Chapter 40 – The Infiltration Begins

The Infiltration Begins

“Will you marry me?”
Marian’s shocking words.
As soon as I heard those words, all sorts of thoughts flashed through my mind.
Could Marian like me? But we’re both women? No, I’m a man. But my body is female. Is she suddenly confessing like this?

“M-marriage? The two of us?”
When the confused Ariel asked Marian again, she hurriedly corrected her words.
“S-sorry. That was a statement likely to cause misunderstanding.”
As if she just realized what she had said, Marian was blushing, which was rare for her.

“To be precise, I meant to ask if you would pretend to be married to me.”
That’s more like it. You really surprised me.
No, what context is that coming from? It’s equally perplexing.
Ariel, holding an inexplicable slight disappointment in her heart, asked her:

“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s a bit of a long story, but…”
Marian stopped mid-sentence and turned her gaze towards the kitchen.
At the end of her gaze was Cherny, trembling without even realizing she had dropped the teacup.

“I-I didn’t hear anything!!!!”
Cherny ran to the bedroom as if escaping.
“You’ll have to explain later, Marian.”
“Yeah…”

Ariel, who had been watching this scene with mixed feelings, spoke to her again.
“Anyway, why did you bring up such a story? You really surprised me.”
“…I’ll explain. First, do you remember the kidnapping incident in Heren village from before?”
As soon as I heard the words ‘kidnapping incident’, a subtle anger bloomed in my chest.

“Of course.”
Aren’t they the ones who left an indelible scar on Puel? Thinking about it now, we let those guys off too easily.
We should have killed them more painfully and horribly.
“Who was the mastermind again? Anyway, didn’t you say that their memories were completely erased, making it impossible to track them?”

“That’s right. We continued the investigation after that, but there was no significant progress. However, recently, a similar incident occurred.”
“A similar incident?”
“Yes. A kidnapping incident similar to the previous one occurred. Fortunately, we were able to rescue most of the victims and secure all the perpetrators.”
“…When you say ‘most’ were rescued…”

“Right. This time too, there were victims whose whereabouts are unknown, presumably sold off somewhere. But this time, one of the culprits remembered where they sent them. It seems his memories remained, albeit incompletely.”
So they’ve got a lead on the mastermind.
Probably, it’s half certain that the masterminds behind the previous kidnapping incident and the one Marian mentioned are the same people.
There can’t be that many people using memory erasure magic.

It seems this culprit’s memories weren’t properly erased, but considering the difficulty of memory erasure magic, it’s not an impossible story.
“That’s good news. Is that why you proposed to me?”
“It’s a bit embarrassing when you say ‘proposed’. But ultimately, you’re right.”
Marian answered, still lowering her head slightly as if embarrassed.
How flustered I was.

“The one with remaining memories said that the victims with unknown whereabouts were funneled into a black market called the ‘Black Market’.”
“Black Market?”
What a sinister name. It sounds suspicious right from the name.
“Working with the Intelligence Department, we’ve pinpointed its location, but… the entry conditions are the problem.”

“Entry conditions?”
“Yes. First, you must be a noble, receive an invitation, and… be accompanied by a spouse.”
Hearing what Marian said, I realized why she had said such an outrageous thing.
“Marian, you… Don’t tell me you’re planning to raid it yourself? With me?”
Hearing my words, she nodded.

“Yes. The Intelligence Department people seem reluctant for some reason, and my subordinates aren’t suited for this kind of infiltration.”
“…Marian, that includes you too, you know.”
She’s even less suited for infiltration than anyone.
Hearing my words, Marian gave an awkward smile.

“That’s why I want to do it with you.”
Given the characteristics of the black market where only nobles can enter, I understand why the Intelligence Department people are reluctant to get involved.
Those Intelligence Department guys, deeply connected to the Empire’s political scene, are probably worried that nobles in their own line might be involved.
But Marian is different. Given Marian’s characteristic of hating to take sides, she’s probably thinking of turning everything upside down. And I was the most suitable partner for that.

“Let me think about it for a moment.”
“Sure.”
I’m willing to accept Marian’s request, of course. But given the nature of the matter, I should be cautious…
“By the way, the compensation will be more than you think. Plus, you can claim ownership of some of the confiscated items from the Black Market…”

“Let’s go, Marian.”
…There’s no need to be cautious. In the end, isn’t it related to the guys who kidnapped Puel?
It’s absolutely not because of the money. It’s because of the sense of justice overflowing in my heart.
“…I’m glad. For now, we’re aiming for next week. We’ve already seized the invitation.”

