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Chapter 99
The Town Mayor’s Plan
When we returned to the town, Karin-san put the town mayor and his underlings in the middle of the public square, still wrapped in her ivy, surrounded by onlookers.
Karin-san had already removed her wooden dome and had her bow on her hand, standing next to the captured town mayor and his underlings.
Since she is an elf, I wonder if she is also proficient in using bow and arrows?
“Oh, Karin. Great job.”
Frank-san lifted one of his hands, while Karin-san puffed her cheeks.
“Why do I have to hold on this bow?”
“That is because you’re an elf and most of elves are experts in using bow and arrows. Karin, you think so too and are doing it without us even asking, right?”
Karin-san consented, but

“Uhm, but, with that hat covering your head, I think nobody can tell that you’re an elf.”
I couldn’t tell in the beginning as well.
When I said that, Frank-san’s expression changed into one that seemed to say, ‘Shoot!’
But if there were still the town mayor’s friend roaming around and wanted to rescue the town mayor, what were you planning to do without having any weapon on~?!
“No, it’s fine. They’re tied up like this, after all.”
“Y-yeah. Since it’s the ivy that Karin produced using her skill. It won’t be able to be sliced with just regular strength.”
I see. Then if push comes to shove, we can just enter the wooden dome again along with the children.
But why would the town mayor kidnap the children?
He certainly had an ambition to harvest the magical crystals since it was already discovered and would be a waste to not take, but it didn’t mean he had to kidnap them or anything.
“Bowan, why would you do such a foolish thing
?”
Priest Rou leaned over in front of the sitting and bound town mayor as their eyes met.
The town mayor glared at Priest Rou with his thin eyes.
“For the magical crystals. If this town is able to harvest magical crystals steadily, how do you think this town can prosper?”
“Even so, kidnapping the children to have them do that is simply unethical.”
“It’s a place that only children can enter, after all. Besides, it’s not like I kidnapped them. The children wanted to earn some extra cash, so I just gave them a job to do. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
The town mayor was suddenly in a foul mood as he turned away, and Priest Rou knitted his brows.
“Earning some extra cash, you said?”
Priest Rou looked perplexed, while Maa-kun who was next to me was surprised, seemingly noticing something.
“Don’t tell me, they
”
“Maa-kun, what’s the matter?”
“There’s a rumour that the church might get evicted. Hearing such rumour, they said that they wanted to earn some money in order to buy the church. That might be what the town mayor meant when he said something about them wanting to earn some money.”
Eeh, buying a church?
I understood their sentiment, but still, didn’t it all seem a little bit too rash?
“Oi, Gramps. What does this mean?”
“Just who said that? It’s true that the church’s building is worn out right now and there’s been a plan to renovate it, but during that time, you children will be properly taken care of at the neighbouring town’s church. The neighbouring town’s church has promised that.”
“
Right? Since Gramps understands that the children will be troubled if the church is no more, there’s no way you wouldn’t have done something about it.”
“But, if that’s the case, the rumour
?”
In response to Frank-san and Priest Rou’s conversation, Maa-kun was overcome with surprise.
“Most likely the town mayor wanted to make the children work hard and spread a false rumour on purpose. Then, in order to keep the thing about harvesting magical crystals a secret, he confined the children, probably? Although that kind of thing will get found out in the future.”
Frank-san heaved a long sigh that was exaggerated.
The town mayor lifted his head and his thin eyes glared at Frank-san.
“I was promised some financial assistance once the mining is on track! But before that, we have to dig out the magical crystals and obtain the proof that they have the best purity in the nation. As long as they have dug up to a certain amount of crystals, the children will be released.”
“But you were planning on confining them inside the hut in the mining site all the time, weren’t you? You even captured Priest Rou who went to look for the children. 
Once the mining is on track, you were planning on cleaning them all up together, weren’t you?”
“T-that’s not true.”
The town mayor denied it, but his gaze wavered, so it was no different from admitting it.
“Also, who the heck planned the thing about the financial assistance? Is it the feudal lord here, Viscount Willard?”
In response to Frank-san’s question, the town mayor held his tongue and remained silent.
“Did you think that as long as you presented the magical crystals, you’d be protected
? Too bad. All of the magical crystals have all changed into ordinary stones.”
“What?!”
“It’s about the golem in this town’s legend. It was protecting the magical crystals. However, during a battle with us, it ended up using the power of all the magical crystals there. The rampaging golem has also been sealed up. We’d better not wake up such a dangerous thing ever again.”
“Did you say golem?! Moreover, turning into ordinary stones
? What is going on
”
I turned my eyes away, unable to continue looking at the town mayor who was mumbling. Ar-niisama, who had entrusted the letter to the magical bird then turned to look at my direction.
“Aah, Frank. I’ve sent a message to the royal capital, so the knights should be dispatched soon. Until then, I want to put them in the prison, but
”
“The prison is in the feudal lord’s place, so I get how complicated this issue is. Well, what about the prison in the guild?”
“That is good. Let’s bring them there.”
The town mayor and his underlings were taken by Frank-san and Ar-niisama to the guild.
Haa.
For the time being, this case can be considered fully solved with this, then?
I’m glad that nobody gets hurt. Really glad.