Blade of Justice

Uncertain Feelings

When Ryunosuke came down the stairs in the morning, Susato was already dressed for the day and seated on the couch. She had a newspaper in her hand and was clearly deep in the midst of reading, a heavy furrow between her brows and a frown resting on her lips.

"Good morning, Miss Susato."

"Oh. Good morning, Mr. Naruhodo," she replied without looking away from the paper.

"...Is something wrong?" he said. He knew that look on her face very well by now.

"It's just...this article on the front page," Susato said and finally looked up. "It's about the Warden. He caught someone of high status last night."

"Oh, yes, that. What does the article say?" Ryunosuke said as he seated himself on the other end of the couch.

"Well...according to the paper...He's a mysterious swordsman who patrols the streets at night. When he witnesses criminals conducting illegal activities or assailing the innocent, he attacks them. They say he is very skilled and precise with the blade."

"Does he...kill his victims?"

"I do not think they quite count as victims, Mr. Naruhodo. Anyway, according to this article, he has never taken a life. In fact, most of the criminals he catches are handed over to the Yard with barely a mark on them."

"So he attacks criminals and brings them to the Yard. Unharmed?"

"Yes. Reports say he has even fended off gunmen."

"He's fended off gunmen, with just a blade? And without any serious harm to these criminals? But...Miss Susato! That sounds like—!"

"Lord van Zieks, yes. And it seems we are not the only ones to think so. No one really knows the identity of the Warden. Apparently he conceals his appearance with a mask. However, there is a great deal of speculation regarding exactly who he is...And Lord van Zieks is the top suspect."

"'Suspect!' So...Is he considered a criminal?"

"No. It seems the Yard is grateful for the help of the Warden."

"Well, that's good then, isn't it? If crime is as bad as everyone is saying, it sounds like he's doing something extremely helpful."

"I suppose...Lord van Zieks did look very tired, didn't he?" Susato said.

"Yes, I noticed that too. So did Kazuma."

"Do you think Kazuma-sama has to take on extra work because Lord van Zieks is too busy patrolling the streets at night to provide much aid at the office?"

"I don't know. I don't think he would stop working, even if he was running himself thin," Ryunosuke said.

"That's true. I doubt he would have been promoted to Director of Prosecutions if he had been shirking all of his work onto Kazuma-sama for the past year..."

"He's been doing this for a whole year!?" Ryunosuke gasped.

"Well...I suppose we don't know that it really is Lord van Zieks."

"That's right. He has been falsely accused of even worse things before. He seems like a popular scapegoat. Probably because he's so terrifying."

"Lord van Zieks is not terrifying! He's just...imposing. But he's very compassionate as well," Susato said. Then her gazed drifted sideways, as though she was lost in thought. She sighed.