I'm Not a Bad Person (4)
"Calling in a circus troupe really gets a great reaction, doesn't it? The kids loved it too. We should definitely do this again sometime."
"..."
"We've pretty much finished painting the building walls... Next, I was thinking we could install some playground equipment at each of the schools."
"..."
"What do you think?"
"..."
If you've got nothing to say, at least pretend to answer. That tactless bastard.
About a month after arriving in Beimesher, I had finally learned the name of the scarred man who was staring at me with his usual sullen face. Whether it was just my imagination or not, I could have sworn the look in his eyes was growing sharper by the day.
Jeff, was it? When I asked around, people said he held a fairly high rank. Even if the title was mostly for show, he might still be feeling a twinge of crisis because of my sudden appearance.
"Are you feeling threatened because of me?"
"Wh-what... what?"
"I was worried I might be making things awkward for you."
"Uh... yes?"
He didn't seem inclined to hide it, so I just said what I was thinking. My directness caught him completely off guard; he opened his mouth in flustered surprise.
"Ah... no. Not at all."
"Come on. Both Lia and I are way younger than you, and now you're expected to serve us. That has to sting the pride a little, right?"
"That's a complete misunderstanding. I have never once thought anything of the sort."
"You don't have to walk on eggshells around me."
And if you're going to be careful, at least manage your facial expressions properly. The words rose to the tip of my tongue, but I left them unsaid. Still, for a rootless bandit type, he was putting in a decent effort.
If I were Lia, I wouldn't have been able to just walk away and leave guys like him behind either. Only then did I begin to feel, even a little, the weight that had been resting on that small girl's shoulders.
"More importantly, how has Lia been? I hardly ever see her face these days."
"As always, she is buried under a mountain of work. Especially since we've been stirring up quite a few projects on our end."
"Ugh. I came here to lighten her load, but I guess I've just been getting in the way."
"If you've realized that, then perhaps you could simply stay qui—"
"Still, she's gotten a lot brighter than before, hasn't she?"
I didn't see her often, but of that much I was certain. After all, every time Lia ran into me she was smiling. Sometimes she would even murmur, in a voice barely loud enough to hear, that she was having fun.
Of course, her smile was a little different from the ones I knew, but that was probably just because she hadn't had many reasons to smile before. Live only in a gloomy city like this long enough and you'd forget how to laugh properly.
"I should take Lia out somewhere for once. Is she in her room right now?"
"Yes? As far as I know, she is..."
"Perfect. Let's drag her out while the idea's fresh. We didn't have anything special on the schedule today anyway, right?"
"B-but..."
"All I do is loaf around and eat free meals. I ought to earn my keep somehow."
The moment I made up my mind, I stood up. Things like this had to be done the second they occurred to you, or they'd keep getting put off forever.
Jeff, however, hesitated for a long while instead of following me right away. Only when I grabbed the doorknob did something suddenly seem to flash through his mind; he hurried over to my side.
"Wait a moment. Going to her now would only be a distraction. She must still have a mountain of work piled up."
"That's exactly why we should take her out. Working all day is bad for the body."
"You are right, of course, but I have a better idea. We haven't received any specific orders, yet there is one task that would be good for us to handle. Originally it falls under the Master's duties, but..."
"What is it?"
At my question, his expression brightened for once. The corners of his mouth only lifted a little, but compared to his usual face it was practically radiant.
"The reason this city has been somewhat stagnant is partly because of the nearby mountain range. A dangerous monster lives in its heart, and the beasts it commands are scattered throughout. Some of them are extremely dangerous; quite a few people have been hurt."
"Is that so? I didn't sense anything when I came through. I took the road that runs through the center of the range."
"That is the only road leading to this city. The Master created it herself after confronting the monster. Even now, managing that road is one of the things our organization pays the most attention to."
"Hmm. So that monster can be reasoned with, at least."
"I have heard there is a yearly expense because of it... but that is not the important part. The important part is that beasts which slip from its control sometimes come down as far as the city."
By this point I already had a pretty good idea what he was getting at. Anticipating the words that would follow, I quietly furrowed my brow.
"I'd rather avoid any work that involves swinging a sword. I'm not very skilled."
"What are you saying? We already heard the whole story. Our people couldn't even lay a hand on you."
"Even so, they were just common bandits... No, I'm not being modest. I'm really not good at that sort of thing. When I sparred with Lia, I went down after only a few exchanges."
"But this is still one of the duties we must take on. Patrolling the city and resolving problems when they arise. Is that not so?"
When he put it that way, there wasn't much I could say. Faced with clear logic, I shut my mouth, and he offered a gentle smile as if to reassure me.
"Once we actually arrive on site, there will hardly be anything for you to do. This is work we have always handled, and we will take care of it among ourselves whenever possible. It may be dangerous by ordinary people's standards, but by ours it is nothing special."
"Oh, really?"
"The only reason we are insisting on bringing you along is that we need at least one person of sufficient rank present. Since the Master made a contract with that monster, anyone who wishes to enter its territory must be accompanied by someone of appropriate standing."
"And if something goes wrong..."
"That will never happen. I would rather die than do anything that would bring disgrace upon the Master's honor."
For an instant his expression hardened and a thoroughly earnest voice spilled out. Seeing that, I actually felt reassured and soon nodded.
