After Starting a Thread as a Reincarnated in an Unknown Otome Game, I Got Caught in a Battlefield of Beauties - Chapter 60: Going to the Informant (It's not free though)

Chapter 60: Going to the Informant (It’s not free though)

—So, I got information about the attackers from the forum members, but it seems even the hardcore fan couldn’t figure out where they were hiding before the attack.

However, I did receive some decent information in exchange.

Apparently, there’s a massive informant organization near the academy that operates on a global scale. 

Of course, it looks completely ordinary from the outside, and even if you go there, it’s meaningless unless you give a password to the receptionist or someone.

But if you know the password and pay the price, you can definitely get any country’s top-secret information… or so the hardcore fan boasted. 

Such informants are quite common in fantasy stories, but it’s hard to trust when it comes to reality.

I mean, having information about the entire world… even state secrets?

It’s natural to be skeptical.

If that’s true, then they must also know about Rampas being confined in the empire.

But, I have no other way to find out about the attackers.

“—Turn right here”

I called a specialist.

With vast resources and connections with informants due to being part of the Duke’s family, Leticia joined us.

There’s no stronger lineup than this.

“By the way… where did you learn about Shadowhide, Alto?”

“Shadowhide.”

When I responded to Leticia with an unusually emotionless face, she looked confused and her eyes wandered. Her gesture of running her hand through her hair was quite good.

“W-What…? Is there something weird about it?”

“No, there’s nothing weird about you, Leticia. Even if there was, it wouldn’t be a negative. It would be a buff. Flaws in a super beautiful girl aren’t really flaws.”

After all, a girl with a cute bedhead is adorable, and a clumsy girl is charming. 

Eating a lot is cute, and even if she’s not athletic, it just makes you want to protect her. 

Thinking this, I realized that being truly beautiful is almost unfair… Why is Leticia’s face turning red?

You’re used to being called beautiful, aren’t you?

As I looked at Leticia, who was blushing, with a blank expression, she said, 

“B-Beautiful… H-Hmph, it’s not like I’m happy to be complimented.”

“Sudden tsundere is the best.”

“What are you talking about?”

Sorry, it seems like there’s no safety bar on this emotional roller coaster, and I’ve been thrown off. 

It’s amazing how a person can switch emotions so quickly.

“Back to the topic… why were you staring at me?”

“Oh, I just thought Shadowhide sounded kind of simplistic…”

What is this “hiding in the shadows” thing that sounds so lame in Japanese? 

Could it be the name of the informant?

“Shadowhide is the name of the informant, right?”

“Yes. But if you know about the informant, why don’t you know their name? Who did you hear it from?”

“H-Haha, well… let’s just say I heard it on the wind? I-I might have vaguely heard about it when I was in the empire… maybe.”

Um… I’m giving a reason here, so why are you looking at me so suspiciously?

Well, a suspicious look is cute if you’re a beauty, but maybe you don’t trust me.

Oh, but please do that puffing your cheeks gesture, it’s really cute.

“Did you know, Alto, you tend to stutter unnecessarily when you lie?”

“Unnecessarily…”

Isn’t stuttering when lying pretty fatal? 

At that level, it means I’m not really trying to lie.

I must be a pure boy who can’t lie.

I should be more careful when I lie… as I was reflecting on this, Leticia suddenly stopped.

I stopped too and looked up at the building in front of us.

It looked no different in size or appearance from the other shops… but the sign said it all.

—”Nest of Those Who Hide in the Shadows.”

Hey, you’re not hiding at all.

The name is way too obvious. 

And when translated to Japanese, it sounds really lame… no, it’s so bad it’s starting to feel cool. 

“Nest,” really? 

Are they birds?

“Come on, let’s go in.”

“Okay…”

Leticia pulled me along, and with a bad feeling filling my chest, I reluctantly went inside.

—The inside of the “Nest of Those Who Hide in the Shadows” was just an ordinary bar. 

For someone like me who reincarnated, it was a cliché, exactly what I expected… but there was one unexpected issue.

“…Leticia, do you know why everyone is giving us murderous looks?”

“No, I don’t…”

Yes, the moment we walked in, both the employees and customers of the “Nest of Those Who Hide in the Shadows” stopped chatting and directed their hostile gazes at us. 

While I could understand them being suspicious of me, Leticia had been here multiple times, so I couldn’t figure out why they would direct such hostility at her too.

As we stood there, confused and bewildered, a man who looked like the bartender came marching over, eyes filled with killing intent.

“U-Uh, what is it?”

I quickly stepped in front of Leticia to protect her, trying to look intimidating by returning the hostile gaze. 

Even though the guy was about 20 centimeters taller than me and I was scared to death… this wasn’t the time to be scared.

‘Hecate, I’m counting on you if things go south.’

‘Aye aye, sir! Leave it to me!’

Hearing those reassuring words slightly eased my fear. Then, the bartender, eyes bloodshot, glared at me, pulled out a shiny, holy-looking dagger from his pocket, and shouted.

“—In the name of Hecate, I sentence you to death!!”

“—C-Come out right now, you cursed pest! Before he condemns me, I’ll condemn you with my own hands!!”

“That’s not meeeeee!!”

Come on out, Hecate, it’s you again!

How much trouble are you going to drag me into!?

And give me back my admiration from earlier! 

Also… time out. 

I need a moment for a strategy meeting.

I formed a ‘T’ with my arms to signal a timeout, but the bartender didn’t hesitate and slashed at me.

I was briefly stunned that my trusty ‘Time’ signal didn’t work, but I quickly pulled out a special bomb from my pocket and yelled.

“I swore I wouldn’t mess up againnnnnnnnn!!”

That day, a popular shop in the capital city was completely blown away.