Vol 3 Chapter 7 – Traditional Clothing and Peperoncino  (【The Exonerator of the Maritime Nation】Arc)

“Avenger, huh…”

The three focused intently, listening to Kuroda’s account to identify the culprit who had left her on the brink of death.

The word “Avenger” struck a familiar chord.

It was linked to their target: Kinjou Honoka.

There were rumors that the townsfolk feared her, calling her the Avenger.

When they inquired locally, several people confirmed referring to her by that name.

This raised a significant concern:

The possibility that the attacker who injured Kuroda could be Kinjou Honoka.

The three exchanged glances.

Their thoughts aligned seamlessly.

“Kuroda-chan, can you describe what this Avenger looked like?”

Satsuki broke the silence.

“A girl with silver hair, shoulder-length, wearing a white dress.”

Kuroda’s tone was flat, unshaken.

If this description matched Kinjou Honoka, it would be critical for tracking her.

Kuzuryuu asked the next question.

“What’s her fighting style? If we face her, I’d like to know what to expect.”

“Hand-to-hand combat. But she also uses a gun.”

“Blunt, but… so she’s skilled at both close and long-range combat. Got it.”

Kuroda’s directness elicited a slight smirk from Kuzuryuu.

Nevertheless, the information gained was vital and hard to come by.

“Ah! I just remembered.”

Kuroda suddenly spoke, her face lighting up with urgency.

“What is it?”

“I remembered something important. The Avenger isn’t alone. She has an accomplice.”

“An accomplice?”

The three stiffened at her words.

“A Hannya mask. You know what that is?”

“A Hannya mask… yes, I know it.”

“A woman wearing one. She said she was there to help the Avenger.”

“I see…”

The mental image of the masked woman lingered in their minds.

Hirata’s provided documents made no mention of such a figure.

“What did the masked woman do to you, Kuroda-chan?”

“She had a gun. She shot me in the right shoulder.”

“The doctor did mention confirming a gunshot wound on your right shoulder.”

“So now, we need to watch out for both this Avenger and the Hannya-masked woman.”

Kuroda and Kuzuryuu nodded in agreement.

“But that’s not the biggest issue here.”

“There’s more?”

Kuroda’s expression darkened as she continued.

“There’s a large cave by the coast in this town. They’re using it.”

“As a base?”

“I don’t know. But there’s something important to them inside.”

“What is it?”

Kuroda fell silent.

Her hesitation unnerved Kuzuryuu.

“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you talking? They didn’t threaten you, did they?”

Kuroda looked apologetic.

Finally, she spoke.

“…Sorry. I hesitated for a moment.”

“Is it that serious?”

Satsuki tilted her head in curiosity.

Kuroda continued, her voice lower.

“At the back of the cave, there’s a well.”

“A well?”

Satsuki’s confusion deepened.

Was a well truly something worth hesitating over?

“But it’s not just any well. It’s a well filled with corpses.”

The air turned ice-cold at her words.

“A well filled with corpses… are they real?”

“They’re real. The cave reeks of death and decay.”

“Ugh, disgusting.”

Satsuki grimaced as her imagination painted the scene vividly.

A well stuffed with rotting bodies.

Even Kuzuryuu and Satsuki, accustomed to death, found the thought deeply unsettling.

“Those two… the moment they realized I knew about the well, they came to kill me.”

“I see… So that well and the bodies inside must hold some deeper connection.”

“Highly likely.”

The two mulled over the implications.

Suddenly, Satsuki glanced at the person sitting silently beside her.

“Boss? You’ve been awfully quiet… Is something wrong?”

The person next to her was none other than Sakata, who had yet to utter a word.

“…No, nothing’s wrong. I was just lost in thought.”

Stretching his body, he finally broke the silence.

“I’ve gathered enough information regarding the culprit who attacked Kuroda-san, including the accomplice.”

“With that in mind, Saitou-san, what do you intend to do about this situation?”

It was a complex dilemma.

The attacker of the girl Satsuki whimsically decided to save might be Kinjou Honoka.

Building a friendly relationship with her was essential for future dealings.

Kuzuryuu’s thoughts were clear-cut:

Eliminate Kuroda.

Doing so would remove a witness who could jeopardize them and allow them to negotiate with the target without unnecessary complications.

The organization valued minimizing risks and obstacles.

They had extracted all the necessary information. Apologizing silently to the girl, Kuzuryuu discreetly reached for the gun concealed behind him.

Just then, Sakata spoke.

“———Understood. We’ll take full responsibility for capturing the culprit who attacked Kuroda-san.”

“Bo… Saitou-san?!”

Kuzuryuu’s eyes widened in shock at Sakata’s words.

Satsuki, on the other hand, smiled, clearly amused.

