Reconnaissance

I analyzed the contents of the recorder, but for now I wasn’t able to obtain any useful information.

Just as I finished my work, everyone returned home after finishing their jobs at the bakery.

“Kent-san, was there any new movement?”

Marie asked me.

“Unfortunately, nothing of note today.”

“I see.”

In the end, just like lunch, we had time to spare, so I prepared dinner as well, making it a fairly elaborate meal. The five of us, including Rachel, enjoyed a slightly luxurious dinner.

The next morning, just like the day before, I retrieved the IC recorder I had planted at Etsigoya’s bakery and returned home. As usual, Marie, Caro, and Catherine began preparing to open the shop. When I immediately started analyzing the audio, this time there was movement.

“Damn it, that cursed bakery. Thanks to that place, today’s sales are in free fall. I’m giving you orders today. Go set fire to that bakery tomorrow night. It’s a shame to lose access to those ingredients, but at this rate our shop will go under. Use the same method as when you burned down the guild warehouse last time.”

“Got it. But arson’s a serious crime. I’ll need extra pay again this time.”

“You’re always thorough. Given your skills—being able to move under cover of darkness without anyone noticing—I suppose it can’t be helped. Of course, I’ll make the reward worth your while. I doubt you’ll fail, but I’ll be waiting for a good report.”

If he said “tomorrow night,” then this audio must have been recorded last night. That meant the execution date was tonight. This time, they were planning the bold move of setting Marie’s bakery on fire. On top of that, the arsonist seemed to be the same person who burned down the Bakers’ Guild warehouse last time. I absolutely wanted to capture him this time. Unlike before, it didn’t sound like a group job—based on the conversation, he was acting alone.

When school started and lunch break arrived, the usual four of us gathered behind the school building. Just like yesterday, we finished our slightly extravagant lunch and began a strategy meeting.

“There’s been movement at Etsigoya’s. We’ve confirmed that someone will come to set fire to Marie’s bakery tonight.”

“Oh my, they’ve moved straight to such a bold action,”

Josette said.

“That’s true. Big brother, what are we going to do this time?”

Rachel asked.

“Kent-san, will everything really be all right? Just thinking about the shop burning down… I don’t know what I’d do…”

Caro said anxiously.

Josette and Rachel looked amused, but Caro clearly looked worried.

“It’s fine. I’ll stop it like last time.”

“Wow, big brother, that’s so cool. I might fall for you,”

Rachel teased.

“Should I lend you the guards from my household again, like before?”

Josette asked.

“If possible, that would help a lot.”

“Very well. I’ll make the arrangements.”

Saying that, Josette gave a glance to a maid waiting a short distance away. The maid returned a signal that clearly meant she understood.

After school ended, I stopped by Etsigoya’s bakery just like the day before, swapped out the IC recorder, returned home, and analyzed the audio. Unfortunately, I couldn’t obtain any decisive information. Since the work finished sooner than expected, I began preparing countermeasures for tonight. I summoned a timer switch from my terminal—one that could automatically turn the power on and off when set—and connected it to the shop’s outlets. From there, I ran wiring and installed motion-sensor lights in multiple locations that didn’t face the main street outside. I set the timer so that power would be supplied after the shop closed. Just in case the arson succeeded, I also placed fire extinguishers in several locations. Ideally, I wanted to secure the culprit before any fire was set, but this was insurance in case our initial response was delayed. I also summoned and prepared other necessary items from my terminal.

Once everything was in place, I went inside the shop and called over everyone who was free, one by one, teaching everyone except Rachel how to use the fire extinguishers. Then closing time arrived. Marie locked up, and everyone gathered at my house.

“Kent-san, so what do we do now?”

Josette asked as she arrived with several guards. Since we already knew the crime would be committed by a single person, the number of guards was fewer than last time. I gathered everyone and explained the plan for tonight.

Late at night, when everything had gone quiet, one of the motion sensors attached to the side of the shop reacted, and part of the lighting turned on. Illuminated there was a figure dressed entirely in black. The guards stationed around the area surrounded the suspicious person all at once. We held lights in our hands and shone them directly at him while supporting the guards from the outside. With no escape route left, the suspect was restrained by the guards.

The man in black had his face covered, so we removed what he was wearing and revealed that he was a middle-aged man. We had already confiscated what he was carrying and checked his belongings. He had tools for starting fires and bottles filled with fuel—there was no doubt he was the arsonist. He was already bound with rope by the guards and taken into the shop’s dining space. The lights inside were turned on, and the usual tables and chairs had been moved to the sides, securing a reasonably wide area. A blue tarp had been laid on the floor, and the culprit was seated on an absorbent sheet. Two guards watched him closely from beside him, while the other guards were stationed outside. Inside the shop, aside from the guards, Marie, Josette, Caro, Emily, and I surrounded him from above. I had Catherine rest at home ahead of time—I didn’t want her to see what was about to happen.

“Well then… what were you planning to do, coming here with all this stuff?”

I asked.

“Hmph. Just out for a walk.”

