Tridente chapter 71
\Small Village Tridente
Tridente 0071
One and Only Shield
rawr: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n8908ek/70/
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「You are Mari Tridente right?」
On the way back home, right after separating with Saya, behind me I was suddenly called out, and put myself on guard.
Turning around, there was a bit of a largish woman standing.
Height is around 180, a chestnut colored hair reaching up until her shoulder and her bangs are properly arranged. Though, rather than that the one steals your gaze is her clothes.
An inverness coat over a normal suit, and then a deerstalker hat on her head.
Inverness coat is a longish coat and has a cape on the upper, it’s a overcoat with that design.
If I were to say it more simply, that’s right―――
「Sherlock Holmes….detective-san?」
「You did well figuring it out. That’s right….I am a detective, Watson-kun」
rather than I did well figuring out, I thought that she was just a person cosplaying as Sherlock Holmes. but to think it was a real detective…?
「um, I, I need to go home quickly 」
「Well, Wait a bit. Can’t you listen a bit to my story」
That story looks troublesome so I don’t want to listen to it but it seems like she won’t let me go.
Did I do something that someone made a detective investigate me?
Is it because Futami-san’s took my karaage, or is it because Pres made me buy the another world encyclopedia in her stead, or maybe it’s because Hibiki dropped me in the sea from the skies out of fun.
No, aren’t I one the victim side of all of them.
「No way, the karaage’s vengeance?」
「ha? Karaage…?」
It seems like it was not. Then, I wonder what she is going to ask me?
「Recently, do you know that there have been mysterious unnatural deaths appearing?」
「well, yeah….」
Recently in a few days, its not as conspicuous as the abnormal weather news but, I think that I saw info regarding the unknown unnatural deaths.
However, if you were to say that it is related to me then, it’s 100% unrelated. Then, why am I being investigated by this fake Holmes?
I somewhat felt a dangerous smell……Feeling fear to the suspicious person in front of me, I immediately tried to run….but, my hand was caught, and my escape failed.
「P-please stop!」
「Please wait, I’m just going to ask」
I rampaged around frantically trying to shake off the hand that was being grabbed.
But the hand that was holding me had a surprisingly strong grip, and I couldn’t easily shake it off.
Should I just try and yell. Even though this is a rural area, this is the residence area. It might become troublesome even if I yell out load then someone might come to my rescue.
When I thought of that.
The hand that grasped my one hand was slapped away, and then a certain person came in between me and the fake Holmes.
A prince with long hair fluttering around, and that sharp gaze glared at the other, and wearing the same uniform as me.
「I do not know who you are but, Would you not lay a hand on my Mari?」
「Saya!」
My body was shivering from being forcefully being caught, but because of my hand kindly being held by Saya I was able to take back my cool.
「Oh, so its the entry of the knight protecting her princess is it」
She said it in a way that would provoke Saya for a little, but Saya wasn’t perturbed and stood as if protecting me, and she smiled fiercely against the fake Holmes.
「You’re right, I’m a shield. A one and only shield protecting Mari. That’s why right before me, I won’t allow you to even lay a single finger on Mari」
「Don’t get so mad, I just want to talk for a bit」
She took a pose of raising both her hands to show that she doesn’t show hostility but, Me and Saya won’t put our guard down.
After all the arm that was grasped was still hurting, there was a bit of red hand print on it. It’s a grip stronger than I imagined, rather than being a detective isn’t she a pro wrestler or something, I faced that kind of gaze to her.
「The part of you called out to her watching the timing of Me and Mari separating ways, you’re being 100% suspicious you know? 」
「Haha, I apologize okay. Its because I don’t have any business with Saaya-kun. So I only called out Mari-kun」
The fake Holmes smiled with a big smile.
However I wonder what it is, I’ve been feeling something weird since earlier.
Face, clothes, and tone….no, its not any of those.
Is it because she hasn’t said her name yet? when I thought of that I noticed it.
