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* tap * * tap *
The sound of footsteps echoed through the empty hallway as Reo followed by Ardian behind him was walking. At this time, the two of them had just arrived at the Hunter Association Office after Reo received a call from Reki which gave him shocking news.
The news about Amami being killed in his cell room with his body still tightly bound.
'Why did this suddenly happen right after I just left there. ' thought Reo with a flat expression.
While Ardian, who was still wearing his casual clothes, also didn't seem to know what was going on at the moment, his two eyes glanced at Reo who was walking in front of him while remembering his conversation with Reo before they left for the association office.
*
"Huh? What are you talking about right now Sleepyhead? What drugs are you on?" Reo said, raising his eyebrows.
Hearing the tone of disbelief behind Reo's words, Reki said in a hoarse voice, it was clear that he was starting to lose his cool.
[Like I said just now, Amami Nakamura, he has been killed in his cell with his entire body still bound by iron chains. ]
Hearing the confirmation from Reki, Reo fell silent. He couldn't stop thinking, because he just met Amami a few hours ago and now he's been killed.
"How could he just be killed like that? What about the surveillance camera footage, didn't anyone suspicious enter the cell after I left?"
[I will explain it in detail here with Matsumoto-san and the others, so can you come here right now? ]
Reo who heard that glanced at Ardian and Iris who seemed to be focusing their attention on him before saying.
"Okay, don't start before I come, tell the old man to wait."
[Err ... I will-. ]
And before Reki could finish his words, Reo immediately cut off the call and looked at his smartphone screen.
"What's wrong? You look annoyed like that?" Said Iris, who started to stand up and took the tray. Iris's voice immediately brought Reo away from his reverie, he then turned around and smiled at her.
"Do I really look like that, now?" Said Reo with a sweet smile, but Iris who saw that just sighed before starting to walk out.
"Then, I'll go to my room. Don't forget to lock the door when you leave." She said, Iris then immediately walked out of the room and left Reo and Ardian alone there.
"What's wrong?" Ardian asked.
"Uncle, it is sudden but can you come with me to the Japanese Hunter Association office?"
"Well, I don't mind because I'm currently on my day off, but what's the problem? And why should I come with you?" Ardian asked.
After hearing the 'yes' answer from Ardian, Reo then started typing something on his smartphone before he said.
"I will explain the problem on the way, for now you just need to know that this problem has something to do with the Magic Pump that I found in the Dungeon previously."
Hearing that, Ardian widened his eyes.
"Then what are you waiting for, let's go. Where is your car?" Said Ardian while packing his belongings, because he was planning to leave it there.
"I think I should really buy a car from my first salary as a Hunter tomorrow ..." he muttered softly, but Ardian could hear it.
"Huh?"
Reo then looked at Ardian before saying innocently.
"Well, I don't have a car so let's go to the station and get on the train to go to Asakusa."
*
Back to the real time, Ardian was still following Reo and walking behind him. He had heard most of the stories about the massacres and treachery committed by Amami. Likewise with the connection with the Magic Pump that Reo found in Anaceen's body.
Although the relationship is still unclear, it is clear that Amami has a connection with Anaceen's presence.
'So this second Magic Pump he found inside the body of a monster, then is it really possible that the magic pump isn't a man-made thing as I thought initially?' Ardian thought, but after he thought further, he shook his head.
'No, I also need to think about the hypothesis that Reo has. Because there is a possibility that Amami herself gave the Magic Pump to Anaceen, but why? '
However, when Ardian was busy in his thoughts. They finally arrived at a large door that was patterned in gold. Without hesitation, Reo immediately opened the door and went inside.
* fuut *
And when the two of them entered, several people were seen sitting on the soft black sofa at the end of the room. It was a fairly large room with dozens of glass windows offering views of downtown Tokyo.
Upon seeing Reo and Ardian, the people who had been sitting there immediately focused their attention on them. A total of 6 people were there, namely Goto Ryuji and Hanekawa who stood behind him, Matsumoto and his secretary, Riko who was also standing behind, then Reki and a woman who Reo didn't know.
Reki who saw Reo immediately stood up from his chair.
"Ah Shirogami-san, you've finally arrived and also, I guess I told you to come alone, so ..."
However, when he saw a red haired figure standing behind Reo. Reki widened his eyes ...
"Y ... Y ... You are... The Chairman of Indonesian Hunter Association, Mr. Ardian Reynaldi."
Everyone also looked surprised by Ardian's sudden appearance, there was only one thing on their mind.
'What's a Hunter Association Chairman from another country like him doing here? '
Matsumoto and Goto who were sitting there were then seen standing up and trying to greet Ardian. But Ardian had greeted them first.
"Good afternoon everyone, sorry for my sudden visit, but I came to this place to accompany my little friend here." Ardian said, glancing at Reo who had a flat expression beside him.
However, Reo, regardless of manners, sat on the sofa and crossed his legs.
"Forget about that, quickly explain the situation to me right now, Sleepyhead."
Seeing Reo's attitude, Riko looked displeased but Goto and Matsumoto didn't seem to mind and started greeting Ardian before they sat back down. Since the beginning, Reo didn't care about Matsumoto and the others at all, he came here just to meet Reki, that's all.
Reki who saw Reo's attitude could only sweat.
'What is this kid really thinking? ' But because the others didn't seem to mind Reo's attitude, Reki immediately returned to his seat, as well as Ardian who immediately sat on Reo's left side.
Reki glanced at Ardian, he did not understand what his purpose to this place was. Is it okay to tell a private state matter like this to an outsider.
He then glanced at Matsumoto, who just nodded calmly, as if he could read what Reki was currently thinking.
"Uhum, so ... how about we just start the meeting ..." But before he could finish his words, Reki stopped when he saw the unknown woman sitting beside Reo began to approach him with interested eyes.
"He ~, so you named Shirogami Reo ... I've heard a few things about you."
The woman is seen wearing casual clothes, she has short Bob hair that extends to the nape of her neck, her gaze is sharp when she looks at Reo, and there is a beautymark in the form of a mole under her lips.
She exudes a maternal aura around her even though she can still be considered too young to bear that title.
"My name is Izumi, I heard that you saw the incindent directly, how about you tell me ... in private." Izumi said with a sensual tone, which caught everyone's attention.
However, Reo who was approached by her aggressively only said with a deadpan expression.
