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Part 3

It wasn't that Ryunosuke was procrastinating, really. He had only convinced Mikotoba to push back their return to Japan by a few weeks so that they had more time to spend with Kazuma, making sure he'd be alright. It wasn't that he just didn't want to leave.

This venture had met with mixed success. Kazuma was still something of a ghost, appearing when he was least expected and vanishing into thin air just as quickly. He had agreed to occasional dinners at Baker Street until departure day, so at least that was something. The rest of the time, he was impossible to get a hold of. His lodgings were still a mystery, and Ryunosuke couldn't even haunt the Prosecutor's Office in the hopes of catching him since his apprenticeship was still on hold. Kazuma had finally informed them at dinner two nights ago that van Zieks had sent word to start reporting back to the office again, so at least it seemed like his future was solidifying.

Still, it was hard to tell how he felt about this. Kazuma was quieter than Ryunosuke remembered. Even when he seemed as boisterous as before, he didn't say much about anything that counted. Anything that Ryunosuke and Susato were worried about. No matter how carefree his smiles seemed, they had a brittle edge that Ryunosuke didn't remember being there before.

"Maybe it just takes time," Susato had said wisely. "It's not surprising if he still has a lot of feelings to work through, and maybe he won't be ready to talk about it until he has a better handle on them. I'm sure he'll open up when he's ready."

This seemed very sensible, especially since Ryunosuke thought Susato was even more worried about Kazuma than he was.

Whatever the case, Ryunosuke had about reached the limit of what he could do for his friend. He was due to leave for Japan tomorrow, and he doubted Mikotoba would agree to another extension. At this point, he would just have to trust that Kazuma would take care of himself.

Still, he had never been very good at giving up, and he might have one last chance or two.

"I was thinking about visiting the Prosecutor's Office today," he told Susato.

Everything was packed besides the few necessities he would need before his departure, and looking at the empty room was depressing—the end of an era. Sholmes and Iris had done a good job of distracting him most of the time, but even they couldn't keep his mind off things forever.

Susato tilted her head. "To visit Kazuma-sama or Lord van Zieks?"

"Er… Both, I guess? I know Lord van Zieks said to keep our distance, and we have. But maybe I should check in on him one more time before I go. And it's the only place I'm reasonably sure I could find Kazuma without having him slip through my grasp."

The fallout from van Zieks's exposé had been messy and enduring, but things had been settling towards a simmering discontentment rather than boiling protests. There were other stories in the newspapers now as the world kept turning, and if people hadn't forgotten about his revelations, they at least had other things to occupy themselves with.

Ryunosuke was not sure how much blowback van Zieks was still getting or how it might be interfering with his professional work or personal life. He wasn't even sure what the man had been up to these past weeks. It was unclear if he had been quietly working away or had only just returned to the office at the same time he summoned Kazuma. And it was especially uncertain what the future might hold for him. He might not thank Ryunosuke for prying again, but his ire would be easier to bear when they had an ocean separating them.

What Ryunosuke really wanted to do was talk to Kazuma, but there was no reason not to check in on van Zieks as well while he was there.

"I think that's a good idea," Susato said.

"You do?" Ryunosuke asked. It seemed like not many of his ideas had been good recently, and he had thought she might tell him why he was looking for trouble if he tried talking to van Zieks again.

"Yes. I'll come with you."

Even better. Maybe she could stop him from saying anything stupid and incurring van Zieks's wrath again.

"I'll certainly try," Susato said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Ryunosuke winced. "Oh. Thank you."

That was not a promising start, but he would try to keep his thoughts to himself.

They climbed into a carriage, and it didn't take long to realize that the subtle tension that seemed to always hang over them these days had followed them here too. There was a bittersweet goodbye on the tips of their tongues, and they were running out of time to say it.

"What will you miss the most about London?" Susato asked. She must feel it too.

Ryunosuke hesitated, considering his options. There were lots of things he would miss: the new foods to try, the fascinating bits of history to learn, the latest technologies and scientific advancements that would take months or years to reach across the world to Japan, the feeling of walking into the Old Bailey and being steeped in legal history as he readied himself for battle. London was full of exciting discoveries, big and small, tucked into every corner of the city and waiting to be uncovered. There was always something to see or do or learn, trinkets to buy and foods to eat.

He could say any of those things, but as he thought about it…

"I'll miss the people," he said, thinking of afternoons spent taking tea at Baker Street or investigating crime scenes. "I'll miss Iris and Mr. Sholmes and Gina. I'll miss Kazuma…and you."

Susato cut a sidelong glance at him. "Oh?"

Ryunosuke flushed, afraid he'd been too forward. He didn't want her to think he was trying to guilt her into leaving with him.

"W-well, I'm glad to know you'll be here with Kazuma, and of course, you were supposed to be his assistant all along. But it will be different without you, that's all."

"You managed without me for months," Susato said quietly, looking back out the window. "So I suppose you'd be fine. You've come very far, Naruhodo-san. I'm not sure you need an assistant at all."

Ryunosuke shifted uncomfortably, thinking of how dejected she'd been before leaving England the last time, convinced she had failed at her job and was an unworthy legal assistant. He had hoped she would know better by now.

"I missed you then too," he said. "You are the very best judicial assistant, and Kazuma will be lucky to have you. I don't expect I shall find anyone half as good to take your place, although I'm sure I'll manage."

"…Do you think so?"

"Yes, of course," he said with confidence.

Susato hummed quietly to herself and watched the buildings roll by, apparently lost in thought. Ryunosuke opened his mouth to press the point, but then closed it with an effort. He had said his piece, and he didn't want to lay it on too thick. If she wanted some time to think, he'd give it to her.

The trip to the Prosecutor's Office was uneventful, and thankfully, there were no angry crowds surrounding the building this time. No one stopped them when they walked inside, although Ryunosuke was convinced someone would realize they didn't belong there and throw them out.

"Stop cowering, Naruhodo-san," Susato said with a sigh. "If you keep acting so suspiciously, someone is going to decide they don't like the look of you and detain us."

"Do you think so?" Ryunosuke asked, flattening himself against a wall as a man with a hooked nose and graying hair strode past. "You're so right. I think that man just gave me the dirtiest look I've ever seen. Maybe you should stick to the shadows too."

Susato's sigh was more pronounced this time. "You do know that people can still see you? And you look like you're up to no good. They did have a couple of attempted break-ins after Lord van Zieks's trial, you know. If you keep skulking around, someone is going to think there's a reason you don't want to be seen."

"Well, I don't want to be seen."

"You don't want everyone to know that. Come here and walk like normal. Trust me. The best way to make sure no one questions you is to act like you belong. Besides, there's no reason why we shouldn't be here. We don't have anything to hide."

Ryunosuke was initially skeptical of what sounded like rather counterintuitive advice, but he reluctantly shuffled over to walk at Susato's side again. Strangely enough, no one even gave him a second look once he was walking next to her. As usual, she was right about basically everything.

His courage began failing again as they approached van Zieks's office. The dour prosecutor had been far less abrasive and hostile the last few times they'd met, but he was still cold and brusque and a little bit scary. If Susato felt any such reservations, she didn't show it. She marched straight up to the door and knocked.

