097. Supreme Security (2)
The brown-haired man’s eyes were still.
He glanced at the pickpocket he had caught and gave strength to his hand.
“aah!”
A scream echoed in the street.
The hood he was wearing was removed, revealing his youthful appearance.
He looked like a teenager and an adult, with a face somewhere in between, in his late teens.
“Well, you are wrong! my, please! Aww!”
The boy writhes in mid-air in pain like his wrists are going to crumble.
The wallet, which had fallen from his hand, landed on the brown-haired man’s hand.
However, even after that, the man did not release the power of his grasp.
It looked like the boy’s wrist was about to break at any moment.
“Aww!”
“Wait! You don’t even have to do that!”
The man, who did not pay attention to the gaze of stopped passersby, turned his head toward her.
“… … .”
Man, Cain was in thought.
Zervia, why is she here?
“Let go of your arms!”
While she was immersed in her thoughts, she suddenly approached and pushed her arm.
After a brief gap that occurred, the boy, released from his grasp, grabbed his wrist and hurriedly ran away from his seat.
Cain, who was staring at the back, moved his gaze to Zervia and handed the wallet.
“It would have been nice to set an example. There must have been a group of comrades watching somewhere.”
“According to the Imperial Security Law, the punishment for theft of money and goods for minors is community service and completion of education. It’s not about crushing your wrist.”
“… You look like a cop. I saw you mention the security law.”
Cain’s gaze flickered toward the sword house tied to her waist.
It could also be a clue to infer their identity.
“It is a very unsafe place. Especially, this downtown area is a good place for pickpockets to prank.”
“… First of all, thank you for your help.”
Zervia took the wallet and put it inside her coat.
Obviously, I can’t feel the circuit and mana.
But what about the superpower that lifts people up with one hand?
What immediately came to mind was Cain.
He hid circuits in prison and used magic.
‘To be precise, the circuit could not be detected.’
Even when we encountered it several times outside, the circuit was not felt.
However, at least when using certain magic, I could feel the mana released from the body.
‘If this man is Cain who has changed his face by magic.’
If he did, he would not only feel mana from him, but the detector in his coat would have sent a signal.
A new detector recently made by Latium.
ha.
sighed inwardly.
It’s not so powerful that the general public can’t see it.
The person who reached out a helping hand immediately suspects that there is something a little suspicious about Cain.
It was because his head was full of thoughts about him.
Hurry up and catch him so this won’t happen anymore.
“Can I ask you something? Not long after I arrived in this city.”
“Anyway.”
She asked some questions she had asked other residents.
Things like the recent war, the characteristics of the people here, and the atmosphere of the city.
The man smiled softly and kindly answered all my questions.
“Oh, and do you know anything about a company called Supreme Security?”
She turned her gaze aside and saw the place she was about to visit as her next destination.
「Supreme Security」
A nameplate written in a luxurious font at the entrance to the building.
According to rumors and information, it was the site of the last decisive battle between the two organizations during the war.
It is also said to be the place where Parterre was used as a base.
The man checked where her gaze was headed, and said after a while.
“Yes. I know it very well.”
“Oh, then—.”
“Let’s go inside and talk.”
“Yes?”
“I am the head of this company.”
Looking at the back of the man heading to the entrance first, she made a bewildered face.
* * *
“Rumors say there were several lightning strikes that night.”
She watched the hole in the floor as she listened to the man behind her back.
A huge hole with charred marks.
Below, it led to another space.
“All the holes in the ground floor have been repaired, but the basement is not currently in use, so you can think of it as it was at the time of the site.”
“Lightning, and a hole.”
“Yes. At the time of purchasing the building, there were holes in the floor and ceiling of all floors in a straight line. It’s like something pierced through.”
She had also heard from the villagers about the lightning that struck on the last night of the war.
It was a sight that looked like God was angry.
I thought the end of the world had come.
Dozens of consecutive lightning bolts hit only one point.
Magic.
Other than that, there was no more appropriate explanation.
‘The commander of Putilland said he used a special bullet that could not understand the principle.’
And he said that there was always a blonde woman by his side.
It must have been the priest of Estelle.
It is clear that Cain was involved in the war.
Justification can be understood if you think of it as revenge for the organization.
Lightning must have been the magic he evoked.
If so, where did he disappear after leading the war to victory?
Are you still hiding in this city?
Have you left for the next goal?
Or was it that he lost his life in the war?
She slowly raised her head and looked around.
“It looks like this place was used as an arena.”
“Yes. We are thinking of ways to use it for other facilities. It’s a wasteful space to just play around with.”
“It was a building owned by an executive of a criminal organization. Did you have any concerns when purchasing? In the future, the rumors may be bad.”
The man said with a smile.
“Entrepreneurship doesn’t mean anything else. If you look at a property that is sold at a much lower price than the market price because you are afraid of public opinion, that person will not have the right to be called a businessman.”
It wasn’t wrong.