"I came here to hear the story, not the other way around."
And without saying anything else, Reo immediately glanced at Reki. Meanwhile, Matsumoto who saw that could only hold back his laughter and whispered to Izumi next to him.
"Heh, looks like your charms didn't work out this time, little girl."
Izumi, who had returned to her seat as before, regained her attitude and just smiled.
After the atmosphere returned to normal, Reki opened his mouth again.
"Then, let's start discussing the matter this time."
"As you already know, Amami Nakamura, the criminal Hunter who killed almost all of his teammates in the Dungeon was killed in his cell 2 hours ago. At 11:12 am to be precise."
Reki put on a serious expression and started showing the last photo of Amami's body that was lying helplessly in his cell to everyone.
"This ..."
"The cause of death is not known with certainty, but after a team of forensic doctors examined the body. They found some damage to the nervous system to the brain, heart valves, and various other complications," said Reki.
"Huh, what do you mean? Isn't it obvious that this was caused by an internal disease that was suffered by him?" Said Goto with a stoic expression.
Reki shook his head.
"He has absolutely no history of such ailments before, after all with the body of a Hunter, it is very unlikely that he will suffer from such an unrelated disease."
"Which means, the damage to Scout-san's organs was caused by magic from outside." Interrupted Reo and Reki nodded.
"Then what about surveillance cameras and the association's other security systems? Is this building you manage so easy for a criminal to infiltrate, old man?"
Hearing Reo's words, Matsumoto just shrugged his shoulders. Reki is the one who answered Reo's question.
"It's a shame but parts of the Asakusa area experienced a power outage a few minutes after you left earlier, and that's when the culprit started taking action."
Hearing that, everyone could only put on a serious expression. Izumi, who was just silent before, finally opened her mouth.
"Too crazy to call all this a coincidence, isn't it? To the point, Reki and I gathered all of you here because we believe that you are not the traitor." Izumi said, crossing her legs elegantly.
She then glanced at Ardian, smiling faintly.
"Although I didn't expect the presence of someone like you at all, Redhead Ardian. I guess we have some business to do."
"It's an honor to meet the former chairman of the Japanese Hunter association like you, Izumi Sato-san." Ardian said with a smile which immediately made Reo beside him surprised in pikachu face.
"Uh, the former chairman of the Association? But isn't it old man ..."
Seeing the confused Reo, Izumi opened her mouth.
"Sounds strange doesn't it? But it is true. I was the first head of the Japanese Hunter Association. I heard you only came to Japan six years ago so of course you don't know these kinds of things. But Japan had a split in the early days after the formation of the Hunter Association, well Its the same case for any other country around the world. "
"While when his country was divided like that, this old man was even busy nominating himself to become one of the top brass in the Central Hunter Association, can you imagine how selfish he is?" Izumi said, smiling mischievously.
Makes Reo glance at Matsumoto with a mocking look.
"Old donkey never changes huh."
"Oi, Oi, you two insult me in my own office like this. I could just call security to kick you out, you know. ."
The tense atmosphere that enveloped in the room previously slowly disappeared even though everyone was still being serious. Goto then said while crossing his arms.
"But why are you so sure that all of us here are not traitors? Maybe it was me or even this boy who killed Amami, this is not like you, Izumi." Said Goto, looking at Reo with a serious gaze. Meanwhile Reo also wanted to hear the answer directly from Izumi.
"You are right… even allowing the higher-ups of associations from other countries to find out about our country's personal matters like this, but there is no harm in doing that because I have the feeling that something like this doesn't just happen in Japan. Am I right, Ardian? "asked Izumi.
Ardian who heard that nodded, when he heard Izumi's words, he immediately remembered the death of one of Indonesia's S-Rank Hunter, who was included in the evacuation team during the disaster six years ago, Tiara. She was found mysteriously dead in her apartment in Jakarta a few days after the incident.
"Besides, I have known Ardian before, so he might be able to help us in this matter." Izumi said.
Reki nodded before he returned to continue his explanation.
"In that case, the motive of the perpetrator is clear. He wanted to get rid of the testimony Amami had, and it worked, in the end we couldn't find out anything about the person behind all this."
"And obviously the culprit is waiting for the right time to do it, which is during the monthly power cuts. We don't have anything like a magic camera or some shit like that, so we really missed it at this point. Even Amami's cell guard didn't notice anyone get in there at all. "
"To find out about the Magic Association building system like that, it is obvious that the culprit is someone from within the association, a mouse who is probably still mingling in this building right now. " said Reki.
The atmosphere then returned to silence after Reki said this.
"Because of that, I gather all of you here to ask your opinion. Incidents like this will probably continue to happen in the future, if the perpetrator's motive is to lose the people's trust in the Hunter Association, then it will be very dangerous. Not only japan, but the whole world will be affected. "said Reki.
"You're right, we can't let something like this happen a second time. But as you think, even for someone like me, there's nothing I can do. We can't just carry out an inspection because it would cause unnecessary panic. "Matsumoto said, taking a sip of the cup of tea that has been served on the table.
Everyone fell silent when they heard that. Even Reo couldn't deny that fact, maybe among the people in the room right now, only he and Ardian knew about Amami's connection with the Magic Pump.
However, everyone cannot just turn a blind eye to a problem that has the potential to become a global problem like this.
"Um, you are right sir ... Therefore, I would like to request permission from you to access the Association's database, to re-check the data for hunters all over Japan. Whether it's hunters who are still active or inactive."
However, suddenly Reo opened his mouth.
"Hey Sleepyhead, you're currently talking as if you were the culprit, you know?"
"Do you feel a single lie behind my words?" Said Reki without changing his expression at all. Their eyes met each other for a few seconds, before Matsumoto coughed.
"Uhum, that's enough, you don't need to look at each other like that. I trust you, Reki." Said Matsumoto, which made everyone including Reo surprised by his decision.
"Uh, you just believe in him? On what basis? Don't make blunders because you rely too much on your trust, old man. Because, I've met someone who died because of that," said Reo with a flat expression.
But Matsumoto only smiled.
"You don't understand at all, huh. Trust is not something that can be had by only one party, it is a mutual feeling. A good leader must be able to give a trust to his subordinates, and vice versa. Do you understand, boy ? "
"..." Hearing that Reo fell silent. Trust wasn't something he was familiar with, so he didn't know how to answer that question.
