They're Not Bad People (1)
Master.
It's me. Have you had dinner? The dried meat piled in the kitchen jar is for getting through this winter, so I sincerely hope you haven't touched it.
More to the point, I may be a little late getting home. That girl I fought in Levenia last time came looking for me, and it seems she's mixed up with some rather unsavory types. The kid herself isn't a bad one, but she must have grown up around people like that since she was little.
So I ended up saving her on impulse when the knight order was about to arrest her, and I'm looking after her for a while. I'll try to get her to turn herself in, or at least cut ties with those people. I can't just stand by and watch a child this young being used.
I'll head back once things are settled. Probably won't take long. From what I've seen of their skills, they're nothing more than a ragtag band of thieves.
Take care of yourself. And please, leave the jerky alone.
Master.
I have taken the mother eagle's lover hostage.
Depending on how the situation develops, the odds of successful persuasion appear quite high.
Therefore I will prioritize persuasion over disposal.
I will contact you again.
"Did you stick the stamps on?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Two letters, so the postage comes to…"
"I'll pay."
"Forget it. What money does a kid like you have?"
"…Interesting."
"You sure use that word a lot."
I left Lia's reply hanging and handed the letters over to the postman. The man gave a short bow and turned away; on his back was the name of the city his post office belonged to.
Beimesher. A mid-sized port city on the western edge of the kingdom. It was far enough from my hometown of Ernia that I had never even heard the name before. If the girl hadn't told me her home was here, I probably would have gone my entire life without setting foot in the place.
I don't want to jump to conclusions, but my first impression of the city was not a good one. Gray buildings without so much as a single mural, the briny reek of the sea hanging in the air, and people who looked uniformly gloomy.
It felt as though the entire city were trapped beneath a single vast cloud. Put more bluntly, it barely seemed like a place fit for human habitation.
"This is really your home?"
"I wouldn't go so far as to call it a hometown, but yes. I lived here quite a long time."
"Why do the people here look so lifeless? I can understand the adults, but even the kids all look like someone died. It's like someone ordered them to put on those faces."
"Ports are all like that. By kingdom standards this is where the lower classes gather."
"Growing up in a place like this, no wonder you turned out so gloomy."
I sighed as I took in the cityscape. We had only been together three days or so, but Lia was an extremely antisocial creature. The city's oppressive atmosphere must have played a large part in that.
And with nothing but criminals for company, how could she have turned out any other way?
"So you've been living with those people since you were little? Those… bandits?"
"They're not bandits. Just people the kingdom cast aside, gathered in one place. Without them I would have been alone the whole time."
"Common story. But that still makes them criminals, doesn't it?"
"Are you lecturing me?"
"Well… that's…"
"Interesting. As expected."
Interesting. It was the word Lia used most often while traveling with me. There was probably no real malice in it, but the chill that always accompanied her gaze sometimes sent a shiver down my spine.
At the same time, those were the only moments she ever smiled. Once again a faint curve tugged at the corner of her mouth, softening her cold expression just a little.
"It's a difference in perspective. To some people they're criminals; to others they're simply people struggling to survive. Watch them up close and you might change your mind."
"Uh… I don't plan on staying long. I still have to make sure Master gets his meals. And we only came here because you said you wanted to say hello to your people."
"An organization isn't something you can just walk away from because you feel like it. I have responsibilities, and people I need to look after. I think you understand that better than most."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It would take too long to explain. So for now… why don't we go inside and talk?"
At that moment the girl's steps halted. Where she turned her head stood a house that radiated the same gloomy atmosphere as everything else.
Yet I couldn't bring myself to step forward. I simply stared upward, mouth hanging open, and asked in a daze,
"Uh… hang on."
"What is it?"
"This is your house?"
Could you even call it a house? It was far too large for that. Even "mansion" felt inadequate.
It was closer to a castle—complete with a tall bell tower and thick outer walls. While I stood overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it, the girl answered with a slender smile.
"I don't know what size you were expecting, but we can manage this much. Don't tell me you're surprised."
"No… not surprised so much as… um…"
"What? Are your legs shaking so badly you can't go in?"
To be completely honest, I was rather rattled. Contrary to every assumption I had made, she seemed to be the daughter of an absurdly wealthy household.
Still, freezing up like this would make my position as the adult trying to reform her look ridiculous, so I forced myself to walk forward as naturally as possible. The enormous castle, however, refused to leave me alone from the moment we entered.
"…You have returned."
"Whoa—! You startled me…"
"We will escort you inside."
The instant we passed through the gate, a swarm of figures in black appeared out of nowhere. Like the bandits we had met before, they wore black uniforms and formed a ring around us. One, two, three—by the time I started counting on my fingers I had already run out of hands.
The looks they gave me were openly hostile. Of course, given that I had more or less kidnapped their precious young lady, I could hardly blame them, but it still made me uneasy enough to lean over and whisper to Lia.
"These people…"
"It's fine. They won't do anything."
"Mmm."
"They're just family, so relax. They may be the lowlife types you described, but they're not so uncivilized that they'd harm a guest."
Family. So these people had played the role of older brothers to Lia? I had never had siblings of my own, but this was one family I would politely decline. Regardless of my feelings, they continued to attend her with perfect diligence.
"What beverage shall we prepare?"
"Tea."
"Understood. Any further instructions?"
"The weather's a little chilly."
"Your coat is here."
"And the shoes?"
"They will be ready at the entrance of the residence."
The conversation flowed as smoothly as if it had been rehearsed. In the middle of it Lia accepted the coat the man offered and slipped it over her shoulders with casual grace. She was still small and young, yet once she wore the loose uniform a certain dignity seemed to settle around her.