She recalled a business card from him as she chatted in the upstairs office.
「CEO of Supreme Security」
“Jason Weisser”
He said he was a businessman with his hands wide open in various fields.
He said that he took over several facilities in District 47 and established a separate security company for stable operation.
“Actually, I can only place guards around my own facilities. However, since there are people who make fun of me anyway, I thought it would be okay for me to take care of the security of places not under the influence of the police. If security is stabilized, the number of visitors to the facility may increase that much.”
The legal system ‘outside the wall’ is weak.
If you have money, it is not difficult to create a new identity, and registered corporations are also not properly censored at the government level.
Unless it’s a large corporation that you can recognize just by hearing its name.
‘It’s not yet possible to make a definitive judgment on what kind of person he is.’
At least he didn’t look like he was running a business with ill will.
Although the purpose itself is to increase the profits of the facility, it is true that it contributes to the security of the city.
It would be of great help in future investigations.
On the way out of the building after looking all over the basement, she said.
“Thank you for your cooperation in the investigation.”
“no. He is the people’s staff, and of course he should help.”
She nodded and turned around.
In front of the building, the district police arrived with a homemade bike.
“As directed, I have prepared what you will ride for activities.”
The police handed her the key, and after one salute, she disappeared into the crowd.
Dude-
She also got on her bike and disappeared across the street.
The man who looked at him, Cain, erased his smile and returned to his original expressionless expression.
“… … .”
As expected, she came out as an investigator.
I have bad memories of Area 47, so I’ll never visit anything other than missions.
‘But no matter what the mission.’
“As of this moment, stop chasing me and get rid of all investigations into the Blue Serpent.”
Ignoring his warning meant that something had changed for her.
Or, they found a way to recover the stolen ossuary.
‘You may need to revise your plans a bit.’
Since he had already assumed hundreds of situations that could occur depending on the actions of the investigators, it would not take very long to revise the plan.
Her presence was a paint mark that bounced off the center of the painting but would not be visible if you didn’t pay attention.
There was no hindrance to the big picture he was going to complete.
‘No, maybe the perfection of the work itself may increase.’
It was clear what he had to do.
To create infighting among the investigators and to use the weakness to make a false report to headquarters that there is no Cain in Area 47.
‘And if I could make her my chess piece.’
In the early days of escaping from prison, there was a reason why he did not intend to use her all the time to accomplish his task.
The mental breakdown she will experience as she digs into the Blue Serpent.
In the worst case, there was a risk that the runaway woman would become an uncontrollable variable.
But I didn’t know if it would be possible now.
If you prepare some arrangements to help her strengthen her spirit.
‘The time to accomplish the task can be accelerated by several steps.’
A ‘Queen’ who can move anywhere on the board.
Recruiting her was the same as getting the strongest piece in the game.
Cain thought of a few extremes to present to her.
She is pushed to the limit mentally, but situations that are good enough to not break her.
After completing the concept, Cain turned and entered the building.
It was going to be a very delicate and long job.
It was necessary to put a lot of effort into the work, because the difference between success and failure is the difference between one brush stroke or one letter.
Cain disappeared, and only the voices and footsteps of passersby remained on the streets.
* * *
“Parter’s death seems certain. No one has seen him reappear since the last days of the war.”
District 47 Police Station Conference Room.
Zerbia received a report from the crew who had gone around the investigation.
There was no significant deviation from the information received in advance from the informant.
I looked out the window.
Under the blazing evening sunset, I saw a Supreme Security patrol vehicle passing by the road.
“What do you think about the private forces spreading through the city?”
“It was a reluctance to talk about. It also appeared to be afraid of harming them by giving out information.”
“Especially as you go into the slums, that tendency gets stronger, so if you talk about Supreme Security, there are a lot of people who run away.”
He said there were about 150 people circling the city.
It is not a large number, but it is not an easy number to mobilize at once.
Where did they all suddenly appear?
The end of the puzzle piece seemed to fit into the end of the other piece.
“I’m going to go around the nightlife and back alleys in pairs. Rumors usually make more noise when the moon is up rather than the sun.”
“All right. And there was a communication from headquarters saying that the latter would arrive in the evening.”
“… It’s earlier than expected. I thought you would be behind at least a day.”
“I don’t think everyone is in a hurry. Probably because a giant named Cain is at stake.”
The reason why the captains of other corps want to participate in the investigation even if they improvise their personnel.
Capture or kill Cain.
and rewards accordingly.
About half a year ago, the first to arrive at the Blue Serpent’s meeting site and capture Cain was rewarded with two ranks.
And the special task force is a place where people who would be embarrassed if they say they have a low desire for honor are gathered.
Far from bathing in water, they want to prove their worth to others and make a name for themselves.
Perhaps, after hearing the story that the number 0 set off first, the lights went out on the instep.
“What is the total number of people?”
“It is said that two units were formed by gathering people who could be active.”
