Reputation: Dagger Sicar

Why is it so dark in here? I can't see anything.

Oh, don't turn the lights on. I turned them off on purpose.

...On purpose?

It would be bad if someone were to witness us.

Well, I guess it wouldn't be good for you to be seen meeting with a wanted hitman. Though it would make the nobles who dislike you happy.

That's part of it, but...now that Taranor is settling down, I don't want people to think I'm pulling the strings.

The noble families of the council are doing just fine, so there's no reason for me to mislead people into believing that I'm still leading them or that I'm controlling things behind the scenes, right?

People would think that?

Wouldn't they?

Well... I've never thought that. First of all, you're not that intelligent.

And your handwriting is terrible.

Is that part necessary? As long as my handwriting is legible, shouldn't that be enough?

That's the problem, it's illegible. Anyway, all I'm saying is you're just not the political type.

Thankfully.

In any case, it would be best to avoid creating any unnecessary misunderstandings. And I'm also here at the council's request.

What do they want?

The Taranor government wants you guys out.

...I see.

I know you've been careful about what kind of contracts you've taken on, but both the war and the feud between the nobles are over.

All matters related to justice will now be decided through a fair trial.

...Do we have a choice?

Frankly speaking, yes. You can do something to help protect this world...

Or allow me to end things myself.

I have one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.

Which would you like to hear first?

...Bad news?

I want to hear the good news first, Boss!

Please start off with the bad news, Mr. Eligos!

I wonder what the good news is.

...Why can't we come to an agreement on something as simple as this? Come on, you guys.

Coli, would it kill you to think a little more positively? Hearing the good news first will put us in a good mood.

Yeah, and then you'll just be in a bad mood as soon as you hear the bad news. Let me teach you a thing or two, saving the best for last is definitely the better choice!

Both of you, stop. I'll just decide what order to say it in myself.

Starting with the bad news... It seems that the feud between the Taranor nobles has come to an end. The post-war transition is over, and the nation is adjusting to a new sense of order.

In other words, our largest clientele has disappeared.

Dammit! We're ruined!

Who was the one who said we need to think positively?

...It's too soon to feel frustrated. There's still more bad news.

You said there was only one piece of bad news and one piece of good news!

Actually, there's one more thing I should mention.

...What is it?

Our wanted rating has gone up further. The Taranor army is going to be hunting us down more relentlessly than ever.

But we haven't even received any requests lately...

The nobles don't need us anymore.

That's right, Pyllis.

Our other past clients are probably also hoping we disappear alongside their feuds.

I see...

Hmph. They're just trying to bury their own shame.

Business is business. Nothing more, nothing less. So don't waste your energy getting upset.

That's our boss, cold as ever...

You sound like you were expecting all of this to happen eventually.

Of course.

No business lasts forever. Only amateurs believe that.

Do you...already have an idea for a new business, Mr. Eligos?

*chuckling*

Yes. That's the good news.

Haha! That's our boss, reliable as ever!

I told you! Saving the good news for last was the better choice!

Moving forward, we'll be given special assignments by an organization I cannot disclose.

That's cryptic.

By special assignments...do you mean something other than assassinations?

Yes, and these assignments will be much more difficult than our usual assassination requests. However, in return, the Taranor army will stop chasing us.

And we will no longer be on the wanted list.

We won't be wanted?

An organization you can't disclose... Is it the Taranor government? Boss!

Like I said, I can't tell you.

What are you asking for? Idiot. It's so obvious.

Listen, everyone. If you fail to complete the assignment or get caught, do not expect the Taranor army to come to your rescue.

The Taranor government will announce that it has no knowledge of the existence of Dagger Sicar.

I was right, it's the Taranor government! Am I right, boss?

Urgh, can you stop?!

This is definitely a good thing. Now the Taranor Army won't get in our way.

Will we be well compensated?

Of course.

All right, then... I'll begin our first briefing on our new work.

As you all know, after the war ended, the Taranor Army's special weapons labs were all closed.

Those in charge have been put on trial, and the research team has been dissolved. That's all the information that was officially released...

And unofficially?

Among them existed a core team of researchers that conducted the most critical experiments, and they have gone missing. That core team is said to have been made up of Taranor's best magic scholars.

