kscans

Chapter 122 - A Dangerous Topic

Episode 90: A Dangerous Topic

The incident had apparently occurred just after we entered the dungeon.

The Turohorse headquarters, located in the mountains of Saitama Prefecture, was a building with the appearance of a Western castle, completely surrounded by a high wall.

Suddenly, a large amount of smoke erupted from the rear gate.

It was later discovered that the smoke came from smoke bombs, the kind you could buy at a Dungeon Store. I'd seen Erina-san use one before.

By using a large number of them at once, the area around the rear gate was completely enveloped in smoke. What's more, it seemed they had been modified somehow, as the smoke was a shocking pink color.

Then, a voice was heard shouting.

'It's poison gas! Magically created poison gas!'

Naturally, the Turohorse staff in charge of security panicked. Even though Awakened Persons had a strong resistance to poison, magic was a different story.

Awakened who could use wind or healing magic quickly gathered, but they were then attacked by a horde of 'shadowy, wolf-shaped familiars.'

Although the organization had many adventurers, not all of them were accustomed to brawls outside of a dungeon.

As a result, the double whammy of 'poison gas' and 'an assault' threw the site into utter chaos. Just as they lost all semblance of control, a fire broke out in the nearby 'settlement of non-Awakened individuals undergoing Awakening training.'

Apparently, the mysterious assailants had set fire to the houses. On top of that, they set off multiple firecrackers near the headquarters to create the illusion of gunfire. With their vision obscured by smoke and the word 'assault' on their minds, the staff panicked and barricaded themselves inside the headquarters, assuming a defensive posture.

Determined not to let a single mouse in, the members of Turohorse solidified their defenses. However, no further attacks were made on the building.

The assailants' true targets were the non-Awakened people in the settlement.

Three of Turohorse's large cargo trucks were stolen, and 68 residents were loaded onto them and abducted.

There were reports that some of the residents had been forced to drive by the assailants, and their whereabouts remain unknown.

Furthermore, it was reported that over 50 Turohorse staff members were injured by the wolf-shaped familiars—likely a result of the attackers' skills. The few Awakened Persons in the settlement also suffered serious injuries, such as broken limbs.

...That was the 'unofficial' version of events.

Officially—or rather, Turohorse itself—was refusing all interviews.

The reason such detailed information was circulating was that an 'anonymous' source had sent it to multiple media outlets and both pro- and anti-Awakened online streamers. As proof, they had included photos of the smoking Turohorse headquarters and the burning settlement.

What's more, as soon as the attackers left, multiple media outlets descended upon the Turohorse headquarters for an interview. Turohorse made no attempt to pursue the attackers; instead, they focused all their efforts on preventing the media from getting close to the settlement or the headquarters.

...There was no doubt about it. These attackers were the anonymous source.

On their official website, Turohorse merely stated that it was 'just a fire.' Numerous speculations were flying around online.

"Looks like something pretty big happened."

"Yeah... Still, for Turohorse to keep the media out of not just the headquarters but the settlement too..."

"Nine times out of ten, they've got something in there they don't want anyone to see," Aira-san muttered through the earring.

"Even if they were just trying to protect the personal information of the remaining residents, their response is far too extreme. Above all, it doesn't explain why they're keeping even the police and firefighters out of the settlement. A fire did happen, after all. They likely have evidence of some kind of illegal business."

"Isn't it a bit much to say that based on speculation alone...?"

"Ah, you're right. It's not good, is it? And the mysterious attackers likely leaked the information for this very reason. To plant seeds of doubt in those who read the articles and to delay any pursuit from Turohorse. Judging by the large number of people they abducted, this wasn't the work of a single individual."

"That's for sure."

Multiple assailants. They were undoubtedly acting as an organized group.

They must have executed a meticulously crafted plan. They might have even had collaborators within the settlement.

Surely it wasn't a case of 'We just did it on a whim with some smoke bombs we happened to have☆'... right?

If that were the case, what kind of barbarian horde were they?

"But if their illegal business or the dark rumors online are true, do you think the reporters there will be okay?"

"Who knows. But if I were a leader or executive at Turohorse, I would make it clear that they should avoid getting physical as much as possible. Though I wouldn't grant any interviews."

"And why is that?"

"Because I'd want to avoid the risk of getting the police any more involved. If a reporter went missing at this point, it would finally trigger a formal investigation. The names of the 68 abducted individuals have been leaked online, but there's no proof they were taken. However, if a reporter doesn't return, their family could file a missing person report."

"I see. They don't want to escalate it from a simple fire into a full-blown 'incident'."

"Exactly. Of course, if a reporter tried to force their way to the heart of the matter, they'd have to use forceful measures, but... with Turohorse's strength, they could probably drive them off with magic without causing injury."

"That's true. There are things like warding barriers to keep people away, or magic that creates illusions."

There might be Awakened reporters or streamers who could break through even those, but there was no end to thinking about such possibilities.

Besides, I'd heard that Turohorse had many powerful Awakened members. They should have high-level non-lethal measures at their disposal.

"But this... it's probably multiple culprits. A lot of them, right? If it's an organization, couldn't this escalate into an armed conflict with Turohorse, like a civil war...?"

