Chapter 37: Ed-yan and Tou-nyan

Uraba was a city under the umbrella of the Craftsmen’s Guild.

Northglass was affiliated with the Arawn Corporation.

And—though not for that reason alone—Amaz was a city under the control of Tatara Heavy Industries.

“Given we’re already in conflict with Arawn, wouldn’t it be unwise to pick a fight with Tatara Heavy Industries too?”

“This year’s ‘not-for-sale’ Sleeper from Tatara subsidiary Double-C is you, and the buyer was Doggy House, which belongs to the Craftsmen’s Guild. The previous year’s ‘not-for-sale’ was me, and I’m with Doggy House now too.”

“So… it’s already too late.”

I see.

I decided to think about it a bit. Set a timer for five minutes. Five minutes passed. I hadn’t reached a conclusion, but there was no point in thinking any longer.

“Well, for now, maybe we should send the Arawn CEO a little gift.”

“A golden one?”

“Impressive guess. Castella cake.”

And so, I sent the castella.

A few days later, a sleek, luxurious-looking car arrived at the camp. Its wheels weren’t Monoz—they were standard tires. In other words, this was a true car, built to be a car.

That might sound ordinary, but in this era—where anyone can contract with Monoz—purely single-purpose vehicles like that are rare. It was a luxury item, plain and simple.

Shinzo and I were watching the whole thing from the camp’s watchtower, both of us peering seriously through binoculars. The sight of two grown men gawking like that had to look pretty ridiculous.

“There’s a saying—‘use shrimp to catch a sea bream.’”

“…And what exactly did you catch with castella?”

“The CEO of Arawn Corporation.”

“…”

And that’s how the president of Arawn Corporation, Mr. Edrum Arawn, paid a visit to our humble little camp.

***

Of course, you can’t catch a big fish like that with just castella.

The bait was the letter I sent along with it. The real lure was the camp itself.

See, the ruined city we’ve made our base originally belonged to the Arawn Corporation.

Because it bordered Tooth territory, skirmishes broke out frequently. But one day, things escalated—what started as minor clashes turned into a full-scale war. Humanity lost, and the city was destroyed.

After discussing it with Mr. Howard, I decided to sell the future of this place. Honestly, it was a little more than a pipe dream. And yet… we actually landed a major player. I have to admit, I’m impressed.

From the watchtower, I observed Mr. Edrum and his entourage being shown around by Mr. Howard.

When you’re a first-rate person, the people around you tend to be first-rate too. Edrum had two people with him: one, a stunning young woman with a faint resemblance to Primula, though clearly ranked above her in every way, and the other, a bodyguard.

A typical guy my age might have had his eyes glued to the girl, but I couldn’t tear my focus away from the bodyguard.

He was a lean man in glasses.

“An Assault Trooper, maybe?”

“Nah. I’d bet he’s Heavy Infantry.”

“…And your basis for that?”

“Gut feeling. Wanna test it? Try sniping him from here, you’ll see soon enough.”

“You think… he’d swat the bullet out of the air?”

“Exactly,” Shinzo nodded.

Every attack starts with intent. It sounds like something straight out of Chinese martial arts philosophy, but the elite truly live by it. That’s why I can’t kill Yuri. The parents of my era—soldiers like her—could sense the moment you meant to shoot and strike in response.

And that guy with the glasses? He wasn’t just elite, he was beyond. The kind you classify with words like “superhuman.” Same category as my mentor, Yuri, and maybe even Koma-san.

That’s probably why he walked straight into the basement without hesitation.

Our camp was never designed with visitors in mind. The only place even remotely suited for receiving guests was Mr. Howard’s office.

So I imagine, in a fluster, Mr. Howard led them there. But under normal circumstances, you’d never bring armed strangers into a semi-enclosed basement—not unless you knew them well. And likewise, no sane visitor would just go along with it.

Unless they were someone like that.

“…Wouldn’t it be better if you stayed here, just in case?”

“If they’ve gotten close enough for that to matter, it’s already too late.”

So let’s just get going.

They say someone who masters one skill can grasp many—and there’s truth to that. It wasn’t just the guy in glasses—Mr. Edrum had noticed us too.

