Chapter 8 – New Member

 

[Noct]

“Sigh~”

Just when I found the clue of the drug, Kino is missing.

“…”

I guess he needs to do something since he also a member of BC.

So, let’s move on.

….

I’m back into the kitchen, looking for a pen and a paper. Need to report what I found.

I sit on the table and start to write.

I write down about the drug that I found this day. It was really dangerous when I try to find out the drug. I was in the enemies headquarter. I mean, it located at the warehouse near the harbour.

As you know, Gram kingdom is located near the sea. This drug might be an import from the other kingdom that wants to dominate this kingdom from their internal problems. Such as drugs.

But, this is not an ordinary drug. It’s like a paralyze drug, but it’s not at the same time. I mean, when I was investigated the drugs with my close friend., he said that he wanted to take a risk and do business for investigating purposes. He contacted the supplier, and we went to meet them.

The supplier told us, that this drug is a special drug that can paralyze and control them. Like a puppet.

After we got the drug, my friend try to consume it. Nothing happened. It’s weird, he said.

“There’s no taste in it, when we mix it in the water, the taste is like the water itself”.

So, this drug can blend perfectly in any kind of drink. But no effect what so ever.

“But, other than drink it, it can be injected to the body” He said.

Even tho it can be injected, but no reaction. It’s pretty weird itself. But first things first, why do they sell this kind of drug in the first place?

“Pripie, you there?”

“Prii…pri..”

The sounds of the bird flapping near the window.

I stand and fold the paper 3-4 times. Then give it to Pripie.

“Please, give this to Momo”

“HAH?”

Oh crap, someone sees me. I quickly hide behind the table.

“You, who are you?”

I look at the door where the sounds is coming.

“I know you there, show yourself!”

I keep sitting on the floor.

“Pripie, come here”

What? He knows Pripie?

“Give me the paper”

Crap, He will know.

I look around, and see a small knife on the table near me.

I grab it and move quickly to the man’s side.

“Take this!” I try to stab him in his thigh.

BUKK!!

“Ugh..”

What happened? I feel blurry.

“Ah, sorry a reflex”

I fall down.

….

“Uhh…”

“You okay?”

I open my eyes, and found myself in…

“Hah?”

I just realize that I was knocked out.

I sit and look around.

“Don’t be panic, chill dude.”

“…” He is the customer that I met just now.

“Who are you?”

“Whoa, easy there. I’m in control here. So you need to answer my question”

“!!!”

I can’t move my hand. There’s a cloth used as a handcuff in my hand.

“Now, how did you know Pripie? Are you acquintance with Momo?”

“No.”

“Then, what is this paper here?” He shows the paper.

“…”

Dang, it’s too late. He already read the paper’s content.

“As far as I know, it’s about drug. A special drug that has been circulated in this kingdom”

“…” I keep silent.

“On top of that, you wrote a puppet drug. With no effect whatsoever in human body.” While he said that, he fold the paper again.

“What do you want?” I try to act though

“Just want some information, do you know this?”

He pull out a small paper, it’s a part of newspaper that only the noble had. Who is he?

“Look at this,” He points out a small news on the corner of the paper.

“The incident of missing people?” I ask him.

“Yes, and it often happens in this area” He continues.

“I heard the news, but I know nothing about it” Surely, I only know that several people was missing. But why did he ask me that?

“I guess, I need to make sure before I continue” He reach his pocket.

“What do you want me to prove you?”

“This” He throws me a small coin in front of me.

“…” Don’t tell me.

“From your face, I think my guess is right”

I look at him, and he is smilling.

“Nice to see you. Now let’s go search for Kino”

He untie me with small knife.

“… why are you so sure about me being your ally?”

“Hmm? Because, that bird is looking at us from the window” He said that while walk out of the room.

“The bird?” I look at the window.

“Ahahaha, nice one Momo. Thanks.”

Pripie bite a small paper with the words ‘He is our new member’.

….

I heard that the group is consist of three people, Kino is one of them. From what I learn, Momo wants to make a secret group that act behind the scenes, well the role of third person in other words. But, it might be more than third person.

“Ahahaha”

Dang Momo, you did it on purpose for not telling me the rest of the group. I guess that customer is one of them. I wonder if you test me on purpose.

….

Later that day,

“So, nice to meet you Noct” He said.

“You too Zexalone”

We introduced ourself after that.

“Where do we start looking for Kino?” He ask.

“Maybe the last time we see him? But he was in his register table”

“I meet him at his register table too”

Let’s see, from what Zexalone said, the incident include several people missing.

“Maybe someone kidnap him?”