Ryunosuke hung back a pace, but then thought better of it and stepped up beside her. It wasn't very fair to hide behind her and send her off to the wolves.

But when the door opened, it was Kazuma who greeted them.

"Are you really stalking me at my place of employment now?" he asked, eyebrows rising.

"Er… No?" Ryunosuke said. "That is, we didn't exactly–"

"If we could be sure of finding you anywhere else, we wouldn't have to," Susato said briskly. "Is Lord van Zieks here as well?"

Kazuma threw back his head and laughed, and for a moment, his face looked wide open with amusement like he was his old self again. "Never one to mince words, huh? No, he disappeared an hour ago. Said he was off to 'commune with the former Lord Chief Justice', whatever that means. You are certainly bold to be stalking him at the office."

"We aren't stalking him," Susato said patiently. "It just seemed polite to ask since this is his office."

"Is he visiting Lord Stronghart in jail?" Ryunosuke asked.

Kazuma shrugged. "I doubt it. He would have just said that. He starts talking all dramatically and vaguely when he doesn't want to actually tell me what he's up to. He could be anywhere. And good riddance. But I suppose if you went to all the effort to track me down, this is as good a time as any for a chat before he comes back. Come on in."

Ryunosuke looked around as he stepped inside, half expecting to see some sign of the damage van Zieks had been afraid malcontents might wreak on his office, but everything looked largely the same as before. The portrait of Klint van Zieks was still gone, a new diorama had been set up on the table to depict a different crime scene, but other than that, everything seemed as neat and sterile as always.

"I see the bats pulled through," Susato said, eyeing the huddle of dark shapes on the ceiling.

"I don't think they're going anywhere," Kazuma said a little crossly. "Lord van Zieks won't let me get rid of them. I think they're unsanitary pests, but my opinion doesn't count for much."

"He did seem quite fond of them."

"Yes, well, if any normal person wants a pet, they'll adopt a cat or some such. Not your venerable client. In his infinite wisdom, he keeps a colony of plague-ridden flying mice."

Kazuma's face scrunched up in disgust, and Susato coughed out a small laugh that she hid behind her hand.

"I'm not sure I like them either," Ryunosuke volunteered.

Susato seemed to be trying very hard not to smile. "That's really too bad. They don't seem to be bothering anyone."

"Sure, unless you get too close or make too much noise," Kazuma muttered. "You'd think differently then."

Ryunosuke privately agreed, but Susato still seemed a little too amused by the whole thing, so he thought it wise to change the subject.

"Did anyone manage to break in, then? Everything looks alright."

"No, I don't think anyone actually made it into the office, although a couple of men were caught trying to break into the building during the night," Kazuma said. "Security is still a little heightened, but no one seems as worried now that things have died down. "

"And has Lord van Zieks been alright?" Susato asked.

Kazuma shrugged. "Who knows? He keeps to himself. I don't know everything that happened while I was out of the office. There's still some lobbying to force his resignation, but I think it's pretty well accepted around here that he's not going anywhere. We're keeping a low profile for the time being, but we've started picking up casework again."

"That's…good?" Ryunosuke said uncertainly. "I mean, it's good that he's sticking around for your apprenticeship, at least? That's something. You'll get to do your study tour like you wanted to."

Kazuma looked away, his face darkening. "…Yeah," he muttered. "Kind of feels like I'm ruining his life, though."

Ryunosuke blinked at him, turning the words around every which way but still coming up empty. "What do you mean?"

Kazuma shook his head but answered slowly, like the words were being dragged out of him. "You heard him. He's acting like he expects me to stick a knife in his back at any minute. He doesn't really want to be mentoring me at all, but…" He shrugged. "Well, I guess it's his own fault for always playing the martyr. But it's an uncomfortable feeling to know you're just making someone's life worse and they're expecting you to torture them or something. I have my problems with him, but I want to be done with tormenting people."

Ryunosuke exchanged a look with Susato, who wore an ever-deepening frown.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to continue your apprenticeship with him?" she asked. "There's a lot of history between you. Maybe it would be best to make a fresh start with someone else."

Ryunosuke nodded in agreement, but Kazuma was already shaking his head.

"No, I have to do this. He really is the best there is. If I'm going to stay for my study tour, I might as well work with the best."

Ryunosuke frowned. "I…guess that makes sense? But… I'm not disputing how good he is, but–"

Kazuma held up a hand, sighing. "I need to prove to myself that I can do it, and that I can do it without losing myself again," he said tiredly. "Maybe I need to fix some of the things I've broken along the way, and I need to be here to do it. Don't worry so much. He's a colossal pain and I still have a lot of hard feelings, but… He's been a good mentor to me for months, believe it or not. I'll do fine with him, and I'm going to try working through our issues eventually. I think it's something I need to do for my own peace of mind. I promise I've thought it through. It won't be easy, but I'll be fine."

Ryunosuke still thought it sounded like a volatile situation and possibly a bad idea, but that old stubborn spark of determination was back in Kazuma's eyes. Kazuma wasn't going to budge, and while Ryunosuke couldn't say he entirely understood why his friend felt so strongly on the subject or exactly what he meant about fixing things or proving something, he could tell that it was very important. If Kazuma needed to go on some journey of his own, maybe it wasn't Ryunosuke and Susato's place to keep questioning him about his methods. As long as he wasn't losing his mind and flirting with murder, at least.

"Well, if you're sure," Ryunosuke said. "You'll have to write and tell me how it's going."

Kazuma hesitated only briefly. "Yes, of course. Although I'm sure it won't be anywhere near as fascinating to hear about as your short but illustrious career."

Ryunosuke wrinkled his nose and scratched at the back of his neck, unsure what to say to that.

"Don't tease Naruhodo-san," Susato chided lightly. "I'm sure he'll be very interested to hear what you've been up to. It would be very rude not to answer when he writes to you."

Kazuma held up his hands placatingly. "Alright, alright. I'll write."

"Good," Susato said with satisfaction. "And on that note, we're having a dinner at Baker Street tonight to say goodbye. Gina will be there too, and Father. You'll come, won't you?"

"…I'll see what my schedule looks like."

Her eyes narrowed. "You should be there. They're leaving tomorrow afternoon. You should take whatever opportunity you can to spend time with them before they're gone."

"…I know. I'll see what I can do. I'll definitely be there to say goodbye at the docks tomorrow either way." Kazuma grinned, pretending not to see Susato's lips pursed with displeasure. "Since you're here already, this is the perfect time to catch up. As long as Lord van Zieks doesn't walk in on us chatting. But we probably have a few minutes before he deigns to grace us with his presence."

Ryunosuke wouldn't question Kazuma's suddenly social mood, even if he suspected the point was to placate them when he didn't show up for dinner tonight. They chatted for another ten minutes or so, skirting sensitive topics in favor of more lighthearted fare as Kazuma deftly steered the conversation away from anything of real substance. Soon, though, he began shifting restlessly and glancing at the clock.

"You should probably go before Lord van Zieks comes back," he said. "I don't feel like getting another lecture for slacking off on my duties, and I expect your afternoon will be more pleasant if you don't have to talk to him."

"Actually, I was hoping to check in with him one more time before I left," Ryunosuke said.

