Chapter 28

I defeated four thieves.

Considering their level and the fact that they hadn’t been wiped out after being expelled from the town, I should be able to expect a decent bounty, shouldn’t I?

I don’t want to linger in such a place, so I’ll do what’s necessary.

First, I tore the thieves’ clothes to make a bundle.

Then, I cut off their left wrists and collected four of them.

Fortunately, the Fire Wall I cast when I defeated the thieves had spread to the wooden bed.

The flames are illuminating the rock cave.

When I cast the Fireball, the thieves screamed, but no one came into the rock cave.

It seems there are no other companions nearby.

Still, I don’t want someone to take the prey I’ve worked hard to defeat, and I don’t want to wait here for thirty minutes for the Intelligence Cards to appear.

So, I have no choice but to take the wrists.

I also collected four copper swords.

There were no other items that could be sold, such as leather armor or other equipment.

They either didn’t have them or had hidden them somewhere else.

There might be another treasure room, but there’s no way to check now.

Perhaps it was a mistake to silence all four of them.

Well, it couldn’t be helped. There wasn’t much else I could do.

I don’t even know if they could speak Braham.

The fact that they kept their swords close by, even though they weren’t useful this time, is something that should be praised as a characteristic of thieves in conflict.

After gathering what I needed, I left the rock cave.

First, I warped to a nearby river and washed my cloak. It’s better to get rid of the blood as soon as possible.

Relying only on the starlight and my intuition, I probably didn’t get much blood on me.

I washed my hands and face as well, but I don’t think there was much blood on anything other than the cloak.

After hanging the cloak on a tree branch to dry, I moved to the dungeon to pass the time.

However, my emotions were still high, so I couldn’t explore properly.

Actively moving to kill someone is more shocking than I thought.

Even though I tried to calm down, I couldn’t explore the dungeon calmly.

Monsters appeared and I hunted them, but it wasn’t a good idea to fight in such a mental state.

I decided to cut it short.

I waited for the right time to collect the Intelligence Cards and then went to the forest to dispose of the unnecessary wrists.

After that, I returned to the inn with my cloak.

I entered the room and wiped my body with lukewarm water.

I lay on the bed, hugged the scimitar, and closed my eyes.

Although my emotions were still high, I eventually fell asleep.

I woke up after the sun had fully risen.

It seems the sleep before going to the thieves’ hideout was too short.

I slept better than I thought.

Although my spirits were high from defeating the thieves, I felt more relieved.

The danger of retaliation has been removed, and I have a good chance of obtaining Roxanne.

I don’t know how much the bounty will be, but I’ve done everything I can.

If the money isn’t enough, there’s nothing I can do about it.

Where should I cash in the Intelligence Cards?

I need to consider whether to go to the knight’s barracks in Baire or take them to another town.

Since I cashed in at Baire ten days ago, there’s a risk of being noticed if I do it consecutively.

The knights in this town seem to be connected to the slum thieves.

Thieves probably don’t welcome the appearance of a new bounty hunter, even if they’ve eliminated thieves who were hostile to them.

Cashing in at another town might reduce the risk of being noticed, but it’s uncertain whether I can cash in properly.

I don’t know how the bounty system works.

Logically, the bounties on the thieves who once lived in this town would be set by the people of this town and the town’s knights.

There’s a possibility that the bounty might be lower or not available in other towns.

It might also take time to confirm the bounty, which would be problematic since the deadline for obtaining Roxanne is today.

There’s also a risk of being asked about the situation when I defeated the thieves.

When I cashed in before, no one asked me anything, but the village merchant probably explained something.

The merchant and the knights might have been acquainted.

The merchant’s credibility, the low likelihood of the entire village lying, and the high possibility of the expelled thieves attacking nearby villages might have led to the acceptance of a simple explanation.

It’s also possible that the knights had warned the village in advance.

Someone might have reported to the knights after the attack.

How much will I be questioned this time?

If I take the Intelligence Cards to another town and am questioned, it might become more troublesome.

