Chapter 8: In This Hopeless World

A homunculus was an alchemical life-form created inside a flask.

They averaged approximately thirty centimeters in height, possessed little strength, and required magic stones as food.

Despite those drawbacks, their weakness made them easy to control. Apparently, alchemists with a reasonable income sometimes raised them as substitutes for housekeepers.

The underground laboratory I’d destroyed had contained many homunculi. They’d been treated carelessly both as servants and experimental materials.

They were now recovering in Garnet’s alchemy workshop.

“A pleasure to meet you. I’m Crow.”

“…I’m Mimi. I speak for the little people.”

“I see. Are everyone’s injuries all right now? If you don’t have enough magic stones, I’ll bring more.”

When I asked, Mimi shook her head.

“Everyone ate magic stones for the first time since they were born. We’re very grateful. You even treated disposable things like us so carefully. You’ve done so much for us. But… we can’t be very useful. As you can see, our bodies are small and we have no strength.”

Hmm.

I hadn’t rescued them because I wanted them to be useful.

However, if I said that honestly, Mimi might feel apologetic or hold back.

In that case—

“Perhaps you could be my conversation partners.”

“Conversation… partners?”

“Yes. I’m extremely interested in you and the other homunculi. Ah, I have absolutely no intention of using you for experiments as the Temple people did. I don’t mean that… Even if it’s something trivial, I want to know how you feel about things, how you think, and what you talk about. I want you to tell me many things.”

I dropped a fragment of magic stone into Mimi’s tiny mouth.

“If I’m going to hear many stories, I need all of you bursting with energy first. So don’t hold back. Eat plenty of magic stones… Ah, do you eat ordinary food too?”

“Y-yes. More as a luxury.”

“Then everyone should eat plenty of delicious things and recover physically first. Your hearts are probably exhausted too, so rest slowly… Once you’ve recovered, we can sit peacefully and talk like this again. There’s no need to push yourselves.”

They would probably need to remain in recovery for a while.

Apparently, the homunculi in the experimental facility had never been given a single magic stone since birth and had grown terribly weak…

We sheltered many in my subspace, but in the end, only approximately twenty survived.

I turned to Garnet behind me.

“Garnet, how are the homunculi physically?”

“Yes. Their treatment is complete, so I believe they only need to rest and recover now. My magic… proved properly useful too.”

I see.

That was good.

Garnet’s Sensory Deprivation took away another person’s senses. More precisely, her mana could interfere with a person’s nerves and paralyze their functions.

Therefore—

“Anesthesia… You were right, Crow. Depending on how I use it, my magic can help people.”

She smiled faintly.

Her derivative magic had been extremely useful in treating the injured homunculi. We fed them magic stones, numbed their pain, and provided treatment…

Unfortunately, we couldn’t save all of them.

But it was thanks to Garnet that we could at least ease their suffering.

“Come to think of it, you’ve removed your thick glasses.”

“Yes. Thanks to you, Crow, I understand that my magic isn’t something that only hurts people. From now on, I’ll train my mana properly… Skills, magic arts, magic, and naturally alchemy too. I’ll work to use all of them to heal people.”

“Yes. I look forward to it.”

For the moment, I was glad she’d recovered from the shock of shooting someone.

But…

How should I put this?

Her previous, somewhat timid behavior had disappeared, and she suddenly seemed more self-assured.

Had something changed in her heart?

“Crow. Take responsibility.”

“Hmm?”

“Earlier, I said that as long as I could continue my research, I didn’t care about anything else… I withdraw that statement. You’ll take proper responsibility for teaching me feelings like these, won’t you, my husband?”

“Hmmmm?”

Hmm…

Somehow, I could sense something Resina-like in Garnet’s eyes. Even her back seemed straighter.

Well…

One way or another, she had been raised as the daughter of a yakuza family. Once she resolved herself to something, perhaps she became forceful.

I didn’t know.

“…For the moment, it’s on hold until adulthood.”

“Understood. Please remember that I will reach adulthood approximately two years before you, Crow.”