「ah! the names」
That’s right, the names.
The fake Holmes called Saya, Saaya, and she called me Mari Tridente.
That means, this person is….
「Are you someone related to….NW?」
「So close. I’m not from NW, I’m just sought out to cooperate by NW corporation to investigate」
「by cooperate….?」
「From the series of unnatural events, there was the possibility that appeared that the criminal is within NW and from there they are damaging the brain of the body at the real world」
「Damage to the brain….they are using the VR set just like the memory loss?」
Saya, who had experienced the Lost memories event, had a bewildered expression as she asked back.
Since there was that even, so there was some kind of method that they gave damage to the brain, and it might be easy to murder the targeted person.
「Or maybe, they used Nos. 」
The fake Holmes raised her deerstalker hat with her finger as she said it.
If you were to talk about an event with Nos. then its Account Break.
If you PK the other they wouldn’t be able to log in again, with that warped Nos. , its not strange to use a Nos. to harm a human in the real world.
However, if it was the doing of a Nos. then, there was certain question that popped out, and I said it.
「But still, if it was the work of Nos. then won’t the NW corporation know about it….they announced the names of the Nos. bearers right?」
「Just as you said but, isn’t there only 1 exception?」
I noticed it as she said it. That’s right, Nos. 38 that I manifested…….the number before it being Nos. 37 its existence hasn’t been confirmed.
「Are you saying that Nos. 37 is the criminal?」
「I wonder about that? However, its not like its not impossible….and so then Mari Tridente, I want you as my assistant」
The fake Holmes pointed his finger at me as he declared it.
Something like her assistance obviously smells trouble so I don’t want to do it but….
And moreover a person’s life is being influenced so much more.
「Please, there is something that only you can do」
「Only I can do….」
It’s something I can only do…..
Me who was not being relied on that much, hearing those words shook my heart a bit.
If I can help people with something I can only do then, I want to help.
「I understand….however, can I do it together with Saya?」
「With Saaya-kun….? are you sure? She might get exposed to the danger you know」
「To us being apart from each other is more dangerous. right, Saya」
「That’s right, if it’s a dangerous place then all the more the two of us should go together. Since we are partners that trust each other after all」
If your partner is in danger then the time your mental state would think that being apart is impossible.
If you leave your partner back then its better to not go, and then if you are going to jump in danger it’s better to go at it together. That is how we do things.
「I see, so your bonds are not those kinds of cheap ones where trust is only on the surface」
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The next day that I promise to help with the investigation, Me and Saya went to the small cafe that Holmes designated.
The shop interior has a brown as main color giving a retro modern atmosphere, the bgm is heart calming peaceful classical music.
「I-it somewhat has the adult-ish atmosphere….rather Saya, aren’t your clothes different than usual?」
A black turtle and navy blue skirt, and above it was a white chambray shirt having only 3 buttons below it, its arranged just like a skipper. and the as for against the cold she is wearing tights while having no fancy color, it is overflowing with glamour and stylishness.
Rather then matching with the season, its a coordination as if like an adult matching this modern store.
「that bag too looks expensive…」
「This place gives an adult-ish atmosphere according to my pre-investigation, so I borrowed it from Mom so that I wouldn’t stand out too much. But I wonder if I’m trying too hard 」
She is not trying too hard, in reality Saya is giving out an atmosphere of a calm adult lady.
A person who stood up to wash his hands for an instant that person looked at Saya seemingly attracted to her beauty but, they probably wouldn’t think that this beautiful person is just a middle schooler.
「You’re not trying too hard you know! it’s wonderful, Saya!」
「Fufu, thanks. You’re also Cute Mari」
We looked at each other while having an embarrassed grin.
Its a table for 4 but, Saya and I sat beside each other so, we secretly tried holding hands together.
