I'm truly becoming curious about what Scotland told you, to make you harbor such.. incomprehensible delusions about me. I inherited this dagger; I am its new master. Is that really so difficult to understand?
Yamawashi lowered her eyes. Even though the pitch-black blade clearly could not reflect even a glimmer of light, Hiromitsu Morofushi had misperceived it, mistakenly thinking those gray eyes had flashed for a moment; however, when their gazes met, those eyes were clearly as calm as could be, devoid of any emotion.
If you kill me, you could naturally inherit this dagger. It's such simple logic that any kid in the Organization could answer it," Yamawashi said coldly. "This dagger is so famous, so many people crave it. The reason I was able to obtain it is, of course, because I killed its previous owner with my own hands.
Hiromitsu Morofushi's eyes widened slightly, a face growing larger in his pupils, as he leaned stiffly against the back of the sofa.
Yamawashi held his forehead against his, with nothing of ambiguity or romance, nor even mockery; there was only extreme coldness. "Not every action requires a grand and plausible excuse. Inspector, I am cooperating with you, not playing house with you. You should know when to stop."
Hiromitsu Morofushi heard his own frantic heartbeat and heard his own strained voice: "You mean.."
Yamawashi had no expression on his face, his tone showed no sign of emotion. "Just when will those irrational fantasies you have about me finally end? Is there any extra benefit to imagining me as someone with deep grievances?"
Chapter 25
Every time he unconsciously drew closer to Yamawashi amidst the calm surface of daily life, Yamawashi would suddenly reveal that side belonging to the Organization, where coldness replaced composure, making him hesitate. Every sway and hesitation regarding Yamawashi was a questioning of his true self; the most ridiculous part was that the person who had always remained steadfast and had woken him up time and time again was actually Yamawashi.
His attitude toward Yamawashi became more blurred the more he understood her, but he had already sensed that deviation.
The interlude regarding the dagger did not disrupt the "cooperative relationship" between them; it merely caused things to revert to their original positions once again. None of this had any impact on Hiromitsu Morofushi; the sense of bewilderment in a corner of his heart would not disrupt his way of doing things. As usual, he deployed himself in the shadows, prepared at every moment to once again completely dismantle and dispel the darkness.
Setting aside personal emotions, Yamawashi's words were intelligence.
Since the intelligence has been obtained, it must be investigated thoroughly and turned into a sharp weapon in one's hands.
As for pure intelligence work, there was one person who was even more adept at it than he was.
When they arrived at the agreed meeting location, that golden figure had already arrived ahead of time and was conversing with someone nearby. Seeing him enter, the other person finished the conversation in a few words, took their wine glass, moved to a quiet corner before speaking.
“Long time no see, Scotland.”
Hiromitsu Morofushi sat down with a smile. "Did you get any interesting information?"
Furuya Rei shrugged. "It's all just trivial gossip."
He paused, not continuing further. After all, the gossip just now had mentioned the person right in front of him, the relationship between Scotland and Yamawashi had lasted much longer than expected. Although Yamawashi appeared indifferent, she truly protected Scotland, those who had originally been watching the spectacle gradually began to sense that something was amiss.
This was not a topic they should be discussing today. Regarding Yamawashi's problem, as his close friend, he would only consider things more thoroughly than Furuya Rei would, so Furuya Rei had no need to interfere on his own.
I've gathered some information about the person you asked me to investigate." The ice ball in the glass melted slightly, diluting the sting of the alcohol, as Furuya Rei set down his glass. "There was indeed a killer in the Organization who was skilled with a dagger. It's said he was deeply trusted by the BOSS, but he disappeared very suddenly. As for whether he had children.. that remains unknown.
Noticing the other man's pensive expression, Furuya Rei spoke up, "Does it have something to do with Yamawashi?"
Once an Organization member skilled in using daggers is mentioned, it is difficult not to immediately think of Yamawashi.
The dagger Yamawashi uses is the same one that killer used." Hiromitsu Morofushi stared at the tiny bubbles rising in his wine glass. "I learned from the blacksmith who forged that dagger that the killer has a child; although I'm not sure of the exact age, they should be around the same age as Yamawashi.
Furuya Rei hesitated, "Could it be that Yamawashi is.."
Hiromitsu Morofushi shook his head. "He isn't."
Looking back now, the subconscious assumption that Yamawashi was that child was driven by more than just his own selfish motives; it was largely because the blacksmith had formed a preconceived notion from the very beginning that the person inheriting the dagger was the killer's child, which clouded his judgment.
Yamawashi claims he obtained the dagger by killing that child, but I always feel he is hiding something.
Yamawashi said that if you killed him, you could also inherit this dagger. At first glance, this logic seemed sound, but he truly had inherited that dagger. Not only had he inherited it, but he had also repeatedly polished the dagger just like Yamawashi had; the dagger itself was clean, but psychological factors compelled him to repeat that action mechanically, unable to stop.
