Americano (2)
"…So it's Orly?"
"…Yes."
Lindergel's voice on the other end of the line — the Association President's voice — had never sounded so dark.
"It's like she's become a completely different person…"
"Not a person, exactly."
"…Right. Of course not."
The fact that Orly — once a man — had become a woman spread far and wide. Some corners insisted the Association and the government were spouting absolute nonsense by reporting it, but most citizens seemed inclined to believe.
It was Orly, after all. The one who had single-handedly faced down Association and government high officials. The one who had swept aside every Spirit Realm extermination unit that invaded the human world. That he had turned into a woman was, to many, almost believable as a joke — and therefore believable as fact.
When you'd watched someone get their heart pierced and their limbs torn off over and over only to walk back out fine, turning into a woman hardly seemed that strange, did it?
And once it came out that she had stormed the Gyeonggi branch in person and introduced herself as Orly, it didn't take long for the silver-haired girl to be accepted as her beyond any reasonable doubt.
Even those enormous red wings — once her most massive identifying feature — lined up perfectly with the circumstances.
Of course, to Lindergel, the news might as well have been the sky collapsing.
Stop with that bullshit! She's dead! Dead, I tell you! She vanished for a whole year — what the hell is she doing showing up now!
Erika remembered hearing how he had muttered over and over that he couldn't do this, that he was going to resign the presidency and kill himself, before locking himself in his house for weeks and living like a wreck.
The backlog of work that piled up because of it had apparently soured his relationships with the directors, too — or so the rumors went.
Erika hadn't realized how easy it was for a person to come undone.
Where Lindergel's voice had once been calm and measured, ever since the girl was confirmed as Orly she had only ever seen him agitated.
"What the hell is she scheming? Ever since she started coming and going from the Association, she's only shown a friendly face? Has the madman finally become a madwoman?"
"One slice of cake and she turns perfectly docile…"
And cigarettes.
"Are you all right? I hate even having to ask this, but you said you've been joining the group purges lately."
"I'm fine. Every group that's been uncovered has been completely wiped out."
"With Orly?"
"…Yes."
A brief silence settled.
"And that insane woman didn't do anything?"
"Before that there were a few hostage situations, and…"
Erika hesitated. For someone who had once carried out massacres, all she had done was grab a handful of citizens as hostages and talk with Erika. And afterward, as if Erika herself had been the only objective, she had released them without a fuss.
It was hard to call it self-serving. What even counted as self-interest to Orly?
Had Erika ever once tried to think about that?
"There were a few fights. I was always the one who lost…"
A sharp intake of breath.
"Is that so? Are you all right?"
The shock had returned to his voice.
"Yes. Every time I took a serious wound and passed out, she carried me to the Association hospital. Over and over."
"…Why on earth?"
Because she likes me.
"…I don't know."
"…Well. She is a time bomb you can never predict. There's no reading what's going on inside that head. I'm just glad you're safe."
At any rate, with the outside world still in such an uproar, the fact that Orly was cooperating with the Association was a tremendous relief.
"You've probably already heard from the directors, but there are signs of another Gate. I'd appreciate it if you could handle it."
"It's my job. It's fine."
If things were going to get tangled anyway — if the situation was this excessively friendly — then if she played it right, she might even be able to coax Orly into helping with Association work.
"Just hold on a little longer. Once this is over, I plan to make contact with the Arcane Branch and the Union Department."
"Is that side going smoothly?"
"We'll see. If they dig their heels in, I'll dump everything to the press."
Erika knew the upper ranks were already discussing Orly's elimination. And suddenly, a thread of worry wound through her.
Would she really die quietly? Could the hunters and Association rankers even kill her?
And if they failed — if they were all wiped out —
And if she herself met her death that way —
Would it be nothing more than dying alone?
What about her little sister? What about Ere's happiness?
Erika hung up the phone and let out a hollow sigh.
When I opened my eyes inside the darkened house, the first thing I felt was heaviness.
I coughed in fits, then stuck a cigarette between my lips and lit it. Crimson smoke unfurled wide and filled the space.
The downstairs would have been better for warmth and comfort, but with these labored steps the best I could manage was staggering into the house and collapsing.
Looking on the bright side, things had improved a little.
I was taking pleasure from her, after all.
Ah. Am I any different from a beast at this point?
