Dark Merchant (5)
"What are you doing out here?"
"Ah, boss…"
"You should've clocked out a while ago."
"I was waiting for my shift to start."
"…Huh?"
The answer caught me completely off guard. I'd just finished work myself—why would anyone hang around waiting for the next shift to begin?
I stared at Sinel blankly, still trying to make sense of it, until she shook her head and explained.
"I couldn't pay the rent. They kicked me out…"
That was when it clicked.
Most of the advance she'd wrung out of me had gone toward Blackie's veterinary bills. The cat was still hospitalized. Of course she had nothing left for rent.
In the end, the cat mom had become a stray herself.
"What about the deposit? Couldn't you at least ask them to wait a month?"
"The deposit wasn't much. And I was already four months behind."
Even in a world this cold, you'd think a landlord would cut someone a month of slack. That was what I thought—until Sinel confessed the rest of it.
Before she'd started working for me, money had clearly been a constant, grinding headache for her. If the rent had been piling up that long, getting thrown out was only a matter of time.
"Weather's turning cold. That's going to be rough."
"Yes."
"Hang in there until you find a place."
"…"
The nights were getting sharper by the day. Sleeping outside would be anything but easy. I offered her a few words of consolation for the lonely stretch of hallway ahead of her, then turned to head into the office.
That was when Sinel caught my sleeve and stopped me cold.
"Boss."
"What."
"I couldn't pay the rent. They kicked me out."
"Yeah. Good luck with that."
It was a pity. But it wasn't my problem. I gave her head a light pat and turned away again.
She still didn't let go of my sleeve.
"…Boss."
"Yeah."
"I couldn't pay the rent. They kicked me out."
"I know…"
"Boss."
"…"
"I couldn't pay the rent… They kicked me out."
"…I already know."
Her grip on my sleeve tightened.
"Boss. I couldn't pay the rent…"
"…Is that all your stuff?"
"Yes."
Nod, nod. Sinel bobbed her head in rapid agreement.
I picked up the suitcase behind her, hauled it into the office, and said over my shoulder,
"Fine. Come in."
Having Sinel sneak in was still better than an assassin. The suitcase was lighter than expected—not much inside, apparently. I set it against the wall, walked to the fridge, and pulled out another can of beer.
By the time I looked over, Sinel had already slipped inside and claimed a spot on the sofa. I sat down beside her, cracked the can, took a long swallow, and glanced her way.
"…"
"How's Blackie?"
"They're letting me pick him up next week."
"Almost recovered, then."
"Yes."
I watched her sitting there with her knees pulled up, head bowed low.
Sinel Cloverbloom. Always that flat, deadpan face—and yet she said every single thing she wanted to say. Unpredictable, sure. But I didn't dislike it. If anything, there was something almost endearing about that side of her.
"Sinel."
"Yes, boss."
"You're my bodyguard."
"Yes."
"So stay by my side and protect me. Even when I'm asleep."
"Boss, does that mean…"
The road ahead was not going to be smooth. So I decided to trust Sinel as someone who would walk with me all the way to the story's final curtain. And having her nearby was reassuring in its own right. If someone ever came for me at the office, she'd be right there to help.
This was an investment in the future.
"There won't be any overtime pay."
"…"
"In exchange, you get the right to sleep on this sofa. The bed's off-limits."
Her being pushy wasn't anything new. Living together at the office for a while wouldn't cause any real problems.
"So this was overtime?"
"That's right. But I'm not paying you extra."
"…You're a terrible boss."
There wasn't a trace of actual complaint on her face when she said it. I reached over with my free hand and slowly ruffled her hair.
Ever since I'd arrived in this world, every single day had been pure chaos. What kind of day would tomorrow bring?
I drank my beer with a smile that was half exhaustion.
"You're awake."
"…Mm."
Instead of the usual morning sunlight, the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Sinel, already up, looking down at my face. I let out a light yawn and pushed myself up from the cot.
Waking up to Sinel without her goggles on. That was a new feeling.
"I've clocked in."
"Right. Good work."
I played along with her half-joke, half-truth and headed for the bathroom.
An empty, quiet restroom. The mirror above the sink showed my hair in its usual morning mess. Water hissed from the faucet as I washed my face, then used the jury-rigged hose to take a leisurely shower in the wide, deserted bathroom. Of course, with no janitor ever coming to a place no one used, cleaning the bathroom was entirely my job too.
The water was cold enough to bite. By the time I finished rinsing off, a cough tore itself free from my throat.
"Cough, cough…"
I got dressed and returned to the office. After wrestling my scratchy throat back under control, I spotted Sinel in the corner, wearing an apron.
She had a portable gas burner and a pot set up in front of her, busy with something. I walked over and asked,
"What are you doing?"
"You took me in. I figured I should at least make breakfast."
"Ah. So that's what the apron is for."
"Yes. Just a little longer, please."
I peered into the pot. Nothing but water, just starting to boil. Right beside it sat two open cup ramen containers.
An apron—for boiling water for instant noodles. Did she really need the full chef look for that? Calling this "cooking" felt generous at best.
"It's just cup ramen."
"Emergency rations. I got them cheap on a one-plus-one sale."
"Emergency rations?"
"And specially for you, boss… I'll even add an egg."
She delivered it like some grand announcement, but the content was completely empty. I dried my wet hair with a towel and watched her "cooking" in a daze.
Ten minutes later, Sinel took off the apron and approached the table with a cup of ramen in each hand.
"…Good work, Sinel."
It felt like something encouraging needed to be said. She nodded, sat across from me, and peeled back the lid. I did the same, lifting a steaming mouthful of noodles with my chopsticks.
The heat rolled down my throat—and the taste was far worse than expected. Even instant food has tiers, and whatever bargain-bin brand she'd scavenged this from left me genuinely wondering where she'd found it.
"How is it?"
"It's terrible."
"…Oh."
"Don't take it personally. You didn't even make it."
"Is that so."
Even with her mouth barely moving, I could read a whole range of feelings in the stillness of her expression. She was disappointed. I understood why. This ramen was the absolute best she could offer right now—the full extent of her sincerity.
In moments like this, it was better to lean on our company's unique brand of employee welfare.
"Sinel."
"Yes, boss."
"Don't eat stuff like this anymore. For lunch, get a hamburger. Order as many as you want—I won't care."
"Lunch is hamburgers…!"
Her eyes lit up at the mention of lunch. Sinel already ate more than I did on a normal day. One cup of ramen was never going to fill her. Better to feed her properly at lunch and then get ready for the fight with Lenon.
"That's right. After the burgers, we should go buy what we need to catch the Ice Sheet we missed yesterday."
"Is there something specific we need?"
"His magic reduces friction on whatever it hits. It's a nasty ability—terrible matchup against anyone who relies on movement."
"Then…"
"Even you won't be able to keep your footing properly. More precisely, as long as your feet are on the ground, controlling your body becomes nearly impossible."
Lenon Sirius's magic: Grease. Inside its area of effect, no tool or gear would let you stand upright. And floating in midair wasn't an option either—so we needed a countermeasure.
The simplest approach was to force Lenon to carry the same penalty we would. That meant preparing for him first.
"So that's what we're getting ready for."
"As expected of the Dark Merchant…"
"…"
I quietly picked up my chopsticks again at her words.
No matter how much time passed, no matter what happened—right now, I was still Percival Smith, the Dark Merchant.