Just as his complex feelings when facing Yamawashi, there might have been some connection between Yamawashi and the previous owner of the dagger, a truth that only the parties involved could know. After Yamawashi's death, no one except him knew that everything that happened on the rooftop was not a trap set by him to deal with Yamawashi; the person who truly orchestrated that trap was Yamawashi himself.
.. I shouldn't dwell on those things; that is something that will never happen again.
Hiromitsu Morofushi forced his thoughts back on track: "What he mentioned regarding that killer and the BOSS makes me a bit uneasy."
According to Yamawashi, the killer sounded as if he had known the BOSS for a long time and shared a profound connection with him. The Organization's leadership has undergone several successive changes; although this is a secret known only to high-ranking confidants, one can deduce from data three years later that the current BOSS, Kurumaru Soshi, is not the same person as the BOSS the killer followed decades ago.
The relationships between members of the Organization are incredibly complex and intertwined. It is not surprising that Yamawashi, having been with the Organization for quite some time, knows certain untold secrets of the past. However, when it comes to the leader of the Organization, their very existence, no matter when, will always unsettle all parties involved.
The Organization is far too vast; even if it were dismantled, certain areas would still remain shrouded in mist, difficult to penetrate. If Kurumaru Soshi still holds mysteries, then a former BOSS, whose specific succession intervals are unknown, is even more so.
Perhaps Yamawashi might have some insight into the rules regarding the BOSS's succession.
Hiromitsu Morofushi began to evaluate the situation seriously, directly asking Yamawashi how much the success rate would differ between asking Yamawashi directly and using Scotland as leverage to coerce Yamawashi into giving an answer.
Yamawashi did not care about the Organization. As a former freelance mercenary, the Organization was more like a long-term employer to Yamawashi; he would do his utmost for a mission, but he was not unconditionally loyal, which was why he had so quickly agreed to cooperate with him for Scotland's sake.
Hiromitsu Morofushi decided to try asking directly first, not use Scotland as a trump card unless absolutely necessary. Yamawashi cared about Scotland, but the trouble she brought was significant, there was no guarantee he wouldn't lose his patience one day.
"It's a bit like.." the blond young man sitting next to him muttered to himself.
Hiromitsu Morofushi hadn't quite caught that. Using the motion of clinking his glass to close the distance, he asked, 'What do you mean by that?'
Furuya Rei snapped back to his senses, his tone becoming much firmer. As a newcomer to the mystic world who had joined the Organization by virtue of his intelligence-gathering capabilities and earned a codename, he possessed an extraordinary sensitivity for capturing and integrating key information from ordinary intelligence. "Setting weapons aside, she is a high-ranking member but has a low presence, despite being in the Organization for a long time, the intelligence we can gather about her is incredibly scarce.. It sounds a bit like Yamawashi. The reason we are able to get in touch with Yamawashi now is mostly due to that romantic relationship; before that, our impression of Yamawashi was simply that she was a mysterious member with a codename."
He sank into a new round of contemplation, failing to notice the momentary freeze in his friend's expression. 'Vermouth avoids any topic concerning Yamawashi; while it could be explained away as a lack of interest, looking back on it now, it seems a bit too suspicious, as if she's hiding something.'
"Yamawashi.. what is the reason he is able to act so lawlessly within the Organization?" Finally, Furuya Rei could not help but say this.
..
The living room was quiet, Yamawashi was not there; even now, it was still impossible to track Yamawashi's whereabouts.
The books brought back were placed on the cabinet, waiting to be organized, as Hiromitsu Morofushi stood motionless in the entryway for a while.
It seemed that only when he returned here could he let his guard down and allow himself a moment of rest, but as his gaze met the familiar decor, his mind began to function automatically once again.
Aside from the issues concerning Scotland, Yamawashi seemed to have never faced restrictions. True power and status do not lie in being able to do whatever one wants, but rather in being able to refuse to do what one does not want to do. In the Organization, Yamawashi was exactly that kind of person—someone who could ignore everything and adhere to their own code of conduct.
This was certainly related to overwhelming strength, but in the Organization, it was never just about the level of one's strength.
He enjoyed the privileges brought by Yamawashi's special status even earlier than Yamawashi did, but he was not clear on what Yamawashi had actually done in the past or what he relied on to possess such a status.
The door suddenly opened, Hiromitsu Morofushi turned around instinctively, meeting the eyes of the person outside the door.
"Welcome back," Hiromitsu Morofushi said instinctively.
Yamawashi did not respond, saying coldly, "You went to see Bourbon."
Hiromitsu Morofushi was not surprised that Yamawashi knew he had met with Bourbon. He tried to shift Yamawashi's line of thinking, saying, "Scotland meets with different codenamed members from time to time, Bourbon is one of them."
I told you, don't get too close to Bourbon; if you meet too often, he will definitely notice.
Hearing it again, Hiromitsu Morofushi was still surprised that Yamawashi held Bourbon in such high regard despite their limited interactions. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Hiromitsu Morofushi said.
