The Evil God's Receiver
The main products of the HelloHello Trading Company were the fruits of my modern knowledge. …Even if I said that, most of them were just household items. Nothing particularly dangerous or revolutionary. They were simply minor improvements to the inconveniences of existing products.
“No, what the…”
“Yes, it must be hard to believe.”
Yet the core of this incident was precisely those household items.
“Who could have imagined that Marquis Malikov, who was supposed to arrive for an official visit, would slip and fall in the bathroom…”
The situation was simple. The trading company sold all sorts of things, but the flagship product was the one-touch shampoo you could dispense with a single press. One might assume women would be the primary customers, but it was the opposite. The people who had used shampoo, conditioner, and body wash even when it was inconvenient were the ones who benefited most.
As a result, the main beneficiaries were the men who could now escape that hassle. Those who once found applying different fragrances and having attendants fuss over them annoying had developed a taste for comfortable bathing, leading to a slip-and-fall accident in the bathroom.
“No… That’s why we sold the non-slip mats and tiles too…”
“He said he didn’t want to rip out the marble that was already installed.”
“Ha, fuck…”
Slipping in the bathroom was the kind of story that could happen anywhere. The problem was that the victim happened to be the highest authority in the resort city of Altea, and the Altea family had sent a proxy while he recuperated.
“They demanded compensation, claiming he collapsed because of our product.”
“Even if he were badly hurt, a priest could heal him easily. Is he deliberately taking time off for this reason?”
If so, the shakedown of the company could be seen as the Altea family’s own intention.
“A great noble house like Altea wouldn’t do this over simple money. It must be a check against the company. This is a resort city, after all. Many visitors care deeply about grooming themselves.”
“We reached the same conclusion. Money is secondary. They’re trying to suppress our momentum.”
They wouldn’t resort to such underhanded tactics often. If this was a one-time shakedown, it wasn’t that infuriating. The real issue was the aftermath.
“Is there a problem in the Altea family? That guy didn’t look normal at first glance.”
“Ahaha…”
I wanted to call him a fucking idiot outright, but I held back. The branch manager probably wanted to curse more than anyone.
“That person is the younger brother of the current head of the Altea family.”
“Ah……”
As expected, the Altea family wasn’t a gathering of idiots. It was simply that every family has one idiot, and this one happened to occupy a high position.
“They probably thought a temporary stand-in during his recuperation wouldn’t cause any trouble, but it seems an unfortunate chemical reaction occurred.”
“It appears to be exactly as you said.”
And just as they were beginning to recognize the problem and move to resolve it, we arrived and were stopped by the imperial family. It was a thoroughly tangled situation in every way.
“…I shouldn’t make assumptions about preconditions in the future.”
“…I feel the same.”
Neither possessors nor regressors were omnipotent…
“Don’t be too disheartened, darling. There was a harvest, after all.”
“Yeah, that’s true…”
I felt a slight sense of helplessness, but it wasn’t entirely bad.
“We’ve narrowed down the prime suspect.”
“Yes. Among those without a personal grudge against Malikov, this individual is the simplest, most hot-blooded, and hedonistic.”
The picture Diana produced showed the most thug-like person among those Lier had brought.
“Vagrunt Dorangpen.”
“This man is the culprit.”
“Let’s confirm it.”
Once we had identified him, the next step was to take direct action. I immediately asked Nefure to check the suspect’s house.
“Yeah, it’s him. The stolen goods are still there, untouched.”
“Bingo.”
We had found the culprit. The combination of stealth, infiltration, and lockpicking was an overpowered set that could slip into anywhere.
“As expected of a thrill addict, he was already planning an intrusion operation.”
“He’s got real balls.”
“In this case it looks more like his brain melted from gambling than thrills.”
“It is a sight often seen in those addicted to gambling!”
At any rate, confirming the culprit meant we now held the key to resolving the matter. The stolen items inside his home would serve as physical evidence, so a simple report would end it without needing anything more.
“So what are you going to do?”
Nefure looked at me. Although the form was to leave it to me…
“……”
“……”
Considering the gazes of my other companions, it wasn’t a simple buck-passing. Above all, I felt the same way.
