Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru - Volume 8 - Chapter 2.95

Side Reloaded

Late that night, on the day I’d encountered Gluttony, I left Kimihiko and the others at the hotel and went to the Mizoev Federation embassy in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

“Thank you for coming at such a late hour.”

A screen on the wall of the big room showed a masked man in late middle age. Doberman was a high-ranking Federation Government official. He was also the one who’d summoned me here.

I didn’t know what his real face looked like. We’d never met in person, but I’d connected with him this way several times for work. It was a business relationship.

That meant I could guess roughly why I’d been summoned. As I waited for Doberman to state his business, for some reason, he started to applaud softly. “Well done, Magical Girl. To think you’d resolve Pandemonium so soon.”

…That remark sounded contrived. There was no emotion in his words, and yet his attitude was almost melodramatic. He was always like that.

“Pandemonium was never much of a threat. Rill hasn’t done anything that would warrant praise.”

Besides, it wasn’t as if I’d finished the job alone. The White Tengu at the end was a prime example. I might lose even more sleep if I let him praise me for it.

“Stoic as ever. You’ll accept any mission, and you always keep sacrifices to a minimum while producing maximum results. All we can do is marvel at your work.”

Shut up.

Did he think I was a convenient jack-of-all-trades who’d accept the toughest, dirtiest jobs for a few scraps of praise? —Well, that was fine. I’d complain, but I planned to get my biggest wish anyway.

“Now, getting down to business: I need to assign your next mission,” Doberman began.

That was obviously the real reason for this meeting.

“The Oracle’s sacred text has predicted multiple crises again. I wonder which one you’re best suited for…”

“You know which crisis Rill needs to resolve next.” If he was going to play dumb, I’d say it for him. “A surviving member of the Seven Deadly Sins has appeared. A monster you once decided wasn’t a threat to the world anymore.”

I got the feeling Doberman’s expression had changed beneath his mask.

“Give the Magical Girl that mission. I’ll kill the supernatural.”

There was a moment of silence. Then Doberman said, “I’m told you collapsed recently.”

“So? You people have no reason to start worrying about the Tuners now.” Or what? “Are you saying the supernaturals are too much for the Magical Girl to handle?”

Don’t screw with me. I’ll do it all. I won’t let anyone get in my way just because they were close to the Enforcer. I don’t need help from anybody, either. Not even Kimihiko… I won’t count on him anymore. I’ll do it on my own; I’ll show them.

Silence fell for a second time, and then Doberman spoke.

“I’ll send your orders later.”

So that was the compromise, huh?

Any further discussion would be pointless. I left the embassy.

I spent the next hour or so riding my motorcycle home. I’d used my Tuner qualifications to rent a condo in an upscale residential district.

I might be living in a swanky place, but nobody was waiting there for me. No one had welcomed me home in over a decade. Nobody looked at me. That was fine by me, though. I’d never minded before.

Parking my bike in its designated spot, I removed my helmet…and then I sensed a presence. I took my staff off my back and held it at the ready.

“Who’s there?”

He was sitting on the roof of the bicycle parking lot, hands clasped around one raised knee, the darkness folded around him.

“—Scarlet.”

The white demon looked down at me, his lips turning up slightly. “There’s no need to be so wary. We’re both Tuners, aren’t we?”

“Oh, that’s rich, coming from you. If you hadn’t shown up, Gluttony would have been…!”

Just a little more. I’d almost killed him. I bit my lip, feeling my hands clench around my staff.

“I have reasons of my own, you see. I had to let him escape temporarily.”

“—! What reasons could you have? Why is the Vampire helping a supernatural?”

Scarlet was supposed to be one of the protectors of the world, so why?

“Just so you are aware, I haven’t allied myself with that supernatural.”

“…So you’re not in league? Then why the hell…?”

“As a matter of fact, I believe Gluttony’s survival has benefited you as well.”

What was he talking about? All I wanted was to kill Gluttony. I couldn’t possibly gain anything by letting him live.

“That is why I’m here—to explain it to you.”

Scarlet leaped down from the roof.

For a moment, I thought Gluttony might be lurking nearby, but he didn’t seem to be here. Was Scarlet hiding him somewhere?

“Why did you spare Gluttony’s life? How is that supposed to help me?”

“It will take a few days’ time to prepare, but I wanted to propose something to you. First, a question.”

The Vampire smiled.

“Magical Girl, are there any humans you’d like to bring back to life?”