That way, they would have a chance at promotion.
"See you on the next workday, everyone."
"Oh, right. Yorii, take this first."
At the street corner, Sayo said goodbye to the others.
After thinking for a moment, she took out a purse and stuffed it into Yorii Tsugikuni's hand.
She naturally knew that they had only just arrived in the Imperial Capital and did not have much money on them.
Yorii Tsugikuni was going to the bookstores, so he would inevitably need to spend some money.
"Thank you."
Yorii Tsugikuni did not refuse. He nodded to Sayo in farewell.
The western sun plopped down behind the mountains, splashing a stretch of crimson clouds across the azure sky.
The next day at noon.
On a street within the Imperial Capital.
Yorii Tsugikuni walked slowly down the street.
Over the course of the morning, he had already visited more than a dozen bookstores.
This is already the most comprehensive map, yet there isn't even the faintest trace of my hometown.
Clutching the map he had bought not long ago.
Yorii Tsugikuni felt somewhat disappointed.
He had studied the map over and over, yet he had found no clues whatsoever about his hometown.
A thought slowly surfaced in his mind.
Could this be an unfamiliar world?
Yorii Tsugikuni shook his head, becoming somewhat lost.
Everything before him was difficult for him to accept, and after that thought emerged in his mind.
He felt it was far too absurd.
Yet everything he had experienced during this time undoubtedly proved that this absurd thought might well be the truth.
There must be another way.
I will find where my hometown is.
As he continued forward, Yorii Tsugikuni quickly dispelled the confusion from his eyes.
Though he had always remained calm even when the sky collapsed, an inexplicable sense of panic now rose in his heart.
"Creak..."
Yorii Tsugikuni pushed open the door of another bookstore.
He began searching through the books.
"Excuse me, do you have books such as maps?"
A green-haired young man sat inside the bookstore with his head lowered as he read. Even after Yorii Tsugikuni entered, he did not look up.
Only when Yorii Tsugikuni asked did he answer indifferently, "Last row, bottom shelf."
Hearing the young man's words, Yorii Tsugikuni headed toward the last row.
At that moment, the bookstore door sounded again.
"It's time to go."
"Meet at the usual place."
Yorii Tsugikuni's hand paused slightly as it reached for a map. He had heard a somewhat familiar voice.
Just as he began to wonder about it, the person who had entered the bookstore had already left and vanished from sight.
"How much?"
"One gold coin."
After arriving at the counter, Yorii Tsugikuni asked about the price.
The young man raised his head and glanced at him before quickly naming the price.
Though it had been only a brief moment, Yorii Tsugikuni noticed a flicker of hostility in the young man's eyes when he looked at him.
Is he from Night Raid?
Yorii Tsugikuni paid and left. He had no enemies in the Imperial Capital.
The only ones who might hold hostility toward him were Night Raid, whom he had encountered before.
Glancing back at the bookstore, he was fairly certain that it was likely one of Night Raid's hideouts.
Judging from that conversation just now.
It seemed they had another new operation.
The Security Force's Problems, an Encounter in the Pleasure District
Yorii Tsugikuni did not pursue the matter any further. Carrying the map, he quickly left.
He had no interest in involving himself in Night Raid's affairs.
For now, what he most wanted was still to find his hometown as soon as possible.
"Looks like I wasted another gold coin."
Opening the map he had just bought, Yorii Tsugikuni examined it carefully once more.
He shook his head in disappointment.
Like the previous ones, this map did not mark any place names familiar to him.
The only improvement was that it looked somewhat more professional.
Then could my hometown possibly exist somewhere beyond the places shown on this map?
Yorii Tsugikuni looked at the area marked as ocean on the map and began wondering what sort of world lay beyond that sea.
However, a new concern soon arose.
Crossing the sea would not be easy either.
Not only would he need a large ship, but he would also need a crew.
Setting that thought aside, Yorii Tsugikuni continued onward.
He made a decision: if he still could not find any news, then he would cross the sea and take a look.
And so, Yorii Tsugikuni continued searching for another afternoon.
Naturally, the final result was not satisfying.
He still found nothing.
"Master, over here."
Yorii Tsugikuni had just reached an intersection when he spotted Sayo and Tatsumi waving to him from the distance.
They were both carrying several books in their arms.
"How did things go today?"
Watching the two run toward him, Yorii Tsugikuni asked.
Unlike him, who had spent the day visiting bookstores, the two of them had gone out with Sayo early that morning to continue their patrol.
"Though we didn't gain much today, we narrowed down the area further."
"Big Sister Sayo told us to bring these books to Master."
Sayo raised the books in her hands and smiled at Yorii Tsugikuni.
"You two go back first."
"I'll take a look farther ahead, then head back after that."
After saying goodbye to them, Yorii Tsugikuni continued walking forward.
He decided that when he returned that night, he would look for traces of demons along the way.
"Then don't stay out too late, Master."
Sayo looked at Yorii Tsugikuni's back with some concern.
She gave him a reminder.
"Mm."
Yorii Tsugikuni turned and nodded at Sayo.
After visiting the remaining bookstores, Yorii Tsugikuni stepped outside.
The sky had already turned completely dark.
"Once I get paid, I'm going up there to have some fun too."
"Isn't that right? Our captain has it good. He doesn't even have to spend his own money."
Yorii Tsugikuni emerged from an alley and arrived at a place lined with red lanterns.
Two Security Force officers squatting on the ground and smoking something like rolled paper caught his attention.
From their conversation, he picked up quite a bit of information.
Is this place called the pleasure district too?
Looking at the flashing sign at the street entrance and the scantily clad women along both sides of the road, smiling and striking seductive poses.
Yorii Tsugikuni remembered that his hometown also had a place called the pleasure district.
He also knew what the people here had come to do.
It seems there are serious problems within the Security Force as well.
Yorii Tsugikuni naturally knew who the captain of the Security Force was. When he had first joined the Security Force, he had met its captain, Oka.
However, after joining the Security Force, he had often worked in a team with Sayo to complete missions, so he had had very little contact with Oka.
Captain Oka had an excellent reputation within the Security Force.
Yorii Tsugikuni had heard Sayo praise him more than once.
But now, it seemed that the captain was clearly not entirely as his reputation suggested—not someone criminals feared like a demon.
He had another side that no one knew about.
Yorii Tsugikuni shook his head and did not linger.
He had no interest in investigating Oka's particular preferences.
Joining the Security Force had only ever been a temporary stop for him.
Bang!
Just as Yorii Tsugikuni turned around, a deafening crash rang out behind him.
A tall, powerfully built man clad in armor flew out of a second-floor room and smashed heavily onto the street.
Yorii Tsugikuni turned around and immediately recognized the man as Oka.
At that moment, Oka clutched his slashed throat, blood gushing from it, and stared unwillingly toward the second floor.
Yorii Tsugikuni immediately rushed to Oka's side.
At that moment, heavy and hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from a nearby alley.
From those weighty footsteps alone, one could tell.
The approaching person was certainly someone of an extremely massive build.
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