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Kazuma followed Barok out of the office, carrying the documents they would be using for that day’s trial.
“Do you have everything we need?” asked Barok.
“Have I ever forgotten anything of importance before, my lord?”
“There is a first time for everything.”
Kazuma sighed. “I wish you would have more faith in me…”
“If I didn’t, you would not be allowed at my side.”
Those words brought a slight grin to Kazuma’s face. “Was that a compliment, my dear lord?”
Barok creased his brow. “My compliments do not come this easily.”
“You could have just agreed, you know…”
Barok said nothing else, and Kazuma didn’t insist on the subject. It was true that Barok didn’t often praise him with words, but with time Kazuma learned to read the small changes in his expression whenever Kazuma did something he approved of. Besides, it made those rare moments Barok used his words much more precious to him.
“You are such a strict mentor, Lord van Zi—”
A strange feeling made Kazuma stop walking, glancing over his shoulder. It wasn’t the first time he felt someone’s gaze on him, only to find no one there when he looked. He tried to tell himself he was just thinking too much, that maybe his tired mind was making up things. Still, the feeling of uneasiness lingered every time it happened.
His sudden silence made Barok turn his concerned gaze toward him. “Is something the matter?”
Kazuma wasn’t sure how to respond. He would be lying if he said it was nothing, but he also didn’t know if there was a real reason behind his worries, or if it was nothing but an irrational fear, fed by the many angry gazes and sharp words he still attracted in London.
In the end, he chose to be honest about it.
“For a while now,” he said, “I feel like someone has been following me.”
“Following you?”
The concern in Barok’s response made Kazuma regret his words.
“It might be just an impression, though,” he quickly added. “I’ve never seen anyone, it’s just a feeling.”
Barok silenced him with a gesture of his hand. “No, you must not lower your guard. As my apprentice, those who resent me might try to harm you as well.”
That much was true… But, if the person wanted to kill him, why wait so long to act? Those were the questions that made him doubt his senses and the existence of that pursuer.
Barok’s voice soon brought him back from his thoughts. “I apologize for making you go through this.”
“You know something like this is not your fault.”
Kazuma meant those words, but a shadow of guilt still covered Barok’s face.
“Listen, Kazuma,” he said. “If anyone tries to harm you, defend yourself by any means necessary. I will aid you if the worst happens. Do you understand?”
His words were so serious that Kazuma couldn’t even think of saying no. “I do.”
“Good.” Barok seemed a little relieved. “If this happens again, inform me right away.”
Kazuma agreed. It was reassuring to know Barok cared so much about him, but… Given the situation, he couldn’t even enjoy the feeling properly. So, for the rest of that day, he tried to focus on his work, and at some point those worries faded away.
A sudden case of an attempted murder after a fight took Kazuma and Gina to a back alley that afternoon, to inspect the crime scene and question a possible witness. It was pretty straightforward, and soon they were on their way to the hospital, to talk with the victim.
As they walked, however, that strange feeling of being watched hit Kazuma again, making him glance around.
“Wot’s wrong?” asked Gina. “You’re being weird today.”
Kazuma turned his gaze from the street back to Gina. “It’s nothing…”
Gina clicked her tongue. “Hogwash.”
He should have known someone as sharp as Gina wouldn’t just accept that dismissive response. Still, he wasn’t sure how to talk about something like that.
“I just feel like someone has been following me lately,” he said.
For a second, Gina looked at him in disbelief. Then, slowly, her expression gave place to widened eyes.
“Wait, really?” She furrowed her brow. “Who?”
“I don’t know…” Kazuma admitted. “Maybe I’m just imagining things.”
Gina stayed silent for a while, thinking. Then, she offered him a smile.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “If the bloke tries anything, I’ll kick his ass for you. And Toby will help!”
Toby barked in agreement. That was enough to bring a smile to Kazuma’s face as well.
“Alright,” he said. “I’ll be counting on you, then.”
Days passed, and nothing unusual happened. Little by little, Kazuma started to believe that the strange feeling of being watched had been nothing but a result of his anxious mind, after witnessing a number of attempts on his mentor’s life.
He returned to the office after getting an autopsy report from Maria, then tried to unlock the door, only to realize it was already open. Strange… He was sure Barok said he had a meeting that afternoon, and he wasn’t the kind of man who forgot to lock the door on his way out.
A bad feeling took him whole. Kazuma reached for the hilt of his sword as he opened the door, looking inside.
“Prosecutor van Zieks?”
