~~~

It was quiet in the Central Park—like it always was around half past six when the late October sun was just starting its way up the sky. Rem Oswaldt was sitting on a bench near a small pond, watching the lights of tree decoration garlands going out and observing how a squirrel travelled up one of the oaks.

He jumped out of his seat when Takeshi Izumi joined him. It wasn’t his intention to scare Rem, but the Lackluster was so tired he didn’t recognize his mentor at first: he’d never seen him wearing civilian clothing like a royal blue coat and a stylish felt top hat.

“Sorry, Sensei, for waking you up so early. Especially after that operation…”

“I hope there is a good reason for it. Mind if I smoke?”

“No, sure… not at all.”

Izumi put some tobacco in his kiseru; an elegant smoking pipe. Rem spoke hastily straight away: “I… I don’t know what to do. Promise me that if I tell you the whole truth, you’ll try to understand my situation… why I’ve done this.”

“I will certainly try, Rem-kun. As a Sage, I am able to observe circumstances from other, less conventional perspectives, and interpret a premise accordingly.”

“I uh… I’ve violated an Immutable Rule.”

“Sou desu ka?”

“I had to! It was self-defense! I realized that Dasnor Hunt was keeping a dangerous relic. Rune of the Bright Day. I took it from him… then used it to go a few minutes back and escape.”

Rem diminished at Izumi’s instant gaze as the investigator was clearly using his mental abilities on him—whatever they were, it felt soul-penetrating. Whereas it would take days for an average person, it was a two-minute deal for a Viridian to process the information and construct event models and possible outcomes. Izumi took a drag like it was his last one and watched how the puff danced in the air. Then he asked, “Do you still have it?”

“Y-yes.”

“Please let me have a look.”

Rem handed him the artifact that looked like a simple trinket. Izumi took it by the string and examined it carefully. A greenish aura flowed along his fingers to the amulet, making it shine with a pale lilac light. After a few moments, he said, “Interesting…”

“What is it, Sensei?”

“Some recent events can be read from it.”

“And… what does it… tell you?”

“Oh, I see you are speaking the truth.”

Rem, who felt ashamed beyond measure already, froze to the bench. He had no idea what exactly the artifact could “show” to the investigator. What if it provided the full picture? What if he saw Niji and how she’d turned into a monster? How I had shot Dasnor Hunt? He decided to keep all the details to himself unless asked directly. He promised to be honest, but Niji would suffer if he spilled the beans. He made a promise. Despite all the events, Rem didn’t want to become a traitor, at least not yet. But he wasn’t sure he could afford lying to his mentor.

“How did you learn that Hunt had this artifact?”

“I’ve just put two and two together. I’ve been into relic research recently, and once I saw Hunt’s training session while there was… uh… not much clothes on him, so—”

“And now you have called me here because you think he will come to reclaim his belongings?”

“Yes…” Rem went beet red. “He can kill me by the Rule of First Blood because I assaulted him first. This man is a brute, he spares no one. I need to get out of the city—and fast!”

“Why haven’t you told us about your discovery? We should have apprehended him properly.”

“I… uh… I got home after all that hotel mess to double-check my hunch. I didn’t want to bother the Unit just yet. And it wasn’t my intention to steal it. I came to Niji to warn her, but then he came and—”

The wind swept a few dry leaves away from the park path. The Lackluster stiffened even harder.

“Rem-kun?”

“They are coming…”

“Who? M.A.G.E.?”

“A Crimson and a Golden… I feel their auras, so powerful. They are very close. Hunt has sent them, I’m sure of it!”

“Rem-kun, listen carefully. There is no way we can win a fight against them. I’ll do the talking, and you… if you want to live, just nod and do exactly as I tell you, even if it might seem outrageous.”

Two Gray Sisters emerged slowly from the foggy shadow of the park: one of them was in full black and didn’t cover her face with a mask like the other. The investigator and his assistant got up from the bench.

“Sunshiny morning to you,” Izumi raised his hat when the women came closer. “Enjoying your stroll?”

“Step aside, Emerald,” ordered the one dressed in black with a high-pitched imperious voice. “We have an urgent matter with the boy.”

“So urgent that Hecate herself is attending to it, supported by her precious advisor?”

“Too impudent for a non-battle mage, aren’t you?”

“Pardon me,” he smiled, “but I do believe that efficient means of addressing conflicts are not limited to brute force. Intelligent people are always able to negotiate, don’t you agree?”

“Sweet talking,” replied the head of the cult, crossing her hands. “Unfortunately, we have no time to chat, so I highly recommend you mind your own business elsewhere.”

“My subordinate is involved. You don’t think I will leave him just because the Order advised me to do so?”

“You definitely will when you learn about his sins.”

“Ah, I am pretty aware of his past actions. Mind if I recap from the very beginning? You have received an assassination contract, issued by Dasnor Hunt, son of Fiber Hunt, a current leader of Magic Anti Governmental Enforcers?”

“Stop wasting my time, Amiana’s pet.”

Izumi’s pipe, wrapped in a yellow aura, bolted away from his hand into a tree, and the squirrel bounced upwards with the speed of light. The investigator continued calmly as if nothing had happened: “He informed you that Oswaldt-kun violated one of the Immutable Rules, and this allows you to punish him on behalf of our Goddess. And you’ve gone hunting straight away, because Oswaldt-kun possesses some valuable information that the customer does not want to be disclosed. Or rather, an object of your interest which might disappear from your sight forever. Are my assumptions correct?”

The Sisters didn’t respond, and Izumi couldn’t hide his grin. “I am sorry to inform you that you are a bit late since PRISM knows way more than you would like to. Soredemo, I have a proposition for you. The conditions depend on what your true goals are.”

“This Lackluster is wanted,” Hecate said sourly. “And we’ll take care of him. Business is business. You are just beating around the bushes. Telling us nothing with a smart face on. This Viridian bluff of yours won’t save the boy.”

“Sou desu ka? Should I probably use the very item you are looking for and replay everything, so to speak?”

“Then you’ll follow the boy to the Goddess Domain.” Hecate touched her stomach where her amplifier was, ready to summon the hidden weapon.

“Please listen to him, mistress,” Andrea, the second Sister, spoke at last. “If he uses the relic, it’s all lost.”

Hecate exchanged glances with her assistant and moved her hand to her waist. “Gray Sisters neither fail their clients nor trade their victims off,” she proclaimed. “Especially those sinners who insulted the Goddess of Light. Just letting you know, Izumi: no money in this world will make me betray our Mother.”

The investigator replied with a sly smile. “Ah, we’re not speaking about money here. But as I said, we need to agree on the initial goals first.”