Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

Time of disappearance: A few days before Obsidian Festival.

Location of disappearance: Siesta Volcano

Speculated cause: Kidnapping

Current status: Missing, and no ransom demand has been received, so the possibility of a robbery is basically ruled out.

“The missing person’s identity is very special and cannot be summarized as ‘valuable’. Using her as a bargaining chip can achieve many other purposes, such as political ones. Furthermore, the murderer is likely to know the mayor’s character and style very well, rather than just those who know his identity and image from news reports. Therefore, by overlapping the two factors of ‘a prominent Siesta political figure’ and ‘the mayor’s circle of acquaintances’, we can filter out the general candidates.”

Thomas was a convincing analyst of potential killers. If you ignored him and just looked at his eloquent manner and intelligent-looking hairline, you would indeed think he was a bit of a strategist.

"It's highly likely that the crime was committed by someone known to the victim, and that the perpetrator was targeting the mayor, trying to force him to do something."

After a brief analysis yielded a vague conclusion, Froststar seized the opportunity to speak.

Although her main job, whether as a guerrilla or a Reunion Movement cadre, was leading troops into battle, this does not mean she was completely ignorant of "underhanded tactics." Otherwise, she would not have been able to notice Talulah's changes and glimpse the conspiracy hidden beneath the Reunion Movement so early on.

Seeing that Tomat had said quite a bit, Frostnova, wanting to demonstrate her analytical skills, also shared her own judgment:

"The lords of Terra—that's what Ursus calls them. Anyway, whether it's a mayor or something else, most of them are people who can't be judged by ordinary human nature. The fact that these people can hold high positions means that they have extraordinary methods, although sometimes it can't be called extraordinary, just simply shameless or ruthless... To deal with such people, the method of kidnapping their relatives is to be certain that the other party still has feelings for their relatives."

Frostnova had seen far too many dirty tricks, especially those from the inspectors and lords of Ursus.

Based on this experience, she seemed to agree with Tomat's current speculation.

“Kidnapping the mayor’s child is no small matter. It’s impossible for the other party to kidnap her under the premise that ‘the mayor might be someone who doesn’t care about his daughter’s life or death.’ This is the reason for concluding that it was a ‘crime committed by an acquaintance.’ Moreover, it’s impossible for a spur-of-the-moment decision to be so clean, leaving an assassin active in the underworld helpless and without any clues.”

Froststar continued, "I also believe this was a kidnapping carried out with a clear purpose and full of premeditation and preparation."

Thomas pushed up his non-existent glasses with his middle finger, nodded at Frostnova, and then looked at Skadi, who was frowning at a cafe menu.

What are your thoughts?

As Tomat politely inquired about Skadi's opinion, Skadi suddenly raised her hand, as if she wanted to speak.

"Waiter, come here."

But she turned her head and called out to the waiter in the store.

"One pizza from here to here, XXL size."

"Um... takeout?"

"Let's eat here."

While the waiter was sweating profusely as he copied down the menu, Frostnova complained to Skadi.

"You really don't seem nervous at all. Even Thomas is seriously reasoning, and you..."

Comparing her to Tomat is meant to emphasize how eccentric she is.

"Waiter, I'd like the same as her. Frostnova, you should have some too."

—It turns out she was overthinking it.

Having just said a nice thing about Tomat, he immediately ordered food as well.

"...carrot juice, a small cup."

Frostnova's order, delivered with a hint of dissatisfaction, was immediately rejected by Tomat:

"How can she handle mental work with just this much food? Waiter, bring her the same thing too."

The waiter didn't dare to ask any more questions, but nodded repeatedly and immediately ran away to hand the order to the kitchen.

"Alright, let's continue our reasoning. Skadi, what do you think...?"

Tomat then gave Skadi the opportunity to speak, which should have been her turn. Because she was starving and just wanted to eat something, she probably had a better idea of ​​what to do after ordering, so she took a few seconds to think before giving an answer that was very much in line with her usual style.

"Just thinking about it is useless; it's better to take action directly."

"That's right, empty talk won't get us anywhere. But before we start taking action, we need to confirm exactly what our target is."

Thomas picked up the communicator and made a call using the contact information Black had left behind.

"In short, let's have Zhao Hei find out who meets the criteria first."

Hei readily provided Thomas and others with a list of individuals, who were also suspects in her own investigation.

Some are from local families.

There are out-of-town companies that have had some conflicts of interest with the mayor.

It involves the Colombian music industry—reportedly, it happened while cleaning up the mess left by the emperor.

However, Thomas focused his attention on the name of a suspect who was dubious but lacked concrete evidence.

"Kronin...that guy is highly suspicious."

[Main Text] Siesta's Hottest Holiday: Chapter 43 Are You Even Letting Me Sleep?

"It's definitely quieter here. Why is the city noisier today than yesterday?"

While the three were making their deductions, a man with a cross-shaped scar on his face and a sharp hairstyle was strolling through the woods surrounding Mount Siesta.

He looked at the bustling city in the distance with a bored expression.

Perhaps if he just glared harder, he could make the scene in front of him disappear completely.

But he didn't do that. Instead, he walked deeper into the deserted forest in the somewhat hot forest breeze.

