Chapter 165
Anguis Regina’s manager changed frequently. Not long ago, she had fired the last one, leaving the position currently vacant.
‘The reason for dismissal: Anguis Regina’s whims.’
However, it seed she maintained an amicable relationship with her forr managers without any lingering resentnt.
I went to et each of Anguis Regina’s forr managers.
“Anguis Regina? She hasn’t co to . If you’re asking about our relationship... I was her forr manager, lover, and friend? Sotis, when she feels lonely, she calls over to her mansion. She’s a pitiful girl in many ways. Want a cigarette?”
A woman whose face was covered in phosphorescent makeup spoke while smoking. A cat with shimring rainbow-colored fur sat on her lap.
I indifferently refused her offer. Ilay ca to mind for no particular reason.
“I don’t smoke.”
“You’ve got the look of soone who drinks, smokes, and does drugs, but you’re a non-smoker? That’s funny.”
The woman chuckled. She was a forr psychological counselor. Perhaps because of that, she had been Anguis Regina’s manager the longest—though that still only amounted to a year.
Anguis Regina’s managers all had unusual backgrounds. Gang mbers, psychological counselors, chefs, ex-military personnel—each one was different.
I observed the woman’s deanor. She wasn’t lying.
“Does she often disappear like this without informing the company?”
“She frequently cuts off contact and does whatever she wants. Most of the ti, the Equessians are the ones searching for her, and occasionally, a private investigator like you shows up looking for her.”
By private investigator, she likely ant an Akies Victima user hired by Jafa. It seed they had also been sent to track down Anguis Regina at so point.
“Because of work stress? If this keeps happening, she’ll end up quitting and running away.”
“That’s not it. Anguis Regina isn’t that immature. She takes her work seriously. She’s a professional with a strong sense of duty. Her schedule is probably clear for now. Even if you don’t go looking for her, she’ll co back at the right ti.”
“You used to be a psychological counselor, right? You must have heard a lot about Anguis Regina’s worries.”
The woman laughed and took a deep drag of her cigarette, her cheeks hollowing in. A mont later, smoke billowed into my face.
“She only forms superficial relationships and locks her deeper thoughts away in a vault. Even with people she shares a physical relationship with, she doesn’t open up. The most she ever worries about out loud is what to have for dinner.”
“You were close to her for a year. Nothing stands out to you?”
"I’m not a psychic. How am I supposed to see through soone who never opens up?"
The woman snapped coldly. She had a point. I had said sothing foolish.
"Let know if you happen to see Anguis Regina."
I said as I left her ho. It wasn’t like I actually expected much.
Most of the other managers also had a generally favorable view of Anguis Regina. So, however, were outright hostile toward and refused to speak.
Of course, none of them were close enough to her to keep their mouths shut in the face of violence. Their relationships were, quite literally, superficial. No one was willing to take risks to protect Anguis Regina.
Bang!
I kicked the bed after arriving at the ho of her forr military manager. Underneath it, there was won’s underwear.
There was a faint trace of Anguis Regina’s scent on it. That might sound strange, but I was only referring to the sll of her perfu and costics.
"Unless you have a hobby of cross-dressing, there’s no reason for this to be here."
The forr soldier sighed at my display of force.
"She said she wanted to see the ocean. There’s a port on the east side of Border City. Try heading that way. She left about half a day ago."
"Did she say anything else? Like about marriage or sothing?"
"Marriage?"
"No, never mind."
"Oh, but she did say this—her childhood dream was to be an astronaut. Though, I rember her saying she wanted to be a doctor before... She changes her story every ti we et."
After hearing that, I kept moving.
Once I got back to the road, I hailed a two-wheeled taxi. The eastern port wasn’t far, but the poor transportation network ant the ride still took around thirty minutes. More than once, I thought I could’ve gotten there faster on foot.
Border City’s road system was a complete ss due to rampant unplanned developnt. There were hardly any roads wide enough for large vehicles, so small cars and motorcycles were the primary ans of transportation. Efficiency was nonexistent in this city.
I wandered around the port, watching the waves rise and fall. At the pier nestled within the cape, logistics workers busily moved about.
The salty air carried from across the sea felt unfamiliar.
‘The ocean.’
I never thought I’d see it like this. Even in the Accretia Empire, lakes were rare. The horizon was sothing I had only ever seen in photos and videos.
‘It’s bigger than I thought.’
The eastern port of Border City was massive. With the high volu of logistics traffic, it was naturally a bustling area.
‘Based on the testimonies I’ve gathered, Anguis Regina is a complicated woman.’
If she had run off without a plan, I would have been at a loss. Border City was a tropolis. Without access to satellite imaging or surveillance systems, finding a person here would be nearly impossible.
However, Anguis Regina had left behind just enough clues as she moved.
‘Marriage, astronaut.’
These were the words she had spoken to two different managers she had slept with. When I put them together, a single building ca to mind.
I arrived at a high-rise structure built on a coastal cliff. It housed the offices of various travel agencies. Among them was one nad Honeyspace.
Honeyspace operated an orbital hotel beyond the atmosphere. It was a popular honeymoon destination for the wealthy.
As expected of a travel agency complex, the view was stunning. That was probably why they had chosen to build it on a coastal cliff.
Even from the entrance, the ocean was visible in all its vastness. If I looked from the rooftop, the scenery would be spectacular.
I checked the building’s layout on the lobby directory. The rooftop was a garden. On special occasions, it was also used as a banquet space. A sign indicated that wedding reservations were available.
Clank, clank.
I climbed the ergency stairs to the rooftop garden.
‘Rusty and worn down.’
