c41-c60 · 060-ch60

Chapter 60: The Assassin

I and Sister Rose hurry after Chiffon, who's running ahead of us. Monsters keep emerging from the haze behind Chiffon, and since we have to eliminate them while chasing, it's hard to get any closer.

Or rather, I thought I was going at a considerable speed, but Sister Rose is keeping up with me without falling behind. When I glance to the side, curious, I see her enveloped in the green light that appears when she uses healing magic. Don't tell me she's maintaining her initial speed by constantly restoring her stamina? Is that what she's doing?

"Shibasaki-san"

"Ah, yes! What is it?"

Unlike me, who's thinking strange thoughts, Sister Rose speaks to me with an unusually serious expression.

"Um... The person who appeared earlier said they were 'looking for someone.' Do you have any idea who they might be, Shibasaki-san?"

"Why, why are you asking me?"

"No, you seemed to know each other, so I thought perhaps you knew them. My apologies if I've offended you."

"Aha ha..."

Actually, I do know him, but being treated as his acquaintance... this is going to be troublesome.

Looking for someone, huh. If we could protect the talent they're looking for first, we'd have the advantage. From the way he talked, he must have some idea who he's after. Otherwise, he wouldn't bother coming to Shinjuku Dungeon, which has so few people.

But is there really any "good talent" that convenient in Shinjuku now? If they're looking for people with outdated ideologies, they'd have much better luck going to the World Tree in Shikoku.

...No, wait. That's it.

"I have one person in mind."

"Really?"

"Yes. ...There's a rumor going around in Shinjuku Dungeon right now. That there's an assassin targeting explorers who commit crimes like assault, robbery, or intimidation."

"I've heard that too."

"In fact, the number of deaths this past month has increased dramatically. And as you reported, there's a high possibility these are man-made. That's why, when I faced Chiffon and that man, I thought they were the culprits behind this series of murders, and that's how the rumor about an assassin started spreading."

Honestly, I still think that's the case. What I'm about to tell Sister Rose now is the kind of out-of-the-blue story you'd dismiss as nonsense.

"Before I came here, I was attacked by someone."

"E, really?!"

"Though I say that, the person who attacked me wasn't particularly strong, and I easily drove them off. But the problem is how they were able to attack me."

I remember that Dark Chaos fellow.

"He wasn't just a thrill-seeker; he was clearly targeting me. If I'd been attacked during my usual work, I could guess he observed my regular movements and identified my route. But today was different."

"..."

"I came here today to investigate a murder at the request of the Management Bureau. Naturally, I'm moving through the dungeon using different routes than usual. And yet, the one who attacked me didn't come to me by coincidence—he came with conviction."

That's right. Because so many things happened afterward, I didn't think deeply about it, but I had wondered how Dark Chaos knew my location.

But now I understand. Linli... if it's him, he could easily find my location. And he probably provided support for getting to the 31st floor, the zombie army, and even the robe to avoid being attacked by zombies.

That's why, and this is crucial. Linli should know that a guy like that couldn't possibly hold me back.

And yet, he made him do it. That means the goal wasn't to delay me—the act of making him attack me itself was the objective.

"Making him attack me... or to put it more fundamentally, making him commit crimes. If that connects to their goal of 'looking for people'..."

Dark Chaos got my attention precisely because he went out of his way to attack me. If, in places I can't see, the number of explorers committing such crimes had increased, they would serve as bait to make contact with the assassin.

"Perhaps there's a separate assassin. And they're trying to recruit that assassin, aren't they?"

Honestly, I think I'm interpreting this too conveniently. But surprisingly, as I say these words, I feel the air around Sister Rose become sharply cold.

"...The statistics for deaths and missing persons in Shinjuku Dungeon have been increasing since last month, just as you said, Shibasaki-san. But looking at the statistics for the past few months compared to last year, I've found that they've been slightly increasing all along."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. ...And, most of those who died or went missing have committed crimes at least once, or are disliked by regular explorers—what you might call troublesome explorers."

...What an unpleasant commonality.

"And there's one more thing. That rumor was also circulating in Shibuya and Okutama a while ago. The list of deaths in each dungeon during that period also includes many people who would likely be targeted by the rumored assassin."

Sister Rose speaks that information with unusual fluency. As if it's a story she's read over and over again before sleeping.

"The assassin isn't just a rumor. They're real. And they're in Shinjuku Dungeon now."

She said it with absolute conviction.

Under the current circumstances, I can't verify that information, but if it's true, everything we've discussed gains credibility.

"...Sister Rose, you seem to know a lot about this assassin."

"Yes. Because—"

While running, Sister Rose stares into the empty air. Her eyes hold a certain heat, looking straight forward.

"—I'm looking for the assassin too."