Tokisaki Kurumi's true intention was simple.
Among Yokohama's three major ability-wielding organizations—the Special Ability Agency, the Armed Detective Agency, and the Port Mafia—only the Port Mafia truly suited her needs.
That was why she had come here.
But she absolutely couldn't say that outright.
Why?
Imagine this scenario:
You're a crime boss with a dark, buried secret. One day, a stranger walks in, recites your most closely guarded truth, and then—when you ask why they're here—cheerfully declares, "I want to join your organization and contribute!"
Would you believe them?
Of course not.
Your first—and only—instinct would be: This person is up to something. Their offer is a trap. There's no way their intentions are pure.
So, Kurumi couldn't reveal her real motive.
After all, even a lady of her refinement knew the value of subtlety.
Back in her original world, when she first met Shido Itsuka, she hadn't blurted out, "I want to devour you!" right away. No—she'd played the part of a demure transfer student first, drawing closer with grace and patience.
If you want something from someone without raising suspicion, the golden rule was to never tell them what you actually want. Instead, bury your true desire beneath layers of plausible, secondary requests—like padding a ledger with endless trivial entries just to hide one critical line of fraud.
That's why when Mori Ōgai pressed her for her purpose, Kurumi parted her crimson lips and delivered the carefully crafted lie she'd prepared.
"I'd like the Port Mafia to provide me with official identification, all the necessary documentation required to live in this country, and a substantial amount of cash."
"Oh?" Mori Ōgai's interest was piqued. "That suggests you've only recently arrived—and certainly not through legal channels. Are you a foreign ability user?"
"You can think of it that way," Kurumi replied smoothly. "Due to certain… unavoidable circumstances, I had to leave my homeland and start anew in a foreign country. That's why I've come to you for assistance."
"No problem at all," Mori Ōgai said with a faint smile. "These are trivial matters for us."
He opened a drawer in his desk, rummaged briefly, and pulled out a form resembling a standard resume. He handed it to her.
"I'll have our contacts within the government fabricate a new identity for you. For now, just fill in whatever basic information you're comfortable sharing. I assume you'd prefer to choose your own name rather than let me pick one for you."
Kurumi accepted the form and began to write.
Most of the personal details she filled in truthfully—or at least, as truthfully as suited her.
As for her age? Forever young.
Whether he believed it or not was of no concern to her. After all, in a world of shadows and secrets, a little mystery was always part of the charm.
After filling out the personal information, she handed the form back to Mori Ōgai.
"Well then, Miss Tokisaki Kurumi," Mori Ōgai said, glancing over her personal details, "please come pick up your new identity tomorrow morning. Professionals will fabricate a complete background for you—you don't need to worry about that. As for cash, is ten million yen sufficient?"
"That's more than enough. Thank you for your generosity."
"Then I've done you the favor you asked for," Mori Ōgai said calmly. "I hope you'll keep your word and not spread secrets that shouldn't be revealed to anyone else. If certain people within the organization get wind of it, I'll have quite a headache."
The Port Mafia was a vast organization with decentralized power, naturally giving rise to different factions.
Before Mori Ōgai became Boss, the faction loyal to the previous Boss had been the most vocal and troublesome.
Appointing a personal physician as the new Boss of the Port Mafia was something no one could accept—it was as if, on his deathbed, an emperor had passed the throne not to his crown prince or his top general, but to his royal doctor.
At first, most members wanted to overthrow this unknown doctor who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. But they soon realized that this doctor's methods and cunning far surpassed those of any typical mobster. With allies within the Port Mafia and his prized subordinate Dazai Osamu at his side, Mori Ōgai swiftly and smoothly took full control of the organization's assets and authority, becoming the undisputed Boss.
Even so, there were still many dissenting voices within the organization.
These opposing forces had never truly disappeared—they'd merely gone underground, waiting for the right moment to strike.
If they learned that Mori Ōgai had assassinated the previous Boss and forged his will, the faction loyal to the former Boss would surely rise again in an attempt to seize the leadership.
Mori Ōgai didn't believe they'd succeed.
But even if they failed, the organization would still suffer losses.
In these turbulent times, the Port Mafia simply couldn't afford another internal dispute.
"I'm someone who clearly distinguishes between kindness and enmity," Tokisaki Kurumi said. "Since you've helped me, I won't repay your kindness with betrayal. I won't reveal this secret to anyone else."
"Thank you."
"However, I can't guarantee the same for other secrets."
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Mr. Mori, as you can see, I've come to this country for a fresh start. Although ten million yen is a considerable sum, what I truly hope for is a stable, long-term job. Therefore, if I end up joining an organization that opposes the Port Mafia—if I become your enemy—then, in order to gain my new organization's trust, I might have to share some secrets the Port Mafia would rather keep hidden."
Mori Ōgai frowned.
He understood Tokisaki Kurumi's reasoning.
This transaction with her was just that—a simple exchange: the Port Mafia provided her with identity documents and cash, and in return, she promised not to disclose the truth about the previous Boss's death.
But the secrets she knew weren't limited to the incident.
Worst of all, Mori Ōgai had no idea just how many other secrets—or how many other Port Mafia vulnerabilities she got her hands on.
Some secrets, if revealed to the wrong people, could deal the Port Mafia a crippling blow.
"Should I eliminate her?"
The thought flickered through Mori Ōgai's mind, but he instantly dismissed it.
Even though they'd spoken for less than ten minutes, he could clearly sense she wasn't afraid of the Port Mafia at all. The fact that she'd walked alone into the organization's headquarters meant she undoubtedly had a way to leave just as easily.
Moreover, the very fact that she'd infiltrated his office without anyone noticing was proof enough of how formidable her abilities were.
So far, Tokisaki Kurumi had already demonstrated multiple powers: shadow teleportation, memory reading, weapon summoning—and those two flintlock pistols were clearly no ordinary weapons.
Without absolute certainty of success, he didn't want to create another dangerous enemy for the organization.
Especially since he knew virtually nothing about this mysterious figure. Even someone as cunning as Mori Ōgai found it difficult to devise a strategy against a complete unknown.
Yet even if he couldn't afford to make her an enemy, he also couldn't allow her to wander freely among rival organizations carrying the Port Mafia's most critical secrets.
She was like a walking time bomb—no one knew where or when she might detonate.
It was utterly infuriating.
But Mori Ōgai had no leverage left to offer—nothing he could use to guarantee she wouldn't leak the Port Mafia's secrets.
Tokisaki Kurumi was too unfamiliar, too enigmatic.
He simply didn't know what she truly wanted.
"Wait…"
His mind raced—and suddenly, as if struck by an idea, his expression shifted.
"Perhaps… I do know what she wants."