Returnee from Another World - Chapter 70: In the Realm of Forgotten Dreams

Chapter 70: In the Realm of Forgotten Dreams

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“Excuse me, could I have a moment of your time?” I asked.

“…”

A man in his late twenties glanced at me and walked past without a word.

“Excuse me, could you spare a moment to talk?” I tried again.

“Sorry, I’m busy,” a woman who looked like an office worker replied. She seemed to mistake me for a pickup artist, her face flashing annoyance before softening as she realized it wasn’t that. She apologized awkwardly and hurried away.

“Excuse me, could I have just a moment?” I said to another.

“Hm? What’s up?” an older man responded.

“Thank you! It’s about a fatal collision at this intersection on the third Friday of last month. I’m looking for witnesses. It was around 2 a.m., I think…”

“A traffic accident, huh?” he said.

“Yes, right around that intersection…”

“Sorry, doesn’t ring a bell,” he said kindly but unhelpfully, shaking his head.

I apologized for holding him up as he walked away.

“Excuse me, could I have a moment of your time?” I continued.

The scene flickered, fragmented like a dream. By morning, I’d likely forget it all. Most of my memories were being erased by some force, even my identity. But I could sense someone desperately searching for something. Their urgency washed over me, threatening to sweep me away. I vaguely wondered what color their emotions were—[Vengeance]’s black, [Anger]’s red, or [Sorrow]’s gray. Those colors faded slowly in the dream, leaving me adrift in a world of fleeting memory fragments, devoid of meaning.

◇

Past 3 a.m.

I hurried down the dim emergency stairs of a rundown apartment building, carrying Satou Yuki’s mother face-to-face, like a parent cradling a child. To avoid suspicion if I ran into a resident, I’d doused her with the scent of alcohol to make it seem like she was drunk and immobile. It wasn’t a perfect cover, but no one in the building would care much about a stranger like her. In reality, she was unconscious in my arms, knocked out by Devil Flower Pollen, which I’d also used on Akuzawa Hitoshi.

I’d considered abducting her while Akuzawa was away, but that would’ve meant a daytime operation. Since I planned to use Devil Flower Pollen anyway, it made more sense to sneak in at night when other residents were less likely to notice, even if Akuzawa was home.

It worked. I reached the underground parking lot without encountering anyone. I approached a car idling with its engine on, opened the back door, and slid Satou Yuki’s mother inside. In the driver’s seat was Yukari Higuchi, wearing the Gina Melfissa mask. I wore Sienna Belstatt Ze Spencer’s mask. I’d used the Mirage Coat to infiltrate Akuzawa’s apartment and deploy the pollen but ditched it afterward—there was no way to hide Satou’s mother with it.

This setup ensured no one could trace the abduction to us. I’d even rented the car for extra caution. To Akuzawa, it’d look like the woman he’d slept beside vanished by morning, likely making him think she’d escaped on her own. He might even suspect she’d drugged him, given his own sudden deep sleep.

“All good. Let’s go,” I said from the passenger seat.

Without a word, Yukari turned on the headlights and hit the gas. Just like that, I’d successfully kidnapped Satou Yuki’s mother from Akuzawa’s apartment. Our destination: the Gospel Love Church’s sanctuary. It was the only place I could think to take her, depending on how we’d handle her. If she didn’t cooperate, the church’s basement was a decent spot for confinement. Worst case, I could pin everything on Nishikuse Eishin and his crew, cutting ties cleanly. It wasn’t a bad plan.

As I mulled this over, I pulled a driver’s license from a wallet I’d found in Akuzawa’s apartment, likely hers.

“Satou Eikae, huh… Twenty-seven this year, based on her birthdate,” I muttered.

I slipped the license back into the wallet and tossed it into the back seat. I’d pulled off the abduction, but what to do next? I still hadn’t decided how to deal with Eikae.

◇

“Sienna-sama, this is the woman you want us to hide?” Nishikuse asked.

“Yes. Satou Eikae, a married woman who was about to be ensnared by a yakuza,” I replied.

Yukari, now maskless, waited in the car. Nishikuse, looking sleepy, and Higashikawa Keibun, visibly irritated, greeted me at the sanctuary before dawn. I’d warned them of my visit, so they weren’t caught off guard. Knowing Higashikawa’s greed, he’d likely play the victim, demanding compensation for the trouble.

“Y-Yakuza…? That wasn’t part of the deal! You just said to hide a woman!” Higashikawa protested, his face paling further at the mention of organized crime.

“Of course not. I’m telling you now,” I said.

“That’s unfair! Are you trying to dump trouble on us?” he snapped.

