Vol 2 Chapter 14 – Wave of Killing Intent (【Just Trying to Be Kind】Arc)

The Guardians’ conference room.

Eight Guardians were seated around a round table.

Everyone wore tense expressions, maintaining an uneasy silence.

Some of them, however, scanned their surroundings with curiosity.

In truth, it was rare for all the Guardians to gather in one place.

Most of them were free-spirited, and unless it was something mandatory, getting everyone together was almost impossible.

But this time, they had all assembled in response to her summons.

There was a compelling reason why these free-spirited Guardians had come together.

The reason was a message from one girl—the Second.

Under the pretense of an emergency, she had summoned all the Guardians.

While they hadn’t been told the specifics, the word “emergency” triggered a collective sense of foreboding.

It was connected to the “spy” the Second had planted within the Empress’s group.

Did the spy uncover something critical?

The same thought crossed everyone’s mind.

And that thought was confirmed by a monotonous voice.

“Thank you all for coming.”

“If it’s an emergency, of course, we’ll come.”

“I see.”

The casual exchange between Second and “Hime” began to irritate one man—Third.

“Hey, I went out of my way to come here. If this turns out to be some stupid nonsense, I’m gonna flip.”

He shot a glare at Second.

But despite his intense gaze, her expression remained calm and unaffected.

Then, Second began to speak, her words robotic and devoid of emotion.

“My spy. Has obtained. Critical information. About the Empress.”

Hearing this, the Guardians wore expressions that said, I knew it.

Without acknowledging their reactions, Second continued.

“It’s unclear whether it’s a high-ranking member or a subordinate. But someone from the Empress’s group is planning to go to Hokkaido.”

In an instant, the atmosphere in the room changed.

The first to speak was Third.

“Hokkaido? What the hell are they planning?”

“Unclear. But my spy overheard a high-ranking member saying they wanted to go to Hokkaido.”

“That doesn’t mean they’re actually going, though.”

His doubt was immediately countered by a calm, confident voice.

“I believe it’s true that they’re going to Hokkaido.”

The speaker was a woman with long black hair that fell to her shoulders, her lifeless black eyes like pools of ink.

“Fifth, huh? What makes you say that?”

The woman, referred to as Fifth, answered.

“For a high-ranking member of the Empress’s organization, going to Hokkaido alone wouldn’t be difficult. If such a person expressed the desire to go, there must be a reason they can’t.“

“A reason they can’t?”

Third tilted his head, puzzled.

Fifth continued.

“For example, let’s say going to Hokkaido is part of a mission, and that mission is something they desperately want to execute themselves. How would they feel if someone else were assigned to it?”

“I’d be pissed.”

“Exactly. Pissed… no, they’d think, ‘I want to carry out this mission myself.’”

“That’s true, but…”

“Yet, this high-ranking member merely muttered about wanting to go. This suggests that someone else—some other member—has been chosen to go to Hokkaido.”

Fifth finished her explanation and gave Third a look that seemed to say, What do you think?

“Yeah, I guess Fifth’s got a point,” Third muttered, nodding.

At that moment, an elderly man added his opinion.

“If this high-ranking member wasn’t chosen, it implies someone of equal or higher standing is involved in this mission.”

The elderly man’s face was deeply lined with wrinkles, suggesting he was well over eighty. But his hawk-like eyes gleamed sharply, betraying his age.

Building on his words, Fifth continued.

“Seventh is correct. This time, it might be another high-ranking member… or even the leader themselves.”

“The possibility of the leader stepping out into the open is slim… but not impossible,” Seventh mused, stroking his beard with a grin that mirrored Third’s.

“Hime. What’s your call? Hokkaido. Shall we go?” 

After a moment of thought, Hime replied.

“Yes, let’s go to Hokkaido. It’s worth pursuing even the smallest possibility.”

As Hime, the leader of the Guardians, spoke, the others’ faces lit up.

It was as if they’d all been waiting for her decision.

“But we don’t know where in Hokkaido they’re going or when they’ll be there. What do we do about that?” Third asked, frowning slightly.

Following his concern, the other Guardians began voicing their worries one after another.

Even knowing that the Empress’s group was headed to Hokkaido, the lack of specific dates and locations made it impossible to intercept them.

But amidst the rising unease, one person looked completely unfazed.

“It’s okay. My spy will find out.”

The one who spoke, of course, was Second.

“Getting this information was already a miracle. I doubt a high-ranking member would spill anything so easily…”

Fifth voiced her doubts to Second.

It made sense—why would a subordinate, who wasn’t even involved in the operation, be privy to sensitive information shared by a high-ranking member?

After a brief pause, Second answered her concerns.

“My spy. Was asked for their name. Seems the high-ranking member likes them.”

“Just being liked doesn’t mean they’ll spill anything, right…?”

“High-ranking member. Seems pretty dumb. That’s the angle.”

Second’s blunt statement made Third burst into laughter.

“A dumb high-ranking member? You’re joking, right? This is the criminal organization we’re talking about!”

“My spy. Observed them for a few weeks. Look at this.”

Second handed a document to Third.

“What the hell is this…? ‘List of Mistakes by High-Ranking Member Kirino’…?”

The document detailed an array of mistakes and blunders made by the high-ranking member, as observed by the spy.

“My spy’s high-ranking member. Seems clumsy.”

“Clumsy, huh…?”

Third muttered as he scanned the document. Most of it seemed trivial and laughable—until one entry caught his attention.

“‘Shared upcoming plans and operations, known only to high-ranking members, with subordinates.’ …Three times in just a few weeks?”

“Exactly. That’s the angle.”

Second pointed directly at Third, her expression still as unreadable as ever. Third, now amused, began speaking.