“Hey, Resina hasn’t somehow replaced you inside, has she?”

And so, an infirmary was added to her alchemy workshop. Six patients—the male and female elf, Farly, and Dragonewt—and twenty homunculi began living there together.

Yes.

It had grown remarkably lively.

◆　　　◆　　　◆

The day after I swept the underground laboratory completely clean—

An immense crowd gathered in the central square of Dasilva, the sole city in the Silva Frontier Territory.

According to the townspeople’s rumors, the lord had arrested the notorious head of the Sapojira Family on suspicion of tax evasion. A major announcement related to the cotton industry’s future was also forthcoming.

Nobles were amazing, weren’t they?

They were genuinely skilled at spreading rumors.

It made one think, “I could never oppose them.”

On a platform holding a voice-amplification magic tool stood a middle-aged man with brilliant golden hair swept straight back—Frontier Count Dalton Silva Dandelion, lord of the territory. He held his chest proudly as his calm mana naturally drew the people’s attention.

I see, I see.

Nobles and yakuza truly used mana differently.

“Everyone, be silent. I have gathered you today to make a certain important announcement that will affect this city’s cotton industry. First, allow me to introduce the person standing behind me.”

At the lord’s words, I stepped forward.

Yes.

Amazingly enough, I was the one being introduced.

“He is Crow Amaryllis, leading candidate for the next underboss of the Cineraria Family. First, I ask that you hear what he has to say.”

Once my name had been announced, I could no longer escape.

Following noble methods, I attempted to release my mana quietly. Not the rough yakuza variety, but the calm sort the lord had used moments ago.

Surely everyone would naturally direct their attention toward me…

No, why were they frightened?

There was no need to tremble like that. I thought I was releasing roughly the same amount of mana the lord had.

What was this reaction?

Wasn’t this unreasonable?

“—I am Crow Amaryllis, leading candidate for the next underboss of the Cineraria Family.”

Strange.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

But withdrawing my mana at this point would be equally strange.

“First, on behalf of the Cineraria Family, I offer my deepest apologies to every citizen of Dasilva. The Sapojira Family… the fools beneath our organization, appear to have caused you considerable trouble. I am sorry. Today, in this place, I will pronounce judgment upon the Sapojira Family. Members of that Family, come forward.”

At my words, the Sapojira Family members stepped in front of the platform.

Every one of them was present, from the executives to the youngest members.

Well, some had been brought forcibly between knights…

Yes. Every one of them was trembling remarkably.

There was no need to be so frightened.

While I went around killing the researchers, Kiko had handled the Sapojira Family. She’d beheaded everyone who’d participated in the vicious research yesterday and delivered their heads, together with all the evidence, to the lord’s knights.

In other words, everyone still present was relatively harmless, even if they couldn’t be called good people.

I had no intention of punishing them any further.

“Now then… Don’t be so frightened. What I’m about to say is perfectly ordinary. If you have an objection, I will accept it at any time. Whether I agree is another matter, but I’ll at least listen. Introduce yourself whenever you wish to speak.”

When I said that gently, every member of the Family stiffened.

Why?

“This is the fundamental premise of the discussion. To us yakuza, is a noble house an enemy we should oppose, or an ally with whom we should cooperate? What does everyone think? Let me ask someone by name. From the membership register… Ah, Executive Jilk, raise your hand. Hmm? Ah, that’s right. Jilk is already a severed head.”

When I said that, everyone began trembling violently.

It’s all right.

Calm down.

Everything is all right.

That was merely a small yakuza joke.

I’d only tried to ease the tension.

“Then, Aisha, who oversees the prostitutes. What do you think? Are nobles enemies or allies?”

“Y-yes! Ah… Ah, ah…”

“What’s wrong? You merely need to state your opinion. It’s a simple question. Even if your opinion differs from mine, I won’t cut off your head.”

For some reason, Aisha’s knees buckled. She prostrated herself on the spot and repeatedly apologized.

Hmm?

I hadn’t thought I’d made such a serious demand.

