C111: Rain and City (1)
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After returning to the hideout, Alex immediately changed into his usual light clothes.
"Sigh, this suit fits me the best."
"At least fasten the buttons properly in the front."
Despite Rudger's comments, Alex was hanging on the sofa and didn't listen properly.
Rudger tried to say something but stopped. He knew that Alex was acting like that because he was so mentally exhausted.
Just in time, the door opened and the members arrived one by one. Of the executives of the secret organization {U.N. Owen} only Belaruna was absent, and she was busy analyzing the werewolf drug Rudger had given her.
"Everyone's here so let's start the meeting."
Rudger, who confirmed all the people gathered, looked sideways at Alex.
"Alex."
"All right."
Alex shook his head and explained what he had seen at the Kunst auction house and what was going on inside, in particular the structure of the internal underground storage room.
The other members listened to him with surprised expressions.
"That's all."
"Hmm. Is it structured like that?"
Hans stroked his chin and asked Alex.
"You said they could see the inside from 6 spots?"
"Yes, there were two artifacts in each vault."
"Is the internal structure of the safe all the same?"
"All three are of the same size. There is a difference in how the objects are placed, but I remember all of that."
Rudger said.
"Violetta, do you know any architecture or interior design experts?"
"Yes, you can ask Old Kids for that."
"Seridan, how is the production of the items I ordered?"
"It'll be done in three days."
"Please do it as soon as possible."
"I will. Besides, there's more than one thing to do now, aren't you rolling me too hard?"
Seridan pouted her lips and grunted.
In fact, she was busy making a shooting device that mimics the artifact tool and a portable communicator, as well as other items. She's probably the busiest in this organization.
But what can we do? We need the items to be done in the shortest time possible.
"But aren't you doing it because you like it?"
"That's true!"
Seridan couldn't bear to refute. No matter what anyone says, she enjoys the whole process. In fact, even now, her hands are itching because she wants to make things quickly.
"The auction is held for a total of three days. The period is longer, especially as it is held in a grand manner and every day the items that are auctioned will be different."
"When I checked the lists, what we were looking for was in safe number three, which holds the most important items. So it's going to be auctioned on the third day."
On the first day the items in safe number one will be auctioned, on the second day the items in safe two and so on.
"Since what we need will appear on the third day it would be appropriate to execute the operation on the second day."
"Leader, why did you choose the second day?"
"They will be the most vigilant on the first day since they must be alert in case anything happens. At that time, if we stand out even a little, we will be suspected immediately but if we pass the first day safely, they'll be a little off guard from the next day, so that's the best time."
"It's certainly plausible."
"Is it better like that?"
It was Violetta who opened her mouth.
"You said a security officer was there? The Nightcrawler Knights of the Security Bureau have a reputation."
"But it's only one person."
Alex replied, but Violetta snorted lightly.
"How can you be sure that there is only one? There may be more to come after that. And from hearing Mr. Alex's story, it seems that he's familiar with the security officer. Will that affect the operation?"
"……."
Hans and Seridan nodded as if in agreement with Violetta's words.
Alex's role is to pretend to be someone else's, but things will go wrong if someone who knows his past will be there.
"It's more surprising than that. I can't believe you know a knight from the Security Agency. What was your relationship?"
"What kind of relationship? It's nothing."
"They were lovers."
It was Rudger who answered and Alex stared at Rudger with a stern look.
"……Leader."
"It's a lie that will soon be found out anyway. Pantos was there so what's the point of lying here?"
"Yes."
He couldn't refute him so Alex had no choice but to let out a sigh. He shook his head as if he had finally given up, raising both of his hands.
"We met a while ago and were lovers for a short time. That's it."
Alex's voice was so calm and heavy that they could not find his usual frivolity.
"Did you have an affair?"
"……Well, that's it."
Alex smiled bitterly and did not deny Violetta's words because she wasn't wrong.
"But I'm confident that I'll definitely do my part. So don't worry."
"……Well, just looking at the information you brought today seems to be enough. I don't doubt you. The leader seems to think so too."
Violetta didn't push Alex any further since Rudger, the leader of the organization, didn't say anything.
At that time, Arpa, who had been quietly listening to them talk, raised his hand and asked a question.
"Then, will the operation proceed as it is?"
