.SECRET TALK

Riku had never seen a bar as clean as that.

When she followed after Vrusto inside the shop, Riku became slightly surprised.

Riku thought that bars were the same anywhere. At the time she was at the Dragon Demon division, being convinced by Vrusto, she had went into a bar at the outskirts of the business district. Because of that, her image of a bar became of a sultry, noisy and sweat stinking place.

However, the bar at the demon capital was different.

In there, it was a quiet and dimly dark place that illuminated by a big lamp. Of course there was the smell of alcohol, but it wasn´t to the point that it hindered the breathing.

“…Welcome.”

The old man who was sitting at the corner of the shop slowly stood up. It seemed that he was a waiter at the shop.

Taking out the introductory letter of the Gortoberuk house from her breast pocket, Riku gave it to the waiter. Giving a slight glance at the letter, the waiter gave a deep nod.

“Riku Barusak-sama, correct? I have been informed by Edgar-sama. Please, this way.”

With gestures full of etiquette, the old man guided them through the shop.

The two of them were lead to a place where there had many small rooms lined up next to one another that looked like caves. However, there were no signs that there was anyone in any of the rooms. Opening up the bamboo mat that was at the entrance, it could be seen that a table and chairs were already prepared there. Perhaps it was because they were told in advance about the time she would arrive. On the polished table, there were simple snacks and drinks laying there. (TL note: Does anyone know what ->土洞<- is? I couldn´t find anything on google, and looking at it individually, it would be literally earth caves (caves made of earth?), but it feels kind of weird for it to be it.)

“As to be expected of the bar managed by the Gortoberuk house. So fancy.”

Vrusto let out a whistle.

Nodding to Vrusto´s words, Riku turned her eyes back to the waiter.

“After that, another person will be coming. Please, let that person enter in that room.”

With Riku vaguely pointing to the room at the right, the waiter politely acknowledged, saying “Certainly”. And then, he quietly left.

“…I will leave the rest to you, second lieutenant Vrusto”

“Yes, yes.”

While rotating his shoulder, Vrusto went into the room at the right side.

As to confirm the room, Riku went under the bamboo mat of the room of the left side. The table of the room too had water and a light meal made of some sort of beans prepared. While wondering whether this would also be included in the payment, Riku held the glass laying there. It seemed like the water had been recently refrigerated; the surface of the glass had many water drops stuck onto it.

“…Cold.”

The demon capital was covered by mist for the whole year, but even so, it was as humid as when it was summer.

The well refrigerated water moistened Riku´s throat. While she had been enjoying the water, Riku noticed someone´s footsteps. Stopping her movement, Riku focused all her senses onto her ears.

Step by step, someone was approaching. There were two different sounds of footsteps.

“Please, this way.”

Riku heard the voice of that waiter from a bit ago.

In the end, one of the footsteps were of the waiter. Since that was the case, it makes it inevitable that the other footsteps were of a [client].

“Thank you-nya.”

Thanking the waiter, this certain client went under the bamboo mat. At that same time, Riku heard the sound of Vrusto standing up at the neighboring room at the right side.

“It has been a long time, Mei.”

“Vrusto-ani, you are still the same-nya.”

Considering only the words that were being used, perhaps one might make an assumption that this would become a heartwarming conversation.

However, reality was different. There were no feelings put into neither Vrusto´s nor Mei´s voices. It seemed that it was the truth they weren´t in good terms.

“For you to suddenly call me, what is it-nya?”

“What, although it was due to work, I came to the demon capital. Since I came here anyway, I thought about having a look at my little sister´s face.”

The sound of the chair being dragged was heard.

“…Even though you abandoned the heirship to the Asuteroid house, only now are you acting like a brother-nya?”

Mei´s tone of voice went down by one level.

However, as if not caring about this, Vrusto said.

“Stupid. I didn´t abandon it or anything. To begin with, it was me that was at the bottom of the succession line. Now, sit down already.”

“…Well, since this is a bar famed for being good, I can tolerate your brother-like acting for today.”

In place of the aggressiveness from a few seconds ago, Mei answered with a bright and innocent tone of voice. Her voice when she was making her order of some kind of food seemed to be somewhat happy. While carrying the bean like food to inside her mouth, Riku concentrated all her nerves onto the conversation that was happening at the room next to her. Without stop, their conversation continued for some time. However, this went on only for about an hour.

“Now that I think about it, isn´t Vrusto-ani close to your boss-nya? You are said to be Riku Barusak´s right hand, you know?”

Right now, for the first time, a topic related to Riku appeared.

“Hm? Yes, it is only a work relationship, you know.”

Vrusto gave the answer that had been planned beforehand.

As if she was satisfied with the answer, Mei made a purring sound.

“Is that true-nya?”

“Stupid. Why would I be lying. Then, what there is about it?”

“Well… Yes, I actually have something I want to discuss with Vrusto-ani.”

Mei lowered down her voice. The mood in the room changed by a bit. The happy mood from a while ago completely changed, and now a silent and cold mood wafted around there. From then on, it would be the main act. Riku swallowed saliva.

