kscans

Chapter 137 - Infiltration and an Unlucky Man.

Our infiltration preparations were complete.

Specifically, we had stealthy clothing and small backpacks filled with tools I'd bought on Earth that were perfect for infiltration. They were originally meant for crime prevention or self-defense, but they were ideal for this situation. I also had a kodachi at my side. As for my outfit, I was dressed in a black ninja uniform from head to toe. The material clung to my skin, and for footwear, I had tabi socks with cotton-padded soles to muffle my footsteps. A hood covered my head, and a mask concealed the lower half of my face. It was the perfect disguise.

I turned to Tina beside me. "Hey, Tina? Are you sure you’re okay with that?"

In response to my question, she said, "This was the only decent infiltration suit they had. Besides, it’s easy to move in. I quite like it."

She moved her body to demonstrate.

It certainly looked easy to move in, but her getup… it was a full-body black rubber suit. A cloth was wrapped around her chest, a belt with a small pouch sat at her waist, and her feet were clad in the same cotton-padded soles as mine. She wore simple black gauntlets and greaves, a black mask and scarf, and her hair was tied back short so it wouldn't get in the way. In a word, her outfit was erotic.

It was reminiscent of some female ninja from a certain series.

"Well, if you like it, I guess it’s fine," I said. "Alright, let’s review the plan. The objective is to rescue Altorine. Depending on the situation, we may also act to resolve this incident. If she’s imprisoned, it’s likely in the area known as the prison block. We don’t know which cell she’s in, so we’ll have to search them one by one."

I reiterated the plan we had discussed during the day. In situations like this, caution and speed were crucial. The plan was crude, but it was better than nothing.

"It’s a shame we didn’t have time to investigate," Tina said. "But given that something might be happening to her, we’re racing against the clock. So…"

Tina waited for my command. I nodded.

"Let’s go."

We began to move silently.

The only light came from torches, and tonight the moon was hidden behind clouds. It was the perfect opportunity.

Before us stood a three-meter-high wall. In each hand, I held a palm-sized suction cup designed for lifting glass. I pressed them against the wall and pulled the levers, and they stuck fast. After confirming they wouldn't come off, I began to climb. I attached and detached them, left, right, alternating my way to the top of the wall.

The other side of the wall was a grassy field, with a two-story facility beyond it. The windows were too small for a person to fit through. It was definitely a prison. But for such a place, there were no guards.

Wondering if they were watching from somewhere, I scanned the area carefully, but there was no one. It felt strange, but I wasn't about to pass up this chance. I dropped a rope down to Tina, then began to descend the other side of the wall. Using the suction cups, I rappelled down and then jumped from a certain height. I made a little noise, but no one came.

I drove a rope stake deep into the ground, confirmed it was secure, and tied the rope to it. After a while, Tina climbed up. On the other side, she was driving a stake into the ground just as I had taught her. Our escape route was secured.

Landing beside me, Tina remarked, "Earth has so many convenient tools. This outfit, for example. You can get just about anything there." She sounded impressed.

Well, she wasn't wrong. Our outfits were purchased from a certain cosplay shop. You couldn't find spy gear in a regular store; you'd have to go to a specialty shop like that one. And indeed, that shop had an incredible variety of cosplay outfits.

They had costumes from anime, of course, but also medieval and Japanese-style ninja attire—anything you could want. The tools I bought at a camping and hardware store. Infiltration tools needed to be sturdy and durable, and I couldn't think of a better place to find them.

We began to move silently.

There were two guards at the door, so we couldn't get in that way. Instead, I moved to a less visible spot and activated `Detection`. There were several red dots inside the building, but none nearby. I used `Matter Conversion` to turn a section of the wall to iron and created an opening.

Inside was a storage room. After confirming there was no danger, I sealed the wall. A gaping hole would obviously give us away. I opened the door and scanned the surroundings. `Detection` had already told me no one was there, but I had to be extra cautious. In a game, if you're spotted, the alert level goes down after a while and things return to normal. Reality wasn't like that. If we were seen even once, they'd go on high alert, and we'd be completely pinned down. I took a deep breath and began the search.

The hallway was completely dark. There were doors, but the signs indicated they were the dining hall and a nap room. As we walked down the hall, we found a directory. According to it, the prison block was in the center of the facility. That saved us the trouble of wasting time searching aimlessly.

We walked for several minutes, heading for the center while using `Detection`.

When we spotted patrolling soldiers, we hid behind nearby doors or inside barrels, moving just like in a spy movie.

