Chapter 210: The Arrogant Wanderer
The sharp crack of a gunshot echoed through the room. The Wanderer's head snapped to the side with preternatural speed, the bullet whistling past where his temple had been a fraction of a second before.
The placid mask he wore shattered, replaced by a flash of raw irritation. With a resounding bang, he slammed the heavy door shut behind him. He strode directly toward Gin, a mocking sneer twisting his lips.
"What's this? Your trash organization actually holds post-mission debriefings?" he drawled, his voice dripping with contempt. "It seems members are forced to attend as if they'd die if they missed it. Since when did a clandestine syndicate start indulging in such pointless formalism?"
Kir's lips twitched, a barely suppressed flicker of astonishment. She knew from her previous encounter that the Wanderer had a foul temper, but she hadn't anticipated this level of sheer arrogance, especially not in front of Gin.
She had assumed that since the Wanderer wasn't truly loyal to the Organization, he must have his own agenda for being here. Logically, that meant he should either be trying to minimize his presence and fly under the radar, or actively showcasing his abilities to gain favor and solidify his position.
In short, he should be doing anything but this—acting with complete disregard for Gin, seemingly goading him, almost as if he were afraid Gin wasn't angry enough.
Gin's behavior was equally strange. In the past, anyone who disobeyed a direct order and abandoned the team would already be a corpse in his eyes. Yet here he was, having gone to the trouble of sending Vermouth to drag the man over, and even the warning shot he'd just fired had been deliberately restrained.
Yes, Kir had noticed. She was certain Gin had held back.
If Gin had truly wanted the Wanderer dead, he would have had his Beretta aimed at the door before it even opened. He wouldn't have waited until his target was inside the room, able to see his every move, before drawing his pistol.
Kir's gaze swept across the faces of the others. To her surprise, none of them reacted to the Wanderer's blatant mockery of their superior. Even Vodka, Gin's ever-loyal subordinate, remained silent.
'When did the Organization become so tolerant?'she wondered.'Or does this Wanderer hold some ungodly high status?' But from the sound of it, he didn't even have a codename yet.
What Kir didn't know was that Vodka's silence stemmed from a simple, comparative logic. Compared to the others—especially Vermouth—the Wanderer's attitude toward Gin was significantly better.
Attitude was all relative, after all. If anyone else had spoken to his Big Brother like that, Vodka would have already drawn his own gun. But since it was the Wanderer, he felt it was… acceptable. He was certain that if it were Vermouth on the receiving end, the Wanderer's words would have been a hundred times more vicious.
Thinking of it that way, Vodka decided the Wanderer was actually showing his Big Brother a fair amount of respect.
Gin's face remained a cold, impassive mask. He didn't dignify the Wanderer's sarcasm with a response. Instead, he simply gestured with the barrel of his gun toward an empty chair beside him, a silent, non-negotiable command.
The Wanderer's expression soured, clearly displeased with Gin's dismissive attitude. But since he had already come this far, he didn't press the issue. With a discontented frown, he dropped into the indicated seat.
Now that everyone was present, Gin's icy gaze settled on Kir. He was about to speak when she preempted him, her expression laced with uncertainty as she looked at the Wanderer.
"We're not all here yet, are we? I seem to recall the Wanderer mentioning he entered the hospital with his brother. Shouldn't there be one more person?"
"Don't worry about him," Gin cut in, his tone turning distinctly sour as he uttered the next words. "He's already off the clock and resting."
Though Kir couldn't fathom when the Black Organization had started applying "on" and "off the clock" shifts, she saw the clear finality in Gin's expression. Seeing his obvious reluctance to discuss the matter, she tactfully let it drop.
She turned her attention back to him. "So, Gin, is there a problem? Why have you gathered us all here?"
Gin stared at her, his voice low and laden with ambiguous intent. "Regarding today's operation, something still doesn't feel right. It all went… too smoothly. I never expected Shuichi Akai to let the Organization retrieve you so easily."
"What do you mean by that?" Kir asked, her brow furrowing.
"Hey, are you trying to boost the enemy's morale while undermining your own?" The Wanderer crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair and squinting at Gin with a malicious grin. "Is it a bad thing that things went smoothly?"
"Yes, you were the one who arranged the plan, Gin," Kir added, seizing the opportunity. She couldn't tell if the Wanderer was genuinely helping her or simply opposing Gin for the sake of it, but it didn't stop her from using his words to deflect the suspicion aimed at her. "The operation's success just proves your plan was excellent."
Completely ignoring the Wanderer, Gin pinned Kir with a sharp, predatory look. "Logically, Shuichi Akai should have intervened in today's operation. But he never showed up. Don't you find that strange?"
"Yes, it is indeed a bit strange," Vermouth purred, siding with Gin.
"also, Kir, you've been out of contact with the Organization for so long," Gin continued, his voice a low threat. "Who knows if the FBI persuaded you to betray us? Not to mention…" He let the accusation hang in the air, unfinished but potent.
"But didn't Kir just wake up not long ago?" Chianti questioned, though her tone lacked conviction. She didn't affirm Kir's innocence, either. It was clear that Gin's words had planted a seed of doubt in her mind as well.
Chianti then shot a dissatisfied glare at Vermouth. "And you, can you stop speaking in half-sentences? 'Not to mention'... not to mention what? Just say it clearly, will you?" As always, she couldn't resist taking a jab at her rival.
"I don't think you can blame Vermouth for this," the Wanderer suddenly spoke up, seemingly in her defense.
Chianti, Korn, and even Vermouth herself looked at him in surprise. He let the moment hang before finishing his sentence with a saccharine smile. "After all, the old lady is getting on in years. It's perfectly normal for her memory to fail and for her to forget things halfway through a thought. We young people should be more considerate of the elderly."
"Hahaha, well said! We should be considerate!" Chianti, who had been wondering if the Wanderer's relationship with Vermouth had somehow improved, burst out laughing. The barb was so perfectly aimed that her lingering dislike for him evaporated in an instant.
At the Wanderer's words, Vermouth's eyebrows knitted together. Her eyes, usually full of playful mystery, seemed to spark with genuine fire. She was clearly furious; Kir could almost hear the sound of her rational nerve snapping.
Vermouth took a slow, deliberate breath, visibly suppressing the rage she could barely contain. She turned to the Wanderer, a cold smile plastered on her face as she spoke slowly, enunciating every single word.
"No one would think you're a mute if you just kept your mouth shut."
Watching from the side, Kir was amazed.
'He's even better at drawing aggro than I am,' she thought. In a matter of seconds, he had shifted the entire room's focus from her, the suspected traitor, directly onto himself.
Speaking of which… her previous guess was that the organization looking to cooperate with her was likely "Teyvat." That would mean this Wanderer was one of their people.
'So, could the person they planted in the Black Organization's high-level ranks be… him?'
No, probably not.
Kir immediately dismissed the idea. The Wanderer didn't even have a codename. He was a complete unknown, not a high-level member of the Organization at all.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters (plus an Ad-Free experience) to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Official Website: elysianreads[.]com
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]