Vol 3 Chapter 5 – Volunteer Group  (【The Exonerator of the Maritime Nation】Arc)

Inside the inn where the Empress was staying.

In one of the rooms, Sakata, Kuzuryuu, and Satsuki were gathered.

The room was suffused with an unsettling atmosphere.

“…….”

“She’s not waking up.”

Before their eyes lay a monochrome-haired girl, still asleep.

The girl showed no signs of stirring.

“When will she wake up?”

“……You, who wouldn’t hesitate to deal with anyone, regardless of age or gender, fixating on this girl… It’s unusual. Did something happen?”

Kuzuryuu eyed Satsuki, curiosity tinged with suspicion.

“It’s just chance. Wouldn’t you be curious too if you found a girl beaten and dying in an alley?”

“That may be so, but…”

Kuzuryuu glanced briefly at Sakata.

The boss’s face, obscured by the effects of the medicine, betrayed an unusual unease.

“Boss. Is this truly acceptable?”

“……What do you mean?”

Sakata’s voice broke through the tense air.

Kuzuryuu pressed further.

“This girl. Hiding her here. If that’s your decision, I have no objections, but…”

Kuzuryuu wasn’t naïve.

He knew this was no ordinary girl.

“Keeping someone whose identity and intentions are unknown is a dangerous gamble. And we gain nothing from this.”

Kuzuryuu cast a sidelong glance at the girl.

Sakata’s demeanor remained unchanged.

“Kuzuryuu, you’re too serious. Can’t we, just this once, act out of simple goodwill?”

Satsuki’s playful tone mocked Kuzuryuu’s caution.

Sakata exhaled quietly.

“Very well. I trust Satsuki. If she becomes a threat, we’ll deal with her then.”

“……If that’s how it is.”

Kuzuryuu’s discontent was evident, but Satsuki interjected.

“Don’t worry. I’m not that reckless.”

“Hah… Fine, then…”

Satisfied with persuading Kuzuryuu, Satsuki’s lips curled into a triumphant smile.

Sakata observed her closely before speaking.

“I understand Kuzuryuu’s concerns. But Satsuki isn’t acting thoughtlessly. She must have her reasons.”

“As expected of the boss. You really understand me.”

Satsuki clung to Sakata’s arm.

Sakata shuddered slightly at her touch.

Kuzuryuu clicked his tongue softly —

“Satsuki… Don’t push your luck.”

“Okay~.”

Her reply dripped with feigned innocence.

At that moment —

“Mm… huh?”

The girl stirred.

“Oh, finally awake!”

Satsuki clasped her hands together, her voice brimming with a dangerous glee.

The girl’s eyes darted around the room, her expression confused.

“Confusion. Where am I?”

“This is a room in an inn. We found you collapsed in an alley and brought you here.”

Kuzuryuu’s voice cut through her haze.

“I see… Thank you.”

The girl sat up, her movements stiff, mechanical.

Then, she froze, her hand brushing over her body.

Her body, once riddled with wounds, now moved with ease. The gaping gunshot wound on her shoulder had been expertly treated.

“Question. My body… healed quickly.”

“Our medical staff are geniuses. This isn’t your average treatment.”

Sakata’s voice was calm, his eyes unreadable.

Kuzuryuu and Satsuki nodded in unison, their faces betraying nothing.

The girl’s expression didn’t shift as she spoke again.

“Who… are you people?”

The air turned deadly.

It hung, suffocating, heavy with malice.

Then, as quickly as it came, the tension dissipated.

Perhaps still weakened, the girl didn’t notice.

“We are a nonprofit volunteer organization. One of our members found you and brought you to safety.”

Sakata’s voice was soft, disarming.

“A volunteer organization?”

“Yes. We support children who’ve lost their families and help those in need lead better lives.”

“…I see.”

The girl’s tone remained cold, her face devoid of emotion.

She rose to her feet, her movements unnervingly smooth.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Satsuki’s voice carried a faint edge of surprise, her concern veiled beneath a thin layer of sweetness.

“—Yes, I’m fine now. And thank you for saving me. —My name is Kuroda Shiromi.”

“Kuroda-chan! Do you remember my name?”

Satsuki’s words danced with a dangerous playfulness.

Without hesitation, Kuroda replied.

“Satsuki-san. I remember.”

“Not san! It’s Onee-chan!”

“Satsuki Onee-chan…”

The girl blushed, her face turning a deep shade of red.

Satsuki nodded in satisfaction, her grin widening.

Sakata interjected.

“Allow me to introduce myself as well… I am Saitou Takumi, the representative of this volunteer organization.”

“Fufu.”

Satsuki couldn’t suppress her laugh during Sakata’s introduction.

“Is something amusing?”

“Oh, no… I’m sorry. It’s nothing.”

Sakata’s sharp gaze fixed on Satsuki, who quickly waved it off.

