Part 2
ー[Ruby Cave], Underground bathhouse
While Izayoi and the Demon King of Confusion were playing their game of tag in the accommodation sector of the cityー
The five young boys and girls in the Konyokuburo[45] were now in the midst of soaking in the sentō[46] with their bodies covered, after accepting the strong request from Jin and Percher to ‘cover all the portions that should be covered’.
Perhaps it was something along their younger days or maybe it was due to the environment that they grew up in, Jin whose sense of shame had grown with the years and Percher who wasn’t that loose with her rules to allow her naked skin to be shown, they had both reached a consensus for once on this matter.
“……It might sound strange coming from me, but that sure is a complicated relation between master and servant.”
“Stop making a fuzz. If you have an opinion about it, then get out.”
Percher sat at the ledge of the sentō’s pool while crossing her legs. Although this angle seemed a little dangerous, but the parts to be covered were properly covered. The snowy skin with those slender limbs were enough to allow others to imagine her beauty in a few years’ time. Unfortunately, this group of five weren't old enough to understand such a wondrous thought.
Deliberately clearing his throat, Jin asked Sandra:
“Right. Sandra, what was the matter that you wanted to investigate? Does it have anything to do with those two?”
“Hm. I guess we should let them introduce themselves first.”
Sandra gave them a look while giving them the cue.
Rin and His Highness nodded together.
“We are from a Trader’s Community. I’m Rin and this is His Highness.”
“Usually in such a situation, we should say the name of our Community…… But, regrettably, due to the rule of our Community, we cannot tell it to others.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Um. To be honest, we actually specialize in the trading of very dangerous goods. So we only practice the tradition of accepting customers who know of our Community’s name. If Jin wants to know more about us, we hope that you will be able to find out the name of our Community on your own.”
“Oh, I see.” Jin expressed his agreement while feeling a little impressed.
At the same time, Percher was also impressed.
(I see. When put in that way, there wouldn’t be a pressure to say out their Community’s name. The intimate nickname of [His Highness] would also be mistaken as a cover-up for the real name.)
What a formidable move.
Although the aim of the duo had not been figured out yet, Percher felt that this might just be part of their pretense.
“It’s been two years since we met Sandra-chan. It should be the time when there was an internal struggle in the Community to become the successor. It was also the time that [Salamandra] fell to the Five digits right?”
“Yes, you’re right on that. Due to a departure of the successor of choice, Sala, it caused quite an uproar and confusion then. Our community also provided mercenary services and the ones who were dispatched were us.”
“Eh?” Jin couldn’t help but give a small cry in surprise. But that was only to be expected.
The two before him looked only just a little into the early double digit ages, that started with ten. Assuming that they were of the same age as Jin, which is eleven years old, and that they had participated in the internal struggle two years ago, a simple calculation would have told as much that they would have been nine years old or so at that time.
“You guys had already started to participate in Gift Games then?”
“Yep…… This shouldn’t be too strange, right? In the world of Little Garden, not participating in Gift Games would be the end of our survival right?”
“Although it wasn’t pleasant, but it would have been more difficult to survive without engaging in a battle. The Gift Games hosted in the City were all filled with a thick hue of proxy wars.[47] There were economical wars, war on logistics and even those based on religion. As long as one was recognized as a possessor of strength, that sufficed to make a contribution to the Community, age did not matter when it came to the choosing of combat strength for Gift Games.”
The duo had said their thoughts on the matter quite fluently and Jin nodded his head, seeming to sympathize with their situation and thoughts.
“Could it be that you two had already started to participate in Games even earlier than that?”
“Nope. Our first Game was two years ago.”
“……is that so? That’s great.”
“ “?” ”
Rin and His Highness exchanged a look while cocking their heads to one side.
But Jin ignored their small actions and returned back to the topic.
“Then for you two to be here, I take it that Sandra has hired you guys?”
“That’s right. As for the summary of the events……hearing it from Sandra-chan might be faster right?”
“Mhm.”
Seeing Rin’s look towards her direction, Sandra nodded her head in assent.
“There has been a series of child disappearance occurring in [Kouen City] recently.”
“Disappearance of children?”
Jin repeated her words in surprise. For these sort of cases did not warrant the need for the [Floor Master], Sandra herself, to make a move. Moreover, such cases of disappearance were quite common in the North Side territories.
Sandra might have picked up on Jin’s thoughts as she quickly shook her head to continue her explanation:
“Yes, I know what’s going through your mind now and what you want to say but this serial crime has a high possibility to be the doing of a Demon or Ghost type being and I would say that I’m almost 80-90% certain that……this is a type of ‘Kamikakushi’.”
“Then it should be left to the professional organizations. [Salamandra] also has those right?”
“Of course. They are truly professionals who would have resolved normal disappearances with ease……But the situation this time is different. They are unable to figure out the rules of this ‘Kamikakushi’.”
The roundabout way of explaining caused Jin to be more doubtfulーBut at the instant that he heard the word of ‘rules’, he took a sharp breath.
To have the word ‘rules’, it would mean that it was part of a ‘Game’.
