0Halley0, Aiji S., Alexander P., Bakadeathly, BigZak, Brben, Chocolat, Corey, Dragoncamper, Deso, Daniel B., David G., DKLA, Jakers, Jason, Jaycob T., John V., Kaichu, Kiriaky, Luther S., Maverun, Max, Myla, Ograf, Omniamore, Otto E., Scott M., Shaun, ShadeRitten, SK, Soomin B., Taiyou D., Tenkkun, Tim N., TsuTsu, Tuan N., Urko M. M., Will B., William H., YMK, and Z!
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Boy's Detective Group, Midnight Adventure
「……everyone is surely, already asleep by now」
Dona muttered. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
The winter full moon was floating in the sky, shining with a cold blue light and filling the courtyard. Although I would never look up at the night sky. I will never forget that night of slaughter in Linga village. I have not had any nightmares about it at all, but I think it would not be strange for it to happen again anytime.
I was not questioned even when I stepped over the chain and passed by the night duty room near the entrance. It looks like everyone is in deep sleep and exhausted from all the commotion earlier. Jusa and Jill should be in the medical office to watch over Tamaria, but it was blocked by black curtains so I could not peek inside.
「Eh, everyone, we don’t have much time. Move just as we discussed before」
At my urging, Dona and Dee dashed off at a trot toward the back of the warehouse. The other 2 people followed me and stood in front of the pillar in the warehouse.
「This one, I guess」
Kovel tilted his head. There are 2 stone pillars in the warehouse, one on the east and the other on the west. The pillars are nearly 4 meters, and the inside is hollow. Both of them serve as the drainage pipe for the south building, but this one is the one closer to the office.
「Let’s try taking off the stone paving for now」
When I announced the start of the work, Wyst tried to pry up the nearby stone floor with a crowbar he secretly stole. I also rushed over and lent a hand. Before long, there was a loud thud *boko*, and the stone was lifted up. Kovol inserted his fingers and immediately flipped the stone.
「Oi oi, be more careful with that. It’d be bad if it breaks」
Wyst said in panic. Even Kovol winces, knowing that what just happened was not good. Dona and Dee returned. They brought old cloths and placed them on the floor nearby. This is a measure for soundproofing and also to prevent damage to the stone floor.
「Yosh, one more」
The next one was easily removed. And a steep staircase is visible at the end of the dark stone floor. The pillar is close to the courtyard, but the moonlight doesn't reach this place that much. It's almost pitch black at our feet. We continue to carefully make our way down through the space that is barely enough for a person to pass.
At the bottom of the short staircase, there was an iron-barred door wide enough for an adult to pass if they made their bodies smaller. There are no horizontal bars on this door but the vertical bars have small spaces between them, making it impossible even for children to pass through. Naturally, it's locked. Kovol puts his hands on the door frame and pulls hard.
「As expected, it can’t be opened」
「That’s obvious, isn’t it?」
Wyst said as if he was fed up.
「It’s locked, right? But, how do you open this?」
「It’s not. Take a look at your feet. You have to push this door」
With a look that said ‘Oh right’, Kovol put strength into his arms and pushed the door. But still, the iron-barred door only made a dull thudding sound. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「I won’t open, y’know?」
「Isn’t that obvious? It’s locked, I said」
Hearing that, Kovol lost his cool and raised his hands. But he quickly remembered the situation and lowered his hands.
「Now first, how do we get over this......」
Even Wyst put his hand on his chin as he fell into deep thought.
Normally speaking, there is no way to physically destroy such solid iron bars. It may be possible if we have the tools for it, but it will result in a loud, resounding noise of destruction. If, that person went through this place, they must have used a clever trick.
Then, I had an idea of how to remove the iron bars.
「Dona, the lamp」
When I said that, Dona nervously handed the small lamp to me. She brought it earlier it with various other items. I strike flint stones together while crouching in the darkness. Soon, a faint light was born.
「I knew it.....everyone, can you see? This door, it’s the frame part of the door」
The iron bars were not covered in paint, so they rusted quickly. So these iron bars were being replaced once every several years. And of course, a small amount of rust also stuck on the bars….
Those rusts especially stood out on the part of the base, the frame securing the bars in place. Also, short wooden rods were stuffed into it to fix the lined-up iron bars at regular intervals.
「This, let’s pull this out」
After I said that, Wyst stepped forward. Using a shabby chisel, he quietly scraped out the woodchips.
「Ah, oi, wait. Don’t break it, and don’t get rid of it. It will become evidence later」
Wyst silently nodded when I pointed that out www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
Before long, some pieces of wood were being pulled out from the bottom of the frame. Our view is focused on the upper part of the frame.
