The Traitor's Downfall
The stench was strong enough to numb the nose. Have you ever stood there for hours on end, silent as the dead? Or was it more than ten hours? Either way, as someone who's experienced it, I can tell you it's not something a person should do. Without any light, I couldn't tell how much time had passed, and I was starting to feel like I was going mad when a faint glow appeared in the distance.
"Looks like you've come a long way... When is this going to end?"
"It's almost over now."
"......!"
Ah. I really am an idiot. I should've ambushed him. The sound of a human voice and the light were so welcome that I answered without thinking. Whatever. Since I'd already been found out, I decided to just walk out boldly.
"Schluss... Heinkel...?"
"No need for introductions."
The man stared at me with eyes as wide as saucers. This was the critical moment. Knocking him out would be easy enough—he was one of the lower-ranked agents in the Intelligence Bureau when it came to combat ability. But what came after was the problem. I had to confirm whether he had the personal files of the Intelligence Bureau agents, whether he had the originals, and whether any copies existed. If he'd hidden copies somewhere and the Imperial Police found them, that would be a disaster. To make him spill everything, I'd have to resort to torture. I'd only ever learned about torture from dramas and movies. I wasn't sure if it would work. Should I start by pulling out his fingernails? Or maybe cut off his balls first?
While I was thinking that, the man spoke.
"So you were the one who wanted to buy the information? I never would've guessed!"
He'd dropped all hostility and spoke with relief. It seemed he didn't know the identity of the client he was supposed to hand the files over to. When I appeared at the escape route that only he and the client were supposed to know about, he'd naturally assumed I was that client. It was a fortunate misunderstanding for me. I wouldn't need to torture him after all—I could just get all the information out of him.
"You brought the information, I assume."
"Ah! Of course!"
The moment I asked, he pulled out a thick stack of papers from his bag. It was disgustingly thick. Just how many agents' information was in there...? The thought of it falling into the Empire's hands sent a chill down my spine. It would've been a bloodbath. I also confirmed whether they were the originals and made him swear there were no copies. There was no way he'd lie to a client as important as me, so I could take it as 100% fact.
"Hand it over."
"Excuse me?"
"I said hand it over now. I'll pay you once we get out of this stinking place."
"Ah, yes! Understood!"
The man bowed obsequiously and hurried over, presenting the documents with both hands. He was trying so hard. I could tell he was struggling not to laugh. But it was impossible. The sight of him handing his life over to someone who was about to beat him like a dog was just too ridiculous. I couldn't stop the corners of my mouth from twitching upward.
Only then did he realize something was wrong. His face went pale.
"Thank you."
"Wait, what are you—"
As his panicked voice rang out, I activated a spell. Ignition magic. It rapidly raised an object's temperature to set it on fire.
Fwoosh—
The thick stack of documents began to burn. They must have been dried thoroughly—the flames spread instantly, devouring the paper. Once the massive pile had turned into black ash, I tossed it into the sewage. With a crackling sound, the ashes crumbled and scattered, drifting down into the murky water. The look on the man's face as he watched was priceless. Did he even understand what was happening? He couldn't possibly think his client had betrayed him, right?
"Should I make it hurt? Or should I make it painless?"
"......!"
I stepped forward, cracking my knuckles. The man clenched his teeth and fell backward onto his rear. He'd already lost all will to fight. What a wimp. He could've at least put up some resistance. That would've made it more fun.
"P-Please... make it painless..."
"Fine. Bring your head over here."
It was time to knock him out. But how do you knock someone out without hurting them...? I grabbed the man's face and pondered for a moment. I'd seen in movies where someone twists a person's neck and they pass out instantly. That probably wouldn't hurt much.
"Huh?"
"Stay still, you bastard."
I grabbed his jaw. Was I supposed to twist it like this? His face was gradually turning pale, like he was about to die.
"Ugegegegek!"
I'd twisted it sharply, at the same angle as in the movies. But instead of collapsing, the man let out an otherworldly scream. This wasn't right. Panicking, I twisted his neck in the opposite direction.
"Ugegegeok!"
Only then did he foam at the mouth and collapse. Something felt a little off, but since the result was good, it didn't matter. Now I just had to move him to the surface so the Intelligence Bureau could pick him up.
"Hah. Those incompetent bastards. Cleaning up after them is a pain in the ass."
"What do you mean by that?"
"......!"
At that moment, a bright light appeared in the distance. Walking steadily beside the light source was... Hurtlocker. Our damn protagonist. He just had to show up after everything was already over. Typical. This clueless bastard.
"Schluss Heinkel. Hand that man over."
"......Hah."
A black blade materialized in Hurtlocker's hand. He was clearly misunderstanding the situation. He thought I'd killed the traitor midway and was trying to steal the documents for myself.
"Take him."
"Didn't he have a bundle of papers?"
"......"
"So you already took them. Hand those over too."
