Chapter 5 TIKR Vol. 1 Chapter 1 Part 4

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Arl found himself in a branch office belonging to a certain merchant guild.

“Sorry for the rough handling,” a voice said.

The room was opulent, laid with a plush, crimson carpet. The walls, however, were lined with an arsenal of firearms. Standing at attention against those walls were more young women in black suits, all armed with similar weapons.

“I’m glad you didn’t fight back,” the voice continued. “That ‘wolf’ you were with is a monster. She’s the type who can dodge a bullet after she sees it. A surprise attack was the only way we could’ve gotten you away from her.”

The girl who was clearly in charge was leaning back in a luxurious, leather-bound chair.

She had vibrant crimson hair, and her eyes, peeking out from under her bangs, shined with a sharp, lively energy. Her outfit shamelessly exposed her midriff and thighs, giving her a healthy, alluring aura. Draped over her shoulders, hooked only by her elbows, was a black jacket. A holster was slung around her waist, drawing the eye to the single, rugged pistol it held.

If Arl’s guess was right, that gun was no mere decoration.

“The Firebird Merchant Guild, <Blacksmith>. So, you’re a weapons merchant, I take it… ‘President’?”

“Bingo.”

The girl gave a clean snap of her fingers and nodded. Then, with the elegant grace of a true leader, she smiled.

“The name’s Rosetta. Welcome back, Boss. At last… we finally meet again.”

“…’Boss,’ is it?”

He’d expected as much. It was why he’d come along so quietly.

This can’t be happening again, he thought. But he remembered Eilfina’s request. She wanted him to stop the rampage of all three organizations, not just <Fenrir>. Prima had already proven that these groups were fanatically, insanely loyal only to their ‘Master.’ If anyone could take the reins, it had to be that Master.

Which led to one, inescapable conclusion. Is this… another one? Another girl I saved years ago?

“I’ve spent so long thinking about what I’d do when I saw you again,” Rosetta was saying. “A feast to celebrate? A huge fireworks display from the guild? Or maybe… we could spend a night at the guild’s private inn—”

“President. President, that’s enough,” one of the black-suited girls cut in, her tone casual. “Sorry to interrupt your little fantasy, but I think you’re making the Boss uncomfortable.”

Another girl chimed in. “Besides, you met him five years ago, right? And you were just rescued by chance. Looking at his reaction… d’you think he even remembers you?”

“Wha— N-No way… that can’t be… You remember me, right, Boss!?”

At her subordinates’ words, Rosetta’s entire composed demeanor shattered. She practically fell out of her chair, scrambling to her knees in front of Arl.

“It’s me, Rosetta! You saved me from kidnappers! If you hadn’t… I’d… I’d be a slave or something right now!”

“N-No, I remember you,” Arl said, overwhelmed by her sudden intensity. To be fair, if he hadn’t just had the exact same experience with Prima, he might not have. “You just… look completely different. I was surprised, that’s all.”

“Just as we’d expect from the Boss. He saw right through your tough-girl facade,” a subordinate muttered.

“I-I-It’s not a facade!” Rosetta shrieked, her voice cracking. Her ‘President’ aura was completely gone, and her speech had crumbled. This, Arl thought. This flustered, high-pitched girl was the one he remembered.

“Right. Rosetta. The girl from that day. It’s been a while.”

“Th-That’s what makes you remember? That’s… a little complicated,” Rosetta blushed, but then let out a visible sigh of relief. “Still… I’m so glad you didn’t forget. You… you saved my life, Boss.”

—Five years ago, the Empire hadn’t been quite as dangerous as it was now. But a single turn into a back alley could still lead you to black markets and human traffickers. Arl, on his way home from a mission, had stumbled right into such a scene. After he’d knocked the kidnappers to the ground, the rescued girl had looked up at him with red, swollen eyes…

“You just… swooped in and saved me!” Rosetta recounted, her face now split in a wide grin. “I’ve always wanted to thank you! That’s why I started the guild! That’s why I got rich! Oh! Here, take this. We make them ourselves. We handle everything, from manufacturing to distribution!”

She handed him… a pistol. It was heavy. It felt like the physical representation of her journey—the weight of a young, terrified girl becoming the head of one of the Empire’s Three Great Organizations. Arl was genuinely moved. This is thanks enough, he thought. Just knowing she’s alive and well…

“Don’t you worry, Boss. I haven’t forgotten our promise!” she declared, her eyes shining. “I’m going to make you my kept man and take care of everything!”

…This really is more than enough.

“…A… ‘kept man’?”

“You said you wanted to be some girl’s kept man and just laze around all day without working, right? That’s the whole reason I got this rich!”

Damn it. The memory he’d tried to bury was surfacing. He’d been exhausted from another grueling mission. He was just trying to calm the girl down.

—”How can I thank you?”

—”You don’t need to.”

—”But I want to! Anything!”

—”Anything… A day off, maybe? … Honestly, I’d love to just lie around all day and do nothing.”

—”Then… if I get rich, I’ll support you! You can laze around forever!”

—”Haha, really? That sounds like a dream.”

He’d laughed, treating it as a cute, childish promise…

“I decided right then and there,” Rosetta said, her voice filled with passion. “I would dedicate my life to supporting him. To supporting my Boss! That was the only way I could truly repay my debt!”

A man who, with one exhausted complaint, had inspired a little girl to become a mogul just to support him as a deadbeat. That man was Arl. And he was guilty as sin.

Eilfina’s smug voice echoed in his head. ‘You have to take responsibility…’ Even you couldn’t have predicted this!

