ASAHI NO NISHISEI - Rising Sun Goes West (2)

Beware of the Mysterious Family

June 16, After sunset

Cusdate City, Western Crossnellyard Empire

As the sun was setting and the sky was darkening into dusk, the gas lamps installed throughout the city were beginning to glow. In addition, people were dressed in imported cotton fabrics and almost all the buildings in the city had glass windows, which clearly showed the relationship between the Margraviate of Cusdate and the Israfail Empire.

In one section of Cusdate City, the western gateway to the empire, there was a group of people dressed in black cloaks. They were based in the basement of a certain building, where they received an order from their superior.

"...Invitation?"

"What does that mean...?"

"It means to bring her a corpse."

The men who learned of the order were puzzled by its contents. Almost all of them had a vicious look on their faces and clearly did not look like ordinary people.

"No... Lady Betirna's order is to take the Japanese alive... and present them to Lady Betirna alive. Do not kill them."

A dignified woman's voice admonished the men who are about to make their own decisions. It was the same voice as that of the secret agent who had received orders from the girl who was the master of the Tomofumi family mansion.

"Capture them alive...? Maybe she meant to torture them to death?"

"It's okay as long as they're alive... even if they don't have arms or legs."

The men licked their tongues with their knives in their hands, imagining that they were tormenting their targets. Seeing their doubtful ability to follow orders, the woman who is the leader of the men sighed.

"...Lady Betirna wants to talk to the Japanese. Treat them with the utmost courtesy... now go."

"Heh...! Let's go, boys!"

She didn't know if they had heeded their leader's advice properly, but the men who received the order to go out jumped out with joyful expressions on their faces.

They were a group of assassins known as the Uraban. They have been supporting the peace and prosperity of the region from the shadows by silently killing those who oppose the Tomofumi family. Their existence is a top secret for the government of the Margraviate of Cusdate, and their presence is completely unknown to the rest of the region.

The group is unleashed on the city, and their goal was to find a group of Japanese who have just entered the territory. The threat that was suddenly presented to them was something that Jindo and the others could not possibly have realized.

. . .

"Western Capital" Inn

At that time, Jindo and his group arrived in Cusdate, where they stayed at an inn for the day. They gathered in Jindo's room with alcohol they bought in town and food they brought from their trailer, and held a small farewell party.

"It's been a short time, but tomorrow we'll say goodbye, Lugh."

Tipping a simple glass cup half-filled with spirits, Jindo said a few parting words to Eslugh, the star of the party.

"No... I'm the one who must thank you... thank you... very much!"

Eslugh, moved to tears, his voice trembling. He felt an extraordinary debt of gratitude to Jindo and his group, who had picked him up, a stranger in distress, and taken care of his food and shelter for four or five days without asking for anything in return.