ISEKAI? More like I See Crap!-Chapter 241: Shadows of the Mission ( )

Hazuki was wandering down the street, still nursing his buzz, arms swinging lazily at his sides.

"Hey, Ridan, it’s not my fault, okay? The bottle slipped. Like this."

He casually swung his arm out to demonstrate—

THWACK.

His knuckles smacked Gubron square in the face as the assassin was walking around the corner.

"GUAHH!!"

The cloaked man crumpled like a sack of potatoes, landing face-first with a dull thud.

"Wha—!?" Hazuki blinked in panic.

"I—I’m sorry!! Are you okay!?"

Ridan burst out laughing, drifting in lazy circles above the street.

"Bwahahaha!! You took out another one!? That’s two in a row, you walking curse!!"

Hazuki crouched down in panic, whispering urgently.

"It’s not me! I swear it’s not me!!"

He looked left. Then right.

The street was empty.

"Okay okay okay... uh... recovery plan."

He awkwardly grabbed Gubron’s cloak and dragged him into a side alley, muttering apologies under his breath.

Once safely out of view, he propped the unconscious man against a barrel, gave him a respectful pat on the shoulder, and slowly stood up.

"I’m so sorry. Please don’t remember this."

Then—hands in his pockets, face neutral—he casually strode away at increasing speed, whistling off-key.

Ridan floated behind, still cackling.

"I swear, one day someone’s gonna put a bounty on you."

"Shut up, Ridan."

"You better walk carefully, Hazuki!"

Ridan spun midair with a grin, arms spread wide like a jester.

"If not, next thing you know—you’ll accidentally grab some girl’s boobs! Wahahaha!!"

Hazuki groaned, dragging his feet.

"Oh, shut up..."

He sighed heavily, hands buried in his pockets.

"Damn... why’s my day like this? First a flying bottle, now some random guy punches by me... What’s next?"

Ridan floated lazily above his head, still giggling like a ghost with no regrets.

"Hey~ at least you’re rich now~"

"Umm... yeah," Hazuki muttered

"Come on~ cheer up!" Ridan grinned, spinning in little loops.

"Think of the booze, the meat, the buns! Fruity ones! That’s what life is about!"

Hazuki took a slow breath and cracked a small smile.

"...Yeah. That’s true."

He stretched his arms behind his head as they strolled through the street, the sun now dipping softly past the buildings of Macia. ƒreewebɳovel.com

"Now let’s go see the kids," Ridan said.

Hazuki nodded.

"Yeah... let’s."

That night...

In a dim little room on the second floor of a simple inn near Macia’s western market, the squad leader sat at a wooden desk. Before him was a report scroll, half-filled with writing. He hesitated, holding his inkbrush above the parchment.

His eyes narrowed.

Still no word from either of them...

Suddenly—knock, knock.

He quickly pushed his chair back with a quiet scrape and reached for a small, curved dagger hidden under the desk.

Cautiously, he moved to the door.

"Who is it?"

A brief pause.

Then—three gentle but sharp knocks—his team’s signal to confirm.

He took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.

One of the operatives slipped inside, cloak drawn around them, head slightly lowered.

"Come in."

The man entered silently and closed the door behind him.

The squad leader turned back to the desk. "Where are Gubron and Zered?"

The operative looked confused. "Huh? I thought they were already here."

The leader’s eyebrows furrowed. "What? No—they haven’t come back yet. I thought they were with you."

"Hah!? I’ve been scouting alone all afternoon, checking the southern district. I haven’t seen either of them since midday."

The room went quiet. Tension filled the air.

The squad leader clenched his jaw.

"Something’s wrong."

He closed the scroll, rolled it up, and tied it with a small black ribbon.

"If they don’t return by morning, we’ll pull everyone back. We regroup at safe point C. Got it?"

The man nodded. "Got it."

The squad leader squinted, leaning back a bit against the desk.

"So... any news about the black-haired human?"

The operative shook his head once. "Not yet, Leader."

"Did you talk to the locals? Just casually?"

The operative hesitated. "No... not yet. I was more focused on spotting lone humans. Checking taverns, markets, alleys."

"And?"

"Nothing certain. Macia doesn’t have many humans anyway. Especially not ones with black hair."

The squad leader clicked his tongue in frustration.

"You’re missing the point. It’s not about seeing him—it’s about hearing about him. Townsfolk talk. Drunks gossip. Kids chatter. People brag. You don’t find men like this just with your eyes. You find them with your ears."

The operative bowed slightly, feeling ashamed.

"...Got it, Leader. I’ll ask around in the morning. Casually. No pressure."

The squad leader crossed his arms, his eyes steady.

"You’re lucky you’re still new. Maybe that’s why you’re not very good yet," he said calmly.

The operative tensed a little.

"But," the squad leader added, "remember this: learn from your mistakes... and get better. That’s how we survive in this line of work."

"Yes, Squad Leader."

He nodded once.

"Good. Now go. Eat something. Rest. We need to move carefully in the morning."

The operative straightened up. "Actually... I already ate."

The leader looked at him with a flat expression.

"Then go digest and think. You’ll need both your stomach and your head working by sunrise."

"Understood."

The operative bowed once more and quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

The squad leader turned back to the desk, staring at the sealed scroll with growing unease.

Two operatives missing. No signal rune. No confirmed sightings. And the town is so quiet, rumors should be flying.

He sat down again slowly.

Something... just doesn’t feel right.

The squad leader leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers slowly against the desk.

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Does that human know we’re after him?

He exhaled slowly.

Or maybe... Jessa and Junna’s team is already here. That damn rabbit woman—she’s part of Reynard’s shadow team. If her group met with my men...

His jaw tightened.

Could they have been... killed?

The thought made his stomach turn sour. He gritted his teeth.

"Damn it..." he muttered.

He stood up suddenly and walked to the window, pulling the curtain a little to peek outside at the dark street.

It was unnaturally quiet.

Too quiet for a town that had just survived a monster attack.

If Zered and Gubron were taken prisoner... or interrogated...

He cursed quietly again.

No. Stay calm. Don’t assume the worst. Zered might just be drunk. Gubron could be cleaning up after him.

But part of him, sharpened by years of secret missions and shadow work, didn’t buy it.

If Jessa or Junna found them, they wouldn’t leave a trace. They’d quietly gut them and vanish before the body even hit the ground.

He let the curtain fall and turned back to the desk.

Tomorrow. If there’s still no word... I’ll pull back. This mission’s already gone sour.

He looked at the scroll again.

And if someone is hunting us while we’re chasing that human... I need to find out who’s really in control.

( End Of Chapter )

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