Chapter 82
The rain fell.
Raindrops fiercely pounded on the vehicle’s bonnet, the smell of wetness seizing my nostrils.
The charming hills, once gleaming in shades of green, absorbed the moisture. The soft, verdant hills, now drenched in darker hues, awakened in the dreary air, their moisture-rich color evoking a sense of awe that birthed a solemn atmosphere.
“It’s really coming down hard here.”
The great ancestor spoken of by the Magic Tower. The mysterious legacy left by the founding fathers had blessed those living in the Magic Tower today.
People called this phenomenon a mystery.
Magic, science, and the divine. An occurrence that could not be explained by anything—a mystery.
Even after months of sandstorms, poison gases, and being soaked in defoliants, the southern rainforests boasted a defiant resilience, while the gigantic Magic Tower loomed in the sky for a hundred years, a source of magic and divinity, the origin of the races.
Many scholars endeavored to understand and prove these conundrums, yet none succeeded in grasping or demonstrating them.
The people of this world referred to such puzzles as mysteries.
“Isn’t it fascinating?”
“Yeah, a little.”
“You get used to it if you see it often. Just adapt and live with it.”
The operative seated beside the driver murmured as he focused through his monocle on the road ahead.
A sparse, quiet road. Listening to the torrential rain beating against the windows, we waited.
Just then, one fortunate piece of news arrived.
The radio buzzed.
-‘3km. Speed 47. One black SUV.’
I set the radio down and opened the car door. The fierce rain blew in, rushing through the open gap.
“Let’s get out.”
“Sure.”
—
Episode 5 – Journalist, Diplomat, Soldier, Spy
The relentless wind and rain reminded one of a storm.
The man in the driver’s seat rested his arm on the wheel, addressing his friend in the passenger seat.
“How’s the real estate market these days?”
“It’s serious. You can tell just by looking at me stuck here.”
Though they weren’t from the same military unit, both were former reservists who had retired long ago.
That fact was a bond connecting two people belonging to different affiliations and nationalities.
Of course, the main reason was money. Both were working under the same employer now.
The driver asked, “Is it tough to get your own place in the Empire too?”
“How’s Lushan?”
At the sudden question, the driver, turning the wheel, replied.
“Don’t even get me started. It’s a complete mess because of the refugees. Southern land prices have exploded; northern and central areas are doing okay, but the eastern side—things are serious. Plus, there’s the drug issue…”
“Ugh. In this day and age, how many people can afford to buy a house with their own money? Kien’s not much different.”
The two continued their discussion about housing prices. Against the backdrop of stormy hills, the SUV sped down the two-lane road.
Though this was a world of people, it was a tough life, indeed.
Monsters lurking at every turn and the flames of civil war shook the continent’s economy to its roots. The reasons for the economic instability were many, but the more the economy shook, the more chaotic the world became, and the more insecure public safety and national defense became—a vicious cycle repeating in the current continental situation.
However, such complicated and troublesome discussions were absent from their conversation.
That wasn’t their concern.
Rather, for the two, making a living was far more important. Only when their bellies were full could idle chatter even arise.
So, they began to share trivial personal anecdotes.
“I’m thinking of going back home next week to see my wife. Are you coming?”
“Why would I go to Lushan?”
“Well, you know that dancer who lives next door? She said she misses you.”
“I’ve lived in Kien my whole life; how would I survive there? Plus, I already have a religion. Even if we aren’t married, if our religions differ, one of us would have to convert.”
“Who’s threatening you to get married right now? You’re already making a fuss over just a few faces…”
“My face works just fine, unlike yours. You should be grateful to your fiancée for life. Got it?”
“Geez… It’s a hot mess. Just don’t get married. Your mouth is the real problem.”
The black SUV pushed forward through the storm. The one in the passenger seat briefly stole a glance at the backseat in the rear-view mirror.
In the backseat, a girl in academy uniform was dozing off.
“Miss, you look really tired. Must have been a long day.”
