Chapter 27: The Reaper's Coin
"Haah... ugh... Aaahhh!"
Exhausted from screaming, Nimurosu gasped for breath while enduring the pain in his arms. Shu pressed harder on his back and asked a question.
"Tell me the location of the gold coin."
"Heh... G-Gold coin...?"
"One side has a cat with a staff, and the other side has a skull and a knife. That kind of gold coin. Do you have it?"
"Nnguu... That... thing, huh...?"
Perhaps due to the pain, Nimurosu couldn't think clearly. He answered more obediently than expected.
"That... creepy thing... I gave it to Greg... as a reward... ugh..."
"So it was him."
While muttering inwardly that it would be better if he hadn't sold it, Shu shifted his gaze towards Greg. At first glance, he didn't appear to be wearing the gold coin, so he must have kept it in his pocket.
Shu kicked Nimurosu with force.
"Ugyaaa!"
Despite the pain and his screams, Shu ignored him and approached the deceased Greg. He searched through his jacket and pants pockets. Then he noticed something hard in the left pocket of the pants. When he took it out and examined it under the moonlight coming in through the window, he confirmed that it was the desired gold coin.
"The cat with a staff on one side, and a skull and a knife on the other. No doubt this is the target coin."
It was a fairly large gold coin, and as "Takame" had said, it had intricate patterns engraved on it for decorative purposes. Shu put it in his pocket.
With this, the second request was also complete.
"Goooh... Uguu..."
"Well, I'll make it quick and kill you painlessly. 'Death.'"
Drawing energy from Nimurosu, who was convulsing on the floor while groaning, Shuu stole his life force. Regardless of how wicked they were, anyone Shu killed would become an equal source of magic power. In a way, death could be considered egalitarian.
Then, he released the soundproofing magic and passed through the wall to the outside.
(Request complete. I'll report to 'Takame' tomorrow.)
Finance Minister Nimurosu Brat, deceased.
Furthermore, it was discovered that his son Carlos had died under suspicious circumstances at his mansion, and forty-eight of his guards had mysteriously disappeared. The following day, it became a major incident that stirred up the Elise Republic.
***
The next day, Shu visited a tavern with Iris.
It was still before noon, so there were only a few customers. Since the counter seats were available, the two of them took a seat there. Then, the master came over.
"'Takame' is waiting in yesterday's room."
"I see. For now, give us something light to eat. It's almost noon."
"Ah, I want the same thing too!"
"...Understood."
Master let out a sigh and headed towards the kitchen. He would surely prepare something diligently. After a short while, he brought out some grilled bacon and mashed potatoes. Since I ordered a light meal, the portion wasn't that large.
"For now, let's dig in."
"Yes."
Shu and Iris skewered the bacon with their forks and brought it to their mouths. It was thickly sliced, providing a satisfying texture, and the juices overflowed, making it incredibly delicious. Next, they tasted the mashed potatoes, which were slightly dry. It seemed like it would have been perfect with the bacon grease, adding just the right amount of seasoning.
"It's quite good."
"The meat is delicious."
"It's homemade. It's like our signature dish."
"No wonder."
Master seemed a bit proud, so it must truly be popular. It was said that enjoying this as a snack with drinks was the most popular thing to do in this tavern.
I wanted to try it out, but I decided to hold back for now since I would be meeting with "Takame" later. It was a precaution since it was unknown if monsters could get drunk from alcohol.
"It was delicious."
"Thank you. How much is it?"
"Well... to celebrate your first successful request, I'll give it to you as a service."
"Is that okay? Also, how did you find out so quickly?"
"That guy, 'Takame,' was talking about it with unusual delight."
The Nimros Blatt assassination incident was already causing a stir among some people. However, the information shouldn't have reached the general public yet. The information Master knew must have come from "Takame" as he declared himself.
"In that case, I gratefully accept your treat."
"Ah, go ahead and go to the back. 'Takame' was grinning too much, and it was creepy."
"I lost my enthusiasm all at once."
"Just go already."
Master gestured with his hand, urging them to go to the back, so Shu reluctantly stood up. Iris followed suit. The two of them headed towards the dimly lit corridor, aiming for the private room they entered yesterday. As it was still fresh in their memory, they quickly arrived at their destination.
Shu entered without even knocking.
Inside, "Takame" was waiting with a creepy smirk on his face as always. The mask he wore exuded a suspicious atmosphere.
"Stop making that creepy face and return to your normal expression."
"Oh, I apologize."
Shu intended to deliver a cutting remark, but "Takame" returned to his normal expression without much reaction. Shu sat in the chair he occupied yesterday, and Iris closed the door behind her before taking a seat next to Shu.
Then, "Takame" started the conversation.
"To think you would succeed in just one night, truly surprising. Really."
"I said I pride myself as the best when it comes to killing, didn't I?"
"Haha, you might be right."
"Takame" had a calm demeanor, but there was an air of investigation about Shu, as if trying to figure out who exactly he was. However, it wasn't a suspicious atmosphere, but rather mere curiosity. Therefore, Shu continued the conversation without paying it much attention.
"And here is the collected gold coin. Is this correct?"
Taking out the gold coin from his pocket, he placed it on the desk. "Takame" picked it up and began checking both sides. After examining the coin for a while, "Takame" silently returned it to Shu.
Curious as to why it was returned, Shu naturally asked, "Is it incorrect?"
"No, this is the requested gold coin, no mistakes there."
