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Barok had left that afternoon to attend a meeting. It was quite a slow day at the office, so Kazuma didn’t have much to do other than organize his and Barok’s desks, and have some quality bonding time with the bats. Barok had said many times that they weren’t their “pets,” but Kazuma had already—secretly—named all of them.
He cut an apple into thin slices, offering them to each of the bats. He raised one toward the big and gentle Yukimura, but Nobunaga quickly snatched it away, despite already having eaten his own.
“No, Nobunaga!” Kazuma reproached him. “Being named after the demon king doesn’t give you the right to steal food from the others.”
Nobunaga blinked his beady eyes, then started to happily munch on his slice of fruit. Kazuma’s expression softened into a slight smile.
“You’re lucky you’re so cute…”
He gave Yukimura another slice, this time being careful so no one would try to steal it. As soon as he was done feeding the bats, a knock on the door called his attention.
“Excuse me.”
Kazuma looked over his shoulder, seeing a familiar face. He smiled. “Welcome, Mr. Harebrayne.”
“Oh, good afternoon, Mr. Asogi.” Albert glanced around. “Is Barok here?”
“He has a meeting with the Lord Chief Justice today… I don’t think he’ll return anytime soon.”
“Oh… I see.” Albert seemed to deflate. “How unfortunate. I was hoping we could take a walk together.”
Kazuma observed Albert’s disappointed expression for a while. He and Barok were close friends, and Albert was always nice to Kazuma during his visits. Maybe that was a good chance for Kazuma to get to know that man a little better.
“You know…” he said with a smile. “I could be your guide for today, if you don’t mind it.”
Albert slightly widened his eyes, raising both hands. “Oh, don’t worry about it! I wouldn’t want to interrupt your work!”
“I’ve already finished my work for the day. I was about to leave when you arrived.”
That wasn’t entirely true, but seemed to make Albert relax a little.
“I see…” Albert considered it for a moment. “Are you sure you don’t mind it?”
“Of course not.”
A wide smile took Albert’s lips. “Thank you! I appreciate it very much!”
His enthusiasm made Kazuma smile as well. “Don’t mention it. I’ll just leave a note to Barok so he knows where I went.”
That long meeting seemed to have drained all of Barok’s energies. The new Lord Chief Justice was much more reasonable than Stronghart, but given the state of their justice system, there was still much work to be done.
He arrived at the office, looking around as he walked inside.
“Kazuma?”
He didn’t seem to be there. Had he left already? That was slightly disappointing: spending some time with his lover would certainly have improved his mood. As Barok approached his desk, however, that small note grabbed his attention. He read it, slightly surprised by its contents.
Kazuma and Albert… That was an unexpected duo. He couldn’t deny that the thought of his lover and his dearest friend getting along was a pleasant one, though. It had probably been Kazuma’s idea… Trying to get to know Barok’s friend better sounded like something he would do.
The sound of the door opening called Barok’s attention. He raised his head, seeing Ryunosuke walk inside the office.
“Excuse me.”
It had been a few weeks since Ryunosuke and Susato had returned to London: now that their homeland had a few more defense lawyers, they were finally free to focus on learning as much as they could. Barok couldn’t deny that he was happy with it—God knew how much London needed more lawyers that valued justice and the truth above anything else.
“Welcome, Mr. Naruhodo.”
Ryunosuke looked at him, showing a polite smile. “Oh, good afternoon, prosecutor van Zieks.” He glanced at Kazuma’s empty desk. “Did Kazuma leave already?”
“Yes. He is acting as Albert’s guide at the moment.”
“Albert?” Ryunosuke thought for a second. “Do you mean Albert Harebrayne?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, I see… I didn’t know he was visiting London.” He smiled, then slightly bowed his head. “I’ll talk to Kazuma later, then. Thank you, prosecutor van Zieks, and give Mr. Harebrayne my regards.”
Before Ryunosuke could leave, however, an idea crossed Barok’s mind: Kazuma was trying to know his closest friend better… Maybe he should do the same.
“Wait, Mr. Naruhodo.”
Ryunosuke stopped in place, looking at him. “Yes?”
“Since our respective closest friends have left us, perhaps we should spend the afternoon together as well.”
