Chapter 66

Detective Loiman had said everyone was clean, but that only meant they hadn't committed the murder; he was still suspicious of their potential involvement as accomplices.

If I tried to move the boat, I would surely be arrested immediately.

The security job would, of course, be canceled.

I'm worried about the reward, but compared to being accused of murder, it's a minor issue.

I don't know if it's scientific investigation or a famous detective's reasoning, but I hope they catch the culprit soon.

Since I have nothing to do, I was sitting in a lounge-like area, drinking a carbonated drink and watching TV when an unfamiliar woman approached me.

"Is it okay if I sit next to you?"

"...Sure."

She was a beautiful woman with a sexy vibe, and she didn't seem to be a mercenary.

I instantly went into alert mode.

For a beauty like her to approach me, it could only be a sales pitch or a honey trap.

Then the woman suddenly spoke to me.

"Hey, can you lend me your boat?"

"...No. You know the situation we're in, right?"

I didn't understand what she was saying at first, but I managed to respond.

"Because... I want to see the mystery show happening over there. The detective might be handsome, you know?"

She had a seductive expression.

Does she not understand that going to see it means leaving this colony and being suspected as an accomplice?

No, that's not it.

She is likely an accomplice to the murderer.

She must have infiltrated somehow, either at the time of the attack or before, and sneaked into the target's room during the chaos.

And for some reason, she can't use her own boat, so she chose a random person, someone who would lend it to a beauty like her, and approached me.

"Anyway, I won't lend you the boat. If you really want to go, why don't you ask the detective?"

When I refused, she looked displeased and said loudly,

"Fine, forget it. You're just a piece of trash for not fulfilling a cute girl's whim! Ugh, so gross!"

The people around us were divided into three groups:

Those who were far away and only heard the last line, thinking it was natural for a weirdo to be like that, and were chuckling.

Those who were nearby and heard the woman's conversation, frowning and thinking she was crazy.

And those who were indifferent, drinking non-alcoholic canned beer.

The beer drinkers were mainly Bernard, Molly, and Dan.

"That woman is crazy, right? I'm not a fan of celebrities, so I'm not interested."

"She's pretty shady. Probably not the perpetrator, though."

"Mercenaries won't just lend their boats. That lady doesn't know much about mercenaries."

While enjoying non-alcoholic beer, squid tentacle skewers, and peanuts, the three of them chatted casually.

I should report this to the detective.

To avoid any awkwardness later.

When I asked a staff member, Detective Loiman was found right away.

"I see. Suspicious indeed. She was probably trying to deceive you because she had some trouble with her escape plan..."

He was holding a can of coffee and struggling with some video documents.

"But if that's the case, wouldn't it be better for her to just steal the boat without deceiving me?"

"If she didn't have the skills to unlock the boat, deceiving you would be more reliable."

It makes sense; if she couldn't unlock the boat, she would need to deceive me.

"Thank you for the information. I think we're close to identifying the culprit, so please bear with us a little longer."

Detective Loiman scratched his head and bowed apologetically.

When I returned to my room, I remembered that I had finished reading the light novel I brought.

If I stayed on the boat, I wouldn't have such troubles, but I might be suspected of trying to escape, so I decided against it.

Even if I just went to get it, I would definitely be suspected, so I approached the boat management staff before heading to the boat.

There, the woman from earlier was there, pointing a gun at me.

Why do I keep getting guns pointed at me lately?

"What do you want? I don't have much cash."

"Hand over the boat."

I raised my hands to show I didn't have cash, but of course, that's not what she wanted.

"I already said no."

I repeated what I said earlier, and she started talking.

"Isn't the world unfair these days?"

She began to rant.

"The empire has annexed many countries with its military power, creating a clear class system of royalty, nobility, imperial citizens, and colonists.

Especially the nobility and royalty are the worst. They've done all sorts of despicable things.

Haven't you suffered at their hands too?

When it comes to beautiful women or handsome men, they can only think with their lower halves.

The noble who was killed this time was quite radical among the anti-emperor faction.

We managed to get rid of such a person! Don't you think it's a great victory? Help the hero!

Let's bring down the justice hammer on the royalty, nobility, and imperial citizens who have been tormenting us!"

She seemed to be drunk on her own words, but she was clearly involved in the independence movement.

"I understand that you've suffered at the hands of the nobility. I've had my share of troubles too.

My father was framed by a noble's son for embezzlement and ended up in debt.

But I have no complaints with the current emperor, so I can't lend you the boat."

When I gave my honest opinion, she looked incredulous.

"Why not!? If we get rid of the royalty, nobility, and imperial citizens, we won't have to suffer anymore!"

"Even if they're gone, similar people will just take their place."

For example, the gap between the rich and the poor, or whether someone was a revolutionary or not.

Of course, this wasn't the answer she wanted.

"Fine. I don't want to be comrades with a creep like you anyway."

She looked at me as if I were a dirty object, and I could see her hand tighten on the gun.

"But I don't want to die. Here, the key to my boat!"

I threw the boat's ignition key at her.

As she was distracted by it, I aimed my heat ray gun at her hand and pulled the trigger.

"Ah!"

Taking advantage of her dropping the gun, I retrieved the key and tackled her, aiming at her legs and pulling the trigger again.

"Ugh!"

My heat ray gun is set to low power, so her hand and leg weren't blown off.

Still, it must have been very painful, and she collapsed on the floor, unable to move.

After retrieving her gun, I pointed my heat ray gun at her.

"Sorry, but I'm a mercenary, so I can handle basic situations like this."

I'm seriously considering what to do with the mob characters...

I appreciate any feedback, comments, or typo reports.