"Back so soon, I see. Any clues regarding his clandestine sanctuary?" Roznok's gaze shifted from the window to Mika, his tone dripping with curiosity.
"Yeah, it seems our 'beloved' Toragol has been laundering the purest of Exliyan currency. And Luna? Where is she?" Mika's voice held a note of sarcasm, juxtaposing his concern for Luna.
"Ah, so he violated the world government, typical of an egotistical noble. The audacity to trust you as a loyal protector astounds me, considering his usual suspicion. I would have expected him to scrutinize your every move," Roznok's disbelief was tangible, his arms crossed as he sat in his chair.
"As for Luna, she's exploring the city streets. I denied her access to the Royal town for her safety, while you're on assignment." Roznok's words brought a grin of relief to Mika's face, who then started to ponder over the fate of Toragol's missing sons.
"Those jerks? They've been... taken care of." Roznok's response suggested he knew more about the boys' whereabouts than he let on.
"You didn't... you didn't kill them, did you?" Mika's shock was evident as he involuntarily stepped back.
"Having such a bloodthirst isn't in my nature, calm yourself." With a snap of Roznok's fingers, the missing sons materialized from the shroud of shadow.
"Those two..." Mika recognized their faces instantly.
The sons were in a pitiful state, their eyes bruised to the point of blackening, their bodies littered with marks of violence. Tied up and silenced with duct tape, they were scarcely recognizable. These were the same arrogant nobles who had disrespected Kimaru, the same who had been taught a lesson by Mika himself.
"It seems their luck is quite pitiful." Mika barely suppressed a chuckle, finding irony in their unfortunate circumstance.
"They knew of your recent employment as their father's bodyguard, after you saved him. In a misguided attempt to protect him from you, they planned to expose you. I kidnapped them before they could reach Toragol." Roznok snapped his fingers, his shadows engulfing the beaten sons, concealing them from view.
"We need to hurry before they grew suspicion of me, I'm always being monitored every move I take. We need a brainstorming idea."
"Perhaps it's best if you release them, and I'll escort them back to their father. I have a strategy to win his confidence." Mika's voice was laced with determination.
"However, once they regain consciousness, they'll surely inform their father, and your cover will be blown. Our progress will return to zero." Roznok's grave voice echoed the impending danger. The stakes were indeed high.
"True... A spell would raise suspicions. As would my sudden appearance with his sons... We need to tread carefully," Mika mulled over the situation.
"Our first priority is to procure evidence of his corruption, proof of his bribery. It must be undeniable, like a captured video. Then we..." Roznok's strategic outline was abruptly interrupted by a sharp knock at the door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Roznok! Open this door, immediately!" Toragol's voice boomed from the other side.
Roznok reacted swiftly, his shadow swallowing Mika whole, cloaking him from sight.
Mika found himself suspended in an abyss of darkness. The void around him was as black as pitch, yet his own figure was clearly visible. He was floating, adrift in Roznok's shadowy realm.
Roznok then opened the door to a visibly agitated Toragol.
"What's wrong? You look pale as a ghost," Roznok inquired, feigning concern.
"Answer me this, Roznok! Did you deploy your shadows against my offspring? Speak!" Toragol's rage was palpable, his suspicion of Roznok apparent.
Roznok responded calmly, "If I had, this bracelet would activate." He gestured towards his wrist, his lie convincingly delivered.
"Ha... That's true... You can't lay a finger on my sons... or even me. Well then, I task you with finding them! And if you fail, I'll purge the streets of their dogs. Understand!?"
"Understood, sir," Roznok replied, his tone unerring.
With a smug smirk, Toragol left Roznok's office, resuming his search for his sons.
Roznok then released Mika from his shadowy hold, returning him to reality.
"Hold on... did you tamper with that bracelet?"
"Not exactly. He assumes that any use of my shadows against him or his family would trigger it. However, remember, my shadows are forbidden from entering Toragol's room, and his sons weren't there. Toragol foolishly believes this device will alert him should I cross his family," Roznok explained.
"Let's get back on track. What's your proposal to address the town's problems?"
Mika found himself wrestling with five key issues:
1. Surveillance cameras: "Roznok mentioned surveillance cameras throughout the town, particularly in Royal town. But hacking them... no... audioless footage won't suffice."
2. The sealed room: "The room is so well secured that infiltration is near impossible without being detected. Even Roznok's shadows can't assist with this."
3. Roznok's shadows: "Roznok's shadows can't infiltrate Toragol's room, rendering them useless for evidence collection. But they have other uses..."
4. Evidence: "We need definitive evidence to expose Toragol, both visual and auditory, perhaps even physical."
5. The sons: "His sons are key to earning Toragol's trust. I need to devise a plan to present them to him. But the moment they regain consciousness, our cover's blown."
