Guest in the Shadow

Calm down...

Akira, I will be accompanying Raeon on a tour of Eastrise for some time. I'm leaving household affairs to you and Anina.

Lady Anina is perfectly capable of managing the family's affairs. It is you I'm worried about, Lady Shiyu...

Do you really not need my protection? The members of the Watchtower are still at large, and a caravan was robbed not long ago...

Don't worry. I'll be with Raeon and nothing will happen.

Besides, the purpose of Raeon's tour is to investigate public sentiment. There won't be any dangerous tasks.

Alright, since you've said so...

Then I'll leave all household matters in your hands!

While Lady Shiyu is away on business, I have to train diligently at home.

But it's so hard to quiet my mind today...

I keep hearing these noises, like the rustle of wind in the grass...

Wait, are those really just noises?

Impossible. This is Lady Shiyu's residence... How could thieves dare to run rampant here? It must be my restlessness making me hear things.

That's weird. Is Shiyu not home today?

And this girl talking to herself is rather odd too... I'll check the bedroom for Shiyu.

My apologies, Miss Shiyu...

After all, you're the only high-ranking Eastrise official I know...

Pest! Hands in the air!

*Huh?

You are surrounded!

Now, confess! Why have you sneaked into the An Mansion?

Though the An Family values etiquette, we show no mercy to our enemies!

...

How is it, had enough?

(Is that all? This is nothing compared to the training I endured as a child...)

Why that look of utter disdain!

If you don't tell us I'll have to turn you over to the Legal Department... Get ready for prison!

No, I can't go to jail right now...

Oh? Finally decided to talk? So you're afraid of doing time...

If I go to jail, I'll never complete the commission...

Then tell us truthfully about the mission you're on!

I accepted a commission from an employer in Bifrost to bring her back to Eastrise.

An employer from Bifrost? What is your purpose here?

My employer is named [Yan], originally from Thousand Ruins Mountain in Eastrise. Over twenty years ago, she joined the army to fight against the Nebu invasion and was later stationed in the Trachberg region.

After the council split, she was stranded in Bifrost and lived out her retirement there. Now, her final wish is to return home.

So she's from Eastrise... Now I understand how she must feel.

After all, she had no choice but to remain in Bifrost. Compared to this cold foreign land, her warm homeland is certainly more suitable for her retirement.

It seems my client didn't dislike Bifrost all that much...

Wherever she lived, the local children always received her kindness.

What a pity that such a virtuous individual was forcibly detained in Bifrost by its warlords. This is Eastrise's loss.

So, will you help?

I am not Lady Shiyu; I cannot speak for her. Given the current political climate, smuggling is a grave crime.

But I haven't smuggled any goods...

Smuggling people isn't an option either.

But what I've brought is not a living person...

What?

My employer had already passed before I accepted this commission... My duty is to bring her home.

...So you broke into Lady Shiyu's mansion in the midnight just to transport a body to Eastrise?

Among the Eastrise nobility I know, Lady Shiyu is the only one alive.

For someone so young, you certainly have mature connections...

(Actually, it's because the assassination contracts on all other targets were fulfilled...)

Don't you think this is... a bit much?

Lady Shiyu holds a position in Eastrise second only to one, and above ten thousand.

The Eastrise border guards told me that under the current situation, no one may pass without a special permit.

Right now, Lady Shiyu is accompanying Raeon on an inspection tour. Meeting her will likely be difficult...

But given the circumstances, we can't help you... I'll let you go. You're free to leave.

I actually thought Lady Shiyu would help.

After all, she always seems like the type to meddle and show off...

Hey, it's not nice to talk about people behind their backs!

Now that you mention it, I can just picture Lady Shiyu's smug face after helping someone out...

If you're willing to help, I'll split the commission with you!

This isn't about money! Don't look down on me!

As Lady Shiyu's retainer, I have no authority to act on your behalf. However, a member of the An's family does work in the Legal Department. I can refer you to her.

Let us try to resolve this through legal channels.

Work has been so hectic lately... My back is killing me.

Feels like ages since I've been outside... Kiki, could you cover my shift for a bit?

*Ah, never mind...

Reporting, Lady Nue. A guest is at the door and requests an audience.

I wasn't expecting any visitors today... Who could it be?

It's Lady Akira from Shiyu's family, and... her friend.

Akira? What a rare visitor... Could Shiyu have some urgent business with me?

Please let her in at once.

So, does Lady Shiyu wish for me to help this ninja bring the veteran's remains back to Eastrise for burial?

This is not an order from Lady Shiyu, but my personal request.

This is truly a difficult matter... Because of the recent unrest instigated by the Watchtower, Raeon has closed the routes to Bifrost.

At a time like this, granting special passage to someone from Bifrost is no simple matter.

But my client is from Eastrise.

Although her homeland is Eastrise, she possesses no citizenship papers issued by Eastrise.

Could she not enter with her old Joint Council credentials?

In principle, we would conduct a review. However, the fact that [Yan] was a Bifrost soldier complicates matters considerably.

But she enlisted in Eastrise...

Aren't there any legal statutes between Eastrise and Bifrost regarding the import and export of remains?

This is a time of war, Akira. It has been barely a decade since the Joint Council split apart.

Bifrost and Eastrise can barely manage basic communication nowadays, let alone establish laws for posthumous affairs.

Moreover, there have been recent incidents of the Watchtower plundering trade routes...

But my client's sole wish is to return to her roots. I have no intention of doing anything unlawful.

I understand your sentiment, but for border control officers, everything carries inherent risk.

Under Bifrost law, a Case's remains must be sent to a cremation center for evaluation and disposal, correct? After all, no one can guarantee the Echo Crystals within won't mutate.

Even if we navigate the process on the Eastrise side, how will you handle the Bifrost side?

Well, my client spent her final years in the Dark Road, where her associates handled her affairs within Bifrost...

...

And connections to the Dark Road... that just makes things even more difficult.

If you doubt our intentions, you're welcome to inspect the border yourself...

Well, I trust you... Anyone with truly ill intentions wouldn't seek help from Lady Shiyu.

Not necessarily so.

Akira?

The last time we imported medical-grade High-Energy Echo Crystals from Bifrost, it was Brown, the proprietor of Yorozuya, who asked Lady Shiyu to mediate.

But things still went awry that time... I can't shake the feeling that Miss Brown is keeping something from us.

(Brown? That woman never has good intentions...)

But to fulfill this commission, perhaps I could seek her assistance?