Sakata maintained a serious expression as he continued.

“We exist to help those in need, don’t we? Isn’t that right, Kanama-san? Satsuki-san?”

“Of course. Leave it to me.”

“…”

Kuzuryuu was at a loss.

Why was the boss involving himself in something so troublesome?

Now that he thought about it, the boss’s behavior had been peculiar ever since Satsuki brought this girl into their fold.

Normally, the boss would have eliminated her before she woke up.

That’s how it had always been.

Even when sparing someone, they were either brainwashed into subservience or handed over to Nonomura for his experiments.

Something was off.

Kuzuryuu glanced at Satsuki, who seemed to be enjoying herself, a smile still lingering on her face.

“What’s so funny, Satsuki?”

“Oh? Nothing at all.”

Satsuki’s nonchalant attitude irritated Kuzuryuu.

Amidst this tension, Kuroda suddenly stood up.

“Thank you. I’ll help, too.”

She bowed deeply.

“Kuroda-chan, is your body okay now?”

“I’m fine. I’m stronger than I look.”

Kuroda answered with a faint smile.

Sakata looked at her with visible relief.

“I’m glad to hear that. When I first saw you, it seemed like you were on the brink of death.”

“Sorry for worrying you.”

“No need to apologize. Your safety is what matters most.”

Sakata gently patted her head.

Kuroda narrowed her eyes in contentment.

“Your hand… it’s oddly comforting.”

“Is that so? Thank you.”

Sakata smiled warmly.

Satsuki, envious of their interaction, gave Kuroda a side glance but said nothing, instead asking:

“Question. Can the three of you fight?”

“Well, I can handle myself, but Kanama-san and Satsuki-san are very strong.”

At Sakata’s words, the two puffed out their chests proudly.

“Of course. If you don’t get stronger, you’ll die.”

“Exactly! Satsuki-onee-chan is amazing!”

“A volunteer group, huh? Pretty impressive.”

“Yes… even I didn’t expect this much.”

Smiles adorned three faces, while one bore a slightly conflicted expression.

These contrasting figures set off for the coastal cave where the Avenger awaited.

————————————————————  

A Dim Room

In a dimly lit, stale room, two women sat around a table.

“How plain, but it looks delicious.”

One was a silver-haired girl with shoulder-length hair, wearing a white dress.

She smiled faintly as she gazed at the dishes on the table.

“No need for flattery, Avenger. Let’s eat quickly.”

The other woman, wearing a Hannya mask and a kimono, responded tersely.

On the table were two plates of peperoncino, garnished only with cabbage.

Despite their simplicity, the dishes emitted an appetizing aroma.

“Hannya, you’re so aloof… But I guess that’s what makes you cute.”

The Avenger began eating with a grin.

Minutes passed as they ate in silence, until:

“You know, it’s kind of funny—a woman in a kimono eating peperoncino.”

The Avenger chuckled at the sight.

Unfazed by her mockery, the masked woman responded calmly.

“This kimono is just my uniform. I’m not committed to tradition.”

As she spoke, she took another bite.

The Avenger, slightly disappointed by the mundane reply, returned to her meal without further comment.

For a while, only the sound of eating filled the room.

“By the way, what should we do about that girl who escaped?”

The Hannya-masked woman adjusted her mask and posed the question.

She was referring to the girl who had disturbed their well.

“Of course, she’ll be judged. I didn’t expect her to escape, but with those injuries, she can’t have gone far. We’ll find her soon.”

The Avenger’s voice brimmed with ecstasy as she spoke, her expression euphoric.

Judging the guilty was her greatest pleasure and her reason for living.

“So, we’re prioritizing finding that black-and-white girl. Sounds like a hassle…”

“Don’t worry. Leave it to me.”

The Avenger exuded confidence.

The masked woman suddenly voiced a thought.

“Are you going to use your pawns again?”

“Exactly.”

The Avenger smiled as if proud of her resourcefulness.

The masked woman sighed softly.

“By the way, the pawns reported earlier. ‘Three people are looking for the Avenger,’ they said.”

“Oh my. Am I popular now?”

“No idea… but they don’t seem to be police or anyone connected to them.”

“I see. I wonder what they want. I’m not interested in salesmen, though.”

The Avenger scoffed, finishing her meal and setting the fork on the plate.

“Well, thanks for the meal. I’m heading back to the well.”

She rose from her seat, turning her back on the masked woman.

The Hannya-masked woman called out to her.

“A word of advice. About the pawns… overuse them, and they’ll break.”

“What are you talking about?”

The Avenger’s face split into a deranged grin.

“———Pawns exist to be broken.”

Her smile radiated pure madness, as if she truly relished their destruction.