I Mean to be a Bother

We had two days until the third trial. I was relieved for the break. Erin was still working the nobility, but she had sent me another letter last night. Supposedly, she was making great progress and had rubbed shoulders with aristocrats at a palace dinner. All that in a few days. I was beyond impressed.

Due to Erin’s absence, I was spending the day shopping alone. I opened up the glass doors to a small grocery store. I grabbed a few items and walked up to the prim man behind the till. There was a pile of newspapers on the counter. I couldn't see much from where I stood, but I managed to read part of the front page. "An update: [...] Former suspect in [...] broke out [...] 4 prison guards dead." Below, was the mugshot of an elderly man with third-degree burns on his face. Semi-curious, I reached for the top paper.

*Ding!*

The bell at the front door signalled that someone had just entered the store.

"You can only read them if you buy them," the cashier told me.

"How much for one?"

"One copper."

"Alright, I'll pay you. What's the total?"

I paid the man for my groceries and opened up the newspaper I'd just bought. My eyes widened with shock.

"An update:

The Kingdom of Boria native, and former child abduction suspect, Allister Twain, who was arrested in Ruhe, for killing a city guard, has escaped his holding cell. Allister Twain's house had gone up in flames a few nights prior. During his interrogation, he brutally murdered Lead Investigator Joseph Hollowfield; a highly respected, veteran investigator, best known for recently taking down the human trafficking organisation known as The Whip. Authorities suspect Allister had set his house ablaze in a failed insurance fraud scam. Allister Twain reportedly fled jail in a violent escape, that left 4 city guards dead. We have reason to believe that he is headed for the Kingdom of Boria. If you see the man pictured below, please contact your nearest city guard station."

In small print, under the mugshots: "A. Twain, the day of his arrest."

My headed snapped up. I looked around. Allister was a shapeshifter-- that I knew. He was the one who had instructed Erin and I to come to this supposedly cursed kingdom. It made sense that he'd be on his way here, though how this newspaper knew about that, or why it was even reporting on this story eluded me.

He could be anywhere!

There were only three other people in the store, excluding the cashier and I.

"Sir, are you okay?" said cashier asked from behind me.

"Yes," I hoarsely replied.

Is it the shopkeeper? No... What about that man?

I watched an ordinary-looking man grab things off the shelf.

No, he can clearly see. That woman?

A woman in a plain blouse and dress was inspecting fruits. She picked out three lovely apples, carefully avoiding the mushier ones.

No, she can see just fine.

Just then, a cloaked figure bumped into the woman.

Hm?

"Please watch where you're going!"

"Sorry."

The cloaked figure hurriedly exited the store. I rushed after her. How could she bump into someone, despite the story being largely empty and unchaotic? Was she blind? Was she Allister?

There! A dark grey cloak trotting through the town square. I bolted straight towards the woman. She glanced back, presumably hearing me approach, then sprinted off.

Where’s that boost of strength when I need it?

The woman was freakishly fast. Would Allister run away from me? Was he/she luring me into a trap? I didn't stop to consider my safety. I had one hand on my sword and that was all that mattered right now.

The woman expertly ducked and weaved through the crowd, until eventually I lost sight of her. I slowed to a stop. Damnit! I thought, punting a nearby rock. Allister, if that was you, I will kill you. You better hope you heard that!

I continued walking in the direction the woman had disappeared in, in a lame attempt to find her.

I feel like the reality of this whole situation has never truly sunk in. What the hell am I doing here? Why did Allister use Mr. Matsumoto to get at me? What does he need me for?

“Hey!”

I looked up. Dark grey cloak. I scowled. However, my anger instantly dissipated upon seeing the woman’s face. She was pretty, but that wasn't what made me pause. Those features... was she Japanese? No. Mr. Matsumoto looked Japanese, but he was a native to this world, I reasoned. So was that girl on the other missing poster, now that I think about it.

“Is this what you're looking for?” the woman asked. She held up a brown, leather pouch.

I anxiously looked down. Mine was still there. "Uh, no."

Ah, I see.

"Did you take it from that woman?" I sighed.

"Yeah. Did she send you after me?"

Hm?

"Wait, aren't you a contestant in the Grand Investigator Competition?" I asked.

"Oh, are you also participating?"

“Yeah. And what's more, you sound familiar,” I frowned.

She shrugged. "So, do you want the pouch back or not?"

"I mean, that's not why I came over here, but I think you should return it to the woman. She did nothing to you."

"Oh, yeah? Then, come and take it."

"I'm not going to play stupid games with you."

The woman scoffed. "Whatever, I thought we could have some fun. You're useless," she said. She turned away. However, one word echoed in my head.

"Useless"

There was something about the way she said it that reminded me of someone.

"Don't try to fight if you're so useless."

