Curse of the Eye of the Dead

[The man is wearing shackles on his ankles, wearing old and damp clothes, sitting on the damp floor of the prison with empty eyes. ]

[He is a sinner. ]

[The villain who committed the crime of murder.

No relatives, no friends, no home, like a walking dead.

More penniless than the most down-and-out and impoverished beggar. ]

[If he is directly sentenced to death, maybe he can be relieved easily.

But the man was released.

He asked: Why should I be released?Put me to death, let me atone for past crimes.

However, the prison guard ignored him and pushed the sinner to the land of freedom. ]

[What am I going to do?

The man looked at the blue sky, the flying birds, the light clouds, and asked himself in a daze with an empty heart.

he does not know. ]

[Thus, he has nothing from the inside to the outside and becomes the most desolate and idle homeless man on the street. ]

……

Yokohama, Japan.

Only 14 years old, the red-haired Sakunosuke Oda sat on an outdoor dining chair in a small restaurant, ordered a glass of lemonade, and then turned a page of "Edan" in his hand.

Although it doesn't look like him in terms of age and appearance, this boy's occupation... is actually a killer.

Ex-killer, to be precise.

As Oda Sakunosuke who has the ability to "predict what will happen within 5 seconds in the future" and is called "Seamless Clothes", he has been almost invincible in his past killer career, and is quite famous in the outside world.

Such him giving up on continuing to be a killer... really makes many people in the other world unable to understand.

This is the decision made by Oda Sakunosuke a month ago.

The reason...was a book that influenced him.

Sakunosuke Oda likes a book.

I like it so much that I have watched it many times without getting bored.

However, that book only has the first volume and the second volume, and the final second volume, Oda Sakuyuki searched all the bookstores and couldn't find it.

Until he met an old gentleman.

The old gentleman spoke to him abruptly, and then handed him the second volume of the book.

The ending of the second volume was torn up.

The old gentleman said:

"...Can't you find the second volume anyway? There is only one possibility, that is, the second volume of this novel is badly written, so bad that it will definitely disappoint you, give it up, you just read the first volume It’s fine with the middle roll.”

"Aren't you willing to give up? There is only one way to keep this novel perfect... and that is to write it yourself."

"Writing a novel is writing about people, how to live and how to die... In my opinion, you have the qualifications. Therefore, the ending of this book is up to you."*1

The still young Oda Sakunosuke was deeply attracted by the old man's words.

He took the second volume in a daze, read the second volume, and then watched the ending of the torn novel... In the end, he resolutely chose to give up his career as a killer.

Sakunosuke Oda wants to be a novelist.

He had a premonition that what was lacking in his empty heart in the past would be satisfied after finishing the ending of this novel.

In order to get closer to the narrative of a killer in the book, Oda Sakunosuke even vowed not to kill again. *2

But now he has no clue about the ending of the novel.

And he, a killer, chooses to give up killing... which means cutting off his source of income.

Before I can make ends meet as a novelist, I'll have to find another job.

Oda Sakunosuke thought so calmly.

However, being raised as a killer since he was a child... he was at a loss as to what new job he should find.

He didn't know what else he could do.

After all, before today, all the skills he knew were related to the other world... such as bomb disposal, handling blood-stained corpses, gun skills, tracking and anti-tracking, etc., are almost completely useless in the world of ordinary people.

The most important thing is that his file is full of bad records and cannot withstand scrutiny, so some big companies cannot recruit at all.

Although some temporary workers do not need to check files...but the working hours are long, boring, and the salary is low, so there is no free time for him to think about novels.So Oda Sakunosuke gave up this kind of work after working as a part-time job for a month.

Really distressed.

The red-haired boy sighed, and at this time, Yokohama's largest local port mafia began to recruit grassroots personnel.

The grassroots personnel of the Mafia... Oda Sakunosuke, who used to be in the other world, knows roughly what their jobs are. The bottom ones do miscellaneous tasks, such as collecting corpses, dismantling bombs, and dealing with bloodstains. They don't know how to equip weapons, and they are far away from the front line.

He came up with "the idea of ​​simply going to the Mafia to apply for a job."