"It's possible. Goodness, what a dangerous world we live in. And the safety of the 68 abducted people is still unknown."

"Yeah..."

I didn't know the exact number of people in Turohorse, but I was sure it was in the triple digits.

And now there was another organization that might be able to go toe-to-toe with them. If all of them were 'combat-capable Awakened,' it would be a war.

It might be conceited of me, but I think I could take on an armored vehicle head-on and win.

I believe I'm one of the stronger Awakened, but there's always someone stronger. If people like that fought to the death with all their might, the collateral damage would be unimaginable.

Furthermore, while Turohorse was plagued by nasty rumors, it was also an organization that would cause problems if its members were all arrested at once.

They served as a check against anti-Awakened groups, but they also focused on dungeon-clearing. If they suddenly disappeared, it could hinder the culling operations in various places...

"Hmm. I don't really get it, but I think the people who were taken are probably fine."

"Huh?"

Erina-san's words made me turn to look at her.

"Do you have some basis for that...?"

"Because the people who did this didn't kill anyone."

"...?"

"If their goal was to abduct people, it would've been smoother to kill a few guards rather than just use smoke bombs. And if they wanted a war, they would've killed a lot of people right from the start. So, I don't think they really wanted any bloodshed."

I blinked at Erina-san, who stated her opinion so matter-of-factly.

It didn't seem like the typical posturing of a chuunibyou... she was speaking in a way that was almost unnaturally natural.

...So this is what a master-level chuunibyou looks like.

"So, yeah. The attackers are a virtuous ninja clan! I bet they're protecting the people they took in a secret ninja village!"

"Putting Erina-san's comment aside, do you think these attackers will hit Turohorse again?"

"Probably. These assailants are no fools. Knowing that their opponent will eventually retaliate, they wouldn't be foolish enough to go on the defensive. If you're going to strike, you strike decisively. They seem to be the type to choose their methods carefully, but not the type to hold back."

"...Erina-san. Don't you dare get involved in this out of curiosity. I'm not kidding, I'm serious."

"Okay~!"

"And Aira-san. That group that was trying to recruit Mia-san... what was its name again?"

"Are you referring to Arisida? You mean to warn me about them, I presume, but they vanished as soon as they found out Mia was under our family's protection. It's unsettling, but there's likely no immediate threat."

"I see..."

"But that doesn't mean I'm not fully prepared to use that as an excuse to live with her... or rather, cohabitate!"

"It'd definitely be fun if you lived with us too, Senpai!"

"Ah, yes."

The sheer liveliness... or in their case, sheer loudness... made me slightly concerned for Professor Arisugawa's stomach.

Then again, was she the type to get an ulcer over something like this...? I had a feeling she'd be more likely to take charge like a teacher on a school trip.

"I know! Why don't you come live with us too, Kyou-chan? We still have a spare room!"

Erina-san turned to me with incredibly earnest eyes. I replied with a smile.

"Are you trying to kill me?"

"Why?!"

Throwing a single high school boy who isn't even a boyfriend into a space full of beautiful women... are you a sadist?

Reality isn't like an eromanga or a light novel. It's just endlessly awkward.

And if, by some one-in-a-million chance... which there isn't... but if I were to make a move, I'd be beaten to a pulp in an instant. Both physically and socially. What is this, a test of my self-control? Is this hell?

"Wait a minute. Confining Kyou-chan-kun and having him research with Sana-kun 24/7 might be a good idea...!"

"It's not."

"Let's stay up all night playing games and eating snacks! And have a pillow fight!"

"Professor Arisugawa will definitely come scold us in the middle of that. Seriously."

"Living under one roof with a beauty like myself does carry the risk of Kyou-chan-kun turning into a beast... but wait, this virgin, socially awkward, cowardly boy should be fine, right?"

"I might not attack you sexually, but I might attack you to crack your skull open."

"That's a physical threat to my safety!"

"Paisen! I'll teach you how to catch a sword with your bare hands later!"

"Help me before that happens."

"Practice makes perfect, you know!"

"Someone! Help me!"

"You have two choices, Aira-san. Me, or Erina-san."

"Alright, then. I'm not leaving baba-sama's side today."

Tch. Even I would hesitate to slam my fist on Aira-san's head right in front of Professor Arisugawa.

"Besides, I just got an email from baba-sama..."

"Yeah?"

"She said inviting you over tonight for decryption work is a no-go because you'd get home late and it would bother your family... pien. Honestly, is baba-sama saying there are things more important than research! And she calls herself a researcher!"

"Looks like you dodged a bullet."

"Baba-sama. Right now, I'm keenly aware of something more important than research. My own life."

I could almost feel an imaginary Professor Arisugawa nodding in agreement.

As we continued our silly conversation, the bus rumbled on.

But still, who were these attackers, really? I hoped, as Erina-san said, that they weren't people who would do terrible things to those they'd kidnapped.

Above all, I had to make sure I didn't get caught up in the conflict between them and Turohorse.

Life is precious. I may be an adventurer, but I don't enjoy danger.

But, well.

Public safety might get worse from here on out. I need to put more effort into 'self-defense.'

For now, I guess I'll have to go back to the 'Artificial Spirit's Dungeon' and restock on those stones...