Vol 3 Chapter 23 – Diary (【The Exonerator of the Maritime Nation】Arc)

Hirata and Mayuzumi continued their watch.

“There’s still no sign of anyone coming out…”

“Yeah. I wonder if the Boss is okay.”

About four hours had passed since they began staking out. Outside, dusk was settling in.

“I don’t think they’re coming out at all now…”

“Or, there’s another possibility.”

Hirata raised a sudden question at Mayuzumi’s words.

“Another possibility?”

“Yes. For example… there’s a chance that an underground passage connects from inside that movie theater.”

“An underground passage, huh… ——— That’s definitely possible.”

Hirata showed a troubled expression. This endless stakeout, yielding no results, had filled her mind with doubts. There was only one way to dispel them.

“I can’t take it anymore! I’m going in!”

“Huh?”

This was Hirata’s final resort—a reckless, muscle-brained charge.

“Wait, isn’t that a bit too reckless?”

Mayuzumi grabbed her arm, questioning her plan.

“I’m the acting Boss, you know? I have no right to refuse.”

With those words, Hirata shook off his restraint and dashed straight toward the movie theater.

In Front of the Movie Theater

“So… the Boss is in here.”

“Hirata-san… charging in without knowing the enemy’s strength is too dangerous.”

“Oh, shut up. Are you really going to defy the current leader of Empress?”

Hirata grabbed the door handle and pulled.

“Huh…? It’s locked.”

The entrance was secured, leaving it impossible to open. Although Mayuzumi didn’t show it on his face, he felt an immense sense of relief. This meant Hirata would probably give up. Or so he thought.

“Mayuzumi, break down this door.”

“…Excuse me?”

Hirata’s shocking order left Mayuzumi utterly speechless.

“No, seriously… isn’t that—”

“Do it. Now.”

Hirata stared at him with a serious expression, as if no other option existed.

“…Understood.”

Reluctantly, Mayuzumi stepped forward and kicked the door with all his strength. With one solid blow, it broke apart, opening the entrance.

(Break it? Seriously…)

Stunned, Mayuzumi watched as Hirata casually strode into the theater.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Hirata’s nonchalant tone filled him with a deep, inexplicable dread. And in that moment, Hirata noticed something—something felt off.

“Hmm…?”

“What’s wrong?”

Mayuzumi turned his gaze toward her.

“It’s strange. There isn’t a trace of anyone here at all.”

“Indeed, the sound of the door breaking should have echoed throughout this place, though…”

A desolate movie theater.

Inside the front, Hirata and Mayuzumi’s voices echoed loudly.

To dispel the unsettling feeling, the two of them began exploring the theater.

“This theater is really old, isn’t it?”

Upon entering the theater, Hirata murmured.

The auditorium probably holds about a hundred people.

Compared to the exterior, the interior was well maintained, with proper facilities.

“Meido-san said there’s supposedly an office somewhere in here…”

They left the theater and proceeded further inside.

Before them, a suspicious door loomed.

“This must be the office. It’s said to be the room where we last saw the Boss…”

They turned the doorknob and opened the door.

Inside, the office was cramped, with cardboard boxes strewn about. There was a wooden desk, and on it sat a laptop. Other than that, there were no documents or books, making it a very modest office.

On the laptop screen, a notepad was open, displaying a piece of writing.

“So it’s true someone had been here… I wonder what this says…”

Hirata scrolled through the notepad and began reading. The contents were diary-like, akin to a report. Along with the date, it recorded the day’s events and achievements. The topics varied—ranging from trivial matters to cooking details. Many entries were about everyday life.

“Hmm…?”

Suddenly, Hirata’s eyes landed on an entry from a certain day.

—————————————————

January 1

Today, our revolution begins.
We, the three of us, will save this rotten world.

First, we’ll attack the police box in our current location, ○○ Town.
They act as lazy, cowardly cops, soaking in the tepid bath of peace.
Because of them, crime in this town never disappears.
That is why we will deliver our judgment.

—————————————————

January 2

By now, the police have already been rendered unconscious by the pain we inflicted.
All that remains is to seize their weapons and kill them.
This is no great feat.
But before we could proceed, the “Executioner” killed them all in an instant.
Splendid. As expected, she has a natural talent.
Everything is going smoothly.
It’s obvious that our revolution is succeeding rapidly.
The events that unfolded during this raid will surely make the news.