CHAPTER 2 – ROBBERY IN AN INSTANT ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ (PART 3)The time is when the sun is about to reach its highest position.
A gentle wind blew through the trees, and the comfortable wind mixed with a subtle chill could be felt.
「I’ll leave food and water on the cart. After that, do what you want」
Junpei said that to the red-haired girl Lemilia and the golden-haired girl.
「And so, I’ll confirm this once again, how long is it to a town from here?」
The golden-haired girl, she answered Junpei very sheepishly.
「If you leave the forest from that direction, it should connect to a road. And from there to the east’s direction, if you advance 12 hours a day……if you’d walk for three days……」
And the last of those words of hers, it was with cracked voice due to being so afraid.
She could not be blamed.
The scene last time, it is very heavy for a countryside girl who was only kidnapped by thieves.
ーーmerciless ma.s.sacre by an overwhelming strong.
Blood and organs scattered around, and there, there existed pure violence in a sense.
Even if she were told to not be afraid of Junpei, it would be something impossible.
「Ahh, I got it. By the way, the food and water that I put in the cart is for one week. Even how slow you would walk, you wouldn’t die from hunger with that right」
“Besides……”, while saying, Junpei searched from his waist, and took out a vial which was filled inside with a transparent liquid.
「Also, take this too」
The dubious golden-haired girl narrowed her eyebrows.
「Dark red……this is……blood……?」
「It’s something like a charm. For girls traveling, it’s insecure with just the knives taken from the thieves right? If you were attacked by something, and was about to be caught……try to put this on that opponent’s eyes or mouth……at worst, in their skin is also fine……anyways, throw this to them」
Seemingly unable to understand, but still, the girl received the vial while tilting her head.
And, Junpei took out a cloth bag and let out a sigh.
「Even……so……for destroying a thieves’ nest……this is really a disappointing end」
He asked the red haired girl Lemilia and the golden-haired girl to help him search around the houses of the thieves, but……the result was 1 gold coin, 10 silver coins, 20 large copper coins, and other than that, copper changes.
It feels some weight on it, but its value could only be described as a disappointment.
「If I’m correct, 4 silver coins are good for a salary of a newly hired guard soldier right? And then, 10 silver coins is equal to 1 gold coin. 10 large copper coins is 1 silver coin……」
a.s.suming that the first salary of a fresh graduate in j.a.pan is $2000ーーthe rates are 1 gold coin is $5000, 1 silver coin is $500, and 1 large copper coin is $50.
This serves as the banknotes in j.a.pan, and the copper changes are coins.
ーーit’s only $10000 and a bit huh……annihilating tens of people in a B-Ranked thieves band while being careful to get my ident.i.ty found out……oh really, isn’t this too shabby……. I only have a limit of a year’s half……things like, money gathering event, I wanted it to finish at once……
The red-haired girl Lemilia observed Junpei who clicked his tongue with a surprised expression.
「You also asked about it earlier right? Checking the value of normal things like currency……you, what in the world……?」
Junpei did not answer that question.
「And so, Lemilia-san? Is this really all the『money』?」
“Un”, she nodded, and Lemilia said.
「We had just bought food and equipments, so……we don’t have much cash during the first quarter of the month」
「They seemed like quite a famous band of thieves, so don’t you have something like acc.u.mulated gold or something? If they don’t have cash, it should’ve been made to some kind of a.s.set」
「Unfortunately, the acc.u.mulated gold……all of them were changed into jewelry……」
「……jewelry?」
「It’s quite rumored that the chief had buried them somewhere in the forest. Think about it properly……it’s a band of thieves you know? Even if it’s the chief, if he would always take his treasures around him, it would be immediately stolen, and the culprit escapes……well, that’s what going to happen for sure. And……not mentioning myself, I don’t even think that his best subordinates know about that place. The only one who knows the whereabouts of the treasure was the chief」
“I see……”, he whispered.
Junpei took out a few silver coins, large copper coins, and some changes and puts it into his waist.
And all of the remaining money, he gave the money bag to the golden-haired girl.
「Well, anyways, we part our ways here……」
「Eh……? This money……what……?」
Junpei smiled kindly, and patted the girls’ head.
「Just take it. Your whole village was burnt by the band of thieves right? You need something to start with after you reached a town」
「W-Wha……truly, for everything……thank you very much」
「Don’t worry about it, I don’t need thanks. From you, things like the road to the town and the geography around here……I learned a lot from you」
「Is it really okay……? I mean, isn’t this most of the money that the thieves have……? Why……why are you doing so much for me?」
Thinking for a moment, Junpei smiled deprecatingly.
「First, for you who had been thrown in an unreasonable place like this, I feel sympathy for you」
「Sympathy……?」
The girl got silent for a while.