"Thank you, sir." Reki bowed his head respectfully to Matsumoto, while he just stood and stared at everyone.
"Then, I don't think I have anything to say anymore here. I've missed my lunch time because of this problem, so I'll go first," said Matsumoto. He then glanced at Ardian.
"Sorry for not being able to greet you properly, Ardian-dono. You can call me any time if you have needs in Japan."
Ardian who saw that also stood up and shook hands with Matsumoto.
"With pleasure."
1
Then, Matsumoto and Riko started walking out of the room. Followed by Reki, Goto and Hanekawa who also left afterwards, leaving Reo, Ardian, and Izumi in the room.
Reki immediately left because he wanted to immediately check the Association's database, and he said he would report any suspicious things to Reo and the others.
"What do you think Reo-kun, who is the mastermind behind all this?" Asked Izumi, taking a sip of her tea.
"I do not know, this meeting did not yield any results," said Reo, flipping through the documents containing the autopsy results of Amami's body.
Izumi only smiled mysteriously before she glanced at Ardian.
"Oh ~ that's right, so as long as you're in Japan right now. How about if you sign the document right away, Ardian?"
"That was my intention, Izumi-san." Ardian nodded with a smile.
"But well, as you know, I really don't have the right to decide things like that, so you can meet my brother in person and take care of the problem with him. I can't accompany you because after this I have to carry out a joint Raid with my Guild."
Hearing that, Ardian nodded.
"Is he at the main outlet at the moment?"
Izumi shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know, I haven't seen him in the past three days. He's probably in the middle of arranging a magic item auction that will be held for conglomerates all over Japan."
Hearing that, Ardian sharpened his gaze, the smile on his face slowly dissapeared.
"The magic item auction, huh? Does that old man Matsumoto know about this matter, I guess not ...."
The atmosphere then turned cold as Ardian said that, Reo who was busy looking at the documents in his hand glanced sideways with a flat gaze. While Izumi was still smiling calmly.
Obviously, Ardian seemed displeased with the fact that one of the things that the Hunter Association had clearly prohibited such as the auction of magic items occurred on this earth.
This is clearly written in the Magic Guidebook and Hunter Guidebook which states that loot or magic-based items obtained from inside a Dungeon or the body of a Magic Beast cannot be traded without an official contract with the Hunter Association in each country manage that stuff.
The regulation also includes the prohibition of the spread of magic items either personally or against the background of certain agencies that have nothing to do with the Hunter Association.
Of course this does not prevent greedy parties who want to reap all their own profits, namely by selling magic-based items such as a magic weapon to Non-Hunter Awakened and even ordinary people who are not Awaken.
The Central Hunter Association enforces this rule strictly because they are afraid, there will be chaos in society where normal people without magic in their bodies or Hunter licenses use magic items illegally. Because there are several types of magic items that can be activated without requiring magic energy intake from the user.
You can imagine how dangerous the impact will be caused by illegal activities like this.
Ardian then spoke again in a cold tone.
"How dare you reveal facts like this to me, Izumi-san. You should know what kind of person I am yourself."
"Of course I know what kind of person you are, Ardian. But do you think that by just relying on your naivety and false justice you can change a rotten society to roots like this?" Izumi said.
"You, as well as I, even if we both want the best for our respective countries, but we can't deny that we simply don't have the strength to do that."
Izumi then took another sip of tea while Ardian was seen clenching his fists until a drop of blood dripped from his palm.
"So all we can do right now is keep our mouths shut, and do our respective duties as hunters."
The atmosphere then fell silent when Izumi said that, Ardian could only look at the teacup with a cold gaze. Before suddenly Reo opened his mouth.
"By the way, you said that your family that manages the magic weapons business in Japan will organize a magic item auction right?"
Izumi nodded, while Ardian who heard that looked confused why Reo brought up the topic again.
"Then, you must know what items are going to be auctioned ... No, you must be quite familiar with various types of magic items right?"
"Uh? Yes ... Of course. Although I can't guarantee that I can remember every single one of that because I've seen too many things like that in my life." Izumi replied, a little doubtful.
Hearing that, Reo was seen taking his smartphone and then showing Izumi a photo.
"Then, have you ever seen anything similar to this Crystal."
It is a photo of Magic pump that Ardian brought from Indonesia.
Seeing Reo's actions, Ardian tried to stop him.
"Oi, what are you doing."
But Ardian's words stopped when he saw the gaze Reo gave him. That gaze seemed to tell Ardian to leave this matter to him.
Meanwhile Izumi who saw the crystal gripped her chin, thinking of something.
"Isn't this the Mana Crystal? No, it doesn't look like either one, then what is this thing, I guess I've never see something like this before ..."
Hearing the long-awaited answer from Izumi, both Reo and Ardian looked a little disappointed.
'If even one of the most influential people on the black market doesn't know about it, I think it will be hard to find the third shard. ' thought Reo as he put back his Smartphone, before suddenly.
"No ... Wait a minute, I think I've seen something like that before."
Hearing Izumi's words, Ardian widened his eyes in surprise while Reo didn't change his expression in the slightest. This time Ardian, who previously looked doubtful, looked excited.
"Really? Where have you seen it?" Asked Ardian.
However, of course Izumi didn't just answer Ardian's question after seeing his interesting reaction.
"Before that ... do you two mind telling me what this thing really is?"
And without much ado, Reo immediately bluntly said.
"Yes. Just tell me quickly where have you seen that thing?"
"Oi." Ardian who saw that also stunned, is that how someone behaves when he is asking someone for help?
"Oh ~, you're so rude, Reo-kun. Women don't like straightforward men like you, you know." Izumi said, teasing Reo with a little joking. Meanwhile Reo doesn't seem to be flinching because all of his current interests are centered on information from Izumi and the Magic Pump itself.
The atmosphere became silent and awkward, before Izumi opened her mouth again.
"Yes ... I saw this thing in one of the luggage boxes while I was checking the cargo. Although I believe it is a little smaller than the thing in your photo previously."
Hearing that, Ardian and Reo widened their eyes before the two of them glanced at each other.
'Could it be ...' Ardian thought in his mind, his face unable to describe how shocked he was at this moment.
Reo then opened his mouth again, and spoke.
"Then, can you tell me where the cargo was sent?"
Hearing that, Izumi could only wryly smile.