'I must find a solution.' Mika thought, his mind racing with possibilities.
With a sudden clarity, Mika stitched together the strands of their knowledge, crafting three key theories from their five pieces of intel:
1. 1+3: Roznok's elusive feat. "Roznok, you should have been an easy catch for those surveillance cameras. You claimed they've got their eyes on you constantly. Yet, you waltzed right in and whisked away his sons without a sound. Intriguing."
2. 4+5: The sons' hidden knowledge. "Consider this. Threats might just be the ticket to the truth. Toragol's secrets must run deeper than mere bribery. There's something else lurking beneath the surface."
3. 2+5: The paradox of the secure room and the lack of bodyguards. "How is it that Toragol, despite his fortress-like room, ventures outside without any guards? And his sons, too. What's the game here? Is there some shadow organization safeguarding him? Surely, he doesn't have a death wish with so many harboring ill will against him, ready to strike at a moment's notice."
"Any thoughts, Mika?"
Mika then gave the first choice in his mind.
"How did I snatch the sons, you ask?" Roznok replied, a touch of pride creeping into his voice. "Easy. My shadows are quite handy for doppelganger creation. A quick restroom visit, a decoy in play, and voila! Kidnapped. If you're insinuating I should do the same with Toragol, you're barking up the wrong tree."
Mika shook his head. "No, not quite. What if we press his sons for information?"
Roznok scoffed, "Brilliant, but time isn't our ally here. Interrogation isn't a quick process, and your absence will raise alarm soon."
Yet, when Mika broached his third theory, Roznok couldn't help but agree. Despite the boys' Syyons, Toragol's lack of personal guards was puzzling.
"Indeed, it does seem Toragol has a hidden guardian. Not the world government, but someone else. Despite the widespread resentment against him, no one dares to take his life. As the town's sheriff, I ought to protect everyone, him included, but he doesn't seem to need me shadowing him."
The realization dawned on them both, like the first light of dawn piercing through the darkness. Toragol wasn't operating solo. His alliances reached beyond the world government, into a shadowy realm of unknown power. The wheels of the world government were mysteriously silent on his transgressions, bound by an unseen force.
"Why would any citizen fear a mere governor?" Roznok mused. "How did Lalapila become this den of despair? The answers are elusive, but the question itself is a riddle wrapped in mystery."
Bit by bit, Roznok and Mika pieced together the jigsaw, arriving at a chilling revelation: Toragol had a potent protector.
Suddenly, Mika turned to Roznok, his gaze sharp. "Wait a minute, as the town's sheriff, shouldn't you have figured this out sooner?"
"I got suckered in, okay?" Roznok grumbled, a hint of bitterness in his tone. "I was looking for a job, but ended up trapped in this hellhole for a month."
"But enough of this," Roznok said, redirecting their thoughts. "Your ideas hold merit, Mika. We'll work together and bring this plan to life." Subsequently, they delved deeper into the strategy, their minds syncing in a dance of deduction and logic.
In the meantime, the tension in the hotel room where Sougo and Kimaru were holed up was thick enough to slice with a blade. Sougo noticed guards gathering like a storm outside. He poised his katana, instructing Kimaru to take cover at his signal. Nodding, she braced herself, a knot of anxiety twisting in her stomach.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The sound echoed ominously in the room. As Sougo directed Kimaru to hide, he peered through the peephole. An unnerving smile met his gaze.
"Open the door."
Instead, Sougo secured the door further, retreating. But as he took a step back, a knife pierced the door. Suddenly, a powerful kick sent the door flying, hurling Sougo out of the building.
Like a coiled spring, Sougo bounced back to his feet, releasing three wind slashes to distance the intruder from Kimaru. But the man, a shadowy figure in black with a bald head, sidestepped the slashes, grabbing Kimaru and leaping onto the roof.
"Release her!" Sougo thundered.
A maniacal grin spread across the mystery man's face. "I had a hunch there was more to you two..."
Ever since they'd arrived in town, Sougo had felt eyes on them. His worst suspicions were confirmed.
With lightning reflexes, Sougo managed to whisk Kimaru to safety, leaving the stranger astounded.
Kimaru was safely set down far from the melee. The stage was set for a face-off between Sougo and the enigmatic intruder. The nearby crowd scattered in a panic, their screams punctuating the looming confrontation.
"You're tougher than you look," the man admitted, apparently referring to both Mika and Sougo.
He confessed to eavesdropping on their conversations, gathering all the information he needed. His client might be dimwitted, but the pay was too good to pass up.
"And after I've dealt with you," the man sneered, his smile growing wider, "I'll be coming for the golden boy next."