Yamawashi walked straight past him.
“Aren't you curious why I'm looking for Bourbon?” Hiromitsu Morofushi followed, but Yamawashi's back was so cold and indifferent that he was forced to stop after only two steps by that aura that warned others to keep their distance.
Yamawashi, when did you join the Organization? You already had that dagger when you were working as a mercenary, but..
The sound of a door closing interrupted him.
He swallowed the rest of his sentence.
Yamawashi claimed to be a killer who used a blade, but even before joining the Organization, the dagger he used was already that black dagger. Double-edged, with no blood groove, no sheath.. A blade that thin and light, a blacksmith could never forge a second one.
The more one knows about Yamawashi, the harder it becomes to see him clearly.
Hiromitsu Morofushi thought of a person.
Perhaps he would know about Yamawashi's past.
**
In Hiromitsu Morofushi's view, the relationship between Gin and Yamawashi was quite complicated.
The two most outstanding killers in the Organization, neither friend nor foe, shared a relationship so difficult to define that a strange sense of familiarity lingered between them.
In the third month after Yamawashi's suicide, Gin asked him once, as if suddenly remembering that someone like Yamawashi existed, how Yamawashi's body had been handled.
After Yamawashi's death, he buried Yamawashi under the identity of Scotland, making no effort to hide the location, arranged for Public Security personnel to go there "secretly" to pay their respects, solidifying the illusion of Yamawashi's collusion with Public Security.
Entrusting a colleague to use white roses as a memorial during a performance was the only thing he could do for Yamawashi at that time, the only thing he could think of.
Perhaps he was simply too busy, or perhaps he was avoiding it internally, but during those three months, he did not visit that cemetery, nor did he think of Yamawashi.
Until, during some mission, Gin suddenly asked him, "What happened to the body in Yamawashi?"
“I bought a plot in a cemetery.” His hand paused for a moment, he lowered his head to disassemble the sniper rifle and pack it into the instrument case. “He betrayed the Organization, but that's one thing, this is another; he treated me well.”
Gin didn't ask any further.
A month later, he made a special trip to Yamawashi's grave. The tombstone held only a cluster of dried branches, so withered they were no longer recognizable as white roses, looking as though no one else had visited. Perhaps Gin had only mentioned it in passing because seeing him had suddenly reminded him of a traitor like Yamawashi, with no other intention.
After his rebirth, as his attention toward Yamawashi increased, every interaction between Yamawashi and Gin left him feeling even more confused about the relationship between the two.
Yamawashi told Gin that he suspected him of cheating.
Setting aside how Yamawashi actually reached that conclusion, one thing was certain: at the very least, he would never discuss his suspected infidelity with an ordinary colleague.
Chapter 26
Unexpectedly, Gin spoke of Yamawashi's past with extreme simplicity. His casual tone made Hiromitsu Morofushi unable to help but doubt the truthfulness of those words.
Gin sneered, as if to say he believed or didn't believe it.
The prepared chips were of no use. After a moment of contemplation, Hiromitsu Morofushi asked, "Is it alright if you tell me so easily? Do you not care if he finds out?"
Gin did not answer. He shielded the flame to light a cigarette and tossed out a strange question: "Why have you suddenly started paying attention to him?"
It wasn't just Yamawashi who knew there was no true affection between them; everyone from Rye to Gin could see the signs. So, was what Gin was thinking at this moment his own deduction, or had Yamawashi told him? After a long silence, Hiromitsu Morofushi replied, "He has treated me well."
Time seemed to drift back to that mission three months after Yamawashi's death; faced with different questions, he gave the same answer.
The orange-red ember at the tip of the cigarette silently spread into gray. Gin's hand paused for a moment, as if he had belatedly remembered he still had this cigarette, his expression returned to its usual mockery as the smoke drifted through the air.
“Scotland, you're going to get him killed.” Leaving behind those cryptic words, Gin stubbed out his half-finished cigarette, his coat fluttering as he strode away.
According to Gin, Yamawashi joined the Organization when he was in his teens, left for a few years to become a mercenary, later returned to the Organization. Given Yamawashi's strength, even if the requirements were intentionally raised, passing the test and reclaiming a codename within three days would still be a matter of no suspense.
Regardless of how Gin knew about Yamawashi's life in his teens, Yamawashi indeed had connections to the Organization before becoming a mercenary; perhaps it was during that time that he met the owner of the dagger and seized it.
When these words were brought before Yamawashi to be verified, Yamawashi's reaction was surprisingly calm.
Yamawashi's past was like a thick mist, known by very few. When such a deliberately concealed past was actually brought into the light, Yamawashi seemed not to care at all.
A young man with short gray hair leaned against the balcony railing with his arms crossed, looking at the distant sunset with his head turned: "And so? How will this investigation help with your mission?"
Hiromitsu Morofushi was momentarily speechless: "I.."
Yamawashi was not the kind of person to press an advantage or relentlessly corner an opponent.