Chapter 68 The Plan Commences

“I have an idea. One that you’re probably going to hit me for suggesting,” he told her while looking her straight in the eyes.

The sapphire-eyed girl gulped, “What is it?”

There had been a clear discrepancy in their plan, if it could be called that, which he had only noticed earlier.

The idea is to stop Oswell’s trafficking, but how’s that going to happen if we’re just waiting out here to beat him down? Can we really trust that he’s going to lead us back to his operation, and not right into some sort of ambush? Or just run away? He thought.

As he looked at the girl, he gave it to her straight, “I need you to get taken away by Oswell.”

“Huh…?” Reno looked at him.

“–” He was quiet.

Reno squinted at him, “Ya were right. I do kinda want to punch you right now.”

“I know you don’t like it,” he said.

“Oh, ya think?” Reno replied sarcastically.

“You want to make sure there are no more abductions, right?” He asked, “You don’t want to live in fear of this guy snooping around selling kids, don’t you?”

This question definitely hit the girl deep as she fell quiet with her lips parted, only able to nod as she was silent for a moment.

Above them, the sun was beginning to fully set, nearing the veil of night soon enough.

“I do–of course I do! That’s the whole plan! Why do I have to be taken away for that, though?!” Reno asked.

“How do you think we’re going to find his base?” He asked.

“Beat it outta him,” Reno said.

“No.”

“No?” Reno repeated.

He shook his head, “People like Oswell are the worst-of-the-worst. If there’s even the slimmest chance they can hold onto their riches, they’ll take it. He probably has friends in this city–people he’ll lead us right into if we give him the opportunity.”

It seemed the girl was starting to catch on as she squinted at him for a moment before looking forward, folding her arms over her chest.

“…So, ya want him to take me to this place so you can ambush it yourself?” She asked.

“Yeah, that’s pretty much it…I know it isn’t pleasant, and pretty scary, but–”

“I’ll do it,” Reno interrupted him.

“Huh? Really?” He looked at her in surprise.

Reno held a small, but resolved smirk, “…This’ll bring that guy down, won’t it?”

“Yeah,” he nodded.

“Plus…he’s surely got boatloads of money at this base, doesn’t he?” Reno said.

–Just then, he figured out quite a large motivator for the girl: money. Though he was relieved she found something to motivate herself for this task.

“Alright…” He said, “I’ll keep myself hidden and trail behind so just…”

“Play my part?” Reno asked.

“Play your part,” he nodded.

–

It was a plan that he hated himself for having to come up with, but it was the best shot at bringing down the terrible, underworld establishment that Oswell was running.

As night came and the shining stars shined down from the sky, he had already hidden himself around the corner, watching from behind a shrub while Reno sat in her shack.

Please…Please, let this go right, he wished.

Soon enough, footsteps were audible, approaching the shack as he watched from his hidden position.

It was him.

The darkly-dressed adventurer, wearing his jet-black goatee and his shaggy, black hair that had a streak of gray through the middle, formed from his years into adulthood.

Oswell…He thought.

Seeing him again, there was an anger that bubbled up inside of him just from the sight of the main, but he composed himself, watching the corrupt adventurer approach the shack with a sleazy smile.

One way or another, that man was sure he was getting his money–whether it was direct payment or otherwise.

“You’d better have my payment in there, Reno,” Oswell said, announcing his arrival.

The man knelt down in front of the dingy shack, poking the structure that looked hardly stable enough to fight a calm breeze.

“You’re in there, right?” Oswell asked.

Just as the man brushed the tattered curtains that served as a door to the side with his black glove, the girl popped out.

“–I’m here…” Reno said.

“Yes you are,” Oswell said with a sleazy smile, returning to his feet, “–The question is: is your payment here, too?”

Of course, that question wasn’t met with a satisfactory answer from the young, slum-dwelling girl as she began to sweat, averting her gaze, “…No.”

It was spoken quietly enough that the middle-aged man dressed in an expensive, black-and-silver coat didn’t catch it as he leaned closer.

“What was that? I didn’t quite catch that,” Oswell asked.

“I said I don’t have the money…!” Reno told him.

Oswell’s expression contorted into one devoid of any benevolence, “Oh. That’s too bad, then. You do remember what our deal was, right?”

“–” Reno looked down.

Though this was obviously a negative thing, Oswell didn’t seem angered by the girl’s lack of coins, in fact, he seemed glad to have a reason to take her away.

“You know what happens now, don’t you?” Oswell asked.

“Yeah,” Reno mumbled.

“Hmm…” Oswell looked down at the girl.

Oswell glanced around, forcing the boy hiding in the bush to duck down away from the man’s speculative gaze.

The man with salt-and-pepper hair seemed suspicious as he glanced around, checking around the girl’s shack before he stared down at the sapphire-eyed thief, “…You’re not planning anything stupid, aren’t you?”

“–” Reno kept quiet.

“Those low-life thugs you were hanging around surely got the message before,” Oswell said, “You wouldn’t do something idiotic like trying to ambush me, right?”

There was something dreadful about the way the man inspected the situation, seeming to sniff out trouble in the air.

Reno slowly shook her head, noticeably trembling in the presence of the corrupt adventurer.

“Well then. It’s time to go for a walk, then,” Oswell said.

“I–”

As Reno looked up to try and say something, the man struck her behind the head with his balled fist, hitting her hard enough for the girl to instantly lose consciousness.

“–!”

He immediately moved, having to stop himself from yelling and jumping out from his spot of hiding after witnessing the ruthless act.

Control yourself, idiot…! He told himself.

A bundle of rope was taken out from a pouch attached to the man’s belt, used to bind the girl before he also bound her mouth with more string.

Oswell seemed to have heard the brief, infinitesimal rustling of the bush as the man glanced around with his dark, unflinching eyes before lifting the unconscious girl up and hoisting her over his shoulder.

As the man took his leave from the area with the girl slung over his shoulder, he quietly tiptoed away from his spot in the bushes, beginning to follow behind the man from a safe distance.

…This is such a risky plan! I really didn’t give this much thought, did I? He thought.