Everyone looked frightened.

Honestly, why?

Ah.

Because Kiko had cut off so many heads immediately beforehand.

Thinking about it again…

They’d confronted a large quantity of headless corpses early that morning, then been brought here shortly afterward.

Of course they were frightened.

That was ordinarily terrifying.

Very well. From this moment, “head” and “cut off” were prohibited words.

That was for the best.

It might already be too late, though.

“Well, never mind. To state my conclusion, I believe that yakuza should respect and honor noble houses. Isn’t that obvious? They consider many matters every day and exert themselves so that such a large number of people can live peacefully. Then, to ensure that everyone can accept the result to the greatest possible degree, they establish laws and preserve order. Opposing such honorable people without reason… would violate all principles of honor. That isn’t why our organization exists.”

Naturally, I had no objection to confronting an evil noble forcefully. However, the Silva Frontier Territory appeared to be governed remarkably properly.

Anyone who made an enemy of a ruler trusted deeply by the people didn’t deserve to call themselves yakuza.

Even our boss had built an intimate relationship with the Marquis Saintpaulia’s house.

These things were genuinely important.

“The laws established by nobles… are the crystallization of human wisdom. They are profoundly worthy of respect. But they are never perfect. Even laws that make many people happy… will fail to catch several among every hundred. Some will become unhappy. Every one of us is a collection of outcasts who fell through those cracks.”

Though in my case, I’d been abducted.

Looking back, however, I’d discarded social behavior in pursuit of a slow life on the frontier. I unquestionably possessed the qualities of an outlaw.

At the very least, I was clearly among those lacking respect for the law.

“Outcasts gather together and help people suffering in society’s forgotten corners, just as they once did. Isn’t that the reason the Cineraria Family exists?”

When a noble reached down from above but couldn’t touch someone, yakuza helped from below.

The Cineraria Family had been created through that kind of mutual assistance.

“—If a village lacks food, spend your own money and deliver it. If there’s a quarrel, listen to both sides and admonish them. Protect the weak. Open your body to a weary man. Take the hand of a child in circumstances resembling your own and guide them… Helping those smoldering in the corners of this hopeless, miserable world is the Cineraria Family’s role. Am I wrong?”

Yes.

Because I believed that, I still called myself yakuza instead of fleeing.

If we strayed from that path, we would cease to be yakuza and become nothing more than an ordinary criminal organization.

“What has the Sapojira Family become lately? You profit by working orphans whose lives once resembled yours into the ground. You scatter miasma across the city and ignore the trouble caused to honest civilians. You control the city’s industries and burden even the frontier count’s family with anxiety.”

As I spoke, I stirred my mana in a slightly yakuza-like manner.

That was almost cheating, but it couldn’t be helped.

If an eleven-year-old child like me spoke arrogantly without sufficient pressure, no one would listen seriously.

“I have transferred custody of the Sapojira Family’s head to the frontier count’s house. The Cineraria Family has expelled him, and no one will ever be permitted to treat him as family again. Naturally, the Sapojira Family itself is dissolved. And you, its former members—”

Here, I abruptly relaxed the pressure.

“I’ll beat your rotten natures back into shape from the ground up with my own hands. Keep quiet and follow me. Your answer!”

“““Yes, sir!”””

“Good. That’s all from me.”

I withdrew my mana and stepped backward.

Hmm…

The lord and the knights were staring at me rather intensely. Everything was all right, wasn’t it?

Nothing strange would happen.

Probably.

Now then.

I believed I’d managed to preserve appearances on the surface, but quite a few of the yakuza seemed to be directing dissatisfied looks toward me. Well, if a child like me acted arrogantly toward them, that was natural.

—Threatening them with mana couldn’t change their hearts.

This was the true starting line. I would need to rebuild the organization while skillfully absorbing everyone’s resistance.

It would be difficult work, but I needed to try a little longer.

For now, I would begin by resolving the miasma polluting the air.

A great cleaning of the city…

It looked as though I would be busy for some time.