Ch.373[Episode 373] Kidnapping

Sir Dominic began a call with Wangi.

[“Hello?”]

A trembling voice came from the other end of the phone.

Sir Dominic recognized the voice as Wangi’s.

Sir Dominic got straight to the point.

“I know you kidnapped my lord.”

[“…”]

“If you release my lord now, I’ll pretend none of this ever happened.”

Sir Dominic made Wangi a rather generous offer.

However, Wangi remained silent, not responding to Sir Dominic’s words.

“…Should I take that silence as a refusal?”

[“No, that’s not it.”]

Wangi’s urgent voice came through the receiver.

[“I’m in a difficult situation right now.”]

“Difficult?”

Sir Dominic frowned at Wangi’s words.

What difficulties could a kidnapper possibly have?

“So, does that mean you won’t release her?”

[“No, that’s not it…”]

A sigh from Wangi could be heard through the receiver.

[“It’s, well, a bit complicated. It’s about power struggles within Mountain Bridge Marsh…”]

“Power struggles?”

Sir Dominic listened carefully to Wangi’s words.

“Go on.”

[“Well, you see-“]

Wangi’s excuses began through the phone.

…

“The thing is, I think I’ve been framed.”

[“Framed, you say.”]

“I mean, I didn’t kidnap anyone but somehow got blamed for it. I think someone within Mountain Bridge Marsh is trying to set me up.”

Wangi started lying so fluently that anyone listening would be completely fooled.

“What kind of madman would kidnap someone in broad daylight? Especially in a busy commercial district. They must have schemed to make it look like I committed a crime.”

[“So it wasn’t you?”]

“Exactly. I only just heard from my subordinate that I was supposedly spotted downtown.”

Wangi desperately piled lie upon lie.

His years as an executive in Mountain Bridge Marsh hadn’t been wasted, as Sir Dominic almost completely fell for Wangi’s lies.

[“…Then where is my lord?”]

“I wouldn’t know.”

Wangi shrugged as he spoke to Sir Dominic.

“But we’re also looking for her location, and I’ll contact you as soon as we find her.”

[“…Why would your side be looking for my lord?”]

“Well, we don’t want to be on bad terms with Sir Dominic.”

Wangi told this lie without even wetting his lips, but this time it was actually the truth.

Wangi no longer wanted to be on bad terms with Sir Dominic.

“As you know, we dream of going legitimate. To do that, we can’t afford to antagonize powerful people. And Sir Dominic, by our standards, is certainly powerful.”

[“I understand.”]

Sir Dominic finally seemed to believe in Wangi’s innocence.

[“I’ll trust you. It seems you’re not the kidnapper after all.”]

“Thanks. For believing me.”

Wangi briefly moved the phone away from his body and let out a small sigh of relief.

It seemed he had overcome one hurdle at least.

[“Well then, contact me when you find her. I’ll reward you somehow.”]

“No, forget about rewards. Anyway, I need to contact my subordinates, so I’ll hang up now?”

Wangi hastily pressed end call.

Then he quickly began sending a group text to his subordinates.

[There’s a hostage in the new supply warehouse. Find a suitable scapegoat and make it look like they’re the kidnapper.]

A message like the above was sent to all of Wangi’s subordinates.

Wangi anxiously bit his fingernails.

For now, Alice couldn’t wake up before the plan was implemented, Sir Dominic couldn’t find Alice first, and these plans couldn’t go wrong until the scapegoat was ready.

Ah. Wangi suddenly realized he needed to prepare one more thing and sent another group text to his subordinates.

[Also prepare someone skilled in transformation or disguise. Preferably someone who looks like me.]

After sending the text, Wangi glanced at the entrance of the supply base.

“Preparations need to be completed quickly.”

His anxiety was still ongoing.

…

About 2 hours later.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Wangi realized that preparations were perfectly complete.

[We’ve hired some suitable thieves to occupy the supply warehouse. Of course, since the request was made through five intermediaries, they have no idea it’s from Mountain Bridge Marsh.]

This was a text from his subordinate.

[We’ve also found a shapeshifter who resembles you. He’s the leader of the thieves. Until now, he’s apparently been transforming into seemingly benevolent merchants or nobles and then backstabbing those who helped him, but he’s also a professional who does any job properly if paid enough.]

Wangi immediately replied to that message.

[Well done. Money is no object, so prepare plenty for their silence.]

With that reply, Wangi deleted all messages and call records.

He was worried that Sir Dominic might see them later and suspect him.

