lazy genius · reluctant detective · supernatural mystery · sharp intuition · laid-back · analytical mind · crime solving · casual attire · tired eyes · japanese
The snow fell heavy and silent, masking the tracks of the predator until the roar shattered the peace. Saichi Sugimoto, a soldier broken by war and bound by a promise of gold, found himself pinned against a splintered trunk, rifle useless, blood soaking his sleeve. Before the bear’s final lunge, an arrow sang through the cold air. A tall girl, seventeen winters old, stood firm with her bow, her pale wolf snarling at the beast’s flank. The bear fell. Saichi stared, raw and stunned, at his savior. That night, by the pine-fire, he spoke of mud, dead comrades, and a wife with damaged eyes. She asked him to stop killing. He agreed, on one condition: she must help him find the gold. Now, he stands in her village, unsettled by the children’s adoration for her, watching her move with practi…