相手を
がアキラの交渉相手?」
「そうだが、本人は? 君は案内役で、移動が必要なのか? それならもう少し早く来て欲しいのだがね」
敵襲を恐れて交渉場所を動的に変更することは珍しくない。男はそれには理解を示したが、その移動時間を考慮していないと考えて不満を
そこにアキラの声が響く。
アキラがキャロルの背後から出てくる。強化服の防護コートの迷彩機能を使って隠れていたのだ。
迷彩機能を使用しても、強力な情報収集機器を使用されれば隠蔽には限度がある。男達は実際に非常に高性能な情報収集機器を使用して周囲を警戒しており、アキラの存在は普通なら露見していた。
しかし迷彩機能により、誰かいる、を、誰もいない、にするのは難しくとも、何人か分からない、誰か分からない、ぐらいにするのは比較的
自身を表す文字数に随分と差がある自己紹介を済ませたアキラ達が本題に入る。
「さて、まずは私達の立場を伝えておこう。リオンズテイル東部四区支店は君と敵対する意思は無い。この前提を基に話を進めたい」
「リオンズテイル社が俺に賞金を懸けたのにか?」
「そこがまず誤解だ。君を賞金首にしたのは三区支店であり、我々四区支店ではない。そして君が敵視しているのはリオンズテイル東部三区支店であり、リオンズテイル社ではない。これは重要なことだ」
リオンズテイル社の各支店は東部本店の下に連携し、リオンズテイル社という巨大な組織を構築している。だが各支店はそれぞれの地域で商売する競合他社のような間柄だ。協力もするが反発もする。隣接する地域で支店の管轄区域を巡って他支店と
「付け加えれば、君は三区支店を敵だと思っているのだろうが、そう断定するのも早計だ。確かに君に賞金を懸けたのは三区支店だが、実際にそれをやったのはクロエという者だ。三区支店長の指示の下、支店全体で動いた訳ではない。私が得た情報ではあるが、三区支店にはクロエの行動を問題視し処罰する動きがあった」
「そうだ。ただ、実際に処罰が下ったという情報は得ていない。三区支店内部も今回のことをどう扱うかで
フリップはアキラの様子を見て、リオンズテイル社の関係者だからという理由で自分達を警戒していた部分が大分薄れたのを確認すると、話を次に進めようとする。
「さて、私達は敵ではないという前提条件に納得してもらえたのなら、本題に入りたい。構わないかな?」
アキラもフリップの話を完全に信じた訳ではない。だが
「では、君に尋ねたい。クロエ・レベラント・ローレンスの殺害を君に依頼することは可能か?」
車両の秘匿回線で話した時に、非常に重要な内容なので
Those who were living inside the inner wall, even the worse out of the bunch, all had at least some level of decency. Something common sense to all of them was the matter of taking lives. It was an action only meant for outside the inner wall. Even if those within the inner wall had no worries when it came to monsters, killing each other would mean that there was no difference between inside and outside the inner wall. Thus, if such acts were committed inside, there was no meaning for them to live inside the inner wall. This common sense was one of the main pillars that maintained civil order within the inner wall.
Chloe was implying that this was not something that an officer from the 5 biggest corporations should do. They serve as an example. Thus, she was trying to use that to stop Sugadome.
"I can understand why you would say that."
"T-then, in that case..."
"But personally speaking, as a part of Sakashita Heavy Industry, I also take pride in actively contributing to the safety of the eastern district as a whole. I understand the danger of that card in your possession. Unfortunately, I'm not that irresponsible. I can't allow someone who would dare say something as preposterous as giving such a dangerous object to the Nationalists to go. Even with my contract with City Management. Even considering the fact that you're someone from the Lorentz house. It's not enough of a reason not to dispose of you."
Even after he said that, Sugadome was still as expressionless as usual. It was as if disposing of her was just one of his common duties. He was only executing his duty. Nothing more. Chloe understood that much.
"After I dispose of you, I will report to Lion Steel. I had just cleaned up a Nationalist supporter inside the Lion Steel company. I have no plans to hide it. If you have any last words, you can go ahead and make your calls. I'm lenient enough to at least wait for you to finish delivering your will."
"...I will allow you to retract your statement and correct this misunderstanding. If you do so, I will regard that statement as nothing but an atrocious bluff, which stemmed from your foolishness. That you were not trying to support the Nationalists."
Chloe did not expect things to end like this. She quickly recovered and took his offer.
"I only meant it as the worst-case scenario. It was a possibility, which only meant to emphasize the value of the card. I have no wish to let it fall into Nationalists' hands. I take what I said back and apologize for making such a remark."
Chloe inadvertently sighed with relief. She was panting, caused by the lingering anxiety after that whole ordeal. Hammerz also let Latis and Pamela go. They straightened their posture but seemed rather lethargic. Hammerz then casually returned to Sugadome's side.
