C251: The Truth of That Day (1)
Rudger rode Hans, who turned into a wolf and landed in front of the entrance to an abandoned coal mine.
Near the entrance, there was the steam car that had just passed by and besides it, they also saw a truck.
"It is certain that something is happening here. Hans, take it."
Rudger handed Hans a neutralizer, and Hans immediately put it in his arm.
Hans, who returned as a human being, grumbled and put on his coat.
"It's not like I'm raising a dog."
"The average person doesn't ride a dog, so I'm more special."
"That's such a tearful consolation."
Rudger and Hans slowly entered the abandoned mine. The shaft was dark with no light, but it didn't matter to Rudger and Hans.
Hans was able to see clearly in the dark because of the power that remained immediately after the transformation, and Rudger also saw through the darkness by focusing magic on his eyes.
When the two went deep into the shaft light began to be seen in the distance, and then a large space appeared.
"The lights are on in an abandoned coal mine."
Rudger saw footprints carved on the floor. There must have been at least five people who got out of the car a while ago, but the footprints were much more than that.
"Twenty. No, more than thirty."
"Brother, what can we do?"
"From here on we'll go on separate ways. You'll check to see if there's another important place."
"What about you?"
"I'll follow the main road."
"It's dangerous."
"So shouldn't I go?"
Hans was speechless at Rudger's reply.
Come to think of it, the best way to survive in the event of a battle was to stay close to Rudger.
"……Be careful."
"I will."
Rudger walked along the trail of footprints.
After walking for a while he reached an open space that was the size of a warehouse.
Dozens of people were gathered in the center of the space full of wooden boxes and steel instruments. They were all police officers in blue uniforms and among them was the police officer who Rudger was chasing a while ago.
They were gathering and talking, and it seemed to Rudger that they were laughing and chatting with each other. In fact, the police were laughing.
Their figures got more clearly visible as Rudger put strength in his eyes.
"……."
And he saw it.
In the center of the place surrounded by police officers was a child lying there and bleeding.
When he looked closely, there was a club in a police officer's hand and blood was dripping along it.
The sight of a child who collapsed covered in blood looked familiar.
"Huh? What?"
"Who is it?"
The police noticed Rudger's presence. However, Rudger could not take his eyes off the child even after he was caught.
"Arte…"
The name of the fallen child flowed from Rudger's mouth and it was the name of his personal student who disappeared hours ago.
* * *
After Sally disappeared, Arte was too anxious to get things right.
The harsh but gullible owner asked Arte to take a rest today, but Arte refused the offer.
"I have to do my job."
The owner nodded at Arte's forced smile, saying, "I know."
Just in case, he looked closely after Arte. If he showed any strange appearance, he was going to force him to rest somehow.
The owner was also sorry that Sally disappeared so he was going to stop by the police station later while going grocery shopping but afterwards Arte's appearance was the same as usual.
'He looks fine. I shouldn't have worried.'
The owner was relieved, but he should have doubted Arte's appearance. When the owner was relieved and took his eyes off Arte, Arte took the opportunity and sneaked out.
'I need to find Sally.'
Arte thought.
'Where can I find the missing Sally?'
'Children were kidnapped for a long time. There may still be a criminal around here trying to catch a child.'
There was no guarantee that that would necessarily happen today but this was the only thing Arte could lean on.
'If I were the culprit, where would I kidnap a child? A place where people can't see or a place where people won't realize even if anyone disappears.'
An area passed through Arte's head and he immediately headed to the slum.
On a dark night, the slum, where even the lights were not properly turned on, was pitch-black, but Arte, who frequently traveled here, did not get lost.
Arte arrived near the cave where the children were gathered.
'If the criminal is really after the kids, this is the only place.'
Arte appropriately hid himself near the abandoned debris nearby and then a group of people with lanterns appeared in the distance.
'Those people…….'
I couldn't see it well because it was still far away, but they looked quite suspicious. In the first place, there was no reason for people to come to these slums with lanterns.
Arte watched their actions with bated breaths.
Those who held the lanterns looked around lightly and eventually entered the beggar's den.
Shortly afterwards, there were a few bickering noises, and fainted children were dragged out in a bag.
Arte opened his eyes wide.
'They're really kidnapers.'
Arte agonized whether to chase after them here or call the police but in the meantime, the people with the fainted children on their shoulders were quickly moving away from the slums.
Arte clenched his teeth and chased them.
'Sally, wait. I'll be there to save you.'
Arte moved carefully so that the criminals wouldn't notice him.
The criminals loaded the fainted children into a truck and boarded it.
Arte rushed to the end of the truck before it left. At that moment, he almost fell as the truck started but he clenched his teeth and tightened his arms.
The truck left the city and headed to a more deserted and quiet place.
When a truck stopped in front of a coal mine, Arte hurriedly got out of the truck and hid in a nearby bush.
"Hey. Move slowly."
"Oh, the smell. Did you have to bring the beggars?"
"What can I do? They're the only ones who won't be noticed even if they disappear right away."
The kidnappers chatted among themselves and moved the kids one by one.
Arte agonized whether to follow them into the coal mine or return to the city to call someone.
'Don't be in a hurry. There's nothing I can do even if I go inside right now. Rather, it is right to seek help.'
He didn't know how the inside of the coal mine was, but unlike the slums where he knew the geography, the inside of that coal mine was the den of the kidnappers.
There was no guarantee that Arte, who is still a child, would not be caught.