Kazuma wrinkled his nose. "Why? He makes for miserable company. Sometimes you need to learn to quit while you're ahead."

"Well, yes, but–"

"Oh, he's fine. Just as grumpy and uptight as ever. I'll tell him you stopped by, if you'd like. You can get all the credit for trying to check on him without having to actually talk to him. But you should really go now. I don't know how long he'll be, and I have a lot of work to do before he shows back up. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

Susato's eyes narrowed once more. "I should hope we would see you tonight as well."

"Oh." A vaguely guilty look flitted across Kazuma's face and vanished again. "Yes, of course, if I can make it."

This wasn't encouraging, but there was little more they could do in the face of his obstinancy.

"Try to make it," Ryunosuke said. "It would mean a lot to have you there. But at the very least, make sure I see you before I leave."

Kazuma nodded and offered him a smile. "Definitely."

Ryunosuke and Susato departed somewhat reluctantly. They'd had a nice talk with Kazuma and even gotten some more insight into his plans and motivations, but they hadn't accomplished everything they'd set out to achieve either. It seemed unlikely that they'd see Kazuma again until the ship was about to depart tomorrow, and they hadn't seen van Zieks at all. The latter might be something of a blessing, and Ryunosuke's anxiety certainly eased at the thought of avoiding the encounter, but it was still disappointing. While he didn't actually have a responsibility to see how van Zieks was faring after the trial and all the revelations uncovered, he would feel better knowing he had done so.

There were a few loose ends here that it was looking unlikely he would have the chance to wrap up, and he didn't like leaving business unfinished. But that was the thing about people: they weren't always neat little packages you could wrap up with a bow. They were messy and complicated, and no matter how good your intentions, there would always be loose ends.

They were nearly to the entrance of the building when Susato said, "Naruhodo-san… I had a thought…"

Ryunosuke startled out of his thoughts. "What is it?"

"Well…" She hesitated and then took a deep breath. "Kazuma-sama said Lord van Zieks was 'communing with the former Lord Chief Justice', but he didn't think that meant visiting Lord Stronghart in prison because of the odd phrasing. I was wondering… Perhaps the best way to 'commune' with someone without actually speaking to them directly is to go to a place with a lot of shared history. Somewhere you spent a lot of time together, maybe, or somewhere important to them. Then you feel closer to them even if they aren't there."

"Er… I guess that makes sense. I don't know if they had much of a personal relationship outside of the office, though." When Susato raised an eyebrow, Ryunosuke considered his words more closely and gave a little start. "You think maybe he went to Lord Stronghart's old office? That's probably where they would have interacted the most."

Susato shrugged. "It's only a guess. I don't think we know enough about them to have much more insight into Lord van Zieks's thought process. If he's not there, I wouldn't have another idea, and it's probably a long shot. But if you wanted to check while we're nearby…"

"I guess there's no reason not to. You might be right! I wouldn't have come up with that on my own."

They took a detour and made the trek to Stronghart's old office before pausing outside the imposing door as they considered their next move.

"Should we knock?" Susato ventured.

"Er… I guess that's polite, but what if someone else is in there? Maybe we just peek inside real quietly and check."

"Hm… I don't know whose office this is now. It might still be empty. If Lord van Zieks is in there, maybe we shouldn't startle him."

"But if someone else is there, maybe we shouldn't distract them if we're just going to sneak back out anyway," Ryunosuke reasoned.

"…Whatever you think, Naruhodo-san."

Ryunosuke had the feeling that Susato didn't quite approve, but he didn't think there was any harm in just taking a quick peek and being on their way if van Zieks wasn't there. He slowly turned the handle and opened the door just a crack, holding his breath and praying nothing made a sound to give him away. He squinted through the opening, but the sliver of visibility didn't show anything besides a narrow band of empty floor. Cautiously, he pushed the door open a little farther.

Van Zieks stood before Stronghart's imposing desk, head tipped back as he looked up at the great clock ticking away behind it. Ryunosuke let out the breath he'd been holding. Susato had been right, of course. But now what? He considered their options. Now that they had actually found van Zieks, it was strangely tempting to just sneak away again.

"Are you going to come in, Mr. Naruhodo?" van Zieks asked. "Or keep your assistant waiting in the hall all afternoon?"

Ryunosuke nearly jumped out of his skin. "Oh!" he squeaked, his mind churning as he tried to figure out what had given them away. "Er, so sorry! I didn't mean to bother you. That is, er… How did you know it was us?"

Van Zieks sighed. "You aren't made for stealth, Mr. Naruhodo. Your voice carries right through the door. I assume your conversation partner is Miss Mikotoba, although she's a good deal quieter than you."

"…Oh." Ryunosuke hadn't even registered Susato's low tone, but now that he was thinking about it, perhaps she had been keeping her voice down.

Susato laughed softly behind her hand, shooting an amused glance at Ryunosuke. "You are correct, Lord van Zieks."

"Mm… A new Lord Chief Justice has yet to be appointed," van Zieks said. "Until then, this office is unoccupied. I doubt you'll find what you're looking for here, unless you're intending to acquire some memento before a new owner moves in."

Ryunosuke blinked at him in bemusement. He had thought van Zieks had overheard everything. But then he realized van Zieks had only said he'd overheard Ryunosuke, and maybe Susato was the only one who had referenced the man by name.

"Actually, we were looking for you," he said. "Kazuma told us about your errand, and Miss Susato guessed where you were."

Finally, van Zieks turned halfway to eye the pair hovering in the doorway. "Did they, now? Well, you've found me, although I'm nearly certain I advised you to keep your distance. What do you want?"

Despite the blunt words, his tone lacked sharp edges, which seemed like a good sign.

"Oh, well, we just thought–"

"Please come in and shut the door before someone wanders past looking for gossip fodder."

"Oh! Of course."

Ryunosuke scuttled inside the room, glancing about nervously. It still felt imposing and frigid and tense in here, even without Stronghart's presence. He had no idea why van Zieks would willingly spend time here when he didn't have to. But then, van Zieks was a bit imposing and frigid himself, so maybe the atmosphere didn't bother him.

"Mr. Naruhodo!" Susato gasped in a low voice, shaking her head rapidly.

Ryunosuke blinked at her. "What?"

"You can't just say things like that!"

Ryunosuke had not been aware he'd said anything at all. He winced and shot an apprehensive look at van Zieks.

Van Zieks did not look amused, his gaze more frigid than it had been before Ryunosuke had muttered anything about it.

"Charming," he said, turning his back on them again and returning his gaze to the clock. "For what it's worth, I also find the atmosphere stifling, but I'm guessing that's not what you really came here to ask."

"I, er…didn't mean to ask that at all," Ryunosuke said awkwardly.

Susato closed the door behind them and cocked her head in question, shooting a look across the room at van Zieks. It took Ryunosuke a moment to catch on, but then he nodded and cautiously walked closer to the desk, within a more appropriate conversational distance of van Zieks.

"How have you been?" Susato asked politely. "We've mostly only been seeing what's in the papers, and they're reporting on you a little less these days."

Van Zieks shrugged. His eyes had a distant, glassy sheen to them like he was staring through the great clock, but his voice sounded perfectly steady when he spoke.