It's just that I don't know if I can be hired smoothly if I don't want to kill people.

Demonstrated enough bomb disposal skills and ability to mop up...should be no problem, right?

In the days when he was still hesitant, the red-haired boy bought the literary publication "Evening Tide" with his little savings in his spare time.

Since intending to become a novelist, Oda Sakunosuke began to set his sights on various literature.

As one of the best monthly popular literature magazines in Japan, "Evening Tide" has naturally become one of his must-buy publications every month.

It was also during this period of time that I got to know Teacher Kakuo.

Like most literature lovers, after reading the first story of "Traveler's 21 Years Notes", Sakunosuke Oda immediately ran to the bookstore and asked, "Excuse me, do you have any other works by Mr. Kakuo? ?”

Then I learned that Kakuo-sensei is a new author who has just published an article, and the bookstore owner amlied the publication "Hui Tan" for children.

fairy tales……?

Sakunosuke Oda looked at the cute and lovely Shiba Inu on the cover of "Eidan", and recalled the bride Aqian in a gorgeous wedding dress on the cover of "Evening Tide", crying in a festive and weird atmosphere, and felt a strong tear. Crack.

... The type of this manuscript is a bit far behind.

However, after opening and following the pseudonym to find the corresponding page number, the red-haired boy slowly changed his mind.

The homeless man who committed [homicide] and the homeless man who didn't know what to do after he was free gave him a sense of déjà vu for some reason.

.

[Such a homeless man was accosted one day by a priest who came to give food. ]

[The pastor asked him: You are so young and strong, why did you become a tramp?If I work hard, my current life will be much happier.

The homeless man shook his head and said: I am a sinner, a villain with blood on my hands, a person who has nothing and no meaning, happiness no longer exists for me. ]

The priest patiently understood the past of the homeless man, his gentle and old eyes fixed on the eyes of the sinner.

The priest said: Everyone has the opportunity to be happy, and the gods will look at everyone equally... Go and complete the test. If you complete the test, the gods will forgive your crimes and give you the treasure called happiness.

The homeless man asked puzzledly: Then what kind of test should I complete?

The priest raised his finger to the sunshine outside: Since you have nothing and no way forward... then go down to the sun and become the one who redeems others. When you successfully redeem and help others [-] times...you will be able to Passed the test of the gods.

Ten thousand times.

That's a huge number.

But the tramp nodded and accepted.

But, what is called help and redemption?

The bewildered tramp wondered until, after leaving his own dark alley, he encountered a starving orphan on the side of the road.

The child was sickly, with helplessness and hesitation in his eyes, as if he would disappear in the next second.

The tramp's attention was fixed on the child.

Since then, the homeless adopted an orphan.

He tried hard to "save" the child, to "help" the child, and after the child smiled at him for the first time, the tramp felt emotions that he had never felt before.

Then, he began to transfer this "salvation" and "help" to more people.

He took in more children, helped more neighbors, even tourists and passers-by can get his kindness...

Have you helped others [-] times?

The tramp who is getting old doesn't know, he can't remember clearly.

but--

When his children jumped into his arms laughing, the tramp laughed too.

The heart is no longer empty.

His sun was already warm enough to melt him.

Who actually redeemed whom, and who helped whom?

I can't figure it out anymore.

Perhaps that kind god had already bestowed the treasure on him.

Many years later, the gray-haired homeless man meets someone similar to himself in the past.

Also nothing, wandering in the dark.

The homeless man opened his gentle eyes similar to those of the priest back then, and said to the man, "...go and complete the test."

People who have nothing and are themselves in the mud will not be redeemed in the mud.

That's why I have to take the initiative to leave.

Even if no one gives you a hand, you have to go under the sun by yourself.

Don't go back into darkness.

If you have nothing and no direction, then choose to go to the side that saves people.

.

Oda Sakunosuke returned to his rented room, and carefully put the publication "Edan" with a cute Shiba Inu cover in the bookcase.

He opened the curtains, the sunlight outside the window was particularly glaring, pouring on his face, it was very warm.

"It's so warm."

He muttered to himself.

Subsequently.

Oda Sakunosuke gave up the idea of ​​going to the port mafia to apply for grassroots personnel.

future.

