Vol 2 Chapter 7- Guardians and the Hidden Spice (【Just Trying to Be Kind】Arc)

A large room.

At its center was a round table, symbolizing the authority of the space. Seated around it were eight individuals—men and women of varying ages.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy, with no one uttering a word.

“…………”

Amidst the oppressive silence, there was one person smiling cheerfully.

And then, it began.

“Let’s commence the briefing.”

The one who signaled the start was a woman, the host of this meeting.

Her golden hair cascaded to her shoulders, radiating an aura so dazzling it was almost blinding. She glanced around the room, meeting the eyes of everyone present before speaking again.

“First of all, thank you all for responding to this sudden summons. …Now, let’s get straight to the point.”

After this preface, she continued.

“The incident involving the disappearance of high-ranking police officials about three days ago… The police have just reported that there’s a high likelihood this was orchestrated by ‘Empress.'”

“—So it’s her, after all. That lot never changes,” muttered an elderly man in a tone of exasperation.

The other attendees appeared to share his sentiment.

Observing their reactions, the woman pressed on.

“We must consider the possibility that our information has been leaked in connection with this incident.”

“But hey, the only one who knows anything that could seriously harm us is the Police Commissioner, right?”

The speaker, a man lounging in his chair with his legs crossed, sounded almost dismissive.

The woman responded, her tone firm, as if to guide him.

“That’s true, but we must take precautions.”

“Precautions, huh? You sure worry a lot, ‘Hime-sama.'”

“Unlike you, ‘Third,’ I actually take security seriously.”

The man, called “Third,” was a blond with a buzz cut and sunglasses. He waved his hand casually, saying, “Yeah, yeah,” in a half-hearted acknowledgment.

The woman sighed in resignation before continuing.

“There’s a chance Empress may attempt something soon. If anything happens, report it immediately.”

“Got it.”

“Understood.”

“Certainly.”

The participants all voiced their agreement, their demeanor that of guardians sworn to protect their princess.

——————  

“That concludes my report. Does anyone have anything to add?”

A small hand rose in response.

The one raising her hand was a girl with twin-tails and black-and-white two-tone hair.

“‘Second,’ is it? Do you have something to report?”

“Yes. I do. Report.”

“Second,” as she was called, spoke in a mechanical tone as she continued.

“The spy I sent to infiltrate Empress… has become one of her subordinates.”

Her statement caused a stir in the room.

“What?! Are you certain?”

“Yes. I don’t lie.”

The reason Empress could orchestrate various incidents lay in the vast number of subordinates under her control.

Her followers, utterly loyal, would sacrifice their lives for the organization without hesitation. They were recruited indiscriminately, often through brainwashing or personality reprogramming after being scouted from crime scenes. This method ensured a steady flow of new recruits.

On several occasions, countermeasures had been attempted—spies with resistance to brainwashing had been sent to crime scenes right after incidents orchestrated by Empress. Yet none of them ever returned. Contact would be lost, and they were presumed to have either succumbed to the brainwashing or been killed upon discovery.

But this time, for the first time, a spy had successfully integrated into the ranks of Empress’s subordinates and managed to relay a report back. This was an unprecedented breakthrough.

“Will they be able to uncover the boss’s identity or gather information about the executives?”

“Not yet. They’ve just become a subordinate.”

Second tilted her head slightly, as if pondering, before continuing.

“However—subordinates ranked below the executives apparently don’t have access to information about other executives.”

“I see… So even within their own ranks, information is tightly controlled to prevent leaks, even among allies.”

“Yes. That’s likely. But I have hope for the spy’s future efforts.”

“Indeed. If they can gather significant intel before being discarded, that would be ideal…”

Yes. Empress’s subordinates were disposable unless assigned specific roles by the executives.

Evidence of this could be seen in the aftermath of incidents orchestrated by Empress—perpetrators arrested at the scenes would die of poisoning before they could be interrogated.

This was because they had been made to ingest a slow-acting poison in advance to ensure their silence.

—The executives of Empress treated their subordinates not as people but as tools.

