Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Investigation
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"Give me the rundown on the incident. Quick."
I started prodding my subordinate to figure out what had happened.
Arachne had shown up again?
No way. Arte had definitely been there.
There was no way Arachne could have...
"Yes, sir. It's exactly as I told you over the phone. A spider pattern drawn in blood and a mutilated corpse. It's Arachne. The victim was another villain this time—a wanted man for rape and murder."
"Any differences?"
"It wasn't sliced into tiny pieces, maybe? And there was no writing like 'Arachne has come and gone.' We're considering the possibility of a copycat."
A copycat?
No, that wasn't it. That's what Hayul thought.
...There was no evidence.
Maybe she was just overthinking it, and like Claire said, Arte really was just a junior trying hard to become a hero.
But it bothered her too much. At first, she'd thought Arte was so suspicious she couldn't be the culprit.
Not anymore. Now it felt like she was being toyed with.
Her expression was like that of a spectator gazing at a tiger trapped in a zoo enclosure.
She seemed to see Hayul as that tiger in the cage.
Threatening if released and allowed to approach, but since that wouldn't happen, she could enjoy the show like any carefree tourist.
"Damn it. She's messing with me."
"Pardon?"
"No, nothing. ...Any chance Arachne isn't just one person?"
"You think it could be infighting between villain organizations?"
Hayul nodded at her subordinate's words.
If Arachne wasn't a lone actor, it would explain everything.
She must have realized Hayul was suspicious without any evidence.
She tossed one of her organization members out there to toy with her, and when Hayul didn't drop her suspicions, she had someone commit another crime while meeting her.
...That made sense, logically.
But was that really the case?
Was it okay to suspect someone so heavily without solid proof, just because she seemed suspicious?
Maybe she was overcomplicating things. What if it really was a copycat, and the real culprit was already caught?
Her mind started to grow tangled.
...When she couldn't think of anything else, what should she do?
After agonizing over it for a while, Hayul decided to change her approach.
"Sorry, but handle that case for a bit. I need to meet someone."
"P-Pardon?! B-But I'm not ready for something like this yet...!"
"I'm doing it because I trust you. Take care of it."
"...! Yes, sir!"
This guy's easy.
A little sweet talk, and he was thrilled to take on the work. Made things convenient.
"By the way, who are you going to meet?"
"Nothing major. If you've talked to a suspect, you should check out their acquaintances too."
Especially if they're connected to the case.
She picked up the files scattered on her desk.
"First up, I need to meet this Yoo Siu kid."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "So, you came to me?"
"Yeah. Figured you might know something."
He handed back the notebook proving she was an Association investigator.
He'd completely forgotten about it since nothing had come up after that incident.
She'd been looking for the mastermind behind it.
He really missed Amelia right now.
She was way better suited for stuff like this than him. ...Even if she was a bit extreme.
What should he do?
The investigator said she was chasing the culprit from that incident, but only one person came to mind no matter how he thought about it.
Arte, obviously.
"You and your friend were around the scene back then. Anything you know?"
"No. I was too panicked from the attack to notice anything like that."
"Right. ...Nothing strange? Like your friend disappearing?"
Straightforward, huh.
She didn't even try to hide that she suspected Arte.
Her sharp gaze felt like she was glaring at a criminal, making him flinch involuntarily.
"...Ah, sorry. My eyes are naturally sharp. Don't worry—you're not getting arrested or anything."
"Y-Yeah..."
Did she think he flinched because he was scared of being arrested?
She was trying to reassure him.
But that wasn't what worried him.
Was it okay to drag her into this to stop Arte?
She'd definitely be helpful. No doubt about that.
An Association investigator specializing in superhuman crimes? Of course she'd help.
...But something felt off.
Why was she coming to him for information?
He'd seen yesterday's news too.
Arachne—the one who'd brutally taken down countless villains—had been caught.
He and Amelia had their suspicions about Arachne's identity. Arte, who hadn't shown up for a while after that. It had to be her.
That's why the news had been such a letdown.
He figured they couldn't count on the Association anymore.
So why now?
"Anything's fine. If something seemed suspicious, tell me."
"...Why are you asking me?"
"Hm?"
"Arachne's been caught. Wasn't that on the news?"
"Yeah, it was. Caused a huge uproar. You check the internet?"
"...Yeah."
The internet was on fire.
And rightly so. All those headache-inducing villains were dead.
Not just one or two—around two hundred of them.
"'Free Arachne.' ...Stuff like that was floating around."
"That's..."
"I know. Extreme. But you get it, right? People hate villains."
Yeah, they did.
People hated—no, despised—villains.
Why waste prison food on criminals who stole their peaceful lives?
Just kill them all. Criminals don't deserve human rights. Comments like that were everywhere.
Trash that tied up superhumans—who were short-handed dealing with outer-region monsters—just to maintain city security, disrupting society.
...That was the public's view of villains.
In this climate of endless hostility toward criminals, Arachne had cleanly wiped out villains who would just leech off taxes in prison anyway.
A villain killer who'd never touched civilians, only slaughtering other villains.
No wonder extreme opinions were popping up.
"But no matter the public opinion, crime is crime, and murder is murder. ...Listen, Arachne hasn't been caught yet."
"..."
"Today, another Arachne victim turned up."
"W-What?!"
He was shocked by her words, but at the same time, certain.
Of course. The culprit was Arte. She was Arachne.
Otherwise, with the perp already caught, there'd be no new victims.
"It hasn't hit the media yet, but it will soon. Another villain victim. ...Except they're calling it a copycat."
"A c-copycat?"
"Yeah. Can't brag 'We got her!' then admit we screwed up the next day. Ruins the Association's image."
Higher-ups pulling strings, no doubt.
She leaned in close, grabbing his hand desperately as she said it.
"To stop more victims, tell me if anything seemed off. Even small things. Physical evidence would be even better."
"W-Well, then..."
Should he say it?
That Arte was suspicious?
Would she laugh it off as ridiculous?
I think she's behind all the recent big incidents... Would she even believe that?
And even if she did, what could she do alone? Would the Association buy it?
As he closed his mouth to think, she waited patiently, as if giving him time.
Silence swirled around them in an instant.
"Got some interesting story going? Mind if I join?"
And that silence shattered just as quickly with an intruder.
"Ah, Arte. Nice to see you."
"Fancy meeting you again, Investigator. What's the occasion today?"
"Worried the students might be traumatized from the attack. Just a quick counseling session."
"I see."
"Well, Yoo Siu, you seem fine, so I'll head out. If you need counseling, call this number."
Investigator Lee Hayul slipped away in a flash.
...Her face said she hadn't expected Arte to show up.
Like her luck had run out.
"Hey, Arte."
"Hello. I saw you talking with the investigator outside. ...Was I intruding?"
"No, not at all."
He realized it from that moment.
The investigator suspected Arte but lacked info compared to them.
She hadn't realized Arte would show up if they met in an open place like this.
"The investigator worries too much. No need. ...Right?"
"...Yeah. I'm an Academy student, after all. It's fine."
"Hee-hee. So cool. Well, I'll be off. Don't stay out too late? Things are dicey lately."
Watching Arte vanish as suddenly as she'd appeared, it hit him.
...I'm not even surprised when Arte pops up anymore.
Had he gotten used to her showing up out of nowhere?
Siu let out a small sigh.
Getting accustomed to someone constantly watching him. He'd never imagined that could become normal.
Live long enough, and you see everything.