The Black Offer (1)
I stretched my legs out and leaned back in the chair, pressing her with a deliberately cocky attitude. “So, what’s this thing you wanted to say? I’m a busy man, so skip the foreplay and get straight to the point.”
For someone facing a member of a notorious terrorist organization, it was an incredibly provocative stance. But the other party didn’t seem to mind my attitude at all. Instead, she answered with a gentle smile.
“I see. It must be quite troublesome, always having to move while evading the Empire’s eyes.”
“What?”
“I will never forget your dedication—how you constantly strive for the sake of your comrades. You have my deepest gratitude.”
For a second I just sat there, stunned, wondering what kind of insane nonsense I was hearing. Then realization hit me and my face twisted like I’d bitten into a bug.
“What the hell are you playing at?”
“There’s no need to keep acting in front of me, but if that’s more comfortable for you, then by all means, continue.”
The fanatic—who called herself Alcor—had an obvious goal. If I, with my usual methods now neutralized, tried to leak this conversation to the outside world through some new channel she hadn’t anticipated, she was making sure I’d be suspected right alongside her. Of course, this alone wasn’t nearly enough to corner me… but that was fine. From her perspective, it cost almost nothing to try. Even if it failed, she lost nothing.
“Wait, are you two close?”
At Joy’s question, we answered at the same time.
“You could say we share a rather deep connection in many ways.”
“Don’t say something so disgusting. Since when are criminals and victims ‘close’?”
Leaving Joy tilting her head in confusion at our completely opposite answers, I pressed on.
“Try that one more time and I’m walking out. What’s the actual point of this?”
Apparently sensing that this wasn’t an empty threat, Alcor finally dropped the act.
“Very well. Then I’ll be direct… Would you consider becoming our comrade?”
I shut my mouth for a moment. What kind of bullshit am I listening to right now?
“Become your comrade?”
“Yes.”
I pointed at myself.
“Me.”
Then pointed at her.
“With you people?”
“Correct. You understand perfectly.”
Alcor smiled. So did I.
“Heh. Heheheh. In all my years, I never thought I’d get scouted by a bunch of crazy fanatics. I’ll treat it as a funny joke. It’s so ridiculous that laughing is the only reasonable response.”
“I am completely serious.”
“Then you’re not right in the head… well, that was already obvious. So I guess you’re just stupid.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Are you actually asking?”
I was genuinely dumbfounded. Duve. Merak. This would already be the second fanatic I’d personally put in the ground. Strictly speaking, Duve had started the whole thing by dragging me into his terrorist plot, so I only countered. And Merak had straight-up stormed the Midas family, so that was pure self-defense. But when had lunatics like these ever cared about cause and effect?
I wasn’t suicidal enough to willingly walk into an organization that was probably grinding its teeth over me killing their precious comrades. No need to invent a new Darwin Award in a world that didn’t have one.
“You may rest easy. The situation you’re worried about will not occur.”
As if she’d seen straight through my concerns, Alcor continued.
“I do not care for the concept of revenge. No matter how deeply a grudge is carved, all that awaits at the end of vengeance is endless bloodshed.”
“So you’re saying you’ll generously forgive me for killing your people?”
“I swear there will be no retaliation against you for that matter.”
Her voice was so full of certainty that, for a second, I actually wavered. Even if actually becoming comrades was out of the question, maybe I could pretend to accept, infiltrate them, and locate their base—
─♬
The clear sound of a water droplet echoed.
The sudden, pure tone made me look around, but there was nothing that could have caused it. Joy tilted her head.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing.”
I glanced at Alcor just to be sure, but she only looked puzzled by my reaction and showed no other sign. …Did only I hear it?
“What do you think?” Alcor asked.
I answered in the same slouched posture. “Think whatever you want. I have zero intention of joining.”
“You believe my words are false.”
“Even if they’re true, why would that be a reason to join? What possible benefit is there in tying myself to people the Empire has marked?”
“The Empire itself is not a significant obstacle. You’ve already witnessed us humiliating them multiple times.”
“Just because you can’t catch the cockroaches crawling out of your house doesn’t mean the cockroaches are superior to the homeowner, does it?”
The incident Duve caused in the Mars territory. And now Merak’s escape. Some people might look at how boldly the culprits were operating and call the Empire incompetent. I used to think the same, but my view had changed.
Telling them to just “catch the fanatics” is easy. But this wasn’t a game of tag inside a single house—the search area was an entire continent. Did we have abundant information on the criminals? Of course not. We didn’t know their faces, their names, or their base. On top of that, as both Merak and the Alcor in front of me had shown, these people could manipulate minds. Human-wave tactics were nearly impossible. The fanatics could strike whenever and wherever they wanted, while the Empire had no choice but to start every encounter by taking the first hit. An overwhelmingly unfair fight.
But the same logic worked in reverse.
“Your rampages might damage the Empire. But that won’t bring it down. It’ll just be annoying and troublesome. On the other hand, the moment you’re properly caught even once—that’s the end for you.”
Alcor neither grew angry nor panicked. She simply smiled, quiet and chilling.
“──If the Empire remains intact, that would be true.”
She mercilessly stabbed at the part I had known but deliberately left unsaid. I opened my mouth to respond, but she was faster.
“Chrome Midas. I have listened to your opinion. I’m glad the conversation flowed better than expected.”
“Are your ears broken? What flowed? Did you miss the part where I clearly said no?”
“It’s quite all right. Invitations are meant to be extended multiple times. Honestly, I’m even a little pleased. Mizar recently scolded me, saying, ‘Without that unpleasant ability, your speaking skills are nothing special.’ How can I not rejoice at meeting someone it doesn’t work on?”
Goosebumps erupted across my entire body.
“Joy! Pervert! Smack her!”
“Huh? No way. If I hit the staff, they’ll kick us out. I still want to eat more.”
“I believe I mentioned that this body belongs to an innocent civilian. Your memory seems poorer than I thought. It’s fine. The guidance of the stars bestows its grace even upon people like you. Ah, miss, your drink is empty. Allow me to pour you another.”
“Thanks!”
Watching the two of them sync up in the weirdest way possible, I felt a profound sense of isolation. They say that in a den of madmen, the sane one becomes the lunatic. This was exactly that.
“As enjoyable as this conversation has been, I’m afraid I must take my leave. A shame.”
“Get lost. Seriously, get lost. Don’t ever come back. Shoo!”
“A small token. I hope it proves useful to you.”
“Token or whatever, just please g─”
I was waving my hand to tell her to throw it away when an object rolled casually across the table. A single seed with an eerie luster.
The terrorist weapon rolled right off the table and began to fall. I lunged forward in a panic, catching it before it could hit the floor.
“You crazy bastard! What the hell are you doing, tossing something like this around?!”
I shouted in fury, but Alcor didn’t answer.
“Yes? C-customer? Were you speaking to me?”
Only the employee—whose body had been vacated—stared back with a bewildered expression. I frowned. The employee, suddenly realizing she was sitting in the chair, jumped up in shock.
She bowed repeatedly in apology, carefully reading my silent expression. When Joy placed a new order, the girl’s face brightened and she hurried away.
“Damn it… what the hell am I supposed to do with this?”
I stared at the seed resting silently in my palm. The wrinkle between my brows grew deeper and deeper.