Chapter 70
Chapter 70. Experienced Kidnapping Victim (2)
"If you hadn't stopped me, I would have set that old man's beard on fire."
"Miss Penelope, if you wrongly set an old man's beard on fire, a military coup will occur."
"...Again, talking about things only you know."
Penelope, unable to execute her lesson, looked indignant.
"So why did you stop me?"
Though she'd trusted Jurgen for now and followed his words, she couldn't understand at all.
In this situation, the easiest way to solve the problem was to reveal to that twisted-personality old man that she was a mainland noble.
There was no need to specifically reveal she was 'Penelope.'
Just saying 'I am Rosemore' would have made the old man not even dare to ask for her full name.
That was the gap between mainland nobles and protectorate frontier nobles.
After enjoyably watching the flustered nouveau riche old man, she could have thoroughly extracted information and, if necessary, even received cooperation.
"Am I wrong?"
"You're not. But then things would get tangled."
Since the Secret Burial Unit wasn't his main field of activity either, Jurgen didn't know much about Soltera.
However, what was the most important quality of a special operations agent?
Overwhelming force?
No.
Quickly grasping local rules and blending into them.
Let's assume Miss Serena was kidnapped by a cartel in collusion with resort staff, as that old man said.
"Then let's examine from here—'why' Miss Serena became a target."
"Because she looked easy?"
"That's not... Hmm, though that might have some influence, it's not the fundamental reason."
"Then why?"
"Because I'm the one who made the resort reservation."
Del Alba Resort was a resort targeting the upper class.
The upper class valued privacy, and the resort reflected this in their service.
Therefore, on the guest registry appeared only one name, the reserving party 'Jurgen,' not 'Penelope Rosemore' or 'Serena Renoir.'
Usually such matters were handled by the highest-ranking person taking initiative, so the kidnappers in collusion with resort staff would naturally have judged the rest were also commoners... and marked them as prey.
Moreover, from the resort's position, it was a situation where a relatively lower-priority customer suffered damage.
Better to give up expectations they'd move sincerely.
"So you're saying we became targets because they thought we were easy marks. Then shouldn't I reveal who I am, who Serena is?"
"If Miss Penelope revealed her status and intimidated them, the resort couldn't just stay still either. Since it's a case of a mainland noble being kidnapped, there's even a possibility the Governor-General's Office would move directly. Probably the kidnappers would think this is big trouble too."
Only then did Penelope close her mouth as if realizing 'oh no.'
"If that happens..."
"A criminal who kidnapped someone they can't handle would make one of two choices. Quietly release them, or dispose of them and insist on ignorance. I see the latter as more likely."
Serena was already a hostage.
And in hostage rescue operations of all countries except Russia, what was most prioritized was the hostage's safety.
"You're saying we can't solve it through official methods... What should we do? Should we hire mercenaries?"
"Hmm."
Too little information.
Was it really a cartel kidnapping, if so which cartel kidnapped her, so where was she taken, what was the time limit.
Everything unknown.
However, from here on was Jurgen's solo stage.
An experienced veteran who'd done countless hostage rescue operations.
Among them was even a mission infiltrating an enemy nation's heart to rescue the hostage Third Princess.
"Miss Penelope, let's divide work."
***
The old man's name was Austin Finch.
Born the second son of the Finch Viscount Family, he'd headed to Soltera seeking opportunities very long ago.
Inheriting a viscountcy from a viscount family required staking the family's survival, and generally that investment all went to the eldest son, so it was an unavoidable choice.
50 years.
The years Austin struggled to obtain a decent title in this uncivilized land where cartels ran rampant.
He donated massive amounts of money to the Governor-General's Office, lobbied influential mainlanders, and struggled his entire life to gain honor.
But what returned was the hollow title 'Costa Bay Trade Honorary Viscount.'
A position the mainland wouldn't even acknowledge as noble, an embarrassingly fancy-sounding title in name only.
He was aware the fact that he was now too old to make up for failure.
The end point of the life of the man called Austin Finch was here.
And humans who realized their lives were failures tended to gain pleasure from mocking others.
For instance, naive travelers who came to play peacefully without knowing local circumstances and got kidnapped.
"Heh heh, what a floundering sight."
Austin hadn't lied.
Probably a cartel really moved, and she really got kidnapped.
But even if he told them, what could commoner nobodies who knew nothing about this land do?
"They'll probably come looking tomorrow."
Falling into panic, begging 'Elder, please help us just once.'
Austin's other hobby was extorting money in exchange for helping such half-wits.
Of course, since he had no intention whatsoever of antagonizing the ruthless cartels, it would only be 'pretending' to help.
After satisfyingly savoring shallow, base superiority, when Austin returned to his room.
"Hm?"
He encountered an entirely unexpected person.
In the living room armchair sat the young man who'd been anxiously pacing in the lobby until moments ago, legs crossed.
"Has this bastard gone mad? Get out right now!"
Austin, who'd been dazed momentarily, spewed angry roars.
Seemed his bowels twisted considerably over his companion being kidnapped.
Even so, to brazenly break into someone else's room!
"If you don't leave right this instant..."
"Don't raise your voice."
A heavy bass flowing out very leisurely struck his ears.
"Sit."
The man who must have come to beg and plead offered Austin the opposite chair as if this were his own room.
That motion held heavy weight and experience.
"...What is... this nonsense?"
Austin's eyes rolled around.
What kind of situation was this?
The fellow who was floundering over his companion's disappearance until moments ago barges into someone else's room with muddy feet, now acts leisurely like a vastly superior senior.
"Hard of hearing. This is my last offer."
Tap tap.
"Sit."
A simple motion tapping the chair's armrest with fingertips.
Why did that motion give pressure like placing a blade at his nape?
"..."