***

In the basement were Mr. Edrum and his entourage, Mr. Howard, and for some reason, Eevee. As usual, she was dressed in her field gear and tank top, her right arm—the mark of a Tooth—fully exposed.

Seeing that strikingly natural yet completely out-of-place Tooth beauty, the first thing I did was lean in to whisper.

“Why are you here?”

Having a member of the very species responsible for the fall of this city present was a recipe for disaster. Go somewhere else, I silently urged her.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this, and I don’t like it!”

“All the more reason to step outside. Right now, me, you, and Shinzo, the only combat-capable people, are all stuck underground together. That’s bad.”

“That’s not the kind of bad feeling I meant!”

“Cut the flirting in front of the guests,” Shinzo muttered. “I’ll head outside. You handle things in here.”

I shifted my gaze toward him, only to realize every single person in the basement was now staring at us.

Not good.

“…My apologies,” I murmured, offering a quick bow before turning to face our guests.

Mr. Edrum, dressed in an impeccable suit, returned my gesture with a graceful bow of his own.

“This is our first face-to-face, isn’t it, young Hound? I’m sorry about what happened with my daughter.”

“I appreciate your assistance during that time. I’m Touji, a Hound affiliated with Doggy House. Mr. Edrum… sir?”

“Hahaha, let’s keep it casual, Touji-kun. You and I, we’re just friends.”

With a warm, charming smile, Mr. Edrum extended his right hand for a handshake. And in that moment, I understood exactly what he meant by his earlier words.

Which is why I didn’t take his hand.

“…”

“Oh? Have I already made a bad impression?”

“Not at all. Of course not. It’s just… I’m here on business.”

“Haha, how amusing. Is something for sale here, then?”

“Yes. As I mentioned in my letter, I’m selling this city.”

“Ah, I’m afraid I’m not interested.”

“…”

“No, see, it’s just that the castella was really good. I looked into it and found out it was handmade by a small independent shop under the Craftsmen’s Guild. No chain stores, nothing. I came to Uraba just to buy more. Stopping by here was simply a detour.”

“I see.”

Whether he was telling the truth or not, it seemed I really had hooked him with the castella.

Well then, fair enough.

Edrum was grinning, clearly enjoying my reaction, but against someone like him—a top-tier corporate heavyweight—I didn’t stand a chance.

Might as well surrender.

“My apologies, then. I look forward to working with you.”

I extended my hand, and Edrum shook it.

“That makes us friends now, doesn’t it? So, Ed-yan, I ran into some serious trouble. Please help,” I said.

“Ed-yan?!”

The bespectacled bodyguard’s glasses slipped right down his nose.

“Ohh…”

Edrum narrowed his eyes, amused. So that’s how you want to play it, he seemed to say.

A man like Edrum Arawn—no, a man’s man like him—would never ignore a friend in need. So please. Help me out, Ed-yan.

“And if I say no… what then, Tou-nyan?”

“Tou-nyan?!”

The bodyguard’s glasses slipped again.

“I’ll go cry to the Craftsmen’s Guild.”

Ignoring the poor man and his traitorous eyewear, I delivered my answer.

I’d already fulfilled my obligation by bringing the offer to Arawn Corporation first. If they passed, next up was the Craftsmen’s Guild. Honestly, I figured the odds were better with them anyway.

“No, no, you’re missing the point, Tou-nyan. This isn’t about some boring deal. This is about friendship, yours and mine.”

“Ah, right. That. We’re besties for life.”

I said it completely flatly, without a shred of emotion.

Apparently, that hit the mark, because the mysterious girl looked like she was about to burst out laughing.

“How strange. Your words say one thing, but I feel the faintest possible trace of friendship.”

“No, no. We’re besties for life.”

I repeated it, just as flatly.

The mysterious girl couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. Looking closer, I saw the bodyguard’s shoulders trembling slightly too. Even Mr. Howard was barely keeping it together. Only Eevee remained perfectly composed. Hang in there, boys. Keep it together.

“I consider our friendship to be something quite precious, Tou-nyan.”

“I’m happy to hear that, Ed-yan.”

“But it depends on what you’re asking for. If you’re expecting me to carry you from start to finish—well, I could do it, but it will affect our friendship going forward.”