When we reached the entrance, a pair of extremely expensive-looking shoes sat neatly waiting, just as the man had said. While Lia adjusted her overall appearance, someone came rushing out from inside.
"Good heavens. Master…!"
"Quiet."
"My apologies. More importantly, this man…"
"I'll handle him myself."
"Yes, ma'am…"
The only person not wearing a uniform—dressed instead in a maid's outfit—bowed at once to Lia's words. Lia paid her no further attention and spoke to me in a calm tone.
"The room immediately to the left once you go up to the second floor. Dust yourself off and come right up."
"Um… can't we just go up together?"
"If you track dirt in, the people who clean will have a hard time. Be a good person and show a little consideration."
With that, Lia headed up the stairs with the maid. The sharp click of her shoes faded above us, and the men beside me closed in.
"Allow us to assist you."
"No, that won't be necessary."
"Leave your weapons here."
Beneath the stiff courtesy I could clearly feel hostility. The way they pretended to brush dust off me while subtly checking my body made it obvious their intentions were anything but pure.
"Any hidden weapons or suspicious items?"
"No. None. Why would I have anything like that?"
"That's what I'd like to know. No matter how I look at it, I can't figure out why someone like you is here."
"What was that?"
"Pardon the discourtesy. Please go on up."
"This guy…"
I shot him a sidelong glare, then finally moved my feet, keeping only the fragmentary image of a dark face with a scar by the mouth.
Of course those feelings didn't last long. The moment the white door of the room immediately left of the second-floor corridor opened, I once again found myself gaping at an overwhelming sight.
"Uh…"
"If you're here, sit down. The seat right in front is yours."
"Ah, yeah. Okay."
"If you need anything, tell the people. Want me to switch your chair?"
"No. I'm fine."
Because the atmosphere made conversation impossible. Inside the vast room, a wall of black-uniformed figures stood watching me in perfect unison. The weight of those gazes was so crushing I almost started coughing on pure instinct.
What kind of household uses people like this? Questions piled up until my tongue itched to ask them. But Lia simply sat with her legs crossed, focused entirely on the stack of papers the maid kept bringing her.
"Hmm… I see."
"Hey, Lia."
"Just a moment. Let me finish looking through these. Work really has piled up."
"Mmm…"
"I'll be done soon, so just drink your tea."
"…"
With everyone staring so openly, nothing was going down my throat. They might be dressed in fine uniforms, but at their core they were still bandits; their treatment of a guest left a lot to be desired. It was so bad that even the antisocial Lia looked like the most approachable person in the room by comparison.
Fortunately the document review did not take long. After handing the papers back to the maid, Lia let out a light sigh.
"Hmm. This is going to take quite a while to sort out."
"What is it?"
"I only meant to stop by and say hello, but that doesn't seem possible anymore. There are far too many things that need settling. Leaving them as they are would be too irresponsible."
"Lia."
"This is troublesome. I don't want to stay here long."
She fretted for a moment, fingering her hands. Then she suddenly leaned toward me and whispered in a small voice.
"I'm not just making up excuses to keep you here. Honestly I've never liked this gray city much either. But there are too many problems that can't be solved without me."
"So?"
"So I need to stay a few more days. Would you stay with me as a guest in the meantime? Of course I can't force you."
"Mmm…"
"Or… maybe you'd help me out a little?"
At that she lifted her head again and spoke in her normal tone.
"That would work. Help me with my work here for a while."
"Help you."
"Yeah. I won't make you do anything hard or weird. I swear that on my name."
"Mmm."
"While you're at it you can learn a bit about us, and see for yourself whether we're really just simple criminals. That's not a bad offer for you either, is it?"
Was it? I nodded without much thought, but the people around us looked startled. The maid from earlier in particular gaped in open shock.
"B-but Mas…"
"You can go anywhere you like if you're curious, and you can ask our people anything. As long as you promise to help me while you're here. Fair enough, right?"
"Well, yeah."
"And I'm not asking you to work for free. I'll pay you properly. On top of that, if there's anything you want, I'll grant one wish."
"Huh? Anything?"
"Of course. This is the most I can promise. So? Will you do it?"
Payment.
The girl seemed to put more weight on the first half of the offer, but what actually caught my interest was the second. I had been wondering whether I would have to scrape by hunting magical beasts; now she was guaranteeing me work.
These days it wasn't common for someone with no real résumé like me to get hired at all. And if I went home now I would just have to spend another winter with Master.
Another year of listening to the old man's tall tales while working myself to death.
…
The choice was extremely easy. The moment I nodded, the girl gave me the brightest smile I had seen from her yet.
"Thank you. It must have been a difficult decision, yet you accepted so readily. Temporary as it may be, from now on this person is also family. Everyone keep that in mind."
"But…"
"And I will not tolerate anyone ignoring or slighting him. Treat him as another me. Understood?"
"Th-that's…"
"I'm ready to hear your answer."
Lia lifted her chin toward the people, and I met their eyes with little particular emotion. After a brief hesitation the figures in the room straightened their postures.
Then, in a voice grim enough to match the atmosphere, they cried out as one.
"Yes. We shall serve him."
The Black Lady has been sighted in Beimesher accompanied by an unidentified man.
Beimesher is a city within the Dark Guild's sphere of influence and one of their primary strongholds. This is regarded as common knowledge even among the city's own citizens, and members of the organization—excluding the Black Lady herself—do not particularly bother to conceal their presence.
Furthermore, as one of the few port cities in the kingdom and a strategic stronghold that must be seized at all costs, the man's entry into this place constitutes core evidence that he belongs to the Black Lady's organization.
Therefore, from this point forward the unidentified man will be referred to as the second-in-command of the Dark Guild. The individual is currently residing at the Black Lady's mansion; his exact purpose remains unknown.