January of the following year.

When Oda Sakunosuke was working as a temporary worker in a convenience store, he happened to meet Fukuzawa Yukichi who had met once.

This warrior with the title of "Silver Wolf" seems to have changed a lot, at least a little different from the image in Oda Sakunosuke's impression.

This silver-haired warrior in a kimono was accompanied by a boy who was about the same age as him, only fourteen or five years old.

The boy was holding a lot of snacks in his arms, and his personality was obviously much more lively than the overly serious and dull Oda Sakunosuke.

"Hey, what's your name?"

Wearing a convenience store uniform and holding a barcode scanner, Oda Sakunosuke looked left and right, and finally pointed to himself in confusion: "...?"

"It's you, I'm talking to you." The boy in the brown detective suit put the snacks on the settlement table, then put his hands on his hips, and looked at Oda Sakunosuke with a brisk tone.

"Oda Sakunosuke."

"Oh, my name is Edogawa Ranpo, you know the president, so you don't need to introduce it."

Oda Sakunosuke couldn't help but tilt his head.

How did he know that I met Mr. Fukuzawa?

Doubts were not answered.

The young man who called himself Edogawa Ranpo extended his hand very bluntly and extended an invitation to Sakunosuke Oda.

"I said you, do you want to come to our armed detective agency?"

.

After the publication of Uno's article, it was well received beyond his expectations.

Although the editor of Hiramatsu repeatedly sent messages to praise his articles, as a pure newcomer author, it is not surprising that Uo would be dubious.

[Editor Hiramatsu: Not only the article has received widespread attention, but even the illustrations on the cover have been praised by many people! ]

[Editor Hiramatsu: As expected of Mr. Kakuo! !Well written, even the drawing is excellent! ]

Yes.

Whether it is the cover of "Eidan" or "Evening Tide", all of them are drawn by Uo himself.

At the beginning, it was the editor Pinsong who contacted him, saying that the editorial department planned to use the picture of the protagonist of his work as the cover of this issue.

At that time, Uosu replied hesitantly: [Do I need to draw it myself? ]

Editor Ping Song: [Huh?Can the teacher draw? ]

Uo: [Yes. ]

Editor Hiramatsu thought that Teacher Kakuo was worried about the illustrator's design, so he said positively: [The editorial department has its own illustrator, but if the teacher wants to design the cover by himself, it's okay, our internal illustrator will follow the teacher's design. Your comments are subject to revision! ]

Uno was moved.

He kind of wanted to ask if the publisher could pay for the cover of his painting, but thinking about it, it was for his own work...Mr. Cursing Spirit still didn't have the nerve to ask this question in the end.

So the night passed.

Uno packed the painting the next day and sent it to the publishing house.

In just a few days, I received Teacher Jiaowei's cover design. After opening the package, the editorial department, who didn't care much at first, fell into a deep silence looking at the vivid and extremely detailed painting.

Isn't Teacher Kakuo's efficiency and level too outrageous...

It's not that the illustrators in their editorial department can't draw this level of illustration, it's just that they can't draw it in such a short time.

Is this a human body printer? !

What else does Kakuo-sensei not know! !

As the editor in charge of Uno, Kazuhiro Hiramatsu raised his hand amidst the silence of his colleagues, and applied for illustration compensation for his author teacher.

Knowing that Teacher Jiaowei seems to be in a state of debt in the usual communication, he does not let go of every opportunity to fight for a higher salary for Teacher Jiaowei.

Uno received a large amount of manuscript remuneration this month, he was finally willing to go to the bookstore, and bought both "Easy Housework" and "Mom's Life Management Skills" that he struggled with for a long time and didn't know which one to buy!He even has spare money to buy a few cookbooks and go home to improve Chacha's meals!

After buying the book, Mr. Curse Spirit walked briskly on his way home. If the bone tail hadn't been wrapped around his waist for camouflage, it would probably hang happily and shake like a big dog now.

.

end of March.

Kindergarten registration period has started.

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The author has something to say:

It's Butei Oda.

It's not Wenye's if line, it's a parallel world where everything is messed up and cooing is played at will~