Soulmates of the Soul (1)
It’s more comfortable than I expected.
For someone accused of murdering a guild member of the Yamato Guild, the treatment was almost luxurious.
I wasn’t lying on a hard floor but in a soft bed, and the food they brought me was honestly of excellent quality.
To be honest, I’d been worried they’d feed me the kind of slop reserved for criminals.
But the way they were handling me made it impossible to deny that Cha Heera and Kasugano Yuno had more pull than I’d imagined.
If I’d just been some insignificant bumpkin, there was no doubt I’d have lost my head already, trial or no trial.
As the Mercenary Queen’s lover and the shrine maiden’s guest, I had enough influence to turn even guilt into innocence.
This is why power is such a beautiful thing.
Still, this was hardly a situation where I could relax.
Just by virtue of where I stood, the odds of my head ending up on the chopping block were slim. Making both the Mercenary Queen and the shrine maiden resentful at the same time wasn’t exactly music to the ears of anyone who wanted to see the Empire’s military strength cut down.
Protecting me mattered more than the death of some ordinary Yamato Guild member.
What mattered was what that bastard Ito Souta was plotting.
Depending on how much he blathered on, the severity of my punishment and whatever fine they slapped on me would probably change—but the conclusion was simple. At the very least, I didn’t need to worry about dying.
What I was worried about was one thing.
Being put in a politically disadvantageous position.
Depending on how you framed it, this was definitely the sort of matter that could spiral into a dispute.
After I finished the meal and looked up, I saw Cha Heera’s face. She looked vaguely irritated.
“Honestly, I’m in a pretty good mood.”
“Hm?”
“The one who died wasn’t me. It was that guy, right?”
“I was expecting to hear something unpleasant, but this is a surprise.”
“It’s not like I’m not annoyed. My plans getting ruined pisses me off, and you sneaking into the shrine maiden’s room without saying a word and ending up in this mess pissed me off even more. You know I care about appearances, don’t you? So when I say I’m in a good mood, it’s because you killed one of those guild bastards, one way or another. And apparently, you did it pretty spectacularly too….”
“Well, that’s nice to hear….”
“So what’s your relationship with the shrine maiden?”
“……”
“I honestly thought it was obvious that she’d side with the Yamato Guild. I never imagined she’d keep insisting you were innocent until the very end. You weren’t secretly pulling strings behind my back, were you? Because if you were, that might actually make me sad.”
“Believe me or don’t—that’s up to you. But the first time I met Kasugano Yuno was just the day before yesterday.”
“If you lie to me too, you know things won’t end pleasantly, right?”
“Why would I lie to you, noona? Remember when I first met Kasugano Yuno and she started crying when she looked at me?”
“Of course.”
“That woman can see the future.”
“What kind of bull—”
“Of course, it’s not like she can see whatever she wants. And even if she does see something, it’s only a tiny sliver of time. But she can definitely see the future.”
“You’re not joking, are you?”
“I checked it myself. Honestly, if you think about it for even a second, the answer’s right there. Otherwise, how could a sixteen-year-old girl build a major guild in just four years? I’ve got a rough idea why she’s so obsessed with me, too. She’s connected to me in the future.”
“What the hell.”
“That’s why she was bawling when she saw me, and why she’s still doing her best to defend me right now. Believe it or don’t, Heera noona. Up to you.”
Her face was a little annoyed.
She tapped the table once for no reason before staring at me and speaking again.
“Ha… you bastard, you’re basically one giant pheromone cloud.”
“You know I only have eyes for you, don’t you?”
“Don’t get too carried away, darling. It’s not good for you.”
Her hand was drumming lightly on the table, and I could see the slight distortion in her expression.
She didn’t seem to like this kind of teasing very much.
Anyone could see she was angry.
“So… you’ve got a plan, right? I may be making a mess of things, but the public mood isn’t great. It’s the first time something like this has happened in the Imperial Capital—someone died in a fight, I mean. Our darling won’t be losing his head on a guillotine, but the Red Mercenary, Blue, and Lindel could all end up with less leverage. It doesn’t seem like much, but this is a pretty sensitive issue, and….”
“I’ve got plenty in mind. The plan will change, but the result won’t.”
