This is the garbage dump.
The definite dark side of Tsige.
In the first place, the city called Tsige is the entrance to the border of the world.
The precipitous mountain range rising up high is also a rift.
As if connecting the left and right side of the cliffs, a thick and tall wall was made, and at the back of the mountain range, there’s a city that draws a half-circle at Aion’s plain.
That’s Tsige.
The outer wall that was made at the side of the plain connects directly to the Golden Highway, and even if you look down at it from far high in the sky, that thing that can be seen more clearly than the national borders continues all the way even to the remote region of Robin in the major power of Gritonia without stopping.
In terms of scale and history, the Golden Highway is a dream.
Now then, one extreme of that dazzling golden path is the mountain range side that separates the world and the wasteland.
Especially at the back of the wasteland, at the eastern mountain-side where there’s a dented zone, there’s a region spread at its center called the Dusk Street.
Because it is at a mountain-side, the sun obviously doesn’t reach well, and the price of the land is slightly lower, and the public order is greatly proportional to the amount of light it receives.
The worst one is Dusk Street.
Rather than calling it the slums, it is more like the den for the people that have fallen to the deepest they could.
Children, elderly, weak people who suffer some sort of heavy illness, poor people, or both; those kinds of people don’t get close to Dusk Street.
They can’t survive there after all.
It is in a sense the hood, a place in Tsige where there’s a lot of ruins. But those guys move from place to place as they live.
Moving from place to place is simply changing locations at fixed times to places that correspond to Tsige.
Construction rushes and bankruptcy rushes are of the same coin after all.
They have a special sixth sense in finding ruins that they can use as their spots and people don’t get close to.
They have no coin or the ability to earn it, and can’t cope with the changes of Tsige.
In other words, these people that have been left behind have an existence that’s providing charity to them earnestly, enough for them to survive.
We of the Kuzunoha Company also participated in this just the other day. Food, clothes, and other necessities were distributed actively.
…Just that, I honestly didn’t see any signs of them going out of their way to solve the root problem.
It was simply posing that they are contributing here.
But it is true that there’s people who are surviving from this.
The merchants don’t really care as long as they serve as tools to make them look good, but the people of the slums and at times the ones of the Dusk Street would get hired by bad natured criminals and end up dyeing their hands in crime.
Compared to them, the children at the orphanage are in the really good category.
In the current Tsige, the children in orphanages won’t be starving to death.
The personnel is carefully selected, and especially the old companies put their all in their protection.
There’s no knowing what talents a child can have sleeping in them.
That’s why, instead of having a child swallowed by the slums due to some wanderer, they would mostly be brought into an orphanage somewhere.
And so, the ones who are talented will feel indebted, and then will work for them passionately and loyally.
We are also sponsors of a certain orphanage.
We have no plans on employing them though.
What I am trying to say here is that…I am currently in this place that’s dark even at noon, where stimulation is sought more than even the slums, and a problematic area where influential powers are mixed in all this creating a location of minus security.
Meaning that, unless you actually come in, you won’t be able to get information from any information network regarding someone that is inside here.
According to what Rembrandt-san told me…
The young Rembrandt-san of those days spoke to a top of that time, he came into an agreement with them that both sides would in essence not interfere with each other, and if there’s danger to the city, they can not cooperate but won’t pull the leg of the other.
In exchange, as long as what happens inside the Dusk Street doesn’t leak to the outside, Tsige intended to give their tacit consent.
…
I see, is what I thought.
They put a lid on a deep darkness that would be too troublesome to deal with, and for the dimly lit parts they themselves would trample down on it and replace it.
Rembrandt-san and Zara-san really do resemble each other in foundation.
Well, it is funny that the one with the deep darkness is called Dusk though.
“The one other Tsige, huh.” (Makoto)
It is a place that the Kuzunoha Company and I didn’t come or did anything until now.
Honestly speaking, I am still not interested in it.
But…
According to the spy revolutionaries that we captured recently, there’s a big problem that has to do with this place.
They so conveniently didn’t have any more information than that, and due to not knowing what might be happening in there due to having no prior information about it, I have come here together with Mio.
