I entered Sanshomon, the bar Kiryu-san told me about. Sure enough, there he was, but something else caught my attention…
So you wanna fight, is that it?!
Hey, I’m only here to help with the investigation, you hag!
I know what you’re trying to pull here. You’re trying to get my guard down!
Hey, hey, you two, why don’t you just bury the hatchet? We have a special guest here…
What the heck is going on here?
Oh, there you are, Tali. Have a seat.
Are you sure it’s safe?
Yeah. The bartender and Kiyoshi just have a bit of a…rivalry.
Hmph. We’ll take this outside when we get this over with.
That’d be for the best.
Mitsuru suddenly morphed into a more…pleasant-looking form.
So this is the partner you’ve been talking about.
I see you two are acquainted?
Tali, meet Mitsuru. I come to her all the time when I need info.
Before the incident at the seaside park, bars run by spirits (aside from being actual bars for humans) acted as information networks; spirits would frequent these bars and ask the bartenders about all sorts of stuff, be it about other spirits or human affairs. Nowadays, we don’t have to worry about keeping our existence secret from humans, so spirit-run bars mainly act as regular bars, although their owners still keep an ear open for any juicy information.
N-Nice to meet you, Mitsuru.
And nice to finally meet you, Mtowa-san.
Looks like I’m famous, huh?
I’ve heard all about your research on homunculi. I’ve also heard from Kiryu-san that you got a homunculus-making maniac arrested once.
Oh, you flatter me. I didn’t do it on my own, you know.
Still, it’s clear that Kiryu-san respects you.
Enough about that. Mitsuru, why don’t you tell Tali what you know? About any coffin-like objects?
Not with Kiyoshi around.
Hey, come on!
Look, we can settle your business later. Right now, we have a seafood trafficking ring to stop.
Fine. Sit tight. Have you heard of the delivery company AkaBox?
AkaBox? That company with the akabeko iconography?
Yup, that’s the one. I’ve seen an AkaBox employee carrying a heavy object the size of a coffin on their back nearby. I couldn’t see what was inside the box they were carrying, but I’m positively sure that it’s a magnum opus of some sort, because why else would you go for AkaBox of all delivery companies instead of one run by humans? Humans don’t dare touch those things.
And? Do you know what this employee looks like?
Of course. They looked like a typical akabeko. Skinny build, scarlet hair, horns.
Hear that, Tali? We got a lead. Keep an eye out for anyone with that description.
Alright, Kiryu-san. I’ll let you know if I see someone like that.
Yeah, I’ll make sure too! They won’t be able to escape me.
Again with your violent tendencies…
Says the one who started getting aggressive when I showed up!
Kiyoshi… Why don’t you tell Iriemoto-sensei what we know? She’d be delighted to hear about Mitsuru’s tip.
Uh, alright, sure.
Kiyoshi left the bar, leaving just me, Kiryu-san, and Mitsuru.
Iriemoto-sensei’s probably too busy to help us with the case right now. I just wanted Kiyoshi out of here.
Right. The atmosphere of this place was a little tense with him around… What’s up with that, anyway?
Mitsuru, some whiskey, please! You want some?
No thanks. I don’t drink.
Mitsuru got to work and served Kiryu-san some whiskey in a shotglass.
The truth is, I have no idea. Other than Kiyoshi’s dark past, I mean.
Dark past?
Kiyoshi has a bit of a temper. Even more so before he became Iriemoto-sensei’s pupil. He was obsessed with power.
Obsessed with power, huh?
See that left hand of his? It’s a remnant of his journey to become “the strongest” or something.
I was wondering what was up with his left hand.
He wanted to be just like me.
Right… You do look like a dragon… I assume Kiyoshi wanted to be the same?
He put a lot of stock in that “koi turning into a dragon” folktale. Came here once just to pick a fight, and he lost. I don’t know what’s up with him.
Well, he still has a ways to go, but I’d like to think he’s reformed.
Kiryu took a sip of his whiskey.
Alright. I guess we’re done here?
Done? What do you mean?
We got what we came here for, right? A lead.
Oh, right. Well, thanks for the tip, Mitsuru.
Any time, Mtowa-san.
With that, Kiryu finished his whiskey, and we left the bar.