Encore 37 — Comrades (I)

Before finding any comrades, I should first get a haircut. I don't even know what city I'm in.

I was walking on the streets, trying my best to find the nearest barber shop. It's packed. I wonder what time it is if only I had my phone with me.

I'm curious about how Archive works. Seems like I need to know the person to archive their Singularity but it happens without me knowing. I do know one thing for sure, though. One condition to Archive is that I need to know what the person's Singularity does.

I knew what Yuichi's Sacred Lightning was and I guessed how Arthur's Alter Ego worked.

Ah, this isn't working for me. I'll have to ask someone.

"Uhm, excuse me?"

I stopped a passing woman.

"Yes?"

"Do you happen to know where the nearest barber is?"

"Let's see..."

The woman got her phone out and began looking online.

Hm. I guess she also isn't from around here if she's looking online.

"Oi, hurry up!"

Another female was shouting at her from a distance.

"Wait up! I'll be there in a second!"

She shouted back at her.

"Found it. Here."

The woman showed me her phone screen.

"You sure look like you need one."

She joked.

"Yes, hehe..."

So I'm in Yokohama. That's far away from where Interblade was. For some reason, I also don't think that the village is near Yokohama.

"Thank you."

I told the woman.

"Well, then, I have to get going. I hope we meet again."

"That would be nice."

I left her with that. She joined up with the other woman who was shouting at her.

I travelled to the barber and got a quick haircut. Well, I say quick but it took over an hour because of the amount of hair they had to remove.

I paid the barber and put the rest back into my suit pocket.

"Keep it."

I said to him.

"Huh, uh, sir, this is over the amount. I only need a ¥5,000 note."

I gave him ¥10,000.

"It's fine. In exchange, could you tell me where the nearest bar is?"

"The nearest bar? Well, that would be..."

He told me and I exited the shop, feeling fresh. Although, when I looked at myself in the mirror, previously, I thought that I was looking at someone else.

Anyway, there's one reason why I'm looking for a bar. I'm looking for some information. My sister, Siesta, taught me that the best place for information is in bars. Bartenders usually hear a lot of things, indirectly. They're the perfect info brokers, if you have no one to rely on.

I'm not going to be able to find people who hate gods and are bad on the top. Well, I would be lucky if I did find one. They would have to be capable of killing too and be useful.

That's impossible. Most people in the overworld are good. Sure, there are some bad people, such as Fiends.

Fiends are ex-Magi, who terrorise people and daily life openly. Think of Magi as heroes and Fiends as villains.

I may even need to make Fiends my allies if needed. It's more realistic than having Magi as my allies.

Well, what I mean is I'm looking for information on how to get to the underworld, which is basically an, almost, lawless place where lots of crimes happen.

Eventually, I got to the bar and, surprisingly, was able to get in without anyone suspecting anything too much.

I sat at the front bar and ordered something from the bartender.

"Can I have a perfect lime martini?"

He eyed me suspiciously before asking.

"Would you like anything else?"

"Could you add some extra zest and an orange slice?"

He nodded and started to walk away.

"Oh, and, could you hold the vodka?"

The bartender turned to me and signalled me to follow him.

That conversation was some sort of secret code that made it so that one could gain information secretly. Honestly, I never understood it, even when my sister taught me. Siesta did say one thing, though.

'All bartenders know this code.'

He brought me to a room and a substitute bartender went downstairs. We sat opposite each other and he started to talk first.

"Well, I wonder who you are, since you're young and you seem to know the code. Could you tell me?"

Telling him my real name would be stupid.

"Should an info broker be asking me for my name? Anonymous business."

I said, placing ¥20,000 on the table in front of me.

"What do you want to know about?"

"Secret entrance to the underworld and info about the underworld."

The bartender stayed silent for a second. He then laughed before talking.

"And why should I sell info to you?"

"Why would you take me to this room if you had no intention of selling?"

"I don't feel like it anymore. You can scam."

He doesn't want to tell me about the underworld. I can't continue if I don't visit the underworld. I'm sure that it'd be meaningless if I stay above ground.

I just need to make at least one ally.

"No, you will tell me."

"Hah?!"

The bartender flared up.

[I said, you will tell me about the underworld.]

In the heat of the moment, I used the thing, that the angel, called Authority. The man shivered and gave me a look of uncertainty.

I stared into the man's eyes. He fidgeted. He thought until...

"Argh! Fine! I'll tell you!"

Mission success.

"Just... don't kill me."

From the sound of it, he's experienced Authority before. I should use this chance to instil fear into him, so I can get true information.

I leaned forward.

"Don't make me have to."

I simply said and it looked like the bartender shat a brick. Honestly, I kind of feel bad now.

Well, now, I can get some information about the underworld.