Chapter 33: Always by Your Side

Despite this being a land of extreme cold, the exposed curve of her bare legs beneath the slit of her skirt, her vivid red, silky hair—so red it felt as though it proclaimed my love for her all on its own—the two small hills rising so boldly they looked ready to tear her dress shirt apart, and that dignified face brimming with confidence, a face one could never imagine faltering.

Needless to say, any observer would already understand.

This person is—

My master.
My life.
My benefactor.
My sovereign.

And my ultimate favorite.

Rikuhachima Aru herself!!!

“Ah… ah…”

Tears burst forth as my body trembled uncontrollably with emotion. Ah, Lady Aru. Just one look at your bodies tells me everything. Though you are Kivotos natives with strong physiques, patches of exposed skin were stained red from the cold. Pure white snow clung to your coats—had you been caught in a blizzard? And from that once-confident face, a thin string of snot dangled down.

These people had come all the way to this frozen wasteland to save me, even though they lacked money and couldn’t properly equip themselves.

How could I not cry at that?

“Aaaaruuuu-saaamaaaaa!!!”

“W–Whoa!? What the hell!?”

I kicked off the ground and leapt forward. I jumped higher than I expected, and Lady Aru—eyes rolling back in shock—barely had time to react before I latched onto her.

“Lady Aru, Lady Aru, Lady Aru, Lady Aru, Lady Aru, Lady Aru—!!”

“H–Hey! Komori!? Let go of me!”

I rubbed my head against Lady Aru like I was marking my territory. Yes, that’s right. I’m a dog. Lady Aru’s dog. Which means I must mark my master like this. At the same time, I needed to replenish the Aru Energy I’d been deprived of for days. I’d managed to endure with Sensei Energy until now, but it just wasn’t the same. It had to be Lady Aru.

“W–Wait!? I haven’t bathed, so I might smell!”

And then came the finishing move: scent absorption—commonly known as “Aru sniffing.” I’d often seen Sensei do it to Chairwoman Hina, and before I knew it, I’d picked up the habit myself. Now it was indispensable. The neck was said to be the optimal spot, with effects including improved sleep quality, stress relief, enhanced healing, amplification of mysticism, and boosted immunity. It didn’t work on cancer yet, but surely it would someday.

“I–It’s fine… Lady Aru’s smell… bring it on…!”

Now then! Let us begin in earnest!

Huuuuu—snrf! Cough! Hack! Guh!

“H–Hey, wait a second!?”

“U–Uh… wow…”

—This… this is actually… quite something…

“…S–Smells… nice…”

“No way. Your eyes are rolled back.”

“Wow, Aru-chan, you reek♪”

“S–Shut up!! Mutsuki! You smell the same, don’t you!?”

“No I don’t~ Wanna sniff me?”

“Ah… okay………… Ah, that smells nice…”

“Why!?”

It kind of smells like flowers…

For the record, Kayoko smells mature, Haruka smells like soil, and my own scent is apparently, according to Sensei, “indescribable.” What does that even mean? It’s only a hypothesis, but I do bathe, and I’ve been forcibly dragged out of my shut-in lifestyle, so I really hope that’s not the case.

“It’s okay… Lady Aru’s smell… gets addictive…”

“H–Hey! Stop that!”

“Um… Lady Aru, may I sniff too…?”

“No! Absolutely not!”

“Heeey! Komori-chan, are you all okay—wait, Aru!? Why are you here? Can I sniff too?”

“S–Sensei!? Of course not!!”

While I was thoroughly enjoying my Aru fix, Sensei and Kanna had joined us without me noticing. That meant everyone was now present: our flying battleship group, Sensei and the others from outside, and—for some reason—Lady Aru’s group as well. For now, we decided to sort out the situation.

“So… you were kidnapped, then crashed, got stranded, gathered food, got hit by a blizzard, and just now found this ship…? What a roller coaster. I can’t believe you survived, Komori.”