The data for those experiments disappeared with them. They were working on a project aiming to strengthen the human body and use it as biological weaponry.

Homunculi.

Yes.

Hidden research facilities left behind after the war are scattered beneath all of Taranor. We need to search all of them and discover the researchers' whereabouts.

The Taranor government has already announced that it shut down all of these research facilities, so conducting an official investigation has become difficult.

Well, there are also bigger concerns about traitors leaking any information.

So that's why... All the labs are supposed to be closed, but those weird creatures kept turning up.

...Is there a possibility that this is related to Friedrich's disappearance?

Who's Friedrich?

The former king of Taranor...

When he was a prince, his father became madly obsessed with Homunculus research, so he killed him and became king himself. But then he became even more obsessed with the research than his father, and... Well, it's a little difficult to explain.

Why do you look so uninterested, Swifty? We're talking about the king of Taranor here.

...Am I supposed to care?

Enough!

It's unclear whether or not this has anything to do with Friedrich's disappearance. Maybe that's something we'll find out.

The scale of this assignment is very large.

Yeah, Boss. Since it's only our first assignment with the new business, why don't we start with something easy?

Do you really think it's that hard? Compared to the assignment we have waiting for us next, this is kind of a warm-up...

What? There's more?

Are you already complaining without even hearing what it is? What happened to all that positive thinking?

Didn't you hear what he said? It's going to be even more difficult than finding all those secret labs!

So what is it?

We need to either find adventurers who are capable of succeeding at these extremely difficult assignments or help them succeed ourselves.

...Is there anyone who is capable of that?

There must be. If not, we'll just have to make them ourselves.

You could say we've been given the impossible task of creating someone capable of taking on impossible assignments.

...I see.

I'm starting to miss our old assignments...

So this is why you let anyone join without asking about their past.

Hey, Swifty! Your jokes are getting better.

I was impersonating you.

What?! Hey!

Please, don't kill us! We have a young son at home. He can't grow up alone...

I just started researching Dimensional Gates... My wife was only helping me. She doesn't know anything!

So please, just let her go! Please... I beg of you!

No! My love, I won't leave you here alone!

Gosh, what should I do? What a sad sight.

I never said I would let you go, you just assumed that. Neither of you is going anywhere!

Right? What do you think we should do, Cidd?

...

Why aren't you saying anything?

Th-That lady... She... She said she has a young son.

If I hurt them, he'll become an orphan, just like me. I was lucky enough to meet you, Boss, but who knows if that boy will be as lucky as me...

You believed that?

And...honestly...

I don't think this is right, Boss.

Up until now, we've only stolen from bad guys. That's what you said.

What did I say?

You said we take back what's been stolen from others, and we hurt those who hurt others.

Yeah, people like this.

They might look nice on the outside, but they stole opportunities and knowledge from other people. That's how they got to where they are now.

No! That's not true!

W-We didn't do any of that!

Their research has hurt a lot of people, but they don't have even a drop of blood on their hands.

Boss, I...

I thought you grew up, but you're still acting like a kid, Cidd.

Kill them.

What?

Why are you so surprised? You've killed people before.

But they're... They're unarmed...

Please don't... Please don't kill us...

We didn't do anything wrong. You can take whatever you want, just please don't kill us. We'll leave with our son and never come back.

Come on, Cidd. Let's finish this. Are you trying to humiliate me in front of a client?

No matter how I think about it, I don't this is right, Boss.

Remember who saved you from loneliness, hunger, and the bitter cold. I killed those terrible parents of yours with my own two hands! You would've died if not for me.

Now pick up that axe.

Boss...

No! No, stop!

Please, please don't kill us!

...

Quit hesitating, and pick up the axe.

Why does Cidd use an axe? It would be better if he used a dagger he could keep concealed, like Coli.

Well... Why do you use that scythe?

I've always had it. I can't remember very clearly, but I think I had it when I crossed the ocean, too.

And now it's like it's become part of my body.

Couldn't it be the same for Cidd?

That he's always been using it...?

Yes, that could be the case. There might be a meaningful story behind that axe.

This is a surprise, though. Haste, are you interested in learning about other people's pasts...?

No, I never said anything about his past...

Oh my, were you thinking about asking him?