No answer, no sound. The office seemed empty, but that bad feeling stopped him from walking inside. Why was he so scared? If someone had invaded the office, he should make sure they didn’t steal or destroy anything of importance.
“You seem troubled.”
That voice made Kazuma jump. He turned to face that person, only to see Sholmes there, a step behind him.
“Oh, forgive me,” said the detective with a slight grin. “I had no intention of surprising you.”
“No, I…” Kazuma took a deep breath to help his heart calm down. “Mr. Sholmes, was it you who unlocked the door?”
In a moment, the cheerful smile faded from his lips. “No, I have just arrived. Why? Is something amiss?”
“The door was unlocked when I arrived, and prosecutor van Zieks isn’t here.”
“Strange.” Sholmes furrowed his brow. “I shall check the place with you. Stay behind me, and if anything strange happens, run and call for help.”
Kazuma wanted to tell him that he should be the one doing the fighting, but before he could, Sholmes walked inside the office. Kazuma followed him, his hand still firmly closed around the hilt of his sword.
“No one seems to be here,” said Sholmes. “Does anything seem out of place to you?”
Kazuma took a brief look around. “No, everything seems normal.” He sighed, looking at Sholmes. “I’m sorry for this. I didn’t mean to waste your time.”
Sholmes observed Kazuma for a moment. “Is there something else troubling you?”
He shouldn’t be surprised that a detective would notice that.
“I’m just worrying too much about nothing.”
“Even if that is the case, I would still like to hear about it.”
After worrying so many times without good reason, it was a little embarrassing to touch that subject.
“I’m probably just being paranoid, but…”
Kazuma briefly explained the situation to Sholmes, half-hoping he would dismiss his worries with that cheerful smile of his. Instead, Sholmes’ expression darkened.
“Have you informed our dear Barok of this?” he asked.
“Yes… Some time ago.”
“When exactly did it start?”
“I’m not sure…” Kazuma thought briefly. “A few weeks ago, probably.”
“Weeks?” He seemed surprised. “And has anything unusual happened since then?”
“No. I just have the feeling someone has been following me.” Kazuma averted his gaze. “I thought I was just imagining it, so I tried to ignore it.”
“Even if this turns out to be nothing, there should be no harm in being careful.” Sholmes moved closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We should inform our dear Barok of these events. If someone has easy access to this office, both of you might be in danger.”
When he put the situation like that, Kazuma’s worries didn’t sound as unfounded as he thought.
“You’re right,” he said.
Sholmes lightly squeezed his shoulder. “Come, you shouldn’t stay here alone.”
The evening was approaching, and soon the temperature would drop. He took his cloak, wearing it, and immediately something felt strange.
“What is the matter?” asked Sholmes.
Only then did Kazuma realize what was missing.
“My keys are gone,” he said.
“Are you certain?”
“They might have fallen somewhere. I…”
Despite his words, a cold feeling spread through his entire body. Sholmes closed the distance between them, holding him by the shoulders and looking him in the eyes.
“Kazuma, listen to me,” he said. “You are not to return alone to your place until we change the lock on your door. Do you understand?”
Kazuma nodded, his thoughts racing to catch up with the situation. “Do you think there really is someone…?”
“Even if this is just an unfortunate coincidence, there is no harm in being cautious. If someone is targeting you, no matter the reason, we should not take any risks.”
Kazuma nodded, unsure of what to say in response. Sholmes offered him a reassuring smile.
“Come,” he said. “We will think of what to do once we meet with Barok.”
Barok agreed that Kazuma shouldn’t go back alone to his apartment after what happened. Even after changing the lock, he and Sholmes insisted that he stayed in their places for the following nights, to be safe. He rarely went out unaccompanied—when not by Barok, by Sholmes or Gina.
Ever since Mikotoba took him in, Kazuma did what he could not to be a burden to others. It was weird to be taken care of like a little kid like that… Especially when nothing else had happened since that day. They couldn’t even tell for sure if there really was someone following him, or if his missing keys had just been a result of his carelessness.
As the days passed, however, Kazuma became surer of that explanation. The others slowly seemed to relax as well, no longer being glued to him all the time. The bad feeling didn’t go away for good, but Kazuma learned to live with it, ignoring it most of the time, and managing to quickly calm himself down the few times his anxiety got stronger than him.
That afternoon, Barok received a message from the prosecutors’ office requesting his presence. Before he could tell Kazuma to accompany him, Kazuma offered him a slight smile.