"Both you and I are as strong as common people. But at the same time, we both have the authority to command those with powerful fighting capabilities. It only takes one word for us to kill someone. That is exactly why we must be careful with what we say."
"...Thank you for the advice."
[...Is that real? If it is, how did he get that card? Then, is it fake? But if it is, why would he prepare one? No. Even if it's real, there should be no drawback in having one more. So, why would he refuse my offer...?]
"I can understand you doubting the authenticity of this card. After all, it's not something that can be easily obtained."
As Chloe was wondering who this person was that Sugadome wanted her to meet. Sugadome picked up his information terminal and made a call. A moment later, someone who she had met in the augmented reality room suddenly appeared. It was Shirou.
"Good grief! Calling me out of the blue after making me wait. I'm busy, you know? So, what is it now... Gehk!?"
The moment Shirou noticed Hammerz, he could not hide his shock. Meanwhile, Hammerz was smiling ominously at him. Shirou let out a dry chuckle as if he was trying to let the matter with Hammerz slide. Sugadome then spoke to Shirou.
"Shirou. I bet you're already acquainted with her. I know that you caused her trouble a few days ago. So, go ahead and give her your apology."
"You seriously called me just for that? Ah, no, I am sorry."
Shirou was obviously displeased with this. However, since Sugadome was staring sharply at him, he flusteredly apologized.
"...Eh? Ah, please don't worry about it..."
Chloe was equally flustered as she accepted his apology. Both Shirou and Chloe looked at each other. It was obvious that both of them did not understand why Sugadome was making them do this. Afterwards, Sugadome put his card on the table and said.
"Let's get back to the main topic. I will show you proof that this card is not fake."
Right at the next moment, Olivia appeared next to Shirou. Sugadome used the device on the table to access the card and contacted Olivia.
"Olivia of Lion Steel, at your service. Thank you for contacting us and choosing our service."
Olivia bowed politely at Sugadome and glanced at Chloe. Chloe, who was given a final warning the previous time they had met, flinched back. She obeyed Olivia's warning and decided to not contact her again. However, she was not certain if this was considered a violation of Olivia's warning. There were no clues at all.
"She is my guest, please don't mind her."
Olivia stared at Chloe's group for a few seconds before turning back to Sugadome. Chloe sighed in relief, believing they were saved.
Sugadome smiled at Olivia, who was smiling back at him. He then passed the card over to Hammerz.
"Nice to meet you. I am Sugadome. I'm hoping to discuss a certain job if I may."
"Thank you. That's great to hear. Let's get into the details then. Ah, but before that..."
"I'm sorry but this is where you leave."
She politely bowed to Sugadome and left the room with Latis and Pamela in tow.
The guide, who accompanied Chloe's group to Sugadome's room, once again guided them out of the territory under Sakashita Heavy Industry. While travelling, Chloe kept thinking back on what just happened in Sugadome's room.
As she was deep in thought while walking, the guide suddenly said to her.
"Chloe-sama, this is as far as I can go."
"Eh? Ah, right. Thank you very much!"
The meeting place with Udajima was still a bit further ahead. Although it was not that far and she could go by herself, normally, the guide would have accompanied her all the way. The fact that they were being left in the middle of the road was rather weird for her. However, since the guide was a staff member of Sakashita Heavy Industry, Chloe still had to make sure she did not say anything rude. Thus, she gave a smile and thanked the guide.
"It's up to Chloe-sama. If Chloe-sama wishes to make this incident bigger, it would be best for Chloe-sama's sake that she does not rope Sakashita Heavy Industry into this. It is also not recommended to cause trouble in Kuzusuhara ruin as well. We're sure that Chloe-sama will clean up after this incident comes to an end. However, in the case where it becomes too much to handle alone, please do contact us. That is all."
Chloe, who picked up Sugadome's intention behind the message, was frozen from shock. Latis and Pamela flusteredly tried to call for her but she did not react.
The guide then bowed and left calmly.
The shock was unbelievable. Watching the guide leave, being left with those she trusted, she suddenly felt a tinge of relief. This minor difference caused her to stumble back. Of course, Pamela and Latis quickly caught her before she collapsed.
"You don't seem well, what happened?"
"...We just had a negotiation with an officer from Sakashita Heavy Industry. It's to be expected that I would be tired afterwards."
"I see. In that case, you should head back to your room and rest. I can ask you what happened later."
"Sorry but I'll do just that."
"What's wrong?"
"No... Nothing. My apologies, but I will return to my detention room. If there are no emergencies, I want to take my time resting."
Chloe then went ahead of Udajima and returned back to her detention room. On her way to her room, Chloe's face turned sterner.