If I’m asked to reveal where I defeated the thieves, and I say it was near Baire, it might raise suspicion as to why I didn’t take them to the Baire knights.

Considering these possibilities, it’s reasonable to cash in at the Baire knights’ barracks.

There’s a possibility that the knights will interpret it as the thieves being retaliated against by their own companions.

The risk of being noticed is something I’ll have to accept.

After breakfast, I left the inn and went to the building across the street.

I peeked inside, but there were no familiar apprentice knights or beautiful knights.

What should I do?

Not being recognized is an advantage, but it might be easier to talk to someone who knows the situation.

If the knights are connected to the slum thieves and my reputation as a bounty hunter has spread, it’s better if fewer people recognize me.

Since it’s market day, I wandered around to pass the time.

I also sold the four copper swords.

I might need them if Roxanne is with me, but I’ll deal with that when the time comes.

The knights at the barracks changed shifts around noon.

When I went there in the afternoon, I found an apprentice knight near the entrance.

“Hey, you seem to be working hard.”

“Ah, thank you.”

I greeted the apprentice knight.

He’s an apprentice in my mind, but he’s actually a Level 5 Knight, up from Level 4 last time.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Yes.”

“Actually, I was harassed by some strange people last night. They seemed to be thieves.”

I took out the Intelligence Cards of the thieves and handed them to the apprentice knight.

“Thieves?”

“Of course, I retaliated.”

I puffed out my chest.

The strategy is to act like it was a big catch.

In other words, it was just a coincidence, and I didn’t initiate it.

The apprentice knight gave me a polite smile, so it seems to have worked.

I want to believe it worked.

It might have been a sigh of exasperation.

“Can I see your Intelligence Card?”

“Sure.”

I extended my left wrist.

The knight checked my Intelligence Card and said he would investigate, then went into the barracks.

Since I wasn’t questioned, the strategy worked.

Even if I was considered strange and avoided, it still counts as a success.

After a while, the apprentice knight came out with a small bag.

It seems the beautiful knight isn’t involved this time.

“The investigation is complete. The four thieves were part of the group that attacked the village of Somara. You might have been targeted because of that.”

“That’s dangerous.”

It’s helpful that they interpreted it this way.

“Their companions are likely gone. I don’t think there’s much danger.”

He handed me the bag of bounty, and I quickly left.

There was no need to explain what I did with the bodies or provide detailed information.

The last time, the treatment of the dead thieves in town was also casual.

This might be how thieves are handled in this world.

Worrying is more troublesome than acting.

It went better than I expected.

I quickly moved to a hidden spot and peeked into the small bag.

There were many silver coins and a few gold coins.

I sighed in relief after confirming that there were more than five gold coins.

I already had thirty-three gold coins and more than four hundred silver coins.

Now I have enough to buy Roxanne.

I returned to the street and headed to the slave merchant’s mansion.

The past ten days have been long, but it’s almost over.

I tried not to smile.

There’s still the final step.

I can’t relax until everything is done.

There’s a possibility the slave merchant might try to cheat me.

“I am Michio. I would like to speak with Lord Alan.”

I told the man who came out of the slave merchant’s mansion.

He left for a moment and then returned to let me in.

“Please wait here.”

I was led to a waiting room with a carpet.

I took out Durandal as a precaution.

The slave merchant knows I have over 420,000 nals, so he probably won’t target Durandal specifically.

However, showing off luxurious equipment might be useful to hint at future profits.

I’m not sure if Durandal looks luxurious, but if he thinks I’ll be a good customer, he won’t do anything strange.

The leather armor might be too subtle.

“Mr. Michio, we’ve been waiting for you.”

“Indeed.”

The slave merchant arrived quickly.

“Have you prepared the funds?”

“I managed to.”

“Then, please come to this room.”

“Alright.”

I was led to the same room as before.

“It seems I was right in my assessment.”

“Maybe.”

I didn’t earn as much in the dungeon as the slave merchant expected.

