Chapter 46
CHAPTER 46
By the time we returned to Mac Anu, BlackRose had returned to her normal, lively state.
“So, what should we do?” BlackRose asked me.
“It’s not about what’s happening now, it’s about the future. Are we going to work with Lios from now on? I’m already fed up.”
“Hmm. That’s right,” I said in my usual voice.
“There is one thing I want to do. I mean, maybe I have to do it.”
“What is it?”
“Join the hands of Lios and Helba.”
BlackRose looked at me with round eyes.
“What do you mean? Can we do that?”
“I don’t know, but I’ve been thinking about it since the last time we were in Net Slum and I think it’s essential for solving this series of incidents. If those two people cooperate, I’m sure we will see some countermeasures.”
“But those two… are a system administrator and a hacker, right? They’re like oil and water.”
“That’s true. How can we get them to cooperate with each other? I think both of us will have to come up with something. That’s the simplest way to resolve this.”
BlackRose frowned and folded her arms.
“Hmm, that’ll be difficult. Helba feels like she can still convince him, but Lios’ is a lost cause.”
“And one more thing,” I said.
“I want to cooperate with Balmung.”
The frown on BlackRose’s face became even worse.
“Huh? With that feather guy? Why him again?”
“He investigated the incident with Orca before. I think he knows something we don’t. I want to know it what that is.”
“I see…”
“Besides…” I said, recalling his facial expression when I met Balmung last time, “I think he’s hurting. Ever since Orca was taken, he’s been struggling alone. I want to do something for him.”
I had BlackRose and friends that I met on my adventures. But he didn’t seem to have a PC who could be his friend.
Perhaps, he only had Orca as a companion in The World.
Just like me in the real world.
“But I’m worried because I don’t know how I should approach this. No matter what I say, I’ll just be rejected by Balmung.”
“Tell him if you intend to do so, but I’d say Balmung will be fine.”
BlackRose said something surprising.
I looked at BlackRose. She had a mischievous smile.
“You can see it by looking at Balmung. He’s finally realized that you aren’t a hacker, but you should just insist that he can’t retract. It would be okay if you admitted that you made a mistake and then extended your hand to his. I’m sure it will work.”
I was a little surprised that she made such a rushed proposal.
“Hmmph,” I muttered unintentionally.
“Hmmph, what?”
“Hmmph, it means that you’re being malicious.”
BlackRose shrugged and gave me a “dot dot dot” in reply.
“I often used this card to make up with my brother after fighting.”
“I think you’re being conniving.”
“I will lose to you.”
BlackRose said in return.
We laughed.
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It had been a while since I laughed aloud. When we laughed together like that, I felt as if the heavy, stagnant air of the past few days had been removed.
I was grateful that it was now clear what I had to do.
We would not have to worry about other annoyances, at least while we were doing it.
I immediately contacted Balmung by e-mail.
“Do you have something you want to talk about?”
In front of Mac Anu’s Chaos Gate, he folded his arms and stared at me.
“I don’t think I was called here with an important matter. Speak your mind. I’m giving you two minutes.”
After saying that, he turned his back to me.
He didn’t really listen to people.
Still, he may have a heart because he came all the way after just one email.
“It was exactly as you said,” I said, keeping in mind the advice BlackRose had given me.
“What?”
“This bracelet was a hacker’s tool. It’s something that people like me shouldn’t have.”
Balmung turned his face to me. The eyes were wide open. What the hell was this guy going to say? However, it was a questioning expression.
I continued.
This was originally what Orca should have received. Orca would have been able to operate this bracelet correctly. However, I was forced to do something unexpected…
When I spoke Orca’s name, Balmung became expressionless. I continued to talk, feeling uneasy how far my persuasion had reached inside him.
I may have been blind to the hacker territory without realizing it.
I thought the bracelet was necessary to solve this series of incidents. The idea remained the same.
Orca was the decoy to let me escape. Orca entrusted me with a bracelet.
But I would not be able to do it alone. I wasn’t powerful enough. I didn’t have the confidence to master the bracelet.
If Balmung were to be by my side, I was sure that I would be able to operate the bracelet with confidence without getting in my own way.
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“So,” I continued.
“Balmung, I’ll ask you again. So I don’t make any mistakes, will you joi…”
“Wait. Don’t speak.”
Balmung, who had been listening until then, suddenly raised his hand and stopped me.
The sharpness of his words made me shut my mouth.
“I had no idea what you meant to say, though. Before that let me speak…”
Balmung closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“I don’t trust your bracelet. I won’t change my mind on that. However…”
He opened his eyes and looked at me.
“Orca entrusted you with the bracelet, huh? I wouldn’t have thought that,” Balmung continued, looking at my eyes.
“That’s why the bangle may be right for you – the power itself is neither good nor evil; there are only bad hearts. It was me who was selfish. I’ve even let you worry needlessly – I seem to have lost sight of myself, because I hate the power of your bracelet.”
Balmung continued to talk using the “dash” button a lot.
“I apologize for my rudeness.”
He bowed deeply.
“I’m sorry.”
I was surprised. It could be said that I was stunned even.
I was not stunned that Balmung, who was so stubborn, had softened so easily.
I was stunned by his resolute honesty.
If he and I had been in opposite positions, would I have been able to take the same attitude as him by offering a proposal like this? Very unlikely. Even if I did, I’d be grinning like a fool, not saying anything or doing anything, but just waiting for the time to pass and trying to overdo it.
The “dash” button showed the minute details, that he felt like a small person, and was terribly self-pitying. Then he spoke again.
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“Kite. Hit me.”
“What?”
“Punch my face. Hit me as hard as you want. I give you permission to do that to me.”
He said something strange.
Speaking of which, when I had first met Balmunh in the Basilica, he had been waving his sword and had been repeatedly saying “kill”. He may have been the type to get absorbed in roleplay.
“That’s enough. Stop it…” I gently refused.
“Then, draw your blade.”
“Huh, what?”
The illusion that my thoughts had been read staggered me.
“Draw it out, in your right hand.”
Balmung lifted his sword out of its sheath and held it up to the sky.
Realizing his intention, I pulled out a twin blade and lifted it up.
Balmung’s sword traced the twin blade and our blades crossed above us.
“I swear on this cross. I fight with you…”
Balmung declared.
It was just like a scene from a drama.
I should have said something there. I should have decided on a cool line.
But I’m useless when it comes to ad-libbing.
After all, I didn’t speak anything and glossed over it with a “dot dot dot” like BlackRose would say.
I thought it made a nice picture at least.
And I was surprised, but I felt that it wasn’t too bad for me to take such a theatrical behavior.