“I’ll take care of things here while you’re away.”
Barok clearly didn’t like that idea. He seemed about to protest, but stopped himself, thinking for a moment.
“Will you be fine on your own?” he asked.
“Of course.”
Barok hesitated briefly, then nodded. “Please, take care.”
Kazuma agreed, watching as Barok walked out of the office. That was good… things should start to go back to normal from then on.
He returned to his duties, allowing the minutes to pass by calmly, the sound of his quill scratching the paper almost soothing. His concentration was only interrupted when someone knocked on the door, stepping inside. It was a blond young man around his age, who he had never seen before. He looked around the place nervously.
“Prosecutor van Zieks is away at the moment,” said Kazuma. “May I help you?”
The man’s eyes fell upon him. “I…”
Something about his anxious gaze made Kazuma rest his quill, turning all his attention to that man.
“Is something the matter?” he asked.
The man stared at him for a moment, then looked away. “Sorry, I was just distracted.”
He said nothing else.
“Did you wish to talk to Prosecutor van Zieks?” asked Kazuma.
The man once again looked at him, this time taking a long stare at his face.
“You… are his apprentice, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Your name is Asogi, isn’t it?”
That sudden question made him tense up: that bad feeling suddenly came back like an alert in his mind.
“That’s right,” he said in a serious voice. “Can I help with something?”
Instead of answering, the man lowered his head. “I knew it…”
Once again the man went silent. Kazuma started to feel restless; he stood up, facing the man.
“Do you have a problem with my name?” he asked.
The question earned him a furious glare. “Don’t pretend you don’t know…”
That response caught him off-guard. As if encouraged by his reaction, the man took a step toward him.
“I know who you are…” said the man. “I’ll never forget your name. You are that murderer’s son, aren’t you?”
Kazuma’s stomach twisted. “Who are you…?”
“That damned Japanese killed my father,” the man continued. “Then, soon after you arrived here, Lord Stronghart was arrested, and you… That evil man’s child is walking around freely, and no one does anything about it!”
The man’s voice cracked for a second, but soon he managed to speak again.
“My father was a righteous man… The best man I’ve ever known… And you took him from me!”
“My father was innocent,” said Kazuma in a sharp voice.
“He was a monster! I wish I could have killed him with my own hands…”
“We proved his innocence.”
“You lied! You may have fooled everyone, even Prosecutor van Zieks, but you can’t fool me!”
With every word, Kazuma felt himself getting closer to the edge. If that didn’t stop soon, he would probably do something foolish.
“That’s enough,” he said. “Leave this office, now.”
The man didn’t move. Kazuma was about to make him leave when the man reached under his coat, pulling a sword. Instinctively, Kazuma took a step back and did the same—countless fights against Barok’s assailants had taught him to react swiftly at the smallest sign of a confrontation. In the next moment, the man acted, but Kazuma had no difficulty stopping his careless attacks; he soon found an opening, disarming the man without drawing any blood.
“Leave, now,” he gave his final warning.
The man stared at him wide-eyed. In a moment, however, he seemed to recompose himself.
“You are better than I expected…” he muttered. “And I was hoping I could end this without drawing any unwanted attention…”
Before Kazuma could understand what those words meant, there was a loud cracking sound. Kazuma’s body was pushed back, making him fall to the floor. A sharp pain burned his shoulder, and when he touched it, warm blood covered his palm.
It took him a second to understand what had just happened. He raised his eyes, and the man was staring at him, a gun in his hand.
“You ruined my life…” said the man. “Everyone else may forget it, but I won’t… And I won’t leave this place while you’re still alive.”
Kazuma couldn’t move, his blood freezing at the sight of that man. Nothing but destructive rage, burning so strongly it consumed all things around it, blinding that man to everything but his need to have his revenge. The fury in those eyes paralyzed him, as if he was looking into the eyes of a demon.
Was that what Tobias Gregson saw when he looked at Kazuma that day?
“Kazuma…!”
Someone rushed inside the office, and Kazuma used that instant of distraction to tackle the man, pushing him down. They fell together on the floor, Kazuma trying to hold his arm down while the man struggled to raise his weapon again.
That third person helped get the gun out of the man’s hand, and Kazuma caught a glimpse of Sholmes’ face. Just as the detective managed to disarm the man, Gina stormed inside the office, closely followed by Barok.
“What’s going on?” she asked. “I heard shooting and…”
She looked at him, letting out a shocked yelp.
“Gina!” said Kazuma. “Help him!”