"Well enough. I've kept my footing through the initial outcry, so it's unlikely anyone will manage to oust me until I'm ready to step back. It will settle into a new normal soon enough."

"So you are planning to stick around, then?" Ryunosuke asked with interest. "What are you planning to do?"

"Well, obviously," van Zieks said with a hint of that old derision. "I told Mr. Asogi I would continue mentoring him, didn't I? So I suppose that's my plan."

"Ah… Yes, you did say that. Makes perfect sense."

Van Zieks closed his eyes and brought his hand to his forehead like Ryunosuke was giving him a headache. "Very well," he said resignedly. "Yes, I do have other plans. If I'm going to be stuck here, I might as well make the most of it. I've been building the case against Lord Stronghart, and I'll see it through. I doubt I'll stand as the prosecutor at the bench given the controversy surrounding me and my family at the moment, but I'll build the case behind the scenes and choose a competent replacement to coach through it.

"I have also been using what influence I have left to push along the nomination process for the next Lord Chief Justice. This office won't be unoccupied much longer, so I would not advise sneaking back in again. I put my weight behind the most ethical and competent choice, and I'd like to think he will be more honorable than his predecessor. He should be officially sworn into office next week.

"Once the position is filled again, more focus will be put on reforming the judiciary: hunting down any of Lord Stronghart's conspirators we might have missed, rooting out lingering corruption, pushing through reforms to better protect the innocent and catch the guilty who currently escape justice by leveraging their wealth and power. I've already been in talks with the incoming Lord Chief Justice, and I will be working with him closely heading these projects. And, of course, I will be returning to normal casework for the benefit of Mr. Asogi's training. So I expect I will be very busy."

"That sounds like a lot," Ryunosuke said. It wasn't that he had expected van Zieks to have spent the past weeks hiding at home, exactly, but… Well, maybe he had. "I hope you're going to have some help."

"Our incoming Lord Chief Justice is very dedicated to reforms, so I should hopefully have support from higher up. In any case, Mr. Asogi may benefit from my side projects if he's truly looking to reform your country's judiciary. It will be a good learning experience for him." He paused, considering, and then added in an offhand tone, "Unless I get myself assassinated too early, but I suppose even that would be a teachable moment."

Ryunosuke stared at him, aghast. "Assassinated? That's not, like, really a real possibility, is it?"

Van Zieks glanced at him with something that almost seemed like genuine surprise. "…Ah. I forget that you actually care about these things. I'm afraid my cynicism does not always translate well. I will be making many more powerful, ruthless enemies when I go meddling where I'm not wanted in the judiciary, but very few of them would actually attempt such a thing. It's a possibility I'll prepare for, but not one I consider inevitable. I am just making cynical commentary on the state of our justice system and the scoundrels running it."

That was some 'cynical commentary'. Ryunosuke hoped van Zieks just meant that he had a very dark sense of humor, if the man possessed anything remotely resembling humor at all.

"I hope you'll be safe," he said uneasily. "That would be really awful."

Van Zieks flicked a dismissive hand and looked away again. "I'll be fine, Mr. Naruhodo. I'm always fine."

That sounded like something someone would say who was not fine, but Ryunosuke didn't really know how to address that.

"Those are some lofty goals," Susato said slowly. "It sounds like a lot of work and potential danger. It's…quite noble, really, to dedicate so much to improving your corner of the world."

Van Zieks scoffed. "There's nothing noble about it. I played a part in this crooked system, whether I intended to or not. We can't always fix the things we've broken, but I feel it is incumbent upon us to try."

"You weren't actually responsible for breaking the system, though. You would be fixing other people's mistakes and sins more than your own."

"…I don't suppose you're familiar with the concept of noblesse oblige?"

Ryunosuke had never heard the term. He glanced at Susato expectantly. If either of them knew of it, it would be her.

Susato looked a bit puzzled herself. "Um…"

She pulled out the thick book she carried everywhere, which seemed to contain infinite knowledge, and began flipping through it rapidly.

"It's the idea that nobility begets responsibility," van Zieks said without waiting for her to find what she was looking for. "Essentially, it states that if one is afforded privilege and status, there is a social and moral obligation to use that position and privilege to better the lives of one's lessers. At the very basic core is the responsibility of nobles to extend protection and generosity to those under their care, such as those working their lands and estates for them. There are also certain duties one owes to the Crown. But past that, it is more of an abstract ideological concept. Perhaps a paternalistic moral high ground. There is an unofficial yet intrinsic responsibility that if you have been bestowed with certain gifts or privileges, you use them for the greater good.

"It is…not entirely fashionable in all higher circles, and I would say that most people pay lip service to the idea without actually conforming to it. That's why you see so many nobles taking advantage of their position to defraud the less fortunate and escape the consequences. However, Klint did believe in this concept very strongly." A muscle ticked in his jaw, and he gave his head a small, sharp shake as if trying to knock something back out of it. "For better or worse. And I picked up much of my core ideology from him. It's why I leverage my own position to tackle the criminals of the upper classes who could more easily intimidate or take advantage of a prosecutor of lower rank. It is not out of kindness, or even true nobility of character. As I told you before, personal feelings have little to do with practical altruism.

"I will attempt to better our judicial system and hold Lord Stronghart accountable for his crimes and teach Mr. Asogi enough to speed him on his own journey, but it is not out of the goodness of my heart. Frankly, these are simply chains and obligations. I'll do them because I have to, because I am in a position to try when most people are not, but that doesn't mean I want to. If anything is going to keep me in this godforsaken prison, it's going to be some responsibility I can't, in good conscience, pass off to someone else. I needed to find a reason to stay if I was going to be caged here for Mr. Asogi's benefit, and so I did. But don't mistake it for something it's not."

There was a lot to chew on there, and an unexpected, narrow insight into van Zieks's beliefs and motivations.

"Well, it would still be doing a lot of good, regardless of your rationale," Ryunosuke reasoned. "That's a lot to sacrifice for something you don't even want to do. I think it would probably take a good person to do all of that, whether or not they consider themselves one. None of the other supposedly noble and just people took that kind of responsibility. You're stuck cleaning up all the messes because no one else did, no matter how good or righteous they considered themselves to be. That should count for something, don't you think? It's even more of a sacrifice to put so much into something you don't even want to do, just because it's the right thing."

Van Zieks turned his head to look at Ryunosuke as if he were a baffling, unknown insect crawling across the floor. "…You truly do just say whatever comes into your head, don't you? You have a very idealistic, somewhat naïve way of thinking." He paused, and Ryunosuke winced. "Still," he conceded finally, "I suppose I did too when I was younger. For what it's worth, you did an inspiring job of managing to apprehend one of the most powerful men in the judiciary. It's something most people wouldn't be able to do or even attempt. I think it would be a waste if I went back into hiding instead of capitalizing on your success to further reform the system. And so I will carry on where you left off."

Ryunosuke blinked at him, taken aback. "Er… What?"

"It will just take time," van Zieks said absently, like he was talking to himself. "And strategy. There's a fine line to walk, working openly towards reforms without tarnishing them with my reputation."

"Wouldn't it have been easier not to publish everything about…the Professor if you were planning to do things that might require public support?" Susato asked. "Or at least to delay it?"

