"Even though I managed to get an exception from the Imperial Government to not check the Intelligence Card, it seems to have been in vain."
The Duke stated.
But it wasn't in vain.
Surely he won't ask me to show it, right?
"By 'Imperial Government,' do you mean you petitioned the Empire?"
"The stubborn ones, but in the end, they acknowledged it. Thieves are best policed by other thieves. Don't you think so, Lord Michio?"
The Duke seems to share Selly's opinion.
It's a hasty but characteristic thought for the Duke.
"Yes, I do. In the short term, I think so."
"Hmm. But not in the long term?"
"Well, if thieves police other thieves, the tension between the enforcers and the criminals will disappear. In the long run, it might not work out well."
Oh no.
I ended up giving a counter-opinion.
"Are you saying that the knights who police thieves need a sense of pride? Indeed, that might be the case."
"Hmm. So it wasn't just that the Goslars were stubborn..."
"Of course, in the short term, it's effective."
I hastily tried to follow up.
Is it okay to give a counter-opinion to the Duke?
I'll be purged.
"Have you been summoned?"
At that moment, a voice called from outside the room.
This will divert the conversation.
Are you a god?
"Cassia? Come in."
"Yes."
She was a goddess.
The door opened, and Cassia entered.
As always, she was beautiful.
She was dressed in a blue Gothic dress that left little skin exposed.
She was serene, elegant, and exuded a fragrance of nobility.
She looked like a noblewoman from a painting.
Except she was real.
A maid entered with her and stood behind.
The one who called out was the maid.
She was also an elf beauty.
However, Cassia's beauty was a step above.
"Lord Michio seems to share Cassia's opinion that it's not good to have thieves police other thieves. He says a tense relationship between the enforcers and the criminals is necessary."
"Oh, is that so?"
Cassia looked at me and smiled lightly.
A goddess's smile.
"He thinks there's a possibility of collusion."
"Yes. Nobles should act in a manner befitting their status."
"As a temporary measure, I think it's acceptable to have thieves police other thieves."
I couldn't just stare at Cassia.
I was worried about the Duke's eyes, so I ended up agreeing.
Purging is not good.
"But it seems that's no longer necessary. Cassia, rejoice. Lord Michio has taken care of Heinz and his gang."
"Oh!"
Cassia's eyes widened, and she looked at me with a joyful expression.
Her clear blue eyes.
I felt like I could be drawn into them.
Actually, I want to be drawn in.
"It seems only Simon escaped, but he can't do much alone. He might already be dead."
That's true.
"Thank you. Heinz's activities were in the territory of the Count Selmer, which is my hometown. I know people who were killed by Heinz. Lord Michio has avenged them for me."
Cassia bowed.
Her lustrous, beautiful golden hair fell gracefully.
"No, no, it's nothing. Your words are much appreciated."
"I was worried that he might have entered our territory. Now the people can feel safe."
"It's an honor to be of service."
Just being worried by Cassia is enough for the people.
"Was there anyone among Heinz and his gang who had a ring equipped?"
The Duke asked me.
I took out the Ring of Resolve from my item box and handed it to the Duke.
"If it's a ring, this is it."
"Oh. ... No, it wasn't this new. Perhaps my memory is faulty."
The Ring of Resolve had been reset by a character reconfiguration.
It can't be restored.
"That's the only one I found."
"Forgive me. I'm not doubting you. What does Goslars think?"
"Well, I thought it had more damage. Perhaps it was polished."
"Heinz stole the Ring of Resolve from Count Selmer. It originally belonged to our family. I gave it as a betrothal gift when I married Cassia."
The Duke explained the situation.
So it was originally the Duke's equipment.
And giving the Ring of Resolve as a betrothal gift could secure Cassia as a wife.
"Betrothal..."
"It's the opposite for commoners. In the case of commoners, men often fight monsters, so there are fewer men and more women. This is why commoner women need a dowry when they marry. If the dowry is insufficient, they might end up in a polygamous relationship. For nobles, both men and women fight monsters, so there's no shortage of men. The man pays the betrothal gift during marriage."
The Duke explained the concept of betrothal gifts for nobles.
I didn't know about either noble or commoner betrothal gifts.
In this world, women pay men when they marry.
In the past, many men died in wars, and polygamy in Islam was a way to compensate for that.
It's similar to that.
"I see."
"If this is the Ring of Resolve that Heinz had, I would like to buy it. What do you think?"
"Is it a valuable item?"
"It was given to us by our ancestor five generations ago."
The Ring of Resolve seems to have been a fixed item.
"In that case..."
There's no choice.
There's no reason to refuse.
"Then, I'll leave the ring with you for appraisal."
"Yes."
I had to give up the Ring of Resolve.
