Chapter 49: Kidnapping (2)
“I-I’m sorry... really, I’m so sorry…” said Red Nose, his usual cheerful demeanor nowhere to be seen.
His apology wasn’t fake.
He was filled with guilt about Harmonica and regret toward Kent.
Even his own face was a mess.
Perhaps Kent understood his feelings because, despite his anger, he maintained a calm demeanor.
“Whether you're sorry or not, that’s a problem for later. Tell me what happened.”
Red Nose held his swollen face and began to speak.
“Ugh… the authorities showed up, so I ran down our usual back alley.”
“The back alley only we know about, right?”
“Yeah... I hate to say this, but it felt like they knew we were coming. Maybe—”
“—Don’t say anything you're not sure of. What happened next?”
“Sorry... Anyway, while I was running, a thug jumped out and hit me in the face with something like a club.”
Red Nose pointed to the swollen side of his face.
“After that... I barely remember anything. Fists and kicks came at me from all directions. I was too busy trying to dodge them. But—”
“But?”
“I do remember that, while they were dragging Harmonica away, a guy wearing a fedora with a torn brim spat in my face and stomped on my stomach.”
A fedora with a torn brim. Oliver immediately thought of someone.
It was the beggar from the Mole Faction who Kent had beaten up not long ago.
Apparently, Oliver wasn’t the only one with that thought, as murmurs rose around them.
“Wasn’t that Mole?”
“No way... with Kent here?”
“Maybe they’re going all out this time.”
“Come on... they got humiliated last time they tried.”
“Still, they could hold a grudge.”
“Yeah, they’ve got more people now, and I hear they’ve been making good money too…”
As the conversation continued, a feeling of unease spread, eventually turning into fear.
Soon enough, people were more worried about facing the same fate as Harmonica than about his kidnapping.
Everyone, except for Kent.
“Calm down, all of you... Red Nose, how long has it been since the kidnapping?”
“Ugh... Three, maybe four hours?”
Not long, but not short either.
Unlike the panicking beggars, Kent quickly made a decision.
“Even if they did kidnap him, it’s only been a few hours, so they can’t have taken him far. King Fist, gather the boys. We’re going to find him.”
Just then, one of the beggars spoke up.
“You’re going to search for him?”
“Of course. He’s one of our own.”
“But... wouldn’t it be better to confront Mole? I mean, if they really did it...”
“If confronting them would solve it, they wouldn’t have done it in the first place. We’ll confront them later. Right now, finding Harmonica is the priority. If we don’t find him, they’ll just keep playing dumb... those bastards.”
Kent looked furious. On the surface, he appeared calm, but his anger over Harmonica’s kidnapping was evident.
No one dared challenge him, except King Fist.
“Hey, Kent… I don’t think it’s a great idea for all of us to go looking for Harmonica.”
“...What?”
“Think about it. If we take everyone with us, who’s going to protect this place?”
“....”
“I know I might be overthinking it, but what if they attack us here while we’re all gone?”
This time, the faint anxiety began to turn into real fear.
Everyone knew Mole had been expanding his influence.
“Hey, Kent... King Fist might have a point.”
“Let’s just calm down for a second…”
“Calm down? You’ve all heard the rumors, right? About what happens to kids Mole kidnaps? Their bodies get mutilated, and who knows if they get sold off as slaves... Are you saying we should just sit around and do nothing? That kid’s the reason we’ve all been eating!”
“Well, that’s true, but...”
No one could argue further.
Even Oliver, who was usually indifferent, could guess what they were thinking.
They were more worried about their own safety than about Harmonica’s fate.
It was a natural reaction.
What was hard to understand, though, was Kent’s determination to save Harmonica and keep everyone else safe.
It was frustrating and puzzling... yet, something about Kent struck Oliver as different.
It was similar to a Holy Knight, but also not quite the same.
As Oliver observed, King Fist spoke up again.
“Kent, how about this? Most of the guys stay here, and you and I go look for Harmonica.”
“What?”
“Let’s be honest, you wouldn’t be able to just sit around, right? So, why don’t we go, just the two of us? Bringing too many people wouldn’t help anyway. It’s better to take those who know what they’re doing.”
King Fist’s suggestion was like a lifeline to Kent, who had been struggling with indecision. He accepted it immediately.
Though the others felt uneasy about Kent leaving, they knew him well enough not to argue.
As Kent and King Fist prepared to leave, Oliver raised his hand.
“...What is it?”
“Um… could I come along?”
“You?”
“Yes, I wouldn’t be much help if I stayed here, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to go with you.”