“It is a place where there’s practically no delicious smells, so I haven’t come here.” (Mio)
“I also had no plans of coming, but if it involves the Kuzunoha Company, it bothers me. However…” (Makoto)
“?”
“I thought for sure that the moment we entered, there would be hoodlums with mohawks and thorny shoulder pads attacking us with flamethrowers.” (Makoto)
“…It is so silent.” (Mio)
“Yeah, it is.” (Makoto)
I feel gazes on us.
But they don’t attack.
If I had come alone, or were to bring along an employee of my store, I feel like they would jump on us immediately, so I had Mio come with me as a bodyguard since her face and name has been passed around. Guess it is working so well that it had the opposite effect.
“There’s a whole lot of half-baked ones, a good amount that are decent, and people on the level of demon generals…looks like there’s none.” (Mio)
“Agree with that. However, be careful about skill combinations and patterns of specialized types.” (Makoto)
“Yes, Waka-sama.” (Mio)
If it is Mio, as long as it is not quite the thing, there shouldn’t be any problems.
How they deal with this situation will reveal just how much the big shots of this place know about us.
At the very least, they won’t suddenly go for a forceful method if they know about the strength of Mio.
But Mio is so close.
Even if she is being considerate to not stand out, she is pinching a part of my sleeve.
This must be her way of saying that the ideal for her would be if we could hold hands.
…It would be one thing if this were a date, but…
This place’s public order is on the minus numbers, Mio.
Saying it out loud would be silly, but I also don’t feel like having her stop.
“Tch! …Waka-sama, looks like they have come to meet us.” (Mio)
It was really low, but I heard her clicking her tongue before her report.
The door at the end of the street.
There, huh.
I certainly do feel the presence of a decent amount of people.
However, it is unnaturally thin.
The chances that they are using some sort of cloaking is high.
Yup…no problems at all!
Let’s go!
We stopped walking for an instant, but we soon began advancing again.
*Clack*
The door…eh?
The ground just in front of the door opened like a hidden passage or the entrance of a shelter.
T-That was unexpected.
That place can open?
“…The Kuzunoha Company, right?”
“Yes, I am the representative, Raidou. This one here is my bodyguard, Mio.” (Makoto)
“…”
“Mio.” (Makoto)
“…I am Mio. And you?” (Mio)
I urged Mio, who was looking with really cold eyes at the man that spoke to us, to introduce herself.
“Am I correct to assume that you didn’t come into this Dusk Street by coincidence, but because you had business here?”
“Yea—wait, Mio?! Stop!” (Makoto)
“?!”
The shadow that was coiling around the neck of the man disperses.
That was close!
That’s way too much of a preemptive attack!
The magic power flow at the time when it dispersed must have let the man know what was about to happen to himself, he gulped and sweat flowed down his face.
“Do you want to die? Or could it be that you want to hide your name so much that it is worth more than your life? Don’t know how to greet someone?” (Mio)
So that’s what it was.
She gave her name and she asked back, and yet, the other side just continued questioning without introducing himself.
Well, I think it is fine to flip the orders around a bit though.
“…Kanta.”
Kandata?
Aah, Kanta.
“Sorry. It is a dangerous place, so my bodyguard is a bit reactionary here, you see.” (Makoto)
“No way, I am feeling completely fulfilled being able to be together with you, Waka-sama. But for some reason, when I see an insolent one that looks down on Waka-sama, I just end up thinking ‘it should be fine if they are gone’.” (Mio)
What jet coaster are you riding there?
Also, in this scenario, wasn’t it you who was looked down on, Mio?
“No, looking down on me is proof that they are looking down on my master, Waka-sama, too. Because if it were someone who is polite to Waka-sama, that means they would also show the same amount of respect to me who was introduced as your bodyguard.” (Mio)
Telepathy?!
She read my mind?!
“N-No, that’s not it. There’s a few things that have been topics of conversation lately in regards to the Kuzunoha Company. We in no way are looking down on the representative Raidou or his companion, Mio.”
Topics of conversation, huh.
That’s what I came here to confirm.
“Your way of speaking is looking down on us. You are already—” (Mio)
“Not dead! Calm down, okay? Let’s calm down, Mio.” (Makoto)
You going ‘Omae wa Mou…’ is scary!
