Chapter 38

“Boss… I think I’m a little drunk…”

Who gets drunk from drinking cider?

I made eye contact with Mina, who was leaning her body against my arm with a drowsy face.

Look at her pretending to be drunk so boldly without even blushing. It was an obvious trick, but everyone knows and lets it slide when it’s the usual bar antics.

I brushed Mina’s hair away from her cheek and pulled her closer to me.

“Boss…”

“Haha, it’s about time to welcome the next customer! Well then, take care!”

The bartender, who had been rambling about Quaker in front of me for a while, winked at me and left.

Did he just tactfully give us some space?

I sighed, got up with Mina in my arms, and left the bar.

Outside the bar was already dyed crimson, and the area around the bar was bustling with people.

As expected, such bars are crowded in the evening.

“Boss. The person who stole my vision is watching us from behind.”

I immediately turned my head at Mina’s words and met the gaze of someone staring at me.

…Was there someone watching me?

Are they watching me because of the accident I caused before, or did they notice something and came to watch?

I wanted to catch and interrogate them directly, but since I had Mina with me, I couldn’t do that right now.

Besides, doing such a thing in enemy territory is crazy.

I’ve already stirred up enough trouble in enemy territory, so unless I can crush them like mashed potatoes with a single gesture like Quaker, there’s no need to draw attention.

I turned my body and watched the figure disappearing, then said to Mina.

“Let’s go back.”

“Okay…”

“And stop pretending to be drunk.”

With a disappointed look, I left Viper’s Domain with Mina, who was loosely folding her arms. After leaving Viper’s Domain, we turned and headed to the market.

We need to check the market.

“Let’s hurry and finish shopping. Seolhwa is waiting—”

“Isn’t that client waiting too?”

“…Ah, right.”

I guess we need to shop a bit more than usual.

We entered the path leading to the market.

———————–

“Impressive skills! You could even open a shop!”

“It’s not that big of a deal.”

You’re overreacting. It’s just a few side dishes bought from outside and some fried eggs.

Ah, I want to eat doenjang jjigae.

But it’s really hard to get doenjang.

“Boss. It seems like we’re getting closer…”

“Ah, really?”

“Have we finally entered the hideout? Then we can find the kidnapped son of Professor Kang!”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. We haven’t found anything yet.”

Except for Seolhwa, who was starting to doze off because she was full, I sat across from Mina with a notebook and pen.

Then Mina looked at me with a dissatisfied expression and said bluntly.

“Why are you sitting there?”

“Huh?”

“Boss’s seat is here. I’m tired from using my ability, so support me from the side.”

…If it’s necessary.

I immediately sat next to Mina and looked down at her lying on my lap.

“That looks really comfortable.”

“I have a headache from overusing my ability, so I should at least be comfortable.”

Is that so?

I nodded at Mina’s words and looked at her with her eyes closed.

She’s really pretty.

I can understand why people were protesting in the comments about her not being the heroine.

“It’s dark, so I can’t see well…”

Dark… huh.

Was Cobra’s hideout in a dark, inconspicuous place, or was the kidnapping location separate?

“And?”

“I see a dog… It looks fierce… but it’s cute… It keeps licking my hand…”

Is it the hideout?

It doesn’t make sense to tie a dog at a kidnapping location. I looked at Mina’s face, which had a mysterious expression, and organized the information in my head.

“What color is the dog?”

“It’s yellow…”

“Yellow…”

I’ll note that down.

“Ah. Now we’re going inside. It’s dark, so I can’t see well… but the entrance is big enough for a truck to enter…”

Is it an abandoned factory?

Typical of kidnappers to choose a gloomy place. Not like they had many options anyway.

“There are five… six? They all look fierce.”

“The hostage?”

“I don’t see a child.”

Maybe they’re further inside.

“Ah, they’re all gathered playing cards. There’s money next to them, so they must be gambling. And… a frog-like person is saying something.”

Tsk. It’s a shame I can’t hear the conversation.

But having a live CCTV ability in this era is already a blessing.

If it weren’t for Mina, what I’m doing would be infiltration, not recording.

That has its own charm… but charm is usually dangerous in reality.

And I wouldn’t have such skills anyway.

