A week has pa.s.sed since the case of Yanagi and s.h.i.+bata. I finished cleaning after their mess and went back to my usual and carefree life.
“It feels great to be done with an important case!”
“You didn’t do anything though.”
I made a remark about the old man’s satisfied comment. He was talking as if he partic.i.p.ated in solving the problem and now he is finally relieved. This time around, he didn’t do anything helpful. The old man got struck by my remark and changed the subject while awkwardly smiling.
“Well, the problem is resolved and everything is fine. You’re even enjoying all these delicious meals.”
He spoke while gazing at the plates lined on the table before us. Right now, we’re at a Chinese restaurant celebrating the closure of the incident. The familiar revolving table had sichuan bean curds, spring rolls and many more other types of chinese food lined up on it. They all looked delicious. They did, but there was something that didn’t let me enjoy them as I usually do. I called Lina and waited for her to use her magic tools to fix the building and I knocked out Yanagi and s.h.i.+bata as well as the entire crowd in the area to erase their memories. Honestly, I feel that this table in front of me doesn’t fit with the amount of work I had to do this time.
“It was really troublesome you know.”
“I know, my bad. I’ve chosen this restaurant because it’s relatively expensive, so give me a break with just that, please.”
I let out a sigh after watching the old man convincing me with an apologetic face. I guess it can’t be helped. It will feel kind of wrong to ask him for an equal compensation, anyway.
“Let’s eat now. You don’t want the food to get cold.”
“Yeah.”
As I agreed with him, I started tasting the plates on the table.
“By the way.”
The old man talked to me while I was eating.
“What?”
“Are they fine that way?”
He was probably referring to Yanagi and s.h.i.+bata. I understand that he feels worried about them, but I’m sure that they won’t cause a problem after this. I stopped the hand I was moving and said.
“Yeah, they’re good that way.”
I then picked a spring roll and moved it to my mouth. After Lina and I fixed the building and healed the people outside who got injured due to the explosion, we thought about a way to deal with Yanagi and s.h.i.+bata. At first, I considered sending them the police station, but in order to do that, we need to expose a grand part of the secret of the company. That was when I thought, why not rehabilitate them into proper citizens?
If they can’t get apprehended and don’t have a home where they can live, then they
will just have to turn into citizens who serve their society. The execution of that idea was quite simple as I just had to cast a【Darkness Magic】spell on them and block them from causing trouble again. I changed their mind so that they would see crime and murder as a misdeed and find a proper way to continue on leading their life. The influence of the spell became apparent that the moment they woke up and, they regretted what they did.
Lina and I were at loss for words when both of them kneeled down to me and desperately apologized for causing me troubles. Since they were considered dead in the society, they made a new register and started working somewhere.
“It’s much better than sending them to prison.”
“I know, but, I just can’t get the idea that they may cause something again from my mind.”
The old man who wasn’t present with me when s.h.i.+bata and Yanagi woke up was still feeling worried about the way we concluded the case. I’m sure that he wouldn’t have felt that way if he saw them apologizing at that time.
As for the Organisation President, I casted on him a darkness magic spell as well. Since I erased s.h.i.+bata’s hypnosis ability, the Organisation burst into an uproar. Therefore, I ordered the President to do something about it. He canceled the researches conducted there and stopped chasing s.h.i.+bata and Yanagi. The Organisation members were not happy with the President’s decision, though they couldn’t do anything about it.
“Don’t worry. I erased their abilities. They won’t be able to cause anything big even if they want to.”
They can no longer use teleportation or hypnotize; they are now powerless. I told that to the old man while reaching my hand up to the last spring roll on the table. The spring rolls are my favorites among these plates. They had a particular taste. But, before I realized it, the old man picked the last one before I could reach it.
“… Yato, you’ve been eating these spring rolls all by yourself.”
“I’m the one who did the job this time, you should let go of that spring roll.”
The harmonious ambiance surrounding the table suddenly changed and tense mood replaced it. I caught the roll with my chopsticks and refused to let him take it. The old man did the same, and didn’t let off the spring roll.
“I’m older than you. You should let me take it…”
“I’m younger than you and you made me do your job, you should let me take it…”
We both stared at each other as we froze in the same position.
“I didn’t eat single one you know…”
“I want to eat another one you know…”
Our chopsticks pulled the spring roll to each one’s direction. If I pulled it too hard, I may
may break the chopstick.
This is bad, very bad.
As I started to feel in danger in the middle of this situation where none of us was planning to give up, the old man made a suggestion.
“How about we decided on who will get by rock, paper, scissors?”
I immediately guessed that he is scheming something, however, I purposely accepted his challenge.
“Okay, let’s do it.”
“Alright! Let’s let off the spring roll at the same time first.”
I moved my chopsticks to put them on the table as he said. My victory in rock, paper, scissors is certain with my high luck status. Even if he tries to cheat, he will still stand no chance against me. This was my conclusion before we started the game; the conclusion I reached with the false premise that the old man is going to play against me.
“Got you!”
“Ah!”
The moment I placed the chopsticks on the table and lifted my hand, he quickly gripped his chopsticks and s.n.a.t.c.hed the spring roll. Before I was able to react, the spring roll was already inside his mouth. I unintentionally let out a disappointed voice when I saw him munching it.
“That’s not fair you know…”
“Playing a game against you is not fair in the first place.”
Yeah, but still. How could an old adult like you deceive people just to s.n.a.t.c.h their meals?
I looked at him with disappointed eyes, but the old man didn’t mind me and continued eating the last spring roll. It must taste more delicious than the other ones since its the last one. I shook my head to forget about what just happened and reached my hand to the last meat dumpling in the table.
“Ah.”
“Hn?”
The old man was already placing his chopsticks on it, again.