The driver leaned in, lowering his voice in response to the loudly spoken remark.
“She just got back from a trip. Let her be. Don’t wake her unnecessarily.”
“Once she falls asleep, she won’t wake up even if someone carries her off, right? Just do as usual.”
“She’ll wake up then.”
“Kids who attend the academy usually don’t wake up even if there’s noise during their breaks.”
“You sound like you graduated from the academy.”
“Kien has compulsory education up to middle school, you jerk.”
“I only went to elementary school, so I wouldn’t know, man.”
“That’s something to brag about.”
In a world where many jumped into the job market before even graduating high school, it was not something to raise eyebrows at.
Who could be blamed for the world being so convoluted?
The former soldier, who only completed elementary school and entered the military, drove while the high school graduate, who believed in the recruiter’s promise of tuition support upon enlisting, spewed complaints.
“Damn. They promised to send me to college after my service, but they didn’t because I didn’t complete my term.”
“Did you really believe that? You should’ve listened to the grown-ups.”
“How was the teacher supposed to worry about me? There are hundreds of students. Plus, the academy had a quota to fill; you think they’d give me a break?”
Though life had its ups and downs, no one could blame anyone else.
If you dislike the temple, you ought to leave, but if the world stinks, there’s no answer other than enduring it; so one must just grit their teeth and carry on.
The high school graduate didn’t blame life for being tangled up, nor did he blame the army for pushing him out due to delays in promotion.
If they were really that upset, they could go protest with a picket. Yet that would likely lead to getting slapped with a metal pipe swung by the police, so ultimately, they just sighed deeply and spat out curses.
“At least now I’m making decent money, so that’s a relief. In my next life, I want to be born into a rich family, damn it.”
“Hey, what’s that light up ahead?”
“…What?”
At the same time, the former soldier turned his gaze out of the windshield.
Through the storm, the road was nearly impossible to see.
In the distance, a flicker of bright yellow light glimmered.
“…Could that be a ghost?”
—
Fortunately, it wasn’t a ghost.
The light in the middle of the road wasn’t from a ghost fire; it emanated from a magical tool.
“Excuse me…! Help me…!”
Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t a magical tool but a very thick and hefty flashlight.
Even in a world advanced in magic, it was not odd, as wizards had worked in the shadows up until a century ago. For thousands of years, science…
I ruled this world, so what’s the big deal about carrying a flashlight? Expensive magical tools weren’t something just anyone could carry around, after all.
But the current situation felt off.
“……”
On a desolate road battered by fierce rain and wind, I encountered a suspicious individual with no vehicles passing by.
Drenched and bedraggled like a wet mouse, he was indeed a pitiful sight, but an unfamiliar stranger was always a target for wariness, no matter where or when.
A man holding a flashlight knocked on the car window.
“Excuse me…!”
“…What is it?”
“Is there an accident? Just call the police.”
“Do you think the police would show up in this weather? Not a chance. When the wind’s this strong, even a broom wouldn’t fly.”
“Then should I let him in the car?”
“Let’s see what’s going on before making any decisions. If he stays out there in the rain, he’ll catch pneumonia and die.”
I could have easily ignored him, but the man knocking on the window looked too miserable.
The security guard at the wheel didn’t turn off the engine; instead, he shone the headlights on an old red pickup truck with its hood completely open, and there was a small toolbox on the ground, with a man wrapped in a blanket sitting in the back seat.
“Looks like there are two men over there too. You take care of it. I’ll check that flashlight.”
“Seriously, getting soaked in this weather could cause a real problem.”
“Are you made of sugar? You’ll just melt from a little rain. Get out quickly. Be careful with the tools.”
“Damn….”
The security guard in the driver’s seat opened the car door and stepped outside, followed by the one in the passenger seat who also pulled himself out of the vehicle.
Just as I expected, the cold raindrops hit my face as soon as I stepped outside. The torrential downpour had eased slightly, but the mist made visibility difficult, and the heavy rain wasn’t an easy opponent either.