“You’d better behave properly. I’m only watching your back because you’re useful to me. You should always keep in your head that the fact you look like such an attractive man to me is just a side effect.”
“I know. Thanks, noona.”
“……I’ll come by again toward evening. Don’t stress yourself out—rest up and think things through, darling.”
“You too.”
She looks happy.
I didn’t know exactly what had put her in a better mood, but the faint smile on her face was obvious.
Like Jung Hayan, Cha Heera wore her emotions plainly on her sleeve.
The only problem was that, much like the title of madwoman shown in her status window, her emotions flipped around erratically.
It was only natural that I was tired after receiving visits from three women every day.
Honestly, dealing with Jung Hayan or the shrine maiden was harder than being investigated.
“Huuuuuu… Oppaaaa… waaaah….”
With Jung Hayan, the moment she arrived she’d start scattering tears everywhere and acting like the sky had fallen.
For someone who’d been waiting for the time we’d finally spend together here, the sight of me being confined was apparently heartbreaking beyond words.
She’d even start howling as she stroked my cheek, as if the thought of me possibly receiving a severe punishment had crushed her soul.
Anyone watching would have thought I was already a condemned man.
Of course, once she’d gotten a rough grasp of the situation, it seemed she was sending all her rage at Ito Souta as usual.
And because she’d decided Kasugano Yuno was the cause of the whole incident, her anger toward the shrine maiden was just a bonus.
It was only natural that special training had begun to prevent a second disaster. Even so, the rage didn’t seem to be fading, to the point where I had to ask Cha Heera to keep an eye on her.
Is she not coming today?
I found myself shaking my head, as if I might somehow be waiting for Jung Hayan without realizing it.
Kasugano Yuno wasn’t much different, either.
Because she had to keep up appearances outside for my sake, she couldn’t visit as often, but even so she always made time to come see me a few times a day and give me what was basically a report.
It was a little unfair to them, but the truth was that the person I was waiting for in this situation wasn’t Kasugano or Jung Hayan.
I was waiting desperately for my lawyer.
Of course, I could represent myself without any real problem, but if I was going to have someone do the defending for me, it was better if one of the major guild’s key figures acted as my proxy.
Preferably a smart, capable woman.
No sooner had I finished that thought than the door swung open with a bang.
I wondered if it was Jung Hayan or Yuno, but… the woman standing before me was exactly the one I’d been waiting for.
Lee Jihye.
She glanced at me as I lay quietly on the bed, and I caught her muttering under her breath.
“What a pathetic sight… I don’t even know where to begin.”
“I’m ashamed.”
“You walked right into it, didn’t you.”
“……”
“Looks like your pride’s taken a pretty serious hit. This is the first time I’ve seen you look this pissed off.”
“Do I really look that bad?”
“I can tell at a glance.”
I wasn’t sure whether she was just perceptive or simply knew me too well, but I couldn’t help feeling a little stunned.
I’d been trying to stay as composed as possible, but it was only natural that I’d be angry.
The one trick I was good at was stabbing people in the back, so getting stabbed in the back like this was enough to make anyone furious.
I’d been blindsided by a ridiculous scheme from a monster with overwhelming strength.
Smiling on the outside, while boiling on the inside.
Seeing the state I was in—a state even Jung Hayan and Cha Heera hadn’t noticed—she’d picked it apart in an instant. Honestly, it was a little surprising, but not unpleasant.
Soulmate.
Every time I looked at her, I had the same thought: Lee Jihye really does fit me too well.
“I thought you’d already be moving, but I guess not.”
“I was waiting for you.”
“Maybe the title of the Mercenary Queen’s lover and the shrine maiden’s guest still wasn’t enough?”
She was right.
The fact that a top-ranking official of the Black Swan, someone trusted by the guild master himself, was acting as my proxy was a huge deal.
That’s how human relationships among people with power worked.
If you thought about the old custom in our own country where lawyers who used to be judges or prosecutors got special treatment in their first trial, the answer came quickly enough.
Face matters.
“I can’t say it isn’t partly that, but more than anything, I needed you, noona.”
“Hmm… that’s not exactly unpleasant to hear, oppa.”
