Light of Righteousness

They had been talking about religion and conversion when the topic suddenly jumped to perfume.

Swire was best at this sort of thing. Whenever she realized the other person had seized control of the conversation, she would always use some unexpected move to take it back—just like now. She suddenly leaned closer, her nose constantly twitching, leaving Hoshino somewhat at a loss.

She had been putting on such a good act as some detached master just moments ago.

Why...

Swire's nose twitched like a cat's. Before long, she straightened up, seeming to savor the scent of cherry blossoms.

"What perfume is that?"

It sounded ridiculous, but Swire had indeed successfully reclaimed control of the conversation. Paired with her luxurious clothing and the Cartier ring hanging from her tail, asking such a question did not feel out of place at all.

"It's my natural body scent, not perfume."

"You're lying, right?"

How could there possibly be a girl who came with her own fragrance? Even if there was, it should have been a faint milky scent. What the hell was a cherry blossom scent?

Swire had never met a woman like this.

When she closed her eyes, it was as though a cluster of cherry trees bloomed before her.

It was gentle, enough to make one's heart calm without realizing it. Swire had nearly forgotten that this woman, gentle from head to toe, was an unparalleled swordswoman who had made her feel as though she were on the verge of death without even drawing her blade.

No, her identity had never changed.

Swire sat down, her tail lightly swishing against the floor. The steel ring made a crisp sound.

"So it's body fragrance..."

Swire's tone was filled with disappointment.

"By the way, you mentioned conversion earlier. Where's your shrine, then? Where are the ritual implements for your shrine maiden attire? You should at least have things like divine statues and torii gates, right? You have nothing at all, so why do you have the nerve to urge people to convert to your god?"

"..."

This little rich girl reeked of money every time she opened her mouth. It was truly irritating.

Why be so hung up on formalities?

Hoshino retorted, "We don't have any of that. If you want to sponsor us, that would be fine too."

"Ahem."

They would not pursue that subject any further.

She looked around, and two aluminum briefcases immediately caught her eye. She nodded and said, "You moved pretty fast. You exchanged the Originium Gold for Lungmen dollars in such a short time. But I should remind you of one thing: Rope is a good girl. Don't drag her into a dark abyss she can never climb out of."

This involved me too?

Rope had not expected this at all, and she stared blankly.

Swire smoothly shifted the topic onto Rope.

"Don't make that face. The Lungmen Guard Department sees much further than you think. We've been assessing you, observing certain qualities you possess."

"Then that means..."

Swire was a clever woman. She had revealed only a tiny hint before returning to her tight-lipped silence.

Hoshino remained silent.

She closed her eyes and watched the progress bar, which had always been at zero, suddenly move forward by a small amount. It seemed she had finally taken the first step.

The mission description had changed as well.

[Mission: Help and protect Rope.]

[There is a glimmer of hope in her life. Please protect this tiny light and keep adding firewood to the flame...]

If the system did not have a name, Hoshino wanted to call it the "Light of Righteousness" System.

It was far too positive.

The wealthy lady had come and gone without donating a single cent. She had only experienced the shrine maiden's blade up close before hurrying away. When Hoshino opened the door to see her off, she could clearly sense watchful eyes somewhere nearby.

Maybe it was just her imagination.

Back in the room, Hoshino began to sweet-talk the slightly delighted Rope.

"How do you feel now? What are you planning to do next?"

"This money was robbed by you... It all belongs to you, so I don't have the right to decide... As for how I feel... I don't..."

She fell silent.

Anyone could see that Rope actually felt a little regretful.

Swire had mentioned that the Guard Department had been watching her. Did that mean that if Rope continued to live cautiously, holding onto her principles amid the slum's great cesspool, she would eventually earn the Guard Department's favor?

After all, Swire had said they were "assessing" her.

But what had Rope done? She had gone out and pulled off something big, joining Hoshino in robbing robbers and waylaying people for their money.

Now she regretted it. She regretted it deeply.

"You've got one thing wrong."

Taking advantage of Rope's limited education, Hoshino continued spouting that highly subjective shrine maiden culture, trying to talk Rope around.

"That was an offering. What we did this time was for..."

She only got halfway through.

The public explanation could have sounded very nice, but it could not fool her own heart. In Rope's mind, it had indeed been robbing robbers—a disturbance in the carefully cautious record of her life.

She did not dare call it a stain.

Rope's life had already been very bleak. Swire's words were like seeing a beam of light, only for it to brush past her.

She could not touch it, nor could she be warmed by it.

Yet that dazzling sight had already been etched completely into her pupils.

Seeing it but being unable to reach it was far more painful than never seeing hope at all. Hoshino was softhearted and could not stand the sight of a girl looking so dejected.

"Don't cry... Anyway..."

She only got halfway through again. Closing her eyes, she heard an alarm, and the mission details gained an urgent notice.

[The flame is about to go out, yet the king is nowhere to be seen...]

Don't make memes at a time like this!

Hoshino had to think of something quickly. Otherwise, the mission progress that had just risen would end in failure because of her mistake.

And the crimson-cherry-colored blade she coveted would be gone too.

"Rope, do you know?"

She slowed her speech and explained in an exceptionally gentle tone, "Do you know the deeper meaning behind taking you out to rob money?"

"?"

Robbing money was just robbing money. What deeper meaning could it have?

"Shrine maidens need faith. We robbed that first sum of money only to accumulate starting capital. Fame is the origin of faith, so how do we quickly build fame among the people?"

Rope did not answer. She was still waiting for Hoshino to tell her the answer.

She really had no sense of initiative at all.

Hoshino did not want to just talk theory. She reached out and patted Rope's little head, signaling for her to carry the two cases of Lungmen dollars.

"Let's go hand out money."

That was what she said.

A mere 120,000 Lungmen dollars was only the cost of promoting a five-star Operator to Elite 2, yet it was Hoshino's path to obtaining the Spirit Katana: Sakura Blossom.

The conditions for completing the mission were beginning to take shape.

So-called protection and rescue did not merely mean helping Rope escape the Guard Department, nor did it mean helping her become wealthy. It meant completely changing her fate, allowing Rope to live openly beneath the sunlight.

How wonderful.

Hoshino felt rather fortunate. At the very least, this sort of system did not make her feel sick.

Before leaving, Hoshino stopped Rope again. Right in front of her, she took out two bundles of Lungmen dollars and put them away, then said mysteriously,

"Don't throw it all away. Keep at least 20,000 for food."

Rope: (⊙o⊙)