<h4>Chapter Past Arc ?</h4>


    The incident that was the trigger for Potimas Hyphenath bing an internationally wanted criminal, was something that could have easily be a horrible tragedy. The incident itself was significant enough that it became a hot topic in the news throughout the world at the time. The world learned just how dreadful Potimas Hyphenath was. However, the information that was ryed in the news was only the tip of the iceberg. For those who knew the truth, they were in fact relieved that it was contained with only that amount of damage and were d that it wasn’t more. That’s just how over-abundantly evil Potimas was. No matter how cunning and careful Potimas was, “they” became just too much for him to be able to conceal and burst out into the open. That was the truth behind that incident. The incident where the number of victims totalled 376 people.


    「Human trafficking huh. How grantly anachronistic.」


    On looking at the documents he was handed, Foddway sighed. Human trafficking, in other words the ve trade, was something that still couldn’t be eradicatedpletely despite being a relic of the past. The Sariera Society also put effort into exposing organisations that smuggled ves. The objective was rescuing the people who had been illegally sold as ves.


    However, Foddway himself had no intention of condemning human trafficking in general as being inherently evil. That was because there were times when human trafficking was necessary for stimting the economy. Poverty stricken parents who sell their children would also be able to recover their livelihoods, and it was not necessarily always the case that the children would suffer. In a somewhat overstated interpretation, human trafficking could be seen as a service dealing in manualbour. If both those being sold and those doing the selling are happy, then it makes for a practical business. That being said, such decent ve traders wouldn’t be called ve traders in the first ce. Under a different name, it was something urring throughout the world.


    The human trafficking that Foddway considered to be evil was the type that was brought to mind by the general public on hearing the term, in other worlds, the criminal type. Selling off abducted children. Using sold people tomit crimes. The type that should be exposed and judged. In the documents that Foddway was staring at, were recordings of ck-market dealings so despicable that there was no room for defence.


    「Well then? The originators and the dealers have been secured, right?」


    「Indeed. They have been crushed with the cooperation of the police forces in the region.」


    The one who answered Foddway’s question, was a man wearing a suit, but such a thing felt unsuitable for such a brawny person. He was a director of a securitypany that Foddway ran personally. Or rather, that was just a fancy way of saying that he was the captain of a unit specialised in actualbat. As Foddway was a bigwig in the financial world, there was times when it was necessary to do shady things. Things that couldn’t be revealed, such as resorting to violence. That was also the case on this asion, where an illegal human trafficking organization was exposed, but not in an admirable way, but instead with the bloody methods of suppression by brute force. The proper way was to gather evidence, and judge them ording to thew, but Foddway knew that they would have gotten away in such circumstances. Thus the strong measures. Which were illegal of course.


    「It seems that you had a hard time.」


    Foddway murmured that while looking at the captain’s neck. A bandage was wrapped around it. Foddway had strong confidence in the captain’s skills. On ount of him making a living in a shady business, Foddway had as much trust in him as his normal personal bodyguards, or even more. That’s precisely why he was able to report directly to Foddway like this. For something to have injured this captain, Foddway interpreted it as meaning that there was considerable resistance.


    「Oh, not really. There were no problems with actually suppressing them. I got this wound in a bit of trouble afterwards.」


    However, the captain casually denied Foddway’s words.


    「This is a bite mark from one of the people we rescued. Perhaps due to being drugged, they were in a state of confusion. It was really pitiful.」


    Against the assant who had injured him, the captain was sympathetic. Surely due to how pitifully the person had been treated.


    「It was that bad?」


    「Indeed. It is likely that they were being administered illegal drugs. From what I could see, it seems that they hadpletely lost their sanity. Everyst one of them.」


    「My goodness.」


    The state of affairs at the scene must have been gruesome indeed, for this captain who worked in a shady business to show disgust. That shows just how badly victims of human trafficking can be treated.


    「You’re looking pale. Are you okay?」


    「Excuse me. I am just feeling a bit unwell. I can continue with my report.」


    The captain was looking ill. Foddway interpreted that as him feeling unwell due to having recalled some unpleasant memories. However, while the captain continued his report, hisplexion became visibly worse. Having reached this stage, Foddway realised that the captain had genuinely fallen ill.


    「You look terrible. Let’s continue the report another day. Sit down for a while.」


    「I’m… so…rry…」


    Unable to even articte properly, the captain sunk hisrge body into a sofa that furnished the room. Seeing him like that, Foddway made a telephone call to arrange for a doctor.


    That was what saved Foddway from death.


    There was a piercing scream. The scene witnessed by the people who hade running, was that of the copsed Foddway, and the captain who had bitten him in the neck.