“Yes…! Praise me… lots…!”

“There, there. You did well.”

Ah… ahhh…… goo goo…

“What are you doing… honestly. Anyway, I’ve already fired a signal flare, so the former directors should arrive by tomorrow.”

“Ah, Imo.”

“It’s Imo.”

The one who approached us with a sigh was Imo, who had just fired the signal flare to inform the former directors that the area was “habitable.” She looked somewhat uncomfortable.

“Uh… um… Rikuhachima Aru-san…?”

“Just Aru is fine.”

“Ah, yes. Aru-san.”

“So? What is it?”

Lady Aru faced her with a dignified expression that carried a subtle pressure. But I knew. Her hand stroking my head had stopped and was trembling slightly, likely from nerves. Even that composed smile was stiff. It was understandable. From my perspective, Imo was just another mercenary—“pretty capable,” maybe—but from Lady Aru’s point of view, Imo—no, the Informant—was one half of the underworld’s No. 2 mercenary duo, rivals to the Cleaners.

And on top of that, they had endangered her before. Of course she’d be wary.

(W–W–What!? Why is one of the “outlaws” I admire—the Informant—here!? M–Maybe I could get an autograph…?)

…This feels off, but whatever.

Leaving Lady Aru and me behind, Imo stepped forward and did something unexpected.

“—Huh!?”

She bowed her head.

“W–Wait! What are you doing!?”

“…First, I want to apologize.”

“A–Apologize?”

“Yes. I—no, we—did something terrible to you before. Even if it was work… no, precisely because it was work, we never should have done that.”

“W–Wait, what?”

Ignoring Lady Aru’s confusion, she continued.

“Our true target at the time was only the Cleaners. You should never have been involved. The reason you were is because I let my personal feelings interfere. I endangered your lives for my own reasons. That should never have happened. …Please, accept my apology.”

In other words, she was apologizing for endangering them due to her own selfish reasons, outside the scope of a job. Granted, that also implied, “If there were a job, we’d target you without hesitation,” but that wasn’t something to condemn. Sensei might get angry, but she’s a denizen of the underworld. For professionals like her, the cardinal rule is never mixing work with personal matters—and she was apologizing for breaking that rule.

If mercenaries start risking lives over personal feelings, they’re no longer professionals, just lawless thugs. Even the underworld condemns that.

“Uh… well, I don’t really mind…”

…It seemed Lady Aru didn’t understand any of that, because she truly didn’t look bothered at all.

It wasn’t because Kivotos has terrible public safety and assassination attempts over grudges are commonplace—no, not for some grim reason like that. This was simply Lady Aru’s tolerance. Anyone would be angry if their life were targeted; most would harbor hatred, even seek revenge. But Lady Aru wouldn’t. Because she’s tolerant. So tolerant she can embrace everything. Because she’s too kind.

In other words, Lady Aru is more angelic than Trinity—an angel, an Angel, and a goddess all in one. Q.E.D. Proof complete.

“How… magnanimous…”

“Hmph! A first-rate outlaw doesn’t sweat trivial things like that! I’m just broad-minded!”

“…I see. No wonder the Cleaners fell for you.”

Huh!? What’s with that look!? I won’t let you have her! Lady Aru’s lap is my reserved seat!

───Night.

The sun had completely set, and the frozen land was robbed of its light, swallowed by a numbing darkness. Wrapped in my fluffy coat, I quietly slipped out of my bedding alone.

In my hands were a shovel and a small lantern—tools I’d brought for exploration.

By now, everyone else was probably asleep in the cozy little rooms aboard the battleship we’d found earlier.

So why was I out here alone?

The answer lay right in front of me.

“…Found it.”

A short distance from the battleship, atop a small hill, something was stuck into the ground like a tiny sapling—no, not a branch.

It was a gun.

A long, slender firearm—what you’d call a Winchester rifle. Why was a gun planted out here like this? Curious, right?

“Then… there’s only one thing to do… dig it up.”

