Chapter 153
Holiday travel has a basic formula, and they finally decided to go to hot springs.
There were many hot spring resorts nationwide, and at this time, they'd very likely run into other people's family trips, New Year trips, and such—reservations would probably be booked out for a month.
Bourbon tentatively asked: "In this situation, we probably can't get into the popular places. Should we find somewhere less famous?"
Actually, there was a way—using money power to make guests who'd already made reservations give way.
But both Japanese police officers were unwilling to use this method, not wanting to affect ordinary citizens' travel mood, and worried that if Usuha Izuki found out he'd cause trouble, so they didn't even mention it.
Usuha Izuki hadn't reached that level of bullying either. Bullying good people was boring—he generally preferred bullying bad people, so he just nodded: "Let's just find any place."
Considering Usuha Izuki's personality might cause problems for people, to reduce the impact on ordinary citizens, Bourbon carefully selected a hot spring inn that didn't have much foot traffic but wouldn't be directly rejected by Usuha Izuki either.
Usuha Izuki was the type who, when traveling, made no travel plans whatsoever and just waited for others to arrange everything. So when Bourbon asked him, he casually agreed, then reminded: "Remember to get reimbursed."
"...Okay."
Bourbon agreed with mixed feelings.
Not forgetting to fleece even this bit of wool from the organization... did this guy really have no grievances against the organization?
Usuha Izuki's vacation was precious—after all, his other identity was as a police officer, so he couldn't easily request leave. If he didn't return after vacation ended, his superior would call asking where he was.
It had been two years, and not only was he doing well as a police officer, he'd even been promoted. Everyone in Criminal Investigation Division One was shocked he could stay that long.
Being a police officer was really great. When going out to visit and question people, suspicion value came flooding in effortlessly. But lately he'd been feeling a bit tired of it, entering a burnout period.
This was why he'd finally come to play on the organization side and even taken a trip to the Middle East—he wanted a change of mood.
Because Usuha Izuki was in a hurry, after booking the hot spring inn, they packed their luggage and set off that afternoon. Due to public transportation route issues, they didn't take the shinkansen or plane. Bourbon and Scotland took turns driving while Usuha Izuki sat in the back like a lord, lying down when tired of sitting, sitting when tired of lying, not at all worried about Bourbon pulling some dirty trick like drifting to throw him out.
When they finally arrived, Usuha Izuki got out of the car with a rosy complexion and bright spirits, looking nothing like someone who'd been sitting in a car for most of the day.
Because this place was somewhat remote with roads that weren't very well maintained, there was a stretch that was so bumpy even the two people in front felt uncomfortable, so seeing Usuha Izuki like this made them quite emotional.
—This must be the confidence built from riding tanks in the Middle East!!!
Actually, he was just wearing a ring that prevented motion sickness...
After getting out of the car, Usuha Izuki observed the surroundings.
The place was rather remote, not overdeveloped, with forest nearby. Though it was already winter, due to the tree varieties, there was still some greenery.
The air felt much fresher than Tokyo.
After parking, the three entered the inn and were immediately greeted by staff.
This time Usuha Izuki's treatment was much more normal than when he was Samukawa Shinryu with Hagiwara Kenji and Matsuda Jinpei—the waitstaff were all smiles, enthusiastic and attentive.
"We rarely get visitors from outside here. If there's anything we don't attend to properly, please forgive us. Just give us your feedback and we'll definitely try our best to improve."
Scotland politely asked about precautions and dinner preparations, then closed the door and began unpacking.
Basically they'd brought clothes and toiletries, at most adding a heavy but already quite advanced laptop for this era, with no other valuable items.
Usuha Izuki pulled out his own yukata from his suitcase—this one had warming properties that could maintain the most comfortable temperature, preventing too big a gap after soaking in hot springs and not wanting to leave the bathroom.
Bourbon's sharp eyes caught something familiar in size and color falling out when Usuha Izuki pulled out the yukata, but the next second it was stuffed back into the suitcase, preventing further confirmation.
Bourbon: "..........."
That thing... why did it look like a police badge?
Could it be Arak Wine's memento? But Arak Wine had even his files deleted—would they still keep this?
Or was it a fake badge Usuha Izuki made? For what purpose? For fun?
Scotland saw it too, but he wasn't as conflicted as Bourbon. Having been tormented by Usuha Izuki up close for a while, he'd roughly figured out some of Usuha Izuki's temperament, so when he had suspicions, he asked directly.
"Botanist, what was that thing that fell out just now?"
Bourbon: "...!!!"
Is it okay to ask so directly?! What if it really is related to Arak Wine...
Usuha Izuki: "Oh, a police badge."
Bourbon: "..........." He actually just answered like that...
Scotland: "...Why do you have a police badge?"
"Who said it was mine." Usuha Izuki had an expression of not wanting to say more. "I'm hungry. What are we eating?"