Looking carefully from below, it's clear that the metal parts that support it were already rusty and no longer functioning properly. Instead, pieces of wood had been cleverly stuck to prevent it from falling. It might come off if you shake it with enough strength, but just touching it lightly probably wouldn’t make anyone notice.
Wyst nodded once more and carefully removed the wood pieces. And he arranged them in order not to make any mistake on where they were placed. They were placed on a cloth that Dee had spread out.
「Well then……」
I spread the vertical iron bars - which no longer have supports - to the left and right. While there was a slight resistance to it, there was enough gap for a single child to pass through somehow.
「Guess the iron bars are rusty and weathered」
Kovol said as if impressed. That is half-right and half-wrong.
「It rusted, or rather, made to rust」
「How?」
「It can be done if you take your time. It’s only hard in the beginning」
Making iron rust may seem easy, but it's actually surprisingly difficult. Even if the surface rusts, the iron’s strength will not decrease that easily.
So, whoever did this should have done it by filing the joint between the frame and the iron bars. In addition, that person threw some liquid on it. Or - just like some kind of an escape king - even a miso soup would do just fine. Though you can not get anything like that around here. Even pee will probably be enough. And once it dries, spray it again. Then just repeat the process. Whether they are metal or wood, when you keep splashing them with water, drying them, repeating it again and again will quickly become brittle like this.
Kovol’s eyes widened as he listened to my explanation.
「Hee, so the iron bars rust if you do that! But, if it’s that easy, it could even break the iron bars in front of the office, right?」
「Kovol is an idiot」
「What’d you say!」
Wyst sighed while Dee spoke his thoughts. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「It will immediately be found out if you break something conspicuous, right? While this place only gets checked about once every year, the reason for them being broken won’t get found out as long as you put those wood pieces away before any major cleanup. Anyway, they will think it was just rusty」
That’s right. These stone pavings were not something you remove all the time. It would become a blind spot.
「Then....let’s enter」
When I suggested that we should go ahead, there was a hesitant response.
「Un……」
「Seriously」
Even Dona endured it and nodded. Wyst voices out his dissatisfaction while scratching his head.
No wonder. There was the sewage ahead. Although it's still clean here. There were the kitchen and the medical office on the south side of the building. The source of the sewage started from here. Furthermore, unnecessary water came down from the kitchenette behind the office. That also included leftover tea.
But, compared to the downstream, this place was still better. There was a communal toilet on the west side of the building. And, there was also a toilet for the master and guests on the west side of the south building. Therefore, you would literally be covered in filth if you climb the western pillar. I didn't want that, so that is why I decided to go through the eastern pullar.
Well, it may only be a consolation. In any case, the 2 streams merged at the southwest corner. Only, since the sewage sloped down to the corner, I would like to think that the filth from the west side still had not reached this far. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Let’s go」
When I stepped forward, everyone unwillingly followed. Everyone took off their shoes.
The water was up to my ankles. Of course, it was cold this was winter. There was no way we could enter the office after being covered in such dirty water, so naturally, we had already prepared some cloths to wipe them off.
「It’s dirty」
「Uoohhh! It’s cold! Let’s hurry up」
We could faintly see the iron bars above us from the lamplight.
And now, there was one more thing I had prepared.
「Here」
It’s a long piece of cloth. With such cloth, unless it was taken without permission or officially approved for use, there is no way it would still be here. If it was on the level of those wood pieces like from before, you can probably get it by secretly prying a plank from the stable or shaving a little from our own bed.
This piece of cloth was tied in places with tight knots. A stone was wrapped at the end and serves as a stone weight.
「Me, give it to me!」
Kovol took it as if snatching it from Dona’s hand and immediately took a throwing stance. He threw the stone toward the iron bars overhead with all his strength, but I guess his control was bad as the stone made a dull thud, and the stone and cloth came falling back down. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Darn it!」
「Oh, that was dangerous. Oi, Kovol, it’s fine if you mess up with your throw, but pay attention to other things, will ya? Everything will be over now if Myluc woke up, y’know?」
Also, if the cloth falls down and gets covered in sewage.....it will be disastrous after that.
「Here, let me give it a try」
Wyst stepped forward again and turned his shoulders around.
He suddenly released the cloth with the stone at the tip. Even though it was a casual action, the tip of the cloth passed through the iron bars beautifully and then returned to this side.
「Yosh, we can climb now」
「Let me do it this time!」
Kovol pushes us aside and grabs the cloth rope. There are knots on the rope so it's probably enough for handholds. Only….
「Kovol, it’s fine if you go ahead, but you can’t put your feet on the rope」
「Wh, what?