"Yes, there's a security officer, but there's only one. It's still part of my prediction."
"So there's nothing wrong with that, is there?"
"Yeah, it'll be alright as long as no more annoying people show up."
Rudger stared out the window. Dark clouds were gathering in the sky, and even in broad daylight, a light shadow was cast on the city.
Seeing the sky making a loud noise as if it had a stomach upset, it felt like it was going to rain heavily soon.
Is it a dark cloud from the north?
That's unlucky.
"As long as there are no annoying people."
* * *
At a railway station in Leathervelk the citizens moved hastily as they had a hunch that heavy rain would soon fall from the dark clouds.
The entrance to the train station, which would normally have been crowded, was quiet as if a war had broken out. At that moment, the cheerful sound of footsteps echoed in contrast to the desolate place.
"Finally, we're here!"
The woman, wearing a short beige trench coat that was refined to make it easier to work, looked back with a bold smile.
"Assistant, it's going to rain soon. If you are too late, you'll end up like a wet mouse."
"Wait a minute Casey! Don't go on your own like that! I have a lot of luggage."
It was a girl of a smaller build than a woman named Casey who came out protesting. She had blonde short hair and her age seemed to be between a teenager and an adult.
Looking as if she had a doll-like perfect figure, she had a large lump of luggage on her back and under her arms that were three times her size.
"Why are you telling me not to be late if you leave all this stuff to me?"
"It's because you're strong. Isn't it natural for a more capable person to carry the heavier things? It's an efficient distribution of work."
"It's sophistry! We're traveling in the first place, so what's the point of packing so much? Most of them are useless!"
"They're not useless, they're tools to relieve my burning inspiration."
At that moment, some of the bags held by the blonde girl leaned sideways and the contents inside spilled on the ground.
It was a myriad of paper sheets.
"Ah! Seriously! What is this? I can't believe that newspapers and incident materials that you have collected from all over the continent for the past five years are piled up in my bag. Did you know that these alone are heavier than 30 books? Do I have to carry these with me?"
"I need everything. So, Betty, aren't you going to move fast?"
The girl called Betty twisted her face.
"Why?"
"Because it's going to rain soon."
It's raining? That's definitely not a good thing.
Betty didn't like being in the rain. It had to do with her birth, and she couldn't help it.
"When is it coming?"
"Hmm. The sky is dark, it's a little bit windy and the humidity right now is about five……?"
"Five minutes? It's not too late yet!"
"4, 3, 2, 1."
At the end of her count a raindrop fell from the sky to the top of Betty's head.
"Ah…?"
Betty's face turned pale. Her eyes turned to the sky from where raindrops fell one by one through the cracks in the dark clouds.
"Argh! Casey! It's raining! It's raining!"
"I know."
"I'm not saying I know, I mean we should avoid it! Oops! The paper on the floor is going to get wet!"
Seeing Betty screaming at her, Casey unfolded the black umbrella she had prepared beforehand.
"When did you bring your umbrella? What about mine?"
"I only have mine."
"What?! Now, wait a minute! I can't get rained on! You know how delicate I am!"
Seeing Betty who became desperate and contemplative, Casey grinned, revealing her little teeth.
"Just kidding."
The moment she said that, Casey's magic was manifested. The rain falling from the sky flew down as if blocked by an invisible membrane and surprisingly, even the paper spilled on the ground didn't get wet.
The raindrops, which had been falling from the sky, couldn't touch Betty and Casey.
Betty, who was in tears, stared at Casey.
"Really. If you were going to do this, you should've done it earlier!"
Despite Betty's annoyance, Casey just laughed as if she was funny. If a third person saw this scene, even someone who had some deep knowledge of magic, he would have been shocked.
Casey didn't create water using magic, but was interfering with the raindrops falling from the sky with magic. It was only one attribute, but only a wizard who reached the extreme of that attribute could do it.
She is a talented person who can interfere with water existing in nature beyond making water in the air and her name is Casey Selmore. She is also the owner of the title "Water Colour," a title that can only be obtained by the best existing wizards.
Although she is a wizard, she is an eccentric adventurer who wanders the world. She is the granddaughter of Serocion Selmore, a very famous detective in the past and lastly a genius private detective who knocked down the infamous Professor James Moriarty in the Kingdom of Delica.
