Chapter 6 : Deals – 1

An unfamiliar ceiling.

It’s a cliché phrase, but it’s the first thought that popped into my head when I opened my eyes.

Then, the warm sensation in my hand.
Rolling my eyes to the side, I saw Ruby, clutching my hand tightly, dozing off with little nods.

I stared blankly at Ruby’s sleeping face, and memories from just before I collapsed started to creep back.

Only then did my groggy mind clear, and I bolted upright.
Feeling my movement, Ruby rubbed her eyes, waking up.

“Big sister…?
You’re awake!
Are you okay!?”

“Where are we?
I distinctly remember…”

I recalled the red-haired woman from my memories.
Did she bring us here?

Looking around, it was a completely unfamiliar space.
With a bed, it felt like some kind of rest room.
I thought I heard music faintly from beyond the closed door.

Just then, the door opened, and someone entered.
I thought it might be the red-haired woman, but it was someone else.

Long, flowing lime-green hair down to her waist.
Heavy dark circles under her eyes behind large glasses, but her gaze looked incredibly kind.
Even her white lab coat and thick sweater couldn’t hide her ample chest.
I stared blankly, then flinched.

The more I mulled over her features, the more familiar they felt.

“Huh?”

She met my eyes and flashed a bright smile.

“You’re awake!
What a relief.
Do you know how worried your little sister was?”

Despite being a stranger, she spoke so warmly.
I hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking,

“Um… where are we?”

Truthfully, I already had a place in mind, but I wanted confirmation.

“Just an ordinary bar.
Oh!
No need to worry—we’re not weird people!
My name’s Mary.”

The moment I heard her name, my guess turned to certainty.
I never imagined I’d get tangled up with the original story like this.

Realizing the truth, I couldn’t help but figure out who the red-haired woman was.

Since the original was a text-only novel, it was hard to recognize someone just by their face.
But now that I knew, this place felt oddly familiar.

As she said, this was the bar the protagonist, Ellen, often visited.

But it wasn’t an ordinary bar.
And the woman in front of me wasn’t an ordinary person either.

“Would you mind telling me your name?”

“…It’s Lapis.”

“That’s a lovely name.
Though I already heard it from your sister, Ruby.”

I flinched for no reason.
It was just a simple compliment on a plain name, but knowing who she was made it feel oddly unsettling.

Mary’s a lesbian.
And not just any lesbian—a shameless flirt who hits on any beautiful woman.

“You okay?
You don’t look so good.
Are you feeling unwell?”

Mary looked at me with concern.

Seeing that, I felt a pang of guilt.
She was just showing genuine worry—maybe I was too quick to judge?

Yeah, just because she’s a lesbian doesn’t mean she’s got ulterior motives toward me.
How long have we even known each other for her to catch feelings?

“No, I’m fine.
Just… my head’s a bit messy…”

“I get it.
It’s only natural to feel overwhelmed after what you went through.”

She knows everything about what happened.
Well, with a corpse left in the park, it’d be weirder if she didn’t.

“There’s a friend who wants to see you, Lapis.
Is it okay if I call her in?”

I had a hunch who that friend was, so I nodded readily.

“Sure, that’s fine.”

“Thanks.
And Ruby, you must be exhausted waiting for your sister to wake up.
How about a nice, cool juice?”

“Juice?”

Ruby’s eyes sparkled at the mention of juice.

“Yup!
Super sweet orange juice.
Come with me to get some!”

“But my sister…”

“I’m okay, Ruby.
Go have your drink outside.
I’ll join you after we’re done talking.”

I got the hint.
The conversation from here on would be too heavy for Ruby to hear.
I was grateful for her thoughtful consideration.

“Okay!
I’ll be waiting outside!”

With that, Ruby and Mary left the room.
I quietly watched their backs until the door closed, then let out a long sigh.

“Haa…”

So much had happened at once, it was hard to believe this was real.

I’d acted calm in front of Ruby, but even now, the vivid sensation of killing someone with my own hands haunted my mind.

I don’t regret killing that guy.
He was trash who deserved to die a hundred times over.

I’m just worried.
About the fate that changed the moment I put on this ring.
I can’t even imagine what kind of future awaits me at the end.