Eventually, we reached a sturdy door.

I activated `Analysis` to determine the shape of the key and then created one with `Matter Conversion`.

Opening it revealed a corridor lined with cells. I could faintly hear the sound of breathing. This was the prison block. If Altorine was here, she'd be in one of these cells or in an interrogation or torture room.

As we walked past the cells...

"Hmm? Is someone there?"

We’d been spotted.

But the voice came from one of the cells. A prisoner had woken up.

We tried to ignore him and move on.

"W-wait. Are you here to rescue me? I knew it! God does love me! Salvation is at hand!"

He was getting carried away with some misunderstanding.

When I looked at him, his face seemed familiar.

Tina whispered, "Look, it’s him. The, um… ah, the man who started the riot at the Church."

It came back to me. Ah, that nuisance from back then. The one whose luck was so good that even the knights had to back off.

The man continued, "What are you whispering about? Let me out. We don’t have time to dawdle, you know?" he grumbled, arms crossed.

He was so arrogant I felt like killing him right there, but his corpse would alert them to an intruder. Still, I couldn’t just leave him.

As I wondered what to do, Tina said, "My sincerest apologies. We will let you out at once." She bowed her head slightly.

While I stood there surprised, the man said, "Hmph, you seem to have some manners. In that case, I will forgive that man's rudeness. Now hurry and open this cell."

His words dripped with malice.

As I reached for my kodachi, Tina stopped me. "Leave this to me," she whispered.

It seemed she had a plan. I decided to stay quiet and watch.

"However," Tina said, "if you escape now, the soldiers will spot you. I believe we should intentionally let a high-profile prisoner escape to create a diversion. We can flee in the chaos."

To this suggestion, the man replied, "A brilliant idea! I concur!" He was overjoyed.

Tina pressed on. "In that case, the most conspicuous high-profile prisoner would be Knight Commander Altorine, who was recently incarcerated. Do you happen to know where she is?"

The man answered readily. "I see, I see. Using that woman is an excellent plan. If I recall, they took her to the interrogation room and she never came out. There’s an iron door deeper inside. That’s the interrogation room. Now, let me out first."

I understood Tina's intent. "Alright, I’ll open it now," I said. "Oh? There seems to be something written on your face. It’s too dark to see. Could you come closer?"

At my words, the man asked, "What’s written on my face?" and moved closer to the bars.

I pulled a stun gun from my pack and pressed it to his neck. The man groaned and collapsed, unconscious.

"Well done," Tina said, sounding pleased. "You understood what I was trying to do."

"He was the one who'd been here the longest and had the loosest lips, so his information was reliable. That's what you were thinking, right?"

In response, Tina gave me a thumbs-up.

Fooled by our little act, he'd blabbed everything we wanted to know before being knocked out. An unlucky fellow, indeed. It seemed his luck from before had run out. We moved silently toward the door at the back.

We stood before the door. It was unlocked. Cautiously, we opened it.

Inside, we saw numerous instruments of torture. This wasn't an interrogation room; it was a torture chamber. It reminded me of the witch hunts of the Middle Ages.

Looking around, we spotted Altorine, bound to a rack, breathing heavily and completely exhausted. There was a pool of water beneath her. Seeing her condition, I immediately knew what it was.

This scene was right up my alley. A female knight, unable to move, and in full armor, no less. I felt a heat rising in my lower body.

"Shinsuke," Tina hissed. "Rescuing her is the top priority right now." Despite her whisper, I could feel the immense anger in her voice.

I snapped out of it and approached Altorine. "Are you okay? It’s me, Shinsuke."

Altorine slowly lifted her head. "Shin… Shinsuke? Why…?"

Before she could finish, I said, "I made a promise, didn’t I? That I’d help as much as I could."

At my words, a single tear trickled from Altorine’s eye.

Tina, pouting slightly, said, "Let’s get her down quickly. It looks like it’s operated by a lever behind the rack." She pulled the lever down.

The restraints were released, and Altorine collapsed forward. I was standing almost directly in front of her, so I caught her.

"Shinsuke… I…" Altorine said, her face flushed as she tried to say something.

I couldn't help but swallow hard.

"Alright, Altorine," Tina said, "I’ll carry you. Come here." She forcefully pulled Altorine away from me, her voice laced with considerable anger.

Now held by Tina, Altorine pointed a finger. "Over… there… the antidote…"

On the table was a vial of green liquid. I handed it to Tina, who gave it to Altorine to drink.

A short while later, Altorine’s composure returned.