I-It should be okay, right?
He won’t swell and go ‘Nani?!’, right? …Whew. Safe.
I thought for a second I was too late.
That really scared me.
“?!…?!…”
See?!
His breathing has gotten ragged!
Did he get hit by her bloodlust?
Aah, geez!
Mio as well as Tomoe have been emotionally unstable in some areas lately!
Tomoe’s way of dealing with spies is amusing, and when I thought that she began to stand and talk with the customers of the store, she would give them products. She is in a state where it is as if she is level-headed but has an air-headed side to her.
And there was a time when Lime got injuries on the level of the time he was defeated by Haruka-san. When I saw this, I got flustered thinking it was an enemy attack, but he said ‘Big Sis turned into a bomb, hehe’ and collapsed.
The current Tomoe is dangerous.
From my perspective, Mio seemed like the safer bet in comparison, so I took her with me, but the inside was a no for both?!
“My bad. I really didn’t have that intention. The way to speak with important people…yeah, I will try learning it. Definitely, by next time. That’s why, please spare me. Seeing you clinging to each other so much and grabbing his sleeve like that, I thought that you were a bodyguard and a hooke—no! A girlfriend or a lover, so I ended up getting a bit distrustful there. As you see, I am really sorry.”
The mohawk guy lowered his head deeply.
Right, this guy doesn’t have a flamethrower, but both of his shoulders have sharp spikes.
Despite his appearance, he is actually pretty polite, no, easy to speak to.
“Oh my! There’s no need to mind it, Kanta. Anyone can make mistakes.” (Mio)
Huh?
“You are forgiving me, Big Sis? …! No, Mrs. Mio!”
“Oh my, aren’t you a polite one! You show promise, Kanta!” (Mio)
“…Haha, thank you very much.”
…Is this a comedy?
No, wait.
Could it be that Lime got beaten up by Tomoe because of a matter similar to this?
His way of saying Big Sis reminds me of him.
In that case, could it be that the reason why they are acting strange is because of me?
“Well then, you two personages, I am simply a mere gatekeeper, so I may be rude in various areas, but please do be lenient. The Elders are waiting. Please follow me.”
“Understood.” (Makoto)
“Fine. I will forgive your slight disrespects.” (Mio)
We somehow managed to safely follow after the gatekeeper Kanta, and it looks like we will be able to do one step into the center of the Dusk Street.
The Elders, huh.
It reminds me of the Forest Onis.
I had it rough at that time.
But whenever I talk about it, Eris would go full-on about how hellish the bootcamp was and object.
Now the researches have advanced quite a lot and they are now able to do medical treatment, so they have completely gotten used to it.
The Tree Punishment was quite the impactful stuff.
“Even so, the Kuzunoha Company has some good ears. To think that you have already heard about the rumors of the people here and came to investigate.”
“…Well, we are at these kinds of times after all. I would like to clear my mind of worries as soon as I can. That’s all it is.” (Makoto)
Kanta threw a slight casual talk.
…Probably because of what happened before, he couldn’t endure walking silently in a dark corridor with his back turned to Mio.
But what he said after was something that really surprised me.
The fact that I didn’t say it out loud could be considered a fine play.
“The great personages also have a few things they are troubled by, you see. To think the Kuzunoha Company was the core of the Mist Town.”
““?!””
What did he just say?!
He suddenly hit the heart without going for a deduction time?!
Developments where you go ‘the culprit is you!’ without a single step to that conclusion is a forbidden move in published works and reality, you know?!
Oi oi, moshi moshi?!
“And to think that the top of the Anti-God Cult was managing that Mist Town.”
What?
He suddenly began saying nonsense.
“That nameless Mist Town is actually called Ark, and it comes from the name of the Anti-Goddess Cult, or something like that.”
…
It looks like a problem far bigger than I thought is happening here.
I have to a-ask for more d-details.
Depending on the situation, I will have to dissect this Dusk Street.
What is that Anti-Goddess Cult doing?!
Are you trying to compete with that bug in who can be the most annoying?! Just how nuts can you be?!