Chapter 85
After leaving the Meow-Meow TV gang in charge of surveillance, Fran seemed to be quietly thinking about something.
I stayed quiet so I wouldn’t interrupt her thoughts, but as soon as we got back to the inn, Fran suddenly spoke.
“Nord. What if I tried being the bait?”
“Bait?”
“Yeah. It happened when we watched the circus at the Colosseum, too, and Larilura mistook me for a child just now. So starting tonight, I could pretend to be a little girl wandering around alone after dark.”
Fran raised a finger. I frowned at her suggestion.
“You’re saying you’ll be the bait and lure out the kidnappers?”
“Wouldn’t that work? If the kidnappers targeting children are still hiding in town, they probably aren’t having much luck with guards patrolling and people being cautious these days, right? They’ll be desperate, so they’ll try hard to grab me.”
“That’s……”
It was a good idea.
Except Fran would be in danger.
I pressed my lips together. If I spoke up, I’d probably reject the idea without even thinking it through, just because I didn’t like it.
I’d heard that undercover operations had fallen out of use since the twenty-first century began. Sometimes the police or detectives working undercover had to help criminals, and the person on the operation could be put in danger.
‘But Fran isn’t the kind of girl who wouldn’t realize that.’
Fran knew perfectly well this was a dangerous operation.
But the reason she’d made that suggestion was probably because she’d met Erika.
Humans are creatures who struggle to empathize with other people’s problems. Even if we felt sorry for orphans and refugees in Africa, not many of us would actually do anything to help them.
We were the same. We felt sorry for the kidnapped children, but not enough to abandon our own lives and devote ourselves to solving the case.
There were plenty of unhappy people in the world besides kidnapped children.
In a world with monsters, where human lives were as cheap as flies, sticking your nose into other people’s problems carelessly was a good way to get yourself killed.
‘At some point, neither Fran nor I could think of this as someone else’s problem anymore.’
I’d seen the children who’d been kidnapped and tormented by the bandits.
Fran had started thinking that a child she’d grown close to might be in danger as soon as tomorrow.
So it left a bad taste in her mouth to simply vanish from Haysvent while the case was still unresolved.
“All right, Fran. Let’s do it.”
After thinking it through, I said that. Fran was willing to take the risk, and I didn’t want my own selfishness to stop her.
If I doted on her and kept her away from every danger, I’d be treating her like a doll. Hadn’t we decided after I fought the bandits that we’d fight together when something like this happened?
Fran accepted my answer, too.
“Let’s work out the plan and get ready before nightfall. Since I’m the bait, all I need to do is bring some weapons under my coat.”
“Got it. I’ll step out for a bit, then. I’ll get some potions and information, just in case, so wait here.”
“Where are you going?”
I pulled out Arthur Wayne’s robe and answered.
“The Transport Guild.”
***
With my robe pulled low and Tabula’s mask covered by a scarf, I headed to Haysvent’s Transport Guild.
“I heard you wanted to see me……?”
Robert, who was still in Haysvent, came out to the reception room looking puzzled, but his eyes widened when he saw me.
“Could you be…?”
It was no wonder he couldn’t recognize me. I was sitting boldly on the sofa, so the stealth effect wasn’t working, but ‘Impression Camouflage’ was still as effective as ever.
I stood up and greeted him.
“We meet again. Come to think of it, I never introduced myself. I’m Arthur Wayne.”
“I-I’m Robert Graves. Have you been well?”
“The same as always, day in and day out.”
We shook hands and took our seats. Robert deftly concealed his surprise, but made no effort to hide his questions.
“It’s wonderful to see you again. But what brings you here today? No, more importantly, how did you know I was here……?”
“Ah, I suppose I should start there.”
I crossed my legs to give off a different impression from usual. It wasn’t something Nord, the well-mannered, Confucian-style macho, would do.
“After the unfortunate incident last time, I visited Haysvent’s Transport Guild to reduce problems with my deliveries, even if only a little. While I was there, I happened to hear about you, so I made time to stop by.”
“I-I see. I’m truly sorry about what happened then.”
“There’s no need. I have no intention of blaming the guild, and my cargo could be sent in several separate shipments.”
Last time, my trauma had kicked in and I hadn’t realized it, but I could just send the same paper several times at one-month intervals.
Then even if one got ninja’d along the way, I could just shrug it off. I could keep sending papers one after another like a worker rush, then stop once the university confirmed they’d arrived safely.
There were two downsides to this method.
One was that the shipping costs would be fucking high, and the other was that I wouldn’t be able to put my heart into writing the papers.
