Chapter 88

"……Hey, I told you I have something to do, right? Why are you following me?"

I asked Fuuka, who was trailing behind me.

"Out of nowhere. Don't worry about me."

No, I definitely have to worry about you….

Besides, it seems like no matter what I say, she’s determined to follow me, and it would take a lot of effort to get rid of her.

Moreover, I can’t predict what will happen next, and if Fuuka’s abilities can be useful, it might be worth it.

…Though I don’t know if she’ll actually use them.

"Haa… Fine. But you mustn’t tell anyone about what you see and hear from now on. If you can swear to that, you can come with me."

"Okay, I understand. I swear."

"What are you swearing to?"

"To what…? …Then, to my sword."

As she said this, she summoned a curved sword from its sheath.

Fuuka’s sword is called a ‘Katana,’ a specialized cutting sword that is widely used in the East.

The Katana Fuuka holds exudes a unique aura that is difficult to describe, indicating it is a masterwork even without seeing the blade itself.

Many swordsmen consider their swords as valuable as their lives, and I’ve heard that people from Kyohtou especially value their possessions.

I don’t know if Fuuka fits this description, but this oath seems trustworthy.

Why does she have to go to such lengths to ensure that what happens next remains a secret?

Because what I’m about to do is something that would be considered wrong by most people.

If word gets out that I did such a thing, it might cause trouble for the *Silver Hare of the Night Sky*.

But if Fuuka keeps quiet, the story won’t spread.

◇

The *Target Capture* I had on was not for the thief from earlier.

That theft was a diversion to distract the people around the real target.

The thief looked around before committing the crime, paying particular attention to certain areas.

The female victim also looked in the same direction just before the theft.

At the same time the theft occurred, others were kidnapping a child.

I had activated *Target Capture* on the kidnappers.

When I arrived at the location where *Target Capture* was active, it turned out to be the main branch of the Flockhart Trading Company.

"I hoped I was mistaken… But it seems this is the place…"

"Do you have business with the Flockhart Trading Company?"

"Yeah, something like that."

The Flockhart Trading Company is one of the largest trading companies in the Nohitanto Kingdom, and it has the largest share in Tsutairu.

It is also the home of Luna, who is part of the hero party.

Following the same route as the kidnappers, I arrived at the back door of the store.

Of course, with a child in a burlap sack, they couldn’t enter from the front.

I tried the doorknob of the back door, and it opened without a key.

(They must have been in a hurry? To commit such a major crime and still be so careless…)

"Try not to make any noise from here on."

After closing the door, I told Fuuka this.

After confirming that she nodded, I opened the door again and entered the building.

(This is my first time entering this building through the back door.)

As soon as I entered, there was a staircase leading to the basement.

It seems the kidnappers went down there.

As I descended the stairs, I could hear men talking.

"---Well done, as always. We’ll arrange for the captured ones to be released by the marquis, as usual."

"Yeah, thanks. Still, haven’t there been a lot of kidnap requests lately? We’re getting premium rewards, so I have no complaints, but…"

"It’s a request from the marquis. I don’t know the details."

"Don’t know… At least know the reason, please."

As I listened, I couldn’t help but interject.

Seriously, to be involved in such a crime and not know the purpose is really off-putting.

There were five men in the room, and one girl who seemed to be the kidnapped one.

One of them was Pascal Flockhart, someone I know well.

He is the head of this trading company and Luna’s stepfather.

The other four men looked to be in their twenties, but their ages varied.

They didn’t look like upstanding citizens.

They were almost certainly involved in the underworld.

The girl seemed to be asleep, lying on a bed.

It didn’t look like she had been mistreated, but the handcuffs on her wrists, connected to a nearby pillar, prevented her from escaping.

"Who are you!?"

"It’s been a while, Pascal."

I greeted Pascal in a light tone, as if I had just run into an old acquaintance on the street.

"…Oren. What do you want?"

"Just investigating a kidnapping I saw. I ended up here while trying to understand the situation."

"I see. Since you know, you can’t leave alive. Jeffrey, additional request. Kill the kid in front of us."

(Decided so quickly… Well, it’s a natural judgment, given what I’ve seen.)

While his judgment wasn’t wrong, it didn’t seem like Pascal.

"Yeah. Sorry, but it’s a client’s request."

The four men got ready for battle.

"Pascal, you’re misunderstanding. I have no intention of fighting."

I raised my hands to show I had no intention of fighting.