His words made Ryunosuke widen his eyes. “What…?” He averted his gaze with a nervous smile. “I mean… I’m sure you have better things to do than spend time with me, Lord van Zieks.”
“Don’t be reserved.” Barok indicated the chair before him. “Please, take a seat.”
It took Kazuma and Albert a few minutes to get their conversation flowing, but once it did, the new topics came naturally. They crossed the streets of London, making brief stops in places of interest.
“You’ve been living here for a few years now, haven’t you?” Albert asked after a while. “Are you enjoying it?”
“It took me some time to get used to it, but now… I can say I’m happy living here.” His smile embittered a little. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the weather, though… London is way too cold.”
Albert nodded. “I can imagine how difficult it was to adjust to the temperature. Even I could barely survive those harsh winter nights…”
“Don’t even remind me of them…” Kazuma thought for a moment. “But I guess summer days in Japan can be equally as harsh, especially if you’re not used to it.”
“A fair point.” Albert stared absentmindedly at the sky. “Japan… I hope I can visit it someday. From what little I’ve heard about your culture, it seems fascinating!”
“Japan is a beautiful country… I can’t deny that I miss it.” Kazuma paused, something crossing his mind. “Barok said he’s interested in visiting it as well. When we go, you could accompany us during our trip. It should be much better than going on your own.”
Albert’s eyes sparked with enthusiasm. “Oh, Mr. Asogi… That would be wonderful!”
Kazuma chuckled. “Please, just Kazuma is fine, Mr. Harebrayne.”
Albert smiled. “In that case, please call me just Albert, as well.”
Kazuma returned the smile: apparently, he had made the right choice by trying to know Albert better.
He had made a terrible choice.
When Barok asked Ryunosuke to stay, he hadn’t considered that he hadn’t had time to come up with any interesting topics for the conversation. Judging by Ryunosuke’s tense posture, the silence was unpleasant for him as well. Barok took a deep breath, quickly trying to come up with anything to say.
“So…” said Barok. “How was your stay in Japan?”
“Good.” Ryunosuke smiled slightly. “I missed it, especially the food… But it took a while to get used to the warm weather again.”
Oh, Kazuma had complained many times about the change in temperature as well… Three years in London, and he still couldn’t deal with the cold. On the bright side, he tended to stay close to Barok during winter days to keep himself warm… It was quite endearing, and Barok appreciated the proximity.
Barok only noticed his silence when Ryunosuke started to shift uncomfortably in his chair.
“I’m sorry…” Ryunosuke muttered. “I don’t have anything interesting to say.”
“Oh, no…” Barok said, quickly. “That was interesting.”
“I see…”
Ryunosuke clearly didn’t believe him, and Barok silently cursed his lack of social skills.
Albert widened his eyes, surprised. “Are you saying you can cut something with your sword… without touching it?”
Kazuma grinned, proud of himself. “Precisely.”
“But…” Albert took his notepad from his pocket, checking his annotations. “By all accounts, that should be impossible!”
His disbelief only strengthened Kazuma’s will to show off his clan’s special technique. “Want me to show you? It won’t be as impressive without a proper katana, but—”
“Of course!”
His excitement was contagious. Kazuma wished he had Karuma with him, but he didn’t feel ready to carry his family’s sword again quite yet. He had, however, trained endlessly with his current sword, which should be enough for a brief demonstration.
“Alright.” Kazuma crossed his arms, looking around. “But first, let’s find something safe to slice in half.”
Ryunosuke opened and closed his mouth countless times, throwing glances in Barok’s direction without actually saying anything. At first, Barok chose to give him time, but after almost ten minutes his patience was coming to an end.
“Is there something you want to say?” he asked.
Ryunosuke jolted up, stiffening his posture. “No, sir! Nothing at all!”
Barok could only stare at him, taken aback by that overreaction. Soon, Ryunosuke sat again, sinking into his chair, as if trying to disappear from sight.
“I’m very sorry…” he muttered.
Barok brought a hand to his face, feeling like a headache was on its way.
The pumpkin was perfectly sliced in half, and Albert stared at it in pure disbelief. He dashed in its direction, examining it and taking notes at an impressive speed.
