Chapter 31
Ran's residence was located in the residential district inside the outer wall.
Ran grasped the doorknob of the front door, then let go. His hand returned to his side.
"...?"
He took a few steps back as if he had seen something beyond the door.
Wide paths stretched both to the sides and behind him. Ran stood in the middle of them. The street, shrouded in twilight, was dark.
Clack, clack.
The sound of hoofbeats that had begun from afar gradually drew near. It seemed to be coming this way. The horseshoes striking the stone pavement sounded almost pitiful in their cautious rhythm.
Ssssh.
Ran didn't bother to look. He lit a cigarette. Soon, a horse pulling a cart with small bells dangling from its harness plodded past. The old man riding atop was nodding off.
"Hoo."
The sound faded away with the smoke. Only then did Ran glance at the back of the cart. The old horse was vanishing into the darkness as if being swallowed up.
Jingle.
The bell rang once.
Ran's senses went on high alert.
Jingle.
A second time.
Ran dropped his cigarette to the ground.
'They've completely concealed their presence.'
They were no ordinary talents.
The surroundings were quiet. The bell's chiming must have been a signal. Ran only moved his eyes, scanning all directions.
The mouth of the alley was enshrouded in pitch blackness.
'Are these the ones who raided the camp? But why me?'
He kept thinking, analyzing the situation.
'Those who are after Zima and me.'
His list of possibilities narrowed.
First, people who might hold a grudge against Zima.
But Zima wasn't the type to leave behind loose ends. Nor was Ran, for that matter.
Next, people who wanted Emma.
'The Emperor, Gordon. And Bern.'
Zima had mentioned them, warning him not to trust anyone. From the moment Zima started talking nonsense about family being the only thing to rely on, Ran paid him less mind.
'The Emperor wouldn't go through all this trouble. Gordon is a cautious man; he wouldn't make such a gamble.'
Even while deducing, the enemies lurking nearby did not reveal themselves. Either they were patient, or they had some scheme in mind.
'Bern must think I'll help Zima and is trying to take action.'
Just as Bern knew Ran well, Ran knew Bern too. Special Unit Commander Bern was methodical in everything. Once someone was defined as an enemy, Bern never underestimated them.
He was a man who'd climbed from the bottom to the top of the Special Unit. Whenever Ran faced him, he always felt that Bern stood on the complete opposite side.
They had only one thing in common.
'A man completely devoid of affection.'
The enemy did not move to the end. Ran was getting annoyed. There was no response from the darkness at the edge of his vision. The street looked empty.
'Maybe it's that wide spaces are disadvantageous.'
He turned and walked along the main road.
Eventually, he stopped at the entrance to a back alley.
Evening had passed, and dusk had deepened.
The alley was filled with old, mismatched buildings haphazardly crowding together, so moonlight shone only sporadically across the back alleys. The disordered streets looked even more sinister.
Ran disappeared into the gloom.
'Damn it!'
Liam, the mercenary captain, was pursuing Ran at the front. Pulling his mask down to his chin, he let out an excited breath.
Another mercenary came up to him, sweat pouring down his face.
"Captain! Why are we being so cautious? The target is just one guy!"
"Shut up. Felix emphasized again and again that we must never let our guard down. If we fight him in an open area, who knows what trick he might pull."
Liam was a seasoned mercenary, and he had a close relationship with Felix, who had assigned this job. They operated in different fields now, but in their youth, they had belonged to the same organization.
'Felix is a clever bastard.'
He had always been one step ahead of impending danger, even close brushes with death. Thanks to Felix, Liam had survived more than once. Felix's insight was beyond doubt.
"He's trying to lure us in. Move in pairs. Enter all entrances at the same time."
Liam had fought at the front during the civil war as a mercenary. He'd learned not only swordplay but also tactics. He'd developed a sharp eye for judging his opponent.
'He's no ordinary guy.'
The fact that the target had sensed their presence was impressive by itself. The Liam Mercenary Company specialized in infiltration and assassination, with a wealth of wartime experience making them unrivaled in their field.
This was the first time an operation had gone awry from the start.
'So, he's not just an inquisitor in name only?'
Liam measured the length of his own shadow on the ground, leaned against a wall, and signaled to a subordinate across from him. He pulled his mask up over his nose.
The subordinate given the signal went in first.
Crunch!
Liam's eyes widened. Goosebumps broke out all over. As soon as his subordinate entered, a commotion erupted inside.
"This way—!"
The target was just one person. Felix had insisted they had to avoid drawing attention. With things as they were, though, that was out of the question.
He signaled to the other teams entering from different directions and threw himself around the corner.
It was pitch dark, with no light. Visibility was poor, but the sense of death was palpable.
Vrrrm!
Liam lowered his stance even more, tilting his dagger in various angles to fend off sudden assaults. His back grew increasingly damp.
'Heh, heh. It's been a while since I felt this kind of tension.'
He was reacting to even the faintest breeze. Using all his strength, he twisted his body's direction. As his pupils adapted to the darkness, he could make out the outlines of the surroundings.
'Steke?!'
He saw a subordinate's corpse sprawled across the floor. He grit his teeth.
"...!"
It wasn't the only thing he saw.
A woman was approaching from afar. There was a faint light on her side. As they became aware of each other's presence, the woman reacted first.
Thud.
She stopped in her tracks and dropped the bundle she was carrying. She saw the corpse and the masked man holding a knife.
"Uh, uh...?"
"Shh! Quiet!"
