“Explain yourself. Why are you here?”
“That’s my line.”
Krishna raised her magic gun.
Zofia lowered her center of gravity.
And Zenos was caught between the two glaring women.
“Wait, both of you. There’s a reason for this.”
The situation was a classic shuraba. The unfaithful man desperately attempted to explain himself.
Translator’s Note
Shuraba translates to “scene of carnage” but, in this context and as a loanword, refers to a dramatic, chaotic situation, typically involving a love triangle or romantic conflict.
“The guy on the second floor is casually inserting a weird narration!”
“Krishna-san, this older sister is, u-um, lost,” said Lily, who was standing behind, flustered but quick-witted.
Krishna, her gun still pointed at Zofia, spoke in a low voice.
“Lost and came here? That’s some serious directional impairment.”
No, you are the one that is.
Zofia seemed to have realized something and slowly lowered her stance.
“That’s right. Is there a problem? I got lost, so I was asking this person.”
Krishna, clad in an aura of caution, took a step closer.
“Mr. Zenos. Be careful. That woman is a very dangerous person.”
“I don’t want to hear that from someone who points a gun at me out of the blue. If you want to fight, I’ll be your opponent, but are you sure you want to cause a ruckus here?”
“…”
Krishna looked around the room and said quietly.
“I owe Mr. Zenos a debt. I don’t want to disturb this place either.”
“Then, the fight is postponed. Why don’t you just put away that dangerous thing?”
“Fine. But before that, let me ask you one thing.”
Krishna’s cold pressure emanated from the raised muzzle.
“Zofia the Swift. What. Happened. To. Your. Arm?”
“…!”
The atmosphere in the room instantly became several times more tense.
The Vice-Captain, her expression unchanged, slowly closed the distance with Zofia.
“It’s unbelievable, but it’s completely healed… It seems it wasn’t my imagination after all. The person who healed the wound on that arm, the one who has mastered healing, is likely the ‘Mediator’.”
The Vice-Captain had finally reached the core of the matter.
Zofia momentarily showed an expression of regret, but quickly erased it.
“…And if there was such a person?”
“What?”
“That person treated an injured person. The injured person was happy. What’s the problem with that?”
“What we’re wary of is that person’s influence. They could rally the volatile elements of the slums and threaten the lives of good citizens. As a guardian of order, I can’t ignore it.”
Looking at the gun pointed at her, Zofia shrugged.
“The poor threaten the lives of others? My, my, are the poor always the bad ones?”
“…What do you mean?”
“I’m a petty criminal myself, so I can’t really talk. But criminals are everywhere.”
“So, what are you trying to say?”
“I heard the Imperial Guard Division is investigating a child trafficking case, but do you know that the ringleader is a nobleman?”
“What…!?”
Zenos and Lily exchanged surprised glances at the unexpected words.
Krishna also seemed surprised, a slight wrinkle appearing between her eyebrows.
“That’s ridiculous. The hotbed of illegal trafficking should be in the slums.”
“They scatter the lower-level members to avoid being caught. Well, I just got hold of this information recently. We’re more familiar with the black market information.”
“You expect me to believe that? Do you have any proof?”
“The threads leading to the nobleman have been cleverly erased, so the only way is to catch them in the act. When the investigation gets tough, some of the children are moved to a special room in the mansion, because that’s the safest place.”
Krishna, still holding her gun, took another step closer.
“…I can’t believe it.”
“I guess not. Our words won’t reach you anyway.”
“Hmph. Then, tell me who the suspect is.”
“Lord Calendore.”
“Lord Calendore? That’s even more unbelievable. He’s a man of character who is also passionate about supporting the education of orphans.”
“You get fooled because you only look at the surface.”
Zofia didn’t back down, she stepped forward.
Her gaze momentarily shifted to Zenos beside her.
“But the ‘Mediator’ is different. That person doesn’t judge us by our status. They don’t discriminate based on appearance. They don’t differentiate based on the past. They just save the lives in front of them. That’s why we admire that person. It’s frustrating, but if you were injured, that person would treat you too. They would charge you a hefty sum, but they’re nothing like you, who divide the poor as only evil. Your justice is just a fake.”
“What did you say…!”
Krishna’s finger reflexively moved to the trigger of the magic gun.
However, before the bullet was fired, Zenos stepped in front of Zofia.
“Mr. Zenos, move.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. Zofia is my patient.”
“Patient…?”
Zenos sighed deeply.
“That’s enough. I don’t want this place to become a battlefield, and Zofia, thank you for being considerate.”
“Sensei…”
Zenos held up a hand to stop Zofia and slowly turned to face Krishna.
“I’m sorry for keeping quiet. I’m the ‘Mediator’, Krishna.”
…
…
…
Krishna blinked two or three times after receiving Zenos’s confession.
“Mr. Zenos is… the ‘Mediator’?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
He didn’t want to stand out, and he still had to come up with countermeasures, but he couldn’t watch any more trouble over the “Mediator.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to become such a big deal—”
But before he could finish, his words were interrupted.
“That’s impossible, Mr. Zenos. The ‘Mediator’ is someone who has mastered healing magic. On the other hand, your specialty is protective magic. It’s impossible to master two systems of magic simultaneously.”
“I haven’t mastered it, and besides, both healing and protection just enhance the body’s functions, so the basics are the same.”
“I’ve never heard of such a theory in magic classes.”
Krishna said expressionlessly but with a hint of sadness.
“However, one thing I’ve learned is that you side with the demi-humans and the ‘Mediator’. It’s a shame. I thought you were a person worthy of respect. I’ll look for another hideout.”
“Krishna.”
He called out to her back, but Krishna didn’t turn around and grabbed the doorknob.
“The people… need a perfect hero. I am not a fake…”
After Krishna left, Zofia clasped her hands together and apologized.
“Sensei, I’m sorry. I did something stupid.”
“It’s not Zofia’s fault. Rather, I’m sorry for making you worry.”
“Fuf, it seems the second wife has won this time. As expected of someone who has known him for years.”
Camilla was sitting on the edge of the bed, having appeared at some point.
Who’s the second wife?
“W-what number am I, Camilla-san?”
“Lily, don’t take it seriously, okay?”
“But it was an unusually tense situation.”
“You never show up in those situations.”
“Because it’s not interesting.”
“Not interesting?”
“Besides, the dead shouldn’t interfere in the clashes of beliefs between the living.”
“…Well, I guess so.”
Camilla raised both hands and stretched with a “Muuu”.
“What are you going to do now, Zenos?”
“Well…”
He had claimed to be the “Mediator” to defuse the situation, but in the end, she didn’t believe him.
In a way, he had escaped the immediate crisis.
Would Krishna continue to search for the “Mediator”?
As he stared silently at the closed door, Lily groaned with a “Muu”.
“What’s wrong, Lily?”
“I wonder if Krishna-san is going to the slums.”
“Probably. Krishna seems to think the ‘Mediator’ is hiding in the slums.”
“But she suddenly went in the opposite direction.”
“That directionally impaired person!”
He instinctively held his head and thought.
Is that really the case?
“No way…”
“Sensei, what’s wrong?”
Zenos said to Zofia, who peered at his face.
“Krishna’s destination is probably not the slums.”
A/N: Zenos, having survived a desperate situation, faces yet another…!
The Stone Lady arc reaches its climax (planned) from the next installment.