“Glad it sounds that way. And honestly… you’re right, Jihye. It’d be a lie to say I’m not angry. My pride’s hurt, too… my head’s still buzzing from the hit.”
“Want me to cry with you?”
“No. There’s a pretty big job I’m planning, and I want you to help me with it. I’m not just going to stop at paying back the blow they dealt me. You’ll get something out of it too.”
“Even if I didn’t get anything, I was already planning to help. I’m kind of a romantic, after all. I’m pissed off too—whoever threw filth at the picture I’d drawn for myself is my enemy as well. So first things first… I suppose we should claim the rights we’re owed, shouldn’t we?”
“I’m counting on you, my representative.”
“Don’t worry, client.”
Lee Jihye rose lightly from her seat and spoke.
But she wasn’t speaking to me—she was addressing the guard standing by the door. I could already guess where she was going with this.
After all, this was exactly the kind of role I wanted from her.
“Excuse me?”
“Yes?”
“Where is the weapon that belongs to Lee Kiyoung?”
“Ah. As for that weapon, it’s currently being held by our side for investig—”
“Please bring it here immediately.”
“Pardon?”
“I said bring that weapon here right now.”
“Th-that is… since it was used at the murder scene, we’re keeping it under our supervision for now. Even if you demand it out of the blue….”
“Is the investigation still not finished? I believe the item’s function has already been explained verbally, and that you’ve even confirmed it in person. I also heard you’ve already run multiple tests. Isn’t that enough?”
“We’re holding it just in case. We judged it too dangerous to release….”
“I’m asking you to bring it here just in case as well. You do understand, don’t you, that the first party threatened in all this was my client, and that the guilty party was a member of the Yamato Guild? Kasugano Yuno, who was present at the scene, is testifying to that herself. In a situation where the victim and perpetrator haven’t even been clearly established, you’re going to detain someone and seize his weapon?”
“A man died. Procedurally, we have to—”
“Yuliena, the sword that inflicts a curse, is the minimum means by which our client can protect himself. If anything happens to my client after he’s deprived of the one thing that can protect him, can you take responsibility for that? The Mercenary Queen won’t sit still.”
“But….”
“You people… let me ask you something, just in case.”
“……”
“Do you even know what that weapon is worth?”
“It’s a legendary-grade item, and there aren’t many like it in the entire continent. If anything goes wrong with its function, do you really think you can just shrug and make it someone else’s problem? From what I can tell, weapons with a will tend to suffer side effects if they’re separated from their owner for too long. If, and I mean if, anything even slightly happens to Yuliena, I’ll sue you on my client’s behalf.”
“We’re simply following the procedures of the Holy Empire. Even if you say you’ll sue us….”
“I’m not talking about suing the Holy Empire. I’m talking about suing you for neglecting your duties. The Holy Empire has done nothing wrong. Yes, that’s right. But you’re a different story. What I’m suing isn’t the Empire, but the individuals who are oppressing our client right now.”
“Ah….”
“The weapon my client possesses has a value so high it can’t even be properly quantified in money. Do you really think you’re blameless if you can’t manage something like that correctly? If I sue you, every guard here will be buried in debt in an instant, and you’ll have to wage a long, grinding legal battle against the major guilds. And as for whose side the Holy Empire you’re so confident in will actually take… well, I don’t need to spell that out, do I? Are you confident?”
“……”
“I don’t know whether you’re acting this way because you think the Holy Empire will protect you if something happens, but if that’s not the case, then shut your mouth and bring my boyfriend’s property to me. Tell your superior exactly what I said, and if even they claim they don’t have the authority, go higher until someone can actually get something done. And if it still can’t be resolved, come up with a solution yourselves and bring Yuliena here this instant. Otherwise, I’ll round up everyone involved and sue the whole lot of you at once.”
“Th-that… our authority….”
“Didn’t you hear me? I told you to bring your superior or the person in charge! Who’s the one responsible here?! Who’s handling this job like this?!”
It felt a bit like going to return an expensive product while dragging along a scary older sister to do the talking for you.
Jihye noona, you’re amazing.
At least by my standards, this was pure girl-crush energy.
That was the only way I could describe what was happening.