Look at him. I hadn't said a word, and he was already jumping to conclusions on his own. Even if I told him the truth, he'd just accuse me of lying and attack anyway. A fight was inevitable.
"If you hand them over, I might let you live—"
"Shut up. Let's just finish this. I don't have time."
"......"
Hurtlocker's expression twisted viciously. He raised his dagger and took a familiar stance. It was the same one he'd used when he beat me on the day of the magic demonstration. The memory was so intense that it had left a trauma. The only way to erase it was to overwrite it with a good memory. The moment he charged straight at me, I found myself grinning.
"Huh?"
His dagger grazed past me, and at the same time, the light source vanished. Pitch-black darkness swallowed everything, and I heard Hurtlocker's dumbfounded gasp. In this perfect darkness with not a single speck of light, no one could see properly. Not unless they were seeing with mana instead of their eyes.
'Idiot.'
Hurtlocker flailed his arms in panic, trying to find me. He had no idea where I was. He kept trying to recast his light magic, but every time he attempted to form the spell, my superior computational ability intercepted it.
'Selection and Concentration. Agility, one second.'
Thwack!
"Urgh!"
I rushed in and kicked the back of his head. But had he instinctively sensed the danger? Or had he reacted to the sound? Hurtlocker twisted around with monstrous speed and blocked the kick with his arm. Though both his arms were now dangling uselessly, as if he'd lost them.
Thwack! Thud! Bam!
"Kuh! Khek! Kack!"
I kept circling behind him, landing a hit, then backing off, over and over. At this point, it was embarrassing to even call it a fight. It was a one-sided beating. Nothing more, nothing less. My fists were starting to go numb, and it was getting hard to keep hitting him. By then, Hurtlocker had no part of his body left unscathed and could barely stand, swaying on his feet. It was time for the finishing blow.
"You act like you've got multiple lives."
"Who...?"
"You."
Thud!
"Guhk!"
I drove my fist straight into his solar plexus. Hurtlocker let out an ugly scream and flew backward before—
Splash!
"Whoa......"
He landed in the sewage. I hadn't meant to send him that far. Still, serves him right, that bastard.
"Puhah! Uuuugh!"
"......"
He surfaced with a murderous expression. I'd never seen him look so furious. After getting beaten that badly, he must've understood what I meant. I crept away silently, heading back the way I'd come. ......Okay, technically I was running away. If that sewage-covered bastard attacked me, the filth would get on me too. And I couldn't show up at the imperial palace covered in shit, so running was the only option.
"At least answer me before you go! Why do you keep sparing me instead of killing me?!"
Ignoring Hurtlocker's voice echoing from behind, I broke into a full sprint. It wasn't a question I could answer in the first place. Before long, light began to seep in from the end of the tunnel. When I emerged outside, bright light greeted me.
"What the hell..."
It was already morning. Judging by how high the sun was, it was nearly noon.
"I'm screwed."
I was going to be late for the Emperor's summons. Beyond just being rude, I'd be a complete bastard. A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
***
"Sniff sniff. Ugh, what's that smell?"
"......"
Eric pinched his nose and frowned. Hurtlocker could only step back silently and lower his head. He'd thrown away his clothes and scrubbed his entire body raw, but the stench of shit still clung to him.
'Schluss Heinkel... that son of a bitch...'
Just thinking about him made Hurtlocker's teeth grind. He should've just killed him. What kind of sick joke was it to throw someone into sewage? That bastard clearly saw him as nothing more than a toy to relieve stress.
"What should we do with this one?"
"This guy?"
Hurtlocker pointed at the man lying on the floor with his bandaged hands. It was the traitor, still unconscious.
"Wake him up... and ask him. What happened to the documents."
The Intelligence Bureau was still on high alert. They'd caught the traitor, but the crucial personnel files weren't on him. Had he already handed them over to someone? Or had Schluss taken them? The more he thought about it, the more likely the latter seemed, and Hurtlocker, who'd been thoroughly beaten by Schluss and let him escape, shrank even further into himself. No matter who had fought him, the result would've been the same. Eric shook his head and decided not to hold Hurtlocker responsible. Anyone who could kill Henderson was practically a walking disaster.
"You're just going to ask? Do you think he'll answer honestly?"
"Hey. I'm not just going to ask. I'll throw in a little body language too. You know what I mean."
"Ah......"
Hurtlocker nodded in understanding. In other words, he was going to torture him. Having come from the military to the Intelligence Bureau, Hurtlocker didn't have much experience with torture, but Eric did it as naturally as eating a meal. Apparently, there was no information Eric couldn't extract. Hurtlocker suddenly wondered what kind of torture he would use.
"Let's wake this guy up. Go get a bucket of water."
"Yes."
"Hey, but seriously, where's that shit smell coming from?"
"......"
As he went to fetch the water, Hurtlocker gritted his teeth so hard they might break. He swore to get revenge on Schluss. And he'd make sure to cover him in shit too.