Austin silently sat in the chair and examined the man once more.
Wearing a thin linen shirt, unlike in the lobby, he had his sleeves rolled up to his forearms.
Trained forearm muscles, all kinds of scars crawling disgustingly over his arms, and those suffocatingly calm eyes.
Was this really the same amateur loitering in the lobby earlier?
He seemed like a completely different person.
"Perhaps..."
As he swallowed gulp and was about to speak.
"If you've lived that long, you must have heard the adage that long tongues get cut first. Old man, your tongue was too long."
"...Look, that is, I don't know anything..."
"You were fish I dragged all the way to the 'fishing grounds.' They were prime catches at that, two of them."
"..."
Austin felt cold sweat dripping in that short time.
"One was caught easily enough, but moments ago the other escaped. Saying they couldn't stay even a moment in such a dangerous place, they headed to the Airship Dock."
Something went wrong.
Austin knew this breed that gave off such dangerous atmosphere very well.
"Originally it would have been a simple matter of just quietly taking them tonight... But because someone ran their mouth unnecessarily."
His breath choked as if a hangman's noose wrapped around his neck.
Certain.
This man was a cartel member.
From the beginning, not a companion of the missing person, but playing a role luring kidnapping targets.
Austin had interfered with the cartel's business as a hobby.
"I, I didn't know. If I'd known, would I have madly flapped my trap?"
"You make such excuses knowing this resort is our fishing ground? Or are you challenging our rules?"
"N-no... How could a small citizen like me challenge Montagra Cartel's solemn norms!"
"Who knows. You might have been bribed by another organization."
Austin cried out as if having a seizure.
"Absolutely! Definitely not! Aren't there no organizations in this vicinity that can oppose Montagra Cartel!"
"While spreading our Montagra Cartel's information around, you're not a rat? You expect me to believe that?"
That cry eventually became almost a sob, but not a shred of sympathy could be felt in the cold man's voice.
"I'll give you a chance."
Hope appeared on Austin's face, which had been withering away alive.
"Spill how much you've blabbed about our business until now."
"What... do you mean?"
"Did you lose your hearing? I'm telling you to spill what you know about this human trafficking business. How the hunting is conducted, where kidnapped merchandise goes."
"What?"
Momentarily Austin felt dissonance.
He's asking that in this situation?
Thinking he'll answer straightforwardly if asked?
The more he blabbed, the greater Austin's fault became, right?
Moreover, the type of questions were less like an insider's... weren't they exactly information a victim whose companion was kidnapped would be curious about?
Suspicion crossed the eyes of Austin, whose vision had narrowed from terror.
"...Really, are you truly from Montagra..."
—Pit
At that moment, something whooshed over his head and Austin's fedora flew off.
"The sound of your scheming brain reaches all the way here."
Looking timidly behind, a fork that had pierced his hat was stuck in the wall, trembling.
"Hiiiik!!!"
Only much later did Austin panic.
Did he just throw a fork and stick it in the wall?
When did he throw it?
Though sitting face-to-face right in front, he hadn't noticed at all.
If he'd aimed for between the eyebrows, Austin would have died without even making a sound.
"We need to know what information you blabbed so we can prepare, right?"
"I-I'll talk. I'll tell everything...!"
Austin nodded his head repeatedly like a broken machine and confessed what he knew as if resigned.
That Montagra Cartel bribed some Del Alba Resort staff to leak guest registries.
That they especially targeted commoners with money.
That selected targets were assigned rooms on the resort outskirts to facilitate kidnapping.
That kidnapped targets were moved to a 'warehouse' then loaded on ships bound for the Alcand Empire's slave market where slavery was legal.
"Do you also know the resort staff colluding with the organization?"
"N-no... Not such detailed matters..."
"The 'warehouse' storing kidnapped merchandise?"
"Absolutely, absolutely don't know. Y-yes, yes..."
Jurgen continued additional interrogation while maintaining his cartel member act.
Having suppressed criminals more than once or twice, should he say even he thought it was quite a convincing act?
The old man, who'd been somewhat suspicious at first, after the simple fork magic trick, dripped cold sweat while smoothly spilling information.
Though he'd wanted to find even a connection to find Serena, for all his pretense of knowing, the old man didn't seem to know much.
'Montagra Cartel...'
Still, at least the kidnappers were confirmed.
"Th-that's all I know. Please believe me."
The old man who'd lifted his chin high while sneering looked like he'd aged a full decade.
A disaster he'd brought upon himself.
If only he'd had a nice temperament, this wouldn't have happened.
Jurgen clicked his tongue internally while throwing out the last question.
"Do you also know how long it takes to hand kidnapped people over to ships?"
This question was most important.
No matter how chaotic Soltera's security was, human trafficking was illegal.
To avoid leaving a trail, quickly transporting 'merchandise' was important.
Usually it was standard to move them beyond territorial waters where public authority couldn't reach.
Once a ship floated in the vast ocean, even Jurgen would face difficulties tracking.
"A-about twelve hours, I heard."
"When was this kidnapping?"
"Usually they act immediately when companions are separated... or it's carried out late at night, wasn't it?"
If kidnapped as soon as he and Penelope went to the market, about 8 hours ago?
Generously estimated, only 4 hours remained.
Quite tight.
He needed to move directly, immediately.
***
At that moment, Serena was.
"This haul is quite the merchandise."
"Height's a bit short but with that face... really name your price, right? Anyone would think she's a noble."
"Originally these half-assed ones smear gold coins on their skin trying to follow nobles."
"The hair and eyes are unique, so worth looking forward to?"
"Keep her well guarded so the boys don't touch. Even a scratch halves the price."
Exactly as that information stated, kidnapped by Montagra Cartel.
'No... really... this isn't right...'
In a very unjust state.