His shoes clapped against the asphalt, but the sound was barely audible; the wind drowned out any trace of footsteps.
In the hazy view, two shadowy figures were illuminated by the headlights. The person in front was clear under the flashlight, while the security guard’s back, highlighted by the SUV’s headlights, appeared faint.
Voices reached my ears.
“Hey…! Car…! Problem…!”
The man with the flashlight shouted about an issue with the vehicle while shining light on the hood. Though somewhat muffled by the sound of rain, I could faintly make out the dialogue thanks to his raised voice.
The security guard at the wheel, being a family man, was keenly interested in the car, therefore he could easily handle a simple problem. As the security guard examined under the hood with the flashlight, the man who had handed it over hurriedly grabbed the toolbox and rushed to the hood.
The other security guard, who had exited from the passenger seat, took a good look around the vehicle’s exterior.
Looking at it, the tires seemed fine. Pressing down with his thumb, he confirmed the air pressure was adequate, and there were neither nails nor pieces of metal in sight. There might be some minor damage that couldn’t be seen, but for now, the tires looked okay.
Overall, the vehicle’s exterior appeared intact. A bit worn, sure, but perhaps due to the heavy rain, it wasn’t dirty or covered in debris. Here and there, some paint was chipped away, but that wasn’t a huge problem. A few scratches wouldn’t affect the vehicle’s performance.
Of course, if the maintenance was a mess, that would be a different story, but that was something he couldn’t ascertain just by looking at the vehicle’s surface.
“……”
What could be the professions of the driver and passenger?
The man with the flashlight was quite large and appeared to have substantial muscle. In contrast, the one sitting in the back seat was smaller. Though shorter, the blanket covered him, so his build was hard to determine.
Given their overall appearance, they didn’t seem like people who made much money. After all, those who earn a lot wouldn’t be driving such an old car or getting drenched in the rain while shivering like this.
“Are you alright?”
“……”
The security guard approached the man wrapped in the blanket.
His face was hidden beneath the cover, but his lips were slightly blue—it seemed he had taken a heavy beating from the rain.
As he got closer, the man looked up to meet his gaze.
Black hair. Brown eyes.
Nothing particularly unique about his appearance, but he had a somewhat fierce expression, and his eyes were calm—an unsettling sight for someone drenched to the bone.
“Are you okay?”
“……”
Though he asked the question, he received no reply.
He wasn’t shivering, but it was extraordinarily cold, and the wind and rain continued to pound. The man appeared weak from the rain.
Just as the security guard was contemplating whether he should grab a thermal blanket from inside the car, a scream erupted from the hood.
“Ahh!”
Turning his head, he saw a man wielding a pipe wrench swinging it down towards the security guard’s head.
The decision was made in an instant.
“Damn it—”
The security guard reached for his self-defense tool, extending his right hand to his waist.
Just then.
“……!”
The man wrapped in the blanket suddenly sprang up, grabbed the guard’s left wrist, and tripped his leg.
The two men rolled over on the asphalt road, and the one who had handed over the flashlight raised the pipe wrench high above his head.
A crunch echoed in the air, signaling something breaking.
“W-What the hell…!”
The security guard tried to pull out his defense tool strapped to his back, but his arm was pinned beneath him, making it impossible.
The man who knocked down the guard mounted on top of him, pressing down on his abdomen with his knee.
The rain poured relentlessly.
Down below the hill, where the furious rain and wind raged, two vehicles idled on the road. The ground was saturated with rainwater, which mixed with the blood seeping from the shattered head.
The relentless sound of rain pounded against the asphalt road, and suddenly, thunder rumbled, lighting up the dark surroundings for a brief moment.
A flash illuminated the two men.
The security guard lay sprawled on the road, and the man who had subdued him with a knee raised his arm.
In that moment, he plunged a knife into the guard’s abdomen.
This wasn’t some exaggerated action scene from a movie.
It was just.
Quietly, plainly,
A person lost their life.