"You know, I am not an informant who can tell you everything, Reo-kun. I have been generous in sharing confidential information like this to you and Ardian purely because I intend to start a good relationship with you."
"As a merchant, it is my duty to protect the personal information and privacy of my customers. Otherwise, how could I be worthy to manage a big business of my family like now?" Izumi explained.
Of course she refused Reo's unreasonable request, it was one of the taboo things for merchants like her to reveal the personal information of her customers.
"I see, that's too bad," said Reo, closing his eyes. Then he thought.
'Then there is no other choice but to find out the matter myself in my spare time as a Hunter. '
Seeing Reo who was deep in thought, Izumi suddenly smiled before saying.
"But if you really wanted that information, I could just tell you."
* tap *
The drops of AC water in the room broke the silence that enveloped the room after Izumi said that. Reo was seen staring at her with a flat expression, their eyes met each other.
"And you think I'll believe you after all bullshit you said just now?" Said Reo, he couldn't believe how unstable the woman in front of him was.
"That was your decision, I told you right? I just wanted to start a good relationship with you, that's all. So I didn't hide any information from you." Izumi said, shrugging.
Seeing Izumi's attitude, Reo scratched his silky white hair before he stood up quietly from his seat.
"There's nothing else I need to talk about here, let's go Uncle."
Trust the words of a wicked merchant? No sensible person would do something like that, and neither would Reo. He knows his limits. Ardian, who also looked sick, just stood up and also intended to leave the room.
1
However, before Reo and Ardian both could move their feet. Suddenly, Izumi who was still sitting crossed her legs on the sofa said.
"If you really want information on where the cargo is going, you can send a message to this person's email address, even though she will charge a lot of money for such important information."
Izumi said, then she was seen throwing a strange business card that only contained an email address and the word, 'Mata Hari' on it. However, Reo just glanced at the business card lying on the floor and remembered everything that was written there in an instant.
After that, he looked back a little and smiled sweetly.
"The more I talk to you, the less interested I will be. But I will accept this generosity, you sly fox."
And without saying anything else, Reo immediately went out of the room, followed by Adrian behind him, leaving Izumi who still smiling on his seat.
She then glanced at the window that had a view of downtown Tokyo before muttering softly.
"Shirogami Reo huh ... as I thought, Heisatsu-san was not a good parents. I hope he doesn't get too involved in the dark side of this modern magic society, because otherwise ..."
Izumi then took another sip of tea before she coughed, and cursed softly.
"* cough * * cough *, Damn, it's stone cold."
1
***
Meanwhile, Reo and Ardian were seen walking in the parking lot of the Hunter association enveloped in silence. Reo is seen reading the Shoujo Manga in his hand while walking while Ardian looks busy with his cellphone.
"The crystal that woman is referring to ... I think it's the same crystal that I found in the Dungeon."
"I know. That means the crystal was sent from outside Japan," Ardian said, putting his cellphone back into his pocket.
"So what now, are we going to investigate the e-mail that the woman gave him?"
Ardian who heard that then stopped his steps before saying.
"Sorry, but I don't think I can do that right now. Because I have to go to sign the documents I talked about earlier and may come back tonight. So can you investigate by yourself?"
Reo who heard that closed the manga before nodding.
"Then don't miss the dinner, Iris-nee's cooking is very delicious. You have to try it at least once before you die."
Hearing that Ardian smile sincerely.
"I'd be delighted."
After that, Reo and Ardian parted ways and boarded different trains.
*
Arriving home, Reo then immediately went into his room and turned on his laptop. He is currently seen having taken off his sweater and scarf and is sitting cross-legged in front of the monitor screen.
"Well, what was the previous email address ... Matahariissun ... @ gmail.com."
And after typing it, Reo finally found an email address.
"Hm? No profile photo and no name? I guess it's normal not to reveal an identity but isn't this too suspicious ... Well, I'm using a new email so I guess it's fine."
Reo then started typing something.
* tap * * tap * * tap *
[Are you Mata Hari? I heard you can tell me valuable information if I give a suitable price, is that true? ]
After sending that, Reo intended to get up from his seat as there was no way his email would get a reply right away, but he was dead wrong.
* Kling *
The notification sound made Reo raise his eyebrows in confuse. But he was really surprised when he saw an email in his inbox.
'Huh? So fast, it hasn't even been 5 seconds since I sent my message. '
And, without thinking, Reo immediately opened the email.
{That's right desu ~ Ask anything and I'll answer when we reach a price agreement desudesu ~~ (〃 ﾟ 3 ﾟ 〃)}
Reo, who saw the contents of the message, tried to think about the right question. Before he went back to typing something...
[Then, can you give me a list of people who have owned things like this in all of Japan along with their details? ]
Reo includes a picture of his Magic Pump on top of the message and returns to waiting for an answer from the mysterious figure called Mata Hari.
But unlike before, replies didn't come in seconds. Even after waiting for a dozen minutes, Reo didn't get a reply before suddenly--
* kling *
{ I have a C-Rank Gate that opens at Aobanomori Park, in Chiba perfecture desu ~ <(￣︶￣)>. As payment for this time's information desu ~, I want you to clear the gate for me and give me all the booty, how desudesu ~ ? o ((* ^ ▽ ^ *)) o }
Seeing the message, Reo raised his eyebrows.
"Huh? Has a gate she said? But how come? Who exactly is this person named Mata Hari?"
Reo read the message one more time and thought.
'Besides, does she want to test whether I am an Awakened or not? Or is this the usual way to make payments with her? No ... There's no way she has enough gates to do that. '
After pausing for a moment, Reo then returned to typing a message.
[Who are you, Mata Hari? ]
* kling *
{ I have a C-Rank Gate that opens at Aobanomori Park, in Chiba perfecture desu ~ <(￣︶￣)>. As payment for this time's information desu ~, I want you to clear the gate for me and give me all the booty, how desudesu ~ ? o ((* ^ ▽ ^ *)) o }
However, Reo received the exact same reply as before. And seeing that, Reo muttered softly.
"There's no other choice but to come there in person, huh ... Well, it doesn't matter I guess, I can also use this opportunity to test the poisonous Ki in real combat situations."
The atmosphere then turned silent before Reo grinned faintly and muttered.
"... Besides, I have some good ideas for blackmailing this greedy bitch."
