Chapter 39 Are You Aaron Gale?
It was the day before the meeting at the Kirke house, 2 days after Mr. Tyler came for an interview.
I had been cooped up in my atelier since morning, working diligently, and suddenly remembered that I had run out of ingredients for cooking around lunchtime. So, I decided to go out and buy some.
Looking back, I might have had a premonition or something.
Some 6th sense was warning me.
I quickly got ready to go out and left the house. As I walked from the narrow alley of the residential area to the main street, I couldn't help but click my tongue.
(What a pain...)
I realized it the moment I stepped out of the house.
Someone was staring at me from somewhere, with an intense gaze that wasn't malicious or sticky, but rather a piercing killing intent. It was like the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end.
They didn't seem to be hiding their killing intent or presence.
I walked out onto the busy main street and walked for a while, but the unpleasant feeling didn't go away. It was unfortunate, but the possibility of mistaken identity seemed low.
And yet, they didn't attack me in a crowded area.
They weren't simple-minded people who would attack on impulse, but rather cold-blooded killers with a clear goal. As a law-abiding citizen of Necronia, I didn't think I had any enemies who would target me like this.
The fact that I was being stared at from the moment I left the house meant that my home address had been completely revealed. At this point, I couldn't determine who the opponent was, but it was bad to go back home like this.
Worst-case scenario, they might set my house on fire while I'm sleeping, or break in and turn my home into a battlefield. I didn't want that to happen.
So, I walked away from the main street and into a less crowded alley.
As I stopped in the narrow and dark alley, the owner of the gaze appeared before me.
Three people came from the front of the alley, and 2 from the back. All of them were men in their twenties, wearing outerwear and equipped with what looked like intermediate-rank explorer gear, but... their weapons, disguised to blend in, were emitting strong magical energy reactions. Clearly, they weren't something an intermediate-rank explorer could possess.
By the way, I didn't recognize any of the men who appeared, blocking my path. They were probably strangers I'd never met before.
One of the 3 men in front of me said something that seemed to confirm my suspicions.
"――Are you Aaron Gale?"
"No, you've got the wrong person."
I answered without hesitation.
The man didn't change his expression, remaining silent for a few moments before speaking again.
"Is that so... If you're not Aaron Gale, then I apologize. But if you're lying, Aaron Gale will regret it."
"......"
This time, I was the one who fell silent.
It seemed like these men were convinced that I was Aaron Gale. That's understandable, since they'd investigated my home and must have known my face.
"I'm actually... Aaron Gale."
When I admitted it, the man replied without a hint of surprise, "I knew that."
"So, what do you want? I'm busy too, you know. Could you please get to the point?"
Well, I already knew what they wanted, but I decided to ask anyway. There was a slight possibility that I was misunderstanding.
But the man's response was unexpected.
"We have someone precious to you as a hostage. If you don't want them to be killed, come with us quietly."
"............What, did you say?"
For a moment, I couldn't understand what the man was saying.
And when I finally grasped the meaning, my eyes widened in shock.
"You mean... you've kidnapped someone precious to me?"
"That's right."
"You've kidnapped... someone precious to me?"
"That's correct."
I twisted my face in anger, glaring at the man in front of me.
I shouted at these despicable men, my anger boiling over.
"What do you plan to do with someone precious to me?! You bastards!"
"Don't worry. As long as you follow our instructions, we'll guarantee the hostage's safety."
Kidnapping and taking hostages usually meant demanding a ransom, but these men didn't seem to be after money. Still, I had to confirm.
"What's your goal? Is it money?"
"We don't need money. You'll understand our goal if you come with us."
It seems that money isn't the goal, after all. If that's the case, I can't help but feel uneasy. It would be much simpler if they just demanded a ransom in exchange for my safety... or rather, it would be a huge relief mentally.
"...If I obey you, will you let my precious person return safely?"
"Of course, I promise."
"...By the way, can I ask one more thing?"
"What is it?"
I asked the men.
It's a crucial question. An extremely crucial question.
I forced myself to speak clearly, enunciating each word carefully, despite my trembling lips.
"――――Who is my precious person, anyway?"
No, seriously, who?
Really, who?
From the perspective of a hostage situation, it's usually family or a lover. But I don't have either of those.
So, it would be someone even closer to me... but I have no idea who that person could be.
Could it be a friend... like Lion? But would they really take a strong guy like him hostage? He's a former Expert Explorer who awakened to Unique Jobs, so it's unlikely they'd use him as a hostage.
Then, could it be Lion's wife and daughters?
They're close to me, so it's possible. Especially Lion's daughters, who are like nieces to me, and I'd go all out to rescue them if they were kidnapped.
But, considering our relationship, it's unlikely they'd use them as hostages against me. Even if I'm fond of them, they're still someone else's daughters, after all. Usually, they'd choose someone closer to me as a hostage.
What other possibilities could there be?
Fiona...?
Well, she's like a half-disciple, but would they really take that violent person hostage? No way.
Then, could it be Mr. Tyler?
If he were taken hostage, I'd definitely help him, but it's a bit awkward to call him my "precious person"... I'd like to know what kind of relationship they think we have.