"Easier, yes, but sometimes you must do things the right way rather than the easy one. Lord Stronghart preferred to hide the truth 'for the greater good' so that he could twist it to his advantage and do as he pleased while avoiding scrutiny. If we are to reform such a crooked system, I think we will need to leave such old methods in the past and employ more transparency. I've lived a lie for long enough, I think, and so I've finally told the truth. London might not respect me for it, but perhaps one day, when someone is tempted to hide something rather than take responsibility, they will remember that isn't the only way to conduct their business and will choose more aboveboard methods. And maybe next time, the public will be ready to respect that honesty more. Law relies strongly on precedent, and so does society. It is a very slow, uneven method for enacting change, but maybe it's a step in the right direction. Even if not… I would like to feel that I am not following in Lord Stronghart's footsteps, at least."

Ryunosuke opened his mouth and then closed it again, mulling over van Zieks's words. "So… If you stand up and do the right thing now, maybe it will inspire other people to do the right thing too."

Van Zieks wrinkled his nose. "Hardly. I'm not looking to be some hero or saint. They too frequently become martyrs, and I've had enough of that. All I'm saying is that if someone can prove that it's possible to face up to hard truths and take responsibility for their mistakes and still continue on with their work anyway, it might show someone else that they don't have to bury the truth in order to accomplish their goals. Because when you start purposely concealing things because you know that other people will not approve or because you know what you're doing is wrong, it is very easy to justify hiding the next thing and the next, until you are operating outside the bounds of the law or common decency while feigning innocence. Truthfully, I think it encourages people to justify their behavior, to come up with reasons why there's nothing wrong with what they're doing and it's only the big bad world forcing them to hide, and eventually they start really believing it."

Ryunosuke couldn't help but feel that they were talking more about Stronghart than van Zieks. After all, the truths van Zieks had chosen to reveal pertained to crimes his brother had committed rather than something terrible he had done. Unless he was talking about the mistakes he had made in convicting Kazuma's father. But all in all, every word sounded more like Stronghart, and van Zieks's gaze had flicked back to the clock as he spoke.

"What was your relationship with Lord Stronghart like?" Ryunosuke blurted out before flushing.

Van Zieks's expression closed off, his face going cold and forbidding again. "I don't see how that's any of your business."

"Oh, ah, no… Of course not! Just, uh…"

"I think what Mr. Naruhodo meant is that he was wondering what you're doing here in this office," Susato broke in, placating. "It doesn't seem like somewhere you would want to be, given everything Lord Stronghart did. But of course, we wouldn't want to pry if it's private. It just seemed like an unusual choice. We didn't expect to find you here."

Van Zieks raised an eyebrow, clearly not fooled, but let it go. Ryunosuke sighed in relief. He didn't know what he'd do without Susato to smooth over his social faux pas.

"Lord Stronghart and I have a long and storied history," van Zieks said finally. "Respectfully, I do not wish to discuss it, but…" He let out a breath and shook his head. "I'm reminiscing, perhaps. Or perhaps it's only that it helps to be here in order to glean what he would do in these situations so that I can do the opposite. He provided some mentoring to me in an unofficial capacity after…my brother's death. I learned a lot from him, both good and bad, and I suppose it gave him the opportunity to shape me into who he needed me to be. The problem is that between him and Inspector Gregson, Klint and Genshin… It seems like every mentor or role model I've ever had has been a murderer and a liar, and if I do not want to turn out the same, I shall have to decide if there's anything I took from them that's worth keeping or if it's time to burn it all to the ground and start over.

"The problem with reform, as you might discover, is that when you are trying to build something new and all you have to go off is the existing broken system… It is not so easy when all you know is what not to do. I know what I shouldn't do while mentoring Mr. Asogi or pushing for change, but that doesn't tell me what I should. It is easier to tear something down than build it anew, but neither can you leave a void. So that is the challenge, and I feel the gravity of it best here in this office."

Somehow Ryunosuke had assumed, without really thinking about it, that van Zieks already knew exactly how he intended to go about all these reforms and changes he had said he intended to pursue. Maybe it was his cold composure and self-assured confidence that made it seem like he always knew what he was doing and what needed to be done. Ryunosuke found it strange to think that his old courtroom rival might also be unsure or insecure, especially after how he had handled the publishing and aftermath of his exposé with such casual indifference.

"It helps if you have other people to rely on," Ryunosuke suggested. "So that you don't have to figure it all out alone."

Van Zieks's lips twitched downwards. "I've found it to be significantly less helpful if you choose to rely on the wrong people."

"Then I hope you find the right ones."

"Even knowing what not to do is a place to start," Susato said slowly. "It might not be enough, but at least you can avoid some of the pitfalls and already know your boundaries. You are very skilled and clever and ethical, and I think you have all the tools you need to forge your own path without…'burning everything to the ground'. That is… Just because you picked up pieces from the wrong people doesn't mean you're using them for the wrong things too, and you shouldn't have to reinvent yourself entirely. Perhaps only keep growing and improving, the same as the rest of us."

Van Zieks narrowed his eyes at them. "If I'd known you'd be so eager to discuss philosophy and put my character on trial, I might not have been so keen to indulge you. Must you make everything out to be so personal?"

Susato huffed out a small, surprised, somewhat awkward laugh. "Begging your pardon, My Lord. I didn't intend to cause offense."

"…I suppose I should have expected it. I'm not offended, but I am certain you have more important business than dissecting my character. Your overly charitable estimations are kinder than I deserve, and I appreciate your good intentions, but I assure you that I am quite well and there is no need for…whatever intervention this is."

"I do apologize that we've gotten a bit too personal, although you can be assured that we meant everything genuinely."

"I know." Van Zieks gave them another considering look laced with a thin edge of bafflement like he still didn't quite understand them. "I did not say I thought you were dishonest or insincere, merely overly optimistic and too charitable."

"Actually, I've been told my judgment is quite discerning and sound," Ryunosuke said brightly. "By you, no less." Van Zieks closed his eyes and massaged his temples again. "But I'll be returning to Japan tomorrow, so at least you won't have to deal with me annoying you much longer. I just wanted to check in and say goodbye before I left."

"Tomorrow, is it? Mr. Asogi mentioned you'd be leaving in passing, but I'm afraid I didn't catch all the details. I hope you have a safe journey."

"Thank you. And… I hope everything goes well here too."

Ryunosuke felt the frown pass across his face again like a shadow as he thought of Kazuma. All he could do at this point was hope for the best.

"If you're that worried, why don't you just go talk to him before you leave?" van Zieks asked dryly. Ryunosuke was certain he hadn't voiced his thoughts aloud this time and the man was just reading his mind. "You needn't waste your time on small talk with me."

"Oh. Well, we did just talk to him, but he shooed us out because he didn't want you to think we were distracting him from his work when you got back."

Van Zieks scoffed lightly. "He wanted you gone before I returned because he knew I'd kick him out of the office to go talk to you so that I could get some work done without getting mixed up in all this nonsense. But if he wants to hide behind me, so be it. I'm a convenient excuse."

Ryunosuke blinked at him in surprise and then exchanged a look with Susato.

"He's still avoiding us," she said with a sigh. "I think he hasn't figured out what to say yet, and he's putting it off."

