The sun added itself to the lengthy moment of waiting.
"Such an irritating feeling," I murmured.
I poured myself another glass and glanced toward the clock.
Minato was taking too long.
"This deal is going to be a game changer."
A smile appeared on my face as I took a sip.
Ten million yen.
It wasn't the largest deal we'd ever handled, but it was large enough to make everyone involved unusually careful.
The door opened.
"Captain."
Minato walked in and took a seat.
"The lookouts on the corner saw a vehicle parked near the old man's shop."
I lowered my glass.
"A vehicle?"
I walked toward the window overlooking part of the street.
"Here?"
"Yes."
"Who owns it?"
"Two ladies, it seems."
He glanced toward the window.
"Those things are still fresh on the market."
"That they are."
I looked down at the street.
The vehicle was difficult to see from this angle.
"How much do you think it's worth?"
"The car?"
"Yes. How much would it sell for?"
Minato cleared his throat.
"About five hundred thousand new. Maybe four hundred and fifty thousand on the black market, though the price could fall even further depending on who is buying."
I nodded.
"Those katana are guaranteed to get us about one hundred and fifty-three thousand five hundred yen apiece."
I turned from the window.
"Multiply that by ten. Let's not make things more complicated than they need to be."
"That makes sense."
Minato poured himself another drink.
"The swords are supposed to have souls, though. That's interesting."
I took another sip.
"They say that about every sword."
He chuckled.
"True."
"But these ones were gotten by Haruto."
I paused.
"He knows how his sword feels."
The thought returned to me.
Two women.
At this side of town.
A vehicle.
Near the old man's shop.
Something wasn't right.
"When are two women on this side of town?" I asked. "I don't see any reason for it."
I turned back toward the window.
"Were the boys able to get a look at their faces?"
"Yeah."
Minato put his glass down.
"One of them is a foreigner. They said they were waiting for a colleague."
He paused.
"I had some of the boys keep an eye on them."
I looked toward the clock.
A little past one.
"Do you think it's the Concord?"
The question came out quieter than I intended.
"I can't think of anyone else who would have a reason to be here."
Minato shrugged.
"The police wouldn't have a warrant."
I looked at the sword leaning against the wall.
"Go get Haruto."
Minato stood.
"There might be an issue."
I stopped him with a raised hand.
"We cannot afford to call off the trade now."
The thought of losing ten million yen made my stomach tighten.
"If it is the Concord, then we should assume we're dealing with something more serious than the police."
I thought for a moment.
"Arm the boys with the swords."
Minato looked at me.
"All of them?"
"Call it a test run."
I smiled.
"And if the swords perform as promised, we'll know exactly what we're selling."
There was another possibility.
Perhaps I could sell only five.
Then raise the price on the remaining ones.
There was no reason to rush.
"Either way," I said, "we should thank those girls."
Minato gave me a look.
"For what?"
"For making things interesting."
We left the office.
The compound was quieter than usual.
Two boys were sitting beneath an awning, playing cards.
The others were scattered throughout the buildings.
Minato led me toward the room at the back.
Knock.
Knock.
"The man himself."
I opened the door.
"Haruto."
The room was stuffy.
Almost painfully so.
Haruto sat on the floor with his sword placed before him.
The scene quieted me.
He was sweating heavily.
There was a small pool of sweat beneath where he'd been sitting.
His eyes were closed.
I adjusted my coat and waited.
Eventually, his eyes opened.
"Boss."
He wiped his face.
"What's the issue?"
Then he looked toward Minato.
"Are the buyers here?"
"No," Minato said.
"There might be a little issue before we even reach that bridge."
Haruto frowned.
"Brother Minato, what could the issue be?"
"Two women were spotted around the area."
Minato glanced toward me.
"The captain thinks they might be with the Concord."
Haruto looked at me.
I said nothing.
"We're just being extra cautious," I said eventually.
"We have about ten million riding on this."
Haruto placed one hand beneath his chin.
For a moment, he seemed to be thinking.
"Ever since he crippled that fool..."
I frowned.
"Has he changed?"
Minato looked at me.
"Was it before that?"
I thought.
"When?"
Haruto smiled.
"That should be fine."
He reached for his sword.
"I've been itching for a fight."
There was something almost cheerful about the way he said it.
"I was thinking of entering you into one after this."
I pulled out my pocket watch.
"After this deal, we could both benefit."
Haruto's smile widened.
"Hmm."
He drank some water.
"That would be great, boss."
He set the cup down.
"But right now, I want to take a bath."
I stared at him.
"Now?"
"Yes."
He stood.
"Are the swords all right, though?"
"We have them in a crate and they're guarded," Minato said.
He stepped outside.
"Minato would have your bath prepared."
I looked at Haruto.
"Would you like anything to eat?"
Haruto picked up his sword.
The blade caught what little light entered through the window.
Pale blue.
Almost white.
It was a strange colour for steel.
"Ramen."
He considered the question.
"And some sake."
"All right."
I stepped outside.
The door closed behind me.
I exhaled.
That strange feeling remained.
The feeling that something had shifted without my permission.
The feeling that, if I made the wrong decision, I might not walk away from it.
I looked back toward the building.
"I need to do something about this."
The words stayed in my head as I made my way back toward my office.
I was tired.
But I still had hope.
Perhaps this was nothing.
Perhaps the two women really were waiting for someone.
Perhaps I'd spent too much time thinking about things that weren't there.
Still...
The deal was worth ten million yen.
And ten million yen was enough to make a man take his suspicions seriously.