“It seems that Riku Barusak is planning on causing a revolution against Charlotte-sama -nya.”

“Haa? Revolution?”

The sound of Vrusto suddenly standing up in a loud manner was heard.

It wasn´t impossible that he didn´t know about those things. To begin with, Riku didn´t tell Vrusto that she was planning on having a rebellion.

The pretext Riku was using to have Vrusto call Mei was that [she wanted to greet Vrusto´s sister].

In that case, why was she secretly eavesdropping them right now? Of course, the truth is that it was for the sake of getting hold of Mei Asuteroid´s weakness, but for the moment, Riku told Vrusto that [it was so that she could surprise his younger sister].

…Riku was doubtful about to what point Vrusto was doing this seriously, though.

“I didn´t hear anything about that, you know?”

“But Keity-san and Fiore-san had said so-nya.”

“…Well, although ojou-chan surely hates the provisional demon lord Charlotte-sama, as to be expected… No, is it… really possible?”

“Didn´t you know-nya?”

Vrusto was confused.

Mei, who had saw this reaction, was perplexed somewhere. She couldn´t have expected that her brother, who is known to be [Riku Barusak´s right hand] by the society, to not know anything about Riku´s plans of revolting.

“Yes, I don´t know. It is the first time I heard about that. What is this about, ojou-chan!?”

Vrusto raised his voice.

Eight or nine out of ten, he was actually asking this to Riku, who was hidden at the room next to theirs, but it seemed that Mei did not perceive it in that way. Lowering down their voice more and more, they continued their conversation as if they were whispering.

“In that case, Vrusto-ani. I… would like to join our hands for this time-nya.”

“Haa? Hands?”

“I would like Vrusto-ani to get hold of Riku´s Barusak weakness-nya. After that, while you are at it, I would like you to track her movements-nya. Then, I would put all of it into a report, and once I present it to Charlotte-sama, us, brother and sister, will get promoted without doubt-nya!!”

Mei let out enticing words.

Vrusto didn´t answer. He only kept silent without even any signs of movement. Once Riku put the last grain in her mouth, she stood up from her seat.

“What will you do, Vrusto-ani?”

“…That… That´s right. What will you do, ojou-chan?”

As if those words were the signal, Riku went through the bamboo mat of the room.

Differently from Riku´s room, the table of this room was crowded with varied cuisines. The ones who were seated around the table was Vrusto, who had his arms crossed in a proud manner, and one more person… A girl that had short brown hair wrapped up by two scrunchies was sitting there. It seemed that the girl… Mei Asuteroid, could not hide her surprise for Riku having suddenly appeared.

“Nya, nya, nyah! Why is Riku Barusak here-nyah!!”

The way Mei was trembling with her eyes wide-open as much as they could be was comical. While leaking out a smile, Riku slowly walked over to Mei.

“I am your brother´s superior. Is there any problems for me to be near my subordinate?”

Mei tried to go through the exit of the small room, but it was a small and narrow room. No matter how much she was a member of the fast-footed messenger squad, without being able to dash out, Mei had her head grasped by Riku.

“More importantly, it seems that a very rude rumor has been spreading. A rumor saying that I am planning on causing a revolt, or something.”

“I-it was the truth! Yo-yo-you criminal!!”

Mei was posing to be strong with all she had, but even so, her fluffy tail was between her legs. Riku could only see all this as a bluff.

“Indeed, I hate Charlotte. However… Isn´t this jumping over conclusions a little too much?”

“S-something like this…”

“For me to be having plans of revolting… Such blasphemy.

Although Riku was thinking of making a revolution, she still didn´t make it public.

“Shut up-nya! Even though you are planning on killing Charlotte-sama!”

“There is no way I would kill her.”

She wanted to add [for the present time] in what she had said, but she decided not to say this. Putting strength in the hand that was holding Mei´s head, Riku approached her mouth near her ears.

“My position is of a major general. You are a first lieutenant.  ….By the military regulations, this would be defamation of a superior officer. The result for that… It was death sentence, wasn´t it, first lieutenant Mei Asuteroid?”

“U-uu.”

On Mei´s eyes, tears were faintly showing up.

Soon enough, it would be the ideal time. While having a snickering smile, Riku sent a signal to Vrusto with her eyes. Picking up the signal, Vrusto shrugged his shoulders.

“…Don´t bully her too much, ojou-chan. One way or another, she is still my little sister.”

Muttering those words as if he was spitting them, Vrusto left the room.

After confirming that Vrusto´s presence had completely vanished, Riku threw Mei deeper into the room. Mei crashed into a chair in a dashing way and crumbled down right at the place. Perhaps, most of Mei´s fighting spirit faded away because of that. Standing up, Mei´s legs trembled as if she was a fawn that had just been born.

However, as if she was still planning on running away, her eyes were looking straight at the exit.

“Now then, there are no hindrances. Now, shall we have a good talk, first lieutenant Mei Asuteroid?”

There was no way Riku would let her new chess piece run away that easily.

Sitting down in front of the exit, Riku looked at Mei with a smile that had no comparison.

“I have a little favor I would like you do.”