"Well, he's running out of time."

"Would you like me to evict him from the office?" van Zieks offered.

Ryunosuke considered it and then shook his head. "I think that would only frustrate him more. He did already talk to us a little, and I don't want to ruin it. Anyway, the office is the only place we know where to look for him. Once he leaves here, he's impossible to find. He won't tell us where he's staying so that we can't track him down."

"He's almost certainly not coming to dinner tonight," Susato said. "I think he was telling the truth about coming to the docks to say goodbye tomorrow, though. Just…"

"There probably won't be a lot of time for personal one-on-one chats," Ryunosuke agreed.

Van Zieks heaved a sigh and leaned across the imposing desk to pluck a notepad and pen from the polished surface. He scribbled a couple of lines in a neat, slanting hand and offered it to Ryunosuke.

"Er… Thank you?" Ryunosuke said, taking the page and squinting at it. It appeared to be an address. "Um… What is this?"

"That is the address of Mr. Asogi's current residence. Technically, it's inappropriate for me to provide you with such information, but I can't say I particularly care. Whether or not you choose to use that information is up to your discretion, but I suspect it would be in everyone's best interests if you had a serious conversation with him before departing."

Ryunosuke gave a little start of surprise, his grip tightening around the scrap of paper like it was a lifeline. He knew the value of what he held.

"Thank you," he said, and meant it.

"Just be careful," van Zieks warned. "If you make him feel cornered or hunted, he will become defensive. Intruding on his sanctuary will require tact, which…I am not entirely sure you possess. You might let Miss Mikotoba take the lead. You may tell him you received the address from me unprompted so that he doesn't think you've been spying on him or some such nonsense."

"Don't you think that might worsen your relations with him?" Susato asked carefully. "You do have to work together…"

"He hates me already, so I'm not sure what a little more resentment will change. Eventually, he'll realize it's for his own good."

"And… How do you know his address?"

Ryunosuke furrowed his brow. Actually, that was a good question.

"Why wouldn't I?" van Zieks asked. "I'm the one who arranged his lodgings."

"You?" Ryunosuke asked, goggle-eyed.

"Yes, me," van Zieks said a little testily, scowling at whatever he heard in Ryunosuke's voice. "He is my apprentice, and he could hardly do it himself with that ridiculous vow of silence." He paused before adding, a bit grudgingly, "Technically, Lord Stronghart made the original arrangements, but I found it prudent to move them elsewhere after Mr. Asogi came into my care."

"Er… Why?"

"…I thought it better that Lord Stronghart not have that information. In general, I believe that the less private information people have about you, the better."

"You didn't trust him?" Susato asked. "Even then?"

"I didn't trust either of them. Lord Stronghart…accomplished much good for the city and I respected him, but he is not the kind of man I would give unfettered personal access to an apprentice. As I tried to explain to you, doing good things does not make you a good person. And knowing how much he likes his games… I had little reason to trust some amnesic apprentice he forced on me, especially once I began suspecting who that might be. There was something between them, and so I was careful to thwart any secret meetings they might have to collude. I preferred to supervise their dealings. It seemed unlikely that Lord Stronghart would take advantage of someone's personal lodgings rather than summoning them at the office, but it's best not to take unnecessary chances."

That all sounded…a bit paranoid, truthfully. Although Ryunosuke supposed that Kazuma and Stronghart had been in a collusion of sorts when it came to the assassin exchange. Maybe van Zieks's instincts hadn't been too far off.

Still, there was something a little off about it all. Van Zieks had admitted to respecting and learning from Stronghart, but he had also made comments about the man's callous treatment. He had offered no details or specifics on this matter, but Ryunosuke had to wonder if perhaps there were very good reasons why van Zieks might not have wanted Stronghart to have too much power over a subordinate, even before finding out the truth. If van Zieks had already been hurt somehow, maybe he wouldn't want his apprentice to wind up in a similar position and had taken somewhat paranoid precautions to make sure of it.

"As I said," van Zieks growled, eyes flashing, "I don't intend to discuss our relationship with you. You may keep your ridiculous speculation to yourself. I trusted no one, and especially not an Asogi. I took measures accordingly. I don't see why I should owe you any further explanation."

Ryunosuke winced and backpedaled hurriedly, cursing his inability to keep his thoughts to himself. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to pry! I was just thinking aloud, I guess. You don't have to tell us anything, of course. You've already been a great help."

"Still," Susato said, uncowed, meeting van Zieks's gaze squarely, "it sounds like more of a safety feature than anything. They could have met at the office or in a public setting at any time. I'm sure Lord Stronghart could have made the arrangements. And Kazuma-sama could have passed along his new address if he'd wanted, so they could still meet privately. I think the only real reason to make these alternative arrangements was so that no one else could know your apprentice's private address as long as he didn't give it out. You don't owe us any explanation, but it seems to me that you were trying to protect him from something."

Van Zieks's gaze grew steadily stonier. "Do you want the address or not?"

"Yes!" Ryunosuke said quickly, shoving the paper into his pocket. "Thank you very much for–"

"Well, you got what you wanted." Van Zieks angled away from them, glaring up at the clock once more. "Again, I wish you safe travels. I suggest you spend the rest of your limited time in London saying your more important goodbyes. If you'd excuse me."

Ryunosuke bit down on the inside of his cheek. They had upset van Zieks and attracted his ire again, and it was a shame to leave things like that when their relations had improved so much since his trial. Van Zieks had been surprisingly open in answering their questions and had been speaking to them nearly as equals, and perhaps they had pushed a little too far. Ryunosuke didn't think they were wrong, but perhaps van Zieks wasn't ready to hear such things from them yet.

"I think this one is important enough," he said. "We didn't mean to upset you. We've just…been a little worried about you, I guess."

"I apologize for my bluntness," Susato said, contrite. "For what it's worth… I don't think he hates you as much as you think. Kazuma-sama, I mean. I think he just needs time to work through some hard feelings. When we spoke with him, he said you've been a good mentor to him and that he wanted to work things out with you eventually."

Van Zieks cast a skeptical sidelong glance their way.

Ryunosuke nodded vigorously. "He said that he didn't like feeling like he was ruining your life and wanted to be better going forward. I think he knows he made mistakes and wants to make up for them somehow."

He was not sure it was entirely appropriate to be relaying Kazuma's confidences, but maybe he and van Zieks needed more of a push if they were to meet somewhere in the middle. They certainly didn't seem inclined to talk things out with each other yet.

"Hm." Van Zieks's eyes gleamed with suspicion. Ryunosuke couldn't tell if he believed them or not. "That would make the endeavor a little less hopeless, I suppose. I am going to give you a piece of advice, and you can make of it what you will. You should talk to Mr. Asogi frankly before you depart. If he isn't ready to open himself to you, then there's little you can do about it. But even if he's not ready, it will mean something to him that you tried. My suggestion is that…if you are still trying to tell him that you know he is the same person he always was deep down and nothing in the past year has changed that… I suggest you ease back if he is not receptive."

"What do you mean?" Ryunosuke asked, frowning. "Why wouldn't he be receptive? We're just being supportive, aren't we? He's still our friend. He's worrying over all the mistakes he made, but that doesn't mean he's not still a good person."