One battalion consists of 10 people.
It became a story that a total of 20 investigators would soon arrive in the city.
She slowly got up from her seat and looked at the crew.
“It moves. We have to pre-empt any information before they arrive.”
* * *
Until the sunset goes down and the moon comes up.
She toured the district’s entertainment district with Lieutenant Harold.
A lit neon sign.
noise from tourists.
The smell of alcohol and cigarettes.
There were elements that she hated, but she went around the tavern to investigate.
“Hey, hey. Hey, why are you doing this to me?”
And the dark alley.
The tip of Zervia’s sword was pointed at the neck of the man who was urinating on the wall.
“I heard it at the bar. A mercenary who participated in the war on the side of Putilland. Tell me everything you know about the commander. Where did the disbanded people go?”
A disbanded Fertilland mercenary may remain in the area.
That expectation was correct.
“Well, that’s, it’s just a lie. I, what about me… .”
As the force entered the tip of the sword, blood gushed out of his neck.
The collar flexed, revealing Putiland’s tattoo.
The man’s crotch was stained with urine, and it was not difficult to dig up information afterwards.
“Gee, I’m not sure if the commander is Cain, but it’s true that he showed great abilities during the war. I, most of the remaining mercenaries, belonged to the newly created group and organization. Shu, it’s Supreme Security.”
And the commander recently left Supreme Security’s management to an agent and disappeared.
With two men and women who have always been together.
“… … .”
It was clear that the agent was referring to Jason he saw during the day.
‘A representative of Cain.’
I thought he had a plan, but it was also true that I felt a little betrayed.
The man told other stories in a terrified voice, but no more nutritious information came out.
When he picked up his sword, he grabbed hold of the flowing pants dance and ran away.
“I have a feeling that things are a little easier.”
“I think so.”
Leaving traces of being caught behind.
‘That’ Cain’s work was a little sloppy.
Do you dig a trap and wait?
Or is it post-processing so that there is no problem even if the trace is stepped on?
“Anyway, the investigation continues. There is still not enough information to make a judgment on this alone.”
“All right.”
The two left the alley and entered the next tavern.
He sat at a bar far away from Harold to listen to the guests talk.
After ordering a drink from the menu, I looked around.
It is a high-end pub with a terrace, lounge bar, and rooftop, and has a quieter atmosphere than other places.
“This is the sweet fire you ordered.”
I took a sip involuntarily to choke on my throat and spit it out in the intense pain that spread in my mouth.
“This is a very high alcohol cocktail. Did you know that you didn’t order it?”
“… A glass of water, please.”
widely.
I rinsed my mouth with water, but the tingling sensation did not go away.
In the first place, he had a dislike of alcohol, and it was just an act of not wanting to get out of the tavern atmosphere.
Frowning her eyebrows, she listened to the guests around her.
“So this time, the price of the land… .”
“Doesn’t security seem to have improved remarkably these days?”
“You have to work hard. I need a donation to get to the inside of the wall.”
Some of the mixed stories were about Supreme Security and public safety.
Just as I was about to listen to the conversation, someone sat down next to me.
“I knew you had arrived first, but you must have been enjoying your entertainment in a place like this, Inspector. Were you a drinker?”
He was a man in his mid-twenties with an eye patch on one eye.
His lips were smiling, but his eyes were not.
“This is investigation, not entertainment. Vicious Sergeant.”
It wasn’t intentional, but the man’s eyebrows twitched for a moment at the two letters of the word ‘sang’.
She was still paying more attention to the guests around her than to Vicious, so she didn’t notice it.
“If you know something first, why don’t you share some information?”
“You still have the habit of trying to get something without sweating.”
“It’s efficiency. efficiency. Since the target is the same anyway, wouldn’t it be nice to work together? What do you mean by good motivation?”
It was my classmate in knight school.
One of the gangs who often had fights because of their origins.
Perhaps there was a mixed feeling of inferiority towards the opponent who did not miss the senior all the time.
Of course, after becoming an adult and working as a police officer, such childish bullying disappeared, and he did not reveal his inferiority complex.
I thought I’d overcome it to some extent.
Either admit the gap and liberate yourself.
Or they succeeded in turning that negative energy into a healthy competitive spirit.
However, he was reluctant to mix long conversations because of a bad relationship in the past.
“If we were to cooperate, I would rather work with Lieutenant Paula. Seeing you here, she must have arrived too.”
“You are saying something sad. In fact, to some extent, the situation is fully understood. I was very suspicious of a group called Supreme Security.”
“… … .”
The work ability itself was excellent.
Promotion is being delayed because it is hidden by classmates.
“That’s all the information I know.”
“I’m sure you know something… .”
widely.
Then two glasses were placed on the bar.
“You seem to be talking about me.”
When I looked up, a middle-aged man with light brown hair was looking down at me.
“Why are you here… .”
Zervia said in a surprised voice. In response the man said.
“I am the owner of this place.”