「As usual your relation is good, oh Princess and her knight」
Our faces that were looking at each other looked towards the direction of the voice, and what was there was a person in Holmes’ appearance who was 10 minute late from our arrival.
That’s right, there is no mistake, it’s Holmes. A deerstalker had too, and the inverness coat too, and also on her left hand was the pipe tobacco too.
Ignoring the deerstalker hat and the inverness, it’s my first time seeing someone smoke a pipe.
There were gazes fluttering around in a different meaning from Saya’s.
「Hello, umm… is Holmes-san fine」
「yes? what about it?」
「N-nothing, just that I don’t know your name」
From that appearance I’m calling her Holmes but, there is no way that her real name is Holmes.
Is it fine to keep calling her Holmes, rather, i’m curious about her name so there is some curiosity in it.
「A name is it? now that I think about it I didn’t tell you yet. what do you think it is?」
「ha?」
「what, its just a little quiz. If you are going to be a detective’s assistant then can’t you at lease find out the name?」
Nono, as If I can do that.
We only talked for less than 30 minutes. It’s impossible to find out the real name of a person in such a short time.
It would be different if there was a hint but, I don’t remember there being a hint-like hint.
「are there any hints?」
「Hints is it? hmmm, let’s see…..its a common name you know」
A common name…..if it was a common surname then Tanaka, Suzuki, Satou, Takahashi, probably around like that.
「is your surnames among these?」
「Yeah, it is. Which do you think it is?」
It seems like I was right with the common surname in the country.
However, even if chose any of these choice the possibility for being correct is 1 out of 4 so I can’t say that I narrowed it down.
「Saya what do you think?」
「Me? Let’s see…..a common name, if you are to believe that work then its Satou which is the most common name in this country」
I thought that Tanaka or Suzuki is the most common but, Saya said that it seems like Satou is the most common. You sure are knowledgeable, Saya.
「Then, I’m also going for Satou….how about it? Did I got it…?」
She said that its only a common name, she did not say it’s the most common one. That means that this answer being right is only a gamble of 1 out of 4 but, if I worry more about this I think that I won’t get it, for now I’ll go with Satou.
「Yeah, its correct! As expected of Watson-kun」
「ahaha, hmmm, next is the first name…..is your name a common one too?」
「Yeah, you got a point」
After the surname , its the same for the first name. However, compared to the surnames you can think of the pattern for the first names are too many, and as expected I won’t understand.
Then I once asked again for a hint.
「I want a bit more of a hint. For example a name related to food, or a name related to flower」
「fufu, I see? then the hint is that its a name related to flowers」
A name related to flowers, if I have a hint like that then I could narrow it down to some degree.
I came to Saya and consulted with her.
「Even if you say a name related to flowers aren’t the patterns too many?」
Certainly it might be so. For example the Nanohana(菜の花 rape blossoms) take the “na(菜)”, if i were to bring name candidates then it will be like Nanako or nanabi, there are a lot of patterns.
「nn, since its a common name then won’t a simple name be good enough」
Well, its not like we will receive a price if we got the name right, even if we don’t get it right there wouldn’t be any loss.
I’ll say the name I thought about and then it will be wrong and that will be the end. Isn’t that fine too, reaching that conclusion Both Me and Saya tried 「Sakura」the name related to flowers that is mostly used as a name.
「Oh, you’re correct! Not bad」
「Eeh!? that was correct?」
I only gave her the names that were mostly used from the hint she gave us but, surprisingly we got the correct answer which was anti-climatic.
Well, the name that I thought was the most common was different, so Saya who knew what names are the most common, you could say that thanks to her knowledge we got it right.
「Ummm, Satou Sakura-san. once again please take care of me」
「Ah, Same. Watson-kun」
Can’t you do something about that nickname, while thinking about that fake Holmes or Satou Sakura, I once again listened to the details of the accident.
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Tridente Chapter 71
9: I hope this ark won’t be as bad or worse than the enforcer ark.
Lazy 9 
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