Before I knew it, someone was standing next to me.

“Good evening?”

The man’s appearance stood out in the rundown backstreet bar. Long, well-groomed hair. Flawless skin. Expensive, priest-like attire.

Clad in pure white, with a good-looking face…

If there were other customers here, he’d definitely have made an easy target. It was a miracle that he’d made it this far unscathed.

…I don’t care about such a miracle.

I paid no heed to him, but he sat down next to me with a gleeful look on his face.

There was hardly anyone who’d be happy to sit next to a dirty man with a scruffy beard and two swords—one long and one short—hanging from his waist. Above all, there were no other customers in this bar.

“Is this your favorite bar? It’s nice that there aren’t many people here.”

Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one who found a bar like that so late into the night frustrating. The bartender on the other side of the counter even glared at him with hostility.

It was annoying, but I had to find a way to make myself scarce. In any case, most people who spoke to me in such a way were no good.

“…Who are you?”

“I’m Nameless(nanashi), I happened to hear that there’s a popular fellow here with the same name as me, so I thought I’d say hello. Hello there, Anonymous(nanashi).”

“Huh?”

I threw away my name two years ago. It’d have been so much better if it was because I were a convicted criminal. However, even though I committed such a grave crime, they tried to take away the blame, saying, “But you didn’t kill her directly, did you?” Unable to bear it, I threw away my name myself.

In the end, the only punishment I received was my brother’s weak punch. Her slap stung a lot more.

While I was holding my cheek, remembering this, the priest made a nonchalant order.

“Master, can I have a bottle of the most expensive liquor in this bar? Two glasses, please.”

The bartender’s eyebrows raised slightly. Did this priest not realize that if a new customer tried to act cool in a bar like this, he’d be ripped off? Well, I had no obligation to give him any advice. Besides, he was suspicious, so I decided to covertly find out who he was.

Abandoning my name and going by Anonymous, a historical figure who she apparently liked for some reason, I went on a journey. I did a bunch of things that shouldn’t be exposed to the light of day.

“…Are you asking for a job?”

“No, I’m not. I just want to chat with you… about romance.”

“What? Do you realize we’re both men? Sorry, go find someone else. I’m not interested.”

“Oh, sorry, I’m not into that kind of stuff, either. I just need someone to vent to.”

“…I’ll stay here until I finish this.”

When I tried to pour myself some of the cheap but tasty drink the unfriendly bartender had brought out (probably because he was concerned with a dine and dash), the priest picked up the bottle and poured more into my glass.

“You see, a girl I’ve liked for years confessed her feelings to me.”

“Oh, congrats.”

…Is this a code of some sort?

I had no idea what he was up to. While sipping my drink, I casually observed his face, wondering if he was really some youth looking for a conversation partner.

Even though this wasn’t my homeland, I’d been made to memorize the faces and names of important people from other kingdoms.

I feel like I’ve seen this guy’s face somewhere before… Where?

He spoke while I was retracing my memories.

“She’s of very noble birth, always conducts herself with good posture, is always smiling and composed, but… She practices swordsmanship every day until her uniform is left tattered, encouraged her younger brother to run away from home, attends parties dressed as a man, flings mud at her classmates… she’s a wild girl.”

“…Is that so?”

—I see, it’s that the kind of story…

I could only think of one other strong-willed young lady in the whole wide world.

I gave a disinterested nod and watched the bartender’s movements. After serving the drinks, the bartender sat on a stool behind the counter and began reading the newspaper. The reason I liked this bar was because of how relaxed it was. As long as I didn’t cause any trouble for the bar, it didn’t matter what I did or said.

The priest poured more into my empty glass.

“She told me, ‘I want to fall in love with you.’ Passionate, don’t you think?”

“By the way, when was that?”

“Hmm, in your timeline, it would’ve been about two years ago?”

…So, if I do killed the man, I could just give the bartender a little extra money for cleaning up.

I pretended to scratch my backside as I took a drink, raising my hips a little.

If someone wanted to use Lelouche’s death against me, I’d be ready to draw my sword anytime.

“What is your purpose?”

“Now, now, don’t be so wary, it’s okay.”

He chuckled and snapped his fingers for some reason. Suddenly, a thud came from behind the counter. I quickly got up and looked over to see the bartender snoring as he lay face down on the counter.

“Damn!”

It’s a distraction!

Angered by the ploy, I turned toward the man and tried to stab him with my dagger. He nonchalantly twirled his glass, catching the sword with his fingers. I didn’t intend to kill him, but I wanted to at least injure his face. Moreover, his eyes were fixed on the blade.

“It’s well taken care of. You treasure it, don’t you? Her memento…”

My heart leapt.

Indeed, this was an expensive item—far too expensive for a thug like me. It was the murder weapon that was poisoned at my request and drove her to her death. At the same time, it was also a memento that she waved around joyfully every day.

After witnessing Lelouche’s final moments, I secretly tucked it away in my bosom, going so far as to take it out of the country with me. It had remained by my side ever since. There were very few people who knew that this short sword once belonged to her… After all, I was the one who taught her swordsmanship every day.

“…How did you know? To begin with, no one even knows what sort of weapon was even used for her murder.”

“Don’t say something so ominous. I don’t blame you for disappearing with the sword. You were beaten by your brother, the prince, before the detailed investigation could begin, and smuggled yourself away to a neighboring country afterwards. Not to mention, I also have no intention of bringing you back. I don’t have the authority to do that.”

I snorted at his reply, which was completely off the mark.

“So, have you come to be my Grim Reaper?”

“Grim Reaper?! That sounds cool. Unfortunately, I’m just an ordinary god—so, I can only grant you a prophecy: you still have a long way to go. You won’t be able to die until all your silver hair falls out.”

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