The other day Cidd asked me something first... He said, "Isn't that scythe uncomfortable?" But I don't think it's that much different from his axe...

Oh! Maybe Coli knows something.

I'm really not...

Don't worry! I'll ask her subtly and find out more about his past.

...I'm really not that interested.

He joined Dagger Sicar before me.

Really?

I asked Eligos about it a few times, but he didn't give me any details. But I mean, he's always like that.

I think Eligos will be more talkative after a glass of wine.

Yeah, I tried that too. Not because I was trying to dig up Cidd's past, though...

Anyway, the story always goes the same way... He picked it up in the forest, or something like that.

He picked it up in the forest?

It sounds like that's where he was when he first came to this world. Maybe that's why he decided to bring Haste back when he found him in the forest too.

Haste reminded him of his old self.

I see... So that's why he took care of Haste from the start.

And sometimes at night, I even hear Cidd talking in his sleep! But...

Why were you listening to him sleep talk...?

W-Well, it just kind of happened... That's not important! Anyway...

While he was sleep talking, he said "Run, Boss! I can't do it!"

What was he talking about...?

I don't know, I guess it was just gibberish. But more importantly, why is he dreaming about Eligos?

The only one dreaming about Eligos here is you! And don't combine the things I say in different dreams into weird things!

Ahh! You scared me!

C-Cidd!

Were you eavesdropping?!

You're the one who eavesdropped on me sleep talking!

I heard murmuring and I was just curious! That's all!

I'm sorry if I offended you, Cidd. Haste said he was curious about the story behind your axe, so...

No, it's okay. Swifty was curious about that, huh? But he could've just asked me directly.

This axe was made by my former boss.

Your former boss?

I met him in the world I was born in.

Originally, he was a lumberjack, but his life changed after the war. Rebels surrounded La Mare and set the forest on fire. That's how he lost his family.

There was a big fire in La Mare? I've never heard about that.

Oh! Boss!

Oh, Mr. Eligos! When did you...

Aha... You're not talking about here, you're talking about another world, right? The world you came from.

Yeah. I was talking about my life before I came here.

I heard "boss" and thought you might be gossiping about me... Hey, Cidd. If you're done with the chit-chat, follow me! We've got work to do.

Yes, I'm coming!

But weren't we still talking?

Let's talk more about this later. It's kind of a long story.

Wait for me, Boss!

Hmph. If I'd known Eligos was listening, I would've talked about something else...

Cidd never did finish his story.

Everyone's been busy lately.

Yeah, even though we have fewer people than before, our requests have become much more complicated and difficult.

There used to be more members?

Before you joined, there were some people who joined and then left pretty quickly.

There was an Elf girl with a bow, a young guy with a big rifle on his back, and a strange Suin man with bandages over his eyes for no reason.

Why did they leave Sicar?

Well... I never asked.

Eligos always said everyone is free to join and free to leave... We don't ask about a person's past or wonder about their future.

Isn't that so cool? So I didn't ask either.

Then why were you curious about Cidd's past?

That's a little different... Those people seemed like they weren't planning on staying very long. But I'm pretty sure Cidd will be here forever.

Don't you need to know a little more about someone if they're going to be with you for a long time?

Hmm...

Stop right there, Haste.

Huh?

There's something suspicious under your foot...

There's a ladder going down.

Shh... I'll go down first. You stay quiet, don't make a single sound.

Urrgh...

Quiet...

Die.

Uck!

You can come down now.

Coli, just now...you looked like someone else.

Huh? What are you talking about?

When you killed him... I know you're not supposed to make any noise. But you were like a completely different person.

Haha... I guess it might look that way. You know, I used to be quiet all the time, even when I wasn't on a mission.

It was like I was in a vacuum, I would hear nothing but the sound of my target's breath and my own breath. Because that's how I was taught...

Just like this...

Silence everything, Coli.

Silence everything, even the sound of your own voice.

Silence your target's breath.

Compared to back then, I became a lot more talkative after I joined Dagger Sicar.

When was "back then"?

Before I came to this world.

There, I had to stay silent, just like all the other Colis.

Other Colis?

...Let's stop talking about this. I shouldn't be telling you things that I haven't even told Mr. Eligos yet.

