Kent analyzed the contents of the recorder but found no useful information this time.
Just as Kent finished his work, everyone else finished up at the bakery and returned.
“Mr. Kent, were there any new developments?” Marie asked Kent.
“Unfortunately, no harvest today,” Kent replied.
“I see.”
As they had time after lunch, Kent prepared dinner as well, making it a rather elaborate meal. The five of them, including Rachel, enjoyed the slightly more luxurious dinner.
The next morning, as he had done the day before, Kent retrieved the IC recorder he had planted at Etsigoya’s bakery and returned home. Marie, Caro, and Catherine began preparing to open the shop as usual. As soon as he started analyzing the audio, there was activity this time.
“Damn it, that detestable bakery! My sales have plummeted today thanks to them. Today, I have an order for you. Go and set that bakery on fire tomorrow night. It’s a shame we’ll lose access to those ingredients, but our own shop will go out of business if we don’t. Do it using the same procedure you used to set fire to the union warehouse last time.”
“Understood. But arson is a serious crime. I’ll expect an increased reward this time, too.”
“You’re quite thorough. It can’t be helped, given your skills to act unseen in the darkness. Of course, I’ll generously compensate you. I have no doubt you won’t fail, so I look forward to your good report.”
“Tomorrow night” meant this audio was recorded last night. The execution date would be tonight. It seemed they were planning a bold move to set Marie’s Bakery on fire. Furthermore, the perpetrator appeared to be the same person who set fire to the flour union’s warehouse last time. They definitely had to apprehend this person. Unlike the previous incident, which involved multiple perpetrators, the conversation suggested this would be a solo act.
School began, and during the lunch break, the usual four of them gathered behind the school building. After finishing a slightly more elaborate lunch, just like yesterday, they began their strategy meeting.
“There’s been activity at Etsigoya’s, and we’ve learned they plan to set fire to Marie’s Bakery tonight.”
“My, that’s quite a bold move all of a sudden.”
“It really is. Older brother, what do we do this time?”
“Mr. Kent, will everything be alright? If the shop burns down, I don’t know what I’ll do…”
Josette and Rachel seemed to be enjoying themselves, while Caro looked worried.
“Don’t worry, I’ll stop them, just like last time.”
“Wow, older brother, you’re so cool. I’m falling for you.” Rachel teased.
“Would it be alright if I lent you some of my household guards?”
“That would be a great help if you could.”
“Understood. I’ll make the arrangements then.”
Saying this, Josette motioned to a maid standing slightly apart. The maid sent a signal that seemed to convey assent.
After school, Kent stopped by Etsigoya’s bakery as he had the day before, replaced the IC recorder, and returned home to analyze the audio. However, he couldn’t obtain any useful information. As he finished his work earlier than expected, Kent began his preparations for tonight’s countermeasures. He retrieved a time switch from his terminal that could automatically turn power on and off at set times, connected it to the store’s outlet, and then ran wiring to install motion-sensor lights in various locations not facing the main street outside. The time switch was set to supply power after the store’s business hours. As a precaution, he also placed fire extinguishers in several locations in case of arson. Ideally, he wanted to apprehend the perpetrator before they could start the fire, but this was a backup plan in case of delayed initial response. He also gathered other necessary items from his terminal.
Once the setup was complete, Kent entered the store and sequentially called in those who were available to teach them how to use the fire extinguishers, excluding Rachel. Then, it was closing time, Marie locked up, and everyone gathered at Kent’s house.
“Mr. Kent, what do we do from here?” Josette arrived with several guards. Since they knew in advance that this would be a solo operation, the number of guards was smaller than last time. Kent gathered everyone and explained the plan.
As the night deepened and the town fell asleep, the motion sensor installed on the side of the store reacted, and some lights turned on. In the illuminated area, a figure clad entirely in black was visible. The guards who had been stationed at various points simultaneously surrounded the suspicious individual. Kent and the others held up their own lights, shining them all at once on the intruder, providing support from the outside. The intruder, having lost any chance of escape, was apprehended by the guards.
The person in black had their face covered, so their disguise was removed, revealing a middle-aged man. His belongings were seized and examined. He was carrying tools for starting a fire and a bottle filled with fuel, confirming he was indeed the arsonist. He was already bound by the guards and led into the store’s dining space. The store’s interior lights were turned on, and the usual tables and chairs were moved aside, securing a considerable space. A blue sheet was spread on the floor, and the perpetrator was seated on a water-absorbing sheet. Two guards stood watch beside him. The other guards were currently patrolling outside the store. Inside, besides the guards, Kent, Marie, Josette, Caro, and Emily looked down at him, surrounding him. Catherine had been sent home to rest, as she didn’t need to witness what was about to happen.
“Well now… what did you come here for with all these things?”
“Hmph, just a stroll,” the perpetrator replied, seeing the items Kent was showing him.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Is that so… I see.” The perpetrator answered Kent’s question by claiming ignorance.
“You were trying to set my shop on fire, weren’t you?” Marie asked, her voice filled with anger.
“Never heard of it.” But the perpetrator adamantly denied it.
“Well, I expected as much. Now, let’s get to the main event. Caro, I’ll leave it to you.”