He mentally shouted back.

“No, absolutely not!” Arl protested. “Being a kept man… I’ll become a degenerate!”

“It’ll be a clean, proper, and moderate arrangement, of course!” Rosetta said, wiggling as she blushed. “As for the money… it will be a daily allowance! So you’ll have to be responsible and budget! Oh, but if it’s not enough, just tell me, I’ll increase it! I’m super understanding. You’ve got… needs, right? Gambling, smoking, drinking…”

“…Your definition of ‘moderate’ is terrifyingly low.”

“N-No it’s not! Besides, you’ll have a job, Boss! You have to greet me with ‘Welcome home’ every day! And… maybe… you could pat my head… B-But only if you want to! No pressure!”

“…I’d be utterly corrupted.” Correction, Arl thought. She’s like an innocent girl desperate to spoil her good-for-nothing boyfriend. The thought that he had created this situation made him want to dig a hole and bury himself in it.

CRASH! The door to the office was violently thrown open. A group of armed men piled in.

“Hand over the guns!”

“And all your valuables!”

“Do it now if you want to live!”

The same old threats. Arl’s face went blank. He’d heard about the capital’s crime problem, but… I just saw this exact scene…

“Honestly… they really look down on us.” Rosetta was suddenly on her feet. All her previous panic was gone. Her profile was sharp and imposing as she stared coldly at the intruders. “Guns are still valuable. Since we make our own, we expect to be targeted, but… to be raided by a group this small? They’re really underestimating us.”

“Just shut up and—!”

“Sorry, Boss,” Rosetta cut the man off, glancing at Arl and giving him a quick wink. “This’ll just take a second.” She wasn’t even holding her gun. A clear opening. But she wasn’t slow enough to let them see the process—the hand on the grip, the raising of the muzzle, the pull of the trigger.

A thunderclap. A rapid-fire roar of explosions. A split-second after the sound, the men groaned, their weapons clattering to the floor. Every single one of them was clutching a wounded hand. It was a quick-draw. A series of precision shots literally faster than the eye could follow.

“Hmph.” In a theatrical gesture, she blew the smoke from her pistol’s muzzle.

“Everyone, apprehend them.”

As the black-suited girls moved in, she turned back to Arl.

“Sorry for the wait, Boss. Are you—”

“Dammit!” One of the thugs, being subdued, twisted and aimed his own gun at Rosetta. A shot rang out. No, two, overlapping as one. One was from the thug. The other was from Arl. The two bullets met in mid-air with a sharp PING, deflecting each other. They ricocheted harmlessly into the carpet and wall. Arl let out a quiet sigh.

“This city really has gotten dangerous…”

“…He… deflected a bullet… with another bullet? Seriously…?” one of the subordinates whispered, before shaking her head and getting back to work. The neutralized attackers were dragged out.

“As expected of the Boss,” Rosetta said with a cool, nihilistic smile. “Impressive. You saved me.” —And then, suddenly, her legs began to shake violently, like a newborn fawn.

“Wh-What’s wrong!?”

“Huh? O-Oh, nothing… this is… just… a warrior’s tremble! Adrenaline!”

“After the fight is over!?”

“Ah, Boss, don’t worry about it,” one of the black-suited girls said, patting Rosetta on the back. “It’s just the usual ‘rebound’ for her.”

“Yeah, the President’s tough-girl thing is just an act. She actually hates fighting.”

“She tries to act cool ’cause she’s a weapons dealer, but she’s really just a big softie.”

“When she has to face Fenrir or the Saint, she’s always shaking in a corner beforehand.”

“But that’s what we love about her!”

“I CAN HEAR YOU, YOU KNOW!” Rosetta shrieked, her face bright red, but her subordinates just grinned.

Arl couldn’t help but smile.

“So that’s the real you.”

“Ugh. I… um… yeah. Are you… disappointed?”

“Not at all.” The bravado and the true self. They weren’t things to be compared. He gave his honest, Eilfina-taught knightly assessment. “I think both sides of you are very charming.”

“Kkh!” Rosetta made a strange squeaking sound and froze, her entire face going beet-red.

“President? Pres-i-dent? … Aaaand she’s crashed. System overload,” a subordinate said, poking her boss in the cheek. “Sorry, Boss, she’s gonna be useless for a while.”

“We’ve heard all about you, Boss. We’ve been waiting for your return, too.”

“Man, I can’t believe the President’s gushing stories were true! That shot you made… my heart’s still pounding. Oh, can I get your autograph?”

“Boss. Please, if you would lead our President, and our guild… it would be… fun—I mean, a great honor!”

“…You’re all very honest,” Arl said. So this is the ‘responsibility’ I have to take. First Prima, now this. He was being forced to realize just how deeply his casual words had impacted these girls’ lives. Still… anything but a ‘kept man’, he pleaded internally.

“…Hm?” And, as they say, what happens twice, will happen a third time.

A butterfly fluttered past Arl’s eyes. It was a strange thing, scattering glowing particles with every flap of its wings. He thought it would attract attention, but none of the black-suited girls seemed to notice it.

I see. Arl realized what it was. An invisible, magical construct. It circled him, as if urging him to follow. The intent was clear. The organization named for magic. The last of the three. And, most likely… another ‘acquaintance.’ It was a summons from the White Whale Academy of Magic, <Noah>.

“…Just what I was waiting for. I suppose I’ll accept the invitation.” It wasn’t that he had a bad feeling they’d just come and drag him off by force if he ignored it. Not at all.