The entrance to the rooftop garden was not what I had expected. It seed like it hadn’t been properly maintained for years. The door’s lock and hinges were broken, leaving it unsteady.
The flowers and trees from the promotional posters were nowhere to be found. Instead, scattered junk and abandoned shoes littered the area. It had clearly been neglected for a long ti.
Rather than a garden, the rooftop was a desolate ruin.
“Anguis Regina?”
I spoke, looking at the woman sitting on a bench. She turned to face , her gaze shifting away from the horizon.
Even with a hat and mask obscuring her face, the signs of Anguis Regina were evident. Her eyes glead excessively, almost unnaturally glossy.
"...Finding in just two days? That’s a new record."
Anguis Regina pulled down her mask as she spoke. Her skin was unnaturally pale, likely from ticulous costic procedures, and her lips were a smudged, paint-like shade of pink.
"I’m just that good."
I leaned against the doorfra.
As expected, Anguis Regina had deliberately left clues behind. And she was fully aware that Jafa had hired a new detective.
"You’ve proven your skills, so now leave. Tell Jafa that I’ll return when it’s ti for to resu my activities."
"Jafa told to find you and bring you back. That’s my job, nothing more."
"I just want so ti to myself, away from the interference of a tyrannical employer. Turn a blind eye just this once, and sothing good will co your way later."
Anguis Regina smiled seductively. I was well acquainted with that kind of businesslike smile. It reminded of Martina the Diva. Of course, unlike her, there was no old crone hiding beneath Anguis Regina’s surface. She was a real woman, with living flesh and blood.
I didn’t make any hasty moves.
‘She’s barefoot.’
Anguis Regina sat on the bench with no shoes on. If she took just two steps forward from where she was, she’d go right over the edge. There was a safety railing, but it was only waist-high—easy enough to climb over.
‘Looks like this place is a suicide spot.’
I had noticed the discarded clothes and shoes lying around earlier. So sections of the railing were broken. Below was the coastal cliff, where the waves would swallow any body that fell.
"No matter how I look at it, I need to take you back now. I have a deal with Jafa."
"Do you even know what Jafa does to ? He’s a monster. He abuses ..."
Anguis Regina’s face twisted with distress. Her hands and feet trembled slightly.
But I let out a dry laugh. It was all an act.
"That’s a load of crap. Don’t lie to . This is our first ti eting. You don’t even open up to the people who’ve been around you for years. If you were the kind of woman who could so easily confess to being abused, your managers would have noticed sothing by now. Besides, Jafa hasn’t forced you into anything, even after you disappeared multiple tis without a word. He hasn’t implanted a tracker in you either. That’s the truth."
As I spoke, I slipped my hands into the inner folds of my coat, crossing my arms.
Swish.
Anguis Regina stood up from the bench. She glanced down at the ground far below before turning her gaze back to .
"...You’re different from the others who’ve co before. Listen carefully—this is between Jafa and . It has nothing to do with you. So if you don’t want to see my corpse, get lost. I really can jump, I’m not joking."
I laughed. Her radiant smile didn’t match the venomous words she delivered so casually.
"I know you’re capable of killing yourself. You once jumped off a 19-story mansion, trusting nothing but so unreliable guy to catch you. You live with the idea that, if things go wrong, it’s fine to die. I get it, a hundred tis over, a thousand tis over. I throw myself into reckless situations for the sa reason. Life is just one bad thing after another, and the world is miserable, isn’t it?"
At my words, Anguis Regina’s eyes widened slightly. Her pupils shimred excessively, as if filled with starlight.
"You actually get it. If you understand, then..."
Her voice trailed off deliberately.
I narrowed my eyes and accelerated my thoughts. If I sprinted at full speed from here, could I catch Anguis Regina? It seed possible. But I wasn’t certain.
‘If she falls off the cliff, can I save her?’
I had no idea how treacherous the terrain was below. If I was unlucky, I might die trying.
At that mont, I recalled Kinuan’s advice.
‘When you’re covered in unnecessary baggage, your decision-making slows down. The more things you have to protect, the more situations you need to avoid, the more inefficient your thinking becos. Instead of taking the fastest solution, you waste ti circling around it, because this won’t work, and that won’t work either.’
There was no need to waste ti circling around the fastest solution.
...Anguis Regina wasn’t my girlfriend. She wasn’t my family. She was a complete stranger. There was no reason for to risk myself for her.
Beep.
My retinal display activated.
- Non-lethal mode, species: human, target: disable mobility.
Setting the auto-tracking pistol was simple. The aiming reticle locked onto the target on its own.
Click.
With my hand still inside my coat, I moved my finger and pulled the trigger.
Two gunshots rang out, muffled slightly by the fabric.
A burst of red exploded from both of Anguis Regina’s knees. Her legs, suddenly robbed of stability, buckled and twisted in unnatural directions.
Thud.
She collapsed to the ground.
"Ah..."
Her reaction was delayed. It seed she had never experienced this kind of violence before. Right now, she probably wasn’t even feeling the pain yet.
She tried to stand but foolishly fell back down. As she stared at her dangling, useless knees, her expression gradually crumpled. This wasn’t an act, nor was it a mask. It was raw, genuine emotion. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"You said it yourself earlier, didn’t you? That I seem different from the others who ca before. You were right. I’m not like anyone you’ve t before. I’ll never move according to your will."
I pulled the auto-tracking pistol out from inside my coat and stepped closer. As my coat swayed, empty casings clinked against the ground.
...A beat late, Anguis Regina finally scread.
For soone who made a living singing and dancing, her voice was piercingly loud.
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