"Hey! You're the woman who saved me from those werewolves."

The woman paused in her tracks. She turned back around. "You were that guy? Damn, that really would have been easy," she smirked.

"What would have been easy?" I asked, confused.

"You know, everybody can see that big pouch on your waist. I was planning on seducing you and stealing it," she confessed.

"Is that why you stopped?"

"Yep. And now that I know how weak you are, I know I can take it anytime," she replied bragadociously.

If it's really her, then she was wearing Little Park merch. Let me test her.

"It may be big, but it only has a thousand yen."

The woman's brow instantly furrowed, and deeply so. "What?" she spat.

Woah.

She seemed offended.

“So, what’s your name, you dirty, little highwayman?” I joked.

She stared at me in silence for an uncomfortable amount of time. “Okubo Alice,” she finally replied. “And you?”

Okubo Alice? She even has a Japanese sounding name. A Japanese appearance… A Japanese name… I must be right!

“Is Okubo your last name?” I asked.

“Yes,” she replied, mildly surprised. “I guess it does sound more last name-y, right?”

“Alice, are you Japanese?”

Her mouth hung open and eyes widened in a sudden burst. They sparkled in the sunlight.

“Y-you…” she stammered.

“So, you are, aren't you?”

"You know Japan?"

“Of course I know Japan. I’m Sato Kugo, a model Japanese high schooler headed to Tokyo University,” I proudly stated. Honestly, I wasn't anywhere near as excited as I thought I'd be. Perhaps Alice had was excited enough for the both of us?

Alice squealed with delight and rushed to give me a hug. I dodged and swept her to the ground.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" she yelled.

"Sorry, I can't hear you from down there."

"What's your problem?" she demanded.

"For starters, you called me useless twice. And secondly, I don't know if you are who you say you are."

"Who else could know about Japan?"

"A certain someone that I seriously don't want to run into."

"What? So, there are more people from Earth on this planet?"

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know. But you have to do something for me in return," I smirked.

Alice covered up her already covered body. "What do you want from me, you pervert?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Hm? I just want to return the woman's pouch," I said.

***

The prince and the queen were sat at a luxurious dining table. It was adorned with more food than either of them could eat.

"Why don't we give some of this food to the servants?" the prince asked.

"Because it's not theirs," the queen curtly replied.

"Mother, I would like to speak to my father. It's an urgent matter."

“And gaining an audience with him is an impossible one, I'm afraid. You know how he is."

“How do you mean?”

“What do you mean how do I mean? Your father hasn't left that cursed room of his in god knows how long. Even I hardly get to see him. Hell, if you wish for an audience, then you'll have to storm the damn castle," the queen ranted with venom.

“Why is he such a recluse? I don't understand him.”

"Neither do I. He claims there are forces of evil out to get him. A true nutjob. Why couldn't I have been married to a handsome, competent king?"

The prince scoffed. "Does he honestly call them forces of evil?"

The queen sighed. "No, but that's the implication. What's worse is, he's scheduling to order a complete lockdown of the kingdom."

The prince perked up. "Excuse me? And I wasn't made privy to this?"

"Who are you to think that you would be?" the queen asked. Behind her fake innocence, one noticed the smugness with which she had delivered those words.

"There's some history between the prince and his mother that I'm seriously not interested in learning," Allister's voice thought from inside the king's head. "Well, you've told me now, so go on then: why is he shutting down the kingdom?"

The queen raised an eyebrow. "I see you also haven't heard—and this one surprises me, given the chattiness of the castle. Whatever your father has been afraid of this entire time has apparently arrived inside Boria's walls."

"Has it now? And what might it be?" the prince wondered.

The queen arrogantly chuckled. "He suspects it to be a contestant in the Grand Investigator Competition.”

"Which one?"

"He won't say. I suspect only your father and the spy he appointed to monitor the contestant are aware."

A spy, huh? I take it Kugo's cover's been blown—Not that he knew he was undercover.

***

I re-entered the grocery store. Alice and I had agreed that she would wait outside, to not cause a commotion

Curiously, however, the store was empty. Even the well-dressed cashier was no longer behind the counter.

May the male customer left and the cashier escorted the lady Alice stole from to a city guard station? But would he really abandon his post like that?

I shrugged. I walked up behind the counter and placed it somewhere one could only see when stanging behind the till.

“Good afternoon, Kugo,” a familiar voice behind me said.

I looked up. I had been greeted by a tuxedoed man wearing half a blank facemask. “Kiru?”

My former teammate was at the entrance, with four menacing, muscular men.

I hopped out from behind the counter. “I promise I wasn’t stealing. In fact, I was returning stolen money.”

“The king wants to see you,” Kiru said, completely ignoring my nervousness. “You don’t have a choice in the matter. We’re leaving right now.”