"Well, all right then. If it lightens Lia's load, I'm all for it. I just got paid yesterday anyway and was thinking I ought to do something useful."
"Is that so? Then I shall prepare for immediate departure. By the way, how much did you receive?"
"Me?"
Without thinking, I held up my fingers to show the number. The moment he saw it, his face froze over again. I hastily lowered my hand, but it was already far too late.
I really did get paid too much, didn't I. A stronger sense of responsibility settled over me. And so, together with three of the organization's members, I set out for the problem area.
"Today?"
"Yes. Today."
"We should have prepared concealed weapons."
"We won't need to lift a finger. The monster will take care of everything for us."
"Is that so."
"And more importantly, if we act directly we would be defying the Master's orders."
A chill wind brushed past their ears. On days when they set out intending to harm someone, a wind like this always blew.
Yet not once had Jeff ever felt a pang of conscience. Every target he had eliminated until now had possessed a reason to meet such an end. First: the Master's order. Second: the Master's order. And third: the Master's order.
Jeff was that kind of man—a puppet who moved solely according to the Master's command. And now, for the first time, he was about to do something he had not been ordered to do.
Even so, he still felt no guilt. There was probably only one reason for that.
...That vile spy from the knight order. How dare he try to deceive the Master.
That alone was crime enough. The sentence would naturally be death. But because the execution had to be left to another, they were heading toward a certain burrow.
The Wailing Cave. The place where the people of this city had once offered newborn infants every year.
A monster that had once been called a god lived there. Though it had been driven out by the master of the northern mountains and reduced to hiding in a cave, its strength remained beyond doubt.
"It has been a long time since we last met that monster. It will have been starving for quite a while, so the moment it catches our scent it will charge."
"Are you confident you can keep it under control? I heard it is a dragon, even if it is wounded."
"It is merely a type of dragon. A wingless creature that digs through the earth. Strictly speaking, it is an inferior species among dragons."
"But inferior or not, to us it is still..."
"Still dangerous, yes. Yet it will never be able to match our speed. If things go wrong, we simply run."
He had carefully selected only the fastest members even among an organization already famous for its swift feet. Jeff's plan contained no flaws. The master of the cave lacked the ability to keep up with them.
And the same went for that idiot. Jeff watched Claus walking ahead and thought: the moment the monster appears, that fool will surely come running toward them, begging to be saved.
Of course, because of the Master's orders they could not simply let him die. But the timing of the rescue would be decided by Jeff. After one arm had been torn off and eaten, perhaps. Or after both legs had been crushed flat.
Either way, he had no intention of sending him back in one piece.
"What will you do if that man turns out to be stronger than the monster? The entire plan would fall apart."
"As if that could happen. That thing is a monster beyond all standards. Aside from the Master, no human alive could face it."
"But if you consider what he did in Ernia..."
"Obviously exaggerated. Aside from the Master, is there truly a human who could block the White Knight's sword?"
Jeff had of course heard the tales of that legendary duel in Ernia—how the man had blocked the White Knight's blade and single-handedly driven back the flood of knights and organization members.
But he did not believe a word of it. As if a vacant-looking fellow like that could possess such power. The organization members must simply have been mistaken. In a place where the Master's and the White Knight's sword strikes were flying, that degree of confusion was only natural.
Therefore the plan still had no flaws. Just as he was thinking that, the Claus walking ahead suddenly stopped.
"Hmm. Aren't we going in a little too deep? You said we were only going to deal with the ones coming down toward the city."
"Yes. But this time we have located their den. Since we are doing this, would it not be better to pull the problem up by the roots?"
"I've got a really bad feeling about this. And wasn't there a soccer tournament scheduled for today? The kids will be disappointed if we're late."
"...Ah, right."
One of the organization members let out an involuntary groan of agreement at Claus's carefree nonsense. Jeff shot the man a sharp look, then forced a smile and answered.
"It will not take long. Besides, the den is right nearby."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yes. If you go into the thicket on the left, you will see it."
"Great. Let's finish this quickly and head back."
Unaware of the true situation, Claus strode forward without a care. Startled by his boldness, the organization members were forced to hide the sound of their own footsteps.
After pushing through the overgrown grass, the Wailing Cave came into view in the distance. Even though Jeff had been here once before, he had to swallow hard against the tension.
"Is that the cave over there?"
"Yes. That is correct. If you are ready, let us go at once. They will soon catch the scent and come charging out."
"Hmm. We don't need to set up any kind of plan?"
"They are truly weak creatures. You need not worry."
"All right then."
He has taken the bait. The moment Claus took a step toward the cave, Jeff smiled in triumph, already preparing to flee the instant the ground began to shake.
But just before entering the monster's detection range, Claus stopped again. Afraid the plan was about to fall apart, Jeff's lips trembled without his noticing.
"Why... are you stopping?"
"Even if they are weak, we shouldn't let our guard down. Let's hit them before they come out."
"What? From this distance?"
"Just a moment."
What kind of nonsense is that? While Jeff was thinking those words, Claus quietly wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword. That simple motion alone sent a sudden chill racing down Jeff's spine.
Something about this really feels wrong.
"W-wait a—!"
For no clear reason that premonition struck him, and Jeff waved his hand without thinking. But as with all regrets, it was already far too late.
And in the next instant, together with Claus's battle cry, Jeff was forced to realize just how impoverished his own imagination had been.
"Haaah!"