Chapter 23:
Negotiator and Helping Hand from Behind
A RIVER OF PEOPLE AND WAGONS flowed back and forth through the gray outer walls of Zibil. It was already noontime, so the dense traffic came as no surprise.
Gol and I disembarked from the wagon while Mr. Chotos looked down worriedly from within the canopy.
“Well then, I’ll go talk to Branch Manager Pepperoni now,” I said. “Everyone, wait here.”
“It’s Branch Manager Spero, got it? Will you really be all right, Nemaki? The way you’re talking…it’s making me nervous.”
“Right, Spero. I tried to erase him from my memory, and his stupid name was the first thing to go. I’m good, though. Leave it to me.”
“Oooh, I’m worried…”
Mr. Chotos and I had decided it would be safest for me and Gol to be the ones to deal with the Paisley Company. The witness, Ginem Bari, would accompany us to our discussion, while the remaining three would stay in the wagon parked outside the gates.
The Paisley Company seemed to be comprised of the sort of people who did whatever they wanted, but the Company preferred to maintain the veneer of a proper business. Until now, none of their untoward behavior had been disclosed to the city. Because so many people passed through the main gate, if we parked the wagon nearby, the Company wouldn’t be able to lay a hand on us unless they wanted to put their reputation on the line.
And anyway, I intended to finish this discussion before any new troublesome situations arose.
“Well, I’m off,” I announced.
“Hey, Nemaki,” Mr. Chotos called out and stopped me.
“What’s up?”
“Um, I really think you should let me handle the negotiation…”
“Come on, we’ve discussed this already. If you went to the office, they’d just have some punk knock you out with a single punch. But if Gol and I go, we can safely withdraw even if discussions break down. It can only be us.”
“But—”
“I didn’t really want to say this because it feels rude, but…I’m a foreigner, Mr. Chotos. You, meanwhile, know your way around this city, and you fit right in. That means you’re the one best suited to ensuring the safety of the others, especially if you have to escape and get through the gate. That part has to be you.”
“Ugh, I know.” Mr. Chotos reluctantly backed down, but not before he said, “Please, be careful, Nemaki. Try not to do anything reckless. All we want is mutual noninterference. Don’t go making any extra demands.”
“Ah, yes, yes. I know. I know.” However, I irresponsibly ignored every one of Mr. Chotos’s overprotective-parent warnings.
Then Teru popped her head out of the wagon. “Bye-bye, Mr. Nemaki!”
“Okay! Well, I’m off now.” I smiled and waved at Teru’s farewell before turning.
“Ah, wait, Nemaki! I’m not done!” Mr. Chotos was saying yet another something-something behind me, but I didn’t care.
Accompanied by Gol and the prisoner, Ginem Bari, I strode to the outer gate. Ginem’s hands were lightly restrained with a rope that had been in the wagon. With Gol on alert, any further restraint was unnecessary. He seemed to have resigned himself to capture, and had been obedient the whole ride back, neither struggling nor resisting once inside the wagon.
Now, he trudged behind me, shoulders drooped. After his jester golem partners were beaten, he had gone quiet and meek.
But again, I couldn’t say I didn’t understand how he was feeling. If our positions were switched and I was marched into Zibil by the clown brigade without Gol, I wouldn’t feel up to resisting, either. That is to say, I deeply sympathized with Ginem Bari.
We slipped between the wagons lined in front of the gate and arrived at the other side. For some reason, at this point, the thus-far-obedient Ginem Bari burst into tears of protest.
“N-no, I really can’t…! I failed my job. There’s no way I can show my face at the Company. Please don’t make me!”
I understood this, too. If I were in his shoes, I definitely wouldn’t want to venture into the Paisley Company’s branch office. I would’ve tried to run with everything I had.
However, he was a critical eyewitness. I needed him to come with us. “Please don’t be so unreasonable, Ginem. Your testimony is indispensable.”
But Ginem Bari planted himself on the ground and refused to move. He was just like a child throwing a tantrum in front of a toy store.
I was at a loss. I couldn’t do something violent like forcibly drag him along. In the first place, I didn’t have the physical strength. Ginem Bari was a fully grown adult; there was no way I could carry him around like a baby.
Wait. Carrying a baby? Hm. Gol was powerful and good at carrying. If I asked, my partner would kindly carry Ginem in a warm embrace overflowing with love. Case in point: This experienced fellow right here (me) had embarrassingly been carried in this way numerous times already.
“Hey, Gol. I’m really sorry to ask you, but do you think you can carry Ginem to the Company for me?” I asked Gol. I believed in her ability to handle our precious cargo with care.
Gol, the goddess of love with the compassion of a saint, slowly walked over to Ginem, who was whining like a child on the street. I was relieved to see her comply and turned back to the main gate.
All right, the real battle starts now.
✦ ✦ ✦
We didn’t have any particular trouble passing through the city’s main gate. In fact, I would say we entered without any problems. When I approached, the gatekeepers moved aside, opening the road for us.
The first time we’d come to Zibil, we needed to pay money to procure entrance. Was there a different procedure for entering on foot versus in a wagon? Well, that did sound possible. Perhaps there was a special city tax for vehicles. Or maybe there was a tax on load. I couldn’t help wondering about it as we passed through the gate. The officials and gatekeepers all looked oddly pale.
In any case, once we entered the city, there wouldn’t be any obstacles between us and the Paisley Company. We’d reach the building in no time.
Moments ago, Ginem Bari had been making a racket, but it seemed he had quieted down. No doubt Gol’s gentle embrace had made his childish heart calm, like a boy in his mother’s arms. I believed wholeheartedly in my partner’s carrying technique, so there was no need for me to turn around and check. That confidence just went to show how much trust I had in her and our relationship.
As we approached the Paisley Company building, the number of people on the cobblestone streets increased.
“There sure are a lot of folks out and about…” I murmured.
It was getting kind of hectic, to be honest. At first, I chalked it up to the time of day, but that didn’t seem quite correct. The lines of people on both sides of the road continued to grow. What a strange feeling. There were even people watching from the windows of their homes. Was a festival parade coming through here later or something? Or perhaps there was a marathon? That was how it felt. Maybe if we finished negotiations quickly, we could go watch with everyone. Teru would be delighted.
“Wh-what’s this…? Public humiliation? That shrine golem has that man by the head!”
“Could that bloodied fellow actually be the Four Jester Wielder Ginem Bari…?”
“Did he somehow lose a golem battle?”
“How awful. Not only did they beat his face in, his fingers are horribly broken. What cruel tortures was he subjected to?”
The lines of people chattered noisily amongst themselves.
Honestly, I wasn’t concerned with they said. To be blunt, I didn’t have the mental capacity to pay attention. I was actually terribly nervous about my grim responsibility in this upcoming discussion.