The guard was over fifty years old, all his children were married, and he even had grandchildren. He was set up to enjoy his final days with his wife in peace.
It would’ve been a different story if he were a soldier. Death on duty was a risk that every enlisted soldier was prepared for. A man whose profession involved fighting and killing others had likely come to terms with the fact that he may end up on the losing side.
That was why Mitsuha didn’t feel much conflict over killing enemy soldiers at war. She did her best to avoid it, but it was, at times, a necessity to protect her allies and loved ones. Witnessing your comrades die was difficult too, but in war, it was an inevitable fate.
However, this man was a civilian. He was a guard, but his occupation didn’t entail killing thieves and intruders without question, nor would he expect to sacrifice his life for it. A guard was just a regular job, even if it was a little more dangerous than most.
Mitsuha wanted to do what she could for this hero gone too early─that was exactly what he was after risking his life to defend a young woman─and the people he left behind. Both financially and emotionally, they needed to be looked after. That was why Mitsuha gave his wife the certificates signed by Viscountess Yamano and Larusia Trading, the gemstone necklace, and the money. The gifts were to honor the deceased. To bring pride, some financial stability, and peace of mind to the bereaved family.
Mitsuha offered the next words for the same purpose:
“I heard something interesting once. There are apparently people out there who vanquish evildoers for a small price on behalf of the bereaved who couldn’t. I also heard that they’re running a special campaign this week and accepting jobs for only one gold coin…”
The wife’s eyes, sullen with misery, glinted. She now seemed to understand why she was given an odd number of three hundred and one gold coins.
She reached into her bag, pulled out a coin, and quietly slid it toward Mitsuha.
“Please…”
Just the response I was looking for.
The criminal’s fate was decided before she gave me the money. But this will let her feel like she got revenge for her husband. Hopefully she’ll now be able to grieve healthily and enjoy her days with her children and grandchildren. Without being twisted by hatred and resentment…
There’s no guarantee of that, of course. Humans don’t get over losses like this so easily. But if it helps bring her even a little peace…
Money can’t heal the heart, I know. As someone who lost her entire family at once, I understand that better than anyone.
Mitsuha returned to Larusia Trading and told the young shop owner about her visit to the deceased guard’s wife.
“Wh?! You gave her a gem and three hundred and one gold coins?! What the hell were you thinking?! Are you stu─oh, s-s-sorry!” Larusia apologized frantically, realizing that it was no way to talk to her boss.
I don’t get mad at people for scolding me if I do something stupid. If anything, I should be thanking her.
“But if you give out gems and gold like candy to employees and guards every time something like this happens, we’ll go out of business! Imagine how much it would cost us if a carriage full of goods was destroyed. And it’ll only be a matter of time before…” Larusia trailed off.
Yeah, I know what you’re about to say.
“Before someone pretends to be a victim of a staged attack?” Mitsuha finished.
“Huh? You thought of that possibility and you still…?”
I know what I did. I’m not that dumb.
“This is the only time I’ll ever give someone condolence money,” reassured Mitsuha. “I wanted to make a display that the Entrepreneur Girl International Network partner stores can survive any attack without going out of business or surrendering their trade source. Nor would the employees quit or betray them. Your guards will stick around too after seeing that the family of their deceased coworker are being looked after. This was a performance, and one I won’t ever put on again.
“I hardly think I’ll need to once people learn the fate of the thugs who attacked your company. Not in this country, at least.”
The exasperation on Larusia’s face quickly disappeared. She looked at Mitsuha with resolve.
Yup, I chose this girl for a reason.
“And by ‘fate,’ do you mean…?” said Larusia.
“Yep. It’s time to show the public what happens when someone dares to hurt one of my friends and kill her associate. It’s time to unleash…the wrath of the Yamano Clan.”
This isn’t Japan. It’s not even Earth. That means I need to play by this world’s rules. While following my own rules. If my opponent is going to break all of them and play only by their rules─which is “Do whatever you want as long as you don’t get caught”─then I’ll be happy to go along with their rules. They can hardly complain about that.
Even I wouldn’t mount an attack against a suspect without proper proof, though. I didn’t act until I found the stolen goods hidden in the warehouse of the company that burglarized Lephilia Trading. I’ll wait to make my move this time too, no matter how sure I am of the prime suspect.
There’s only one company that relentlessly pestered Larusia to give up her trade source, tried to force her into a marriage with one of its clerks, and headhunted her employees after the attack. That’s pretty damning, but there were apparently other companies that were nagging her in one way or another.
Anyway, I’ll have to gather evidence. It doesn’t need to be admissible in a court of law; it just needs to be good enough for me to confirm the culprit.
The authorities and the nobility of this country are going to side with the crook. That means only I can bring him to justice.
I, the Jury.
On that note, let’s do this.
Night camouflage leotard, check!
Head-mounted night vision goggles, check!
Miniature voice recorder, check!
The voice recorder had four hundred hours of storage, an auto-record feature that started recording when it detected a voice, and a standby life of three hundred days. All that for only fifty bucks. I bought ten of ’em.
Listening devices that sent radio waves─commonly known as bugs─had a short battery life and had to be monitored from nearby at all times. Juggling multiple of them at once was a challenge, too. That was why Mitsuha went with a bundle of spy recorders instead. Bugs were only good if you had an outlet to give them a semi-permanent power source. But never mind the rambling. I haven’t picked up a Radio Life magazine since my brother passed away…
The bottom line is that recorders were better for this job. It wouldn’t matter if someone discovered one; nobody from this world would know what they were by looking at it, and Mitsuha could jump them all away in an instant. She’d have to physically enter the store to plant them, but she had no need to do that to retrieve them.
Okay, it’s about time…
Mitsuha, teleportation!
Late that night, Mitsuha teleported─er, jumped─to the store of Enoba Company. To say they were the prime suspect was an understatement; this company was so far and away the most likely culprit that Mitsuha couldn’t imagine it being anyone else. In sports-betting terms, the odds would be 1.1 or possibly even 1.0, which meant you wouldn’t be making any money on a winning bet.
She jumped near the store rather than directly inside it. It was highly unlikely anyone would be walking the streets at night and seeing her, especially given the absence of streetlights. She could just immediately jump away if anyone did.
Mitsuha made sure the lights were out in the shop─which she’d visited as a customer during the day─and jumped inside. All the expensive products had been cleared off the shelves and put away, so there were no guards in the store. They were stationed at the storehouse, the high-security storage room where the luxury goods were kept, the safe room, and the living quarters where the company owner’s family slept.
There were obviously no infrared sensors, cameras, or alarms, and there probably weren’t wooden clappers either. Even if the guards were alerted somehow, Mitsuha could jump away in a snap and they’d shrug it off as a mouse or something.
The only reason I can be so casual about infiltrating enemy territory is because of the peace of mind I get from knowing I can jump to my Japanese house at any moment. It’s a flawless escape method. Without my world-jumping ability, I’d just be an ordinary, helpless girl who couldn’t even beat Colette in a fight…
Mitsuha didn’t bother to hide a voice recorder on the sales floor. It would take a special kind of stupid to talk about secrets there.