“No need to hold back, kill the losers.”
“No, I mean, he’s definitely a dangerous guy, but killing him is a bit much, isn’t it?”
“Just kill him quickly!!!”
“What’s with this guy?”
What’s with this guy.
…Of course, without even listening to the story, it seems like someone who can’t communicate—well, in a sense, someone who seems like they wouldn’t understand, but still, right now I want information no matter what.
So I had Ruan return once, and then I went back to the ramen shop.
“Is he okay, that guy?”
Ruan seemed worried until the end.
He must be a kind adult, and that’s why he shouldn’t be involved in such things.
Anyway, the guy who entered the ramen shop with me silently bought a meal ticket—hey, what are you ordering?
“Well, if we’re going to talk here, ramen is essential. We can’t just get by with cold water if we’re borrowing a part of the shop, can we?”
That’s true, but this guy switches gears quickly.
Anyway, I had no choice but to buy the ramen (old-fashioned) as well.
I handed it to the clerk and took a seat.
“So, who are you?”
“My name? I am Arthur.”
That sounds too much like a real name to be a fake one.
But the name isn’t important, what’s more important is the information I can get from him.
It’s not worth dampening the mood now.
“So, you’re related to the ‘Thirteen Steps,’ aren’t you?”
“No, my affiliation is with the ‘Thirteen Paradises,’ but there seems to be an organization with a similar name.”
“…?”
“…?”
We looked at each other in silence.
“…No, I think that ‘Thirteen Paradises’ is the ‘Thirteen Steps.’”
“…Is that so? There are many things in the world that I don’t understand.”
“…I thought for sure, since you use a cursed sword, that you must be an executive of the ‘Thirteen Steps.’”
“…No, my so-called cursed sword? It’s just a weapon for self-defense.”
“No way.”
However, since he didn’t seem to be lying, I continued to ask questions while feeling the urge to hold my aching head.
“Where did you get that cursed sword?”
“It was for sale on a flea market app, rounded up to 60,000 yen. I bought it with a credit card.”
“…”
For a moment, I thought about smacking him on the head, but if I think about it seriously, it means that someone is casually circulating dangerous items.
That’s terrifying in itself, and it’s undoubtedly a glimpse into the activities of the dark society.
“So, where did you learn about this ‘Lord of Light’?”
“It’s a handle name.”
“…Handle name?”
“He’s a famous person on anonymous bulletin boards. He seems to seriously consider the future of this Neon City, sometimes creating threads like ‘Even a monkey can understand! Neon City.’ And because he kindly gives advice, everyone affectionately calls him ‘Lord of Light.’”
I see.
…So he was just an unrelated passerby.
I can’t imagine that the ‘Lord of Light’ would be posting on anonymous internet bulletin boards, so he must be an imposter or a coincidence.
Wow, what a coincidence.
I suddenly felt deflated.
As I dropped my shoulders, the ramen was brought over.
Slurp slurp slurp
“Man…”
“Slurp, by the way, I was thinking about what you said earlier.”
“What?”
“That, I don’t know what the ‘Thirteen Steps’ is, but at least to become an executive, it wouldn’t be a stupid and rough guy like me, but rather a normally suave person, right?”
The biggest problem was that the original executives were so variously problematic that it wouldn’t be strange if this guy was one of them.
