kscans

Chapter 231 - I Said You Could Have Another One

"Well enough... Good to see you're doing well, too. And I'm glad to see you two haven't broken up."

My old neighbor glanced over at Kaede-chan.

"Of course we haven't. Anyway, what are you doing in a place like this?"

"Just regular shopping."

"Huh... Aren't you a bit overdressed?"

Doesn't he look a little too much like a thug?

"I always look like this."

"No, the image I have of you is smoking a cigarette in a sweatsuit."

He was always smoking in front of his door. He gave off a real old-man vibe.

"Ah, well, I guess that makes sense. We never really saw each other outside, did we."

"Nope. I was always coming home late from work............"

Ugh... my heart aches.

"Senpai, it's alright now," Kaede-chan said, rubbing my back.

"Hmm, if I'd kept working there, it probably would have ended in bloodshed. I could have been famous."

"I'd rather you not. By the way, are you alone? What about the girlfriend who made you nikujaga?"

The one who apparently shared some food with him.

"I'm alone............ Hey, you, come here for a second."

My neighbor grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.

"What is it? I'm in the middle of a parfait I haven't had in twenty years............"

"You can eat that anytime. Just come here."

He forcibly led me to another table. There was a single coffee cup on it, presumably where he had been sitting.

"Seriously, what's this about? Are you mad that I'm here with three women?"

"Don't be an idiot... besides, they're just kids."

Kaede-chan is an adult.

"Then what is it?"

"What's your relationship with that witch?"

Oh, right. I met this guy when I was Eleanor-san.

"An acquaintance? We belong to the same guild."

"Hmm... well, I won't pry."

Oh? That's surprising.

"You won't?"

"America's being a pain in the ass. We don't want to make enemies with the military or adventurers either."

Ah, because of Claire and Harry.

"She's the woman of the hour, after all."

Even if I do say so myself...

"Well, I'm not here to say anything about her. She's outside our jurisdiction. But a rumor's been going around in our circles."

"A rumor?"

"Uh, who was it again? I forgot his name, but some politician is apparently holding a massive grudge against that witch."

I can only think of one person. Shindo-sensei.

"Oh... Is something going on?"

"He apparently ordered guys like us to attack her, you know, as a 'punishment'."

That old man has connections with Yaa-san's people?

"Seriously? You too?"

"Like hell I'd take that job. There's zero benefit to it. In fact, it'd be the end of us."

That's true.

"Then who?"

"The only ones who'd take a job like this would be some wannabe gangsters or low-level thugs, right?"

What a pain.

"By the way, when you say 'punishment', do you mean a beating?"

"Probably. Or maybe torture?"

That's terrifying. I really don't like Shindo-sensei.

"That's no good."

"Tell me about it. I don't want to get dragged into this crap, so I figured I'd let you know... seeing as neither you nor that witch ever bothered to call after I gave you my business card."

I'm not about to call a yakuza.

"Hmm, thanks."

I bowed my head.

"Make sure you tell the witch and the guild. And make it clear we had nothing to do with it."

"I know."

If anything, you're the informant.

"Alright, that's all. I'm off to play pachinko, you can go back to babysitting the kids. Oh, and this is on me."

My neighbor stood up as he spoke.

"Thanks."

He walked over to our table, picked up the bill, and left the restaurant. After seeing him off, I returned to my seat.

"Who was that? A friend of yours, Hajime?" Arc asked.

"My neighbor from my old place. He's a dangerous guy, so you all should stay away from him."

He's kind and a good person in his own way, but he's not exactly on the right side of society.

"Ah, so he really is one of those types..." Kaede-chan seemed to have guessed.

"Yep. Well, I've already told him I'd chop his head off if he ever laid a hand on you, Kaede-chan."

"Senpai, that's not funny..."

Well, I was serious.

"Hmm, your psycho tendencies are nothing new, Hajime, but what did you talk about?"

Arc is starting to build up a tolerance. But I'm not a psycho. I'm a knight protecting my beloved.

"Just a little tip. It seems Eleanor-san is deeply resented by a certain big-shot politician."

"Well, Eleanor is probably resented all over the place."

I haven't even done anything, though. And in the politician's case, it's his own damn fault.

"Senpai, by 'a certain big-shot', could you mean..."

Well, of course Kaede-chan would know.

"Yep. That guy. I'll talk to Satsuki-san about it."

The Branch Chief should be able to handle it.

"Please be careful."

Kaede-chan is such a good kid. But Lydia-chan isn't joining the conversation, she's just staring intently at Arc's pudding parfait... And Arc, noticing her gaze, has moved his parfait away from her.

"Lydia-chan, if you want some pudding, you can order one."

As I said that, Lydia-chan's face lit up.

"As expected of my master. Compared to him, Arc is..."

Lydia-chan gave Arc a sidelong glare.

"Hey, I'm not the one at fault here. I'm definitely not wrong."

He's not wrong, but he's not right either. Lydia-chan can be scary, so this will probably linger.

Hmm... should I teach him a lesson later? No, I doubt that naturally thoughtless Arc would listen... They're a good pair.