Not yours... then whose?
This kind of saying only half of something made it too easy for people to start brainstorming.
Scotland and Bourbon frantically contributed suspicion value, but Scotland also knew that with Usuha Izuki looking like this, even if asked he wouldn't continue answering, so he could only regretfully skip this topic and move to the next.
"Someone will bring food soon, but there aren't many varieties—just sushi and sashimi platters, udon noodles, and tempura. I ordered everything."
Usuha Izuki nodded: "That's fine. These are basically hard to make taste bad, as long as they're passing grade."
Picky at home but easy to feed when out—from this point, you couldn't tell Usuha Izuki's usual personality was so difficult.
But since they'd just arrived, it would definitely take time before food was delivered, so the three sat on the tatami chatting.
"If we came in spring, the scenery around here would probably be nice."
"It's not bad now either..."
Usuha Izuki lay by the window looking at the scenery, then suddenly interjected: "Look down there—aren't those yakuza?"
"Where would yakuza come from in this place? Probably just punks, right?" Bourbon complained, though his movements were agile as he stood up and joined them at the window.
Yakuza were legal in Japan—proper registered groups that had to pay taxes on time.
Since they were doing yakuza work, they were naturally after profit, so they were mostly in big cities suitable for making money, places with more people. Remote areas that couldn't squeeze out profit, aging places with just a few odds and ends in the whole village—those had fewer yakuza.
The location they'd chosen really might not have proper yakuza members, and even if there were, they'd probably be from big cities returning home. So seeing the well-dressed but ominous-looking people with ill intentions below, they were all puzzled.
Had this inn offended someone? Or owed money they wouldn't pay back?
Just then, a staff member knocked to deliver food, so Bourbon inquired: "We just saw some strange people downstairs..."
The staff member's smile immediately became somewhat forced: "Sorry, did they disturb you? The proprietress is handling it..."
As they spoke, a highly penetrating voice came from the other end of the hallway.
"I told you to release him! Can't you understand human speech?!"
Bourbon, who heard it clearly: "...Did your proprietress kidnap someone?"
"No, no!" The staff member quickly explained. "It's the proprietress's son. He got into a cult and insists on serving the Cult Leader, learning from the Cult Leader... The proprietress had no choice but to lock him up, but we never expected they'd actually come to the door! Sorry, please enjoy your meal—I need to go help the proprietress..."
The door closed. Scotland sat at the table, frowning: "They actually came to the door..."
Generally speaking, when cult members stopped coming, cults wouldn't specifically come to demand them back, because that would become very troublesome—they just needed the members who were still coming to continue donating.
But considering this place was rather remote, maybe the cult didn't have many people to begin with, so missing one person was particularly obvious, making every believer precious and needing to be retrieved.
In the time they'd exchanged those few words, the commotion outside had become forced entry, seemingly with regular customers providing directions, telling them where the proprietress had locked up her son.
If Scotland and Bourbon were currently in their police identities, they would have stepped forward without hesitation. Even with just the two of them, in such a remote place where no one knew them and they'd never see these people again, they might still choose to help the proprietress.
But now they had Usuha Izuki of unclear allegiance beside them.
The two exchanged glances, both uncertain what reason they could use to normally intervene in this incident without making Usuha Izuki—if he was actually on the organization's side—suspicious.
But before they could think of anything, Usuha Izuki spoke up.
"What are you two standing around for? When ordinary people like us encounter this kind of thing, shouldn't we step up and help? You're acting exactly like stereotypical organization members—you're not actually undercover, are you?"
Bourbon was convinced.
How could everything lead to undercover agents? For Usuha Izuki, what kind of behavior wouldn't seem like an undercover agent?!
Sure enough, this guy was genuinely just casually sharp-tongued, probably didn't know Arak Wine was an undercover agent, and had no intention of using this to make contact with undercover agents. Otherwise, by his standards, he could make contact even with Gin!
But since Usuha Izuki had spoken, it was actually good news for the two police officers.
So Bourbon stood up, putting on a reluctant tone: "We're here on vacation—why should we get involved in trouble..."
"You're right, let's just forget it then. You eat." Usuha Izuki readily changed his tune.
Bourbon: "..........."
But even saying that, not watching excitement wouldn't be Usuha Izuki, so he went to the door, opened it, then randomly grabbed a passing cult member.
"Excuse me, what religion is this? How can it help me? Could you tell me about it?"
Originally this passerby was impatient, thinking it was another person trying to stop him, but looking up at Usuha Izuki's outfit, he immediately understood this was definitely someone from the big city! Not in cahoots with the local proprietress!
His attitude immediately became enthusiastic: "Of course! Our Cult Leader has divine blessing and possesses supernatural powers—he can read minds, divine the future... Would you like to come see for yourself? It's not far from here! Just in the village next door!"