Chapter 224 - Ordinance Slayer
I continue my search, repeating the cliché excuse that it's all a misunderstanding, and that the only one I truly love is Mama Ange.
...Is it cliché?
Is it really appropriate to describe the outrageous act of calling a sixteen-year-old girl "Mama" as "cliché"?
For a fleeting moment, something like a conscience crossed my mind, but it was instantly wiped away by what could only be called calculation.
Because if I call her Mama, Angelica gets in a good mood. Even now, she's wriggling her body happily.
I'm going to keep spoiling you more and more from here on out, so get ready. I'll have you master baby food recipes before you even master Japanese food!
While displaying a level of defiance that made it hard to believe I was a Hero, I began opening every door in sight.
However, every single room contained nothing but police officers or suspects crawling around in baby talk; I couldn't find anyone who looked like Sugitani-san.
"Where is he? I mean, how many more times do I have to witness this hell?"
Being forced to watch a middle-aged man acting like a baby is mentally exhausting.
The infant regression debuff that Erin uses is gruesome no matter how many times I see it.
Isn't there some way to end this search quickly...?
"That's it. Can we use Ange's sensing to find Sugitani-san?"
"Sensing? That's a skill for finding evil things, you know?"
"That's true, but it might provide some information that serves as a hint. There's no harm in performing a search."
"I'll give it a try, then."
As soon as she said that, Angelica closed her eyes and entered a state of concentration.
"Whoa! Lots of golden dots are being displayed!"
"Gold? If I recall, white is the color for spiritual bodies. And red is the color for demons and criminals. What does gold represent?"
"It's a color that represents holy existences, like angels or Paladins."
"What do you mean by that?"
"People with an extremely strong sense of justice are displayed in gold. There are a lot of police officers here, so that's probably why."
"I see. So police officers are like modern-day knights."
Angelica let out a small groan.
"...About 300 meters north from here, I see a dazzling golden dot. It's like the sun. That means it's the person with the strongest sense of justice in this area."
"Is that Sugitani-san?"
"Wouldn't Father know more about that? What do you think? Is this person named Sugitani someone with a personality overflowing with justice?"
I reflected on Sugitani-san's past words and actions.
...Fundamentally, he is a businesslike individual, but he shows no mercy toward those who harm society.
And when I introduced Rio, I think he was genuinely concerned for our well-being.
"That flashy gold is probably Sugitani-san. Let's go."
"Roger!"
As we started walking again, I asked Angelica.
"Hey. By the way, what color am I displayed as?"
"A very pale gold."
"...Even in this state, am I still a virtuous Hero-sama?"
Well, I might have a habit of getting into inappropriate relationships with minors, but fundamentally, I'm a human being who is a mass of ethics.
It's only natural.
"But during combat, you change to a pale red."
"...Are you serious?"
"You also turn a little red when you're flirting with us."
"I didn't want to hear that."
I'm on the verge of corruption.
This is incredible, the charm of a young girl. To think she could almost lead a holy Hero-sama down the path of evil.
"Is it here?"
While we were talking, the target room came into view.
The door is strangely thick; I wonder if it's an interrogation room?
I softly placed my hand on the knob, but it wouldn't open. It seems to be locked.
"Well, I can just break it."
Muscle power is the solution when in trouble. There is no tool more convenient than this.
I kicked the door open with a roundhouse kick and stomped inside.
"Excuse me—..."
"Mamaaaaaaaa!"
—What was there was my boss, crawling at high speed.
"S-Sugitani-san has also fallen victim to infant regression..."
Angelica was staring intently at the undignified baby play of the dandy gentleman.
"...By any chance, are all Japanese men like this?"
"Don't get the wrong idea! This is because of Erin's area debuff! There's no way there are other middle-aged men who regress into babies on a daily basis besides me!?"
"R-Right. One big baby is enough with just Father."
I softly cast Dispel on Sugitani-san's temples, pulling him back into the world of sanity.
"Mama... Oh? What on earth am I..."
"You've regained consciousness."
"N-Nakamoto-san? Why are you in the detention center?"
"It's a long story, but for now, just think of it as me coming to save you."
"How could you..."
Sugitani-san stood up unsteadily and lightly brushed the dust off his suit.
Since he returned to his usual dandy mode in an instant, I decided to act as if I hadn't seen his disgraceful behavior five seconds ago.
"I am grateful, but how exactly? If I recall, your Stealth skill shouldn't work against surveillance cameras. I can't imagine there was a gap that would allow for infiltration."
"Well, of course, I was arrested and snuck in here."
"A staged arrest, then. ...By the way, under what charges?"
"Violation of the Ordinance for the Protection and Development of Juveniles, and suspicion of indecency."
"...Could you not have been caught for a cooler crime?"
"Even if you say that, I didn't intend to get caught in the first place. I was just flirting with Ange and the others like usual, carrying my Womb-Slapping Ticket around, when it felt like I was snatched up by a patrol car... Thanks to that, there were various things, like me going through withdrawal symptoms for minor girls. But well, it's a trivial matter. Let's prioritize escaping for now."
"That is true. ...Hm? Withdrawal symptoms for minor girls? Nakamoto-san? Is it really okay to let you out into the world?"
"Let's prioritize escaping for now."
As I forcibly dragged Sugitani-san out of the interrogation room, I heard the sound of footsteps clicking from the end of the hallway.
Judging by the sound, it wasn't just one person. It seemed multiple people were approaching us.
"Who is it?"
Why would someone capable of moving within Erin's area barrier be here?
While suspicious, Angelica and I entered a state of alert.
As for Sugitani-san, perhaps because he has a daughter of age, he was also wary of me. "But that doesn't change the fact that he is my savior..." he muttered, furrowing his brow in agony.
"Quiet for now. Ange, don't jump out until I give the signal."
"Roger."
I lowered my posture deeply, taking a leaping stance.
Once I see the prey, I'll charge in with a rocket start and slam them into the floor.