If you put your feet that were covered in sewage on it, the next person climbing will have all that sewage on their hands. But I would like to think that was within acceptable limits.
However, Kovol accepted that challenge. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Yossh, I did it!」
「Oi, that’s impossible」
But, Kovol clung to the rope with just his hands before I could stop him .. Then, he actually started climbing smoothly with just his hands. I wonder what kind of arm strength he has.
「Water is dripping from the soles of his feet, it’s gross」
Dee complained while taking a distance from the rope. But, I only looked up nervously. If, the cloth was not strong enough, Kovol would fall down. It's fine at the start, but he would get a serious injury if he fell towards the end of his climb.
But, not caring about my worry, he easily clung to the iron bars. The gap in the iron bars was large enough for his arm to pass through. Then Kovol reached out and took out another short rope handed to him before. That was then hooked onto the leg of the simple stove placed in the kitchen-cum-break room. Between the stove and Kovol, the stove is heavier. This was the most dangerous part. Kovol let go of the first rope and left his entire weight on the stove. The iron bars above were just placed there like a cover. Using his arm strength, Kovol pulled in the short rope, and he fell together with the stove to the office kitchenette’s floor.
「Sshhaa!」
His cry resounded all the way to us below at the bottom of the sewer.
「That idiot…」
Wyst covered his face. Even Dona and Dee look troubled. Just that, it's the fact that we succeeded in entering the office thanks to Kovol. It would be impossible for anyone else to climb there using all their own strength.
Hm? So, how would the culprit who climbed that make it easier for them?
「Yosh, come climb!」
Kovol calls out to us. We told him in quiet voices to keep quiet and hang down the rope, then he quickly pulled out the long cloth from the iron bars. Just when I was wondering what he was trying to do, he just lowered it like that with his own hands.
「That, you know.....」
「I’ll pull you up! Hurry!」
We looked at each other. But time is tight right now. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「I will go」
Dona volunteered and took a step forward.
But, I should go first here. Originally, this is my problem, so I thought that even if it's a little dangerous, I have to step forward.
「Don’t let go!」
No sooner than I grabbed the rope, Kovol hoisted me up with incredible speed like a winch. When I realized, I was already on the kitchen floor.
「Next!」
Still, Kovol was breathing heavily by the time he pulled everyone up. But he got a smile on his face.
「Amazing, as expected of you……」
「Hehe.....I mean, I was told to」
「What?」
「First, train my body. Jusa said」
So it’s like that! Kovol took those words seriously and had been training hard every day.
Even so, he's still a 7-year-old kid, what an unusual kid he is. No, this was already on the level of superhuman strength. I am sure he would become a monster if he continues to grow with such momentum.
「Waai! What a beautiful room!」
Dee came tumbling into the office with a radiant smile on her face.
「The sweets? Where are the sweets?」
「……it’s the box over there」
「I’m so happy!」
Although we tried to clear the suspicion from me and prove my innocence by deliberately entering the office without a key....could this be the reason Dee participated? Incidentally, I still have a swollen cheek, so I don't think I could eat sweets. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「I’m, so, tired already」
Wyst muttered while blinking.
「I thought, there’s no way we could definitely do this, but to do it so easily.....we can escape anytime」
「That’s......right」
The cause of his exhaustion may be a mental shock instead of physical exhaustion. Of course, everyone wanted to get out, but if an exit really did exist. He was probably confused by the freedom suddenly given to him.
Although even if he escaped, there is nowhere to go. He can not return to hs parents’ house. I am sure the culprit who broke into this place must have the same thought.
「Well, fine. I’m sleepy, Imma go to sleep」
「Aah, but.....look」
Looking back, I could see Kovol already lying and snoring on the sofa.
「Can’t be helped, eh」
Wyst sat down on the sofa opposite and closed his eyes.
I also sat next to him. And then Dona also sat down. There was a faint smile on her pretty face.
「……what’s the matter」
「Fufufu」
She looks genuinely happy, and she puts her hand on my ear as she says in a small voice
「This kind of thing, are somehow fun」
「I guess.....Right, un, I think I understand what you mean」
Dona whispered as she leaned her shoulder against me on the sofa.
「I, this is the first time, I have had so much fun. I wish the night wouldn’t end」
I was surprised and gently stroked Dona’s head. But, she immediately buried her face on my shoulder and said.
「Mmm, it’s nothing」
She did not move after that.
When I realized it, Wyst - who had sat next to me - was already sound asleep while sitting. What a skillful guy.
「Yosh, here. It’s here」
Finding the box containing sweets, Dee quietly sat at my feet. I closed my eyes as I listened to her eating the sweets with munching sounds. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
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