Arte was certainly aware of that.
'I need to call the police.'
Now that he knew the location, he just needed to get back to the city.
When he thought so, a black steam car came toward him from afar.
Arte curled up again in the grass and held his breath.
The number of people who got out of the car was five, and Arte's eyes glowed at them.
'It's the police!'
A man in a dark blue uniform with a club around his waist must be the police.
Arte ran out of the grass after seeing them.
"Who is it?"
The police glared at Arte.
"Officer! The kidnapper! The kidnapper is there!"
"What?"
"Suspicious people, until a while ago, kidnapped children with that truck……."
"What did the guys inside do? Why is one guy out there?"
The moment he heard the murmur of an officer, Arte stopped trying to run to the police.
He didn't know why the police suddenly said that. However, Arte quickly turned right behind and tried to run away.
"Oh, no. You shouldn't do that."
Then a police officer with a mustache came up and grabbed Arte by the back.
Arte tried to struggle, but the officer's attitude was ruthless and he struck Arte on the head with the club in his hand.
The officers exchanged glances and dragged Arte into the coal mine.
Arte, who was hit on the head, did not completely faint. He stared at the inside of the coal mine and at the officers.
Soon after, when they reached a large space, the officer threw Arte in the center.
"Ugh."
"This is amazing. I didn't expect such a kid to come here."
Arte slowly raised his upper body. He asked as he looked at the police officer who had just swung a club at him.
"Why……?"
"Look at this guy. He's still fine after getting hit."
"My sister. My sister……Give her back…"
When Arte said so, the police officers clapped their tongues and jutted at the people around them. Then, as if they were waiting, other police came forward and beat Arte.
"Hey, don't kill him. He has to be used in the experiment."
After the beating was over Arte looked up at the officer, who had given orders. Despite the bruising and bursting lips, the flame in Arte's gaze did not go out.
"Trash…….criminals that kidnap children. Give me back my sister, my sister……!"
"…you brat."
The policeman, who gave the order, twisted his face, grabbed a club, and swung at Arte.
"Hey! You orphan! How dare you!"
Arte's body was torn down like a broken doll when the swinging club hit Arte's temple.
"Oh."
"Now, wait. Isn't he dead?"
"What does it matter if one or two orphans die anyway?"
"That's true."
"Sir. You have blood on your uniform."
The officers were troubled since they had to deal with the boy. However, most of them wanted to leave it alone since he was bleeding heavily and would die soon.
Then an officer turned the side. He didn't know why but he felt a sense of crisis if he didn't look there right now.
"Huh? What?"
"Who is it?"
He saw a man.
A black Inverness coat, white gloves, a black cane in his hand and a gentleman's hat on his head. With the distinctive sharp impression added to the outfit, he looked like a high-ranking aristocrat.
"Arte…"
The uninvited guest muttered, looking at the fallen child.
The moment they saw him, the police realized that this man was not with them.
"I don't know how you got here, but you are unlucky."
"……."
Rudger did not respond to the police. Instead, he moved slowly and approached Arte, who was covered in blood.
"What?"
The police unwittingly moved out of the way as Rudger approached without a word.
They definitely had to stop him, but instinctively felt that they shouldn't.
Meanwhile, Rudger knelt down in front of Arte and checked his condition.
He didn't care if the white gloves on his hands were stained with blood.
"Sir… Sir?"
"Arte."
Arte stared at Rudger while struggling to keep his eyes open.
" …You were…"
"Save your words."
"I shouldn't have…."
"I told you to save your words."
"I'm sorry…"
A tear flowed down Arte's cheek.
"Because I'm a bad child……Because I don't listen…… I'm sorry……I wanted to be a scholar."
"Arte. I……."
As soon as Rudger was about to say something, Arte squeezed out the remaining strength and opened my mouth.
"Mr. Moriarty. My sister, please."
Immediately after that, Arte's head fell to the side helplessly.
"Arte."
Rudger shook himself, but Arte didn't wake up as his cold body stopped breathing.
It all meant one thing.
Rudger slowly laid Arte's body on the floor. He looked down silently at Arte with his eyes closed as if he had fallen asleep.
Rudger saw his childhood self, waiting for death without doing anything in the image of the now dead boy.
Then there was a hand that saved him but now this child had no help.
Rudger slowly rose.
"I wondered who it was, and it was him. Professor James Moriarty."
The police, who recognized Rudger, smirked as he smoothed his mustache.
"Why on earth would a person who is doing well at the university these days come here?"
"……."
"Well, you're so smart that you could have come to this place but unfortunately such a famous person will not be seen from tomorrow."
Rudger looked back at him without a word. At that moment, the mustache police shivered without realizing it.
His cold gaze towards him and the irresistible energy that flows from Rudger told him that something was wrong.
"Get him!"
The other officers also realized something dangerous and rushed toward Rudger.
Even in that situation, Rudger remained firm on his two legs and spoke quietly.
"Those who have something to do with this no matter who they are, I will uproot them."
The shadow at Rudger's feet wriggled and a sharp thorn popped out of the swaying shadow, penetrating all the policemen who were trying to run toward Rudger.
Not only that, but also those who stretched out throughout the space and watched the situation.
The black thorns and red blood along with the dizzy shadows reflected in the light turned the coal mine into a land of screams and death.
At the center of it all the man who would later be called the "Godfather of Crime" declared.
"Nothing left."