Chapter 43: The Mastermind, and the Back Alleys – 3

Chapter 43: The Mastermind, and the Back Alleys – 3

On the way back home after meeting with the Defense Force employee. No, more precisely, on the way pretending to go back home.

As expected, someone was tailing me.

Of course, it wasn’t because their skills were clumsy that I noticed…… it was simply because this body’s five senses were exceptional.

It seemed that I could generally perceive anyone trying to hide their presence, not just those using mana for stealth.

‘…Still, I guess I should just let myself be caught obediently?’

Just as I thought that, with a hot sensation, my consciousness began to fade.

I wasn’t hit by anything, but my senses slowly disappearing felt like I was being anesthetized.

No, it really felt similar to an anesthetic, so it was actually too familiar.

*……This time, the System won’t intervene to maintain your consciousness……*

The last thing I saw was the blurry notification window of the System.

And so, I was kidnapped by someone, just as Christie had instinctively predicted, and Elena had predicted based on information.

…With absolutely no emotion, just like walking into an operating room.

***

The sun had completely set, and only cold darkness had descended upon the night.

The alley, which previously seemed like a place where it wouldn’t be strange for someone to disappear, had transformed into an alley that exuded an atmosphere no sane person would enter.

And into that alley, the gazes of a burly man and the old man who had been guarding this spot met.

The old man, after briefly looking at the item the burly man was holding, let out a rather long click of his tongue.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk…. You should have been less conspicuous. Alright, let’s see what this one looks like.”

“‘Gatekeeper,’ why are you suddenly showing interest?”

“Well, I’m personally curious. I also have a feeling that the ‘organization’ might have found someone useful for once.”

“Hah! Have you gone senile in your old age? Or have you become arrogant from guarding this alley like a king? Do you think someone like you has the eyes to spot talent for the ‘organization,’ old man?”

However, the old man, ignoring him, skillfully took the item from the burly man’s hand and pulled out the person inside.

It was clearly a pocket-shaped item, smaller than the old man’s hand, but a person perfectly clad in disguise gear fell out of it.

Of course, in an unconscious state.

Instead, unfortunately, the pocket seemed to have reached the end of its lifespan, crumbling into powder.

“…Just in case, I gave them a strong dose, so they won’t wake up if you take off the disguise gear. I used a strong drug because I didn’t know who it was.”

“Hmph. You’re subtly curious too, aren’t you?”

“The higher-ups suddenly told me to go out and grab someone, so how could I not be curious? There’s never been such an urgent matter before….”

“This one has a drug that the ‘organization’ doesn’t have.”

Saying that, the old man skillfully removed all the disguise items.

His movements were practiced and swift.

And so… when all the disguise items were removed and the person inside was revealed…… the old man couldn’t help but pause his hands for a moment.

A person who felt very far from what he had imagined was soundly unconscious inside.

“……I’ve been doing this for over 30 years, but this is a first.”

Within the removed disguise items was a girl who seemed completely unrelated to this kind of work.

She was a cute and pretty girl, one who wouldn’t starve anywhere with her looks alone.

Frankly, if this girl were to beg with a pitiful expression and voice, few people would be able to refuse her.

“Is this really the one……?”

“Hey! You followed and caught them yourself, and you’re doubting it? And, no matter what, this is someone the higher-ups are watching, so bring them to headquarters properly.”

“Damn old man, always so ill-tempered.”

The old man suddenly yelled at the man who was about to carry the girl directly, replacing the now crumbled pocket.

“Aren’t you going to cover her eyes properly? I just told you to do it right, just now!”

“Ugh, just shut up! It’s a drug that puts a healthy adult man to sleep for a day, and this girl, who looks like she’ll break if I carry her, will be unconscious for days, so shut up, old man!”

“Tsk. Then she’ll suddenly wake up, expose the ‘headquarters’ location, and we’ll all die.”

“Why don’t you shut your trap before I cut short what little life you have left?”

The old man glared at the man, who had been released, and carelessly tossed the disguise aside, while the burly man, likewise glaring at the old man, took the girl and moved.

