The Hunter Amongst Villains

Chapter 9: Vagrant Hired

An unforeseen obstacle greeted Garou behind the doorstep, facing at him with evident distrust. The boy ensured the case would occupy the woman for another week or so, yet here she was. After many weeks, the time to speak with the one the boy called Auntie finally arrived, his fate as the child's protector placed on the fulcrum.

"I admit that my absence was prolonged more than I estimated. However, I must ask, what has happened while I was away? Who is this man you're riding on?" The woman asked, her brow quirked in impatience, still tapping her foot on the polished floor of wood.

The boy gulping on his shoulder, audible enough for Garou's ears, his nervousness tangibly conveyed through the ambiance.

"Hi... Auntie. A-Aren't you busy dealing with Piggy?"

'Piggy' was the boy's nickname for Fuai, a nom de plume he coined out of pure spite.

Her foot tapping halted as her eyes closed for a moment. Taking a deep breath as if preparing herself, she reopened her gaze as she divulged what transpired.

"'Piggy' is no longer with us. He has... unexpectedly passed away." She gently worded.

Her answer creased the Hero Hunter to slant his brows in confusion. The fat man was dead? Did a heart attack finally occur in that fatass?

As for Ghin, he took a long time processing this revelation. The man that made his life purgatory kicked the bucket? That answer alone brought many conflicting emotions, many of them repressed and festering for months in the depths of his heart.

"He's dead? Really?" Ghin asked, now baffled aghast.

"How'd he die anyway?" Garou asked. This morning's media did not cover his sudden, but furtively desirable, departure.

"Apparently, someone managed to infiltrate his office and murdered him. Not only that, which is also undisclosed, all data from his personal computer was somehow erased, every possible direct evidence to any misconduct gone to the wind. While it was extremely unfortunate for someone of my profession, that alone left me out of the list of suspects responsible for his supposed assassination since I do require said evidence to condemn his sorry ass. Honestly, his end came so fast and abrupted the case ended with no conclusion as the authorities investigate the matter. Which brought me here, on an early leave vacation."

After lengthily explaining her story, she pointed at the man painted in demonic crimson.

"But now I've delivered my exegesis, tell me. Who is he?" She asked with fiat.

'Exegesis?' Garou did not know that word.

"My bodyguard. I hired him."

But apparently, the kid does for some reason as he answered immediately. Not only that, Garou noticed Ghin's incredible lack of delay in his reply.

'Did he prepare for this?' Garou was both proud and quite caught off guard by his preparation. He didn't even notice the boy's planning. Did Ghin plot his schemes under his nose all this time?

"Bodyguard? Where did you find him? No, what are you even paying him?" She asked, her eyes narrowed in a disapproving glare.

"Somewhere out the streets. He saves me from villains on the way home, so I asked if he wanted to be hired. And I am paying him food and shelter. He's very cheap." He replied with practiced steadiness in tone, but it broke into slight amusement when he mentioned his affordability. His indirect jibe did not please Garou.

"Oh? Did he?" Tsukihana looked at him slightly surprised. "Are you a vigilante?" The woman asked, now directing to Garou.

"Oh, um, yes." Garou followed Ghin's lead, placing trust in the kid for now - albeit he had no idea how to play a vigilante in the first place.