"Who would believe such words? Even if you don’t want to fight, you’ll still threaten us over this. We can’t afford to cause trouble for the marquis. Die here."

I didn’t really want to fight, but there’s no choice.

"…Fuuka, can you predict their next move?"

I asked Fuuka, partly to test the effectiveness of her *Future Vision*.

I can never have enough information about her abilities, and this is a good opportunity to gather more.

"They’ll split into two groups and attack Oren and me, two each."

She answered as if it were obvious.

This advantage is incredible.

"Can I leave the two coming at me to you? I’ll handle the other two."

"Okay, got it."

"Do you need any buffs?"

"No, I’m fine."

As we were talking, two of the four men attacked me, just as Fuuka said.

Since there wasn’t enough space to swing a sword, I activated *Triple All-Stat Boost* and *Wind Strike* near the faces of the two men.

The two men, who were about to attack me, were confused by the sudden air dispersion in front of them.

I approached them and punched one man in the solar plexus.

The other man was about to kick me, so I swept his supporting leg, causing him to lose balance.

I grabbed his face and slammed him to the ground.

One down.

The man who had been punched in the solar plexus was holding his stomach, making it easier to kick him.

I kicked him in the jaw, causing a concussion.

With that, the two men who attacked me were out of the fight.

Fuuka had already taken care of the other two.

(Fuuka was quick too. Well, seeing her fight was a good experience.)

"Why… Why can you beat these guys, even though you were kicked out of the party for being weak!?"

Pascal, who saw us take down the four men quickly, was in a mild panic.

…This person usually has a more stable temperament, so this feeling of wrongness is strange.

"…It’s true that I was kicked out of the party for lacking in abilities, but the idea that I’m weak is a misunderstanding. To be honest, among all explorers, my skills are in the top tier."

"Even if you expose me, the Marquis Foggas is behind me! This will be covered up immediately! Capturing me is pointless!"

…What do you call someone like this?

Ah, right. A ‘fox borrowing the tiger’s might.’

Still, he seems like a small-time player. Maybe it’s just because I’m seeing him from a slightly removed position after leaving the hero party?

"Haa… I’ve already said it’s a misunderstanding. I have no intention of exposing this."

Of course, kidnapping children is a crime.

In some cases, it could even result in the death penalty.

But I have no intention of exposing it, as I said.

There are several reasons for this, but the main one is that if this case becomes public, it could cause chaos that would be difficult to control.

The trading company and the Marquis Foggas have a long history of shady dealings, and it’s almost certain they are involved in criminal activities.

However, there has never been any concrete evidence.

If this case comes to light, it could lead to a chain of revelations, potentially causing the simultaneous collapse of the lord and the trading company that support this city.

This city has a Great Labyrinth.

Even without detailed knowledge of domain management, it’s easy to imagine that managing a domain with a Great Labyrinth is more difficult than managing one without.

The Marquis Foggas has a sense of balance that can be described as a natural talent.

His leadership has undoubtedly contributed to the city’s development.

If he were to suddenly disappear, especially without a successor, the city could lose its functionality in the worst-case scenario.

There is currently no one at his level who can govern this city.

While I feel sorry for those who are being harassed or worse by him, there is also the concept of a necessary evil.

Given that the Marquis Foggas is almost certainly connected to the underworld, I believe that causing chaos would be more troublesome.

Most people would say this is wrong, but what happens to strangers who have nothing to do with me is none of my concern.

I am neither a saint, a hero, nor a savior.

I can barely protect what is within my reach.

If someone tries to spread malice towards me or those around me, that’s a different story, but currently, that’s not the case.

For these reasons, I will not expose this case.

I believe the Marquis Foggas will cover it up, and that’s fine with me.

"What? Then why are you here?"

Pascal, who heard my words, looked puzzled.

"As I said, to gather information. Nothing more, nothing less—"

"Oren, someone is coming. They look like soldiers."

While talking to Pascal, Fuuka interrupted.

"Soldiers?"

I could hear multiple footsteps, just as Fuuka said.

"And the lord."

"…What?"

(The lord—Marquis Foggas is coming here with soldiers? Why now?)

"…Are they the domain army?"

"No. The central army."

Fuuka shook her head in response to my question.

(Not the soldiers under the marquis, but the central army of the kingdom? This makes even less sense. What’s going on?)

While I was confused, Marquis Foggas appeared with five soldiers in central army armor.

Thank you for reading to the end.

I would be happy if you could read the next chapter as well.