When it came to a Game that required a [Floor Master] to take action, it would then leave only one possibility in mind.
“Could it be that……this is a ‘Kamikakushi’ that is related to a Demon Lord?”
“Mhm. Though it is not confirmed, but if it could be resolved earlier, we might still be able to prevent any major losses.”
Jin nodded in assent. If there’s a possibility that the series of disappearance were related to a Demon Lord, it would then be an urgent matter that should not be left alone. Especially when it comes to the ‘Kamikakushi’ of Demon Lords, for its often accompanied with a strong curse or power that is able to dominate others.
The Game that Percher had hosted previously, [The PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN] had also been a Game that imitated the legend of ‘Kamikakushi’s.
Jin looked towards Percher as he asked.
“Percher, the game of [Piper of Hamelin] had also been one that used the subject of ‘Kamikakushi’s. Do you have any clue on this one?”
Percher frowned as she started to ponder.
“……Have you found the [Geass Roll] yet?”
“Nope. But there were a few characters left at the scene.”
“Characters? What are they?”
Just as the question ended, Sandra had already written the three lines of characters in the air with her flames.
游手好闲
虚度光阴
一事无成
Percher had read the words aloud all in a breath but she tilted her head while making an expression of being unable to grasp the meaning.
“……Jin, what does that mean?”
“That……In a nutshellーit means ‘lazing around throughout the days and not being able to accomplish anything at all’. And all the three phrases refer to the same thing. Well, are those all the clues we have?”
“No, there’s still one more. There’s also a “混”character written on the wall of the crime scenes.”
Rin scratched her head while recalling, and she added:
“This “混”character is the bottleneck to narrow our search. It’s said that there’s a similar challenge letter being sent to the Conference of [Floor Master]s.”
“A letter of Challenge?”
“Mhm. Due to the rude contents in the letter, I will just summarize it. It mainly talks about wanting to attack [Floor Master]s.”
Jin frowned.
That sort of arrogance to target a [Floor Master] is definitely the style of Demon Lords.
“I see…… that means to say, the letter might be a warning before the Demon Lord’s attack.”
“Well, only Demon Lords would specifically choose [Floor Master]s to launch their attacks.”
Jin crossed his arms and nodded his head as he digested the information given to him from the two of them.
“Hm, let’s tidy up all the information that we have at the moment:
One, The disappearance of children had been a serial incident.
Two, There has been message-like characters of ‘游手好闲’, ‘虚度光阴’ and ‘一事无成’ left behind at the scene of the crime.
Three, Similarly at the scene of the crime, there’s a mysterious message of a “混”character written on the wall.
Four, The warning letter to the imminent attack on the [Floor Master]s had also been marked with a “混”character.
Is that all?”
“Mhm.” Sandra nodded her head.
Listening up to that point, Percher who sat by the said felt a growing sense of foreboding. The reason need not be said. After all, the ones who were the masterminds behind the previous Demon Lord attacks were just sitting before her taking a leisurely soak in the pool.
The culprit of this case was highly probable to be those two as well.
(……Seriously, what could they be up to now?)
Percher slid her eyes over to look at Rin and His Highness from the corner of her eyes. Those two were leisurely soaking in the pool while watching the progress of the situation. That was definitely a calmness that came from the huge power gap.
The problem was that though they were calm, they had yet to reveal a gap of vulnerability to be exploited.
Be it escape or a battle, it would be a different matter altogether if one were to make the first move to decide the victory or defeat. But the fact was that these two people did not allow a chink in their armor to appear for even a moment.
(…….Forget it, if luck’s on our side, we might be able to meet that freak rabbit or freak guy on the streets.)
Percher sank her body into the pool as she tried the optimistic approach.
In other words, she had given up on herself.
Forming her hands into a water gun, she squirted hot water on Jin’s face while giving a sidelong glance at Sandra:
“Come to think about it, was that letter warning of an attack really sent by a demon lord? If it were like the previous attacks where they tried to attack only one [Floor Master] of each area, it would be understandable. But this is going to be the Convention where all the [Floor Master]'s are to gather, don’t you think there might be another reason for the threat?”
“Another reason?”
“Yes. For example, the person might be targeting the precious Gifts displayed in this [Kouen City] and the [Tablet of the Sea of Stars]. Perhaps it’s a feint to say that they will attack the [Floor Master] when they actually want to achieve something else?”
Realizing that Percher’s conjecture had a point as well, Sandra sank into a pensive silence.
“The warning of the attack is just a feint while it’s actually for another purpose? But we do not have such an important item……”
“Well… there’s one.”
Three pairs of eyes turned to Rin instantly.
Rin who had initially been silent smiled sweetly as she placed her hands on her chest.[48]
“There’s a Demon Lord that is sealed and hibernating within [Kouen City]. And it’s not just any normal Demon Lord. It’s the Demon Lord who only required just a quarter of an hour to destroy the [Highborn of Little Garden]’s City, and can even fight on par with the Juniten.”
Hearing the words that didn’t match up to her sweet smiling face, Jin and Percher couldn’t help but hold their breaths.