The woman froze on the spot, unable even to scream. Her trembling hand flew to cover her mouth.
Liam held a palm out to the woman, trying to reassure her.
But it wasn't because he let his guard down—even for a split second.
Crunch!
The world spun halfway around. Liam thought the woman had leapt aside. All strength drained from his body, and suddenly he couldn't breathe.
'W—when did he...?'
Consciousness faded.
"Hoo."
Ran exhaled sharply. He kicked aside Liam's body, which lay collapsed at his feet.
"Ah, ah?!"
At last, the woman saw Ran and plopped down in place.
Ran put a finger to his lips, signaling silence, and quickly left.
'I can't go back to the house.'
His legs moved quickly, but he didn't really know where to go. His only thought was to get away.
Ran merged into the city streets. People were still out at night. Blending naturally among them, he caught his breath.
Not knowing who the real enemy was—this was the problem. That Bern had orchestrated the ambush was only speculation. Ran had accumulated too much karma during his time as an inquisitor.
Anyone could become his enemy.
"Mad Dog Ran."
The words came from behind.
Ran turned his head calmly. A stranger, as unfamiliar as the voice, was standing there.
"And you are?"
"Surely you haven't forgotten me? If that's really the case, I'd be rather disappointed."
It wasn't that he didn't recognize the man. He just needed to calmly analyze why he was appearing here.
"Inquisitor Felix. How could I not recognize the famous tracker?"
"Oh? So the rumors aren't exaggerated. Quite composed for someone so young. Not an easy thing to keep your cool in a situation like this."
"What do you mean?"
"Just as I say, Mad Dog Ran. It's time for you to come quietly now."
A dull noise came from all directions. At some point, uniformed Special Unit members began to appear one by one, calmly encircling him. Masked inquisitors, those not dispatched on the expedition, were there too.
"What's this about? It hasn't even been a day since I returned from the expedition."
"Well, to be honest—I'm not sure myself."
Ran frowned at the unexpected response. Felix genuinely looked stumped.
"I'm as curious as you are. What on earth have you been up to? Well, doesn't matter to me. I'm just following orders."
Two burly Special Unit soldiers stood close to Ran. They weren't acting threatening. They too seemed reluctant to cause a major scene.
"Let's go. Maybe things will be cleared up once we're there?"
Both played dumb.
Felix put even more effort into it.
'He took down Liam? Shit, this guy's a monster.'
Bern had said to just bring Ran in quietly. Said there was no reason to leave room for suspicion from the start. Felix had boasted he could handle it quietly, but Bern had clearly been right.
"Is this on the commander's orders?"
"That's right."
Felix didn't even have time to feel frustration or disappointment. Even he thought highly of Liam's competence. What could have happened inside had him burning with curiosity.
'So it was Bern.'
Ran pretended to go along quietly. His initial guess had been correct. Bern was after the vessel. No other reason fit.
'It's better this way—at least the enemy is clear.'
Now he was certain. Ran quickly counted the number of Special Unit members and inquisitors surrounding him—about a dozen or so. It might be tough, but it wasn't impossible to overpower them.
But rampaging here would mean losing any chance to get close to Bern. It was better to play along, and if things went awry, kill Bern then.
* * *
Today, the chill was especially biting. The occasional screams stabbed sharply at his eardrums.
When they reached the underground torture chamber, only Felix and three inquisitors remained, walking in a formation that kept Ran surrounded.
Ran spoke to Felix's back as he led the way.
"Are you planning to torture me?"
"I'd rather not. Killing you would be simpler. The commander just told me to bring you down here."
"How long have you been so friendly with the commander?"
"Friendly? What do you mean?"
"The expedition was quite long. I wondered if something happened during that time."
"Hm, well. I'd be lying if I said nothing happened. Why don't you see for yourself?"
Ran's brow twitched. Felix headed for the high-security suite.
It was called the high-security suite because only the most dangerous individuals were imprisoned here. The stench of blood was especially strong.
Boom.
Felix opened the heavy iron door.
As soon as he saw what was inside, Ran caught his breath.
"Oh, Ran. At last, you're here."
Bern waved his hand. He was seated opposite a woman bound in chains.
Ran hid his tremors. He barely managed to move, following Felix inside. Inquisitors who hadn't participated in the expedition were lined up inside the suite, encircling the room. They made way for Felix as he passed.
"..."
Zima was there as well, sitting beside Bern with his arms crossed. For an instant, Ran met Zima's cold, expressionless eyes.
"Ran!"
Peco, who was standing behind Zima, called out urgently. Unusual for him, his mask was off, and he looked anxious.
"Sorry about this, Ran."
Bern placed a hand on Ran's shoulder. Ran looked at him out of the corner of his eye, before his gaze returned to the woman.
'... Zilla.'
Chains affixed to the ceiling and walls held her limbs tightly. Each time she squirmed, they clanged harshly.
Her face was so swollen it was almost impossible to recognize her features. Her clothes, reduced to rags, were soaked in blood.
Suddenly, Ran's first meeting with Zilla flashed across his mind. She had been so terribly broken that it seemed impossible to ever go back to those days.
"Do you recognize this woman?"
Bern asked in a languid voice. At the same time, Ran felt the sharp gazes of the inquisitors filling the room. Unspoken hostility coiled around him.
Just then, Zilla raised her head. Her dying eyes stared at Ran.
"My, my. What is that supposed to be?"
Ran turned his head aside, using his finger to point at Zilla's crotch.
Zilla had wet herself.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Did Zilla get trumatized by Ran?
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】