Are there any other people they could take hostage to control me? Well, there are some, but... I haven't seen them in years, so...
But if they've been investigating my surroundings in detail, it's possible they could manipulate our relationships through financial connections.
It's ridiculous to think that one person could donate that much money... Dammit If that's the case, I won't be able to take these guys down easily.
Considering the worst-case scenario, I can't help but get frustrated. There's no way they'd kidnap some random person and use them as a hostage.
But the guy's response to me was completely unexpected.
"Speaking of it, it's the girl from the [Four Great Families of the Seals]. That's more than enough, don't you think?"
I couldn't help but let out a sigh.
If it's a girl from the [Four Great Families of the Seals] I'm acquainted with, the only one who comes to mind is Lady Eva.
And if that's the case - if the guy's words are true - then she'd definitely be taken as a hostage against me. As a member of the [Four Great Families of the Seals], a citizen of Necronia, and an explorer with considerable power, they wouldn't hesitate to use her as leverage to get to me.
As for me, I wouldn't hesitate to take action to rescue Lady Eva.
But the phrase "someone precious to me" doesn't quite sit right.
And I have my doubts too.
(Was Lady Eva kidnapped? If so, what were these guys doing...)
I had a hunch, but now I'm 99% sure. If they're planning to kidnap someone from the [Four Great Families of the Seals] and have the organization to pull it off, there's only one possibility that comes to mind.
But if that's the case...
(What were Garon and the others doing? They should be guarding her 24/7... Were they killed? ...Could this be related to Logan's disappearance?)
With Logan gone, Lady Eva's combat power has taken a huge hit. Right now, Garon and the others from the ≪Iron Wall Alliance≫ should be guarding her, but if these guys took advantage of Logan's disappearance, it's possible they could've pulled off the kidnapping.
And if that's the case, the possibility that these guys "took care" of Logan becomes even higher...
(Wait, you're telling me I have to obey these guys? And then they'll just let Lady Eva go? That's impossible. If I follow them, it'll be a waste of time... I should just take them down, make them spit out Lady Eva's location, explain the situation to Clan and the [Four Great Families of the Seals], and then launch a rescue mission. That's the only way to ensure her safety...)
I thought that far, and I was about to draw my Black Radiance.
But these guys must have sensed my killing intent, or maybe they expected me to resist from the start. They opened their mouths to stop me.
"Let me make one thing clear: we won't hesitate to kill the hostage if we don't return within the designated time. And if you don't come with us, it'll be the same. If you're thinking of taking us down and making us talk, that's futile too. We'd rather die than betray our comrades."
"......Is that so. That's unfortunate."
Oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man!!
The way this guy's talking, it sounds like they value me more than Lady Eva. Is Lady Eva just a hostage to make me obey? The next head of the Kirke family, a candidate for the top spot?
What a joke. I've got a bad feeling about this. It's better to think I'll definitely be killed if I go with them. At least they're thinking that way.
But I can't ignore this. It's troubling...
"Do you have any proof that the hostage really exists? Or is this just a bluff?"
I'll ask one last time.
Then the guy took something out of his pocket. It was a familiar-looking armband. A Storage Ring.
But that's not proof.
Before I could even say anything, he took something else out of the Storage Ring. In an instant, a long, rod-like object appeared in his left hand. It was a magician's staff, but its design was unusual.
A massive gemstone was embedded at the tip, and the staff was made of metal.
I've only seen that once, on the 46th floor.
When we reached the 46th floor with Lady Eva and the others, the 4 people from the [Four Great Families of the Seals] who had been setting up a teleportation circle in the cave went back, carrying their matching long staves.
I heard a bit about this later, but it seems that when setting up a teleportation circle, mages need to use these matching long staves. Of course, they're not sold in stores, and their function is specialized for setting up teleportation circles, so only the [Four Great Families of the Seals] members from around the world possess them.
"...Got it."
I resigned myself to it.
"You guys go ahead."
Ugh, this is like voluntarily walking into a monster's den...
I understand, but there's no other way.
The man put his staff away in his ring and said, "Follow me," before turning his back and walking off.
I walked alongside the 5 men, following them.
* * *
We arrived at a slum that spanned the western and northern districts of Necronia.
It's something that can be said about Labyrinth City, but Necronia also has a slum. Rather, Labyrinth City's slum is bound to grow naturally.
People who come to Labyrinth City dreaming of striking it rich, and those who become explorers. Many people who come to Labyrinth City end up falling behind. As a result, many dropouts emerge, naturally forming a slum. And if their parents were explorers, it's even more tragic.
Those who suddenly lose their family's breadwinner, or children who lose both parents at once, are common tragic figures for kids whose parents are explorers.
Such people naturally lose their homes and drift into the slum, becoming vagrants. If they can't adapt to the violence, poverty, and crime, their fate is to die soon.
Here, the law is practically non-existent.
This place is always dimly lit, with a stench of decay wafting from somewhere, and it's extremely exclusive, so if one lets their guard down, they'll be dragged into the alleyway and robbed of everything, including their life.
Yet, the guys walk into this slum without hesitation.
