Chapter 281: Masumi Sera Makes an Appearance
The room was swallowed by an oppressive darkness, stark and utilitarian, devoid of any superfluous furniture or decoration. A single, dilapidated wooden table stood in the center, bearing the solitary weight of an old computer.
There was no lighting. The only illumination came from the monitor's weak, flickering screen. Its faint glow spilled onto the face of the room's occupant, carving his features from the shadows and casting them in an eerie, mysterious light.
Suddenly, a voice shattered the dead silence. It seemed to emanate from a loudspeaker—a sound weathered by age, heavy with the weight of years, yet carrying an obvious, chilling authority.
"Sea-Dew?" The voice was deliberately distorted, laced with crackling static that made its original tone impossible to discern.
"Yes." The faint light from the monitor glinted in the visitor's eyes, the flickering making his expression seem sinister, almost terrifying. Despite the unsettling atmosphere, his posture remained one of absolute deference.
"Several days ago, our members in London discovered an unusual property of this... substance. It was sent by France to the British Royal Family. Fruit kept in its vicinity takes significantly longer to spoil. This will certainly be of great use to the Organization's research."
The visitor continued his report, his voice low and steady. "Unfortunately, this Sea-Dew appears to grow only in its native region of France. The specimens sent to the Royal Family were transported to London at great expense, both in manpower and resources. Even so, by the time they arrived, the effects were greatly diminished..."
He detailed the circumstances of the Sea-Dew's discovery and its primary function, emphasizing that to harness its full potential, all work would have to be conducted locally in France.
After the visitor finished his introduction, a heavy silence descended upon the room once more.
Then, the voice from the loudspeaker returned. "Confirm the effects of the Sea-Dew as soon as possible. If it is indeed of significant use to the Organization's experiments, then we will shift the research focus to France. We will act according to the situation then."
The visitor nodded respectfully. "Yes, sir." He hesitated for a fraction of a second before speaking again. "Should this matter be kept from Cointreau?"
He waited. When the Boss offered no immediate reply, he pressed on, choosing his words with care. "Cointreau was previously the primary person-in-charge for the Organization's European operations. If we begin this new operation without specifically blocking the information, it is highly likely he will catch wind of it."
"Keep it hidden for now," the voice commanded, its tone flat and final. "We will tell him when we need his help."
With those ambiguous words, the computer screen in front of the visitor instantly went black.
Clearly, the Boss had already left.
Though he now stood alone in the suffocating darkness, the visitor still bowed his head. "Yes, sir." He carefully tidied the few traces he had left behind before melting back into the shadows from which he came.
"Is that him?"
Perched atop a high-rise building some distance away, two figures watched the scene unfold through binoculars.
One of them, a man with vibrant orange hair, lowered his pair and scowled. "You dragged me all the way out here for some old man with one foot in the grave? Are you looking down on me?"
"Of course not! Tartaglia, can you stop thinking only about fighting for one second?" The other man—Aether—retorted with a flash of irritation. "Think about it. It's impossible that I'd call you here just to have you fight an old man like that."
At that, Aether lowered his own binoculars, turned, and began walking toward the building's interior access.
Tartaglia paused, momentarily stunned, before quickly falling into step behind him. They rode the elevator down in silence.
Once they were on the ground floor, Aether led Tartaglia directly to his parked car. It wasn't until they were both settled inside that he finally spoke.
"I brought you here today to identify him. For the foreseeable future, I need you to pay close attention to his whereabouts. Once he achieves our objective, you will find a way to make him disappear in an 'accident.' Leave no traces."
"Fine." Hearing the nature of the task, Tartaglia slumped back in his seat, a listless air settling over him. He let out a drawn-out sigh of agreement. "For the Traveler's sake."
'Hah,'he thought, a wave of disappointment washing over him.'I thought Cointreau finally had a real fight for me. I didn't expect this kind of unchallenging busywork.'
Aether chose to ignore the evident resentment radiating from the man beside him. He started the car and began driving toward the Organization's London base, using the time to brief Tartaglia on the old man's known habits and typical range of activities.
Wanmin Restaurant.
After dropping off the cat, Natsume hurried over to the restaurant. Her eyes subconsciously scanned the dining area, searching for the familiar table.
To her surprise, the scene was not quite what she'd expected. She had thought she would only find Ran and Sonoko, but today, there was an extra girl with them, one wearing the same Teitan High School uniform.
She had medium-length black hair and somewhat androgynous, striking features. Natsume recognized her at a glance: this had to be Masumi Sera.
'I didn't expect this,'Natsume mused, a small smile touching her lips.'It's only been a few days since Ran got back from London, and she's already transferred to Teitan High. She certainly works fast.'
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