Still stroking the ring, glimmering with blue light in my hand, I sank into thought.
The door opened, and the face I’d expected appeared.

Curly red hair cascading down to her neck.
Sharp, fierce eyes and a cigarette in her mouth, matching her wild vibe.

Seeing the red necklace around her neck, I was certain.

Karen, the chain-smoking Stoner.
One of the most prominent Stoners in the original story.

“Finally snapped out of it, rookie?”

Her husky voice echoed through the room.
Calling me a rookie right off the bat?
What a warm greeting.

Karen strode forward and blew cigarette smoke right in my face.
The harsh stench, unlike anything I’d ever smelled, made me grimace and turn my head.

“Cough!
Cough!”

“I don’t get it.
You can’t even handle this, but you used a Stone?
A rookie like you?”

Does this woman have no sense of basic decency?
Sure, she’s rough around the edges in the novel, but this is crossing the line.

I was about to snap back, thinking I couldn’t let this slide.

“So, how’d it feel to steal and use my Stone?”

Oh.
I was the one who crossed the line first.
No excuses—I’m clearly in the wrong, so I deflated instantly.

“I’m sorry…”

“Not like I was fishing for an apology.
Though it did cost me my entire fortune to buy it.”

“Here, I’ll give it back.”

I took off the ring and offered it, but she snorted and waved it off.

“You really don’t know sht*.
Stoners don’t use Stones that someone else has touched.”

“Uh… why not?”

“Just… call it a superstition.
They say messing with someone else’s Stone makes you die even more painfully.”

Superstition, huh?
Her vague answer left me with an awkward expression.
Karen added with a wistful smile,

“You cling to superstitions like that just to cope.
Stones don’t just wreck your body—they eat away at your mind too.”

She offered me a cigarette pack.

“Take it.
It’s harsh, but smoking this will help.”

Oh.
So that’s what it was.
I thought she was just being a jerk blowing smoke in my face, but it wasn’t regular tobacco—it was a special blend to ease Stone side effects.

“I’m fine.
I don’t feel anything wrong.”

“That’s the worst joke I’ve ever heard.”

“I’m serious.
Do I look like I’m in pain to you?”

She stared at my face, then let out a hollow smile.

“That’s what everyone thinks at first.
That they’re special.”

“I know it’s hard to believe, but… when I used the Stone, I didn’t feel pain.
I felt peace.”

“…You mean that?”

Did she see the sincerity in my eyes?
From then on, Karen’s attitude softened slightly.

“You were pretty impressive for a first-time Stone user.”

“You saw?”

“Nah.
But I saw the corpse with its neck gone.
Looks like you took down a big shot.
Think you can handle the fallout?”

Handle it?
I don’t even know.
The guy I killed wasn’t some random alley thug—he was an Ikazuchi inspection department chief.

Even in the lawless Rat Town, killing someone that big and walking away like nothing happened is no easy feat.
I know that much.

“So, here’s the deal.
How about joining our team?”

“…What?
Seriously?”

I looked up at Karen, stunned.

“Honestly, I like you.
Us Stoners, who’re gonna die soon anyway, gotta stick together, right?”

“I…”

The sudden offer sent my mind into a whirl.
After a long moment of deliberation, I nodded slowly.

“I want in.”

Truthfully, I’d thought about it before.
I’ve been working as Marco’s errand runner so far, but someday, I’d become a mercenary.

Mercenaries are basically fixers who handle corporate contracts professionally.
They usually work in teams, and hers is considered one of the best in Rat Town.

Most importantly, seizing this chance could help me pay off the debt much faster.

“There’s a catch, though.
I can recommend you, but the final say’s with the leader.”

“I understand.”

I know who their leader is.
They’re a major character in the original story, with a lot of weight.

“Alright.
Let’s go talk to them now.
Oh, we haven’t even introduced ourselves.”

She extended her hand and gave her name.

“I’m Karen.”

“I’m Lapis.”

As we shook hands, I thought to myself.
Things are going almost too smoothly.

But that thought shattered almost immediately.

“No way.
I can’t accept you as a teammate.”