Therefore, there’s a high chance of being killed immediately even if one infiltrates as a spy.

In a way, this was a gamble.

The girl referred to as Hime-sama directed a question to Second, curious about something.

“By the way… if they became a direct subordinate of an executive, wouldn’t they at least know the name and role of that person?”

“Yes. That information came from the subordinate.”

Everyone in the room held their breath at Second’s statement.

And with good reason.

Until now, no one had been able to determine the identity of any of Empress’s executives.

While there were several executive candidates, no definitive evidence had ever surfaced.

In such circumstances, obtaining information about an executive could significantly influence future strategies.

“Let me share the information sent by the spy.”

Second began to speak.

What she revealed was—

“The name is Kirino Haruka.

Blonde, semi-long hair, and short stature. Always cheerful.”

“…Is that all?”

“Yes. That’s all the spy provided.”

The room filled with an indescribable atmosphere following Second’s words.

Breaking the silence was Third.

“Well… even just knowing the name and physical characteristics is a good start.”

“That’s true,” agreed another.

For those who had hoped for detailed information such as the executive’s role, preferred weapon, or unique traits, this report fell short of expectations.

Still, this was a significant step forward for them.

“Alright. From now on, while waiting for information from the spy Second sent, let’s investigate this ‘Kirino’ person.”

“All for the victory of us, the Guardians.”

At Hime-sama’s words, everyone nodded.

It was the signal for the Guardians’ oath—

——————  

Morning rose, and as noon approached, hunger began to set in.

The clock struck 1:00 PM.

After sharing the Guardians’ information from Arisu’s report the previous night with all executives, an urgent executive meeting was held to discuss future strategies, plans, and countermeasures.

Among the discussions, Hirata conveyed a plan to prioritize the progression of the Friendly Target List.

While this directive was ostensibly my own, the executives seemed to agree to start with that.

Though I was a little uneasy, it was reassuring to see that they weren’t prioritizing murder or abductions.

Still, they remained crime-loving lunatics.

I half-listened to the rest of the discussions. None of the executives’ proposals involved overtly criminal demands, so I approved everything.

Then, Hirata made a shocking statement.

“In that case, until the Friendly Target List operation is complete, we’ll suspend all other operations. —Boss, do we have your approval?”

…Huh??

What did she just say?

Had I zoned out so much that I misheard something?

There’s no way these crime-obsessed executives would put everything on hold just to make friends, right?

“Sorry… could you repeat that?”

“I apologize if I was unclear. —Until the Friendly Target List operation is complete, we’ll suspend all other operations. May we have your approval?”

Uh… yes?!

I wasn’t imagining it… They’re seriously going to stop committing crimes, even if temporarily?

I’m so moved by their growth I could cry.

“—Boss?”

Hirata called out to me, perhaps concerned by my silence.

“Apologies. I… lost my composure for a moment.”

“Boss… are you feeling unwell?”

“No, I feel fine. If anything, Hirata’s words have energized me.”

“That’s… I’m glad to hear it.”

Hirata lowered her gaze at my response.

—Oh no, did I just hit another weird nerve by getting too excited?

“…But.”

“Hm?”

“I also feel energized by your words, Boss.”

Though she still looked down, her voice trembled as she said this to me.

Wait, is she mad?

And now that I look, even Arisu is glaring at me.

The other executives are smirking too.

Am I going to get killed after this meeting?

It was Kuzuryuu who saved me from that desperate situation.

“—Boss, save the flirting for later and proceed with the vote on our future plans.”

“I’m not flirting, though…”

I had no idea how this could be seen as flirting, but I was grateful to Kuzuryuu for steering the conversation back on track.

I turned to Hirata.

“Hirata—are you okay?”

At my words, Hirata lifted her face.

“I’m fine. Haha, I was worried about you, Boss, but now you’re worrying about me instead.”

She said this with a smile, seemingly back to her usual self.

“—Listen up, executives. As for our future plans, we’ll suspend all operations until the Friendly Target List strategy is complete.”

“Understood.”

“Got it.”

“At your command, Master…”

No one voiced any objections to my decision.

