6
Even to an amateur’s eye, it was obvious that the city hall was not a proper military structure.
It was a government building, meant for administration, not for war. Naturally, it lacked defensive installations.
Even so, with over three hundred soldiers quartered inside and a total fighting force of nearly five hundred including the city guard, its military strength was still considerable.
“But we’ve already slipped inside their walls.”
Subaru smirked as he mentally mapped out the building’s layout.
Operation Kumaso Takeru was progressing unexpectedly smoothly.
The plan was simple:
If a troupe of beautiful women became the talk of the town, then Zikr Osman, the notorious skirt chaser, would surely take notice.
From there, they just had to wait for the invitation to a banquet and capture the commander.
However, just as the perfect opportunity was presenting itself, a major problem arose.
“We’re executing the plan tonight, but…”
There was no way to send a message to Mizelda and the others outside the walls.
Jamal—the very one who had come to fetch them—had given them no chance to make contact.
Not out of caution, but out of sheer perviness.
Now that they were inside the city hall, their freedom was restricted.
They had no chance to slip away, no way to let the outside team know that the plan was happening tonight.
“We have to find a way to get the message out…somehow.”
The outside group was meant to be insurance if the plan failed—
—but even if it succeeded, they would still need help disarming the remaining soldiers.
Whether Operation Kumaso Takeru worked or not…contact was crucial.
“And I still have no idea what Bianca is thinking.”
Abel had barely spoken since they arrived.
He seemed focused on the banquet, but…
…ever since they were brought inside and confined to a waiting room, Abel had been completely silent.
He knows the other team is critical. He knows there’s no one else to turn to.
Flop was cooperative, but he wasn’t the right person to plan the taking control of the building.
Talitta and Kuna had been chosen for their brawn, not their brains.
Which meant—
“…I’ll have to do something myself.”
Subaru clenched his fist.
He was standing inside the restroom, where he had gone under the pretense of nerves. The guards had ordered them not to leave the waiting room—but they weren’t strict enough to deny a bathroom break. Unfortunately, the window had metal bars, so escaping through it wasn’t an option.
I can’t panic and do anything too reckless. But at the same time—
—I can’t just sit here and do nothing. Worst-case scenario, we can delay the plan…but…
“Tonight is for the officers. Tomorrow is for the rest of the soldiers…”
That was what Jamal had let slip earlier at the inn.
Tonight’s banquet would be limited to high-ranking officers. Tomorrow, the rest of the soldiers would get their turn. Which meant the person Subaru least wanted to meet would be there.
“…”
Honestly, Subaru had nearly had a heart attack when Jamal burst into the room.
If Jamal was here, then there was a good chance that other man was, too.
…But then again, maybe that arrow had actually killed him.
“Wishful thinking, huh…?”
That wasn’t something he should be hoping for.
It was complicated.
Subaru knew there were people in this world who simply shouldn’t be allowed to live.
The Archbishops were a prime example.
If one of them was hit, he wouldn’t hesitate to wish for their death.
But this man was different. He terrified Subaru, there was no doubt about that.
But he wasn’t evil.
And yet…
What about the Archbishop I’m letting go because I’ve got no choice?
Subaru shook his head.
“…This isn’t helping. Focus on the plan.”
Scolding himself, he pushed the thoughts away.
He had searched every inch of the restroom, but there was nothing that could help him get a message outside the walls. If he stayed too long, the guard outside would get suspicious.
Maybe if things got urgent enough, Abel would finally act.
For now, he had to pull back.
Subaru took a deep breath, then stepped out of the restroom with graceful poise.
“My apologies for the wait. I was just…a little nervous.”
The guard at the door barely reacted, just grunted in response.
But then—
“Hm. Ah, forget it. Someone to talk to just showed up.”
“Oh?”
The guard nodded at someone, and following his gesture, Subaru turned. Then his heart froze. Standing before him was the last face he wanted to see.
“…Eep.”
“Huh? What is it? Why the surprised look? Hey now, I’m not going to eat you.”
Seeing Subaru’s throat quiver, he smiled and joked.