It was hard to put effort into a paper that might get lost, so the quality of my handwriting and readability would suffer. Still, the university would understand that much.
Anyway, what I came to discuss today was unrelated to that.
“I heard in Sargadis that you took the kidnapped children with you. Did they get home safely?”
“Of course. I just finished returning them to their families and have only just gotten back.”
Robert answered confidently.
“One child came from an orphanage and said they wanted to stay at our shop, so I took them in. I’m still considering whether to adopt them.”
“That’s admirable.”
It seemed things had worked out more or less as I’d imagined. I moved on to the main topic.
“I didn’t come to see you today because I doubted you’d properly returned the children. I just have something I’d like to ask you.”
“If it’s something I know, I’ll tell you anything.”
“Thank you. Then, could I ask you about the kidnappings happening in Haysvent right now?”
At my question, Robert’s face brightened.
“Are you thinking of solving this case, too?”
“I don’t know yet. We don’t even know whether the kidnappers are still active. That’s why I’m asking: have there been any more victims since the children we rescued?”
I asked him. That was why I’d sought Robert out this time. Even if Fran acted as bait, the undercover operation would be pointless if the bastards had stopped kidnapping.
Robert bit his lip at my words.
“……Yes. Two more children have gone missing since the bandit group that kidnapped the children and me was wiped out.”
“Do you think they’re still active?”
“I don’t know.”
Robert clenched his only hand until it bled. He was doing that to hold back his frustration.
“From what I’ve investigated, the most recently missing child disappeared five days ago. Before that, the interval between disappearances was about three days. That doesn’t include any victims who weren’t reported.”
“So it’s unclear whether they’ve slowed down or stopped altogether.”
“That’s right.”
“Do you have any suspects?”
“This is chilling, but…… apparently there are so many that it’s hard to narrow them down.”
“I see……. It’s hard to say out loud, but Haysvent isn’t a very pleasant city to live in.”
When I muttered that, Robert gave a bitter smile.
“Our lord, who’s as lofty as the heavens, supposedly has little interest in the lives of commoners like us.”
“That’s unfortunate. Anyway, thank you for the useful information.”
I stood up. It was dangerous, but if Robert was telling the truth, Fran’s undercover operation shouldn’t be pointless. Robert stood up after me and asked,
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes. I hope I’ll be able to bring you good news.”
I said that and started to leave, but then stopped and asked,
“Oh, right. Is there anywhere I can buy potions? I need healing and antidote potions.”
“We keep some mid-to-low-grade potions in stock at the guild. I’ll bring them to you.”
“That’s wonderful news, but are you sure?”
Two mid-to-low-grade potions would cost at least two silver. Was it all right to so casually hand over two million won? I asked, hiding my surprise, and Robert smiled.
“A hero’s departure calls for scattered flower petals and a triumphant song. Even if the good deed is done quietly, out of sight, shouldn’t someone lend that hero a hand?”
“Haha. A hero? That’s embarrassing praise.”
It was a rather grand title for a master’s student who was struggling just to look after himself and his girlfriend. But Robert spoke with a heartfelt smile.
“There’s no need to be embarrassed. To me and the children, you, Mr. Wayne, are a far greater hero than any Master Class adventurer on the frontier.”
“That’s an honor. I’ll do my best not to disappoint you.”
I accepted the potions Robert brought and left the Transport Guild.
Ah, shit. If that’s how things are, I’ll have to solve this case under Arthur Wayne’s name, too. Otherwise, Robert’s going to figure out that Nord = Arthur Wayne in the most obvious way possible.
‘Fuck it. Whatever.’
Let’s think of Arthur Wayne as an identity for dodging the fallout.
As in, when I cause trouble, I do it in this form.
***
Fran and I slipped outside once night fell.
It was 8:10 p.m., after sunset. It was the time when a lot of people gathered at the Colosseum to watch the circus.
‘Anyone out walking at this hour is suspicious by default.’
Especially if some bastard was following Fran, there was a 90 percent chance he was a kidnapper. I touched the sword at my waist and said to Fran,
“Let’s stick to the plan. Come here.”
“O-okay.”
I inscribed a rune on Fran’s forehead. Naturally, it was the upright ᚲ(Kenaz). Shit, at this point, wasn’t ᚲ(Kenaz) my one-trick pony?
“How is it?”
“W-well, it feels strange. I’m having a hard time getting used to it.”
Fran fidgeted as she touched her forehead.
“Nord, are you okay using this all the time? It feels weird, hearing sounds from far away and everything.”
“Once you learn to handle mana, you’ll get used to it pretty quickly.”