“What the hell... You’d only get in the way. Just leave him here,” King Fist cut in.
Oliver firmly refuted him.
“If you take me, I can definitely help.”
“Definitely help? Kid, I know you’ve got some skills, but this is different. Don’t say things you can’t back up. Know your place before I lose my temper.”
“Fine, come along,” said Kent suddenly.
King Fist, surprised, was about to object, but Kent ignored him.
“...One more person won’t make a difference. But this isn’t a game. Get in the way, and you’ll regret it.”
“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Kent nodded at Oliver’s assurance, while King Fist scowled.
“Alright, let’s go.”
...
Oliver arrived at the back alley where Red Nose had been attacked, along with Kent and King Fist.
Before long, they found bloodstains, suggesting this was the spot of the ambush.
The scattered blood hinted at the level of violence, but something seemed strange.
These people had kidnapped Harmonica and beaten Red Nose mercilessly, yet hadn’t killed him.
Judging by the severity of the attack, these weren’t the kind of people who held back...
Oliver glanced at King Fist, wondering if the situation had anything to do with his twisted emotions.
“Nothing here. Kent, did you find anything?”
“No... Ah! I found Harmonica,” Kent said, picking up a harmonica from the corner.
He was momentarily pleased to find a trace, but that joy was short-lived as there were no other clues.
“Besides this, nothing.”
“Look here.”
King Fist pointed between two buildings.
There was dust and dirt everywhere, but there were footprints, likely from someone who had been waiting there for some time.
“Looks like someone was lying in wait... This mark here, it seems they rested a club on the ground... Could we have a traitor in the Beggar Faction?”
Kent’s face reflected a mix of shock and suspicion, as though he had half-expected it.
“They set us up… Damn it… Any other signs?”
“Sorry, but no. No drag marks or blood trails...”
“Kent…”
“What is it, Oliver?”
“If it’s alright, may I take a look at that harmonica?”
Kent shot him a strange look but handed over the harmonica.
Oliver took it and moved to a more secluded spot, pretending to search for clues while discreetly extracting emotions with a vial.
[Sensitive Nose]
Oliver used the extracted emotions to cast black magic on himself.
His sense of smell heightened, and an overwhelming stench hit him, forcing him to shut his eyes tightly.
The familiar stench of urine, decay, rotting food, sweat, and dust blended into one overpowering assault on his senses.
It reminded him of the disease-type black magic Dominique had once used, as described in books.
Clearly, such magic took a toll on the body.
Rubbing his aching nose and head, Oliver focused on the scent coming from the harmonica.
The child’s scent was still embedded in it.
Sniff— Sniff—
Oliver sniffed the air like a dog.
Despite the nauseating smells, he managed to catch the faint scent of Harmonica, which was slowly fading.
He was lucky. A bit longer, and it would have disappeared completely.
“What are you doing?” Kent asked, watching Oliver sniff the air.
“I found him. Follow me.”
“What?”
“I’ve found Harmonica. Please follow me.”
Without waiting for more questions, Oliver bolted ahead.
He wasn’t just avoiding unnecessary questioning—Harmonica’s scent was starting to disappear.
Luckily, Kent sensed something was off and followed without a word.
King Fist hurried after them, shouting.
“W-Where are we going?”
“He says he found Harmonica.”
“That kid?”
“Yes, that kid.”
“Are you serious—”
“—Save your questions for later. Let’s catch up. We don’t have any other leads right now, do we?” Kent cut him off, limping as he ran.
Sniff— Sniff—
Oliver, following the scent, stopped in front of a large trash bin in the alley.
The bin was unusually filthy.
Its surface was rusted in several spots, and a sticky black substance coated it, so foul that even beggars would avoid it.
It almost seemed deliberately made to be that disgusting.
Oliver tried to lift the lid of the bin.
The rusted lid wouldn’t budge easily, but Kent helped without asking any questions.
With a loud screech, the bin opened.
Inside, the sight was even worse.
An unbearable stench and black sticky substance covered everything inside.
“Wow... That’s bad,” Kent muttered, holding his nose.
For Oliver, with his heightened senses, it was unbearable.
It felt like a hammer pounding his head, but despite the stench, he climbed into the bin.
Amidst the horrible smell, Harmonica’s scent was still faintly there.
Inside the bin, Oliver crouched and started feeling around the floor.
He dug his hands into the slimy, sticky muck.
“What the hell are you doing...” King Fist shouted.
-Clang!
Oliver pulled something hidden from deep within the bin.
The bottom of the bin opened, revealing a secret passage large enough for an adult to fit through.
“Harmonica and the other kids... they’re probably down there.”