However, what they didn’t know was……

‘……Why am I already awake? Didn’t he say it would put an adult man to sleep for a day?’

Unfortunately, the girl, who had been steeped in anesthetics for half her life, had already woken up from the anesthetic.

And, she had seen every path the man took towards the ‘headquarters.’

***

“You’re here!”

“Yeah, the higher-ups told me to grab someone urgently, so I did.”

“Isn’t that why there’s such a commotion? All the ‘organization’ researchers are clinging to it, but they can’t figure out the ingredients at all.”

“Huh. She’s quite something, alright. I felt it when that bastard ‘Gatekeeper’ started removing her disguise, wanting to see her face.”

“Then, the one you’re carrying right now is……”

The organization member’s eyes, having said that, moved up to the man’s shoulder.

……Unfortunately, due to the man’s large build, she couldn’t see properly, but she did look somewhat delicate.

“Yeah. So hand over the prison cell key.”

“Ah, understood!”

Perhaps because of that, the organization member momentarily thought the man was subtly fidgeting… but then lightly handed over the key, thinking there was no way that could be true.

In fact, considering the man’s intimidating appearance and usual performance, it was only natural.

…Unfortunately, there are always exceptions.

Actually, it was less the man’s fault and more…… the fault of the girl, who had an appearance that would make anyone’s heart soften for a moment before doing something bad.

‘Of all people, it had to be this girl….’

Normally, he would have just roughly thrown her on the floor and locked the door, but perhaps because he was bothered, the man subtly, gently, tossed the girl into the prison cell.

…While the act of ‘tossing’ hadn’t changed, it was still his own way of being considerate.

“She’ll wake up on her own like this. The shock… given her build, it should have been enough already.”

Saying that, the man locked the door and left the prison cell.

……Completely unaware that the girl had already woken up and was contacting the outside.

And, one more thing… they naturally didn’t know that the girl had something called an ‘inventory’ that could never be searched from the outside.

***

“……How sloppy, truly.”

*It’s not sloppy, it’s you who’s strange for already waking up from an anesthetic that should have kept you unconscious for a full day.*

“Well, it’s good for me. Originally, I had to buy time by pretending to be a drug dealer… but this way, I can at least send Christie the approximate location.”

As for Elena… she’ll probably move well on her own, since I did as she asked.

……Probably.

“Alright, then take out the radio item from the inventory.”

*…Why are you saying that out loud? You can just send your thoughts to me.*

“There’s no one here anyway, so what’s the big deal? And…… it’s gloomy and scary in here, you know.”

No, I wasn’t joking; it really felt like I was left alone in some underground dungeon.

…Maybe it really was an underground dungeon.

The important thing was that it was terribly dark and scary.

To the point where I thought it would have been better for my mental health to just stay unconscious.

In such a situation, to just stay quiet? That’s just asking to be more scared.

The sound of dripping water from somewhere, and something rustling, plus a periodic echoing sound……

It was a hundred times better to listen to my own voice.

At least my voice was a beautiful tone; those sounds were just like horror movie background music.

“…A beautiful girl drug dealer trapped in an underground dungeon, what kind of situation is this?”

*More precisely, you’re a spy kidnapped into a drug organization’s lair.*

“Well, that too.”

Saying that, I picked up the communication item taken from the inventory.

Playing the role of a beautiful girl drug dealer isn’t bad… but I still have to do my job.

“The location here is…… I definitely saw it, but it’s dark outside and the roads are so complicated that I don’t remember it well.”

*I mapped it out knowing that. Human memory has its limits. Of course, since you were so scared you were practically squinting, the map wasn’t perfectly made, though.*

“Oh, excuse me for being such a coward?”

Of course, I said that, but the map the System had created was already sufficiently helpful.

I wanted to just send it to Christie, but…… unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

“Hello, hello. Christie? Can you hear me?”

“……Static…… Uh, yeah, I can hear you. What’s wrong?”

Alright, then… it’s time to be a spy kidnapped by a drug organization, instead of a beautiful girl drug dealer (not really).