“Looking at their expressions, they seem angry…”

“Angry?”

“That’s what it looks like.”

Angry, huh. I wonder what’s going on.

Did they make a mistake? Why was that guy at the bar in the first place?

“Ouch!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I got hit on the head…”

Mina covered her head as if she had been hit. How hard did they hit for the feedback to be this strong?

“If the sensation is connected, isn’t that dangerous?!”

“Whoa, it’s not like that, so it’s fine. It’s just a psychological shock.”

I calmed down Speed, who was pouring out worries like a machine gun, and turned my gaze back to Mina. Mina had returned to her lukewarm expression and was blankly staring at the ceiling.

“Boss, it seems like they’re moving to do something… One of the gambling men left the room.”

“Can you switch to him?”

“It’s hard to switch to another eye from this far away.”

Is it because her ability isn’t fully developed yet?

That’s a shame.

But this much is enough.

“I’ll still try.”

“Don’t push yourself.”

“It’s okay. It’s just an attempt…”

Mina kept blinking her eyes. As if trying to convey Morse code. How much time passed like that?

Just as my thigh was getting numb, Mina spoke.

“I switched to the frog.”

“Good. He seems like the one giving orders, so he’s more important. Keep going.”

“Umm, it’s a phone. He’s looking at a phone.”

“What’s he looking at?”

“Uh… uh…”

“What’s he looking at that’s making you like this?”

Mina’s face turned as red as a tomato.

What, could it be…

“Uh, uh, how… can they… be so… amazing…”

What on earth is he looking at?

Mina’s reaction is making me even more curious.

“Uh, it’s intense…”

What the hell is he looking at?

“Mina?”

“They… can do it like that…”

“Mina!”

“B-Boss?”

“Are you back to your senses now?”

“S-Sorry. It’s my first time seeing something like that…”

I’m really curious about what that “first time” refers to, but it doesn’t seem like Mina will answer, so I let it go.

“So, is he doing anything else?”

“Uh… that’s… he’s only looking at that on the phone. Ah, someone called him. The view shifted.”

“It’s the man I first switched to. He seems troubled, so he must have made a mistake. Ah, the frog got up. He’s going somewhere.”

They’re starting to move.

Mina stared at the ceiling silently for three minutes.

“Oppa… I’m going to bed…”

“Okay, make sure to brush your teeth.”

“Okay…”

It’s already been quite some time.

“Boss. There’s something like a prison inside.”

I was following Seolhwa’s retreating figure, who had left after dozing off, but turned my head again at Mina’s words.

“Prison?”

“Yes. It’s dark, so I can’t see well, but there are more than one or two people locked up.”

The scene must be quite gruesome, as Mina trembled and clung to me.

“I-it looks like kidnapped people… There are more than ten…”

“Is there a boy in his mid-teens among them? A bit classy-looking…”

“…Ah, yes. There is!”

“Really?! I knew entrusting this place was the right decision!”

“Calm down first, Mina. You can stop using your ability now.”

“Okay…”

Mina answered in a tired, listless voice and got up.

“It’s tiring because the target is so far away…”

“Good job. But let’s endure a bit more. We need more detailed information…”

“Okay. Leave it to me, Boss.”

Mina gave me a faint smile and began to tell me in detail what she had seen.

From the characteristics of the path to the features of the buildings she remembered, and the suspicious elements she hadn’t mentioned before.

I compared the notes I had taken with Mina’s statements and organized the information.

By the time we finished organizing, it was already midnight, and we were finally free from information gathering.

“Boss. I’ll go up first…”

“Okay. Sleep well.”

“Now we can take this and go in to rescue them—”

“Wait, wait. Let’s not act hastily. We need a plan.”

“A plan… you say? You’re talking like a strategy officer.”

“Whoever that is, let’s plan the infiltration route based on what Mina said.

Actually, it would be better to gather more information, but looking at your face, it seems like we need to rescue them as soon as possible.”

“Of course. How can I, as a hero, stand by while so many people are captured…! If I can’t save them, I’m disqualified as a hero…!”

Wow, so passionate.

Even if I were a hero, I wouldn’t be able to go forward so straightforwardly.

I started making a plan for the man, who I’m not sure if he’s a rapper or a hero.