「What is it, why’d you get silent so suddenly?」
「Right now, you are making a very kind expression. Yesterday’s……you who was like a merciless devil yesterday, and you right now……which one is your true form?」
“Haha”, Junpei laughed.
「A devil huh, haha, that’s great. Well, but, I am……it’s just that if it’s against b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, or when my life is on the balance, I would have no mercy…… Well, until I was able to think of that truly, I really went through bitter experiences」
And, Junpei continued.
「Something like the money I gave you, if it’s compared to the treasures hidden by the thieves, it’s just changes. You should just think of it……as the payment to the information, and hush money」
「……the thieves’ treasures……? Hush money?」
Junpei stopped the golden-haired girl’s words without saying anything, and slowly took a step forward.
And, in an instant, he was already behind the red-haired girl Lemilia, and was holding her shoulder with both of his hands tightly.
ーーinstantaneous movement.
In the fight last night, it was the technique that he showed when he stole the knives from the thieves.
Actually, it’s just moving in a super fast speed, but to be able to see through that, the two girls’ status was too low.
「Hey, Lemilia……no, well, actually……I thought of a lot of possibilities……and the most plausible one is, you are the band of thieves’ female chief right?」
「……eh? What are talking about?」
Junpei strengthened the pressure coming to her shoulders.
Lemilia groaned lightly.
「…………………………why do you think so?」
With the tone of her voice, resignation was mixed in it.
「First, looking at you as a slave……you’re wearing things that are too good」
With a poker face, Lemilia tilted her head slightly.
「Wearing good things? It’s tattered clothes, they’re patched up, and I’ve worn them for many years」
「Ahh, I’ll change how I say it. As a b.i.t.c.h of a chief, you look too clean. That’s the start of all of my doubts. And……the things hidden inside your clothes……it’s too high grade. It’s unbalanced」
As if she had given up, Lemilia made a giggle.
「Even the ones I wore inside, how were you able to grasp about it?」
「I couldn’t see it with a glance. But, actually, I have【Appraisal Eyes】. I checked very carefully, and the results immediately appeared. Well, more specifically, your defeat is because you made me have suspicions on you……」
And there, the golden-haired girl who was completely left behind, interrupted the two’s conversation.
「Eh? But……Lemilia-san, she was doing the lowest job like taking care of the slaves, and……」
「That band of thieves’ source of money is catching girls and selling them as slaves right? As a business, if it’s not for selling only one time but continuously, a main business partner is needed, and……that is a common thing. It’s because there’s demand that there would be a supply」
「Eh? Ah? Demand? Supply?」
「And, of course, they even have bounties, so the band of thieves here, from the way they get supplies to the way they train slaves, they should have touched the laws somewhere. If that is so……it should be impossible to sell it to legal slave markets. It means, it’s impossible to find a business deal in broad daylight. However, of course, they were able to do this as a business, so a main business partner should exist……a deep business partner. Kidnap girls and sell them, in that kind of modus operandi that people who would do it doesn’t cease to exist, if they had infamy for having a B-Rank bounty in their headsーーthey should be doing business steadily. And……for that, it’s important to ensure the least quality of the productーーthe management of the training of slaves, in their business, that should be a crucial detail」
「Eh? Eh? Ah……? Eh?」
Leaving aside the golden-haired girl who was panicking, the red-haired girl Lemilia started to laugh there.
「Haha!……fuhaha……un, un, you’re great. Brother, you’re very very good. With stupid rough guys, it can’t be helped that the way they treat girls would be bad. The slave’s training……in something like this, if I were not the one who would lead it……the customers would get angry」
“And then……”, Junpei clapped his hands.
「The problem isーーwhy do you go to the point where you even wear tattered clothes, and fake your own ident.i.ty……is it. I guess most of it, but can I ask you to explain that?」
「It’s this kind of business after all, a.s.suming knights getting dispatched, and attacks from adventures who hunt bounty heads……it is……to be able to escape anytime. Well, normally, it’s impossible to have a female chief after all. And actually, the ones who know that I’m the chief……is the leaders that you had killed」
“And”, she continued.
「All of those guys, they were all over me……so yeah, well, they were easy to control」
Junpei nodded contently as if to say”As expected”.
「Even if we were caught by bounty hunters, or maybe troops or guards, my setting is that I’m an ex-slave that was forcefully made to be the b.i.t.c.h of the chief, so……I can escape just by saying any excuses, and I won’t be punished too」
“But……”, the golden-haired girl who had a sickly blue face opened her mouth.
「……Lemilia-san was always……always crying with me for the girls who were killed……」
“Hmph”, as if to stop caring anymore, Lemilia snorted.
「That’s just taking care of the slaves that can’t be sold anymore because of diseases. I’m just using that very efficiently for your training」
「Training……you say……it’s murder you know?」
Shaking her head sidewards, the golden-haired girl, even so, continues.
