Volume 13 Chapter 3 Contact From The Black Curtain
"...Wow, impressive. Noroa Rator."
At some point, a shady guy was standing at the end of a deserted alleyway.
His face was hidden in the shadow of his hood, and only the light from his monocle lens was visible.
He was holding a book with one hand, and on the page... a panorama model of the city, like a pop-up book, was floating...
'What, what, what a suspicious MAX guy!!'
"Yeah... sorry, but I thought the same thing."
Even if he's a suspicious character, I think he'd be better off dressing more normally so he doesn't stand out so much. I'd want to give him a lecture on how to blend in from scratch. But now's not the time for that.
I quickly pulled Ravuri behind me.
"...Who are you? Did you send a monster after Ravuri?"
"...I don't have to answer that."
'Huh? Don't you think it's common sense to introduce yourself when you first meet someone?'
"...I don't have to introduce myself to you people."
'Then I'll call you 'Glasses Beam'!'
"......Eh?"
"What's with the beam thing? What's that, lovely♪"
"......Uh, wait."
'Hey, try shooting a beam! Come on, beam! Beam!'
"Beam♪ beam♪"
"......Mars."
He introduced himself with a really complicated-looking face. I felt a little sorry for him.
"So... what do you want with us?"
Nine out of ten, this Mars guy is the culprit behind the curse.
The book he's holding is definitely cursed equipment, judging from its cuteness.
So, I don't get why he's showing his face willingly.
"...Noroa Rator... I've judged you to be dangerous."
Mars started speaking in a low tone.
"...I've been watching your movements, but they're clearly different from other Inquisitors. You're used to fighting monsters, and your combat power is on a whole different level. That's no surprise, considering you're an S-Rank adventurer..."
'Wait, your voice is too soft and hard to hear! Are you testing our hearing or something? Are you trying to examine our hearing, us?'
"Shh! Your voice is going to make it even harder to hear!"
"In other words... your existence is going to interfere with my plan...!"
His voice somehow grew louder, and I felt really bad for getting him worked up.
"Are you planning to eliminate me from your plan?"
"...Don't get defensive. I'm just here to talk."
"...Show me the 'liar' who's 'just passing by'."
Just in case, I checked with Compass Eye, but it didn't react.
It seemed like he really was just here to talk.
But... the book Mars has in his hand is probably cursed equipment. If we make a wrong move, he'll attack us right away.
With Ravuri behind me, I have no choice but to listen to what he has to say.
"...My only request is for you to back off from this cursed disaster."
"You want me to abandon Ravuri? That's impossible..."
"I've heard rumors that you're obsessed with equipment... but our organization can provide anything, whether it's limited equipment, illegal equipment, or even cursed equipment?"
"...!"
Limited equipment, illegal equipment, cursed equipment...?
This is a tempting offer!
Ravuri doesn't want me to protect her, and the reason I got involved in this cursed disaster in the first place was because I wanted cursed equipment...
But if anything happens to Ravuri, I'll never be able to sleep at night.
Ravuri is Cirrul's friend, and I can't just abandon someone I've gotten to know...
So.
"Sorry, but I won't give in to that temptation!"
"You looked really brave for a second, but you were hesitant for 30 seconds, weren't you?"
"I thought it would be cool if you gave a straight answer..."
He looked at me with an amazing stare.
"...I didn't expect much, but it seems like our negotiations have broken down. I wanted to resolve this peacefully..."
Mars let out a tired sigh.
"Then... go ahead and regret your choice."
He said that and turned to leave.
'Ah, you're going to run away with your tail between your legs!'
"I won't let you escape!"
I panicked and chased after him.
Mars' cursed equipment is the kind that controls monsters. But, when I check with Compass Eye, there aren't any monsters nearby.
This means――I can finish this in a short battle.
"Juju, the needle!"
'It's been a while since I've been called out!'
A shining needle appears in my hand.
It's a needle for stealing other people's cursed equipment.
I approach Mars, trying to stab the needle into Juju's heart――.
"――Rewrite (Reright)."
"......Huh?"
When he moves the model on the page with his finger, the scenery in front of me suddenly changes.
The path that was there before――slides to the side.
I'm caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events.
I lose my footing, and I feel like I'm floating.
By the time I think "Oh no!", it's already too late....
"――Noo!?"
Ravuri suddenly reaches out to me.
But, her hand doesn't touch me.
When I come to, I've fallen into the waterway.
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