3
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* tap * * tap *
The sound of footsteps echoed through the empty hallway as Reo followed by Ardian behind him was walking. At this time, the two of them had just arrived at the Hunter Association Office after Reo received a call from Reki which gave him shocking news.
The news about Amami being killed in his cell room with his body still tightly bound.
'Why did this suddenly happen right after I just left there. ' thought Reo with a flat expression.
While Ardian, who was still wearing his casual clothes, also didn't seem to know what was going on at the moment, his two eyes glanced at Reo who was walking in front of him while remembering his conversation with Reo before they left for the association office.
*
"Huh? What are you talking about right now Sleepyhead? What drugs are you on?" Reo said, raising his eyebrows.
Hearing the tone of disbelief behind Reo's words, Reki said in a hoarse voice, it was clear that he was starting to lose his cool.
[Like I said just now, Amami Nakamura, he has been killed in his cell with his entire body still bound by iron chains. ]
Hearing the confirmation from Reki, Reo fell silent. He couldn't stop thinking, because he just met Amami a few hours ago and now he's been killed.
"How could he just be killed like that? What about the surveillance camera footage, didn't anyone suspicious enter the cell after I left?"
[I will explain it in detail here with Matsumoto-san and the others, so can you come here right now? ]
Reo who heard that glanced at Ardian and Iris who seemed to be focusing their attention on him before saying.
"Okay, don't start before I come, tell the old man to wait."
[Err ... I will-. ]
And before Reki could finish his words, Reo immediately cut off the call and looked at his smartphone screen.
"What's wrong? You look annoyed like that?" Said Iris, who started to stand up and took the tray. Iris's voice immediately brought Reo away from his reverie, he then turned around and smiled at her.
"Do I really look like that, now?" Said Reo with a sweet smile, but Iris who saw that just sighed before starting to walk out.
"Then, I'll go to my room. Don't forget to lock the door when you leave." She said, Iris then immediately walked out of the room and left Reo and Ardian alone there.
"What's wrong?" Ardian asked.
"Uncle, it is sudden but can you come with me to the Japanese Hunter Association office?"
"Well, I don't mind because I'm currently on my day off, but what's the problem? And why should I come with you?" Ardian asked.
After hearing the 'yes' answer from Ardian, Reo then started typing something on his smartphone before he said.
"I will explain the problem on the way, for now you just need to know that this problem has something to do with the Magic Pump that I found in the Dungeon previously."
Hearing that, Ardian widened his eyes.
"Then what are you waiting for, let's go. Where is your car?" Said Ardian while packing his belongings, because he was planning to leave it there.
"I think I should really buy a car from my first salary as a Hunter tomorrow ..." he muttered softly, but Ardian could hear it.
"Huh?"
Reo then looked at Ardian before saying innocently.
"Well, I don't have a car so let's go to the station and get on the train to go to Asakusa."
*
Back to the real time, Ardian was still following Reo and walking behind him. He had heard most of the stories about the massacres and treachery committed by Amami. Likewise with the connection with the Magic Pump that Reo found in Anaceen's body.
Although the relationship is still unclear, it is clear that Amami has a connection with Anaceen's presence.
'So this second Magic Pump he found inside the body of a monster, then is it really possible that the magic pump isn't a man-made thing as I thought initially?' Ardian thought, but after he thought further, he shook his head.
'No, I also need to think about the hypothesis that Reo has. Because there is a possibility that Amami herself gave the Magic Pump to Anaceen, but why? '
However, when Ardian was busy in his thoughts. They finally arrived at a large door that was patterned in gold. Without hesitation, Reo immediately opened the door and went inside.
* fuut *
And when the two of them entered, several people were seen sitting on the soft black sofa at the end of the room. It was a fairly large room with dozens of glass windows offering views of downtown Tokyo.
Upon seeing Reo and Ardian, the people who had been sitting there immediately focused their attention on them. A total of 6 people were there, namely Goto Ryuji and Hanekawa who stood behind him, Matsumoto and his secretary, Riko who was also standing behind, then Reki and a woman who Reo didn't know.
Reki who saw Reo immediately stood up from his chair.
"Ah Shirogami-san, you've finally arrived and also, I guess I told you to come alone, so ..."
However, when he saw a red haired figure standing behind Reo. Reki widened his eyes ...
"Y ... Y ... You are... The Chairman of Indonesian Hunter Association, Mr. Ardian Reynaldi."
Everyone also looked surprised by Ardian's sudden appearance, there was only one thing on their mind.
'What's a Hunter Association Chairman from another country like him doing here? '
Matsumoto and Goto who were sitting there were then seen standing up and trying to greet Ardian. But Ardian had greeted them first.
"Good afternoon everyone, sorry for my sudden visit, but I came to this place to accompany my little friend here." Ardian said, glancing at Reo who had a flat expression beside him.
However, Reo, regardless of manners, sat on the sofa and crossed his legs.
"Forget about that, quickly explain the situation to me right now, Sleepyhead."
Seeing Reo's attitude, Riko looked displeased but Goto and Matsumoto didn't seem to mind and started greeting Ardian before they sat back down. Since the beginning, Reo didn't care about Matsumoto and the others at all, he came here just to meet Reki, that's all.
Reki who saw Reo's attitude could only sweat.
'What is this kid really thinking? ' But because the others didn't seem to mind Reo's attitude, Reki immediately returned to his seat, as well as Ardian who immediately sat on Reo's left side.
Reki glanced at Ardian, he did not understand what his purpose to this place was. Is it okay to tell a private state matter like this to an outsider.
He then glanced at Matsumoto, who just nodded calmly, as if he could read what Reki was currently thinking.
"Uhum, so ... how about we just start the meeting ..." But before he could finish his words, Reki stopped when he saw the unknown woman sitting beside Reo began to approach him with interested eyes.
"He ~, so you named Shirogami Reo ... I've heard a few things about you."
The woman is seen wearing casual clothes, she has short Bob hair that extends to the nape of her neck, her gaze is sharp when she looks at Reo, and there is a beautymark in the form of a mole under her lips.
She exudes a maternal aura around her even though she can still be considered too young to bear that title.
"My name is Izumi, I heard that you saw the incindent directly, how about you tell me ... in private." Izumi said with a sensual tone, which caught everyone's attention.
However, Reo who was approached by her aggressively only said with a deadpan expression.
