"Jinba-san, about that favor you asked for the other day..."
"Oh, Yugo! Sorry to make you come all this way. Well? How is it?"
"She took the job. It’s all serviced and ready, so I brought it back."
"Oh! My thanks! Let me see, let me see... I’ve got to check the feel of it right away..."
Yugo handed the crossbow Anhel had maintained to the man.
As Jinba began transforming the weapon and inspecting its condition, Yugo looked around the empty room. He reminded himself that Jinba was a special investigator sent here to look into the recent surge of incidents.
Jinba finished his inspection, set the crossbow on the desk, and turned back to Yugo with a grateful expression.
"Much appreciated, Yugo. Be sure to thank Anhel for me. Did she say anything about the fee?"
"No, she didn't mention money at all, but..."
Yugo felt a slight hesitation, but he decided that dragging his feet wasn't his style. He took a steadying breath and asked the question that had been weighing on him.
"I saw the name engraved on the grip. Thomas Hodgins. Who exactly was he?"
"........."
For a split second, a look of uncertainty crossed Jinba’s face.
It didn't last. He suddenly broke into a wide grin and roared with laughter.
"At-ha-ha-ha-ha! So, you spotted it, did you? Well, I suppose that’s only natural. It wasn't exactly hidden, and anyone doing maintenance would’ve seen it eventually..."
After a few low chuckles, Jinba turned his gaze toward the ceiling.
When he looked back at Yugo, a somewhat self-deprecating smile touched his lips.
"Well... maybe this is as good a time as any. Humor an old man while he tells a pointless story about the past."
"Uh, sure..."
Bewildered by the shift in Jinba's demeanor, Yugo gave a slow nod.
Jinba turned his back to him and stepped toward the window. He let out a heavy sigh before he began to speak.
"That man, Thomas... he was my former partner. We were both rookies in the Security Force when we were paired up as buddies."
"Your former partner...?"
"Yeah. It’s nothing to be proud of, but I was a hothead back then, not unlike you. I had a habit of charging ahead without thinking about the consequences. Thomas was the exact opposite—cool, collected, and a perfectionist. He didn't make mistakes."
Jinba let out a nostalgic laugh. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and continued.
"He used to scold me for my recklessness all the time. He’d say, 'Jinba, don't be reckless. Thinking it's okay to die and actually dying are two different things.' Our personalities couldn't have been more different, but for some reason, we just clicked. If I do say so myself, we were a damn good duo."
Jinba exhaled a cloud of smoke and turned his eyes toward the crossbow. He gestured toward it with his cigarette and smiled at Yugo.
"I assume Anhel told you its problems? That it lacks power, range, and speed? That it isn't suited for a real fight? But if you look at that lack of power from another angle, it means you can take someone down without killing them. It’s actually a perfect Magic Item for capturing suspects or rescuing hostages. The user just has to make up for the weapon's shortcomings."
"From the way you're talking... was Thomas-san a master with the crossbow?"
"You’d better believe it. He hit his mark every time. No, it was beyond 100% accuracy—it was 1000%. Whether it was sniping or rapid fire, he was flawless. I don't think I ever saw him miss a single shot."
Jinba praised his old friend and took another drag of his cigarette.
He inhaled deeply and let the smoke drift out... seeing the wistful shadow that fell over his face, Yugo realized the truth.
The name on the crossbow belonged to Jinba’s old partner.
Jinba treated this relic—this memento of Thomas—with the utmost care, even if he didn't use it himself.
The fact that everything about this partner was spoken of in the past tense... and from a time long ago... gave Yugo a clear idea of what had happened to Thomas.
"...Hey, Jinba-san. By any chance, did Thomas—?"
He forced himself to ask the difficult question. He sensed that Jinba was waiting for it.
As expected, Jinba didn't take offense at the bluntness. If anything, he looked relieved that Yugo had figured it out. He offered a lonely, melancholic smile and lowered his eyes to the floor as he spoke.
"...He died a long time ago. He fell in the line of duty while we were chasing a case together."