Chapter 180
“Right. Even if I tell you I don’t know how to do that kind of thing, you probably won’t believe me anyway, so think whatever you want. Let’s assume that I’m retired now, but I used to be a damn murder specialist.”
“Oh, I like that.”
Even though I snapped at her bluntly, figuring whatever happens, happens, Hina looked pleased rather than intimidated.
Did she think I had finally admitted it? This girl was really something else.
Still, no means no.
“Even so, why would I help you with those unwelcome, incredible murder techniques? If I were going to use them like that, I’d just work as a mercenary and rake in a ton of money.”
At my cold response, Hina squeezed her eyes shut as if she were at a loss for words.
Even if I were a real former Ronin, she wouldn’t have the money to regularly commission me. Beggar.
“…That money, I’ll give it to you.”
…Or not? Do ordinary high school girls have that kind of money these days?
Dumbfounded, I asked.
“Money? Where would you get that kind of money?”
“Mister Miguel left me a little inheritance.”
Hearing that, I couldn’t hold back anymore.
Is she crazy?
I barely stopped myself from smacking her right in the head.
“Hey! Are you out of your mind? Did you think I would take that money? It’s the money Mr. Miguel left for you!”
“…Mister Miguel would have wanted this too.”
“Wanted what? You think he would have wanted you to burn through the entire inheritance he left for you just because you’re blinded by revenge and trying to catch the culprit? Yeah, right!”
“Ugh, then just help me! If you’re not going to help, don’t nag me!”
As our emotions flared and our voices grew louder, everyone around us turned to look our way.
Hina’s cheeks flushed red, and I wiped my face with both hands in embarrassment.
…This wasn’t an argument to be having in the middle of a memorial service. I was the adult; I should have held back a bit more.
‘Come to think of it, this is funny too. In the original world, I was a student not much different from her.’
Of course, looking purely at age, I was an adult… but in the 21st century Republic of Korea, a university student wasn’t exactly in a social position to be treated as a true ‘adult’, were they?
‘And yet, I can’t communicate with a high school student like this.’
Have I gotten older in the meantime?
I shook my head and calmly opened my mouth again.
“In the first place, why me? The city police must still be conducting an investigation.”
As soon as I said that, I realized it was a slip of the tongue.
What was I saying, having just complained about the DCPD’s terrible job performance a few minutes ago? There was no way anyone could trust an investigation by the City Police!
Perhaps sharing the same thought, Hina frowned and said.
“…Are you joking? The city police don’t handle cases involving Ronin. They don’t give a shit whether someone died or not. They won’t even do an autopsy if you don’t pay them, you know? Rather than expecting them to catch the culprit, it’d be much more likely to aim for a life turnaround with the Voting Right Lottery.”
Tony had told me before as a funny story… It wasn’t a widely known fact, but the odds of winning first place in the Voting Right Lottery were something like one in 480 million?
It was bitter to realize this was a world where the chances of the police catching the culprit of a murder case were considered lower than that.
“Right. The city police was my mistake. Still, there are other people besides me. The Group/Gathering people, like Paulo for instance.”
“Paulo Oppa is a no-go.”
Wait, she calls Paulo Oppa, so why am I mister?
Anyone could see that I looked younger at face value. Our actual ages were probably similar too.
Feeling a subtle sense of displeasure, I asked.
“Why?”
“He’s not in his right mind right now. After Mister Miguel… died, he completely turned into a derelict. I can’t bring him.”
“A derelict?”
I recalled Paulo’s appearance at the funeral. He did look much worse than before, but…
“He got into drugs.”
Ah.
At Hina’s words, I found myself nodding automatically.
Right. It was the amazing Dusk City, as expected. You couldn’t leave out the drug problem.
“He was originally an addict, but thanks to Mister Miguel, he barely managed to wash his hands of it and get back on his feet. But then Mister Miguel died… so that’s what happened.”
God damn it. I had no idea.
How could I have known that such a dark backstory was hidden inside the heart of that muscular real man?
Listening to nothing but these stifling stories was making me feel like I was going to lose my mind too.
To think that one person’s death could have such a negative impact on so many people.
I was at a loss for words, but I forced myself to speak.
“Even if it’s not Paulo, there are the other two. Mr. Nigel and Ms. Angela. Neither of them are Ronin, but they could help…”
“I can’t reach them. And I have no desire to contact them either.”
Hina cut me off with an incredibly cold expression.
Rather than feeling offended, I felt puzzled first.