“Isn’t it a bit unsatisfying to wrap this up immediately?”
“Yeah.”
“Yes.”
“……I will refrain from commenting!”
We had already located the culprit. To minimize damage to the city, reporting him right away would be best, but that would mean only that pig benefited.
“In the end it’s all because of that bastard. I don’t like just handing him over and saying ‘here you go.’”
“Same here.”
“Then there is only one option.”
Diana smiled quietly as she offered her idea.
“You will understand if unavoidable damage occurs during an on-site arrest, correct?”
The so-called sacrifice for the greater good. For a hero, demolishing two or three buildings was practically a cute gesture.
“What do you think, Nefure? If the culprit plans to attack in a month, we have no choice but to catch him now.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. According to his schedule, he intends to strike tomorrow or the day after.”
“Good. Then we’ll go with Diana’s suggestion.”
The Altea mansion was due for remodeling anyway. It was time for the Thousand Arms to step forward once more.
“He’s here.”
Around dusk, the man revealed himself. Bloodshot eyes, staggering steps, disheveled clothing. None of it suited the Altea mansion, yet he had once been a quasi-noble who commanded servants.
“Heh heh heh…”
The man—Vagrunt Dorangpen—was slowly walking toward the Altea mansion he had quit.
“It looks like middle-school syndrome or self-absorption.”
“I suppose so, right? ‘Heh heh heh’ is not something a normal person utters on the street.”
Including that bizarre speech pattern, it felt like an artist’s temperament expressed in a completely warped direction.
With those sluggish steps he arrived at the front gate of the Altea mansion.
“…I thought he would at least disguise himself, but he came completely exposed.”
“Is that not Sir Vagrunt? What business brings you here?”
It was clearly an abnormal situation. He was a former employee of the mansion, and the gatekeepers still recognized him.
“…………”
“Sir Vagrunt?”
The gatekeeper’s face grew suspicious at the lack of response. A man who had recently left a fairly high position. How could anyone look more suspicious? Under normal circumstances he should have been questioned at least once.
‘Has his thrill addiction gone too far?’
If he could no longer feel any thrill from ordinary theft and therefore didn’t even bother hiding his face, it made sense. Still, the progression was too rapid. This was only the fourth round. It was far too early to attempt a life-ending burglary.
“Something feels off.”
“It does.”
At any rate, while Vagrunt’s appearance was suspicious, he was not yet a caught criminal.
“He’ll start the diversion soon.”
I stayed ready to deploy the Thousand Arms at any moment and listened carefully. Then Vagrunt pulled something from his coat.
Heh heh heh… You incompetent pig bastards! I’ll repay every ounce of the humiliation you gave me!
It was an object wrapped in black aura. A bizarre thing resembling faint mist, so vague that even its shape could not be properly discerned.
“Why is that here!”
The instant Diana saw it her face filled with shock. She immediately drew her Silver Fish Bow.
"Swift: Lightning Instant!"
⟨ Thunderbolt Flash ⟩
A strike blending the pinnacle of sniper-build techniques flew toward Vagrunt’s hand.
Boom!
Black lightning crashed down. The fish-shaped arrow was swallowed by the overwhelming torrent of power and evaporated. No—more accurately, the lightning devoured Vagrunt. The arrow had simply been caught in the aftermath.
And beyond the thunder, it began.
Splash.
A sound completely unsuited to lightning rang out. At the same time, it was not strange in a lakeside resort city.
“Aaaaaah, oh God! It is magnificent! Everything is vivid, everything is clear!”
The sound of water echoed—from his footsteps, from his voice, from his swinging arms.
“…What the hell is that?”
I asked Diana while equipping the Thousand Arms.
“It is the Evil God’s receiver. It transforms the user into one of its kin.”
“How strong is it?”
“Weaker than you. But their problem is not pure strength.”
“Is that so?”
Click. Click. Psssh. The scent of metal and steam spread as I felt my senses synchronize all the way to the fingertips of the Machine God’s hand.
“Then I’ll smack it first. Explain the problem while I do.”