At Kent’s signal, Caro took out a digital camera, switched it to recording mode, and began filming.
“This is amazing. We can record what’s happening now.” Caro was filming with apparent interest. Meanwhile, Emily brought something that Kent had prepared beforehand from the kitchen.
“Here you go, Master.”
“Thank you, Emily.” Kent accepted it.
“Do you know what this is?”
“How should I know?” Kent changed his tone and said to the perpetrator. What Emily had brought was a transparent cup containing a blue liquid. The blue liquid was a powdered drink mix sold at candy stores, with a laxative dissolved in it.
“This contains poison. If you drink it, your body will lose all its moisture and dry out… If you drink it now, you might die by morning. First, you’ll drink this.”
Saying this, Kent brought the cup of suspicious blue liquid close to the perpetrator, showed it to him clearly, and then brought it to his mouth. Naturally, no one would drink something they were told was poison. The perpetrator flinched and shook his head from side to side, resisting. However, he was held down by a guard next to him, rendering him immobile, and Kent brought the cup of liquid closer to his mouth. He closed his mouth, attempting his last resistance, but Kent pinched his nose. After a moment, unable to breathe, the perpetrator’s mouth opened, and Kent poured the blue liquid into it.
“Gakko! Gakko!” The perpetrator coughed, but the liquid was already inside him. In reality, it was a very sweet drink, but because he believed it was poison, he was too preoccupied to notice. The perpetrator writhed in agony.
“How was it? Sweet, wasn’t it? That’s the taste of poison. First, the moisture will drain from your lower half. Now, I wonder how long you’ll last. Heh heh heh.” Kent said, sounding villainous. Beside him, Josette watched with an expression of exasperation from a position invisible to the perpetrator. After some time, the laxative began to take effect on the perpetrator.
“Ugh…” The perpetrator endured the intense stomach pain with difficulty.
“It’s probably starting to kick in, isn’t it? Now, I have an antidote here.” He then showed a ramune candy in a plastic container.
“Ugh, give it to me. Hurry!”
“However, I refuse.” Kent dismissed the perpetrator’s request.
“If you want it, tell us who ordered you.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Is that so? We can’t have fun if you say that.” Kent gave a signal. Then, Rachel, who had finished changing, came from the back.
“Darling, sorry to keep you waiting.” Rachel appeared in a black bondage outfit, a costume sold as a party accessory. In her hands, she held a whip and a lit candle (for low-temperature use).
“What’s the meaning of that outfit?”
“I don’t know. But it certainly gives off a suspicious vibe.” Josette and Caro whispered to each other.
“Well then, it’s time for a scolding.” Saying this, Rachel struck the floor with her whip. A sharp, dry sound echoed.
“Now, tell us who ordered you!”
“Augh!” Rachel relentlessly whipped the perpetrator, who was enduring the stomach pain. She also dripped the lit candle onto the perpetrator.
“Gyaaa!” The perpetrator screamed. For the record, both the whip and the candle were designed with safety in mind. In her previous life, Rachel had enjoyed cosplaying various characters at doujinshi events, so she could do things like this without hesitation as long as she changed her costume.
“Come on, come on, tell me! Ohohoho!” Then, with enthusiasm, Rachel pressed her foot against the perpetrator’s stomach.
“N-no, please stop! I’ll talk, I’ll talk, just stop!” Surrendering to Rachel’s persistent harassment, the perpetrator raised a white flag. Rachel lifted the perpetrator’s chin with the handle of her whip.
“Good boy. Now, tell me.”
“E-Etsigoya ordered me.”
“Well said. You’re so good. Here’s your reward!” “Agh!” With a final crack of the whip, Rachel “rewarded” the perpetrator. The interrogation then shifted back from Rachel to Kent. Rachel retreated to the back of the store.
“Hahaha, pathetic. To break down so easily. But that’s not all I want to know.”
“Hurry and give me the antidote…” Kent dragged out the conversation. The perpetrator’s stomach condition seemed to be quite bad, and he was nearing his limit.
“You know about the arson at the flour union, don’t you? That was you, wasn’t it?”
“Ugh… That…” When Kent asked about the flour union arson, the perpetrator’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I see, that expression tells me everything. Here, have a reward.” With that, he took one ramune candy from the container and put it in the perpetrator’s mouth. Although it had no actual effect, the perpetrator believed the medicine was working and felt invigorated.
“Then, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Understood.” Kent handed the perpetrator over to the town guards he had called for and had them take him away.
“I’m glad we didn’t have to use the sheet I laid out, just in case,” Kent said with relief. Since he had made them drink a laxative, there was a possibility of accidents. He wanted to avoid that as much as possible, especially in a food and drink establishment.
“You did it, older brother.”
“Yeah.” Rachel, who had finished changing and was back in her usual clothes, high-fived Kent.
“You really are siblings. Today, I felt like I wouldn’t want to make enemies of you two.”
“I felt the same way,” said Josette and Caro with a look of exasperation.
“Thank you, Mr. Kent. Thanks to you, we were able to protect the shop,” Marie said to Kent, expressing her gratitude.
“We did manage to protect the shop, but it’s not over yet. The real challenge is about to begin,” Kent shifted his focus to what lay ahead.