“Maybe,” He seems thinking something.

“Mr?”

A sounds coming from the stairs.

“Ah, I forgot about her” He said.

….

The girl come to the front desk.

“There you are mr,”

“Hello lady, may I help you?” A way of saying hi because I’m the manager here.

To be honest, her clothes is just an ordinary clothes. She is cute, her height maybe same as Zexalone.

“I’m thirsty”

“A tea? Or a Coffee?”

“A tea”

“Coming up” I walk into the kitchen.

I take a glass, cook a hot water.

While waiting the water temperature, I look at the window.

Who is she? His girlfriend? What a lucky.

BLUB BLUB BLUB *the sounds of hot water boiling*

I turn of the stove, and pour the hot water into the glass.

Wait, today is just Zexalone that was spending the night here.

That was weird, usually three to four couples spend the night here.

What was happening while I was gone?

….

“Here you go, A glass of warm tea” I serve the tea.

“Thanks,”

They are sitting in the lounge area. Glad I asked the architecture to make a lounge area just for people to gather in here. Even though this hotel is small, just two floors. He has done a good job to make the lounge area.

As I back to the front desk. I take the customer book to check if anyone came to here other than Zexalone.

Flip flip flip~ *a sound of a page of book flipped*

Nothing, yesterday just Zexalone and the girl. This is the first time it’s happening.

Something is not right.

….

I try to ask Zexalone.

“Hey Zex, do you know what happened yesterday?”

“Yesterday? Nothing was happening.”

“No, not that. Not a festival, I mean if there was something weird in this residence.”

“Ah? Not a festival?”

He really was thinking about festival.

“I think, at night, that usually people come home from drinking or yeah something like that. But it was quite, not many people seen on the street. Is that weird?” He tries to call what happened near this hotel.

“That’s it!!”

“What?”

“The sudden quite, it never happened in this residence before!!”

Even my employee, I mean the girls that usually standby here suddenly ask for two days off.

“Let’s say, if the incident that happened lately, don’t you think it’s connected to this situation?”

“You are right, but, let’s say, the incident of missing people was not like this one. This, let’s say…. People disappear simultaneously.”

“I dunno how the incident occurs, I heard it was just one or two people missing each incident. Not a lot of people disappear”

“So what should we do?”

“We need to….”

I just realize, there’s another person in here.

Me and Zexalone look at the person who joined our conversation.

“I really forgot about you..” said Zexalone.

“If you need help from me to investigate why people suddenly disappear, I can help you”

“Umm, who are you again?”

“Oh my god, I can’t believe you. You slept with me and you don’t know me?”

“I mean, we did not even introduce ourself”

What? Don’t tell me you just pick up a random lady and spend a night in a hotel? What a man.

“Well, you are right. Also, you really were just sleeping beside me. I though you were going to… do that.”

“Of course not, I don’t wanna do that other than the one I love”

But your action made people misunderstood you, you know?

“Then love me”

“Don’t wanna, even you are cute and …”

“and?”

“nevermind” he blushes.

He...

Unexpectedly still innocent in that kind of stuff.

“A-anyway, sorry to drag you like this” He stands and walks into the rest room.

“What a man, but he is cute though” She is giggling.

What a cute couple, too bad he still.. yeah, still a long way to go.

….

“So, uhh..” What should I say? I hope she did not understand what we were talking.

“Yes?”

“Wanna refill your tea?” Dang, I can’t think of any excuse.

“Sure,”

….

“There you go,” I poured the tea.

“Thanks,” She takes the glass, and drink it.

“What are you doing in the rest room? What took you so long?” I said as I see Zexalone came from the rest room.

“Nothing,”

“Did you relief yourself?”

“Of course not, idiot.”

“I can help you with that, just ask me”

Whoa girl, I know you are cute, but you are pretty aggressive.

“S-shut up.” He blushes.

He sit across the girl.

“So, do you need my help for investigating the girls?”

“Uhh, to be honest, I’m curious about the girls as well.”

Of course I’m worried. They are my source of money. No girls, no one want to rent my hotel.

Dang, I should have declined about being a member of BC. I even asked my staff to not go to work for a month in order to avoid any suspicious and make Kino works in here for investigating.

“Leave it to me,” She is so confident about it.

“Hey, hey, are you sure to believe this girl?” Zexalone asked me.

“Ssshh, you are so rude. Who do you think I am? I’am a daughter of Crimson Family. My name is Sinley Crimson” She pulling out something.

“This is the badge of Crimson Family” She shows it to us.

“HOLY SHI- WHAT? OMG!!!”