Wangi looked at the entrance of the supply base once more.

The sunset on the horizon was beginning to cast shadows on the supply warehouse.

And in the distance, motorcycle and vehicle headlights began to appear one by one.

Those must be the hired scapegoats.

Thinking this, Wangi carefully headed toward the back door of the supply warehouse.

And as he exited through the back door, he began making a call to someone.

To Sir Dominic.

…

[“Found her. She’s in Supply Warehouse #3 at the new C Supply Base on the outskirts of Gacharland.”]

“…!”

Sir Dominic answered Wangi’s call immediately.

And he was able to hear the information he so desperately wanted.

“Thank you. I must go there at once.”

[“From what we’ve confirmed, the kidnapper’s subordinates are guarding the place. They don’t look too strong, but it’s better to be careful.”]

“Thank you. Thank you very much.”

With those words, Sir Dominic ended the call.

Then he urgently got up and began heading to the supply base on the outskirts that Wangi had mentioned.

“Where did he say?”

“C Supply Base on the outskirts of Gacharland. Apparently she’s in Supply Warehouse #3 there.”

Sir Dominica joined Sir Dominic’s stride.

“…Sir Dominic. I want to come too.”

“Hmm.”

“The more help, the better, right?”

With those words, Unryu Hime also joined Sir Dominic’s march.

The three walked briskly toward the newly built C Supply Base on the outskirts of Gacharland.

To rescue Lady Alice.

…

And while Sir Dominic, Sir Dominica, and Unryu Hime were heading to the outskirts, there was still someone watching them.

It was Dr. Phantom.

“This is Phantom. Banshee, respond.”

Dr. Phantom contacted Dr. Banshee as soon as Sir Dominic, Sir Dominica, and Unryu Hime began to move.

[“This is Banshee. Phantom, speak.”]

“Sir Dominic and his sister… Sir Dominica are heading your way. Prepare to join up.”

[“Confirmed.”]

Dr. Banshee’s communication ended with those words.

Dr. Phantom briefly looked at the backs of Sir Dominic and Sir Dominica, then began moving toward the supply base on the outskirts through a shortcut they didn’t know about.

…

Shortly after, at C Supply Base on the outskirts of Gacharland.

Sir Dominic looked at the now completely darkened sky before turning his gaze back to the supply base.

The supply base was currently occupied by unknown individuals who had turned on all the headlights at the guard posts and were monitoring all approaching paths from every direction.

“It seems infiltration will be difficult.”

Unryu Hime made this comment as she looked at the seemingly impregnable fortress.

“And there are too many ranged attackers for a frontal assault.”

Sir Dominica observed the mysterious kidnappers, all armed with ranged weapons.

While Sir Dominic and Sir Dominica could sufficiently resist ranged weapons, their difficulty in counterattacking made ranged attackers their weakness.

“It seems they’ve prepared thoroughly, knowing we would come.”

Sir Dominic’s face darkened.

It appeared that those who kidnapped Lady Alice were extremely organized.

“By the way, what’s that line?”

Sir Dominica pointed to a glowing line drawn around the perimeter of the supply base.

“Did they set that up too?”

Sir Dominica tilted her head in confusion.

“Should I go check it out?”

Unryu Hime asked Sir Dominic.

Sir Dominic thought for a moment, then nodded.

It seemed better to find out about the unknown than to leave it be.

With Sir Dominic’s consent, Unryu Hime approached and touched the glowing line.

The glowing line perfectly encircled the supply base in a rectangular shape, and touching it didn’t seem to cause any problems.

Realizing that touching it posed no issue, Unryu Hime tried to cross over the line.

At that moment, a system message suddenly appeared before Unryu Hime, Sir Dominic, and Sir Dominica.

[Warning! This area is currently controlled by terrorists, and the difficulty level is ★★★★.]

[A team of 5 people is recommended to carry out a mission with difficulty level ★★★★.]

[Recommended personnel: 5, Current personnel: 3.]

[Do you wish to proceed with the mission?]

Sir Dominic and Sir Dominica looked at each other in response to the system message that appeared before them.

What on earth was this sudden system window trying to say?

While Sir Dominic, Sir Dominica, and even Unryu Hime were confused by this message they’d never seen before in Gacharland—

“I thought this might happen. Right, Phantom?”

Sir Dominic turned his head at the sudden familiar voice.

“I thought you were being too reckless, so I’m glad I followed you, Banshee.”

And there stood Dr. Banshee… no, Remi and Dr. Phantom.