CH 174

In a simple, unadorned large room, all the window-like areas along the walls are covered with thick curtains, and numerous magical devices attached to the ceiling emit a brightness like that of midday.

In the center of the room, Canal is tied to a chair, tearfully looking at me. On her left and right, men in black suits hold magical devices that shoot debris, and dozens more similarly dressed men crowd the room. But that’s not the issue…

(What? Why hasn’t Canal been saved yet?)

From the voices I heard earlier, I thought Canal’s rescue was over, but apparently the division of roles is still valid…… Tsk, I played the decoy, so he should have taken care of it by now.

“Mm! Mm!”

Despite having a gag in her mouth, she was desperately trying to say something. One of the men standing next to her removes the gag.

“Puhah! EDDDDDDD!”

The magical device was pressed against the noisy Canal’s head. I think they shouldn’t have removed the gag in the first place, when a round, flat metal plate in the room shined and a translucent figure appeared above it.

[Hey there, thanks for coming.]

“…Who are you?”

It’s probably illusion magic. The illusion of a man sitting in a chair without a head above his neck crosses his legs in response to my words, showing off his confidence.

[Let’s see… You can call me Ghost, I guess. I’m a person who shouldn’t exist in the same place as you guys.]

“Wow, that’s quite a title. So, what does Ghost-sama want with me?”

[I’d like to ask you the same question. Your friend here is quite stubborn. Despite my subordinates interrogating her, all she would say was that she was looking for a cat and knew nothing. I was planning to use more aggressive methods to extract information if no one contacted her overnight, but… I’m glad that concern is resolved. Now that you’ve made it this far, the possibility that it was a coincidence is gone.]

“Ah…”

At Ghost’s words, I forced a bitter smile inwardly. Indeed, it’s barely possible that Canal stumbled upon their dealings or whatever while searching for a cat. However, being able to accurately pinpoint the location of the kidnapped Canal in a short time and deploy forces to help her is beyond coincidence.

In other words, coming to rescue Canal has ruled out the possibility that Canal stumbled upon them by chance. But it’s not like we could just leave her either. Considering the circumstances so far, it’s obvious that if we left her alone, she would be silenced “just in case.”

[Do you mind telling me for reference? How did you find out about this place? Who is your master with such information-gathering capabilities?]

“I’m not into showing off my hand to the enemy and bragging about it. That’s something only villains who are confident in their victory do, right? And then they self-destruct afterward.”

[I see, that’s harsh. But… aren’t you guys at the ‘brink of destruction’ right now?]

“…”

At Ghost’s words, I replied with silence. Pleased, Ghost continues talking on his own.

[You don’t know anything about me, but I’ve memorized your faces. From now on, no matter where you are or what activities you engage in, I will know everything. You won’t be able to carry out your activities as agents or even live your daily lives without my permission. So—]

“…Curon.”

Suddenly, Canal let out a word. In that faint whisper, one could easily miss if not paying attention, the ghost’s speech came to a halt.

[What?]

“Curon. You’re Curon C. Kestrel.”

[…Why do you think I’m such a famous person? There’s nothing in common between him and me—]

“I know.”

Canal’s red eyes, the same color as her hair, emitted a faint golden flame. She stared directly at the phantom man, the ghost, as if she had forgotten all tension and fear, and declared with certainty.

“Voice and holographic images can be adjusted however you like, but words are different. Your words are your will. Even if you prepare a script and have someone read it exactly as written, the words will still carry the intent of the person who spoke them.”

[……]

“Your will is unique to you. You can’t deceive or lie. Because if you do, you’ll no longer be you. You’re a famous person. That’s why I’ve had many opportunities to come across your words, your intentions. It doesn’t matter if it’s public or private, speeches or soliloquies. All of them are your intentions… and that’s why I won’t mistake you. Isn’t that right, Curon C. Kestrel?”

Deriving only one truth from information as many as the number of stars twinkling in the sky. That was the first time I saw the true worth of information hero Canal B. Caroline.

For a moment that felt like an eternity, silence ensued. It was broken by a bitter voice from the now completely immobile phantom.

[..It seems your companion is far more skilled than I anticipated. Kill them for sure.]

“Not gonna happen!”

As the phantom disappeared, the trigger of the magic device pressed against Canal’s head was about to be pulled. But I stepped in faster with the [Hermes Dash] and slashed through the fingers and magic device.

Immediately after, I sliced off the arm of the man next to her, scooped up the limp Canal, and retreated. However, more men had already blocked the entrance, and others were pointing their magic devices at us.

“Kill them!”

“Tch!”

As metal shards flew towards us, I crouched down, holding the unconscious Canal. While my [Invincible] ability made me immune to their attacks, I couldn’t retaliate while protecting Canal.

But there was no need to panic. We still had a trump card.

“Hurry up! Or I’ll throw Canal out!”

Crash!

Responding to my shout, a window shattered, and a black figure leapt in. As the enemies’ attention shifted for a moment, I moved away from Canal and began to cut down the surrounding foes.

“What?! Damn it, fire, fire!”

“I won’t let you.”

The enemies’ attacks were split between Canal and me. Naturally, Canal became defenseless, but John threw something that created a thin yellow membrane around her. Even with the popping sounds, Canal remained unharmed, so it seemed the long-range attacks could be ignored with this protection.

“What a rough way of doing things. What were you planning to do if I didn’t help?”

“But you did help, right? That’s all that matters!”

I was certain that John would save Canal. That’s why I took action, and it worked. The two of us kept defeating the enemies one after another… but suddenly, the ceiling collapsed, and a giant metal golem fell.

“Whoa!? Hey, won’t the floor collapse?!”

“Is that what you’re worried about? Well, I do agree.”

Before the gleaming metal giant, John and I took our stances with Canal behind us. It seemed that my cooperation with this man I had just met was far from over.