I swung the shovel down with all my might.

Thunk!

The blade sank into the ground—about five centimeters deep.

…Wait, am I that weak!?

I already knew the answer, but still! A Kivotos native could bury the entire blade in one swing without breaking a sweat. I’ve even seen someone stab reinforced plastic shields into asphalt!

“Hnnngh… ngh… nnn!!”

This was going to take a while… or so I thought.

“…Would you like some help?”

“Pye!?”

A voice came from behind me.

Startled, I spun around, half-expecting a ghost—and instead found Imo, holding a lantern.

“Eh—uh—why are you here…? It’s already bedtime…”

“That’s my line… yawn… I was wondering what you were doing out here in the middle of the night… what’s this? Treasure hunting?”

“…Something like that.”

I looked away from Imo and resumed digging, murmuring a small chant to myself.

“Hnngh…”

“………Sigh. Hand it over.”

“Huh? W–wait—”

Before I could react, the shovel was taken from my hands, and she began digging in my place.

Without so much as a grunt, she brought the shovel down—

The blade slid completely into the ground.

About three times deeper than mine.

…Grrr.

“Alright… whew. This is pretty tough. Probably because the ground’s frozen. Quite the job.”

“Um… uh…”

“Hm?”

“…W–why…?”

“Why? Well, if you kept at it, the sun would be up before you finished.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Why are you helping me?”

“…Huh?”

It was a genuine question.

Imo and I—the Cleaner and the Informant—went back a long way. Colleagues, rivals, business competitors. As demonstrated by that past job involving Problem Solver 68, we were never exactly on good terms. We used each other, watched for openings, always ready to exploit the other’s weakness.

And yet, despite how badly things had turned out, she had shared precious sea otter meat with us. She had helped us inside the battleship earlier. And now she was even lending a hand with something this trivial.

Sure, maybe it was because of the emergency situation… but even so, something about her behavior felt off.

…Simple kindness didn’t seem likely. Kind people certainly exist—I learned that by living with Sensei. But she shouldn’t be that kind of person.

At least, that was what I thought.

So that’s why—

“Hahaha. You’re really suspicious of me, aren’t you?”

“……”

“Well, it’s true. People from the underworld like us don’t really do kindness for free.”

With sweat trickling down her forehead, she let out a dry laugh. Then she set the shovel aside, wiped her brow, and scratched her cheek a little awkwardly before speaking again.

“…Helping a friend is just… normal, isn’t it?”

“…Huh?”

Huh?

I tried to chew on the words that had just come out of her mouth. Chewed on them again and again, trying to understand—

“F–Friend…?”

“You look like a monster that just learned its first word!?”

I couldn’t process it.

“Ah, forget it! That didn’t happen! Just ignore that! I got carried away! Please forget it!”

“W–Wait! Don’t take it back…!”

Friend? Did this woman really just say “friend”?

“Um… you said… friend? You really said ‘friend’?”

“I did! I did, okay!? What about it!? Ugh, this is embarrassing! I’m sorry for getting ahead of myself! Someone like me calling you a friend was way too presumptuous!”

“N–No! That’s not it… I mean, it’s the opposite…… I–Is it really okay… for someone like me to be your friend…?”

I clung to her sleeve as she flushed bright red in confusion and looked down at me.

“Well… yeah. I mean… I already thought of you as a friend. We ate from the same pot, bathed in the same bath, slept in the same room… I figured that already made us friends, you know…”

…Is this… extrovert energy…!?

“F–Friend…”

“W–What!? Why are you crying!?”

“I’m not… I’m just happy… friend… a friend…… sniff…”

“That’s really worth crying over!?”

“Y–Yeah…! I don’t… really have any friends…!”

“Why are you saying that with a smile!? And what about Sensei, or the people from Problem Solver 68?”

“…Sensei is Sensei… and Lady Aru and the others are… people I admire, so they’re not… friends…”

“I don’t think admiring someone disqualifies them from being your friend.”