At this distance, one could faintly hear the sound of singing.

But it's much better than staying in the city.

He had a hearty meal and drinks last night, and even did a "heroic act" on the side. This morning he ate and drank to his heart's content. He hadn't had such a relaxing rest in a long time, and now he just wanted to get a good night's sleep.

Rhodes Island is pretty good; the food is plentiful, and the training room is large. It's just that there are too many people. Adults who know their place are fine, but it's the troublesome children who make him feel physically and mentally exhausted.

Moreover, his own clansmen, Tomat, often gloated and laughed at him—even though he himself was also bothered by troublesome children.

However, he couldn't say he hated it; in fact, he even missed being surrounded by others. Although he was quite certain that it wasn't a memory from when he was on Planet Vegeta or working under the Emperor, he still believed it was something he had personally experienced.

"This will do."

Badak found a relatively open clearing on the mountain. The trees above cast shadows, avoiding the direct sunlight, and there was a large, protruding rock below where one could lie down. It was a perfect place to catch a nap.

"...It's a bit rough."

Bardak used his hand to sweep the rock surface upwards at an angle, and the outermost layer of rock immediately broke off and slid to the ground, revealing a smooth surface comparable to that processed by an industrial-grade cutting machine.

Immediately afterwards, he plucked a weed from the ground, put it in his mouth, closed his eyes, and began to catch up on sleep away from the hustle and bustle.

"boom!!!"

Just as his drowsiness was deepening due to the relatively "pleasant" temperature and the extremely soothing sounds of the wind and leaves around him, a loud explosion not far from him, along with a violent tremor of the ground, caused Bardak to immediately spring up from the rocks with a somersault.

He clenched his fists and held them in front of him, ready to fight.

Even without being able to sense auras, he could still make situational judgments based on his simple battlefield experience and keen senses.

It has nothing to do with the strength of the local inhabitants; it is simply a matter of habitual fighting instinct.

"Help...help me!!!"

Not far away, several disheveled figures rushed out from a slightly higher hillside and headed back towards Badak's location.

At first glance, he thought they were enemies who would launch an attack, but when he saw that all of them were dressed in rags, their skin looked like it had been smoked, and their clothes had turned pure black, he realized that they seemed to be simply hiding from something.

The group ignored Bardock and ran right past him, but he grabbed the last one by the back of his tattered collar and lifted him up.

The man was blackened and shiny like the bottom of a pot by the smoke, and he carried a strong, pungent odor—seemingly much stronger than the volcanic gases that permeated the area.

His clothes were covered in small, charred holes, and his hair had turned into an afro.

Even after being lifted up by Bardock, the man continued to struggle frantically, kicking his legs in the air and shouting to his fleeing companions:

"Wait for me! Wait for me! Don't leave me here!!!"

Bardock threw him to the ground, the impact hitting the hard surface and making him react in pain. The man finally snapped out of his panic and yelled at Bardock, who was blocking his way, "What are you doing! If you don't run, you're doomed!!"

He looked behind Badak, in the direction they had come from.

But when he looked up, his eyes turned gray.

The man fell backward, collapsing onto the ground as if paralyzed, kicking his legs backward repeatedly while raising his hand and pointing behind Bardak.

"What are you looking at?"

Badak also turned around.

—It was a tide of red and black.

They are composed of a large number of different species of Originium Insects.

From the most common black, hard-shelled Originium bugs to high-energy Originium bugs with swollen abdomens, and acidic Originium bugs that leave a trail of bubbling, ground-eroding foam with every step they take...

Individuals or ordinary clusters are not uncommon.

But such a massive and diverse swarm of insects is not only visually impressive, but the dense noise made by their limbs hitting the ground is also enough to send chills down your spine.

"Where did all these bugs come from?"

Bardak's question went unanswered. He resignedly looked at the swarm of insects less than ten meters away, his eyes lifeless. The arm he had raised to point at them fell limp, and he just smiled foolishly, waiting for his death.

Ordinary Originium Bugs might have a chance to escape, but a large number of acidic Originium Bugs that can self-destruct or even spray remotely are doomed at this distance.

He didn't have time to curse the stranger who had grabbed him. After all, the stranger was just like him and would die in this merciless and painful tide. Having someone accompany him on his journey wasn't too bad.

A high-energy stone beetle charging at the forefront seemed to have spotted its prey right in front of it. Its astonishing attack desire caused it to unleash a leaping power completely disproportionate to its bulky body, instantly soaring into the air.

A normal Terran would not think of shooting down a high-energy stone beetle that is very close to them in mid-air.

Because if it is hit in the abdomen by a slight mistake and killed, the energy blast it unleashes is enough to easily kill a group of unprotected targets.

It has such great combat value that it is also favored by warlocks who are skilled at manipulating disruptive creatures to launch attacks.

"It's all over!!!"

The unfortunate man in the black suit closed his eyes, having completely submitted to his fate.

Immediately afterwards, a dazzling light shone through his eyelids, even though his eyes were closed.

No pain, no burning—is death really that easy?

When he tentatively opened his eyes, the swarm of insects had already disappeared.