TFJB 06

Chapter 6

I leaned back in the guest chair and let out a huge yawn.

“Ahhh… I’m sleepy……”

Several hours had already passed since Kin left the office.

“I thought he’d be back soon…… Making a guest wait this long. Just what you’d expect from a man worth ten million gold—no manners to be found.”

I was grumbling when—

As the saying goes, speak of the tiger and it appears. The massive office door burst open with a thunderous bang! as if it were about to shatter.

I shot a sharp glance toward the open doorway.

“You’re finally here? Haven’t you left me alone for a bit too lo—”

I stopped mid-sentence when I saw Kin and jumped in shock.

“Eek! Kyaa! What is that? What is it?! That’s not blood… is it?”

His hands were stained with a dark red liquid.

Worse still, splatters of what looked like blood dotted various parts of his body. It was a horrifying sight.

“It is blood.”

Kin replied flatly, scrubbing his hands roughly with some clothes lying around the office. But there was no way the stains already soaked in would come clean.

Watching the scene while holding my breath, I blurted out without thinking,

“You didn’t happen to kill someone while you were gone, did you…?”

…This mouth of mine really gets me into trouble.

As I was regretting my words, Kin plopped down into the seat across from me. Crossing his legs, he propped his chin on his hand and stared straight at me.

‘W-What is it?’

His icy blue eyes made it feel as though he were piercing straight through my thoughts.

After glaring at me for a long moment, he finally spoke.

“How did you find Sinner so quickly?”

In this atmosphere, there was no way I could say, ‘I just happened to run into him on the street.’

“Well, th-that is. Like I said earlier……”

I desperately racked my brain—because I had no desire to become the next sacrifice to stain Kin’s hands.

“……Fate guided me! The voices of the stars led the way!”

Kin narrowed his eyes.

“You mean you found him with that strange, bent-looking stick?”

“Tools are like well-made maps. If you have one, it becomes easier to achieve what you want.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? Do all astrologers talk like this?”

At Kin’s irritation, I merely moved my lips into a faint smile.

‘If it sounds like nonsense…… that’s because it is! It’s completely empty babble.’

Instead of voicing my thoughts, I subtly changed the subject.

“Anyway, what happened outside? Unfortunately, I don’t have clairvoyance, so I’ve no way of knowing what went on beyond this room.”

“You were right. Sinner had defected, so I executed him.”

It was a blunt and painfully unfriendly explanation.

“Oh… I see…… S-so you executed him.”

But then—

“You’ll find the hundred thousand gold in the room you’re staying in.”

“…What?”

For a moment, I thought I’d misheard.

“A hundred thousand gold? Why?”

“That’s the amount promised upon completing the request, isn’t it?”

Only then did I recall the conversation I’d had with that pitch-black stranger right before being kidnapped here.

“If you succeed, ten thousand gold.”

“…Pardon?”

“Is that too little? Then let’s make it a hundred thousand.”

So that meant…… Kin’s curse problem had been resolved?

As if on cue, Kin continued explaining.

“The enemies had implanted a curse medium inside Sinner’s body.”

“Using a human body as the medium?”

“That’s why no matter how thoroughly we searched the castle, we couldn’t find it. His body itself was functioning like a cursed doll.”

“Ah……”

My mouth fell open.

This was truly a case of stumbling backward and catching a mouse.

My luck was absurdly good.

‘Is the heavens really on my side?’

Just as I was about to squeeze out a tear of joy, a thunderbolt-like declaration struck from above my head.

“So, because of that, you’ll need to stay by my side for the next year.”

“…What?”

“I need proper talent. And I need a purge. If Sinner could defect, who knows about the others.”

“I don’t think I’m the kind of person you’re looking for……”

“One year. Just endure it by my side for one year.”

“No, I really am not the type of talent you want—”

But my objections didn’t work at all.

“You’ve proven your ability.”

“M-Me? I have?”

“I’ll give you the chance to use your power freely here, Esmeralda of Mystery. If you don’t want to die, stay.”

“…Oh.”

As expected, life really is a zero-sum game. If something good happens, something bad is sure to follow right after.

……Anyway, that’s how I ended up stuck in the Ashen Citadel.

The very place where the continent’s most wanted criminals gather.