Vol 3 Chapter 10 – The Second Well (【The Exonerator of the Maritime Nation】Arc)

“This is the cave in question, huh…”

Before the three—Kuzuryu, Satsuki, and Kuroda—stood the towering entrance of a massive cave.

“Just thinking about all the corpses crammed in here sends shivers down my spine.”

Satsuki grinned mischievously as she spoke.

Noticing her expression, Kuzuryu jabbed her in the side.

“Oh my, what’s the matter?”

“Think for a moment, would you?”

“Heh… I get it, I get it.”

Satsuki adjusted her tone and returned to a more serious expression. Kuzuryu sighed at her, exasperated.

“Ah, whatever. Let’s just get moving and head into the cave.”

“Hmm? Aren’t we waiting for Saito-san?”

“He said he’d take care of an urgent matter and catch up with us later. So, for now, we’ll go ahead and explore the cave.”

Answering Satsuki’s question, Kuzuryu took the lead and began walking into the cave. Satsuki and Kuroda followed closely behind.

“It’s dark and creepy in here.”

The interior of the cave was vast but shrouded in dim light. The cold, stagnant air made it an unpleasant place to be.

“This is a pretty big cave, but how far is it to that well you mentioned?”

“About ten minutes. You’ll notice the smell before we get there.”

Although Kuroda’s face remained expressionless, the memory of the stench brought a wave of discomfort over him.

Kuzuryu strode forward with a serious demeanor.

Satsuki, on the other hand, struggled to hide her excitement.

As for Kuroda, he walked with a sense of dread, recalling various unpleasant memories.

Then, it happened suddenly.

“So this is that stench…”

“Yeah, it’s pretty overwhelming…”

A foul odor assaulted the trio’s senses, forcing them to pinch their noses and press forward.

“This is awful…”

After another five minutes of walking, the infamous well finally came into view.

“Just like the rumors said. This is shocking.”

Their eyes widened as the scene before them came into focus: a well overflowing with a massive pile of corpses. Some were freshly deceased, while others were so decomposed their bodies had deformed.

“Disgusting. This is sickening.”

“Yeah… How many people would you have to kill to create something like this?”

The well, estimated to be 30 meters deep, was packed to the brim with corpses.

“It’s impossible for one person to have done all this alone…”

Kuzuryu donned rubber gloves and began examining the bodies.

“Most of them have clear signs of external injuries. This wasn’t suicide—it was murder.”

“I agree. Some of them even have gunshot wounds.”

The two attackers Kuroda encountered previously had been armed. It was highly likely that they were responsible for these murders.

“Even if we assume those two were the culprits, it doesn’t explain why all of this happened…”

“True. This feels more like the work of deranged killers.”

Satsuki stared at the piled bodies with an exasperated look. Her expression caught Kuroda’s attention, sparking a question.

“Curious. Are you two used to seeing dead bodies?”

“Yeah. I used to… work closely with the police, especially on violent crime cases. So, yeah, I’ve seen plenty.”

“She’s right. Given our line of work, determining cause of death comes naturally.”

The two answered Kuroda’s question matter-of-factly, brushing off any further discussion.

“Coincidence. My work also involves the police.”

As Kuroda spoke, inspecting the well further, the atmosphere around the other two shifted slightly.

“Oh, is that so? What a coincidence.”

“Yeah. But it’s reassuring.”

Kuroda’s expression softened, a hint of relief crossing his face.

“Reassuring? Were you worried about something?”

“I wanted to know what kind of people I was dealing with. I can… see colors.”

“Colors?”

Satsuki tilted her head, puzzled. Kuzuryu’s expression showed he didn’t understand either.

“Yes, colors. The closer to white, the safer and kinder a person is. The darker it gets, the more evil and dangerous.”

“What’s my color?”

“Gray. You seem neutral.”

“How rude! I’m a good person, you know!”

Satsuki’s exaggerated reaction drew a smirk from Kuzuryu.

“And mine?”

“You’re gray too.”

“I see… That’s not entirely wrong, I suppose.”

As Satsuki dramatically shook her head behind him, Kuzuryu dismissed her antics.

“When I first woke up here, I was cautious. But Saito-san’s color was so pure white, I decided to trust him and ask for help.”

