While not exactly from a 'distinguished' house, I was born the second son of a Count whose estate was managed well enough. For years, I watched with envy as the valedictorians entered the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the Ministry of Finance, while I graduated from Imperial Capital Central University with reasonably good marks. A few years have passed since I passed the senior civil service exams and was recruited as an executive police officer candidate.
And now, this hyper-competent elite detective, Jiro Amada, was in a dire crisis.
I’d been shot with a pistol.
It hurt several times more than I’d expected.
The cause... though it feels like a lifetime ago now... was Leo Kamishiro.
No, the bastard is doing his best. Compared to a guy like Leo, those people who joined the Ministry of Internal Affairs are mere dust. They aren't even in the same league. Far from looking down his nose at them, I doubt he even knows they exist.
In that regard, I am Leo’s friend. Even if he denies it, I have no intention of letting go of this connection. It’s that strong of a tether. Though, if Leo ever screws up and gets purged, I’ll play it cool and say, "It was strictly business."
Still, I’d cover up anything up to murder for him, and I’d offer my support right up until the moment a purge was finalized. Well, the bastard isn't stupid enough to commit murder for personal reasons, and if a purge were ever on the horizon, he’d probably flee to outer space before they could catch him. I trust him that much.
Anyway, as for why I was in this mess... yes, the Duke Association. The organization that Leo and His Majesty the Emperor had crushed.
Naturally, we high-ranking civil officials had known about it for a long time. After all, the bigwigs in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Justice are almost entirely Duke Association members. In the first place, you can’t even get a job at the top-tier ministries without a connection to them—unless you’re so damn talented you graduate as valedictorian.
The military and the police were the exceptions. Dammit! In those fields, even in senior positions, you can't survive unless you're a total muscle-brain. That’s why the Duke Association simply avoided us.
And that’s why I was the one ordered to hunt down the remnants of the Association. They call it a "hunt," but this was a massive organization that had controlled the Empire for years. Normally, the members would have fled with their entire families. But as a member of the Leo Kamishiro Family, I couldn't exactly run away.
If I succeed, my future appointment as the head of the police is all but guaranteed. Of course, the guys doing the undercover work never have enough lives to spare. But I’m the commander. I wasn't supposed to kick the bucket so easily.
Or so I thought, and then this happened. Good grief.
The one who shot me was my girlfriend... well, she was until just a moment ago. Nel was still pointing the pistol at me in the headquarters' kitchenette.
In a dangerous situation like this, I had to remember Leo’s words... that’s it! Distract the opponent to buy time!
Alright, let’s do this!
"I’m sorry for eating that pudding in the fridge without asking..."
"Shut up."
She grabbed me by the hair and pressed the pistol against my face. Leo, you idiot! That wasn't effective at all!
"...I’m sorry! I ate the cake, too!"
"Be quiet!"
She kicked my wound. It hit a nerve, and my body twitched violently. This was bad; if I left this untreated, I was going to die. Nel stared into my eyes while keeping the gun aimed.
"Hand over the Secret Treasures of the Duke Association that you seized."
"Huh? What are you talking about..."
Ah, crap. I was starting to lose consciousness. Was my blood pressure dropping? I needed a nanomachine injection fast...
"The evidence you lot seized."
"That stuff is in the evidence locker... cough."
Blood bubbled from my mouth. Ah—this was bad. She might have hit an internal organ.
"A-Amada! What happened?!"
A voice called out from the hallway.
"Nel, give up... my colleagues will be bursting in any second."
"You truly are beyond saving. Do you think we Zork fear humans?"
You’ve got to be kidding me... she’s a female-type Zork like Kevin-chan?! That incredible beauty with the massive chest...
Breasts... so many... wait! I almost drifted off there!
Huh? When I tried to recall something, my mind went blank. That’s strange... wait, Kevin-chan was... originally a man.
Wait, wait, wait, wait!
"Nel... you... are you a man?"
"So what if I am?"
...I’d done it. In more ways than one. The moment my sweet romance turned into a dark chapter of my past, I saw a dog in front of me. Ah, it was Whity, my childhood pet. I see, have you come to fetch me? Well then, shall we cross the river together— ugh!
"Don't you dare sleep!"
"If you... hadn't shot me... it wouldn't have... come to this..."
My vision narrowed, and my face felt cold. This was the end. Ah, now I could even see a fairy fluttering in the corner of my eye...
"Heeey, are you awake? Hellooo, Amada."
"...Who’s that?"
It didn't feel like a hallucination.
"It’s Mother AI-chan, the one who’s always smiling and watching over everyone!!!"
Boom! An explosion effect went off behind the fairy.
"O-Oh. Uh, please look forward to Jiro Amada-sensei's next life."
"Don't you give up! Wake up! I’m going to distract them now!"
"What are you going to do?"
"I’m cutting the lights. When they go out, run for your life!"
"Got it."
"Here we gooo! One, two, three!"
I stood up with the very last of my strength.
"DAH!!!"
The moment the lights failed, I lunged for the entrance and wrenched the door open.
"Damn you! I’ll kill you!"
Covered in blood, I slammed into the chest of a colleague.
"H-Hey! Amada?!"
"...Shot by Nel. That person... is a Zork— hurgh!"
Blood gushed from my mouth.
"Tch!"
Nel tried to dive through the window.
"How naive! Click."
At Mother AI's voice, there was a sharp bang as the water heater exploded. Nel was sent flying by the blast. Mother AI is terrifying!
Alarms began to blare throughout the building.
"S-Someone! Get an adhesive gun for riot control!"
Seeing my condition, my colleagues swarmed Nel. They pinned her down with several men and began wrapping her limbs and face in whatever tape they could find. One officer kicked a chair apart and pulled out a metal pipe.
"Secure this behind her knees!"
Even so, several officers were sent flying by Nel's thrashing. That wasn't human strength. Finally, a veteran from the riot police who had undergone chlorella treatment and a member of the beast race managed to hold her down.
"I’ve got the adhesive gun!"
"Good! We’re letting go, shoot her now!"
Nel was instantly immobilized by the expanding resin. My world was starting to go dark.
"H-Hey! Amada, stay with us! Get the nanomachine syringe over here!"
"Amada! Wake up!"
Leo... you better buy me dinner next time I see you. And let me punch you once.