"He isn't the same person that you knew," van Zieks said bluntly. "Not entirely. And with all the secrets he seems to have kept, he may feel that there are plenty of parts of him that you never knew at all."

"But–"

"I suspect this past year has changed him a great deal, and even before that, he was hiding pieces of himself that he didn't want you to see. Adding that to the fact that he was an entirely different person for months, without his memories to hold him together… I expect he feels like something of an imposter. When you have worn a disguise for too long or slowly changed into someone else entirely, it is uncomfortable to be faced with people who still think you are the person you were or pretended to be. He needs to know that he is still accepted for who he is now, even if that isn't the person you first befriended. I expect there is a balance to be struck between the two sentiments, although I've no idea how one would go about achieving it. But if you think he's pushing you away because he's uncomfortable with who he's become, then maybe what he needs to hear isn't only that you care for him the same, but that you care for him the same even if he isn't the same."

Ryunosuke gaped at him. Of all the things he might have expected from van Zieks, personal advice on handling emotions was not one of them. He was impressed that van Zieks seemed to actually have some nuanced understanding of emotion. He was even more impressed that it sounded very sensible and strangely empathetic. Ryunosuke had not made that connection himself yet, so it seemed strange that someone like van Zieks might. But then, van Zieks had spent more time around Kazuma than either Ryunosuke or Susato had lately. Maybe he was learning to understand Kazuma a little.

Or maybe… Maybe he understood it on a more personal level. He had said that Kazuma was not unlike him, and maybe with everything he'd gone through becoming the face of the Reaper–

"Don't say it," van Zieks said.

Ryunosuke started violently. "Don't say what?"

He hoped he hadn't been muttering aloud again. It had already gotten him into enough trouble.

"I don't know," van Zieks said, fixing him with a hard look. "Whatever you're thinking. I can see you thinking too loudly, and you're going to start saying whatever it is in a moment. And it will be undoubtedly offensive or overly personal, and I shall have to be angry at you again."

"Wow!" Ryunosuke said, impressed. "You're actually really good at reading people!"

A faint grimace slid across van Zieks's face. "I wouldn't say that. It seems that I'm usually wrong."

Ryunosuke winced. "I didn't mean–"

Van Zieks sighed. "I'm a lawyer, Mr. Naruhodo. It comes with the territory."

"Thank you for your advice," Susato said, rescuing Ryunosuke from his floundering. "It's very insightful. I hadn't considered that he might feel that way. It's nice to know that you're trying to help him too."

"…He isn't going to listen to it coming from me. It will have to come from you."

Interesting. Maybe van Zieks didn't hate Kazuma as much as it seemed either.

"I never said I hated him," van Zieks said irritably. "Merely that I didn't trust him and don't much like him most of the time."

Oops. This seemed like a good time to effect an escape before Ryunosuke inevitably made everything worse again.

"A-anyway!" he stammered. "It was nice seeing you again. I hope your, uh, plans all go well. And people stop being so mean to you about… You know."

"I do know, yes," van Zieks said in a flat tone, regarding him expressionlessly.

Ryunosuke kicked himself again.

"We wish you the best," Susato broke in more delicately. "If anyone is able to make some serious changes around here, it's you. And… I think that whatever you decide to do will be the right thing. Even if you don't trust all the people you learned from anymore, I think you can still trust yourself."

Van Zieks sighed, and Ryunosuke thought he looked very tired. "I don't trust myself at all anymore, Miss Mikotoba. It's just that I trust everyone else even less. Hopefully, we will be able to salvage something of justice here anyway."

Susato winced. "I–"

"I hope that your own work meets with success. You have both rendered London a great service during your short time here…and me as well. I apologize again for making your stay unpleasant, and I hope your homecoming will be more felicitous."

"Oh," Ryunosuke said, nonplussed. It was still difficult not to be taken aback by van Zieks's courteous pleasantries when he chose to wield them. "Thank you. I, ah…started off as a novice and I know I still have a long way to go, but… I learned a lot from you in my time here, and I think I'll be a better lawyer for it. So… Thanks."

Van Zieks tilted his head, regarding him with an air of consideration. "…I believe I have learned something from you as well."

"Did you?" Ryunosuke asked, surprised and intrigued. "What?"

But van Zieks only shook his head and turned away, his gaze trained on the great clock once more. "Goodbye, Mr. Naruhodo," he said with finality. "And good luck. Take care of yourself. I should be sorry to hear you got in over your head."

"Oh, ah… You as well. Stay safe, and, er… Goodbye."

Ryunosuke hesitated, grasping for something else to say, but van Zieks's farewell had felt very final, and he thought he had been dismissed. Susato cleared her throat quietly, and when she had his attention, she jerked her chin towards the door. They retreated back across the room, their footsteps ringing too loudly off the tile. Ryunosuke paused in the doorway to glance over his shoulder, catching one last glimpse of van Zieks's back. Then he closed the door and let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Well, that was something."

"Perhaps you should come away from the door, Naruhodo-san," Susato said with a small smile. "You might be overheard again."

Ryunosuke winced and took off down the hall at a trot, keen to put some distance between himself and van Zieks, and Susato's quiet laugh floated after him.

"It's too bad he only really started talking to us now," he said as they traversed the halls. He wondered if van Zieks's blunt honesty and reluctant patience with their questions were because he felt that he owed them for acting as his defense, or perhaps a continuation of his apology for misleading them on the stand. Maybe even just follow-through of the resolution to employ more transparency and honesty going forward. He supposed they would never know for sure. "He honestly seems like a very interesting person. I wish he'd told us more."

"Oh, I think he told us plenty, don't you?" Susato said. "We got some intriguing glimpses, and we should be satisfied with that. I'm…glad to hear that he does seem to care about Kazuma-sama's well-being. That seems to bode well for their partnership."

"And it sounds like Kazuma is committed to making something work too, so that's good. It makes me feel a little better about leaving him behind. Oh, but I suppose you'll have to work with Lord van Zieks now that you'll be assisting Kazuma." Ryunosuke gave an involuntary shudder. "Good luck. Interesting or not, he seems intimidating to work with. I'm not sure how Kazuma does it. But at least you can handle him better than I ever could."

Susato hummed quietly in response but said nothing. It was only after they'd escaped the building, hailed a carriage, and climbed inside that she took a deep breath and shared what was on her mind.

"Naruhodo-san… I wanted to ask…"

"Yes?"

"I…would like to return home with you, if it's not too much bother."

Ryunosuke tore his gaze from the window and gaped at her. "You…? You would?"

"Well… Yes." Susato laced her fingers tightly in her lap and stared down at them. "That is… If you still need a judicial assistant and wouldn't mind retaining my services."

"Of course not!" he said quickly. "Er, of course! I mean… You're an amazing judicial assistant and an even better friend, and of course I'd be honored if you stayed with me. But… What about Kazuma?"