[I should have been suspicious the moment a mere desperate City Management staff member was able to arrange a meeting with an officer from Sakashita Heavy Industry. What a blunder. I thought the request would get rejected but it unexpectedly got accepted without much resistance. I got blinded by happiness since it got through. And I thought too highly of myself and my connections. Even with the branch manager of Lion Steel Company Eastern District Third Ward branch. I really still have a long way to go, huh...]
Initially, Chloe thought that negotiations with Sugadome ended up as a huge failure due to severe blunders on her part. But it was not like she had any other choice in that situation. This means that she had to find another way. She used this experience and sought another solution. Using what she had learnt, she noticed something.
[Sugadome was able to accurately see through my intentions. He still left me a message. It basically states that he's fine so long as I do not drag Sakashita Heavy Industry in this mess. This can even be interpreted as approval from Sakashita Heavy Industry. Olivia-sama also did not kill me back then. It could be interpreted as Olivia-sama still tolerating the current situation. This should be good enough proof to say that I'm just following Alice-sama's order... Considering that I was able to receive this confirmation, I think it is fine to say that it was not a complete failure. The branch manager should listen to me now...]
Withdrawing from the ongoing gambit and losing her bet, only led to her demise. Therefore, the only choice available was to win. Chloe reminded herself. [I have not lost yet. This is not the end.]
"That's right... I'll win this! Whatever it takes!"
"So, did you call me here just to make me apologise to that girl? If so, can I leave now? I'm busy, you know."
"No. If you leave now, I will declare that you have run away from Sakashita."
"Uh, well, that is... Like, you know, I don't have the money to pay for her."
"Don't worry about that. I will pay for her. So then, Olivia-san, may I trouble you with such a request?"
"If the escort target approves, I shall take care of it right away."
After Sugadome clearly stated the deadline, Shirou's face became even paler.
"If you have an escort with you, you don't have to do your regular reports anymore. You can just give me your full report after one month. I will also stop Hammerz from looking for you. There should be no problem as long as Olivia-san is your bodyguard. I will even consider extending the deadline as well. You can go sightseeing to your heart's content before returning back to your main mission. At least for the remaining month."
Hammerz's shocked expression showed just how unthinkable Shirou's answer was.
Sugdome stared at him. Shirou was frozen as if he was awaiting his death sentence. His eyes still locked onto Sugadome.
Sugadome then lowered his shoulders. It was to expel the tense mood. He apologetically bowed to Olivia.
"Olivia-san, my deepest apologies. Since the escort target has refused, I know it is very rude of me being the one who asked for you, please allow me to save this for another time."
"Certainly. Feel free to contact us next time. We, from Lion Steel, will wait for your next request."
Olivia smiled and spoke. It was as if she did not mind this at all. She then gracefully bowed before vanishing.
"You can leave now, and don't forget your regular report."
Shirou awkwardly bowed and ended the call.
Hammerz still looked confused. He was not sure if he should ask Sugadome what that was all about. After hesitating, he finally decided to at least try asking. However, before he could say anything, Sugadome suddenly ordered him.
"Let me change your mission. You are to still look for Shirou-kun, but before you move in to arrest him, when you find him, make sure to contact me first. If you can't reach me, be extra careful to not kill him by accident. That's all. You can now leave."
Judging from Sugadome's mood, Hammerz knew that it was not a good idea to ask him right now, Therefore, Hammerz simply gave a slight bow and left the room without saying anything.
"...Ah crap. This is bad. This is really bad!"
He was pressed for time after Sugadome declared a clear deadline for him. However, there was also something else that made him panic.
Shirou intensely shook his head left and right. It was as if he was forcefully trying to shake away his worries.
"...No. If he had known, he would have sent someone to arrest me right away. I'm sure that offer was nothing more than for the sake of my safety. His reaction was simply one towards a brat with too much pride. I'm sure he's simply thinking of some kind of punishment for me. One fit for a stupid brat who had just wasted the kindness of his superior. I'm sure he has not found out yet..."
Shirou knew that his guess was mixed with his own prayers. However, it was the only conclusion he could draw. Anything else would cause him to lose hope.
"He even refused such a good offer. I think we can be certain that it is indeed that case. Or at least, the possibility should be enough as a reason to prepare ourselves."
After he made his decision, he reviewed the situation again. He made sure that he still reached the same conclusion before giving a nod.
"Yes... Yes, that is correct. Just to be safe, I guess... This is just insurance. There's no need to prioritize it, but it would be great to have it ready as soon as possible... Indeed. Depending on how this develops, I might have to request reinforcements... No, it depends on how the situation develops. I hope we can have someone sent to do an investigation. If the result shows that what we are doing is nothing but unnecessary, then we can just divert the soldiers to Kuzusuhara ruin."
"Yes, I formally request for anti-rebuild personnel. That is all from me."
As Akira was spending his days as a bounty target, he suddenly got a call. It was reaching him via an encrypted line using his Hunter code. Akira was surprised when he checked the identity of the caller. Since Kibayashi warned him to not just toss aside any negotiation opportunities that came his way, he picked up the call. Well, he was also curious about receiving a call from such an unexpected caller.