“Unbelievable!” he said. “This opens doors to so many new possibilities…”
Kazuma slightly furrowed his brow. “Does it?”
“Why, of course!” Albert stood up, frantically gesturing with both hands. “This might be the outbreak I was looking for! Thank you for the insight!”
His open excitement made Kazuma laugh. “You’re welcome.” He made a pause, observing Albert for a moment as he took notes. “By the way, how is your current research going?”
“Filled with highs and lows…” Albert forced a smile, unable to completely hide his discomfort. “But I wouldn’t want to bore you with it.”
“I’m the one asking, though,” Kazuma insisted. “I’m interested in hearing more about it, if you’re willing to share.”
“Oh…” Albert’s expression brightened a little. “If that’s the case, then…”
The silence was almost painful. Ryunosuke’s eyes darted around the room, his leg bouncing in place. Barok stared at the top of his desk, regretting his recent choices.
Why was it so awkward? He respected Ryunosuke, both as a person and as a lawyer… And, at least until that moment, he had the feeling Ryunosuke didn’t feel too differently about him. Was he wrong? Could it be that he still resented Barok for those discourteous things he had said years before?
Barok raised his head, glancing toward Ryunosuke. Their gazes met, and both quickly looked away.
“Would you like something to drink?” asked Barok.
“No, thank you,” said Ryunosuke. “I’m a very light drinker, and wouldn’t want to embarrass myself.”
“Oh…” The comment brought a slight smile to Barok’s lips. “Just like Kazuma, then.”
Ryunosuke chuckled. “No… He’s much worse than me.” He made a small, almost hesitant pause, then added. “There was this one time, when…”
“And that pretty much sums it up,” said Albert.
Kazuma brought a hand to his chin, intrigued. “I’m not much of a science man, but this sounds incredible.”
“I’m glad you agree!” Albert laughed joyfully. “It’s so good to find someone who values my intellect…” His expression dropped a little. “Since my previous failure, it has been difficult to be taken seriously by my peers…”
As a Japanese man living in London, Kazuma could easily empathize with that feeling. “I’m sorry to hear that. But, regardless of their opinions, you keep devoting yourself to science… That passion is admirable.”
Albert dismissed his words with a brief gesture. “Oh, I don’t deserve such kindness. But it’s still good to know that’s how you see me.”
“Don’t sell yourself short.” Kazuma smiled. “Barok admires you as well, even if he isn’t always honest about it.”
Those words seemed to cheer Albert up quite a bit.
Ryunosuke laughed at Barok’s words. “It seems like Mr. Sholmes hasn’t changed at all…”
“Unfortunately…” said Barok. “The man can act like a child, sometimes.”
“That’s true. I’m glad Iris is around to keep an eye on him.”
“Me too…” Barok agreed. “Though my niece can be a little too lenient with him.”
Ryunosuke nodded. “By the way, it’s good to see that you two are closer now.” He let out a small, pleased chuckle. “She seems happy to know she has an uncle.”
Barok smiled. “Yes… It took us some time, but now I feel that we can finally call each other family without regrets.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Ryunosuke seemed about to say something else, but then a small sound at the back of the office grabbed his attention. He glanced over his shoulder toward the bats, then looked back at Barok with a curious expression.
“Ah, that’s right… there is something I’ve always wanted to ask you…” Ryunosuke gestured toward the bats. “Do the bats have names?”
Barok almost denied it out of habit, but stopped himself. In another situation, he would be too embarrassed to admit something as silly as that, but… Ryunosuke didn’t seem to be the kind of man who judged others over such small things.
“They have lived here for quite a while, so… Against my better judgment, I have named them in my mind.”
The response seemed to grab Ryunosuke’s interest. “Ah, really?”
Barok sighed, wondering if he had just dug his own grave. “Please, don’t tell Kazuma… I won’t know peace if he learns about this.”
“I doubt it…” Ryunosuke shrugged lightly. “Knowing him, he probably did the same thing already.”
“Do you think so?”
“I’m pretty sure of it.” Ryunosuke grinned. “Anyway, I’m curious to hear your names.”
For some reason, his interest made Barok’s embarrassment fade.