"I came here to hear the story, not the other way around."
And without saying anything else, Reo immediately glanced at Reki. Meanwhile, Matsumoto who saw that could only hold back his laughter and whispered to Izumi next to him.
"Heh, looks like your charms didn't work out this time, little girl."
Izumi, who had returned to her seat as before, regained her attitude and just smiled.
After the atmosphere returned to normal, Reki opened his mouth again.
"Then, let's start discussing the matter this time."
"As you already know, Amami Nakamura, the criminal Hunter who killed almost all of his teammates in the Dungeon was killed in his cell 2 hours ago. At 11:12 am to be precise."
Reki put on a serious expression and started showing the last photo of Amami's body that was lying helplessly in his cell to everyone.
"This ..."
"The cause of death is not known with certainty, but after a team of forensic doctors examined the body. They found some damage to the nervous system to the brain, heart valves, and various other complications," said Reki.
"Huh, what do you mean? Isn't it obvious that this was caused by an internal disease that was suffered by him?" Said Goto with a stoic expression.
Reki shook his head.
"He has absolutely no history of such ailments before, after all with the body of a Hunter, it is very unlikely that he will suffer from such an unrelated disease."
"Which means, the damage to Scout-san's organs was caused by magic from outside." Interrupted Reo and Reki nodded.
"Then what about surveillance cameras and the association's other security systems? Is this building you manage so easy for a criminal to infiltrate, old man?"
Hearing Reo's words, Matsumoto just shrugged his shoulders. Reki is the one who answered Reo's question.
"It's a shame but parts of the Asakusa area experienced a power outage a few minutes after you left earlier, and that's when the culprit started taking action."
Hearing that, everyone could only put on a serious expression. Izumi, who was just silent before, finally opened her mouth.
"Too crazy to call all this a coincidence, isn't it? To the point, Reki and I gathered all of you here because we believe that you are not the traitor." Izumi said, crossing her legs elegantly.
She then glanced at Ardian, smiling faintly.
"Although I didn't expect the presence of someone like you at all, Redhead Ardian. I guess we have some business to do."
"It's an honor to meet the former chairman of the Japanese Hunter association like you, Izumi Sato-san." Ardian said with a smile which immediately made Reo beside him surprised in pikachu face.
"Uh, the former chairman of the Association? But isn't it old man ..."
Seeing the confused Reo, Izumi opened her mouth.
"Sounds strange doesn't it? But it is true. I was the first head of the Japanese Hunter Association. I heard you only came to Japan six years ago so of course you don't know these kinds of things. But Japan had a split in the early days after the formation of the Hunter Association, well Its the same case for any other country around the world. "
"While when his country was divided like that, this old man was even busy nominating himself to become one of the top brass in the Central Hunter Association, can you imagine how selfish he is?" Izumi said, smiling mischievously.
Makes Reo glance at Matsumoto with a mocking look.
"Old donkey never changes huh."
"Oi, Oi, you two insult me in my own office like this. I could just call security to kick you out, you know. ."
The tense atmosphere that enveloped in the room previously slowly disappeared even though everyone was still being serious. Goto then said while crossing his arms.
"But why are you so sure that all of us here are not traitors? Maybe it was me or even this boy who killed Amami, this is not like you, Izumi." Said Goto, looking at Reo with a serious gaze. Meanwhile Reo also wanted to hear the answer directly from Izumi.
"You are right… even allowing the higher-ups of associations from other countries to find out about our country's personal matters like this, but there is no harm in doing that because I have the feeling that something like this doesn't just happen in Japan. Am I right, Ardian? "asked Izumi.
Ardian who heard that nodded, when he heard Izumi's words, he immediately remembered the death of one of Indonesia's S-Rank Hunter, who was included in the evacuation team during the disaster six years ago, Tiara. She was found mysteriously dead in her apartment in Jakarta a few days after the incident.
"Besides, I have known Ardian before, so he might be able to help us in this matter." Izumi said.
Reki nodded before he returned to continue his explanation.
"In that case, the motive of the perpetrator is clear. He wanted to get rid of the testimony Amami had, and it worked, in the end we couldn't find out anything about the person behind all this."
"And obviously the culprit is waiting for the right time to do it, which is during the monthly power cuts. We don't have anything like a magic camera or some shit like that, so we really missed it at this point. Even Amami's cell guard didn't notice anyone get in there at all. "
"To find out about the Magic Association building system like that, it is obvious that the culprit is someone from within the association, a mouse who is probably still mingling in this building right now. " said Reki.
The atmosphere then returned to silence after Reki said this.
"Because of that, I gather all of you here to ask your opinion. Incidents like this will probably continue to happen in the future, if the perpetrator's motive is to lose the people's trust in the Hunter Association, then it will be very dangerous. Not only japan, but the whole world will be affected. "said Reki.
"You're right, we can't let something like this happen a second time. But as you think, even for someone like me, there's nothing I can do. We can't just carry out an inspection because it would cause unnecessary panic. "Matsumoto said, taking a sip of the cup of tea that has been served on the table.
Everyone fell silent when they heard that. Even Reo couldn't deny that fact, maybe among the people in the room right now, only he and Ardian knew about Amami's connection with the Magic Pump.
However, everyone cannot just turn a blind eye to a problem that has the potential to become a global problem like this.
"Um, you are right sir ... Therefore, I would like to request permission from you to access the Association's database, to re-check the data for hunters all over Japan. Whether it's hunters who are still active or inactive."
However, suddenly Reo opened his mouth.
"Hey Sleepyhead, you're currently talking as if you were the culprit, you know?"
"Do you feel a single lie behind my words?" Said Reki without changing his expression at all. Their eyes met each other for a few seconds, before Matsumoto coughed.
"Uhum, that's enough, you don't need to look at each other like that. I trust you, Reki." Said Matsumoto, which made everyone including Reo surprised by his decision.
"Uh, you just believe in him? On what basis? Don't make blunders because you rely too much on your trust, old man. Because, I've met someone who died because of that," said Reo with a flat expression.
But Matsumoto only smiled.
"You don't understand at all, huh. Trust is not something that can be had by only one party, it is a mutual feeling. A good leader must be able to give a trust to his subordinates, and vice versa. Do you understand, boy ? "
"..." Hearing that Reo fell silent. Trust wasn't something he was familiar with, so he didn't know how to answer that question.