And now she came to Leathervelk.
"Kathy, what the hell did you come to Leathervelk for?"
Betty, who was curiously watching the falling raindrops move away from her, suddenly asked, unable to resist her curiosity.
She was picking up the materials she had spilled and putting them back in the case and Casey, who was leading the way, said, kicking a pool of water on the floor with her leather boots.
"It smells like an incident here."
"What's the smell of the incident……?"
"Betty, you know what? I heard that there have been many recent incidents in this city called Leathervelk. One of the prime examples is the werewolf attack."
"Because of a werewolf? But the appearance of a cryptid is not a problem, right?"
"It's not an ordinary cryptid."
"What do you mean?"
Instead of answering the questions,
"And……The last traces are pointing this way."
"Whose traces?"
"James Moriarty."
Betty asked again if she had heard something wrong.
"Who?"
"James, Moriarty."
"So, who?"
"James Moriarty!"
"Why are you screaming? It was said that James Moriarty was caught, no killed by Casey."
"Do you still believe that crap?"
"I don't know. It was after that that I met Casey."
"Oh, my."
Casey Selmore let out a rising sigh.
"That's just what people say. It's all nonsense with no logic or proof."
"Then, was it a lie that he fell from the cliff where a waterfall falls after the final battle between the man and the Kingdom of Delica?"
"No, that's true."
"……What?"
"But the only difference from what's known is that he's not dead."
"Why? I heard his body was not found. Did you see him run away?"
"No, it's just my hunch."
Betty frowned.
"You're having a hunch again? Where do you put that superior reasoning ability?"
"These are things that a friend I met a long time ago passed to me, but I may have been a little influenced by her."
"Friend?"
"I have a friend who I can't meet easily even though I want to and I didn't just say it because of my hunch. There's evidence that he's actually alive."
Casey pointed with a thin finger to the case where Betty had been holding documents and newspapers until a moment ago.
"You know the newspapers and case documents in your case."
Betty wiggled her lips. This is because she never imagined that the pieces of paper that this tomboy lady had collected so far had meaning.
"Really?"
"Five years ago."
"……?"
"In the Kingdom of Durman, there was an incident where countless cryptids multiplied abnormally and attacked citizens. It was called the Bloody Night."
"Oh, I heard that, too. There was a huge monster that led the cryptids."
"The beast of Durman. It is known that it was a bigger and more terrifying beast than any cryptid that had ever appeared. It's just that the cryptid ate up as many elite knights that belonged to the royal family."
"That's right, that's right."
"And there was one hunter who defeated such a beast."
"I know. The best hunter, Abraham Van Helsing. He's famous, right?"
"Yes, Abraham van Helsing has built a great reputation by hunting the beast of Durman but he suddenly disappeared."
"What's wrong with that?"
Casey said something else instead of answering.
"The Kingdom of Patali, adjacent to the Empire four years ago. It is a country that has been disgraced to the point where aristocrats have exploited people and made it difficult for the nation to finance itself. There appeared a thief called Arsene Lupin. He stole a lot of stuff, and after about a year of activity, he suddenly disappeared."
"Casey, what are you talking about?"
"Three years ago, a huge conspiracy wriggled in the shadow of the Kingdom of Delica. A man united all the organizations of the back world, took control of the military industry, started a war, and tried to sweep away enormous wealth. It was the infamous James Moriarty and he suddenly disappeared."
"……."
Betty also noticed what Casey was trying to say.
"They're all the same person, right?"
"I guess so."
"Isn't that just speculation?"
"I hope so, but I heard some interesting news recently. You know there was a civil war in northern Utah not too long ago?"
"What? Yes, I did. The prince faction started a civil war and the royal faction fought against it. Eventually, the fight ended with a victory for the royalists."
"Yeah, but there's one less well-known piece of news. There was a man who led the royal faction to victory."
"……What?"
"The man's name is Machiavelli. He suddenly disappeared after the war. Like the others I mentioned."
Casey smiled and stared at the scenery of Leathervelk, where the mist was rising. People were not seen because the rain could not be prevented by an umbrella. The only reflection on her retina is the image of a drenched in the rain.
"The last place he supposedly went to was Leathervelk."
Her blue eyes seemed to stare at something else beyond the city.