Vol 3 Chapter 15 – Main Heroine  (【The Exonerator of the Maritime Nation】Arc)

Empress Hideout Headquarters.

There stood a shriveled shadow of a person.

“Ugh, this is too much. I want to go to Hokkaido…”

That shadowy figure was Hirata Shizuku.

She sat slumped over at the desk of her master, Sakata Yuuto, looking utterly defeated.

At the moment, Hirata was in the depths of despair.

It had been four days since her boss had departed for Hokkaido. The only contact she’d received was a brief phone call that lasted a few minutes.

For Hirata, whose entire world revolved around her boss, even a few days of absence was a life-or-death matter.

“I should just leave this to Mayuzumi and join him…”

Once the thought crossed her mind, she sprang into action, preparing to head to Hokkaido.

—It was at that moment.

The ringtone of Hirata’s cell phone pierced the air.

“Who could it be… Wait, could it be Master!?”

She snatched up her phone eagerly, only to see the hated maid, Meido Arisu’s, name displayed on the screen.

“Tch… What do you want? Of all times…”

Reluctantly, Hirata answered the call.

A cold voice greeted her on the other end.

“Hirata-san. How are you doing?”

“How do you think I’m doing? I haven’t seen the boss in over three days!”

“I have some good news for you, Hirata-san.”

“Good news? What kind?”

For Hirata, the only “good news” would be the boss completing his mission and returning home.

But since there had been no word, it was clear that the mission was not yet finished.

Even though it was supposed to be a five-day trip, there was a chance it could be extended depending on the circumstances.

Given the situation, the idea of “good news” left Hirata puzzled.

“Master left a message for you, Hirata-san.”

“A message… from the boss!?”

Even if it wasn’t his voice directly, the idea of receiving a message just for her filled Hirata with joy.

“Tell me! Quickly, what’s the message?”

“Don’t be so impatient. I’ll tell you properly.”

Hirata was brimming with anticipation, barely able to wait another moment.

And then, in an instant, her expression shifted to shock at what Arisu said next.

“————Master has ordered the limiter to be lifted.”

“What? Limiter… lift?”

“Yes. The order is to release Mayuzumi Ouga’s limiter, and for both you and Mayuzumi to head to Hokkaido immediately.”

“…Did something happen?”

Hirata’s unease grew. Something clearly wasn’t right in Hokkaido.

And she wasn’t wrong.

“Master has been captured by three unknown individuals.”

A sharp, cracking sound rang through Hirata’s mind.

“Details. Now.”

“I’ll keep it brief since there’s a lot to prepare on my end.”

Arisu began explaining what had happened so far.

“This is terrible…”

Three unknown assailants.

And among them, it was highly likely that the current target was involved.

Such individuals had robbed her beloved boss of his freedom.

After hearing the details, Hirata was overwhelmed with a mixture of anger and sorrow.

“You seem quite upset. Please calm yourself,” Arisu said coolly.

“How can I stay calm!? And how can you be so composed in a situation like this!?”

Hirata’s frustration turned toward Arisu.

Thinking back, if Arisu hadn’t made a mistake earlier, this might not have happened.

While the three unknown individuals were undoubtedly the main culprits, Hirata couldn’t help but see Arisu as a significant contributor to the problem.

“Don’t you understand? You, as Master’s direct assistant, should know this better than anyone,” Arisu said.

“What are you talking about…?”

At that moment, a thought suddenly struck Hirata.

It didn’t make sense for someone like Master to risk himself for someone like Arisu.

Let alone abandon the cherished Empress organization so easily.

The more she thought about it, the more inconsistencies stood out.

“Could it be… Master orchestrated all of this?”

“Ah, so you’ve realized. Master’s supreme strategy.”

Even through the phone, Hirata could vividly picture Arisu’s satisfied smile.

Pleased with Hirata’s deduction, Arisu continued.

“Master is summoning both of you. Is that clear?”

“…I’ll arrange tickets to Hokkaido immediately.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear. We’ll prepare on our side as well. Contact me upon arrival.”

“Understood. I’ll handle it. Goodbye.”

Hirata ended the call with Arisu.

“I need to hurry…”

Without wasting a moment, Hirata dialed another number.

It was for the other person entrusted with an important role.

“Hello?”

“This is Hirata. What do you need?”

The person she called was Mayuzumi Ouga.

Hirata recalled Arisu’s earlier words.

“It’s a direct order from the boss. Prepare to lift the ‘limiter’ immediately and accompany me to Hokkaido.”

“From the boss himself? That’s unusual… Besides, my role is to stay here in case of complications on this end.”

“It seems there’s a significant issue on the other side—significant enough to require your presence.”

“Why are Kuzuryuu and Satsuki running into trouble even though they’re there? And wasn’t Arisu dispatched just a few days ago as well? …Fine. I’ll comply. You said immediately—what time should I be there?”

Hirata glanced at the clock on the desk.

It was 11:28 AM.

She calculated the time she would need to prepare.

“Be here by 1 PM. I’ll have everything ready by then.”

“Understood. I’ll be there at 1.”

“Thank you. I’ll see you then.”

The call ended with Mayuzumi, their matter-of-fact conversation coming to a close.