"Then why are you returning it to me?"
"Well, it is already yours."
Confused by what was happening, Shu tilted his head, prompting "Takame" to explain.
"This gold coin represent a high-ranking member of the Black Cat organization. It is a symbol of the assassination division's leader, codenamed 'Death God.' By the way, I also have a 'Takame' coin." Saying that, "Takame" took out a gold coin from somewhere and pointed out the patterns on the obverse and reverse sides to Shu.
It seemed that "Takame's" coin had a cat with a staff on the obverse side and a three-eyed hawk on the reverse side.
"The codename 'Takame' signifies an information broker. There are various other codenames representing different high-ranking members, but that can be explained later."
"Wait a moment. Are you joking? I've only just joined the Black Cat, and I'm already a high-ranking member? What kind of joke is this?"
"It's not a joke. The previous 'Death God' failed in the assassination of Minister Nimros Blatt, and the gold coin was also stolen. Then, you succeeded in the assassination and retrieved the coin. Therefore, there is no mistake that you are the next 'Death God.'"
"I see..."
Various pieces fell into place in Shu's mind.
Assassination and gold coin retrieval... "Takame" mentioned that two requests were overlapping, and the latter, which was the collection of gold coins, came from the Black Cat. It must have been a coincidence that "Takame" encountered Shu. However, after recognizing Shu's talent for killing, they decided to test him by assigning a highly challenging mission.
The conversation between the Master and "Takame" from yesterday, "Don't play too much, 'Takame,'" "Of course not. It's not playing; it's an expression of expectations," and "I wonder..." had that meaning as well.
"The assassination mission of Nimros Blatt was a test. If you retrieve the gold coins, you will receive favorable treatment... I haven't told a single lie."
"Indeed, you didn't tell a lie. No lies..."
He was planning to make a living in a casual underground organization, but suddenly he became a high-ranking member. Shu couldn't help but worry about it. While he didn't expect to live freely in the world above, he didn't intend to immerse himself so deeply in the underworld.
This was quite unexpected.
"So... are there any obligations as a Black Cat executive?"
"No, not really. As long as you don't betray the organization, feel free to do your work. Being an executive just means you have some special abilities, nothing more."
"Is it that vague?"
"Well, if I had to say, there are occasional Black Cat executive meetings, so it would be nice if you could attend those."
Being a newcomer and suddenly becoming an executive made Shu somewhat uneasy. He wasn't yet accustomed to the Black Cat organization's system and there were many things he didn't understand. He wondered if it was alright to accept the code name "Grim Reaper" in such a state.
Perhaps sensing Shu's hesitation, "Takame" sent some advice.
"There's no need to worry so much. With the coin that represents your executive status, you'll be treated favorably at various Black Cat bases. Just think of it as obtaining a beneficial position."
"Being treated favorably? Can you give me an example?"
"Well, for a clear example, you'll be given priority in being assigned higher-paying jobs. While ordinary members have to gain the trust of the branch masters using coded language, executives can simply show this coin, which is convenient. Different bases have different keywords, so it's useful."
"I see."
In other words, the coin placed before Shu held great power. And yet, there were hardly any obligations that restrained that power.
Shu reached out with his right hand and touched the coin depicting a skull and a knife.
"...'Grim Reaper'."
Considering the power of the Dark Lord Arc Light, there couldn't be a more fitting code name. Although he had some doubts, Shu took the 'Grim Reaper' coin in his hand and clenched it.
"Alright then. I am the 'Grim Reaper'."
"Nice to meet you once again."
Shu then put the coin he held into his pocket.
It was an unexpected turn of events, but he had become a Black Cat executive. He wanted to ask the man in front of him, who was an information broker, about the Black Cat to some extent. He immediately began asking questions.
"I remember you mentioning that executives have code names, right? How many executives are there in the first place?"
"There are a total of ten, including the leader, so eleven in total."
"What are their respective code names?"
"That will be a surprise for you."
"Hey..."
Although Shu thought it was quite an important conversation, "Takame" only responded with a smirk. As Shu furrowed his brows, he opened his mouth with an exasperated expression.
"Mr. 'Death God.' I am an information broker. If you want information, you need to provide compensation."
"Are you obsessed with money?"
"How rude. I'm just loyal to my work."
Since he was trying to squeeze money out of a rookie, it was fair to call him a money-grubber. Shu didn't have enough money at the moment, so he had no intention of paying for the information.
He decided to investigate on his own eventually.
"In that case, forget it. Just hand over the payment."
"You're quite demanding. Well, fine."
"Takame" looked slightly disappointed as he took out a bag containing a bundle of bills as the reward. There was a considerable amount inside, enough for Shu and Iris to live on for a few months. Just to be sure, Shu started counting the contents.
Seeing that, Iris let out an exclamation of admiration.
"Wow! It's an amazing fortune!"
"That's certainly true."
"It's roughly equivalent to two months' salary of a Holy Knight."
"If you think about it that way, it's indeed a large sum."
Holy Knights were high earners. Shu had earned two months' worth of their salary in one job, so it was quite lucrative. However, considering that assassination and similar jobs didn't happen frequently, whether it was truly lucrative or not was debatable.
After finishing counting the money, Shu packed it back into the bag.
"It's the exact amount."
"In that case, that's good."
Shu and Iris stood up, ready to leave the room. Before they left, Takame spoke to them.
"If you ever want to meet me, show the coin to the Master and ask for a message."
With those words behind them, the two left the room.