If that's what you want.

We had lots of missions last autumn.

On that night, in which the restless memory of death crosses into the realm of the living...

Someone came to me and told me about my race, which stands on the border between life and death.

My father.

Umm... Uhh... Pyllis...

No! Haste, come back to me!

Hmm...

Now.

No matter what, don't lift your head! Got it?

...Okay.

Please, just Haste!

Just let me protect him!

The only thing I can remember about that moment is the warmth of Pyllis's body...

And the sound of her heart racing.

Pyllis apologized to me before the night ended, and then thanked me after the night passed.

I didn't understand why Pyllis said those things, but I never bothered to ask why.

I just smiled.

Because when I smile, it makes Pyllis happy.

I will never forget what I went through last fall.

Once a year, there is a night that blurs the boundaries of life and death. Everything I thought I knew was turned upside down.

I was wrong to think I had nothing to lose.

I was wrong to think that my memories were erased and that I would never remember the past.

The idea that I was destined to never protect those I held dear was completely wrong.

Pyllis?

Yes, I'm ready.

I'll go first.

This is where they conducted the Homunculus experiments... I'm certain.

...

I'm okay now, so you don't need to make that face, Haste.

...W-What face?

That anxious face, like you think I'll blow up at any moment.

I'm not completely okay, but I have some distance now. I can kind of think of it as someone else.

The time I spent as a monster...is over. It will never happen again.

I remembered some small parts of my past memories. They're just tiny little bits and pieces, but...

Really?

Memories from the time I spent trapped in a large glass tank...like this.

Subject 15. Red level 3. Brain waves are still unstable.

Lower the pressure one level and inject a sedative. Check the status every thirty seconds.

There was a man with a deep, low voice... I couldn't see his face. Next to him was another man with a slightly high, nervous voice.

Are they the ones who locked you up in the lab?

I'm not sure.

They're only partial memories.

Those guys... Do you think you would recognize them if you saw them?

I don't know about their faces, but... I could recognize them by their voices. I clearly remember their voices.

Well, that's great. If we continue on this mission, we'll find them eventually.

You think so...? If we really do find them...

We have to kill them.

Haste...

Look at this, Pyllis. There's a bunch of paper stuck in that broken machine.

That machine is used to dispose of documents. But it looks like it broke because they tried to shred too many documents at once.

They must have been in a hurry to leave if they were this careless.

Why is the same person on all of these? No... They look alike, but their faces are slightly different.

Wait, this face...

Was this the test subject in those special experiments...? The security level of these documents is really high. I can't believe they ran away without making sure these were destroyed.

This face... I've seen this face before.

*panting*

Blood... I need blood...

He's small, but he seems ready to kill.

He could be dangerous... He must be eliminated.

That's him! It's his face!

*panting*

Blood... I need blood...

He's small, but he seems ready to kill.

He could be dangerous... He must be eliminated.

Hyaaaaap!

I knew it...!

Stop, Sez!

Huh?

He looks dangerous, but he's just a hungry child. Poor thing, being left in the forest like this...

He looks like he's hungry for blood. There's blood all over his mouth and a dead body right there...

Sez! This is Taranor, not Ezera. We can't afford to get into trouble out here.

Hmm...

I'll give this child the lunch I bought earlier today in the city. But I don't know what to do about his old, tattered clothes... It's like he's not even dressed.

You weren't dressed?

No, it's because my clothes were so old and worn out! I wasn't naked.

O-Okay...

First, I'll just cut off this part... That should work. These clothes are a little big on you, but they look great!

*sighing*

Those are my clothes.

Sez, you have lots of other clothes. If you do something good for someone now, something good will happen to you later. Just wait, and you'll see!

*panting*... Urgh... Blood... Blood...

But this kid keeps trying to bite my hand...

Oh, we're going to be late! Come on, let's go!

So that's why you were wearing those clothes. I always wondered why a Vampire would be wearing clothes with the Phantom logo on them.

You were curious, but you never asked?

There was no need. I have no use for that kind of information.

Though it is a relief to know you didn't kill anyone in Phantom to get them. At least we can avoid that headache.

Umm, Sez... He's the one who was with that noble family... Damn! If the boss finds out what happened back then, things will get messy...

