Chapter 59

What the soldiers couldn’t accomplish in an entire morning, Holger managed to wrap up in about thirty minutes.

“I’ve got the name of the man who was killed,” he announced.

Well, that was fast!

“And?”

“Now, Boss… I’ve gotta get paid before I talk.”

Lady Clara dropped a 100-Marques copper coin into his outstretched palm.

“Much obliged. The dead man was called Kuntz.”

Apparently, Kuntz had started living in the sewers around here about a month ago.

“Seems the fellow was a gambling addict with debts all over the place. Word is, he crawled underground to hide from the debt collectors.”

In that case, it was likely he was killed over a financial dispute.

“Any witnesses to the murder?”

“Couldn’t find any. However, I did manage to get my hands on the clothes Kuntz was wearing.”

Just how talented is this Holger guy!?

“You actually found them!?”

“The sewer folk won’t say a word to the soldiers, but they’ve been talking about nothing else since morning. News of Kuntz’s death has spread all the way to the end of the branch lines.”

Ho ho, so even the vagrants love a bit of gossip.

“So, is the person who had the clothes the killer?”

“Not a chance. The one holding ‘em was a sixty-year-old man with a lung disease. Kuntz, by comparison, was a forty-year-old who usually worked at labor camps. The difference in strength is too much. The old man said he saw the body floating in the water before dawn today, still dressed. Said he managed to drag it to the edge and strip the clothes, and he didn’t look like he was lying.”

That eliminated the theory of a robbery-murder by a fellow vagrant.

I examined the clothes and found two holes in the stomach area. He was likely stabbed there with a sword or a knife. The fabric was damp and had clearly been scrubbed thoroughly; the bloodstains were already faint. Unfortunately, thanks to that diligent laundry job, any scent of the killer on the clothes had been washed away.

“Any other leads?”

“That’s all for now. I don’t think you’ll find anything more even if you keep digging.”

No witnesses, and the only evidence was a set of clothes. This was already over my head as an amateur.

“Understood. You’ve been a big help.”

“Aye. Well then, I’ll be off.”

As Holger turned to leave, I called out to his back.

“Mr. Holger, if I want to hire you again, where should I go?”

Holger broke into a delighted grin.

“If you have business with me, just tell any vagrant you see. They’ll pass the word, and I’ll come find you in a jiffy.”

I guess he doesn’t want anyone knowing where he sleeps. Still, having a connection like this seems incredibly useful. I pretended to shake his hand and pressed a 1,000-Marques silver coin into his palm.

“I look forward to working with you.”

“Hehe… for a Boss like you, I’ll make sure to do a top-notch job.”

With a smirk on his gap-toothed face, he really was a hard man to dislike.

Due to the Sow Orc’s pettiness, the Ansbach Platoon has been stuck supervising sewer cleaners for four straight days now. It’s reached a level where we might as well be the dedicated “Sewer Squad.” I’ve even become acquainted with several cleaners and vagrants.

In the evening, Lady Clara summoned me to her office, where the situation I had anticipated had finally occurred.

“At today’s meeting, it was decided that the investigation into the murder is closed.”

Since the initial discovery, we had conducted several rounds of questioning, but we hadn’t gained a single lead beyond what Holger had found. While I agree that catching the culprit would be difficult, calling it off already felt a bit premature.

“I expected this, but it’s sooner than I thought,” I remarked.

“Mm. Because the deceased was a vagrant… the higher-ups’ stance is that we can’t keep allocating personnel indefinitely.”

Actually, the investigation was scheduled to be shut down the very day the body was found, but Lady Clara had pushed back and managed to get a three-day grace period.

“It’s a shame.”

“Yes…”

Lady Clara’s expression was dark.

Was she insulted during the meeting, I wonder?

“You look tired. Shall I give you a massage?”

“Wh—!”

Lady Clara froze. Ever since I received that confession of love during our last massage session, we haven’t exactly sat down to talk properly. Tonight might be the perfect opportunity.

“Lady Clara.”

“…”

When she looks down like that, it makes me anxious too. Does she regret that confession?

“If anything happens, please tell me right away. I might not be able to help with everything, but I’ll do whatever is in my power.”

“I know… Kota, you are always so kind…”

Seeing Lady Clara say that so bluntly makes her unbearably dear to me.

“Lady Clara, I am here for you. From now on, I will always be by your side.”

When Lady Clara looked up, her eyes were brimming with tears.

“Truly?”

“Yes. Even after your military service ends and you return to Ebba-berg—always.”

“Is that… truly alright?”

“I am your summoned beast, after all.”

I gently wiped away her overflowing tears and kissed her lips. As she clung to me, I slowly stroked her hair and her back.

Japan? My company? My past? None of it mattered anymore. I will live in this world with this person. I made that vow in my heart once more as we shared another kiss.

What? You’re telling me I should have pushed her down right then and there? Like I could do that. On the surface, the nobility of this country prizes the concept of chastity. Pressing for premarital relations could be taken as an insult to one’s partner. And heaven forbid anyone found out.

Besides… Fiene has been in the adjacent attendants’ waiting room this whole time, holding her breath and peeping. Her scent gives her away completely. I’ll have to decide on a punishment for her later.

The long streak of supervising sewer cleaners is finally coming to an end today. That’s because there’s a martial arts tournament of sorts at the South District Guard Post, and some high-ranking officials are visiting. Not just the Capital Guard Chief, Viscount Kalburg, but apparently some General So-and-So above him is coming too.

Our supervisor, the “Sow Orc,” is proud of her strength and is incredibly fired up. She worked us to the bone until late last night preparing the venue. To make matters worse, she didn’t tell the rest of the soldiers about the tournament until the last minute, while giving her own direct units special training. For someone with such a large body, she has a tiny heart. I suppose that’s how she sucked up to her superiors and climbed to the rank of Company Commander.

However, Doris Beckle is a noble who cannot use magic. Deep down, she might harbor a sense of bitterness about that. It must have taken a staggering amount of effort for her to rise through the ranks. When I think about it that way, I almost feel a little sorry for her. If only she’d stop bothering me, I could find it in myself to be kinder. I wouldn’t even mind giving that thick neck of hers a massage.

Nearly 800 soldiers were lined up at the training grounds. Viscount Kalburg and a long-haired General were seated in the high observation stands at the front. One tier below them, Commander Beckle and the various Platoon Leaders were lined up; Lady Clara was among them.

A crane in a scrapheap. A lotus in the mud. A single red flower amidst a vast green thicket. Seriously, Lady Clara was the only one radiant out there. There were a few other female knights, but it was like comparing the moon to a snapping turtle.

Whoa… I actually kissed that person…

“We shall now begin the South District Guard Post Martial Arts Exhibition!!”

Commander Beckle’s gravelly voice echoed out, drowning out the sentimental thoughts swirling in my heart.