Before Kazuma was even done speaking, Gina had already joined the struggle. With impressive agility, she grabbed a pair of handcuffs and immobilized the man, while Barok rushed to Kazuma’s side, helping him move away from the aggressor.
Only then did they let out their breaths, looking at each other while Toby barked angrily at the fallen man.
“Is this the bloke who’s been following ya?” asked Gina.
Kazuma could only nod in response.
Gina clicked her tongue. “I’ll take care of the bastard…” She gestured toward Kazuma’s shoulder. “You go and take care of that, right? It looks really bad.”
“I will accompany him to the hospital,” said Barok. “I will leave the rest to you and Sholmes, then.”
“Count on me, boss.”
Barok helped Kazuma stand, and Sholmes approached him, offering him a handkerchief.
“Use this to press your wound,” he said. “I shall meet you at the hospital once everything is settled here.”
Kazuma nodded in response, only half of his mind paying attention to those words.
“Can you walk?” asked Barok.
“I can,” said Kazuma.
“Come, then. Careful.”
He allowed Barok to guide him out of the office and inside a carriage.
“Is it too painful?” asked Barok.
“I’m fine,” Kazuma answered automatically.
“There is no need to act strong now,” Barok said in a gentle voice. “That must have been a terrifying encounter.”
Kazuma didn’t answer. How could he tell him what was going through his mind? If he did, Barok would certainly reassure him that he wasn’t like that man, even if they both knew it wasn’t true.
They arrived at the hospital a few minutes later, and after the doctor patched up his wound, Kazuma was taken to an empty room, soon joined by a worried Barok.
“How are you feeling?” asked his mentor.
“Dizzy…”
Barok nodded gravely. “You lost much blood… I am surprised you managed to stay conscious the entire way here.”
Kazuma managed a smile. “You underestimate me, sir.”
“Or, perhaps, you are the one who overestimates your own strength.”
“How rude of you…”
Barok didn’t answer, looking at Kazuma’s face for a long while.
“Forgive me,” he said.
Those words caught Kazuma by surprise. “What for?”
“If I had given this matter the attention it deserved, this wouldn’t have happened.”
He should have expected that his mentor would find a way to blame himself for what happened. Kazuma dismissed his words with a gesture.
“There’s no way you could have known,” he said. “Even I thought I was just imagining things.”
“However, as your mentor—”
“Stop it,” Kazuma interrupted him. “It would be worse if you hadn’t arrived when you did.”
“We have Sholmes to thank for it. If it was not for him, I might have arrived too late.”
“That is still no reason for you to blame yourself.”
Barok lowered his eyes. “Forgive me… I was terrified when I heard that gunshot.”
Despite his complaints, Kazuma could understand that feeling: many times he had feared for his mentor’s well-being, and questioned if he could have done more to protect him. They were similar in their concerns, though Barok was much more vocal about them than himself.
Still, Kazuma wished he could find something light-hearted to say, to lighten the mood a little, but nothing came to his mind. Also silent, Barok brought a hand to his head, gently patting it, making Kazuma let out a small sigh.
“Is there anything you need?” asked Barok.
Kazuma didn’t answer immediately, countless thoughts running through his mind.
“Lord van Zieks,” he said. “Have I changed at all since we first met?”
“Pardon?”
Kazuma couldn’t find the right words. Am I a better man now? Am I stronger than my demons? Will I inevitably become something I despise? He couldn’t ask any of those questions, as desperate as he was for the answers.
Barok observed him in silence for a moment. Then, he spoke his answer in a soft tone.
“You have grown much since we first met. And not only as a prosecutor.” He showed a tiny, slightly sad smile. “I wish above everything else that Genshin had the chance to see the man you have become.”
Kazuma’s chest tightened. “Wouldn’t he be ashamed of me?”
“I have no doubts he would be immensely proud.” Barok paused, meeting his gaze. “As proud as I am.”
Kazuma couldn’t respond. Those words made him happy, unbearably so. But it also hurt, as if his chest was being ripped open. He lowered his head, closing his eyes in an attempt to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. It was all just too much.
Barok moved closer to him, sitting at the border of his bed, bringing him close to his chest.
“There is nothing to worry about…” he said softly. “It is over now.”
He couldn’t tell if Barok was talking about that stalker, or the events from long before. It didn’t matter, though… All he needed at that moment was that gentle touch and those reassuring words, coming from one of the people he trusted and loved the most.
He knew his battle was far from over, yet, it allowed him to rest a little while.