In any case, I think the person on these documents is Sez from the Phantom CIC.

His name is Sez?

Sez Gaien.

Everyone in Taranor knew his name. He was wanted throughout the entire continent.

He was also famous among assassins. Everyone I know who's ever seen him fight speaks very highly of him...

There shouldn't be any problems... There's no way Sez would show up here.

I don't really know who he is...

I only know his face and name, I don't have any other information on him. Hmm... Though there are also rumors that he was created in these labs.

However, most of the documents are written in code, so there's no way of knowing what they say. All right, let's hand these over to the client for now and...

Didn't you say there was more data somewhere else, Pyllis?

Yes, the lab is divided into two sections, but there was an explosion in the other section and all of the equipment was destroyed.

There were also some monsters that looked like test subjects, and it looked like there might be another explosion... So we just came back.

You made the right choice. Let Coli or Cidd handle that.

Let's go back to the lab tomorrow morning.

Taranor?

Taranor's secret laboratory.

We've received intel that someone who looks just like Sez was spotted there.

Ras told us.

Sez, you can't just reveal our sources like that!

But you told me people can't keep secrets if they want to build up trust...

I meant between you and me!

Uhhhh...

He said a guy who looked just like me called me the "original Sez"...

So, since we have some spare time, we're thinking of going to the lab and checking a few things.

But why are you telling me this?

I'd like for you to come with us. If Sez and I go by ourselves...

If Sez loses control and I'm too busy trying to calm him down, we could get ambushed. And if Aramintha finds out we went to the lab alone...

Bellona says it would be better if we can say the three of us went together. Not that I understand why.

Hmm, I see.

Please, Lidica.

No thanks. You're sorely mistaken if you think there's any chance of me going with you guys.

Let me make this clear one more time.

I didn't come with you because I'm worried about you. I'm here to find the heathen that's performing these strange and blasphemous experiments.

Yes, that's right! We can find out who's threatening Sez and track down the heathen who's orchestrating these strange experiments. We'll be killing two birds with one stone!

I don't know what these experiments have to do with heathens.

Hush!

Sez, you have no idea how many different types of heathens there are out there.

The magic scholars in that lab are heathens. Vampires sucking human blood are heathens. There are dangerous heathens everywhere!

...I still don't see the connection.

Shh!

We're at another crossroads.

This facility is like a maze.

Cidd and Haste to the left, Coli and Pyllis to the right.

Understood.

What about you, Boss?

I'll take care of the back-end.

Why don't you come with us?

Why would Mr. Eligos go with you?

Get moving. We need to finish this investigation before sundown. Send a signal if anything happens.

Do you think...Sez is a Homunculus too?

I don't think so.

Really?

The format of the serial numbers on the document is completely different from the ones for the Homunculi in this lab.

Then what the hell is he...?

Well... I learned about this later on, but at the time, the laboratory was conducting research on several different things.

They wanted to create a weapon that could help them win the war.

You already knew that this research wasn't complete, didn't you?

Now we have no choice but to leave everything up to chance. Taranor absolutely must win this war.

Well, they were made for that exact purpose, but now the Phantom CIC is trying to save the world... No one knows what fate has in store for us.

We're working toward a similar goal as well.

Haha, I guess so.

Th-That was...

That was an explosion! Something must have happened over there!

Be careful!

I dodged it.

Classic Swifty! You really are fast...

But what was that explosion?

Cidd! Over there!

Who are you?

How did you get in here? Did you follow me...?

You're... Wait a minute, this guy looks like S, I-I mean, he looks like the person on the documents.

Documents...?

What a pain.

He's running away! Catch him, Cidd! I'll follow you as soon as I get out of here.

All right! Here I go!

He's... He's so fast! Where'd he go?

He couldn't have gotten too far...

Over there!

What happened, Cidd? Did you catch him?

Huh?

So you're the heathen behind all these strange and blasphemous experiments!

What are you talking about?

There's no use trying to fool me! I saw you come out of that lab!

Sez... Is that person running towards us?

Seems like it.

He looks familiar for some reason... Don't you think, Sez? I feel like we have some kind of unfinished business with him.

Seems like it.

What in the... This is a complete mess.

Everyone, stop!

I said stop!