Chapter 58: The Mysterious Organization

“…What are you talking about? Another world?”

She had plainly addressed me and undoubtedly knew something about me, but for the moment, I played dumb.

This had all happened so suddenly that I couldn’t keep up. Just who was this woman?

“It is only natural for you to be wary. However, we have absolutely no intention of harming you, honored visitor. We know that another world exists, separate from this one, and that there are people capable of traveling between the two. If possible, we would like to make a deal with you.”

“…A deal?”

It seemed she genuinely knew about the other world. And since she kept saying “we,” it was clear she was acting as part of an organization.

If they meant to restrain me, they wouldn’t have gone out of their way to call out to me. I was also curious about how they had learned of the other world and of me. Since I could return to the other world at any time, it seemed I had no choice but to hear her out.

“Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with me.”

“………………”

The tall woman before me, who appeared to be in her early twenties and wore a black suit, bowed.

She had removed her sunglasses. Her features were strikingly beautiful, and although slender, her figure was firm and toned. Rather than an employee of some company, she looked more like a model.

And now I was seated across from such a woman at a chain family restaurant. She had told me anywhere was fine, so I chose the nearest public place. I had made sure no one was following us and selected a table at the very back, with no one nearby.

I had calmed down somewhat on the way here, but my agitation had not entirely subsided. Naturally, I remained on guard, keeping the self-defense magic tool active and my mind ready to use [Return to Japan] at any moment.

“First, please accept this.”

“…Thank you.”

I wondered what she would present to me. To my surprise, it was an ordinary business card.

Though still wary, my habits from my corporate-slave days took over, and I accepted it with both hands.

“…The Isekai Survey and Exchange Organization?”

“Yes. I am Yukari Yonomiya of the Isekai Survey and Exchange Organization, commonly called ISEO. I look forward to working with you.”

“………………”

There were several things I wanted to question, but Yonomiya-san spoke as though an organization like that were perfectly ordinary.

“As its name suggests, we are an organization that investigates and conducts exchanges with worlds different from this one. I realize we may sound somewhat suspicious, but we are an official government organization. You may think of us as possessing authority greater than the police.”

An organization with more authority than the police? Somehow, this had suddenly become even more suspicious…

“First, I will explain how we located you, honored visitor. Please look at this.”

“!”

Yonomiya-san took out a tablet. She turned it on and opened an image.

It showed me walking through a building while wearing the Void Robe. This was probably from when I had infiltrated the building where the press conference concerning Gondo took place.

…I had watched out for security cameras, but apparently an image had still been recorded. Yet I had hidden my face behind a mask at the time, so how had they identified me as the person in that footage?

“This is footage from a security camera in a certain building. Next, please look at these.”

As she spoke, Yonomiya-san swiped through the images. One after another, photographs of me appeared, apparently taken by security cameras in places other than that building.

“From the building’s security footage, we carefully analyzed your height, gait, and distinctive movements. We then checked all security-camera footage in the area surrounding the recent press-conference victim, Aoi Kurosaki-sama, particularly near her family home. The person who matched was Kakeru Suzuki-sama. I sincerely apologize for the intrusion, but we have also questioned Kurosaki-sama.”

“………………”

Seriously? Modern technology could identify a person that accurately…?

They had already questioned Aoi’s family and even learned the false name I had given them.

“Please rest assured that we will not pursue the matter of your unlawful entry into the building or any other illegal acts. Now, please watch this.”

The next thing she played was a video.

“…Isn’t that the park from earlier?”

It showed the park where Yonomiya-san had been waiting, the one I always used when returning to the other world. The footage seemed to have been taken from far above. As the video continued, something gray suddenly appeared in the park. It showed that person removing the gray robe, continuing until his brown hair became visible.

There was no doubt: this footage showed the exact moment I used [Return to Japan] to travel from the other world to Japan. But there were no tall buildings overlooking the park, and the chances that a drone had happened to film it were far too convenient.

When and how had they recorded this?

“This is satellite video taken by a geostationary satellite far above the Earth. After determining your general area of activity from the earlier security-camera footage, honored visitor, we examined the vicinity of that park and found this recording.”

“………………”

I had seen satellite photographs before, but I had never imagined they could magnify an image this much… Between this and the security-camera analysis, their technology was astonishing. They had even discovered that I could travel instantly among many different places.

And less than a month after the incident involving Aoi, this organization had identified me from security-camera footage and could make use of satellite imagery. Its name sounded incredibly dubious, but its claim to possess authority greater than the police might not be a lie after all.