Unlike Tatsumi, who had been completely in the dark about Sayo's whereabouts, Haruki had told her a long time ago that Ieyasu was dead and that Tatsumi had joined Night Raid, the assassination unit under the Revolutionary Army.
Sayo had been furious when she learned that Tatsumi had joined Night Raid.
She, Tatsumi, and the late Ieyasu had come to the Imperial Capital to save their village. But if the Empire ever found out about Tatsumi's actions, their home would be doomed. To Sayo, it was clear that Tatsumi had forgotten their original purpose.
On top of that, Haruki had treated her and everyone around her with genuine kindness. He showed none of the rampant corruption typical of other nobles. Life in Haruki's estate had been good—so good that Sayo had developed deep affection for him. Unlike other members of the Revolutionary Army, she didn't hate the Empire. In fact, she wanted to protect the peaceful life she had now.
After everything she'd observed—and especially after the recent surprise attack by the Revolutionary Army—Sayo had developed a strong dislike for them, even bordering on hatred.
She was a realist. Though she knew the Empire was corrupt, she had no desire to change the world. She was just a simple girl who wanted to live well and see her village overcome its hardships. That down-to-earth mindset was precisely what Haruki admired most about her.
Because of all this, Sayo had stopped trying to look for Tatsumi.
"Tatsumi, what are you doing here? Aren't you a Night Raid assassin? Walking around so openly—aren't you afraid of being spotted? You idiot!"
After checking her surroundings and confirming no one else was around, Sayo spoke in a calm voice. There was no trace of excitement or joy at seeing an old friend after so long—just indifference.
Even if she couldn't understand Tatsumi's choices, as someone who had grown up with him, she still gave him a warning.
Tatsumi didn't catch the change in her tone.
"So, you already know I joined Night Raid, huh? Pretty cool, right? I'm going to overthrow this rotten Empire. Once that happens, people won't have to suffer anymore—and our village will finally be saved!"
Tatsumi seemed proud of his role in Night Raid. He spoke as if showing off, full of grand ambition to rescue the masses and bring down the Empire.
"That's enough, Tatsumi."
Just as he was about to keep going, Sayo suddenly cut him off, her voice rising.
"Don't give me that useless talk right now. Have you even thought about what would happen to our village if the Empire found out you joined the Revolutionary Army? Did you even consider that?"
"Sayo, I don't think I'm wrong. This country needs change. Even if our village makes it out, what about all the others? If you want to accomplish something great, you have to take some risks."
Tatsumi was stubborn—once he made up his mind, he wouldn't budge. Even though he could see that Sayo had a point, he still refused to back down and argued back loudly.
"How others live has nothing to do with you! Who gave you the right to gamble with the lives of everyone in our village? Who gave you that right!"
Hearing that Tatsumi still wouldn't listen and was actually trying to justify the risk, Sayo—usually mild-tempered—finally lost it. Thinking of the villagers she'd grown up with, she yelled at him in anger.
"Sayo, I'll take care of this matter—you don't need to get involved. What I want to know is, why are you working as a maid in the Security Minister's household?"
Tatsumi, still holding onto the kind of macho pride common among those raised in the Empire, had no intention of listening to Sayo. Instead, he changed the subject, asking about her position in Haruki's household.
"That day, Ieyasu and I got into an argument with a shopkeeper over the bill after eating, and we ended up splitting up..."
Though still upset that Tatsumi ignored her advice, Sayo went on to explain in detail how she'd come to work for Haruki.
"That's perfect, Sayo. I need a favor—will you help me?"
When he heard that Haruki trusted her, Tatsumi lit up and eagerly asked.
"What kind of favor? Tell me."
Curious now that he was finally speaking seriously, Sayo asked.
"The Security Minister has been acting like a tyrant in the capital. He and the Prime Minister are the root of the Empire's corruption...
(Here, Tatsumi began listing off a series of heinous crimes allegedly committed by Haruki—though Haruki himself was unaware of most of them.)
He's extremely powerful, far beyond what we can handle, so I was hoping you could pass along information about him to us regularly. That way, we can stay one step ahead and improve our chances of a successful revolution..."
Just as he was about to continue, Sayo cut him off.
"Tatsumi, are you finished? I don't agree with anything you just said. The Young Master is a good man."
While Tatsumi had been going on and on about Haruki, he hadn't noticed how Sayo's expression had darkened. In her eyes, Haruki was perfect. She couldn't stand to hear him being smeared like this.
"Sayo, you've just been fooled. He's not the man you think he is. One of our Night Raid members was killed by him and his women not long ago."
Even after Sayo's firm refusal, Tatsumi pressed on, trying to convince her and citing Lubbock's death as proof. But as he spoke of it, a twisted, angry look appeared on his face.
"I was there, too. And I don't think the Young Master did anything wrong. What—was he supposed to just stand there and let your Night Raid assassins kill him? Tatsumi, stop dreaming. He's been good to me. And soon, I'll have enough money to save our village. I'm not going to betray him."
Seeing that Tatsumi wouldn't give up, Sayo didn't hold back. She made her stance clear.
"Sayo, didn't we grow up together? Can't you even help me with this? If not... then I guess our friendship ends here."
Tatsumi, angered by her unwavering rejection, lashed out with a line that came off more like a threat than anything else.
"Tatsumi, are you threatening me? Do what you want. But I will never do anything to hurt the Young Master."
Hearing him use their years of friendship as leverage enraged Sayo. Without another word, she turned and walked straight out of the alley.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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