…What?

That single sentence struck me like a bolt from the blue—like lightning tearing straight through my body.

“As a matter of fact, this is kind of embarrassing, but I admired you too, you know? You’re the reason I got into this line of work.”

“H–Huh… You could’ve lived a much more stable life in SRT, though…”

“That’s exactly because I admired you. …But I never managed to catch up to you, and before I knew it, admiration turned into jealousy. And that’s how we ended up with the kind of relationship we had… haha…”

…Honestly, I don’t think she ever failed to catch up to me. But I keep that to myself. It’s embarrassing.

“Hey. When everyone wakes up tomorrow, why don’t you try asking them properly… to be friends?”

“N–No way! Impossible…! Absolutely not…! If they reject me, I’ll— I’ll d-die…!”

“I really don’t think they would… and—”

As she spoke, she once again drove the shovel into the frozen ground, digging steadily.

“For now, let’s just finish this quickly and get some sleep. I don’t know what you’re trying to dig up, but… yawn… I’m seriously exhausted.”

Letting out a sleepy yawn, she raised the shovel again and slammed it down.

—Clang!

A sharp metallic sound rang out.

“Oh? Looks like there really is something buried here.”

She brushed away the soil where the shovel had struck, carefully uncovering it. What finally emerged was—

“…A box?”

A rectangular metal box, roughly one and a half meters long.

A Winchester rifle planted into the ground like a marker—and beneath it, a box large enough to hold roughly one human body.

“Um, C–Komori-san…? Th–This is… a c–coffin, isn’t it…?”

“…Mm. Let’s open it.”

“Hiiiii!?!!?”

Ignoring Imo, who had suddenly started panicking for some reason, I grabbed the lid and heaved it open with all my strength. Thankfully, it wasn’t rusted shut. It was heavy, but manageable.

And so—

The box was opened.

Inside—a container likely sealed for many years—were piles of junk: crudely stuffed scraps that might once have been toys, empty Pirin containers, and assorted trash—

“Hiiiii!? I knew it— I kneeeew it—!!?”

And among them lay a skeleton, wrapped in a single coat.

And then—

I thrust my hand straight inside without hesitation.

“W–Wh–What are you doing!?”

“……”

…Observers.

Sorry for the sudden question, but tell me this: when it comes to mystery stories, are you the type who wants the truth revealed as quickly as possible? Or do you prefer dragging things out, slogging through endless deduction arcs before reaching the answer?

…If it’s the latter, we probably won’t get along. After all, I’m the kind of person who can watch the final episode of an anime—or read only the last chapter of a long manga or novel—and feel perfectly satisfied. Results are everything. The process doesn’t matter.

…Okay, that was a lie. That part isn’t true.

Still, I am impatient.

When there’s a mystery, I want it solved immediately.

“…Mm… it should be… here…”

That dream I’ve seen ever since I was born into this world. The contents of the Benedictus halo I still don’t understand. The bizarre flying battleship that clearly doesn’t belong here. The mystery of the futuristic robot.

—And the Cleaners.

I’d had a hunch for a long time. But I lacked the final piece—the proof that would turn suspicion into certainty. And that piece had to be here.

“……May you rest in peace.”

A dream I once saw.

A voice whose owner I couldn’t identify. The contents of a coffin I couldn’t clearly make out, shrouded as if in fog. Even then, I knew—it was telling me that the truth lay within.

“…!”

My hand brushed against something cold and heavy—neither bone nor cloth.

“F–found it…”

A gun made of iron.

A Peacemaker. A maker of peace.

I traced it with my fingers. Along the grip, etched faintly but unmistakably—

A mark that should not exist here.

A symbol I—I myself—had conceived, designed, and given to him as a Cleaner.

The emblem of gears and a broom.

The mark of the Cleaners.

“…So it really is.”

—This is me.

Clatter.

The bones rattled softly, stirred by the wind, as if laughing.