In fact, his expectations might have been off.

I sat on the sofa, and a servant who wasn’t Roxanne brought in some herbal tea.

“Please, have a drink.”

After the servant left, the slave merchant urged me to drink.

I pretended to drink by touching the cup to my lips.

If he’s planning something, poisoning the drink would be the easiest way.

I won’t drink it.

I took out the small bag of bounty and checked the contents.

The bounty was about 100,000 nals, less than last time.

I took out ten gold coins from the small bag and then took out a pouch from my backpack.

I had already separated 428 silver coins.

“I’m sorry for the many silver coins.”

“Of course, it’s no problem.”

I turned to the side and whispered, “Item Box Open,” and took out 28 more gold coins from the Item Box.

This makes it 422,800 nals.

“Please confirm.”

Counting 400 silver coins is a hassle.

It’s almost like a form of harassment.

“Thank you. I have confirmed the amount. I will bring her to you shortly, so please wait.”

The slave merchant counted the coins, placed them on a plate, and took them away.

I waited without drinking the herbal tea.

After a while, he returned with Roxanne.

She stood behind the slave merchant, wearing a light yellow tunic and matching pants.

Her face is indeed beautiful.

I wondered if I had idealized her during our separation, but that wasn’t the case.

She might even be more beautiful in person than in my memory.

“Thank you.”

Roxanne bowed to me, and her dog ears wiggled.

Those ears are cute.

Well, I’m not sure if I’ve done something worthy of thanks.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Yes, nice to meet you.”

“Let’s proceed with the contract. Please let me check your Intelligence Cards.”

The slave merchant entered the room and announced.

“Sure.”

“Yes.”

I extended my left wrist.

Roxanne came over and extended her wrist as well.

The slave merchant chanted a spell, and the Intelligence Cards flew out.

He continued to mutter something.

“The contract is complete. Please check your Intelligence Card.”

When I looked, the Intelligence Card had been rewritten.

The slave merchant wasn’t a fraudster.

Unless there’s a spell to fake the display, which I doubt.

My job is listed as an Explorer.

It seems the first job is displayed.

“Alright.”

I exhaled a bit more relaxed, and Roxanne reached out to me.

Roxanne ♀ 16 years old Beast Warrior Slave

Owner: Kaga Michio

“Indeed. The contract has been completed.”

Roxanne’s Intelligence Card is also updated.

I showed it to her, and I also extended my wrist to her as a formality.

“Is it alright?”

Roxanne looked at me with her beautiful eyes.

It seems Intelligence Cards are not meant to be shown to slaves.

“Well, there’s nothing to hide.”

“Yes.”

Roxanne read my Intelligence Card.

Kaga Michio Male 17 years old Explorer Free Citizen

Owned Slave: Roxanne

“Understood. The contract has been completed.”

Roxanne’s Intelligence Card is also updated.

I showed it to her, and the slave merchant explained in a matter-of-fact tone.

“The owner must provide the slave with a home and food and pay taxes. If the owner fails to fulfill these obligations or treats the slave unjustly, the contract can be terminated. The creation and modification of wills are also part of the slave merchant’s duties. Please consider using our services for these matters.”

While showing Roxanne the card, the slave merchant gave a standard explanation.

It felt like a routine business procedure.

Perhaps it’s a standard script, like the Miranda rights in American crime dramas.

I wanted to ask what constitutes unjust treatment, but it’s not appropriate to ask in front of Roxanne.

I don’t want to be seen as someone who wants to push the limits.

A will is probably a document that decides what happens to the slave when the owner dies.

I hadn’t heard about the tax.

“What is the tax?”

“It’s a head tax. Slaves don’t have to pay it; the owner does.”

Of course, there are taxes in this world.

It’s the first time I’ve heard about it.

“Do you know about the tax?”

“Yes, I know... at least the basics.”

When I asked Roxanne, she said she knew.

Since she knows, I can ask her later.

“Understood.”

I nodded at the slave merchant.