Susato lifted her gaze and frowned out the window, her face shimmering like a pale, troubled moon in the glass. "I think he'll be alright. It seems like Lord van Zieks actually understands him quite well and is willing to help him, and I hope Kazuma-sama will see that soon and let him. And… I've been thinking about everything Kazuma-sama said about the things he has to do here to make peace with himself…and the things Lord van Zieks said about Kazuma-sama being different now, and… I think that Lord van Zieks is right. And I think that Kazuma-sama is still figuring out who he is now, and maybe that's something he has to do himself, in his own way. I'm not sure his journey has room for us just yet, although I hope it will soon, once he's in a better frame of mind. It's hard, but… I think we have to trust him to take care of himself and find his own way until he's ready to come home to us again."

Ryunosuke chewed on the inside of his cheek and then sighed. "Maybe you're right. I guess maybe that's part of the reason he's avoiding us half the time—he doesn't know how to tell us that he needs more space to handle things by himself. And maybe because he doesn't know how to act when we try to treat him like we always have but he doesn't feel like that person anymore. I'd still like to try talking to him one more time before we go, though. I hope he knows that he can still come to us when he needs us."

"Why don't we go to his flat after dinner?" Susato suggested. "I'm sure he'll have to be there that late in the evening."

"Sounds like a plan." Ryunosuke paused, just looking at her for a moment, and felt a sudden swell of gratitude. "I'm really happy that you're coming with me," he admitted. "I would have liked to know you were keeping an eye on Kazuma, but… It's a bit selfish, but I'm glad we won't have to part ways again so soon."

Susato ducked her head, coloring under his words. "Me too, Naruhodo-san. Thank you for having me."

"Thank you for coming."

Knowing Susato would be staying on with him put Ryunosuke in a considerably brighter mood, even if his worries about Kazuma still hovered in the back of his mind like a storm cloud. But even that cloud was lighter than it had been this morning, threatening less rain and lightning than before. Kazuma seemed sure of his path, van Zieks was willing to help others help his apprentice even if he wouldn't do it himself yet, and Ryunosuke had Kazuma's address tucked in his pocket to ensure they could have a proper conversation before their parting. It was easier to look forward to seeing home again when things seemed to be falling into place here.

Still, there was a lot he would miss. Iris had already gathered Sholmes and Mikotoba for tea by the time Ryunosuke and Susato returned to Baker Street, and it was bittersweet to think that this might be the last time they were all together for the afternoon teas they had so enjoyed. Everyone seemed keen to make the most of it, and they stayed in for the rest of the afternoon, squeezing out every last moment.

When evening drew closer, Ryunosuke and Susato volunteered to help Iris with dinner, and this time she let them, if only so that they could keep talking in the kitchen. They were nearly finished when a knock came at the door.

"Ooh, that must be Ginny," Iris said. "Susie, do you want to let her in?"

Susato left to answer the door, and Ryunosuke didn't think much of it until he heard her calling him from the other room.

"Naruhodo-san? Would you come here for a moment?"

Ryunosuke gave Iris an awkward smile and 'what can you do?' shrug, and she smiled back and shooed him out of the kitchen. He greeted Sholmes and Mikotoba as he passed through the sitting room and then joined Susato at the front door, stopping short as he noticed Kazuma hovering awkwardly just inside the threshold.

"Kazuma!" he said. "You came!"

"Ah… Yes." Kazuma offered a somewhat sheepish smile. "I made it."

"We didn't think you'd come! I mean, not that we were, er, taking bets or anything like that, but we thought, ah…"

"I didn't think I'd make it either, honestly. But Lord van Zieks said that if I didn't come, he was going to take me off our cases and put me on paperwork duty indefinitely because he was sick of hearing you two moan about it, so I had to make the time. A better question would be why you've been talking about me to my boss…"

Ryunosuke exchanged a startled look with Susato. It sounded like van Zieks had done them another favor.

"Sorry," Susato said. "It just came up in conversation. But I'm glad you made it."

"You could have just lied and told him you came even if you didn't," Ryunosuke pointed out. "I won't be here to tell him otherwise. So maybe you did actually want to come."

Kazuma huffed out a tired laugh. "Well… Maybe so. I am going to miss you, and there's not much time left before you're gone."

"I'll miss you too." Ryunosuke hesitated but decided to let Susato break the news that she would be returning to Japan too in her own way. "You should stay a while after dinner so that we can talk."

Kazuma hesitated. "I suppose maybe…"

"It's alright," Susato said. "We understand that you need some space to choose your own path and that there are some things you have to do alone. We'll try to back off a little so that you can breathe. We don't want to hold you back. We just worry about you sometimes."

Kazuma was starting to look very sorry. "I never thought you were holding me back. It's just…"

"You're not ready to talk about everything yet, and we should be patient and wait until you are. But it would be nice if you could meet us halfway and talk about the things you are willing to discuss instead of avoiding us, if we agree to give you a little more space."

"We're still your friends," Ryunosuke said. "Even if we've all changed from who we were back home. It's alright if you're a little different now. We all are, really, and we still like you the same. There's a lot we've missed while we were apart, and we just want the opportunity to get to know you again if you'll let us. I hope you know that we still care and want to support you however we can."

Kazuma cleared his throat and looked down at his feet. "…Thank you. I…appreciate that. I know you're trying to help, and I haven't been letting you. I still have a lot to work out myself, and I didn't think you'd understand. But… Yes, let's talk before you go."

Ryunosuke let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. This was progress. This was something. And this time, Kazuma had come to them rather than making them hunt him down. Even if it hadn't been entirely of his own volition, he had still made the choice to come. As grateful as Ryunosuke was for the address folded in his pocket, he was glad that they wouldn't have to use it to track Kazuma down. It felt better that they were all meeting by agreement.

"For what it's worth, Lord van Zieks is worried about you too," Susato added.

Kazuma wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, right. All he worries about is casework. And his stupid wine casks."

"No…" Ryunosuke mused, his brow wrinkling in thought. "I think she's right. He kept telling us to talk to you because he could tell you weren't doing well."

"He hasn't said anything to me," Kazuma said skeptically.

"Hasn't he?" Susato asked. "He pushed you to come tonight. But no… He said we needed to talk to you because you wouldn't accept anything coming from him. I think he does care—he just doesn't think you're ready to believe it. But I think he'll support you if you let him, even if it takes time to reach an understanding."

A shadow slid across Kazuma's face, but there was something considering about it, like he might actually hold on to her words and turn them over until he knew what to make of them. Maybe that was a good sign.

"Maybe you could look out for him too," Ryunosuke said impulsively. "I mean, once you're on better terms, of course. I don't think anyone else is, and he's…going through a lot too. He doesn't seem very happy."

"He's never happy," Kazuma muttered, his gaze sliding off to the side. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about him tonight. We don't have a lot of time, and I'll have to deal with him constantly once you're gone. Let's focus on something more important."

But he didn't sound as harsh as before despite his words, and Ryunosuke smiled a little. There was no guarantee what would happen between Kazuma and van Zieks, but maybe it wasn't entirely hopeless if they would at least consider the possibility of helping each other eventually, in their own ways. If nothing else, they both understood the necessity of practical altruism.

"Dinner's almost ready," Ryunosuke said. "And Gina should be here soon. Why don't we join everyone and eat? And afterwards, you can come upstairs with us. I think we have a lot to talk about."

Kazuma offered a fleeting smile that was not so wide and bright as his grins of old but seemed somehow more genuine. "Alright," he said. "I'm ready."