Episode 46 — The Reaper at the Crossroads and Memories That Won’t Fade
New City Felsen.
Built at a blistering pace through magic and the sheer heat of the craftsmen's passion, the city was now wrapped in an unprecedented level of vibrancy.
"...Phew. This is paradise. Absolute paradise."
I was currently surrendering my body to the "Throne of Sloth" that sat prominently in my living room.
This chair, which I had obtained by racking up a staggering two hundred million L-points, was on a completely different level than mere "comfort." The moment you sat in it, it provided the ultimate sensation of relaxation. There was no instruction manual. I had paid fifty million L-points based solely on the description I saw at purchase: "Throne of Sloth: Sloth becomes stable."
(It was basically a blind buy based on the name... but wasn't it a huge success? I guess shopping really is all about feeling.)
"Tama, this is the best. I’m confident I’ll never get off this thing for the rest of my life."
"Meow. (...You’re hopeless.)"
Tama, who had been curled up on my lap, let out a somewhat cold-sounding cry and hopped down.
She then slipped out the usual "opened-by-a-few-centimeters" window to the outside.
"Oh, going for a walk? Watch out for the cars... I mean, the carriages."
With my carefree voice at her back, Tama vanished into the newly completed castle town.
***
The night lights adorning the new city left no trace of the gloomy shadows of the past.
"The night of a city being reborn should be as beautiful as my profile, shining with an unchanging brilliance!"
—Come to think of it, that girl had said something like that while holding a mirror during the construction.
Elishua’s self-esteem had taken the form of a new type of magical lamp, illuminating the streets gently but with an intense amount of light.
(I suspect she just wanted to light up her own face... well, at least it makes the night streets easy to walk on.)
I was now walking through that sea of light in my adventurer persona, "Meina."
I was accompanied by Kyle and Lin, having just finished a monster investigation request they had invited me on. Carrying the fulfillment of a successful job and the lingering afterglow of pleasant fatigue, we walked slowly down the newly paved main street.
Our three shadows stretched long and orderly across the polished cobblestones, appearing and disappearing rhythmically. The silence of the peaceful night gently absorbed our footsteps.
"Man, no matter how many times I see it, this city is incredible."
Kyle looked up at the neatly lined white-walled buildings and let out a voice of admiration.
"The roads are wide, and there isn't a single bad smell. Compared to when we were in the Old Town, this is heaven."
"I agree. The quality of life has improved dramatically."
Lin nodded in agreement, and that was when it happened.
—CRASH!!
A sharp sound of impact and the neighing of a horse echoed through the night air.
I looked over to see two freight carriages had collided sideways in the middle of a four-way intersection. Barrels that had been loaded were rolling across the ground, and the drivers were shouting at each other, their faces red with rage.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!"
"You watch it! I was going straight!"
Seeing this, Kyle gave a wry smile and shrugged.
"Ah, again? Well, with the city being this much wider and the carriages going faster, it’s bound to happen once in a while."
"But it’s much better than the old town. The roads there were so narrow that traffic got jammed ten times a day."
The two of them started to walk again, acting as if it were a common daily occurrence.
But I couldn't move.
Cobblestones that looked like asphalt.
The sound of a violent impact.
The rising smell of something burnt.
(...The smell of rain, and the smell of burnt iron rising from the asphalt.)
On that day, I died.
I threw my body out to save a stupid kid.
The sound of bones breaking. Fading consciousness.
...The terror of that moment alone is carved into my soul.
(...This city doesn't need that kind of memory.)
"...This isn't a matter of it being 'better than before.'"
When I muttered that in a low voice, the two of them stopped and looked back, puzzled.
"Meina? What’s wrong? You have such a scary look on your face."
"...At this rate, someone is going to die eventually. ...I have to make him fix this. No matter what."
Driven by an indescribable sense of urgency, I took off running toward home.
***
When I returned to the living room, that idiot master of mine was sleeping on his 'Throne' with his mouth hanging open lazily.
"Mrow!! (This is important! Wake up!!)"
Remaining in my cat form, I dug my claws into Kazuya’s stomach.
"Gwah!? Tama, what the hell? I was just about to fall into a deep sleep on the Throne..."
"Mew! Mrow, Meow! (The city intersection! An accident happened! Think of a solution, right now!)"
"...Are you hungry? Or do you need the litter box?"
"Hiss!! (No! This is life or death! Wake up, you lazy bum!)"
"...Tama, you’re acting really desperate today. I’ll give you extra treats tomorrow. ...Mumble..."
...It’s no use.
His brain is currently filled with the top-tier tranquility provided by the Throne. It’s impossible to convey this "invisible crisis" in the language of a cat.
I leaped back out the window.
Not as a cat, but as Meina.
I stormed into the knights' station built next to the house as if I were launching an assault.
"Bartos, are you here!?"
"Wh—Lady Tarmane!? What in the world is happening at this hour!"
Thanks to the newly introduced "shift system," Bartos was working on paperwork with a much healthier complexion than before.
"Bartos. Tell Zect immediately. ...The city’s intersections need 'Absolute Discipline.'"
"...Discipline? Lady Tarmane, please rest assured. Since moving to the new city, the number of accidents has been reduced to less than a tenth of what it was in the Old Town. This is a staggering achievement."
Bartos puffed out his chest proudly.
...A tenth. To them, it’s a "huge success."
But to me, that remaining "ten percent" is unacceptable.
"...So what if it’s a tenth? If someone dies in that remaining ten percent, are you just going to dismiss it as bad luck?"
"N-no, that wasn't my intention... but collisions between carriages are an unavoidable occurrence in this world..."
"They aren't unavoidable. You just aren't trying to avoid them."
My voice was instantly laced with mana.
The air in the station froze, and the magic lamps flickered. I could see cold sweat running down Bartos’s neck.
"Bartos. I know. ...I know how cruelly a single moment of 'carelessness' can destroy daily life. ...Tell Zect. Tell him to install 'Intersection Rules' that only he can create in this city."
"...Rules... that only he can create..."
"That’s right. He said he would build a system where no one dies. ...Then, leaving this bug unfixed is unforgivable. Confront him with this first thing tomorrow morning. ...Understood?"
I stared into Bartos’s eyes as if piercing them at point-blank range. In my eyes dwelt the chillingly cold will of protection from when I used to slaughter countless monsters as the Savior.
"Y-Yes, Ma'am!! Understood! I shall... No, I will present this to Master Zect as an urgent matter first thing tomorrow morning!"
"...I’m counting on you."
Leaving those cold words behind, I departed the station.
While being blown by the night wind, I returned to the form of a black cat.
I slipped back through the window and huddled up softly next to that idiot master who was about to fall back asleep on his throne.
(...I’m sorry. I ended up giving you more work.)
But I don't want to see anyone bleed in the city you built ever again.
This is my one and only selfish wish.
The next morning.
To the bleary-eyed Zect, a "heavy task" bearing Tama's mark, titled "Urgent Request for Safety Measures at Intersections," was delivered by Bartos.
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