Vol 3 Chapter 2 – The Well (【The Exonerator of the Maritime Nation】Arc)

After settling into their room at the inn, the three stepped out to explore the bustling city streets.

The town was lively, with restaurants and shops lining every corner, brimming with energy that spread through the crowd.

“It’s so lively here.”

“Indeed. Especially considering it’s only 2 PM.”

It was a weekday afternoon—hardly a time one would expect such crowds—yet the streets were as lively as during the holiday season.

“I wonder what would happen if I pulled the trigger here.”

Satsuki rested her hand on the revolver strapped to her hip.

“Satsuki, don’t say things like that.”

“I’m just joking.”

Satsuki retracted her hand. Sakata sighed in relief, visibly relaxing.

“We’ll start making contact with our target tomorrow. Today is essentially a day off. Let’s avoid causing any unnecessary commotion.”

Kuzuryu’s words prompted the other two to nod in agreement.

“Still, it’s a bit chilly.”

“True. At this rate, we won’t be able to go for a swim in the sea.”

“You were planning to swim?”

Satsuki spoke with mild disappointment, while Kuzuryu looked at her in exasperation.

“It’s not every day we get to visit Hokkaido. We should make the most of it, don’t you think?”

“Maybe so, but it doesn’t have to be during this trip.”

“You’re such a buzzkill, Kuzuryu.”

“Come on now. Let’s take this evening to rest after our flight. Once the mission’s over, and if it’s a warm day, we can hit the beach.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re the most excited about it.”

“…That’s not true.”

Sakata tilted his head slightly in denial.

“Really? Or are you just looking forward to seeing me in a swimsuit?”

“Well, I can’t deny I’d enjoy that.”

“Boss! That’s where you’re supposed to deny it!”

Sakata’s phone buzzed with a message. He glanced at it and smiled faintly.

“Boss, who’s texting you? Hirata-chan? Or maybe Meido-chan?”

“No, it’s a message from a ‘friend.'”

“A friend?!”

“That’s rude. I do have a friend or two, you know.”

“Sorry, it’s just that you never talk about them.”

Satsuki chuckled. Sakata shot her a sharp glare—though to her, his expressionless face revealed nothing.

“I feel like Boss is glaring at me.”

“He is.”

“Ah, so I wasn’t imagining it.”

As Sakata and Satsuki exchanged words, Kuzuryu sighed quietly.

“I wish they’d take this mission a little more seriously…”

After exploring the city for a while, the three returned to the inn, where they were greeted by the innkeeper.

“Welcome back. We’re currently preparing dinner. In the meantime, please enjoy a relaxing soak in the hot springs.”

“Sounds perfect. Let’s take it easy tonight.”

“Yes, I’ve been looking forward to the hot springs.”

“Me too.”

The innkeeper led them to the bathhouse. Sakata noticed something peculiar at the entrance.

“There’s only one entrance… Is this a mixed bath?”

“That’s right. We encourage our guests to use the facilities together. It’s all part of the experience,” the innkeeper explained before leaving.

“Boss, hurry up! Let’s go!”

Satsuki tugged on Sakata’s arm, brimming with excitement.

“You go ahead. Kuzuryu and I will join later.”

“Why?”

“Well, surely you wouldn’t be comfortable in a mixed bath, right?”

“I don’t mind. Besides, I’m your bodyguard.”

Does she think that line gives her a free pass for everything? Sakata thought. He glanced at Kuzuryu for support, but Kuzuryu only shook his head in resignation.

This feels familiar somehow…

And so, Sakata was dragged into the changing room by Satsuki. What happened after that is left to the imagination.

——————————————————

After the Hot Springs

Having finished soaking in the hot springs, we gathered in an empty central room of the inn.

A short while later, there was a knock on the sliding door, and the innkeeper appeared.

“I’ve brought your meal.”

The dishes brought in all looked delicious. Being in Hokkaido, the meal was rich with seafood.

Sashimi platters, grilled shellfish, simmered sea bream—dish after dish was brought in, far more than we could possibly finish.

“This looks delicious.”

“Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve had a meal with the Boss.”

“Ah, me too.”

Kuzuryu and Satsuki spoke cheerfully.

Now that they mentioned it, I rarely shared meals with my subordinates. The only exceptions I could recall were a few times eating out with Hirata in the past or having a meal prepared by Arisu.

