Chapter 49

< 49. Kidnapping (2) >

"Sorry... I'm really, really sorry..."

Red Nose, who usually had a cheerful demeanor, said this with his usual attitude completely gone.

His attitude was not fake.

He was filled with guilt over Harmonica and regret over Cante.

Even though his own face was a mess.

Did he understand this? Cante maintained a calm demeanor despite his anger.

"Sorry or not is a problem for later. Tell me what happened."

Red Nose, holding his swollen face, began to speak.

"Ugh... The patrol came, and I ran down the usual side street."

"If it's a side street, it must be one only we know, right?"

"Yeah... It's hard to say, but it seemed like they knew we were coming. Maybe-"

"-Don't say something uncertain out loud. Anyway?"

"Sorry... Anyway, while I was running, a thug suddenly jumped out and hit my face with something like a club."

Red Nose pointed to his severely swollen face.

"After that... I hardly remember anything. I was too busy getting punched and kicked from all directions. But-"

"-But?"

"I remember a guy with a hat that had its brim torn off spitting on my face and stomping on my stomach."

A hat with a torn brim. Oliver thought of someone.

A beggar from the Mole Gang who had been beaten up by Cante not long ago.

Was Oliver the only one who thought of this? Murmurs spread among the beggars.

"Isn't it the Mole?"

"No way... With Cante here?"

"Maybe they planned it."

"Nah... They were humiliated the last time they tried."

"But they could be holding a grudge, right?"

"Yeah, they've grown in numbers and are making a lot of money now..."

The unease grew as they exchanged stories, soon turning into fear.

More than worrying about Harmonica, the fear that they might suffer the same fate began to rise.

Except for Cante.

"Everyone, calm down... Red Nose, how long have you been kidnapped?"

"Ugh... Four hours?"

A long time if you think it's long, a short time if you think it's short.

Unlike the flustered beggars, Cante made a quick decision.

"Even if they kidnapped a kid, they couldn't have gone far in that time. King Punch, gather the kids. We'll start looking right away."

At that moment, a beggar spoke up.

"Are you going to look for them?"

"Of course. It's one of our gang."

"But if it's the Mole, wouldn't it be better to confront them?"

"If it could be solved by confrontation, it wouldn't have happened in the first place. We'll deal with that later. Right now, finding Harmonica is the priority. If we can't find Harmonica, they'll keep denying it... Damn bastards."

Cante looked very angry.

Though he appeared calm, he was deeply enraged by Harmonica's kidnapping.

Thanks to this, no one dared to argue with Cante.

Except for King Punch.

"Hey, Cante... I don't think it's a good idea for everyone to go look for Harmonica."

"What?"

"Isn't that right? If we take all the kids, who will protect this place?"

"..."

"Even if it's an overreaction, they could attack us while we're gone, right?"

This vague unease began to turn into definite fear.

Everyone knew that the Mole Gang was continuously expanding.

"Hey, Cante... King Punch's words don't seem entirely wrong..."

"Kid, calm down first..."

"Calm down... Don't you all know the rumors? What happens to kids kidnapped by the Mole? They get mutilated and might be sold as slaves... Are you saying we should just sit here? We've been living off the money this kid earned..."

"That's true, but..."

People couldn't say anything more.

Even the indifferent Oliver understood what they were trying to say.

They were more worried about their own safety than about Harmonica.

Well, that's a natural and understandable reaction.

What was hard to understand was Cante's attitude, wanting to save Harmonica and take care of them.

It was very frustrating and incomprehensible... However, because of this, there was something different in Oliver's eyes.

Similar to a paladin but also different.

While Oliver was observing, King Punch offered his opinion.

"Then, Cante, how about leaving most of the kids here and going with me?"

"What?"

"Honestly, Cante, you can't just stand by, right? So, let's go together... In the end, it's better to have a few capable people rather than a lot of people."

To Cante, who was struggling with internal conflict, King Punch's suggestion was like a breath of fresh air, and he immediately accepted it.

The others felt uneasy about Cante leaving, but knowing his character, no one said anything.

Just as Cante and King Punch were about to leave, Oliver raised his hand.

"What?"

"Um... Can I go with you?"

"You?"

"Yes, I won't be much help here anyway. If it's okay, I'd like to go with you."

"What the hell... You'll just be in the way. Leave you here."

King Punch, who was trying to join, was directly contradicted by Oliver.

"If you take me, I will definitely be of help."