Was she originally on bad terms with Nigel or Angela? She didn’t show any signs of that during the last Group/Gathering dinner.
If anything, she had acted hostile toward me…
A thought flashed through my mind. Don’t tell me.
“Do you think those two have some connection to the case?”
“…”
Hina remained silent, but nothing else could explain it.
She must have found something suspicious about those two, which was why she sought me out instead, even though she barely knew me.
“…If you can’t help me, I can’t tell you.”
The way she looked at me with those fiercely glaring eyes.
It was frustrating.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to help.
It was just that this wasn’t my place. Anyone who knew my situation would think the same.
“I’m not the kind of person you think I am, as I said.”
“You said you were a comrade-in-arms. Mister Miguel said so. A comrade-in-arms by blood.”
“…That’s a misunderstanding, too.”
“A misunderstanding? That you fought together? You said it yourself at the funeral. That you wouldn’t have survived if it weren’t for Mister Miguel. He must have considered you a comrade-in-arms right up until the moment he died, and you’re going to betray that? Even if it was only for a short time, you were strictly a member of our Group/Gathering!”
She spoke as if screaming, her voice cracking.
“…So please help me. I’ll handle tracking him down somehow, so you just have to kill that bastard. Please, I’m begging you like this…”
“Hey, hey!”
She suddenly got down! and tried to bow her head in a sudden Japanese-style dogeza, so I barely managed to pull her up and stop her.
God damn it, what did I do wrong to have to feel like the bad guy? I didn’t even know who this girl was until just a few days ago.
After I went through the trouble of standing her up, seeing her scrunch up her face, force her eyes to redden, and try to squeeze out tears made me let out a massive sigh.
Is it the Cry-First-Win Strategy now? This is driving me crazy.
Why did I ever think to join such a ridiculous club and get myself roped into this…
Massaging my throbbing temple, I asked.
“…Let me ask you one thing. Everyone is keeping quiet about it, but… naturally, the culprit must be connected to the trash corporation that Miguel screwed over, and it’s highly likely to be a professional hitman. Are you confident we can catch them just because I help? They’ve probably been in hiding for a long time already. Like I said, I don’t know how to do things like tracking people.”
“Yes.”
A quick, immediate answer.
The girl spoke with eyes full of determination, as if she had never been about to cry.
“It’s not too late yet. And I’m confident.”
What on earth was she trusting to be so overflowing with confidence…
‘If we somehow do it… will it work? It doesn’t seem like we’ll actually be able to find the culprit anyway. Should I just play along? No, still, there is a method that could be useful even in that situation, on a one in a million chance… but do I need to take on that kind of risk? It’s true that I lived thanks to Chainsaw Man, but…’
My mind was a mess.
Thanks to that, the advice I heard a while ago came to mind.
[If there is what needed to be done, do it. Do it with all your might. Excuses are useless…]
Ah, of all things, the advice of that cultist derelict monk is what comes to mind at this moment?
Shaking my head, I said.
“Alright. For now… let’s hear the stance first.”
“Does that mean?”
A voice full of anticipation, sparkling eyes. I smiled bitterly and said.
It would be a decision I’d regret for a long time… but I had to do what needed to be done. Just like someone said.
Even if I couldn’t be confident that I would definitely accomplish Chainsaw Man’s revenge, I could at least look into the story behind his death with her, couldn’t I?
“Yeah. It means I’ll help you.”
The reaction that followed was that of an ordinary high school girl, unlike before.
“Kyaa! Oppa! Thank you!”
A bold display of physical affection as she hugged me while letting out a bizarre, metallic squeal. I clicked my tongue in disbelief.
Look at her changing how she addresses me the moment I say I’ll help, this shrewd derogatory term for woman.
Anyway, it’s a terrible world.
* * *
The murder scene was Chainsaw Man’s Stealth, a multi-person room in a high-end condominium in the Upper Levels known for having pretty decent security.
Riiing-
Superhuman
“Is someone inside?”
“Yes. You can only enter with permission. Normally, I can go in as I please, but since I have a companion right now, the system probably won’t allow it.”
Hearing things like that, the security definitely seemed thorough… To think he was murdered even while staying in a place like this. I suddenly felt a slight chill.
‘Is this going to be okay.’
After waiting a moment, the door opened automatically with a somewhat eerie creaking sound.
Upon stepping inside, a man with a haggard appearance was standing in the entrance, holding a saw, glaring at us with bloodshot eyes as if he were about to attack at any moment.
“…!”