“Well…” Barok gestured toward the bats. “The biggest one is Siegfried, and the one by his side is Loki.” He narrowed his eyes at the little rascal. “He frequently steals food from the other ones, because he knows he is too adorable to face any consequences.”
Ryunosuke laughed, amused. Barok couldn’t hold back a slight smile: it was good to see him act so relaxed next to him, especially after that rough start.
“What about the others?” asked Ryunosuke.
Barok turned his gaze back to the bats. “The one in the corner is…”
Albert checked his pocket watch, widening his eyes. “Is it this late already?” He looked at Kazuma. “I’m sorry for taking so much of your time, Kazuma.”
“Don’t apologize,” said Kazuma. “Besides, I had fun today.”
“I’m glad to know I wasn’t the only one.” Albert thought for a moment. “Maybe next time Barok and I go out for a walk, you’d like to join us?”
“That sounds good. Maybe I can convince Ryunosuke to join us, as well.”
“Mr. Naruhodo, you mean?” Albert asked, receiving a nod in response. “That would be great! The last time we met, it was under unfortunate circumstances… It would be nice to talk to him while not being a suspect of murder.”
Kazuma nodded. “He’s a good man, and fun to spend time with. I’m sure you’ll enjoy his company.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt it, my friend!”
The door opened, calling Barok’s attention as two familiar voices filled the office. It didn’t take long for Kazuma to notice Ryunosuke’s presence.
“Ryuu?” he said. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“Oh, Mr. Naruhodo!” Albert greeted him. “It’s good to see you. Thank you again for what you did for me.”
“Ah, Mr. Harebrayne.” Ryunosuke smiled politely. “It was nothing. I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”
Kazuma looked from Ryunosuke to Barok, seeming pleased about something. “It looks like you two were having fun.”
“Does it?” Ryunosuke glanced toward Barok, then nodded. “Well… I suppose we were.”
“Indeed,” said Barok. “How about you?”
“It was a pleasant afternoon,” said Kazuma.
“Yes!” Albert agreed. “And Kazuma helped me see a new possibility in my hypothesis.”
Ryunosuke raised his eyebrow, surprised. “Did he?”
Barok stared at Albert, unsure of how to feel about the news. Not that he didn’t trust his friend’s passion for science… But sometimes he focused so much on something that he became blind to everything else—including ill-meaning people.
“Should I be concerned?” he asked.
“Don’t you worry!” Albert said with a wide smile. “This time, I won’t be fooled as easily as the last one!”
Barok closed his eyes, shaking his head. “I hope not.”
“And,” Albert continued, “if anything bad happens, I know I can count on Mr. Naruhodo to help me!”
“Please, just try to not get into trouble,” Ryunosuke murmured.
Kazuma laughed, and that beloved sound was enough to ease Barok’s worries. The four of them exchanged a few more words, then said their goodbyes, with the promise of going out together in the near future. Then, Barok and Kazuma took a cab back to Barok’s residence, sitting across from each other.
“I was surprised to read your note,” said Barok. “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting you to befriend Albert… It was a nice surprise.”
“I thought it would be difficult, since we don’t have much in common… But, turns out it’s quite easy to talk to him. I didn’t even notice the time passing.”
Barok nodded. “I understand what you mean.”
Kazuma simply looked at him for a moment, carrying a fond expression. “You know, I’m happy to see you’re getting along with Ryuu.”
“And I’m glad to see you happy.”
As Barok expected, those words earned him a frustrated groan.
“Don’t say these embarrassing things,” said Kazuma.
Barok chuckled lightly at the response. “My apologies.”
Kazuma smiled, then stood up, changing seats to the one beside Barok. He leaned against Barok’s arm, resting his head on his shoulder.
“Tired?” Barok asked.
“Yes… I hadn’t realized how much until I stopped.”
“I can imagine.” Barok kissed his head. “We’ll be home soon.”
Kazuma hummed in response, then reached for Barok’s hand, intertwining their fingers. They stayed in comfortable silence for a few minutes, until something Ryunosuke had said suddenly came back to Barok’s mind.
“Kazuma… There is something I want to ask you.”
“What is it?” asked Kazuma in a slightly sleepy voice.
Barok smiled, curious to hear his answer.
“Have you, perhaps, named the bats in our office?”