"Thank you, sir." Reki bowed his head respectfully to Matsumoto, while he just stood and stared at everyone.
"Then, I don't think I have anything to say anymore here. I've missed my lunch time because of this problem, so I'll go first," said Matsumoto. He then glanced at Ardian.
"Sorry for not being able to greet you properly, Ardian-dono. You can call me any time if you have needs in Japan."
Ardian who saw that also stood up and shook hands with Matsumoto.
"With pleasure."
1
Then, Matsumoto and Riko started walking out of the room. Followed by Reki, Goto and Hanekawa who also left afterwards, leaving Reo, Ardian, and Izumi in the room.
Reki immediately left because he wanted to immediately check the Association's database, and he said he would report any suspicious things to Reo and the others.
"What do you think Reo-kun, who is the mastermind behind all this?" Asked Izumi, taking a sip of her tea.
"I do not know, this meeting did not yield any results," said Reo, flipping through the documents containing the autopsy results of Amami's body.
Izumi only smiled mysteriously before she glanced at Ardian.
"Oh ~ that's right, so as long as you're in Japan right now. How about if you sign the document right away, Ardian?"
"That was my intention, Izumi-san." Ardian nodded with a smile.
"But well, as you know, I really don't have the right to decide things like that, so you can meet my brother in person and take care of the problem with him. I can't accompany you because after this I have to carry out a joint Raid with my Guild."
Hearing that, Ardian nodded.
"Is he at the main outlet at the moment?"
Izumi shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know, I haven't seen him in the past three days. He's probably in the middle of arranging a magic item auction that will be held for conglomerates all over Japan."
Hearing that, Ardian sharpened his gaze, the smile on his face slowly dissapeared.
"The magic item auction, huh? Does that old man Matsumoto know about this matter, I guess not ...."
The atmosphere then turned cold as Ardian said that, Reo who was busy looking at the documents in his hand glanced sideways with a flat gaze. While Izumi was still smiling calmly.
Obviously, Ardian seemed displeased with the fact that one of the things that the Hunter Association had clearly prohibited such as the auction of magic items occurred on this earth.
This is clearly written in the Magic Guidebook and Hunter Guidebook which states that loot or magic-based items obtained from inside a Dungeon or the body of a Magic Beast cannot be traded without an official contract with the Hunter Association in each country manage that stuff.
The regulation also includes the prohibition of the spread of magic items either personally or against the background of certain agencies that have nothing to do with the Hunter Association.
Of course this does not prevent greedy parties who want to reap all their own profits, namely by selling magic-based items such as a magic weapon to Non-Hunter Awakened and even ordinary people who are not Awaken.
The Central Hunter Association enforces this rule strictly because they are afraid, there will be chaos in society where normal people without magic in their bodies or Hunter licenses use magic items illegally. Because there are several types of magic items that can be activated without requiring magic energy intake from the user.
You can imagine how dangerous the impact will be caused by illegal activities like this.
Ardian then spoke again in a cold tone.
"How dare you reveal facts like this to me, Izumi-san. You should know what kind of person I am yourself."
"Of course I know what kind of person you are, Ardian. But do you think that by just relying on your naivety and false justice you can change a rotten society to roots like this?" Izumi said.
"You, as well as I, even if we both want the best for our respective countries, but we can't deny that we simply don't have the strength to do that."
Izumi then took another sip of tea while Ardian was seen clenching his fists until a drop of blood dripped from his palm.
"So all we can do right now is keep our mouths shut, and do our respective duties as hunters."
The atmosphere then fell silent when Izumi said that, Ardian could only look at the teacup with a cold gaze. Before suddenly Reo opened his mouth.
"By the way, you said that your family that manages the magic weapons business in Japan will organize a magic item auction right?"
Izumi nodded, while Ardian who heard that looked confused why Reo brought up the topic again.
"Then, you must know what items are going to be auctioned ... No, you must be quite familiar with various types of magic items right?"
"Uh? Yes ... Of course. Although I can't guarantee that I can remember every single one of that because I've seen too many things like that in my life." Izumi replied, a little doubtful.
Hearing that, Reo was seen taking his smartphone and then showing Izumi a photo.
"Then, have you ever seen anything similar to this Crystal."
It is a photo of Magic pump that Ardian brought from Indonesia.
Seeing Reo's actions, Ardian tried to stop him.
"Oi, what are you doing."
But Ardian's words stopped when he saw the gaze Reo gave him. That gaze seemed to tell Ardian to leave this matter to him.
Meanwhile Izumi who saw the crystal gripped her chin, thinking of something.
"Isn't this the Mana Crystal? No, it doesn't look like either one, then what is this thing, I guess I've never see something like this before ..."
Hearing the long-awaited answer from Izumi, both Reo and Ardian looked a little disappointed.
'If even one of the most influential people on the black market doesn't know about it, I think it will be hard to find the third shard. ' thought Reo as he put back his Smartphone, before suddenly.
"No ... Wait a minute, I think I've seen something like that before."
Hearing Izumi's words, Ardian widened his eyes in surprise while Reo didn't change his expression in the slightest. This time Ardian, who previously looked doubtful, looked excited.
"Really? Where have you seen it?" Asked Ardian.
However, of course Izumi didn't just answer Ardian's question after seeing his interesting reaction.
"Before that ... do you two mind telling me what this thing really is?"
And without much ado, Reo immediately bluntly said.
"Yes. Just tell me quickly where have you seen that thing?"
"Oi." Ardian who saw that also stunned, is that how someone behaves when he is asking someone for help?
"Oh ~, you're so rude, Reo-kun. Women don't like straightforward men like you, you know." Izumi said, teasing Reo with a little joking. Meanwhile Reo doesn't seem to be flinching because all of his current interests are centered on information from Izumi and the Magic Pump itself.
The atmosphere became silent and awkward, before Izumi opened her mouth again.
"Yes ... I saw this thing in one of the luggage boxes while I was checking the cargo. Although I believe it is a little smaller than the thing in your photo previously."
Hearing that, Ardian and Reo widened their eyes before the two of them glanced at each other.
'Could it be ...' Ardian thought in his mind, his face unable to describe how shocked he was at this moment.
Reo then opened his mouth again, and spoke.
"Then, can you tell me where the cargo was sent?"
Hearing that, Izumi could only wryly smile.