It was a joke Subaru had heard from Jamal back at the inn, but unlike then—when it was just Jamal’s horniness on full display—this time, Subaru couldn’t just let it slide.
Because this time, he wanted to ask if it was really true.
“What, did you do something to her, Todd?”
“Me? Don’t be absurd. There’s no way I could. The wound was deep, so I’ve been in bed this whole time. I only just healed up enough to start walking around.”
The man, Todd, rubbed his stomach while chatting amiably with the guard.
He was the person Subaru had been wariest of—not counting the Archbishops—the one man Subaru had nearly wished death upon. Now that terrifying nightmare stood before him, chatting casually.
“…Ah.”
Subaru’s mind spun at high speed.
I have to say something. Silence is bad. I can’t give him a reason to be wary. If he gets suspicious, he’ll use it as an excuse to act. He doesn’t need proof. He doesn’t need evidence. If he suspects anything, he’ll move.
So…
“Seriously though, what is it? Did we—?”
“M-my apologies… It’s just…”
“Just?”
Todd had only repeated the question, but Subaru’s heart felt like it might burst.
He had wanted to end the conversation by saying he wasn’t feeling well. But right before the words left his mouth, doubt struck him—should he really say that?
Not feeling well is the usual excuse, but it’s a lie. And I think he’ll see through it.
Subaru had died and returned enough times to know—Todd could read his thoughts. Last time, Todd had guessed what Subaru was thinking and stabbed him without hesitation.
A lie—a lie will just get me caught.
I have to avoid lying.
It wasn’t that Subaru wasn’t feeling well. The real reason he was suffocating right now was…
“I’m a little, um, scared…”
“Scared? Of me?”
“You too. We…um, we were brought here a little roughly.”
He averted his eyes so Todd wouldn’t see them.
Every word, every gesture made Subaru question whether it was the right move, drowning him in uncertainty. If Todd saw his eyes, he’d see through the lie. If he lied, he’d be caught.
But this wasn’t a lie.
Todd closed one eye as he listened to Subaru’s desperate response.
“Brought here roughly? You know who brought them over?”
“Ah, I think it was Private First-Class Aurelie.”
“Oh, Jamal? That makes sense. In that case, sorry for scaring you,” Todd apologized.
“Eh…?”
Subaru’s eyes widened at the unexpected turn of events as Todd scratched his cheek.
“He’s not a bad guy… Well, not exactly. His mouth’s foul, his personality’s worse, and he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. But it’s not malice—that’s just who he is.”
“Ha, haa…”
“If possible, could you try to find a little forgiveness for him? I know how he looks, but he’s going to be my brother-in-law. His little sister—an absolute angel, nothing like him—is my fiancée.”
Subaru was growing more and more confused. From Todd’s demeanor, he didn’t seem to find anything suspicious in Subaru’s words or reactions. In fact, he even pretended to sympathize with Subaru over Jamal’s behavior.
To think my cross-dressing skills and Jamal’s shittiness would actually come in handy.
“Ah, there you are! Hey! What are you doing walking around, Todd?!”
A loud voice echoed down the hall.
Jamal came stomping over with heavy steps.
“Uh-oh.” Todd put a hand to his forehead. “He found me…”
“‘Uh-oh’ nothing! Guys with a hole in their gut need to rest and recover! You just can’t believe something unless you see it yourself, can you?”
“No, no, I believe you.” Todd shrugged, raising his hands. “You’re surprisingly diligent, so do your job. But even serious people can make mistakes.”
“That’s just another way of saying you don’t trust me…!”
Jamal stomped forward angrily but suddenly stopped, noticing Subaru standing beside Todd. His scowl shifted into a grin.
“One of the party girls. You were the one most my type, too. Hey, if you don’t get any invitations tonight…”
“All right, that’s enough of that.”
Jamal reached for Subaru’s shoulder, but to Subaru’s shock, Todd was the one who stopped him.
Jamal’s face twisted when Todd grabbed his wrist.
“Enough,” Todd said again, his voice firm. “You’re scaring her with that attitude. You have to be gentle with girls.”