“Destroying the [Highborn's of Little Garden]…… Could it be referring to the hometown of Kuro Usagi?”
“And isn’t Juniten the strongest warrior Gods? It’s difficult to believe that such a large Demon lord, that can actually fight on par with them, is sleeping within this City……”
The both of them looked to Sandra as they voiced their surprise.
Sandra nodded her head slightly as she was placed in an awkward position.
“Well… Act… Actually I’ve only first heard of it after becoming the [Floor Master]. It’s just that my father told me that it’s the highest order of secrets that cannot be mentioned to anyone….. Rin, how did you know about it?”
“Of course it’s the rumors of the commercial world. It’s said that word spreads in a scary manner right? This was one of those rumors with a low level of credibility. A Demon Lord that is of the Juniten level would definitely be of the strongest species. And no one would have believed in the rumors that such a monster would be sealed within the city, am I right?”
Rin smiled as she dodged the question.
Sandra’s expression was still unconvinced and worried but it soon became pensive as she gave it some serious thought.
“……shouldn’t be a problem right? The key to the seal had disappeared since three years ago.”
“Key?”
“No, nothingーCompared to that, the words just now cannot be leaked out. Regarding those rumors, I will use my Authority as a Master to issue a gag order on it. Such information must not be leaked no matter what. I think you should know it well that leaking out such information would be punishable. Especially Jin and Your Highness, being the representatives of your Communities, you must be especially mindful.”
The two of them nodded at the same time. Percher who knew that His Highness was one of the Demon Lord Alliance members was now experiencing a turmoil in her heart, but she could not say it out. So she could only quietly continue to squirt her water gun at Jin.
Jin who had ignored her all this while finally pressed down on Percher’s hand to stop her.
“Percher, is it really fun to do that?”
“Seeing how troubled you become, it’s indeed interesting.”
“Yeah, I knew it. Haiz……” Jin gave a sigh and Percher used the opportunity to squirt another shot into his mouth.
……Seems like she’s really happy. Though the person in question might not have noticed it, but every time that she squirted a shot of water, the edges of her lips would slightly curve upwards.
Jin coughed a little before standing up to summarize the conversation earlier:
“Anyways, I’ve understood the situation. We will start by searching for the ‘Kamikakushi’ and if we find something, we will then call upon the military police of [Salamandra] for support. Is that alright with you?”
“You said search…… could it be that you’ve some idea on the culprit?”
“Mhm. Ah, but there’s a possibility that I’m wrong. Can’t say that I’m absolutely certain……”
Jin seemed to have come upon something to start on, but he shut his mouth due to his lack of confidence. Seeing his hesitation, His Highness reproached him:
“Jin, I cannot agree with that kind of attitude of yours. It will only cause more trouble for the people around you. Being the leader of the Community, you should clearly express your thoughts.”
His golden eyes shone with a light that seemed to denounce Jin’s behavior. Those were words that only His Highness had the right to say for he too was a leader of a Community.
Jin clapped his cheeks in self-reflection before urging everyone to leave the pool.
“We will first get outside and confirm the scene of the crime. Then we will arrange to make an appointment with Kouryuu-san to meet up with him tomorrow.”
“Kouryuu……Saurian Demon King?”
Percher asked in surprise.
Jin seemed to shut his mouth in his lack of confidence, but recalling the words of His Highness, he straightened his back to announce:
“I believe that the enemy’s target isn’t the [Floor Master]sーbut Kouryuu-san who has become the acting Master.”
“……What?”
“ ‘游手好闲’, ‘虚度光阴’, ‘一事无成’. These Chinese idioms mean the same thing: ‘lazing around throughout the days and not being able to accomplish anything at all’. If all those weren’t related to the techniques of the culprit but a message left behind for a [Floor Master], the only one that would fit the conditions to be insulted would be Kouryuu-san who has been termed as a ‘Floating withered log’. Wouldn’t this message then be a protest to his ascension to the acting [Floor Master]?”
“In… Indeed. It really fits in well in a logical sense……”
“Wow , that’s amazing, really amazing! Jin has the qualifications to become a Game creator!”
Sandra and Rin clapped their hands happily.
But Percher who was sitting aside was looking at Rin in surprise. If this were a trap laid down by them, Jin’s conjecture would have been an obstacle to them.
(Could it be that this is just to mislead……)
Rin is one of the Game creators of the Demon Lord Alliance. She would not create a Game that would run contrary to her wishes and there must be some kind of catch to this.
But Percher’s anxiety was uncalled for as Jin had already crawled out of the pool to start in the direction of his plan.
“The earliest time for Kouryuu-san to arrive at [Kouen City] would be tomorrow morning. And before that, let’s go have a look at the crime scenes and poke around. Sandra, do you know where are the crime scenes?”
“Of course”, Sandra said as she too got up from the pool to point towards the direction of the crime scene.
“The first ‘Kamikakushi’ occurred at the [Tablet of Sea of Stars]ー the place where the <Duel of Creators> is hosted.”
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