"So you're the hunting dog they hired to bite people, are you?"
In the dim office, a gaunt old man sat behind his desk, studying his visitor with a measuring gaze.
The man who had pushed open the door carried the stench of battle with him. The scars carved across his face and the dense, frightening muscle beneath his coat marked him unmistakably as a predator.
A hound of the battlefield.
He followed a rule of not killing unless necessary, but that hardly made him righteous.
Necromancer. That was what people called him—what they feared him as, and what they despised.
"Hah? That's a real charming title," the visitor said evenly. "Care to see your bones snapped, old man?"
Kairi Shishigou had long grown used to contempt. Otherwise, he would never have set foot in territory owned by nobles.
"If you think you can manage it, feel free to try." The gray-haired, withered old man smiled in provocation. "But if you do, the nobles will simply pick a more obedient hunting dog."
"So confident?" Kairi leaned back against the sofa. His posture looked casual, but every muscle was taut, ready to respond. "No wonder you're still ruling as a 'Lord,' old man."
"Still sharp? I'll take that as praise." The old man waved a hand. "Let's discuss your assignment."
This man—Rocco Belfeban, Lord of the Department of Summoning—had held his seat for half a century.
"We—or rather, Barthomeloi of the Department of Law—require you to go to Romania and wipe out the remnants of Yggdmillennia. And most importantly—"
"Kill Rhodes. Kill the troublemaker known as Rhodes Frain Yggdmillennia."
"Oh?" Kairi smiled faintly. He reached into his coat for a cigarette, then met the Lord's stare and shoved the pack of Hong Kong Dragons back into his pocket.
"Then I take it you're accepting?" Rocco asked, a sharp glint crossing his eyes.
"Of course—no." Kairi's expression hardened. His hand closed around the short-barreled shotgun at his side. "I don't betray benefactors. Mr. Rhodes did right by me. I have no reason to kill him."
"Oh? You're not afraid of dying here?" Rocco bared his teeth. "The Clock Tower may be splendid, but there are plenty of shadows where sunlight never reaches. One word from me, and Barthomeloi's magi will swarm you like jackals scenting blood. Ninety-seven kilograms of flesh—gone in moments."
"Tch. Still pretending?" Kairi scoffed. "Don't think I can't see through you, Lord Rocco. If I remember correctly, it was El-Melloi who pushed this job. Aren't those people wearing the same trousers as Rhodes?"
"The same trousers—how vivid. East Asian languages truly are fascinating." Rocco's expression shifted, the earlier menace vanishing. "Since you've rejected the first assignment, that means your stance aligns with ours—the Twelve Lords. So let's discuss another task. The reward will exceed your imagination."
"Figures." Kairi laughed dryly. "A wealthy noble family. I was already planning to extort you." His eyes narrowed. "If I'd agreed earlier, I wouldn't have walked out of here alive, would I? Mr. Rhodes really does have friends everywhere."
"No. You would have left the Clock Tower alive," Rocco said lightly, voice chilled to the bone, "and fallen into the English Channel along with your plane."
Kairi snorted.
"The second task is this: protect Rhodes. Kill Darnic and the other members of Yggdmillennia. At the appropriate moment, bring Rhodes back to the Clock Tower. We will protect him."
"You think I'm stupid?" Kairi shot back. "Protect him? Don't joke. You just want his techniques."
"Hmph. A hunting dog's perspective is truly narrow," Rocco said with disdain. "Lord Rhodes' true value lies in the wisdom and talent he inherited. To secure his bloodline, every family would treat him well—perhaps even hand him the headship and let him choose freely."
"Nobles really do love their twists and turns." Kairi stood up. "I owe Lord Rhodes a debt. This is me repaying it."
"You owe him?" Rocco said, almost kindly. "Don't be ridiculous. Can't you see how purely self-interested he is? He's using you."
"Of course I know." Kairi lifted a preserved hydra hatchling from the side table. "Don't take me for an idiot. Even if I'm being used, Mr. Rhodes treats me as an equal. Not like nobles who see me as a lowly hound. And this counts as a down payment."
Bang.
The door slammed shut. Rocco listened to the echo fade and let out a bitter smile.
"Pity. But a noble's arrogance is indispensable. Without it, how could one be called a noble?"
◇◇◇
Under the blazing noon sun, on the streets of Trifas, Rhodes—dressed in Yggdmillennia colors—was entangled with Tamamo-no-Mae.
"Hey, hey, hey—Master!" Tamamo-no-Mae clung tightly to his arm, looking faintly bewildered. "Something's wrong here! All these humans are glaring at us. They're afraid, hostile, even hateful. What terrible deeds did you commit to earn this much malice?"
As she spoke, she patted her generous chest.
"Relax, Master! Even if you had a criminal record starting at three years and ending with the death penalty, it wouldn't matter to me. If you ever need to forcibly charm young girls, just tell me—I'll switch to a youthful form!"
"Tch… I feel insulted again."
Rhodes wore a bitter smile and tried with all his strength to pull his hand free. Compared to a Heroic Spirit's physical power, he was utterly outmatched. Worse, the soft warmth pressed against him and the faint, alluring fragrance made resistance far more difficult than it should have been.
"Relax. They're just resentful and afraid of Yggdmillennia's name," he said. "Who knows what unforgivable things those bastards did."
"Huh? Is that so?" Tamamo-no-Mae tilted her head. "What a shame. We almost had a chance to do something intimate Master…"