Just as Captain Rades had said, the gunshot rang only once, and the commotion quickly faded downstairs. Shade let out a sigh of relief and was about to continue their previous conversation when another gunshot sounded below.
He had assumed Captain Rades would remain calm, but after freezing for a moment, the middle-aged man's eyes widened as he stared toward the window, his face filled with terrified disbelief.
"What is it? Is there a problem this time?"
Shade immediately asked for guidance.
".34 Black Jack Bullet! Glass Pocket Single-Shot Pistol! It's Military Intelligence Section Six!"
The middle-aged man, who had been so calm moments ago, began trembling as though stricken by illness. The terror on his face was probably more exaggerated than when Shade had seen an evil god again.
Shade, too, shrank back nervously, but quickly regained his composure. Detective Sparrow could not possibly have been exposed, and even if he had, it would not implicate Shade. There was no need for him to panic.
"What's wrong with Military Intelligence Section Six?"
That organization probably had some connection to Shade, but the captain's panic was rather strange.
"They're a pack of devils. They trust no one! They'll lock you up and keep a gas lamp shining on you until you tell the truth! They'll lock you in a dark little room and keep you from resting with constant noise! They'll..."
The terrified middle-aged man spoke while shivering, and Shade roughly understood. Captain Rades had been rescued from Kasonlik as a prisoner of war, and given his reputation as the "Eight-Gun Captain" on the front lines, he would naturally have come under suspicion upon returning home.
He had probably been interrogated by Military Intelligence Section Six and had been left with some psychological scars. Even though they clearly were not