Kuzuryuu stepped forward.

“My name is Manaka Soushi. I joined this organization, drawn by Boss—uh, Saitou-san’s ideals.”

Kuzuryuu scratched his head as he spoke.

Satsuki continued struggling to stifle her laughter.

“You’re all good people.”

Kuroda’s voice was soft, her small smile almost imperceptible as she continued.

“People like you. I trust you.”

“And I just love you, Kuroda-chan!”

Satsuki enveloped Kuroda in a tight embrace.

“Too tight. Help.”

Kuroda wriggled in Satsuki’s grip, attempting to escape.

Kuzuryuu watched them with a resigned expression.

In the midst of this tranquil moment, Sakata’s thoughts were racing.

(How did it come to this?!)

Sweat trickled down his back as he shouted internally.

About thirty minutes after splitting up with Satsuki to conduct the investigation, a phone rang.

The screen displayed Satsuki.

“Hello?”

‘It’s Satsuki. Is this Boss?’

“Yes, it is. Is something the matter for you to call?”

Sakata’s tone turned serious as he questioned her.

‘Yes, there’s something. Could you come over?’

“I understand. I’ll head there immediately.”

Satsuki’s voice was unusually solemn.

This must be something important.

Sakata immediately made his way to the location Satsuki had specified.

“Sorry to keep you waiting… Is everything alright?”

The meeting point was an alley in the town.

Despite the bustling brightness elsewhere, this place was dim and desolate.

“Boss, look what I found~!”

Satsuki stood there, holding a bloodied, battered girl in her arms.

What…? This is—

A white blouse and black skirt.

Hair dyed perfectly in two tones: white and black.

The person she held was unmistakably Kuroda Shiromi, the same girl who had sent him countless photos from her “trip to Hokkaido.”

“Satsuki, where did you find this girl?”

“Just now. I found her collapsed in this alley.”

Satsuki puffed out her chest proudly.

Seeing her demeanor, Sakata felt slightly relieved.

“I see. So, you weren’t the one who caused these injuries.”

“Of course not. I don’t hurt people for fun.”

Then where did these countless wounds come from?

This wasn’t something self-inflicted.

“When you found her, was there anyone else around?”

“Nope. When I got here, she was already like this.”

“I see…”

So, she had dragged herself to this state and collapsed here.

Though covered in wounds, she was still breathing.

Even so, seeing someone he knew—even someone he had only recently met—in such a state didn’t sit well with him.

“This is… unsettling.”

“Huh? Boss, did you say something?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

He had spoken his thoughts aloud without realizing it.

When he glanced at Satsuki, she was holding Kuroda close.

Kuroda’s blood slowly stained Satsuki’s clothes.

It was then.

“Boss. What do we do with her?”

Satsuki looked at him with the wide, expectant eyes of a child who had brought home a stray pet.

Stop. Don’t look at me like that.

“Well… We should probably call Kuzuryuu first, but Satsuki, what do you want to do?”

Sakata decided to hear Satsuki’s opinion.

Even though this was someone he knew, helping her wasn’t a straightforward decision—especially considering their organization.

While Sakata deliberated, Satsuki spoke.

“Hmm. I want to help her. I think she could grow into a valuable asset if we raise her properly.”

She stroked the girl’s head as she spoke.

“I see. Then let’s take her back to the inn for treatment. The Empress’s personal physician should be there.”

“Oh? Boss, you’re okay with helping her too?”

Satsuki turned to him with a curious expression.

Her reaction puzzled him.

“You’re the one who wanted to help her,” he muttered internally, before replying.

“…No, I’m simply respecting the judgment of an executive like you, Satsuki. You’ve got a knack for intuition sometimes.”

In truth, he had wanted to help her from the beginning.

“Really? That makes me happy, Boss. Let’s go back to the inn, then.”

Satsuki carried Kuroda on her back and began walking.

She looked like a mother with her child, though Kuroda was apparently an adult.

Sakata followed silently.

(And this is where it got me…)

Sakata cradled his head as he watched Satsuki cling to Kuroda like a child to a beloved toy.

Her face was concealed, and the fake name they had chosen would protect his identity, but…

He faced three choices:

Let Kuroda go and resume their original mission.

Find the person who had left her in this state.

Eliminate Kuroda to prevent information leaks.

Option 3 was out of the question. They had work to do.

He hesitated, torn between choices.

But the decision was clear.

“Kuroda-san. We want to catch whoever did this to you. Will you help us?”

Kuzuryuu’s eyes widened slightly, but Sakata didn’t care.

He wanted to help.

After a moment’s thought, Kuroda responded.

“I trust the three of you who saved me. Please… help me.”

Kuroda extended her hand to him.

“Of course.”

Sakata took her hand firmly.

In that moment, he realized.

To prove his own existence, he had to see this case through to the end.