Come to think of it, I’d adapted right away without experiencing any disorientation from the change in my senses. Same when I learned acrobatics; maybe I really did have a talent for this sort of thing.
“Mana, huh……. I wish I could use it soon, too.”
“Heh heh. Take it easy on me. If you can use mana, too, I won’t be able to beat you in a contest of strength.”
We traded jokes to ease our nerves, then put some distance between us.
‘Good. I can still roughly tell where she is, even from a little distance away.’
I closed my eyes and gauged Fran’s approximate location.
I’d learned from the book I borrowed this time that magic whose effects persisted over long distances, like rune magic, could also be used for tracking.
Since only the caster could use this tracking method, I didn’t have to worry about the mysterious black organization tracking me down because of Tabula’s mask.
“Meow. (Let’s go.)”
“Yeah. We should.”
The cat riding on my shoulder urged me on.
I’d left one with Fran, too. They were the ones I’d hired as disposable walkie-talkies and carrier pigeons (single-use). You could call them living drones whose pay for half a day’s work was half a fish.
─Rustle.
Fran wandered carelessly through the alley.
The ᚲ(Kenaz) rune, my personal GPS, also buffed Fran’s senses. That rune was insurance to keep Fran from being easily taken by the kidnappers.
I’d left all the potions I’d gotten from Robert with Fran, too, to reduce the risk to her even a little.
Still, I wasn’t too worried.
‘There’s a good chance the kidnappers have someone higher up.’
I thought of the merchants the bandit leader had talked about.
They were the ones the kidnappers sold the children to. The bastards I’d roughed up had been lured near Sargadis by Tabula’s high bounty and died there, but normally they’d been bandits operating around here.
‘They subcontract the kidnappings.’
The less directly involved they were with the kidnappers, the easier it would be to cut them loose if things went wrong.
There was no way the bastards who only kidnapped kids were skilled. The buyers and sellers alike were low-grade trash, among the lowest of criminals.
‘As long as I make sure Fran doesn’t get taken hostage, I can subdue them easily.’
Thanks to Beast Regression, I had an overwhelming advantage in fights against low-level bastards.
This was a good chance to try out the improved movements I’d gained from acrobatics in a real fight.
Thinking that, I must’ve let my guard down while following Fran. I realized a beat too late that something was whistling toward me from behind, and threw myself aside.
─Whoosh!
Thud─!
The spear that missed me struck the wall I’d been leaning against.
No, shit, it didn’t just hit the wall—it was stuck right in it. If I hadn’t dodged, that thing would’ve lodged in my shoulder, you asshole.
“Mrrraaaah!!”
The cat bolted in terror. That damn cat had sensed danger and cut me loose.
Keeping Fran’s safety in mind, I glared around to see what asshole had pulled this shit.
Even with the mask’s stealth effect, I couldn’t turn invisible. It wasn’t strange that someone might see and attack me first.
‘Wait. Why did they attack me first, though?’
I could understand missing the first attack because I’d been so focused on Fran, but who were these people to attack me out of nowhere?
Had our operation been exposed? I stayed alert for the enemy’s arrival, worrying about Fran, but the person who emerged from the alley was a fucking unexpected opponent.
“Found him!!! It’s the kidnapper!!!”
“Kill him!!! No, beat him half to death!!!”
“Make him spill who’s behind this!!!!”
A flood of guards, guards, guards poured out!
The alley behind me was filled with guards in the blink of an eye!
“Huh?”
“Why are you guys coming out of there?”
What the fuck was going on? I was so startled by their utterly unexpected identities that my mind went blank again, but the murderous looks on their faces made me realize.
I was wearing Tabula’s mask for its stealth effect, and while I was at it, I’d also put on Arthur Wayne’s outfit. It was to reduce the clues connecting Nord = Arthur Wayne.
Keep that in mind and think about it one more time.
“A grown man in a black robe, an iron mask, and a scarf wrapped around his face, stalking a little girl in the middle of the night NOW.”
Even if the Pope showed up, they’d behead him and display his head as a kidnapper.
‘Fuck me!’
I was horrified by my own mistake. I’d been so focused on catching the kidnappers that I hadn’t thought about how I looked to everyone else!!
Five guards charged at me with murderous looks!!
“Die, kidnapper!!!!”
“N-no, hey, wait a second!! You said you wouldn’t kill me!!”
This wasn’t the time to take off my mask and introduce myself!!
I’d walked straight into this barbaric otherworld’s presumption-of-guilt system!!!
“Gyaaaaaaaaaah!!! Fraaaaaan─!!!”
I ran down the alley, screaming my girlfriend’s name!!
Fran was the only one who could save me from these lunatics!!