“Why someone this stupid is in a high-ranking position, I have no idea. But yeah… If it’s this guy, we might actually be able to get the date and location out of him.”

He tossed the document toward Hime. Glancing over it, she spoke.

“This time, let’s place our hopes on Second’s spy. If they can’t get the information, we’ll have someone else head to Hokkaido for a few days… or maybe even weeks.”

Second immediately followed up.

“Hokkaido. I’ll go.”

Her tone and demeanor made it clear she was ready for the mission. Hime smiled at her, amused by her eagerness.

“Very well. We’ll leave this matter to Second. Everyone, any objections?”

The Guardians nodded in agreement, and Hime, satisfied, nodded deeply in return.

“Now then, shall we move on to the next topic?”

Clapping her hands as though she’d just remembered something, Hime began.

“Regarding the Empress annihilation operation—”

————————————————————————————————  

Meanwhile, in Sakata’s hideout.

Inside his personal quarters, five high-ranking members had gathered.

“Was it really necessary for everyone to meet in my room…?”

Sakata grimaced, already feeling the weight of a stress-induced stomachache.

“My apologies. However, I thought it unwise to interrupt the discussion now that it’s already begun,” Hirata said, sounding slightly remorseful.

“The original plan was for me, the boss, and Satsuki to have a private meeting…,” Kuzuryuu grumbled, rubbing his temples.

“I’m fine as long as I can stay by the boss’s side~,” Satsuki said, clinging to Sakata’s left arm without a care in the world.

“I came because I was bored!” Kirino declared unapologetically.

How did it end up like this…? Sakata wondered, his stomachache worsening.

Completely unaware of Sakata’s distress, Kuzuryuu began.

“The date for our trip to Hokkaido has been decided.”

“Oh! When is it? I’m going too!” Kirino exclaimed enthusiastically.

“Kirino-chan, you’re staying behind. The boss chose Kuzuryuu and me. Tough luck,” Satsuki replied smugly.

“Grrr…”

Satsuki looked utterly triumphant, while Kirino pouted, unable to retort. Watching the two, Kuzuryuu sighed and continued.

“Quit your childish bickering. Moving on—the Hokkaido trip is scheduled from September 10th to September 15th. The lodging will be a traditional inn in the city next to the town where our target resides.”

“A traditional inn? Oh, that sounds so atmospheric,” Satsuki said with delight.

Seeing her reaction, Kuzuryuu added more details.

“The inn is under our control. There won’t be any other guests, so we can stay there without worry.”

“Good. That puts me at ease,” Sakata said, nodding in approval.

Hirata murmured thoughtfully, “September 10th… That’s just a week away.”

“Yes. I’m sorry for the short notice, but I’ll need the boss and Satsuki to prepare quickly.”

“No problem. I’ll get ready to leave for Hokkaido immediately,” Sakata said.

“Got it. I need to hurry and buy a swimsuit,” Satsuki chimed in.

“Swim… suit?”

The chilling voices belonged to Hirata and Kirino. Both of their eyes lost their light as they glared at Satsuki.

Realizing her slip, Satsuki grinned sheepishly. “Ahaha, I wasn’t supposed to say that, huh? Oopsies.”

“You did that on purpose…,” Kuzuryuu muttered, exasperated.

Satsuki stuck out her tongue slightly, showing off her dimples in a mischievous “tehe” pose.

Her cute act immediately triggered the other two.

“That’s unfair, Satsuki-san! Take me with you too!”

“I want to go to the beach with the boss! I want to go, I want to go, I want to go—”

“Scary…” Kuzuryuu muttered, visibly disturbed.

(I didn’t expect Kirino to have these tendencies too…)

“You two are so hopeless. No wonder the boss won’t choose either of you,” Satsuki teased with a sly smirk.

Her remark sent a wave of killing intent through the room, making the air heavy. The tension among the three women was palpable.

This is bad. Sensing the impending chaos, Kuzuryuu stepped forward to intervene. But before he could—

“Everyone. Calm down. This is my room, you know?”

The killing intent emanating from Sakata surpassed theirs, freezing everyone in place. Their eyes all turned to him.

“Boss…”

Kuzuryuu was the first to speak, but Sakata continued without acknowledging him.

“I personally selected Kuzuryuu and Satsuki for this mission. If you have any complaints, address them to me.”

“N-no…”

The boss was angry—something none of them had anticipated.

Both Hirata and Kirino immediately snapped to attention, standing stiffly in front of Sakata.

“We’re sorry for showing such disgraceful behavior in your presence, boss.”

“We’re so sorry! Please forgive us!”

Their apologetic tone was mixed with desperation as they bowed deeply.

(We never expected the boss to get this angry…!!)

Sweat poured down their foreheads.

“I also apologize, boss. I went too far,” Satsuki said, joining the others.

Sakata, satisfied, spoke calmly.

“It’s fine, as long as you understand.”

The killing intent that had filled the room vanished, and the four members let out sighs of relief. At the same time, they felt a chill—they had just experienced true killing intent.

Noticing the lingering fear in Hirata and Kirino, Sakata added.

“While Kuzuryuu and Satsuki will accompany me this time, there will be other opportunities for both of you to join future missions.”

The air around him shifted to something warm and reassuring.

“Boss…! Thank you so much!”

“I’m so happy! Thank you, boss!”

Both women saluted, their faces a mix of relief and joy. Seeing this, Kuzuryuu and Satsuki exchanged glances, also relieved.

“Alright, let’s wrap up for today. I’m going to start preparing for Hokkaido. See you all later.”

With that, Sakata stood and left the room, exuding the very image of a dignified leader.