The Guide in the Darkness (2)
"This isn't a story limited to that side alone. And with people dying, it isn't something we can just overlook."
"So?"
"If you've got any information, I'd like you to share it."
Who the criminal Ney was chasing was. On that point, of course, I already knew.
Guide Uglus.
A 5th-circle mage who used Path Wall.
He was a direct subordinate of the special-class wanted syndicate known as the Ghost Army, and one of those who belonged to the Cabal as well.
"Before I give you an answer, mind if I ask something?"
"What do you want to know?"
"The police should have people on this investigation too. Why come looking for me specifically?"
Handing over information wasn't particularly difficult. But dumping information blindly was a foolish act all the same.
In the end, the one who drove most of the story was the protagonist. No one could take Usher Hayes's place—not even me, who already knew most of what was going to unfold from here on out.
Besides, right now I was under the eye of one of the Cabal's executives, Spinel Cloverbloom. I had no intention of getting dragged into an incident without knowing why.
"That's…"
"Hard to answer?"
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of fingers drumming on the table rang out. Ney's gaze, lost in thought, wandered aimlessly for a moment. She glanced briefly at Usher standing beside her, then shot him a look and rapped his coat with her arm.
"Ah, really, there's no helping it. Usher, this is all your fault."
"Ney. We needed at least one outside collaborator for this anyway."
"Even so, the police airing internal business to outsiders—what are you thinking?"
"The time we have left isn't as long as you think. When we find a trail, uncovering even a little is the best course."
With a sigh, Ney's gaze turned toward me. Judging by her attitude, this was not something easily shared outside their ranks. Looking resigned, as if she had no choice, she began to talk about the police force.
"It feels rotten handing over police information, but since we're the ones asking for cooperation, it can't be helped."
"So you plan to drag me into this."
"That's right. It sounds ridiculous, but there's been some friction inside the force."
"There's a problem within the police?"
The head of the police was held by Ney's older brother and a standing committee member of the city, Abel Terdos. Even setting aside the Terdos family's prestige, Ney was a sufficiently intimidating parachute appointment within the force. The police wouldn't cross her over anything trivial. So her claim that friction had arisen on their side was not something easy to swallow.
"The higher-ups are strangely unmotivated about this case."
"Considering how many cases come into the police every day, I'm not sure a lack of interest in this one is that strange."
"If it stopped at that, I wouldn't be saying this. Forensic results come out late, support requests go unheard. They're deliberately ignoring the whole thing."
"There's more of a suspicious smell than I expected."
"At this rate, it wouldn't be strange if the case just got buried."
"Even with a young lady of the Terdos family moving on it?"
In the War City I'd read, the internal affairs of the police force were never laid out in detail. But I could understand why her investigation was being obstructed now. Abel Terdos's true identity. And the relationship between Abel and Ney. Thinking about those two things, it wasn't hard to accept.
Usher, who had been standing beside Ney the whole time, stepped to the front of the conversation and backed her up.
"Right. Even with Ney moving, they didn't respond."
"You seem to have a guess as to where this is coming from."
"Probably connected to Ney's family—Abel's side."
"So that's why you came to me? Because there's a limit to how much help you can get from inside the police?"
"That's the idea."
I was hearing content that never appeared in the original work, straight from Usher's mouth. The upper ranks of the police were obstructing an investigation related to the Cabal. That was why Usher and Ney had been chasing Guide Uglus alone until now.
The current police force could not be fully trusted. That was why they had made a major decision and come to find me. They hadn't come just for information on Uglus. What they needed was probably something more than that.
"You don't just want information on the culprit—you want a certain degree of cooperation in catching the suspect as well."
Help in arresting Uglus. That was what Usher Hayes wanted from us.
"You're a bounty hunter on the side as well, aren't you?"
"And you can trust our skills?"
"The guy has magic specialized for escape. Better to have just enough people to surround him properly than to pad the numbers clumsily and tip him off."
Path Wall magic. A mage using this spell could move freely, ignoring walls and terrain. In a way, it seemed like a harmless magic. But this cramped city was packed with walls and obstacles on every side. Uglus, called the Guide, was a mage with mobility superior to anyone else's when it came to urban combat. Even Usher, who used Blink, couldn't move faster than him inside buildings. Having too many people might just tip Uglus off first and let him escape.
"I agree with you on that point, at least."
"Good."
I lifted my cup and took a sip of the coffee in front of me. This incident was the catalyst that would reveal the Cabal's traces to Usher. That was why I'd intended to stay out of it as much as possible. But if Ney's side had made this kind of judgment, not stepping in would only fuel suspicion toward me. As long as the commission fee was appropriate, it was better to accept quietly.
"Then what about the fee? If we're moving people on our end as well…"
"We have no intention of paying a separate fee."
"…You're not seriously thinking that makes sense?"
At Usher's unexpected answer, I looked at him with interest. They wouldn't pay for the cooperation. Then what words did they plan to use to move me? The answer came right back.
"Instead, we'll wrap this case up as the story of you catching the wanted criminal."
"You're handing over the bounty."
"That's the cleanest method for the police and for Ney—and for you as well."
Instead of expanding the investigation on the previous incidents, the police had placed additional bounties on Uglus. Before long, the bounty on him had reached a level comparable to the average for a Class 1 wanted criminal. In place of a commission fee, they would hand over Uglus's entire bounty to us. Even while participating in Uglus's capture himself, Usher was saying he would forfeit his share of it.
"Certainly, if we bring in a wanted criminal, there's no way for the police to make an issue of it internally."
"Either way, there won't be any problems."
We could receive the bounty on Uglus, and Usher and Ney could investigate without the police finding out. A win-win strategy that benefited both sides. Looking at the proposal alone, it wasn't a bad deal. It was well worth accepting.
"I'll start with the basic information. His name is Guide Uglus. A 5th-circle mage who uses Path Wall magic."
"Dark Merchant. So you're accepting our deal?"
"However, there's a procedure that needs to be handled first before we catch him."
What I knew wasn't just his magic or his name. I knew his next destination. So to properly capture Uglus, we needed to make contact with someone before the operation.
When I brought up the conditions, Ney, who had been listening the whole time, asked me.
"A procedure? What is it?"
"All the raids so far have been nothing more than practice runs for assaulting Lesert Industries."
"Then, don't tell me…"
"Lesert's mithril processing technology. That's their real target. So it would be best to contact Lesert in advance."
Catching Uglus would take place on Lesert's grounds. Naturally, prior coordination with Lesert was necessary to proceed. At the information about Uglus's objective, Ney's face grew worried.
"But if we move that openly… the culprit will notice."
"Which is why you push it through quietly using personal connections."
"Me? I'm with the police."
"Who else is there?"
"…"
Ney's eyes moved toward Usher.
"Don't want to catch him?"
"…Fine. I'll try."