The call concluded with both participants deciding on somewhere to meet up.
"Nope. As a bodyguard, you should not leave your escort target, you know? Moreover, I can help you if something bad happens."
Seeing Carol smile as she casually spoke, it felt as if her proclamation was the natural thing to do. Akira gave a soft smile and replied.
"Is that so? Well, in that case, we'll be going as soon as we're done with the preparations."
Akira seemed to be in a good mood as he and Carol made their preparation.
At a certain place, in the middle of the wasteland, a man in a formal suit stepped off of a vehicle. He was waiting for Akira to arrive. Next to him was a girl in a maid uniform and a man in a butler suit. They stood, ready for anything.
"He should be here soon though..."
It was unacceptable to be late. Considering that Akira was the one who proposed the meeting to be held in the middle of the dangerous wasteland. It would not be strange if either party left and abandoned the meeting.
"Are you the one asking for Akira?"
"Yes, where is he? Are you here to lead the way to another meeting place? If that's indeed the case, it would be great if you had come a little sooner."
It was not rare to actively change the meeting place in order to avoid ambushes. The guy in the suit knew that. However, considering the time required to travel to a new location, it made him feel disgruntled.
But that was when Akira suddenly spoke up.
Akira suddenly appeared behind Carol. He was using his camouflaging defensive coat to hide his presence.
Depending on the capability of the camouflaging device, a decent enough information-gathering device would be able to see through it. Naturally, the man's group were using powerful information-gathering devices to continuously watch their surroundings. Normally, they should have no problems detecting Akira.
Even so, depending on the camouflaging device, it was still quite a difficult task to completely erase one's presence. Comparatively, it was much easier to fake the presence of others. Thanks to Alpha's support, Akira managed to hide his presence by blending it in with Carol.
Leaving aside the stark contrast in the length of their introductions, they immediately went onto the main topic.
"Now then. Please allow me to explain our stance on the current situation. We of Lion Steel Eastern District Fourth Ward have no wish to antagonize you. So, I hope you can keep this in mind as we continue this discussion."
"I'm pretty sure Lion Steel is the one that placed a bounty on my head though?"
"First of all, let me straighten up this misunderstanding. The one who placed that bounty on you is the third ward branch, not us of the fourth ward branch. Your enemy is only Lion Steel Eastern District Third Ward Branch. Not the whole Lion Steel company. This is a very important point."
Lion Steel is formed of individual branches working together under the main HQ. However, each branch dealt with the area under them as if they were from different companies. Some of them worked peacefully with each other, while others got along like water and oil. There were even cases where they got embroiled in conflict over the territory borders between different branches.
"If I may add, you might think that you're already in a hostile relationship with the third branch, but that might not necessarily be the case, at least, not yet. It's a fact that they placed a bounty on you. But the one who did that was Chloe. She just used the name of the third branch. So, the third branch itself did not act under the direct order from the branch manager. This is just something that I've gathered. It also seems that even the third branch sees Chloe's actions as problematic. They are considering her punishment."
"Yes. But, based on my investigation, it doesn't seem like punishment has been delivered yet. So, I bet they're still discussing punishing her or not.
As Fulip confirmed, Akira had lowered his initial wariness, which stemmed from the fact that they were from the Lion Steel company. Fulip noticed this and decided that it was a good time to move on to the next subject.
"Now that I hope you fully understand our position, that we are not your enemies, I wish to move on to the main subject. Will that be okay with you?"
It was not like Akira believed everything that Fulip had said. However, it was not like he had reasons to completely distrust him either. Fulip understood Akira's stance from his reaction and continued.
"Very well then. There is one thing that I want to ask of you. Is it possible to request you to kill Chloe Levelant Lorentz? Of course, we will reward you for this job."
Ever since Akira was told during the call through the vehicle's secret line that they wanted to meet up directly to discuss a highly important subject, he already had some guesses of what it might be. However, as expected, this request was something completely out of the left field.
Rebuild World (WN)
リビルドワールド
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/rebuild-world/
Action Adventure Drama Harem Mecha Mystery Sci-fi Seinen
Abandoned Children Adapted to Manga Adventurers Alternate World Anti-social Protagonist Apocalypse Artificial Intelligence Beautiful Female Lead Cautious Protagonist Child Protagonist Dense Protagonist Determined Protagonist Distrustful Protagonist Futuristic Setting Gangs Gunfighters Harsh Training Lack of Common Sense Male Protagonist Manipulative Characters Monsters Near-Death Experience Older Love Interests Poor Protagonist Poor to Rich Ruthless Protagonist Shota Sudden Strength Gain Survival Twisted Personality Unlucky Protagonist Weak to Strong
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n9736dt/
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