I spoke while showing him the items he’d been carrying.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I see… very well.”

He denied knowing anything.

“You were planning to set fire to my shop, weren’t you?”

Marie said angrily.

“I don’t know.”

He flatly denied it again.

“Well, this is about what I expected. Then let’s get to the main event. Caro-san, if you would.”

At my cue, Caro took out a digital camera, set it to recording mode, and began filming.

“That’s amazing. So this records everything that’s happening right now?”

She said, filming with interest.

Meanwhile, Emily brought out something I had prepared earlier from the kitchen.

“Here you go, Master.”

“Thanks, Emily.”

I accepted it.

“Do you know what this is?”

“Like hell I do.”

I changed my tone as I spoke. The item Emily brought was a transparent glass filled with blue liquid. It was powdered juice sold at candy stores, with a laxative dissolved into it.

“There’s poison in this. Drink it, and the moisture in your body will be drained until you dry up… If you drink it now, you’ll probably be dead by morning. First, you’re going to drink this.”

Saying that, I brought the suspicious blue liquid close to him, made sure he could see it clearly, and raised it toward his mouth. Naturally, no one would willingly drink something they were told was poison. He resisted, shaking his head desperately. But the guard beside him restrained him, leaving him unable to move. I brought the glass closer. He clamped his mouth shut for a final act of resistance, so I pinched his nose. After a moment, he couldn’t breathe, his mouth opened—and in that instant, I poured the blue liquid into his mouth.

“Ghk—cough, cough!”

He choked, but the liquid had already entered his body. In reality, it was a very sweet drink, but believing it was poison, he had no room to notice that. He writhed in agony.

“How was it? Sweet, wasn’t it? That’s the taste of poison. First, the moisture will drain from below. Now then, how long do you think you can endure? Heh heh heh.”

I spoke like a villain. Beside me, out of his sight, Josette watched with a weary expression. After some time passed, the laxative began to take effect.

“Ugh…”

He groaned, struggling against the abdominal pain attacking him.

“It should be kicking in about now, right? Now then, I have the antidote here.”

I showed him a plastic container filled with ramune candy.

“Ugh… give it to me. Hurry.”

“But I refuse.”

I coldly rejected his plea.

“If you want it, how about telling us who ordered you?”

“I can’t.”

“I see. If you don’t say it, we won’t have any fun.”

At my signal, Rachel came out from the back, already changed.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, little boy.”

Rachel appeared wearing a black bondage outfit—just a costume sold as party goods. She held a whip and a lit candle designed for low temperatures.

“What meaning does that outfit have?”

Josette whispered.

“I don’t know… but it definitely gives off a suspicious vibe,”

Caro replied quietly.

“Now then, let’s begin your lesson,”

Rachel said, snapping the whip against the floor with a sharp crack.

“All right, tell us who ordered you.”

“Aah!”

Ignoring his pain, Rachel lashed him mercilessly and dripped wax from the lit candle onto him.

“Gyaaah!”

He screamed. For the record, both the whip and candle were safety-conscious items. In her previous world, Rachel used to cosplay various characters at fan conventions, so acting like this came naturally once she changed costumes.

“Come on, come on, tell us already. Ohohohoho!”

Completely into it, Rachel pressed her foot hard into his stomach.

“Stop—stop! I’ll talk, I’ll talk, so stop!”

Unable to endure Rachel’s relentless torment, he surrendered. Rachel lifted his chin with the handle of the whip.

“Good boy. Now tell us.”

“E-Etsigoya ordered me.”

“Well done. Very good. Then here’s your reward!”

“Aah!”

With one final crack of the whip, Rachel delivered his “reward.” The interrogation then passed back from Rachel to me, and she retreated to the back of the shop.

“Hahaha, how pathetic. Spilling everything over something like this. But that’s not all I want to hear.”

“Hurry… the antidote…”

I dragged things out. Judging by his condition, his stomach was in serious trouble—it looked like he was nearing his limit.

“You know about the Bakers’ Guild arson, don’t you? You did that too.”

“Ugh… that…”

When I mentioned the guild arson, his expression changed.

“I see. That look tells me everything. Here, your reward.”

I took one ramune candy from the container and tossed it into his mouth. In reality, it had no effect at all, but believing it was medicine, he immediately perked up.

“Then I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Understood.”

I handed him over to the city guards I had called in advance, and they took him away.

“I laid out the sheets just in case, but I’m glad we didn’t have to use them,”

I said in relief. Since I’d made him drink a laxative, there was always a risk. This was a food-related business, after all—I wanted to avoid that outcome if possible.

“Big brother, we did it.”

“Yeah.”

Rachel, now changed back into her usual clothes, and I high-fived.

“You really are siblings. For today at least, I don’t want to make enemies of those two,”

Josette said, exasperated.

“I was thinking the same thing,”

Caro agreed.

“Kent-san, thank you so much. Thanks to you, the shop was saved,”

Marie said sincerely.

“We did protect the shop, but the problem isn’t solved yet. The real work starts now.”

Thinking about what came next, I steeled myself.