After the meeting ended, I returned to my room.

Arisu was there as well.

The reason was clear.

“Master… this is a lunch box I made for you.”

What Arisu handed me was a slightly large bento box, adorably wrapped.

For someone usually expressionless, this was a surprising and unexpected gesture.

“Can I open it?”

“…Go ahead.”

With her permission, I opened it to find a colorful assortment of dishes.

Classic items like rolled omelets, fried chicken, stir-fried vegetables, and potato salad. The rice was shaped into onigiri.

This could easily cover both lunch and dinner.

I held the bento box, taking a closer look.

“Everything looks delicious.”

“Thank you…”

Curious, I asked Arisu something.

“These rolled omelets… they’re slightly pink. Did you add something?”

Arisu smiled faintly as she replied.

“They’re infused with my feelings.”

“I see.”

Maybe it was some secret ingredient?

“Can I try it?”

“Of course. That’s why I made it.”

With Arisu’s permission, I took a bite of the rolled omelet.

The taste was… different from the usual rolled omelets.

I couldn’t quite put it into words, but it had a unique flavor—almost like it was rich in iron, with a subtle sweetness blending well. It was a taste I’d never experienced before.

It was genuinely delicious.

“It’s delicious.”

When I shared my honest opinion, Arisu blushed with joy.

She could make expressions like that sometimes, huh.

“I’m glad to hear that. I wasn’t very confident…”

“No, really, it’s delicious. The flavor is unique, different from regular rolled omelets. I think I might even prefer this one.”

“There’s no need to flatter me.”

“I’m not flattering you…”

While we talked, I picked up a piece of fried chicken next.

This was delicious too.

Even the fried chicken had a unique flavor, different from ordinary ones.

I couldn’t quite describe it, but it was an uncommon taste for bento food, and I liked it.

“What do you think?”

Arisu watched me eat with a slightly anxious look.

“It’s very tasty. The flavor feels unique for bento food, but I really like it.”

“Hehe, thank you.”

Hearing my response, Arisu smiled, clearly relieved.

She was unusually expressive today.

I was glad we had agreed on this “meal,” as it allowed me to see this side of her.

The onigiri and potato salad were more typical in flavor.

Though Arisu initially said she wasn’t confident in her cooking, I felt she was skilled at standard dishes.

It was surprising to see this side of someone who could kill without hesitation.

Lastly, I tried the stir-fried vegetables.

For a moment, I felt a chill from Arisu.

Was it just my imagination?

Hmm… What is this stir-fried vegetable dish?

Is this meat stir-fried with vegetables?

The texture of the meat was unfamiliar—it was a bit tough.

The taste was also something I’d never encountered before. What kind of meat is this?

“What kind of meat is in this stir-fried dish?”

“Well, um…”

Arisu’s face turned bright red.

Was it really that hard to explain?

“It’s me.”

“Huh?”

Wait, “me”? Does that mean… human meat?

No way, right…?

“Arisu, that’s quite an interesting joke.”

“It’s not a joke, though…”

I smiled awkwardly, while Arisu smiled faintly as she spoke.

It was unsettling, so I decided not to probe further.

After that, without much more conversation, I finished the bento.

If I were to sum up my thoughts—

“Everything was absolutely delicious.”

“Hehe… thank you.”

At my words, Arisu looked truly happy.

“Were you really not confident in your cooking?”

“I don’t cook often, so…”

“For someone who doesn’t, you’re very skilled. You’ll make a great wife someday.”

Half-jokingly, I said this, and Arisu’s expression returned to her usual blankness.

Wait… Did I step on a landmine again?

As I began to panic slightly, Arisu tugged at my sleeve.

——————  

Next time… could you try other dishes I make?

She gave me the brightest smile I’d ever seen.

“Of course. Anytime. I look forward to it.”

Hearing that, Arisu looked down shyly.

Somehow… I felt embarrassed too.

It was an oddly peaceful moment, entirely out of place for a criminal organization’s hideout.

If only every day could be like this…

I found myself wishing for it.

“…”

Without realizing the madness hidden within her.