The warm sunshine of winter was shining in the room. This afternoon was clear and sunny and someone was snarling in the Garter's company.
"Why we can't find out the source of counterfeit bills!"
Gettan beat his fist on the table and snarled to the president of Garter's company, Garter, who bowed his head.
Original translation from w.a.n.gmamaread.
"We…we found that it comes from the Lawless City and the Lawless City is very dangerous so we lost connection with our spies in succession."
The president of the company, Garter tried to explain for himself and his knees were knocking together.
Garter's company belonged to Garter but its real boss was Gettan.
Gettan needed a lot of money to raise his status in the cult. However, he was famous for his ident.i.ty of beastman so it was dangerous to Gettan if he owned company by himself.
Then Gettan set up a company called Garter. Everyone believed that the joint head of the Great Commerce a.s.sociation was Garter but in fact, it was Gettan.
"Do you know we don't have any time!? There are already all sorts of rumors about the counterfeit bills going around the capital."
"Emmm... there are already many people who have exchanged their bills to money."
"s.h.i.t! It's too early."
"This morning so many bills were exchanged at once and the exchange rate is accelerating…! Other managers of the Great Commerce a.s.sociation make claims and they suggest that we close the bank in order to stop people from changing bills to money."
"Idiot! Shut up! once we close the bank then rumors will be spread around the capital. We will be surrounded by ma.s.ses!!"
"B…but we don't have enough money...!"
"I see!!"
Gettan beat his fist on the table once again.
"Pung!!"
The thick wooden table was torn into pieces which flew out and hurt Garter's face with a small wound.
Gettan was smiling with teeth and narrowed his eyes, looking at Garter.
"…You said that this morning there were a lot of people exchanging money."
"Y …yes."
"It is too early and I think someone incites people to do this. Maybe he knows something about counterfeit bills. You must find him out..."
"Ok."
Garter left and Gettan covered his eyes with his hands.
He felt so painful as his lost eye was coming back. Every time he feels painful, something that was connected with his past would happen.
"It won't be.... I think it's impossible..."
Gettan kept covering his eyes and immersed himself in his memories.
Alexia gasped for breath when she was running along the street of the capital.
She heard someone talking about counterfeit bills.
Original translation from w.a.n.gmamaread.
"The economic war between Mitsugoshi Company and the Great Commerce a.s.sociation has begun, but the economy was boosted. And some black rumors are hidden deeply behind it."
Today Alexia skipped a cla.s.s deliberately and came here to investigate rumors of the counterfeit bills.
She knew that this morning many people exchanged bills to money. Everyone said that the Great Commerce a.s.sociation would go bankrupt. This rumor spread quickly.
In the street people talked about the rumors and added inflammatory details to them. They rushed into the the Great Commerce a.s.sociation quickly.
"There is something wrong happened."
Alexia wanted to come back to capital as fast as she could and told her elder sister Iris the rumors.
Iris was in the dojo. She became a regular visitor here recently.
"Iris, I want to tell you something."
She told all what she knew to her sister who held a sword made for practice.
But Iris just looked at her sister with her red eyes.
"Alexia, I am training and please don't bother me."
"Iris, today something terrible happened in the capital…!"
"Alexia, I say I am training!"
"Iris…"
Alexia turned her eyes to the sword.
"Alexia, Do you understand? I have to improve my strength. I don't want to lose again."
Iris lost at the Bushin Tournament that day, so she had changed a lot in various senses.
She didn't want to feel disappointed again. It would be the first, as well as last time she lost.
Iris was eager to become stronger.
She wanted to be stronger and Alexia didn't know when Iris started to focus on one thing only: to be stronger..
The member of [Crimson Knight Order] who liked Iris also asked why Iris changed.
Alexia thought the reason why they like Iris was Iris's strength. But it was not only because of this.
There were some reasons more important…
"I know what you are thinking about. But please listen to me, just a moment."
"…Is it OK? Just a moment."
Iris put down her sword and looked at her sister.
"Mitsugoshi Company and the Great Commerce a.s.sociation was contending against each other now. They made counterfeit bills…"
Alexia told her sister what had happened in the capital carefully.
But.
"…so what?"
She was not interested in it.
"I don't care about whatever they did. It's none of my business."
"Iris, why…!"
Original translation from w.a.n.gmamaread.
"Civil officers will pay attention to it. I am a knight for whom breaking into companies to kill people is not right."
"M…maybe it's not your responsibility. But if you are who you used to be, you will investigate and deal with it."
Alexia's voice became smaller and smaller.
"I have my job. If I can't catch shadow, I won't retrieve people's trust…"
Iris's gaze shifted from Alexia who bowed her head now and she started to swing her sword.
Her sword was sharp; the magic on the sword was strong.
But Alexia thought her sword was very ugly.
"Iris…"
Alexia's face was sad, then she left dojo alone.