“Ahh? Why are you getting in the way…? Wait, are you…?”
“Don’t even joke about that, Jamal. I only have eyes for your sister. You know that.”
“As her older brother, that’s not exactly what I want to hear from some guy, either…”
Jamal scowled but shook off Todd’s hand. He glanced at Subaru again, but, seeing his tense expression, he let it go—for now. Surprisingly, Jamal seemed to have some level of understanding. Or maybe he just felt hurt that someone he’d taken a liking to was scared of him.
Either way…
“We don’t get to enjoy the banquet tonight anyway, so let’s just go.”
“You say that, but I’m getting sick of tracking down every possible back door into the city.”
“It’s not boring—it’s insurance. Insurance. Because that’s definitely where they’ll come from.”
Todd smiled easily, but that one comment sent a shiver through Subaru.
The idea of using a back door had already been anticipated and shut down. Subaru silently congratulated himself for not choosing that strategy. And as that thought settled…
“By the way, what was your name?”
Did he notice I relaxed?
Subaru felt like he might pass out at that seemingly offhand question.
My name? Why? For what reason? It’s just a name. But Todd wouldn’t ask without a reason—he doesn’t care about things like that. That was why Rem was wary of him from the start. We were never on good terms this time around, so I never told him my name, either. Should I answer or not?
“C’mon, please tell me?”
Subaru held his breath. Resolving not to delay any further, he forced a smile, feigning as much calm as he could.
“I am Natsumi Schwartz.”
There was no other option. All I can do is pray and hope this was the right choice.
“Huh.” Todd rubbed his chin and nodded. “See, Jamal? Aren’t you glad to know that?”
“Shut up! Let’s get out of here!”
Jamal’s face turned red as Todd shrugged and followed him. Without looking back, they turned a corner and disappeared from sight.
They’re gone. Gone.
“…R-really?” Subaru exhaled, watching carefully to make sure they weren’t coming back.
“A-are you all right? You look really rough.”
The remaining guard sounded genuinely concerned—proof of how desperate Subaru must have looked. But Subaru had no composure left to respond.
Somehow, he managed to gloss over the situation with the guard and return to the waiting room.
“You took quite a long time, Ms. Natsumi! …Are you all right? Your face is…”
“I’ve heard that one before… For now, I weathered the storm.”
Seeing Flop there to greet him, Subaru finally felt his heart slow down, his breath settling.
I made it through the sudden storm…I think. But we still haven’t cleared the first wall.
“I couldn’t find a way to make contact with the outside. Without that, even if the plan works…”
“If that’s all, don’t worry, Natsumi. Kuna and I already sent a signal that Sister and the others will understand.”
“Huh?”
Subaru’s eyes widened. The massive problem he had been worrying about had already been resolved so easily?
Talitta looked a bit apologetic at his reaction, while Kuna appeared completely unfazed. Subaru turned to them, silently asking for an explanation.
“About that… After you took the guard away, Bianca said she’d distract the remaining one so we could finish the job.”
“Wh…wh…wh…”
Subaru’s widened eyes shifted toward Abel, who was seated in the corner of the room.
Noticing his attention, Abel narrowed his eyes and shook his head slightly.
“Rather than telling you and risking an unnatural reaction, I used you as a natural distraction. Fortunately, you did your job well enough. I’ll even commend you for it.”
“You are so annoying! I—I was terrified out there!”
“C-calm down, Ms. Natsumi! Don’t ruin that cute face!”
“Sooo annoying!”
Subaru lunged, ready to grab Abel for his infuriating attitude, but Flop held him back from behind.
He really did want to punch that smug face—but without Abel, their plan wouldn’t work. He had no choice but to calm down.
Being hostage to a face… This is absurd.
But if contact had been made, all that was left was to carry out the plan and make sure it succeeded.
“If this doesn’t work, it’ll be a disaster.”
It sounded like sour grapes, but after the past few days, Subaru was sure that it would end in nothing but bitter disappointment.
It is really aggravating, but there isn’t anyone other than an Archbishop who wouldn’t be captivated by that arrogant dancing queen.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login