"Today it's this one. Orly. Swallow it slowly."
"Thanks."
I lit the incense and tossed the pill into my mouth. I had to swallow it slowly so my body would accept it more easily.
Then a mouthful of water, a meager meal, and bread.
I was sick of bread. I wanted coffee. An americano.
Sweet things didn't suit me. Erika and Seran both seemed to like sweets, but I preferred bitter.
Astringent. Heavy on the tongue.
I cut the thought short and turned my gaze. Letters gathered, knitting themselves into sentences.
And then the glow began.
Dracul?
My knowledge of monsters wasn't particularly broad, but Dracul were a different story.
Among Gates, they occupied the role of apex predator in the upper strata.
Reinforced hide, huh.
Among the skins of those small devil-shaped things with wings, it must mean the ones that were especially dark and hard.
Naturally, you got them by killing them.
If I latched onto Erika for this as well… Most of an Association hunter's work was clearing the Gates that spawned without end, after all.
It felt like it fit the plan. I could also use it to help my body adapt to the mana I'd forced into Erika.
Cigarette still in my mouth, I left the house. There was somewhere I needed to stop before going to see Erika.
I cut through a few alleys and stepped out onto the roadside. Standing before the dark building, it seemed everyone recognized me.
"Welcome."
The mana-herb smuggling zone I'd visited before. Partly because I'd run out of incense and needed more — but what I really wanted was something else.
I followed the men in suits up into the building and found a fellow grinning ear to ear, a paper bag already in his hand.
"Wow, thank you. You already prepared it for me?"
"Oh, not at all! This is nothing! You're a regular, haha."
"I stopped by because I had something to ask. The incense is just a bonus."
I smiled faintly and settled onto the lobby sofa. A small chandelier hanging from the ceiling washed the dim interior in a ruddy glow.
"Just say the word! We'll mobilize every resource we have—"
"Maybe it's because I've become a celebrity. Lately I keep getting leeches stuck to me."
"Leeches… you say?"
Whenever I walked the night streets, I could feel a few of them trailing me. They were annoying enough that I'd killed them each time, but something about it still didn't sit right.
"It didn't look like Association uniforms. The emblem was two crossed swords."
"Ah — that mark would be the Union Department."
The Union Department, huh.
"We have a friend on our side who used to belong there. Shall I call him over?"
"I'd appreciate that."
"Please wait just a moment."
I watched the man disappear, then stood in front of the coffee machine visible ahead.
"Hand it over."
"Look at you, giving orders so boldly now."
You'd always been like that. Even at our first meeting, you'd been arrogant beyond measure.
So why had I saved you? Loneliness? Or a moment's amusement?
Living with you, I'd had no choice but to realize you were actually a gentle spirit.
Even when I treated you coldly as usual, once you'd discovered this frail body of mine, you never hesitated to show me kindness.
Frail, huh.
That look in your eyes had been something like pity.
Well. Didn't matter.
Erika would never catch on to this body of mine —
so all I had to do was keep looking like I was tormenting her.
I sipped my coffee, watching Bloody float, then turned toward the voice.
"I was told you called for me."
"Thank you for coming all this way. I only have a few things I want to know."
I smiled sweetly at the man bowing so politely.
First: what kind of place it was.
"It's an organization that gathers wandering hunters and other unaffiliated Awakened who belong to neither the government nor the Association."
"And their relationship with the Association?"
"Under government directive, they're supposed to cooperate with each other in emergencies. But since they're an interest group, there's no shortage of moves to steal each other's achievements."
Detailed. He must have been an officer or something.
"If I may be so bold — the reason they've been tracking you all this time was likely to gather information, and they seem to be waiting for a chance to strike."
Being targeted alone was fine. I could just grab a few hostages and stage a standoff. But if it happened while I was with Erika… I'd have no choice but to kill them all.
Of course I would. I wanted to spend more of my precious time with her. I didn't have the luxury of paying attention to anything else.
Would Erika try to stop me? She belonged to the Association. From their perspective, wouldn't it be a win if a rival-tier organization like the Union Department got wrecked?
I'd only know for sure once it happened. Our righteous little girl, who held human life so dear, might throw her whole body in the way.
Troublesome.
"Thank you. You're free to go."
"I wish you safety."
I rose from my seat with a gentle smile.
It was time to go see Erika.