“… Yato.”
“Old man, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
He didn’t even finish eating the spring roll he s.n.a.t.c.hed from me. We glared at each other and waited for one of us to let out of the meat dumpling. This incident occurred 3 more times after this as we continued having fun enjoying the meals.
After getting done with eating, the old man left the restaurant with a refreshed face.
“That was delicious. It was worth that expensive price.”
“I wanted to eat them in a relaxed mood, though.”
I replied to his nonchalant comment in a slightly tired voice. After we fought for that spring roll, we ended up also fighting about 3 or 4 other things. Sometimes I provoked him by provocating him with my aura, and other times he deceived me with his tricks. Anyway, I couldn’t finish my meal with a relaxed mind.
I’m sure he did it on purpose…
I was already exhausted when we left the restaurant while the old man was looking satisfied. I feel like it will be a loss if I thought about
thought about too much.
“Well then, I will be going now.”
The moment when the old man said that, he b.u.mped against someone in the street.
“Oh, sorry.”
“Same here, I’m sorry.”
The man he b.u.mped against was wearing a mask, so we couldn’t see his face. He apologized for b.u.mping against the old man and left. I didn’t feel anything about him since this street is often br.i.m.m.i.n.g with people. b.u.mping against someone wasn’t that rare. I watched the man with the mask walking away while narrowing my eyes. For some reason, I couldn’t wipe off an uncomfortable feeling from my mind when I saw him. He looked as if he did it on purpose.
“Hey, old man. Check your pocket.”
“My pocket? Why?”
“Just check it.”
Noticing that I was talking to him seriously, the old man checked his pocket with a confused face. When he checked the pocket of his trousers, signs of impatience started showing up on his face.
“Hn? Hn, hn!? Hnnn?! It’s not there!! My wallet!!”
As I thought…
“It was stolen by that guy.”
“Huh!? Why didn’t you tell me that at that time?! Rather, catch him for me!!”
“I wasn’t sure if it were him or not and I can’t recklessly use my skills in public.”
I’m impressed that he was able to s.n.a.t.c.h his wallet before I realized it. He must be skillful at stealing people’s things. The victim, or the old man who lost his calm went to follow him.
“I’m following him!”
“Wait a second.”
I asked him to stop and proposed to him a better plan.
“You’re not going to find him anyway if you followed him randomly like that. I have a plan.”
I called the guardian beast of my home, Rouga.
“Rouga, can you hear me?”
I called her name in my mind and waited for her response.
“Hey, Rouga.”
“… Huh? This voice, is it you, chief?”
“Are you okay? You don’t sound so lively.”
Her voice was not very cheerful. She sounded somewhat dejected.
“I’m fine~ anyway, what’s the problem, chief?”
“I want you to help me out. I will teleport you to an empty place near us and you come running to my side.”
“Okay~”
Hearing her answer that sounded like a heavy sigh, I teleported Rouga somewhere isolated from people. A few seconds later, I saw her rus.h.i.+ng towards me.
“Chief. Found you~”
She called me in a lazy voice and ran towards me at a low speed. She looked as if she were feeling down for some reason. She was slower than a walking ordinary person. I noticed that something was off with her and asked.
“Are you really okay, Rouga? You look so weak that you may die at any moment you know.”
“I’m totally fine, physically.”
She didn’t look fine at all for me. I wonder what happened to her. I looked at Rouga with a concerned face when the old man the old man finally guessed my plan.
“Hey, Yato. Is this your plan…?”
“Yeah.”
Despite guessing my plan, he worries didn’t disappear when he saw Rouga’s current condition. My plan was about making Rouga follow the thief. It’s usually impossible for a dog who was never trained to do a similar task, but Rouga is a monster in the first place. Rather, she is a wolf and not a dog. Following the scent of someone and catching him is a task that she could accomplish better than police dogs.
That was the only plan I could come up with since I can’t detect the thief in this crowd using my Presence Detection skill or s.p.a.ce-Time Magic. He is an ordinary person just like everyone else.
I hope she could find him for me. I’m not even sure if she will accept my request in her current condition. I should have noticed her doing before I left the house today.
“That dog doesn’t look very healthy. Is it going to be fine?”
“We don’t have any other option. Rouga, can you follow the scent of the person who b.u.mped against this old man?”
“Wafuu…”
With a reply similar to a heavy sigh, she revolved around the old man to get the scent. Well, at least she accepted my request.
“How is it?”
“He smells garlic and a little bit of age.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
This is seriously worrying. Although, I agree that the old man is growing older.
“Can you get the thief?”
“The thief is too smelly too, so I think I can find him…”
I feel like her tongue is getting sharper, but as long as she can find him, that should fine.
“She can find him.”
“Really?! Then hurry up!! That wallet has my entire life in it!!”
The old man was overtaken by the impatience of having his wallet stolen. n.o.body can blame him. It can’t be helped.
“If we don’t catch him I may not survive the rest of this month! Rather, make sure to bring him to me so I can punch him in the face!!”
His eyes widened from anger as he unintentionally raised his voice. I understand how he is feeling, but I’d like him to stop it already. People are looking at us.
“Alright, let’s leave it to Rouga.”
“Great!”
“Okay…”
The old man was burning from the intense anger while Rouga’s mood was sinking. The difference in their temperature was overwhelming. I hope the thief will stay alive after he gets caught.
Advice.
“Hey, Rouga.”
“…”
“Why are you looking sad?
“…”
“You can ask me for advice you know.”
“… Recently.”
“Recently?”
“I didn’t show up in the story at all…”
“Ah, well, it can’t be helped. There is nothing I can do about it, personally. And besides, I’m the protag—-”
“Say one more word and I will seriously bite you.”
