The Black Sky Pirate Laughs Beneath the Moon. The Crimson Mage Howls at the Stars (15)

"It's taking too long... Two whole days have passed without any word from her. That's pretty strange, isn't it?"

"It's taking too long... Two whole days have passed without any payment. That's pretty strange, isn't it?"

Muge-san and I said that at the same time.

This was a warehouse belonging to Muge-san's trading company, and we were staying there. The beds were nothing more than iron-pipe frames covered with straw, making them extremely spartan, but for an adventurer, simply having a bed was a blessing. It even had a door that could be locked, so we couldn't have asked for better treatment.

There were times when I missed the beds at Count Suilies's mansion, though.

"Um... Reiji-kun's is about hearing from Rurusha-san, and Muge-san's is about payment for the Automaton, right?"

"Yes."

We said it in unison again.

There were only three of us here: Muge-san, Mimino-san, and me.

Dantes-san and Non-san had gone out, saying they'd wander around the city if there was no labyrinth expedition, while Zelly-san was sleeping in the next room. Apparently, Zelly-san had gone to a gambling house somewhere in the Empire last night, but... Muge-san had tilted his head and said, "There aren't any gambling dens, though?" That part was puzzling.

Anyway, they were probably off somewhere disreputable. I was sure of it.

That aside,

"I understand reporting on the labyrinth expedition and arranging treatment for the wounded, but it's already the third day. I wonder what happened... Did they forget?"

"Well~. Who knows? We're the ones who saved their lives, after all. I don't think they'd brush us off."

"...Muge-san. Is there a way to contact the Labyrinth Strategy Division?"

"Of course. Shall we go and see?"

"By all means."

I understood that Rurusha-san was busy, but I'd come all this way, too. I wanted to meet her and talk as soon as possible.

"What about you, Muge-san? Shall we go to the trading company that bought it?"

"The Labyrinth Management Bureau—the organization that houses the Labyrinth Strategy Division, that is. Once I escort you to that building, I'll head to the trading company myself."

"But a thousand Imperial gold coins is a huge sum. Could this end with them saying they can't pay right away or something?"

"Nah~. The company that won the bid is an up-and-coming trading company that's been growing, so I don't think they're short on money! The fact that they followed the Fourth Section instead of aiming for the First was part of their strategy, too, I reckon."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's discuss that while we walk. Time is money, time is money."

Muge-san gulped down a glass of water and stood up.

So this world had a saying like "time is money," too.

According to Muge-san, established firms and major trading companies had all wanted to accompany the First through Third Sections of the Labyrinth Strategy Division, while the Fourth Section, led by Rurusha-san, who was half-Human, was unpopular. Conversely, that meant the Fourth Section had few rivals, so if we acquired rare loot—an Automaton—we'd have a better chance of securing it.

"We did end up finding something worth paying a thousand gold coins for, after all."

Muge-san said it as though it were someone else's concern, but

"Um, Muge-san? I'm starting to get the feeling that trading company isn't going to pay us."

"You mean Rororo Trading Company?"

Rororo Trading Company was quite a name. Written in Japanese, you couldn't tell whether it was the katakana character for ro, the character for mouth, or the symbol for a square.

"There were other trading companies there. If they refused to pay here, it would disgrace the entire merchant profession. I don't think you need to worry."

"You... think so?"

"Ah, the Labyrinth Management Bureau is over there."

We'd left Cat-chan behind, so the three of us were walking along at an easy pace.

The sunlight beating down on us was intense. The Lef people all wore light-colored hoods, white or sand-colored, to shield themselves from the sun.

The darkish building we reached was a plain, square structure with no character whatsoever. It had an unmistakable "government office" feel.

A sign reading "Labyrinth Management Bureau" hung above the main entrance.

"Then I'll head to Rororo Trading Company. If they need someone to verify your identities, give them my name."

"Thank you."

Muge-san waved and went on his way.

Mimino-san and I entered the Labyrinth Management Bureau. The inside of the building was cool, either because it was in the shade or because it had something like air conditioning.

Two guards approached us, wearing body protectors, with batons at their waists and short metal spears in their right hands. When I told them that I wanted to meet Rurusha-san and had an appointment with her, they exchanged glances.

"We'll check with our superiors, so wait over there."

They pointed to a space with only ten chairs, far too small to call a reception lobby for visitors. There were no potted plants or paintings, just a truly bleak area—as if it were a detention cell.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, and outside I could see Lef people hurrying back and forth.

The Lef people really did work hard. They walked quickly and worked from morning until night. Perhaps the Lef temperament was also part of the reason Muge-san had said there were no gambling dens.

"...Hey, Reiji-kun. Was it really all right for me to come along to meet Rurusha-san?"

As I wondered why the guards were taking so long to return, Mimino-san asked me that.

"It's no problem at all. Rurusha-san is just the grandchild of someone who once helped me."

"Huh!? Really?"

"Ah... I never told you?"

Come to think of it, I don't think I had. Actually, everyone in Silver Scales was too kind to ask about my time in the mines. So I never got around to telling them about Old Man Hinga... Wait, wait, wait. Did that mean everyone had come all this way just because I said, "I want to meet someone named Rurusha," without knowing anything about the circumstances?

(They were hopelessly kindhearted fools.)

I'd messed up. They trusted me this much, yet perhaps I'd been carried away by how happy I was to become a member of Silver Scales and how much fun it was traveling with everyone.

I'll tell Dantes-san and Non-san when we get back.

"Back when I was in the mines, there was someone who taught me all sorts of things about the world. Rurusha-san is that person's grandchild."

"I see... I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to pry—"

"N-no, Mimino-san, I don't think this counts as prying. And as for my time in the mines... it wasn't exactly a pleasant memory, but I would have died if I hadn't gone there."

If I hadn't sold myself, my parents would have killed me. All because my hair and eyes were black.

Mimino-san looked startled, but I deliberately kept my tone bright and said,

"That was in the past. I'm happy now, adventuring with you and everyone else, so none of it troubles me anymore."

I said.

After that, I told Mimino-san about Old Man Hinga and all the things I'd learned from him in the mines. Mimino-san nodded along, occasionally looking surprised when the subject turned to medicinal herbs and saying, "So he really knew that much, huh?" Even for Mimino-san, a halfling herbalist and expert, Old Man Hinga's knowledge seemed exceptional.

We talked until we lost track of time, but then I suddenly heard a strange sound and stopped talking.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Reiji-kun? Come to think of it, the guards are taking a long time to return."

"Mimino-san."

Even without my enhanced hearing, anyone could have noticed that the people walking outside were gone.

The pedestrians outside the window had disappeared.

And no one was entering or leaving the building, either.

I strained my ears. Faintly, I could hear several metallic scraping sounds.

"It seems this entire building has been surrounded by an armed group. I hate to think it, but there's a good chance we're their target."

We'd only come to meet Rurusha-san. What in the world was going on?