What about the price?
I suppose I have to follow the price set by the nobles.
I don't think the Duke or Cassia would take it for a low price.
It might be like a blank check.
They'll pay whatever I ask.
That's also a problem.
"I want to take Lord Michio to Count Selmer. What do you think, Cassia?"
The Duke made a terrifying suggestion.
I just want the bounty.
"Yes. Count Selmer should also express his gratitude."
Cassia also agreed.
I can't refuse.
"That's right. Is it okay with you, Lord Michio? It's just a matter of bowing for a short time. Don't overthink it. I won't treat you badly. It won't be a burden. You can go alone."
I couldn't say no to Cassia's request.
I want to refuse, but I can't think of a reason.
"Count Selmer couldn't defeat the thief, but you did in my territory. I can boast about it."
Is that the Duke's true intention?
Is the relationship with his in-laws not going well because he took a beautiful wife?
I don't want to be involved in that.
"I'll handle the communication with Count Selmer. It can't be done immediately. Lord Michio, would it be okay to come to Bode again in three days? I'll set a date by then."
"Yes. In three days. I'll come then."
I bowed and left the Duke and Cassia.
The conversation was over, so it was a good time to leave.
I wanted to stay by Cassia's side, but I couldn't.
There's a possibility of more unreasonable requests.
It's better to retreat before he sees my Intelligence Card.
"Lord Michio, this way."
Goslars escorted me to the lobby.
"Lord Goslars, is there a fishing village or port nearby where I can get plenty of fish?"
"The fishing village in our territory is Hafen. It's famous for its high-quality fish. If you'd like, I can have an adventurer from the knight's guild guide you."
There seems to be a good fishing village in the Duke's territory.
I knew the Duke's territory bordered the sea because Kohaku said it could be found in the sea.
The northern sea should be promising.
"This is Hafen."
The adventurer led me to the fish market in the fishing village.
The smell of the tide and fish mixed strongly.
Sellers and buyers were negotiating over the freshly caught fish.
"Are you from the knight's guild? Is there something you need?"
As soon as we arrived, an elf man approached us.
He must be from the fishing village.
He's a Level 3 Village Chief.
So he's the village chief.
"I want you to hear this person's story. I'll leave now."
The adventurer who brought me left immediately.
"What do you need?"
"Is it possible for me to get fish here?"
"Yes, there are no particular restrictions."
The adventurer left, so I talked directly to the village chief.
It seems I can get fish.
That's enough to know.
"Is it always this busy?"
"We change the fishing spot every morning. The catch depends on the day. We sell the fish we catch here. Today was a good catch."
"Then I'll come to buy fish soon."
"We'll be waiting for you."
I left with a nod and went home.
I checked the bounty when I got home.
Thirty-nine gold coins and fifty-two silver coins.
395,200 Nals.
It's not much, but it's not bad.
Of the eight Intelligence Cards I brought, six were low-level thieves.
Levels 10 to 20.
Even combined, they would only be worth around 100,000 Nals.
There was one high-level thief, so if this thief alone was worth 100,000 Nals, it would be a good deal.
That means the bounty for the notorious Heinz was about 200,000 Nals.
Is that too little?
Or is it just right?
It doesn't matter now.
Complaining won't change anything.
"I've also handed over the Intelligence Cards, so from now on, I'll be exploring the Halber Labyrinth."
I told Roxane and the others over breakfast.
Since I've defeated the thieves, I need to return to the labyrinth in the Duke's territory.
I could argue that Simon is still missing, but it's not worth it.
"The monsters on the 13th floor of the Halber Labyrinth are Pig Hogs."
"Pig Hogs. Their weakness is water magic, right?"
"Yes."
I confirmed with Selly.
The Glassbees on the 12th floor of Halber are weak to wind magic, and the Pig Hogs on the 13th floor are weak to water magic.
Efficiency-wise, the 16th floor of Koolatal would be better, but it can't be helped.
Things don't always go as planned.
I could ask to be guided to the 16th floor of Halber or Tare, but the monster lineup is different, so it wouldn't matter.
Exploring the floors in order is safer.
It's also better to get the Adventurer job as soon as possible, but it's not possible to reach level 50 in a day or two.
"Also, since we've received the bounty, I want to consider expanding our forces soon."
"Yes, that's natural."
"Not immediately. I'll wait until Miria gets used to it."
"××××××××××"
"Yes."
I also declared my intention to expand the harem.
Miria still relies on Roxane for translation, so it will take some time.
It will take a while for her to master the Brahium language, but she needs to be able to communicate to some extent.
"Also, I think I'll have to sell the Ring of Resolve to the Duke. It seems it was a fixed item from the Duke's ancestor. I'm sorry, Miria."