“And now that you’ve heard we’re involved with the police, you’re okay with us being gray?”

“Exactly. Besides, people in your line of work often lean toward gray.”

“That’s quite the ability. I’ve never heard of anything like it!”

“Who knows…”

Satsuki listened intently to Kuroda’s story, her smile radiating curiosity.

In contrast, Kuzuryu showed little sign of belief or interest. Turning his back on the two, he began walking away.

“Well, we’ve seen enough. The culprit isn’t showing up, so let’s get out of here for now.”

“Roger that. I’ll take some pictures, just in case.”

Satsuki snapped photos of the well with her phone, then hurried to follow Kuzuryu.

“Kuroda-chan? What’s wrong?”

“—Nothing. I’m coming.”

As Kuroda, who had paused in front of the well while looking at her phone, was called, she quickly pocketed it and rushed to catch up with Satsuki.

“Thank you so much for today.”

“Not at all. It was a pleasure to talk with you, Sugiyama-san.”

At a café, Sakata and Sugiyama had been deep in conversation for quite some time.

“Next time I visit Tokyo, please take me to your favorite café!”

“Of course! I’m sure you’ll love it.”

Sakata smiled as they both prepared to part ways.

“See you around! Enjoy the rest of your trip to Hokkaido!”

“Thank you. Until we meet again.”

The two walked off to their respective destinations. Despite having met just an hour ago, their farewell resembled that of old friends.

“I met someone nice today…”

Sakata murmured to himself as he headed toward the cave where the trio had gone.

“What a wonderful person…”

Sugiyama strolled down a quieter path off the main shopping district, her steps light and cheerful.

“I’d love to have him join our organization, but I guess it depends on his situation.”

Muttering to herself, she suddenly encountered two figures blocking her way.

Seeing them, she smiled and called out.

“Good work today! Let’s give it our all for this mission too!”

The two figures nodded in response, and Sugiyama beamed with satisfaction before addressing them again.

“Actually, I just found someone who’d make a great new member for us.”

The shadows of the two figures, seemingly loyal subordinates, listened intently to her words.

“Just thinking about it, I can’t hold back any longer…”

Sugiyama clapped her hands as if struck by inspiration.

“Alright, let’s kidnap him after all!”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she spoke. The two shadows clapped in agreement.

“Thanks for being on board, you two! Let’s head to the basement for a strategy meeting!”

Sugiyama walked off briskly, her subordinates following close behind.

One was a delicate girl wearing a pure white dress, her silver hair cascading to her shoulders.

The other was a woman clad in a kimono, her face obscured by a fearsome hannya mask.

Together, the trio headed swiftly toward their destination.

Sakata, who had been on his way to the cave, reunited with the three as they returned, and they all made their way back to the inn.

“Was everything alright for you three?”

“Yes, we made it back without any trouble,” Satsuki replied.

“My apologies for leaving on such short notice,” Sakata said.

“Don’t worry about it. Things come up for everyone,” Kuroda said, appearing unconcerned.

Seeing the exchange, Kuzuryu turned to Sakata.

“Would it be alright to discuss what we found in the cave?”

“Of course. Please, go ahead.”

With Sakata’s permission, Kuzuryu continued.

“The cave’s interior is vast and dimly lit, with many winding paths along the way. As for the well, we began to notice the stench Kuroda mentioned as we got closer. Eventually, we found the well, filled with countless corpses.”

“This is the well in question.”

Satsuki showed Sakata the photos she had taken.

“This is… horrifying.”

Looking at the images, Sakata felt a wave of nausea wash over him.

“The corpses varied in age, from a few days to several months, possibly even years. Many were in advanced stages of decomposition.”

“I see… This certainly looks like the work of someone deliberate,” Sakata said, suppressing his discomfort.

“Did you encounter the culprits who attacked Kuroda-san?”

“No. There wasn’t a trace of anyone else in the cave.”

“I see… Understood.”

Sakata seemed deep in thought before addressing the group.

“We’ll need to investigate the culprits while gathering more information about that duo.”

“Agreed. We could set an ambush in the cave, but it’s dangerous and the conditions are too harsh,” Satsuki said, furrowing her brows.