Vol 3 Chapter 36 – Convenient Personality (【The Exonerator of the Maritime Nation】 Arc)

I was speechless.
Kuroko‑san, looking like a tattered rag, had appeared before my eyes.
Even the three executives all wore self-satisfied grins.

(Eh… How did it come to this…?)

I racked my brain.
Should I just pretend I don’t know anything?

“What… is this?”

I asked Kuzuryuu hesitantly.

“This is the person who attacked me and Arisu. After a thorough investigation, we determined that she belongs to the organization responsible for our current troubles.”

“I see…”

So it seems the noise in the basement was indeed caused by Mayuzumi’s attack.
Kuroko‑san remained completely unresponsive—motionless like a broken toy.
Is she even okay?

“Is she still alive…?”

“Yes, she’s alive. We’re purposely not killing her,” Mayuzumi declared proudly.
No, but she’s practically dead, isn’t she?

“By the way, what happened to Arisu? She isn’t with you, is she?”

Since Kuroko‑san attacked both Kuzuryuu and Arisu, Arisu should have been there.
Yet she hasn’t appeared at all since.

“Well… um…”

The atmosphere among the executives suddenly turned grim.
Is this something we shouldn’t be hearing?

“Arisu sustained severe injuries and has been taken back to the hideout for treatment.”
“I see… so she’s alive.”
“We only have confirmation of her condition from a few hours ago.”
“Is that so…”

So, Arisu is badly injured…
Is Kuroko‑san really that strong?
Suddenly, I started feeling scared of Sugiyama‑san and Danjizai‑sha.
Then again, I remembered that I was crushed under rubble by Hirata…

“Boss, what do you intend to do?”

“What do you mean, ‘what do I do’?”

“I’m talking about what should be done with her.”

“Ah…”

Don’t dump it on me! You all can handle it yourselves!
Of course, I couldn’t say that out loud.
Even if I did, I’d probably be killed for being useless.
My heart sank and my stomach churned.
The three of them silently waited for my proposal, testing whether I was competent or not.

“Alright…”

Within minutes—if not seconds—I came up with a plan.
As an Empress member, the quickest solution would be to kill her, but I couldn’t exactly order her murder.
If I did that, I’d finally be lumped in with the most heinous criminals.
Moreover… even if only temporarily, I didn’t want to be the first to kill someone connected like Kuroko‑san.

“Let’s take her back to the hideout for now. She might be useful for something.”

“‘Something,’ you say?”

Kuzuryuu muttered under his breath, doubting my proposal.

“No. I have no complaints about the Boss’s decision whatsoever. We’ll just take her back.”

Everyone showed their discontent with my proposal.
Well, as long as I’m not killed, it’s a compromise.
They wouldn’t hesitate to use any means if it benefited Empress.

“Then, let’s take her to another room for now.”

“Understood.”

Mayuzumi left the room carrying Kuroko‑san, looking like a moving company hauling a load.

“Sigh…”

What will happen from here on out…?
I could only worry about what lay ahead.

—————————————————

When Mayuzumi returned with Kuroko‑san, we began a briefing to re-assess the situation.

“Now, considering the current circumstances, let’s review the situation together.”

I was in charge.
Why me? It’s always Hirata, isn’t it?
Hearing that, Hirata raised her hand in an exaggerated gesture.

“Then, Hirata, please go ahead.”

She stood up obediently, her expression strangely heavy.

“Changing the subject, our attempt to forge an alliance has ended in failure.”

“Alliance… oh, that matter.”

Now that I think about it, that was the original topic… I had completely forgotten.
So, Danjizai‑sha… Kinjou Honoka is dead, then.

“Even though the Boss himself stormed into enemy territory to establish friendly relations…”

Well, it turned out to be an utterly chaotic situation.
It was merely a matter of Danjizai‑sha belonging to the organization that captured Arisu.

“Because we felt you were in danger, we resorted to these measures…”

No, the explosion was even more dangerous.
What are they thinking?

“I am terribly sorry for the disappointing outcome!!”

Hirata bowed vigorously and apologized.
At the same time, Kuzuryuu and Mayuzumi also bowed.
Wow, that’s scary.
I almost felt like apologizing instead.

“Lift your heads. I have no intention of blaming any of you.”

“But still…”

“There have been far more troubles than I anticipated. It’s my fault for not foreseeing this.”

Since it’s my fault, I might as well leave Empress.
I wish there were some sweet deal like that somewhere.

“It’s not the Boss’s fault! It was originally my strategy! I take full responsibility!”

“Then, let’s have a debriefing when we get back so we can address this.”

“Yes!”

Any further discussion would only lead to an endless loop of blame.
I abruptly ended the conversation.
Sensing this, Hirata continued.

“Due to the explosion, there’s a chance the police and the Guardians will start moving soon. We should return to the hideout as quickly as possible… I mean…”

“…Is this about Satsuki?”

“Yes. There’s been no word since then. There’s no sign that she was caught in the explosion either…”

Satsuki, who went missing after we left the ryokan where we were staying.
I don’t want to get caught, so I want to get out of here immediately…

“Let’s all return to the ryokan and investigate. We’ll discuss it further after that.”

We simply can’t leave someone whose safety is unknown.
I have such a despicable personality—only helping when it’s convenient.
But one thing was certain:

“———Satsuki is definitely alive. She’s someone I chose.”

She is absolutely alive.
I felt an inexplicable certainty.

“Boss…!”

The previously gloomy expressions of the three brightened.
Was it a misunderstanding? Seeing that, I felt strangely exhilarated.

“Let’s go. Follow me.”

“Yes!”

I stood up and led the three of them.
What is this? It had been a long time since I did something I truly wanted to do.
A smile naturally spread across my face.

“Wait for me, Satsuki.”

Criminal or not, it doesn’t matter.
Because I want to save her, I will save her.
That’s all there is.