"Definitely? Kid, you might be good at something, but this is different. Don't say things you can't do. Understand your place while you can."

"Fine, come with us."

Cante, who had been quietly observing, suddenly spoke.

King Punch, surprised, tried to argue, but Cante ignored him.

"Anyway, what's the problem with taking one more person? Just remember, this isn't a trip. If you get in the way, I won't hesitate."

"Yes, I won't let that happen."

Oliver's determination made Cante nod, and King Punch frowned.

Cante said,

"Alright, let's go."

***

Oliver arrived at the side street where Red Nose was beaten up, along with Cante and King Punch.

They soon found bloodstains, indicating that the attack likely happened here.

The splattered blood revealed the intensity of the violence, but a moment of confusion arose.

The people who kidnapped Harmonica and beat up Red Nose without hesitation didn't kill Red Nose.

Given the level of violence, they didn't seem like people who would hold back...

Oliver looked at King Punch.

Was this situation somehow related to his snake-like emotions?

"There's no clear trail here, Cante. Did you find anything?"

"No... Wait! I found Harmonica."

Cante picked up Harmonica, who was lying in a corner.

He was momentarily pleased to find a clue but quickly became angry again when he realized it was just that.

"But there's nothing else."

"Look at this."

King Punch pointed to a gap between buildings.

It was covered in dirt and dust, and there were footprints that seemed to have been there for a long time.

"They were waiting here... This mark looks like a club leaning against the ground... Could there be a traitor in our gang?"

Cante's emotions were subtly illuminated.

He seemed shocked but also as if he had expected it.

"Planned and targeted... Huh. Any other clues?"

"I'm sorry, but that's all. Drag marks or more bloodstains..."

"Hey, Cante..."

"What is it, Oliver?"

"Can I see that Harmonica?"

Cante looked at Oliver strangely but eventually handed over Harmonica.

Oliver took Harmonica and moved a bit away, pretending to look for clues.

In reality, he was extracting emotions with a test tube.

[Sensitive Nose]

Oliver used the extracted emotions to cast a black magic spell on himself.

His sense of smell became stronger, and he had to close his eyes tightly to deal with the intense smell.

The pungent odor, a mix of urine, feces, rotten food, sweat, and dust, hit him like a punch to the head.

Recalling the black magic Dominic used in the past,

It seemed that disease-related black magic was very taxing on the body, as written in the book.

Oliver rubbed his throbbing nose and head while sniffing Harmonica.

The child's strong scent permeated the harmonica.

Sniff, sniff

Oliver sniffed like a dog.

The intense smell was tormenting his nose, but eventually, he could detect the faint scent of Harmonica among the tangled odors.

He was lucky. A little more, and it would have disappeared completely.

"What are you doing?"

Cante asked, seeing Oliver sniffing the air.

"I found it. Follow me."

"What?"

"I found Harmonica. Will you follow me?"

Oliver ran forward.

He also wanted to prevent unnecessary questions from Cante, but the scent was also fading.

Fortunately, Cante sensed something was off and followed Oliver without a word.

King Punch, running up in a hurry, asked,

"Where are we going now?"

"Harmonica's trail."

"That kid?"

"Yeah, that kid."

"Are you-"

"-We can argue later. Let's chase them. We don't have any other good options right now."

Cante, interrupting King Punch, limped and ran.

Sniff, sniff

While sniffing, Oliver suddenly stopped in front of a large trash can on the side street.

The huge trash can was disgustingly dirty.

Its surface was rusted in places, and it was covered in sticky, smelly black slime, making even beggars hesitant to approach.

It felt like someone had deliberately made it this way.

Oliver tried to open the lid of the trash can.

It was rusted and wouldn't open easily, but Cante, who had caught up, helped without hesitation.

With a terrifying creak, the lid opened.

The inside was even worse.

The foul smell and sticky black slime were everywhere.

"Ugh... This is too much."

Cante, covering his nose, was disgusted.

For Oliver, whose sense of smell was enhanced by Sensitive Nose, it was even more terrifying.

It felt like a punch to the head, but Oliver still entered the trash can.

A thread of Harmonica's scent remained amidst the foul smell.

After entering the trash can, Oliver squatted and searched the floor.

He dipped his hands into the sticky, slimy substance.

King Punch shouted in a hurry.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Click!

Oliver pulled something hidden deep in the floor.

With that, the bottom of the trash can opened, revealing a secret passage large enough for an adult to enter.

"Harmonica seems to be down there. Probably other kids too."