The gazes from the street converge on us, but they scatter soon after.
It's probably because we're strong explorers that they don't see us as prey... or maybe it's because we're familiar faces. The slum dwellers don't see us as outsiders, but as part of their own group.
As I walk with the guys, I casually glance around.
(It hasn't changed, this place...)
It's been a while since I last came to this slum, but it feels like nothing has changed in my memory.
This place is overflowing with rough, untamed energy, but the scenery looks the same as ever. It's as if this place has been left behind in time.
As we venture deeper into the slum, a single, old, worn-out house comes into view, hidden at the end of a narrow alleyway.
The whole house looks like it's about to collapse, with repair marks all over it, but that's not unusual in this slum. However, the 2 men standing guard-like at the entrance, giving off an intimidating aura, are what catch my attention.
They don't say a word, only casting a brief glance at us as we approach.
I walk past them, entering the house without being stopped. I'm led to a small room on the first floor, where I find a carpet on the floor with a hidden lid embedded in it. When the guy lifts the lid, a staircase leading underground appears.
With the guy holding a lantern, we head down the dark, narrow stairs, and soon find ourselves in a small underground room.
The room, lit only by a single candle on the wall, has a woman dressed like a magician, channeling magical energy into the floor with her hands.
I can tell what she's doing without needing an explanation.
What's there is a glowing magic circle, indicating that it's active ―― probably a teleportation circle.
The teleportation circle on the ground is different from the one in the labyrinth. The ground-based teleportation circle can't be used without receiving magical energy from the outside. The woman in the underground room must have been providing the necessary magical energy.
And the teleportation circle.
The fact that it exists means their true identities are confirmed, I'm sure. My prediction was correct, but that doesn't bring me any joy.
"Get on the teleportation circle."
"......"
I get on the teleportation circle as the man prompts me.
When I, along with the 5 men who guided me here, get on together, the teleportation circle shines brighter than before ―― and immediately, I'm enveloped in a floating sensation.
The air changes.
My vision and body temperature change in an instant.
We've been teleported to an unfamiliar wilderness, with not a single artificial structure in sight. I focus my senses to detect the magical energy in the air, and it seems the magical energy density is lower than inside the labyrinth. At least, we're not inside the [God's Remains Labyrinth].
In other words, we're somewhere on the ground.
However, there wasn't a wilderness like this around Necronia, so we must have been teleported a considerable distance. Still, judging from the amount of magical energy accumulated in the teleportation circle, we shouldn't have been transported to the edge of the continent.
Using a teleportation circle outside the labyrinth is a new experience for me, but since it uses magical energy, the limit of the teleportation distance should vary depending on the amount of magical energy.
"......"
Well.
This is a vast, open wilderness.
From the moment we transferred, I've been keeping an eye on the people who were waiting for me, of course.
[Magical Energy Sense] and counting the number of people, I found that there were 25 people standing a short distance away from the teleportation circle, all dressed in explorer-like gear. If I include the guys who led me here, that makes it exactly 30 people.
Thirty people, huh? They've even taken a hostage, and it's way too many for me to handle alone. What a joke.
While I think that deep down, it's not easy to blame them honestly.
One of the explorers had a girl with a knife to her neck.
As soon as she saw me, she burst into tears and shouted loudly.
"Aaron! Please, don't abandon me!!"
I couldn't help but doubt my own eyes.
For a moment, I thought I'd been deceived by the guys, but as I dug through my memories, I quickly realized that wasn't the case. The girl wasn't Eva, but she was definitely a member of the "[Four Great Families of the Seals]".
The girl was around mid-teens, with long black hair tied up in a single braid. She wore glasses over her golden eyes, and her slightly droopy face gave off a mature atmosphere.
When I went to set up the teleportation circle on the 46th floor, she was one of the 4 mages sent from the [Four Great Families of the Seals].
――Chloe Caduceus.
That was the true identity of the hostage.
I couldn't help but mutter.
"Chloe... no, Chloe is the hostage..."
This is completely unexpected. When did Chloe become someone 'important' to me? I'm shaken by this new revelation.
...Can I go back?
There are about 30 people around, but I think I can escape if I'm alone.
What should I do? Should I do that?
――As I was half-heartedly trying to escape reality, I sensed an ominous presence, and Chloe burst into tears, shouting.
"Aaron, you're kidding me, right?! You wouldn't just abandon me, would you?! Yeah, right?! You're saying that, but you're not gonna do it, are you?!"
Nah, well...
Chloe is an important person, no doubt about it, and we're not strangers either. We haven't interacted much in the labyrinth, but I'm not heartless enough to abandon a young girl just because things didn't go as planned.
I forced a smile and said,
"Got it, got it. I'll help you, so calm down. And, Chloe, did they do anything bad to you? Are you hurt?"
"Uuuuu...for now, I'm okay, I think..."
Chloe replied, sniffling and crying.
It seems they didn't treat her roughly, so that's a relief...but, I looked around at the guys surrounding us, and wondered what to do next.
These guys...are they stronger than Judas and the others?
And on top of that, they've taken hostages...their killing intent is way too high.
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