“Who will do the male disguise…”
“I’ll do it, so don’t worry. I heard it’s mandatory to wear masks inside the Black Market. I’ve prepared masks.”
So I’ll be playing the wife role. It makes my heart ache a little.

The day Marian and I decided to raid… no, infiltrate the Black Market.
‘They said the Black Market opens for entry when the sun has completely set and the full moon is at the center of the sky…’
The location of the Black Market that Marian told me about was, unexpectedly, in a city adjacent to the capital.

…As they say, it’s darkest under the lamp, they seem to have boldly set up in such a place.
Marian and I, who had met earlier at an inn in that city, checked each other’s disguises and prepared for the operation.
“How is it? Do I look a bit like a man?”
After wrapping compressive bandages around her chest and putting on a tuxedo, Marian turned around and asked for my opinion.

I, who had been trying to avoid looking at Marian as she casually undressed, had to admit when I saw her.
“…You look great. More manly than me.”
“Hm? Aren’t you originally a woman?”
Oops. My inner thoughts slipped out.

She’s beautiful enough to make passersby turn their heads, with just slightly sharp eyes.
Since cross-dressing, whether as a woman or a man, tends to look more natural if the base is good, Marian’s current appearance was not embarrassing to call a handsome young man.
“It suits you well, Marian. I mean it.”

“…Haha. It’s a bit sad to take that as a compliment. Well, I’ve always looked like a man.”
“What are you saying, Marian? You’re so pretty.”
Seeing Marian deprecate herself with a slightly bitter expression, I reflexively spoke out.
“…Is that so? Thank you, Ariel.”
Then Marian blushed slightly, seeming a bit embarrassed.

And for a moment, an awkward silence fell between the two.
“It suits you well too, Ariel. Is that the dress we gifted you last time?”
“Yes. I thought this would be the right time to wear it.”
By the way, I’ve worn women’s clothes to the point of being sick of it since being possessed. I’m past the stage of feeling embarrassed or having difficulties by now.

Now I’m so detached that I even like how I look in the mirror. Honestly, it does suit me well. To the point where I’d stare absentmindedly even though it’s my own body.
“Now, when we arrive at the entrance, we need to wear these masks. Choose one you like.”
The masks she handed me were half-masks covering the upper part of the face, reminiscent of cute cats and foxes.
A design that could appear in a masquerade ball in a movie.

“I’ll take the cat mas… I’ll take the fox mask.”
When I reached for the cat mask, Marian’s gaze flickered slightly. She must have liked the cat mask.
“Then I’ll take the cat mask. Ariel, please cast a voice modulation spell and a light perception interference spell.”
“Alright.”

“Ah. Hmm. Magic is indeed amazing. It’s completely a male voice, isn’t it?”
Her voice echoed in the quiet room. It was unmistakably a man’s voice.
Added to her originally tall stature and attire, Marian looks like a handsome young man to anyone.
With the light perception interference magic cast around us as well, it was safe to say we were unlikely to be caught.

“Then let’s depart. It seems it’s about time.”
Looking up at the sky after going outside, the full moon was shining brightly.
The place she guided me to was… a mansion located in a place with few people.
‘I thought the Black Market would be an underground black market…’

Brilliant lighting leaking from the windows, a neatly arranged garden, and private soldiers guarding the surroundings.
It’s hard to believe this is a place where slave trafficking takes place.
It would be easier to believe if they said a noble’s social gathering was being held.

‘Is this hiding a tree in a forest?’
In a way, it could be seen as a clever move. Even I’m half in doubt right now.
“May I see your invitation for a moment?”
As we moved to enter, the soldiers guarding the door stopped us.

Swish.
“Will this do?”

When Marian showed them the invitation, they began to examine it carefully.
‘Surely we haven’t been caught?’
After a silence so quiet you could hear the sound of swallowing, the soldiers guarding the door finally spoke.

“Welcome. Have a pleasant time.”
Phew. That took ten years off my life.
“Let’s go, Ariel.”
“Okay.”
Swish. Marian put her hand around my waist. To pretend to be an affectionate couple.

‘Isn’t this too natural?’
Looking closely, Marian’s face seems a bit red, but it must be my imagination.
We put on the masks we had prepared in advance, then opened the doors of the mansion and entered.