What the actual FF-!!

“What? What happened?” Zexalone looks so confused.

“You, you don’t know crimson family?”

“No I don’t, is she that popular?”

“You moron, Crimson Family is one of four family that has high authority in this kingdom. Not only authority, but also one fifth of the companies in the kingdom.”

“Wow, you do your homework. Well done.”

“Wow, for real?” Said Zexalone

I can’t believe this guy.

….

“Let’s say, how can you help us to investigate the girl?” Said Zexalone.

“I dunno, maybe I ask my attendant to investigate?”

“No, no no no!!” Shout Zexalone.

“You can’t ask anyone for that. You need, ughh…” He frustrated.

“How about you join us to investigate?” I asked her.

“Hmm, sure.”

“What? No, I don’t want to be with her.” Zexalone is pissed.

“Why not? She can be useful. You know that women has high percentage in investigate?”

“I don’t care about that, can we ask someone else?”

“No, no, that can’t do. Beside, she already know what we want to do. Hey Sinley”

“Yes?”

“May I see you badge?”

“Sure” She shows it again.

And I quickly snatch it.

“HEY!!”

“I will hold this for a while” I put the badge in my pocket.

“You, give it back!!”

“No, no, To make sure that you will follow us to investigate. This badge is assurance”

Dang, I was hoping that the member of BC is very good. But, ugh.

“FINE!!” She pissed.

“As long as this guy joins the investigate, I don’t mind you hold the badge”

“DEAL!!” We shake hands.

“Wait, what? No I don’t want to”

“Ssssshhhh, this is for your own good.”

“…”

“We will start to investigate in the afternoon. So get some rest”

….

I said that, but I dunno where we start to investigate.

So, from all the clue that I have. The paralyze drug that somewhat becomes a puppet drug. But no evidence to it.

But, I think Zexalone also has a clue since he investigates this too.

….

Later, I asked Zexalone about anything that can be connected into the incident.

“Hmm, the blunt weapon with a fixed hole. This blunt weapon also a wood use for fireplace. Then, from what I get, a puppet drug.”

“A puppet drug?” Asked Sinley.

“Yes, but I don’t know how it works”

“What do you mean?”

I tell her everything that I experiment this drug.

“Weird,”

Same reaction as my friend.

“But, I never tried it on Female”

“You want me to try it?”

“No, nevermind”

If anything goes bad, she might controlled by the enemy and any informationwill be leaked.

“Let’s go findout why your girls suddenly absent” Said Zexalone.

….

After several days, we asked each of the girls that usually standby in my hotel. We found out that all of them were not in their house. They are missing. Like the incident of missing people.

“This situation become worse, at the surface, this residence still crowded like usual, but in the night, it’s quiet.” I said while enjoying my coffee in the lobby room.

This happens when the girls disappear.

“Hey, check this newspaper” Zexalone came bring the newspaper.

“Look at this” He pointed one of the news.

“A weird letter that inform the kingdom about coup’d etat that will happen on a day after tomorrow night.” I read it outloud

“A warning letter?” I continues.

“You know what, there might be a war inside the castle or this kingdom.” He said,

“What do you mean?”

“Look, the missing people incident still not clear, and the drug puppet”

If the missing people were used as a puppet.

“Ohhh…. I get it”

“See? We need to move quickly”

“To where?”

“I don’t know, but we might find them in harbour”

“Harbour?”

“Yes, you said that you deal the drug from the supplier in the harbour right? They might keep the missing people in there”

Ah, now that you mention it.

“Let’s move quickly.”

….

Tomorrow night.

“Hey, do you think they will be here?” Said Sinley.

“Ssshhh, keep quiet” Said Zexalone.

We are in a small alley near the dock. A lot of people working in this late night.

“Look, they are still working in this late night.” He said.

“On the other hand, No move from the kingdom knight to investigate harbour. I think there is an insider who controls the report to trick their supervisor” He continues.

“Look over there!!” Said Sinley.

Me and Zexalone look at where Sinley pointed.

“Several boats incoming”

The boat bring a lot of people, where they come from?”

“That’s the missing people!!” Zexalone said.

“What?”

“Look, Kino is among them” I see Kino on one of the boat.

“Ssshhh, I see three people trying to sneak on the warehouse near the boat docked” Said Sinley.

I think someone is here to investigate this matter other than us.

“Let’s get closer, we need to investigate this more” Said Zexalone.

 “So, what’s the plan?” Sinley asked.

“Let’s follow the three people that you mentioned” Said Zexalone.

“”Gotcha”” I and Sinley said together.