「But, but……but, but, but, but!! Tears won’t lie right?」
「Haha! You’re really a brat huh? Something like tears, if I’d want to, I can shed all I want. And if that’s also difficult, if I always bring with me onions and lemons……it’s a very easy thing」
「……even if that’s true, what in the world is the reason for making me see corpses for training……? I can’t……I can’t accept it」
「The worst……if it was shown at the beginning, won’t you be able to endure most of the things after you were bought? Besides, there’s also other reasons why my setting is that I’m an ex-slave other than thinking of my safety. In some cases, even if they’re only a s.e.x slave, they’d start thinking that they might be able to get some proper treatment, and there’s the possibility of making idiots who would attend on their masters by themselves……that’s the modus」
The golden-haired girl shuts up with those words, and Junpei opened his mouth.
「Okay〜. It’s exactly how I guessed it」
Lemilia raised both of her hands as if to show that she had given up, then asked Junpei.
「You can tie me with a rope, or put some handcuffs or whatever. Against a real monster like you……I’m not as stupid to go on a fight you know? And so……are you going to bring me, who is the chief of a bounty headed band of thieves, to a town’s guild after this……and make me enter a prison? It would take 3 days to the nearest town……」
「Unfortunately, I’m not so kind-hearted that I would let you reach the guild unscathed」
Feeling something, Lemilia licked her lips, and showed her t.i.ts.
「Then, are you going to rape me first then bring me to the guild? I really don’t mind either way? Either way, the bounty that is placed in meーー150 gold coins, has a condition that I’d be brought alive」
“Fuu〜”, a deep sigh.
「There’s only one thing I’d say」
He aimed the handgun towards the middle of Lemilia’s eyebrows, and pulled the trigger without pausing.
「You’re unpleasant, soーーdisappear」
“Pan!”, a dry sound.
Together with the smell of gunpowder, a blood and brain flower has bloomed.
To that happening in an instant, the golden-haired girl got paralyzed in fright, and fell down to her bottom.
「Why……why kill……」
「I’ll show you what’s inside her clothes」
The tattered patched up clothes, Junpei dismantled it with a knife.
And then, numerous jewelry and rings had been shown.
「If turned to gold coins, about a hundred huh……」
In addition to that, there were also vials with liquids inside and kinds of blades.
「This is……a blade?」
「Poisoned knife, and fast acting deadly poison. Also, numerous items that look very dangerous……even if I tie her up or something, I don’t want to travel with someone like this」
The golden-haired girl, she couldn’t say anything anymore, and could only open her mouth and shut it closed again.
She was like, “what in the world is going on, really……”.
Then finally, as if she had noticed something, she opened her mouth.
「……come to think of it, you knew that Lemilia-san were holding jewelry right?」
「Yeah, I knew it」
“And yet……”, the girl asked while tilting her head.
「……why did you express that the things you had gotten from the thieves were shabby? If it’s valued together with the jewelry……they would be an enormous amount right?」
After shutting up for a while, Junpei annoyingly whispered.
「……I don’t really want to stand out that much. If I were to change jewelry to gold at once, or even in a way a small amount but frequently in stores……standing out can’t be avoided right?」
「……that is true」
「That’s why, if possible……I wanted some cash」
And furthermore, Junpei thought of something, and asked it to the girl.
「Hey, these guys, are they really…………famous bandits?」(TL: would changed band of thieves to bandits)
「……they really are, the most infamous around here……they’re B-ranked bounty heads」
Together with a sigh, Junpei shrugged his shoulders.
「I see, huh. So……I really don’t want to stand out」
One of the tens of jewelries that came out of Lemilia’s clothes, Junpei gave it to the girl.
「T-Tha……that is!! More than this, I can’t take any……」
And, with a fresh looking smile, Junpei laughed.
「I told you it’s hush money right? Don’t hold back…… I saved you, and also gave you money. If that is so……about me, and the truth about this banditsーーyou understand that it’s for your sake to not mention anything about it right?」
Even before Junpei finished speaking, the girl’s expression was rapidly turning blue.
The killing intent that was not directed to her up until nowーーthis time, she probably noticed that it is attacking her without a doubt.
The girl started trembling due to the frightening amount of killing intent, and let out a voice as if to squeeze it out.
「I-I, I-I a-amーー! I-I was c-con……confined! W-With my e-eyes covered y-yesterday!……w-when I noticed it……e-everyone’s……everyone’s dead……they were d-dead, and……!」
While having tears piled up on her eyes, the girl continued as if to beg for her life.
「T-That’s why! That’s why!……I-I, I-I-I haf……I-I did not s-see an……y……shing……anything!」
“Un”, he nodded, and Junpei said this.
「Yeah, that’s great」
After saying just that, Junpei left that place while waving his hands backwards.
And, he advanced by walking to the road connecting to human civilization that the golden-haired girl taught her.
