Chapter 29
"That's because it's the charge with the heaviest sentence, isn't it?"
"No. She said her goal wasn't to reduce her sentence, but to avoid jail time entirely."
If her goal is to avoid prison, it's simple. Just give them that damned ruby and be released, isn't that right?
"But why isn't she using the simplest method?"
Because she didn't steal it.
That was the most logical answer, but also the most controversial.
I'm going crazy. Starting to believe the criminal's lies. Am I walking the path of a foolish investigator being manipulated by a cunning criminal?
I can no longer trust myself.
"Wesson, what do you think the reason is?"
Raven urged his subordinate.
He hoped Wesson's answer would either extinguish his strange suspicion that the fundamental assumption was wrong, or make it burn even brighter, serving as a turning point...
"I don't know the reason, but the accusation that Rich Feller is the real culprit is truly absurd."
"That's true."
It wasn't much help.
"Actually, there's even more absurd news."
Wesson handed over the paper he had been holding.
"The mental evaluation results for Thieving Crow are out. They say she's normal."
"So, her claim that God ordered her to do it isn't delusion?"
"Perhaps she was brainwashed by a cult, claiming God gave her powers?"
Wesson proposed a hypothesis that a religious group found a person with superpowers and brainwashed them into becoming their subordinate.
"Seeing as she called God a devil, that woman either doesn't believe in religion, or even if she does, she considers those powers a curse. She might want to escape from the forces behind her."
"It sounds plausible, but..."
There was no evidence. They couldn't find any trace of a mastermind.
'Claire Kent' had no private life whatsoever. Her movements were limited to the Police Bureau and her home. She had no family, no friends, and certainly no regular acquaintances.
After her arrest, no one attempted to break into Claire Kent's home, nor did anyone apply for a visit.
Of course, her fan club members continued to request visits, but she refused them all. Not with fear, but with an annoyed expression.
It didn't seem like the mastermind was hiding within the fan club and trying to approach her.
"I find that strange too. Surely, they would try to silence their subordinate."
"Perhaps they don't have the opportunity."
"What?"
"How about we set a trap?"
"A trap?"
"We'll pretend to transfer Thieving Crow to a prison."
"Ah, then the mastermind would surely attack the transport vehicle to break her out or kill her."
That's how they'd catch the mastermind. If the subordinate wouldn't open their mouth, they'd make the head open it.
Raven immediately headed to the Director's office to get permission for the sting operation, but before he could even present the plan, he received an unexpected notification.
"This case has now been assigned to the Central Investigation Bureau, so be aware of that."
The Director sighed at Raven's expression, as if he were looking at a traitor.
"Look here. Do you think I wanted to share our achievements with them? They keep hounding me every day about why we still haven't found that damned stone, but down here, they just keep telling us to wait."
"It's only been a week since the arrest."
"I know. The ruby isn't going to rot. Honestly."
The Director took out a cigarette and lit it. He only spoke again after his office had become a den of raccoons.
"It's unsettling, but we've already made a contribution by making the arrest, so shifting the responsibility of recovering the ruby to the Central Investigation Bureau isn't bad for the Police Bureau."
It wasn't wrong. Raven couldn't accept it, but...
Since the higher-ups had already made the decision, there was little Raven could do.
Ultimately, returning to the Special Investigation Unit headquarters as a defeated man, he informed Wesson, who was waiting.
"The transfer has been decided."
Wesson's expression brightened, but it didn't last long.
"Not a trap, a real transfer. They've decided the Central Investigation Bureau will handle it now."
Raven, seeing the morale of his disheartened team members, encouraged them with the Director's words and gave his orders.
"The escort officers from the Central Investigation Bureau are arriving tonight, so get ready."
"What is this?"
I stopped opening the painkiller bottle and looked at my hand. A thin, long strand of hair was stuck to my palm. It must have come from the bottle.
"Does Hunt also have cats? Ah... my cats."
Sighing heavily, I swallowed a painkiller and took out the hidden soap and spoon, holding them in my hands again.
'I need to escape quickly and go see my cats.'
Scrape. Scrape. Scrape.
But shortly after scraping the soap, my resolve wore down like a wooden spoon, and I began to lament.
'Ah, really, I was an honest citizen who could live without laws in Korea, but by choosing to be a villain, I'm doing all sorts of unheard-of bad deeds.'
Quest 1's objective was this:
'Become the second John Dillinger.'
Summarizing the unnecessarily long explanation below it, John Dillinger was a famous gang leader and history's most notorious villain.
The reason he was so infamous was his ingenious escape from prison. Specifically, by carving wood to make a fake gun.
'Become the second John Dillinger...'
So, the system was forcing me to make a fake gun.
Recommended materials: Wood, ☆Soap☆, and other carveable objects.
The system, thinking it would be too difficult for my clumsy hands to carve wood, had kindly put a star next to soap.
'It's hitting me where it hurts, but it's the truth.'
'Even if I can't carve wood, I did soap carving in school art class.'
But I had a carving knife back then. Since I can't bring sharp objects into the detention cell, I'm frustrated trying to scrape away with a dull wooden spoon.
"Ugh..."
Scrape. Scrape.
I displayed a picture of a gun-like item in the Item Crafting Window and carved, following it.
Like a miser looking at dried pollacks.
No, a miser could eat the dried pollacks while just looking, but I have no materials, so I can only truly look at this gun. Ah, tears.
Once the shape was roughly similar, I opened the paint box Hunt had given me.
After much effort to paint it to look like a real gun with my clumsy hands, I soon held a plausible fake pistol.
"Is this good enough?"
[Quest 1 Complete! Quest 2 has been unlocked.]
That's right! I immediately opened Quest 2.
<Quest 2: Freeze! Move and you'll foam!>
Threaten the guard watching the detention cell with the soap gun and steal their firearm to escape the Police Bureau.
Below this, a long checklist of what I needed to achieve followed.
Subdue the guard with the fake gun. Steal the guard's weapon and disarm them. Lock the guard in the detention cell. Use the 'Master of Disguise' skill to change appearance, etc.
It showed me step-by-step how to escape safely without getting caught. Why was the system helping me so kindly?
'Alright.'
Judging by the fact that dinner was brought in sometime in between, it must be night now. Escaping when there are fewer people is standard procedure, so the timing is perfect.
I hid the soap gun behind my back and ran to the door, banging on it frantically.
"Kyaaaak! Hello!"
"Yes? What's wrong?"
"A rat the size of my forearm came up from the sewer! Aaaah! Help me!"
Click.
The door opened. I gripped the gun's handle and swallowed dryly.
<Special Notes for Escort Subject>
Be cautious, as they attempt to manipulate people subtly. It is advised not to assign weak-hearted investigators or guards.
Raven paused after writing this much while drafting the handover document for the Central Investigation Bureau.
'I don't want to cause trouble if, by my words, a malicious investigator or guard is assigned and that woman suffers coercive interrogation or harsh treatment.'
As he erased what he had written, Raven paused again.