“Affect it how?”

“We’re besties for life.”

Edrum said it with that same deadpan tone, but with a voice far too rich and resonant for the line.

That surprise attack finally broke the bodyguard, who sputtered out a laugh.

“I’d hate for that to happen,” I replied, touching the necklace around my neck. I traced its curve, then pressed the raised part with the pad of my thumb. Pain bloomed there.

“I’d like you to act as a witness.”

“Oh?”

Edrum settled deeper into his seat and crossed one leg over the other. With a glance, he gestured for me to go on.

“We’ll present our terms and make sure they accept them. I’d like you to be there to witness it.”

“That’s all?”

“I imagine it wouldn’t be so easy to break an agreement signed in front of Edram Arawn, CEO of the Arawn Corporation.”

“You say that like you’re not easily ignored yourself.”

Edram gave me a pointed look, as if to say, You, they can brush off.

“…”

I hesitated for a second, but then forced the words out. “I may be expendable, but they’re not. They’re a corporation… or a city. They can’t afford to act lightly.”

“Do you think you can make them accept your terms?”

“I don’t plan on playing fair.”

Threats are kind of my specialty.

“You’re a wicked one, aren’t you, Tou-nyan?”

“And you’re hardly innocent, Ed-yan, since you’re not even asking what I’ll do before agreeing to stand by.”

Edram and I locked eyes for a long moment. Several seconds passed before he finally let out a soft chuckle.

“Alright, Tou-nyan. I’ll do it. But in exchange, I’d like you to grant me a favor as well.”

“…If it’s something I’m capable of, I’d be happy to, Ed-yan.”

At that, Edram gave a subtle glance to the beautiful girl beside him. Catching the cue, she rose silently to her feet.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Karys Arawn.”

“My daughter.”

“Ah. So she is your daughter.”

I thought as much. We’ve met another of your daughters before.

Primula-san came to mind.

I couldn’t help making a slightly displeased face.

“Don’t worry, this one’s the ‘capable’ daughter,” Edram said with a wry smile, as if to imply the other one wasn’t.

“Uh, nice to meet you. I’m Touji.”

I introduced myself, at least, and we shook hands. I shot Edram a glance. And?

“Take her.”

“…Excuse me?”

“A little upfront investment, Tou-nyan. It’s wise to establish ties with your kind.”

“I’m a Sleeper, you know.”

“Exactly. Blood runs strong. It’s better to tie down people like you while we still can. That’s what this girl is for.”

“And by ‘this girl’ you mean…?”

“I don’t know how things were in your time, but these days, it’s more convenient when a man inherits the company. Karys is brilliant, yes, but she’s a woman. And not the pampered, sheltered type either. She’s the kind who learns by going out into the world. For a girl like that, a good match isn’t some useless corporate heir; it’s a mercenary who can show her the breadth of the wasteland. That kind of man.”

“I see.”

This… was unexpected. I hadn’t anticipated being held in such high regard. What should I do? Maybe I should ask for time to think it over before giving an answer? Or perhaps—

“Hey, Touji.”

Eevee suddenly barged into my thoughts.

I turned to see her standing with her feet planted shoulder-width apart, arms crossed firmly over her chest.

“If you accept that offer, I’ll become your enemy!”

She declared it with absolute conviction.

“…My apologies. As you can see, our strongest asset has spoken.”

Honestly, she might as well run the whole show. She really is the strongest one we’ve got… despite everything.

“You can have Shinzo instead, Ed-yan!”

There she went again, making declarations with full force. Also, you too? Can we please stop calling him Ed-yan?

“Shinzo?”

“The guy who just stepped out. The nice guy with a thing for kids. Bit foul-mouthed, but good people.”

“Ah, him. What’s his class?”

“Cavalry, Shepherd Dog, Puppy.”

“Is he strong?”

That question was clearly directed at those of us on this side.

“Stronger than me, weaker than Eevee.”

“Stronger than Touji, weaker than me!”

“…If you let him pick the battlefield, there’s no one here who can match him.”

Mr. Howard, as usual, was the voice of reason.

“Hmm… Karys?”

“I don’t mind, Father.”

And just like that, Shinzo got himself a bride. Incidentally, he has absolutely no idea.