2
That night.
I’m pushing a wheelchair along as I stroll around the city of Grace’s nightlife district.
“…You’re such a bad boy, Commander. Using a mission as an excuse to take me on a date…”
Grimm, who is sitting in the wheelchair as I push her along, rambles nonsense as she smiles up at me.
I brought Grimm with me on patrol to look for the suspicious individual, but…
“What are you talking about? I keep telling you, we’re just doing a night patrol of the city.”
“Yes, yes, I know, I know. Boys do want to show off, after all. You need a reason to take a girl on a date… That’s it, right?” Grimm says cheerfully and chuckles, but no, she’s wrong.
The reason I brought her along is because she’s competent at night, and because life in the city has settled down, and we’re done passing out food to the demons, and she’s just collecting a free salary, so she needs to earn her keep.
The other Combat Agents are busy either exterminating monsters around Hideout City or heading back to scout Toris.
Viper is occupied with an enormous amount of paperwork and is managing all the demons.
What’s most surprising is Snow, who has been calling herself the Deputy Lord of the City, has started negotiating with the merchants of the city of Grace and has been pretty useful in doing things like securing supplies for cheap.
And Alice has taken Rose as her bodyguard as she goes to check on the giant robot at the bottom of the lake.
Which means that Grimm was the only one left, and she’s lazily collecting pay without doing much of anything.
“So where are we patrolling? How about a bar with a nice, mellow atmosphere? There’s also a park up ahead that’s usually deserted, but it’s a bit early for that. First, we need to set the mood with some light conversation. Then we can go to the park after we’ve had a few drinks and I’m a little tipsy. Girls need a reason to tag along with you, after all.”
What the hell is this deadbeat talking about?
“I’ve already got our first destination planned out. We’re going to turn that corner and head to the slums.”
Hearing that, Grimm lets out a dry chuckle as though in faint exasperation.
“There’s plenty of scary men hanging around that area, so if you take a pretty girl like me, you’ll definitely stir up some trouble… Tsk, you and I have known each other for a while, you know… What’s it called? Misattribution of arousal? There’s no need to set up that sort of charade. I know you’re a man I can depend on, Commander.”
Grimm continues rambling as she winks up at me.
“…Commander. Hey, Commander. Mind if I ask you something?”
Having arrived at the slums, we are wandering around looking for the suspicious individual.
Grimm looks up at me with a serious face as I push her wheelchair.
“What is it?” I reply to Grimm while directing an intimidating glance at the thugs in the slums…
“…Is this really for work?”
“…? That’s what I’ve been saying from the start. There’s a suspicious person that’s been showing up around here lately.”
At my nod, Grimm suddenly starts throwing a tantrum.
“Whaaaaaaat?! You asshole! You got me all excited for this?! Why did you only invite me, then?! And why did you choose the nighttime to take me out?
“The reason I brought just you along was because you’re the only one who wasn’t doing anything important. As for why we’re doing this at night, it’s because you’re useless during the day.”
“Don’t use logic on me! You, over there! Can’t you see that there’s a beautiful woman sitting right in front of you? Why aren’t you sticking your nose into our business?!”
As Grimm finally goes so far as to rope bystanders into her nonsense, the men dressed like thugs standing around suddenly start glancing away to avoid getting involved.
“Just so you’re aware, the thugs that frequent this area won’t pick fights with me. I made sure to show them who’s boss a while back. That’s just business as usual for an evil organization member.”
“What an awful thing to do! You’re the thug here, Commander, not them! …Wait, come to think of it, at the bars I’ve been visiting lately, most people avoid eye contact with me. Is that because—?”
“They probably think you’re one of us.”
“Ahhhhhhh! Nooooooooooo!”
Bawling her eyes out, Grimm tries to wheel herself away from me, but I make sure to hold her firmly in place.
“You’re a proper member of Kisaragi now. It’s too late for you to get away. While we happily accept all newcomers with open arms, no one’s allowed to leave!”
“You never told me that! You never mentioned that at all! It’s bad enough that I’m woefully single, but now everyone looks at me like I’m undesirable!”
I’m pretty sure worshipping a dark god already made you plenty undesirable.
“Pipe down and get over here! You already accepted the payment, so I’m gonna make you work it off with your body!”
“At least phrase it differently! You make it sound like you’re about to do something lewd to me!”
I just meant that she needs to earn her keep, but it doesn’t sound like a joke when she says it.
As I attempt to forcefully wheel Grimm away…
“That’s enough!”
…an oddly spirited voice that feels out of place in the unhealthy slums echoes across the alley.
When I turn in the direction of the voice, there is a slender black-haired beauty standing on a ramshackle hut that looks on the verge of collapse.
Since the white-armored woman is glaring straight at me, I can only assume I’m the one she’s talking to.
She seems indignant as she lays eyes on the teary-eyed Grimm, and she points an accusatory finger at me.
“I’m Adelheid Krueger, the Umbral Savior! I’m the arbitrator assigned to determine if this kingdom should be left alone or brought under our management! As I’m currently on assignment, I probably shouldn’t get involved, but…”
At a glance, she seems like a calm, collected beauty with sharp, aggressive features. However, her booming voice and the hatred burning in her eyes quickly shatters that image.
In the next moment, Adelheid…
“You worthless villain! Trying to kidnap a defenseless woman in a wheelchair, are you?! If I let you go, I’d be failing my mission to manage this world…! Now, release that—”
…collapses along with the hut as I bring it crashing it down with a single kick.
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