“Yawn… Keibun, relax. No need to freak out over some small-time rural yakuza,” Nishikuse said.

“Exactly. If no one finds out, it’s no big deal. The yakuza doesn’t even know you exist,” I added.

“Maybe, but…” Higashikawa muttered.

“But, Sienna-sama, why this woman?” Nishikuse asked.

“No idea. I wasn’t told the details. But it seems Kusunoki Seichirou may have angered Vepar-sama,” I said.

“Kusunoki Seichirou, the assemblyman?” Higashikawa asked.

“Yes. You once brought up his name, didn’t you? Something about his daughter’s disability, thinking she’d jump at the chance for a miracle drug. But you dropped it on my orders,” I said.

“Right, that happened. So how’s this woman connected?” Nishikuse asked.

I was still wrestling with it. I couldn’t find a reason to save Eikae. Doing it just because Sayaka Hojo asked felt flimsy—I’m not that kind. And Sayaka hadn’t begged me to save her. Was it guilt for making Eikae Kyouka’s substitute? I shouldn’t have such cheap emotions anymore.

Neither felt right. Sure, I wasn’t entirely free of those feelings, but they weren’t enough to justify saving her.

“It started with Kusunoki Seichirou contacting you because one of your believers witnessed his brother Kenjirou’s hit-and-run, right?” I said.

“Yeah, one of our followers saw the accident. Uh… what was her name?” Nishikuse said.

“Ooyama Yoko,” Higashikawa supplied.

“Right, that chatty old hag. What about her?” Nishikuse said.

“Not her. The victim of that accident was Satou Eikae’s only son,” I said.

“Hm?” Nishikuse grunted.

“Since then, Eikae’s been visiting the accident site weekly, looking for witnesses. Kusunoki Seichirou likely found her a nuisance and asked the yakuza to handle her,” I said.

“Ho ho, so that’s why she got snatched by the yakuza? Quite the story,” Nishikuse said, intrigued.

“I get the situation, but what do you want us to do?” Higashikawa asked.

“No clue yet. We might use her to take down Kusunoki, or maybe not. It’s all up to Vepar-sama’s will,” I said.

“Then…” Higashikawa started.

“Yes, Nishikuse-san, do as you please with her. In fact, I believe Vepar-sama wants her broken to our will, so that task falls to you,” I said.

Nishikuse’s face lit up with a lecherous grin.

I’d initially planned to just stash Eikae with them. Since she’d likely spill about the accident, I couldn’t hide it, but framing her as Vepar’s sacrifice would keep Nishikuse’s hands off her—he’d remember what happened with Sayaka. I could’ve locked her in the basement until the drugs wore off.

But I don’t feel sympathy or guilt for Eikae. Saving her purely out of kindness wasn’t like me and didn’t make sense. It was just a fleeting whim. That thought won out, so I chose to abandon her.

“Do it thoroughly—body and soul. No mistakes like with Yukari,” I warned.

“Understood. Look at Miki now—she obeys my every word,” Nishikuse boasted.

“Things are going well with Amasawa Katsuji, then?” I asked.

“Of course. He’s smitten, acting like her boyfriend. Must be her pussy’s magic. My training paid off,” Nishikuse said.

“Then have them go on a trip soon. Bring Mizuki along to catch them in the act and secure evidence of infidelity,” I said.

“Got it. How about a nearby hot spring by the end of the month?” Nishikuse suggested.

“I’ll confirm the timing later—my schedule’s tight. Just tell Miki to prepare,” I said.

I’d been monitoring Katsuji to prevent him from fleeing. He was planning to run off with some woman, so Mizuki would be informed, and Miki would play her part. If Katsuji abandoned his family, it’d serve the same purpose as Mizuki leaving him.

“Sienna-sama, we’re serving Vepar-sama so devotedly. Don’t you think we deserve a little reward?” Higashikawa said.

“Fair enough. Loyal servants of Vepar-sama should be rewarded. I know what you want, Higashikawa-san,” I said, pulling three Healing Potions from my Dimensional Storage and handing them over.

I’d sold him two for 6 million yen before, so getting three for free instantly improved his mood.

“I’ll give you some of the drug for Eikae, Nishikuse-san. You’ll need it to break her,” I said.

“Y-Yes, thank you,” Nishikuse replied.

If loyalty could be bought so cheaply, so be it. These were common items in that world.

As I thought this, I glanced at Eikae, still unconscious from the Devil Flower Pollen. She’d be happier here than under Akuzawa’s thumb. I told myself I felt no pity, yet some part of me kept making excuses.