Hirata stood up and headed straight to her hideout.

———————————————————  

Upon arriving at her hideout, Hirata checked the time: 11:50 AM.

“Alright… better start preparing.”

Even though she was going to Hokkaido, there wasn’t a single ounce of vacation spirit in her.

She began packing the bare essentials into a carry-on suitcase. The contents included clothes, toiletries, and various other items.

“Huh, what’s this…?”

As she sorted through her belongings, something caught her eye.

“No point bringing this, I guess. I’ll just leave it behind.”

What she found was a slightly revealing black swimsuit.

“In the end, I didn’t even get to wear it… What a waste.”

When she bought the swimsuit, she had been excited about the idea of going to Hokkaido, eager to complete the mission quickly and enjoy the beach with her boss.

Now, not only had she not been chosen as part of the initial team, but she was being called in purely to clean up a mess. And after that, there probably wouldn’t be any time to enjoy herself.

“Well, I’ll save it for the next chance.”

She stowed the swimsuit away and resumed her preparations.

“Looks like I’ve packed everything I need.”

———————————————————  

“Alright, time to head back.”

Having finished packing, Hirata got into her car and drove back to headquarters.

“Boss, just hold on a little longer. I’m on my way.”

Her body swayed slightly with the movement of the car.

From deep within her, a fierce energy began to bubble up.

“Hehe… haha… ahahahaha!”

Her expression was that of a hero heading into battle.

———————————————————  

Meanwhile, Arisu, who had just finished her call with Hirata, walked along the road.

A message notification popped up on her phone.

“…”

Reading the message, Arisu couldn’t help but smile faintly. She glanced upward, muttering softly.

“Do your best, Satsuki-san.”

———————————————————  

“This must be the place…”

Satsuki stood in front of an old, run-down movie theater where the boss was rumored to be.

The building looked abandoned, practically on the verge of closure, but a faint light flickered from inside.

“Why do I have to handle such boring, menial tasks?”

She recalled her conversation with Arisu from a few hours earlier.

———————————————————  

“Oh, look who’s back. The maid who got beaten up by three goons and casually strolled home.”

“…I have no rebuttal. So, what’s this about?”

“I found this at the café.”

Satsuki held out a small device.

“This is… a listening device?”

“Bingo. These were planted all over the café.”

“How thorough of them.”

“Isn’t it? I only noticed after investigating on my own. I had suspected it, of course, when I first entered the café.”

Satsuki twirled the bugging device in her fingers like a die. Then, stopping, she spoke.

“That’s why the boss pretended to betray us.”

Arisu’s eyes widened in realization.

“I see… I always wondered why Master would sacrifice himself for me. Logically, he would have abandoned me…”

Her voice, calm and collected, held a hint of loneliness.

Satsuki gave a wry smile.

“…Well, the boss has always been someone who values his comrades. I’m sure he planned to save you from the start.”

“Heh. Coming from you, Satsuki-san, who always has something snarky to say, that’s surprising. Should I expect rain tomorrow?”

“Rude. Even I have my moments.”

Satsuki sighed softly.

“Back to the point… The boss noticed the listening devices and left a message for me without alerting the enemy.”

“A message?”

“Yeah. ‘Limiter release.’”

“…!?”

The phrase shocked Arisu.

“Limiter release… So Master must be furious this time.”

“That’s very likely. This whole situation is enough to make anyone angry, even me.”

Satsuki lit a cigarette, exhaling a thin plume of smoke. Then, locking eyes with Arisu, she added:

“You know, smoking in public places isn’t exactly encouraged.”

“Do you really want to lecture me about this when you’re up to far more questionable things?”

“I simply prefer avoiding unnecessary attention.”

Arisu handed Satsuki a small piece of paper.

“And this is?”

“The address of the hideout where the three are holed up. I want you to go there.”

“…And do what, exactly?”

Satsuki glared suspiciously at Arisu.

Arisu, however, did not avert her gaze. She stared back at Satsuki, her expression calm and composed. The cold light in her eyes sent an icy shiver down Satsuki’s spine.

“It’s simple. I want you to conduct surveillance.”

“Surveillance?”

Satsuki tilted her head, clearly not expecting this response.

“Yes. I have something I need to coordinate with Kuzuryuu-san. During that time, I need you to keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t relocate or make any sudden moves.”

“Why do I have to do such a dull, menial task…?”

“Please, Satsuki-san. This is something only you can do.”

Arisu bowed her head to the clearly exasperated Satsuki.

Caught off guard by Arisu’s gesture, Satsuki widened her eyes slightly before letting out a sigh.

“Fine, fine… I’ll do it, alright?! If it’s come to this, I’ll keep watch no matter what—out of sheer stubbornness if I have to!”

“Thank you.”

Arisu offered a polite nod to Satsuki, who replied in a begrudging tone.

Then, Arisu added one last remark, something Satsuki hadn’t expected to hear.

“Well then, I’m counting on you. I trust you.”

With that, Arisu turned on her heel and ran off.

“Trust me? I never thought I’d hear those words coming from you.”

Satsuki glanced at the paper with the address written on it and started walking.

Her steps, surprisingly, felt just a little lighter.