ーーwell, even though that’s said, in this situation where my appearance is not similar to my original look because of【Mimicry】……there’s really no problem at all, in fact. If it became troublesome, I can just use【Mimicry】once again, but……it’s what you call……making sure of things.
“And……”, he summarized the case this time.
ーーeven if it’s head-on, or maybe even unorthodox methods……that group that has a B-Ranked bounty heads……they were completely, not my match.
He gripped his fist, and looked at the sky.
ーーthis is not overestimating myself, but confidence……no, it’s conviction.
“Un”, he nodded, and spat this out casually.
「ーーoutside, I’m invincible」
ーーCitadel, Manakis.
The final destination of the road that continuously extends from the plains.
The time is about the sun setting.
In the gates of the citadel covered with circular walls, Junpei was receiving an inspection from a guard.
「If it is staying without presenting any proof of ident.i.ty, one large copper is needed each day. And the limit of stay is two weeks」
The man who has an exaggerated appearance, wearing a full plate armor, whispered with a cold shoulder.
It has been around 10 hours since he had parted ways with the slave girl and walked through the road.
As the result of advancing with a jogging pace without resting, he was able to arrive here.
「I don’t have a proof of ident.i.ty. What should I do to enter inside?」
「Advance payment for the next two weeks……14 large copper coins……or 1 silver coin and 4 large copper coins, you will need to entrust us that much. And, if you are going to leave from here, give this tally to the guard at this gate. If you do that, your change would be returned」
He took out a small cloth bag, and Junpei paid 2 silver coins.
And then, the guard gave Junpei 6 large copper coins.
「So……where’s the adventurer’s guild?」
When he asked that, the guard laughed at his place.
「Fun!……haha……! Wants to be an adventurer, huh……? Someone……like you?」
Junpei’s current appearance, is a golden-haired, blue-eyed boy in his middle teens.
A slim boy who is wearing a tattered coat, and equipped with old equipments.
He was exactly like a poor young man who’s an apprentice adventurer, and is probably has the lowest position in the community inside the town.
「I think you should think twice. Someone as flimsy as you can’t do jobs of an adventurer. You should register at laborer’s guild, and start from light jobs」
Well, honestly speaking, with his appearance that was not that different from a homeless man, it’s very natural to be looked down on.
「Sorry for that, I’m not also doing something like this for being crazy or for bluffing」
After saying all of that, Junpei took out a small cloth bag from his waist.
It’s filled with candies coated with honey inside.
It’s something that he had taken from the thieves’ hideout, and it’s flavored with cinnamonーーspices are expensive enough that they can be traded with an equal weight of gold. The instant he saw that, the man gulped.
Junpei took one of it from inside, and placed it inside his mouth as if to say that it has no poison. And offered, reaching out that cloth bag to the man.
The man cleared his throat once, and smelled Junpei’s head.
「You don’t smell that bad……huh. It’s not like you’re living unsanitary as you look. And then, why a high-grade snack like this?」
「About that snack, I was just lucky.……even though I look like this, I’m fussy about cleanliness, and even though in tatters, I regularly wash them, and I also take baths……well, that’s the reason, I guss」
“Hmph”, the man snorted, and took a few sweet snacks from Junpei.
He put one of those inside his mouth, and rolled it around as if to taste it.
「Processed sugar and honey……cinnamon too, huh……」
He swallowed the remaining sweets, and the man’s cheeks loosened to it delicious tasted.
「Well, it is fine then, whether or not you register to the adventurer’s guild is something that has nothing to do with me……I’ll teach it to you. After you go through the gate, advance straight. You will reach a plaza after 10 minutes. The adventurer’s guild is two buildings away from the large church there」
“And so……”, the man smiled.
「Can I have another……no, a few more?」
「Yeah, of course, I don’t mind」
After saying that, Junpei around ten sweets on the palm that was reached out.
The man made a full smile, and asked Junpei.
「This is very appreciating……. And then, what else do you want to ask?」
「For the meantime……today’s inn, I guess. A place that has good food, as cheap as possible, and also cleanーーit would be nice if there’s a bath」
“Hmm”, the guard thought for a moment, then took a map of the town from his waist, and started to write something with his pen.
While waiting for the man, Junpei hit his hand, and added.
「Ahh, and also, a jewelry shop……or maybe a p.a.w.nshop. Also, I want to know about a weapon’s store that handles good quality stuff」
And, at that time, commotions appeared far behind Junpei.
When he took a look, a crowd has been madeーーand the cheerful atmosphere changed to a nervous one.
And the instant he felt that, the man writes a few marks on the map in a hurry, then pa.s.sed it to Junpei.
「Sorry, I have a very important work right now」
「Work?」
Junpei looked at the man with a dubious expression, but looking at his tightened face, he nodded honestly.
「……well, for now, thanks a lot」
After saying only that, Junpei waved his hand backwards and left.