I didn’t like to show my face too much, and my subordinates rarely invited me to meals. Maybe they were being considerate, or perhaps they outright refused to eat with me. It was probably the latter.

As I mulled over this and felt a bit dejected, Satsuki touched my shoulder.

Sitting beside me, she scooped a spoonful of shrimp gratin.

“Boss, say ahhh.”

She held the spoon out toward my mouth.

“Uh… what?”

Her sudden action left me frozen. Across from me, Kuzuryu continued eating without reacting.

“Boss, what are you doing? Open your mouth already.”

Satsuki brought the spoon even closer.

She wasn’t the type to do things like this, but since the dish came from the inn, it wasn’t likely to be tampered with.

Blushing slightly, I hesitantly took the spoon into my mouth.

It was delicious. The flavor of the shrimp and cheese spread through my mouth—it was exactly to my liking.

When I glanced at Satsuki, she was smiling at me. But her smile wasn’t one of happiness or satisfaction.

It was a smile tinged with madness, one I had seen occasionally on Hirata and Arisu.

Wait. Did she put something in this?

Now that I thought about it, even though the dish came from the inn, she could’ve tampered with it while I wasn’t looking.

I asked her nervously.

“Satsuki, did you put something in this?”

“Of course, I did.”

She answered nonchalantly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Ah, so I’m dead now.

Arisu, your charm didn’t work…

I was ready to give up when her next words stopped me.

“I added my love, of course. It was delicious, wasn’t it?”

Huh? What did she just say?

Her words brought me back from the brink of collapse.

“Love…?”

“Yes, it’s filled with my love, so of course it’s delicious.”

She whispered softly into my ear.

“I see… That’s a relief.”

I sighed in response.

“A relief? What, did you think I poisoned it or something?”

Satsuki spoke mockingly.

“Yes, honestly. I thought I was done for.”

“I’d never do that to you, Boss. Don’t underestimate your onee-san, okay?”

“S-Sorry.”

Like this morning, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the dynamic between Satsuki and me was off lately. She felt more like the superior.

I decided to ask her a question.

“But why did you suddenly feed me like that?”

Her sudden action puzzled me. Why act like a couple when we’re not?

“Hmm… Just felt like it, I guess?”

“Just felt like it…”

I wished she wouldn’t give me a near-death experience on a whim.

With that thought, I resumed eating.

The food was still delicious.

But what was that madness I saw in her for a moment? Was it just my imagination?

The Nighttime Shore

At the deserted shoreline, the only sound was the crashing of the waves.

A girl with black-and-white hair stood, her hair swaying in the sea breeze.

“This is it. The cave from the intel.”

Before the girl, Kuroda, loomed the large entrance of a cave. She used her phone’s light to guide her as she stepped inside.

The wide entrance hinted at the spaciousness within.

The cave echoed with her footsteps, empty and silent, the chilly air causing her body to tremble slightly.

“It’s cold. Is the ‘place’ really here?”

She pressed forward, despite her shivering body.

Suddenly, an overwhelming stench assaulted her.

“Ugh!”

The acrid smell was indescribable, making even breathing difficult.

“It reeks. There’s something here.”

Holding her nose, Kuroda advanced deeper into the cave. The farther she went, the stronger the stench grew, until it became nauseating.

“I feel sick…”

She reached a dead end.

The space was vast, the ceiling high. The cold felt sharper, and the air oppressive in its stillness.

Amid the suffocating atmosphere, her eyes landed on a single, decrepit well.

“I had a feeling it would be like this… What a mess.”

She approached the well and found the source of the stench.

“As I thought.”

The well was filled with countless rotting corpses.

The decaying bodies were the source of the stench. She described the putrid liquid pooling inside the well as “water.”

The liquid was black and murky.

“Disgusting, but… I have no choice.”

Kuroda donned rubber gloves and dipped her finger into the dark liquid. She felt the soft, sinking sensation of the bodies stacked in layers, like a bottomless pit.

The corpses were packed so tightly that even slight movement caused pieces of flesh to flake off and crumble.

“Some are fresh, some are old.”

The newest bodies were a week old. The oldest had decayed for years.

Pulling her hand out, Kuroda muttered to herself.

“The culprit must be nearby.”

She recalled the events of a few hours earlier.

Earlier That Evening

While taking photos of the sunset, her communicator buzzed in her cardigan pocket.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Second?”

It was the princess’s voice.

“Yes. What is it?”