"You know, I am not an informant who can tell you everything, Reo-kun. I have been generous in sharing confidential information like this to you and Ardian purely because I intend to start a good relationship with you."
"As a merchant, it is my duty to protect the personal information and privacy of my customers. Otherwise, how could I be worthy to manage a big business of my family like now?" Izumi explained.
Of course she refused Reo's unreasonable request, it was one of the taboo things for merchants like her to reveal the personal information of her customers.
"I see, that's too bad," said Reo, closing his eyes. Then he thought.
'Then there is no other choice but to find out the matter myself in my spare time as a Hunter. '
Seeing Reo who was deep in thought, Izumi suddenly smiled before saying.
"But if you really wanted that information, I could just tell you."
* tap *
The drops of AC water in the room broke the silence that enveloped the room after Izumi said that. Reo was seen staring at her with a flat expression, their eyes met each other.
"And you think I'll believe you after all bullshit you said just now?" Said Reo, he couldn't believe how unstable the woman in front of him was.
"That was your decision, I told you right? I just wanted to start a good relationship with you, that's all. So I didn't hide any information from you." Izumi said, shrugging.
Seeing Izumi's attitude, Reo scratched his silky white hair before he stood up quietly from his seat.
"There's nothing else I need to talk about here, let's go Uncle."
Trust the words of a wicked merchant? No sensible person would do something like that, and neither would Reo. He knows his limits. Ardian, who also looked sick, just stood up and also intended to leave the room.
1
However, before Reo and Ardian both could move their feet. Suddenly, Izumi who was still sitting crossed her legs on the sofa said.
"If you really want information on where the cargo is going, you can send a message to this person's email address, even though she will charge a lot of money for such important information."
Izumi said, then she was seen throwing a strange business card that only contained an email address and the word, 'Mata Hari' on it. However, Reo just glanced at the business card lying on the floor and remembered everything that was written there in an instant.
After that, he looked back a little and smiled sweetly.
"The more I talk to you, the less interested I will be. But I will accept this generosity, you sly fox."
And without saying anything else, Reo immediately went out of the room, followed by Adrian behind him, leaving Izumi who still smiling on his seat.
She then glanced at the window that had a view of downtown Tokyo before muttering softly.
"Shirogami Reo huh ... as I thought, Heisatsu-san was not a good parents. I hope he doesn't get too involved in the dark side of this modern magic society, because otherwise ..."
Izumi then took another sip of tea before she coughed, and cursed softly.
"* cough * * cough *, Damn, it's stone cold."
1
***
Meanwhile, Reo and Ardian were seen walking in the parking lot of the Hunter association enveloped in silence. Reo is seen reading the Shoujo Manga in his hand while walking while Ardian looks busy with his cellphone.
"The crystal that woman is referring to ... I think it's the same crystal that I found in the Dungeon."
"I know. That means the crystal was sent from outside Japan," Ardian said, putting his cellphone back into his pocket.
"So what now, are we going to investigate the e-mail that the woman gave him?"
Ardian who heard that then stopped his steps before saying.
"Sorry, but I don't think I can do that right now. Because I have to go to sign the documents I talked about earlier and may come back tonight. So can you investigate by yourself?"
Reo who heard that closed the manga before nodding.
"Then don't miss the dinner, Iris-nee's cooking is very delicious. You have to try it at least once before you die."
Hearing that Ardian smile sincerely.
"I'd be delighted."
After that, Reo and Ardian parted ways and boarded different trains.
*
Arriving home, Reo then immediately went into his room and turned on his laptop. He is currently seen having taken off his sweater and scarf and is sitting cross-legged in front of the monitor screen.
"Well, what was the previous email address ... Matahariissun ... @ gmail.com."
And after typing it, Reo finally found an email address.
"Hm? No profile photo and no name? I guess it's normal not to reveal an identity but isn't this too suspicious ... Well, I'm using a new email so I guess it's fine."
Reo then started typing something.
* tap * * tap * * tap *
[Are you Mata Hari? I heard you can tell me valuable information if I give a suitable price, is that true? ]
After sending that, Reo intended to get up from his seat as there was no way his email would get a reply right away, but he was dead wrong.
* Kling *
The notification sound made Reo raise his eyebrows in confuse. But he was really surprised when he saw an email in his inbox.
'Huh? So fast, it hasn't even been 5 seconds since I sent my message. '
And, without thinking, Reo immediately opened the email.
{That's right desu ~ Ask anything and I'll answer when we reach a price agreement desudesu ~~ (〃 ﾟ 3 ﾟ 〃)}
Reo, who saw the contents of the message, tried to think about the right question. Before he went back to typing something...
[Then, can you give me a list of people who have owned things like this in all of Japan along with their details? ]
Reo includes a picture of his Magic Pump on top of the message and returns to waiting for an answer from the mysterious figure called Mata Hari.
But unlike before, replies didn't come in seconds. Even after waiting for a dozen minutes, Reo didn't get a reply before suddenly--
* kling *
{ I have a C-Rank Gate that opens at Aobanomori Park, in Chiba perfecture desu ~ <(￣︶￣)>. As payment for this time's information desu ~, I want you to clear the gate for me and give me all the booty, how desudesu ~ ? o ((* ^ ▽ ^ *)) o }
Seeing the message, Reo raised his eyebrows.
"Huh? Has a gate she said? But how come? Who exactly is this person named Mata Hari?"
Reo read the message one more time and thought.
'Besides, does she want to test whether I am an Awakened or not? Or is this the usual way to make payments with her? No ... There's no way she has enough gates to do that. '
After pausing for a moment, Reo then returned to typing a message.
[Who are you, Mata Hari? ]
* kling *
{ I have a C-Rank Gate that opens at Aobanomori Park, in Chiba perfecture desu ~ <(￣︶￣)>. As payment for this time's information desu ~, I want you to clear the gate for me and give me all the booty, how desudesu ~ ? o ((* ^ ▽ ^ *)) o }
However, Reo received the exact same reply as before. And seeing that, Reo muttered softly.
"There's no other choice but to come there in person, huh ... Well, it doesn't matter I guess, I can also use this opportunity to test the poisonous Ki in real combat situations."
The atmosphere then turned silent before Reo grinned faintly and muttered.
"... Besides, I have some good ideas for blackmailing this greedy bitch."
