“Are you sure it’s going to be okay to have a party full of young women like this escort us?”
That’s the question voiced by the leader of the caravan that we are going to accompany as an escort this time. He is an middle-aged man in his mid-forties.
“I’ve heard from the Adventurer’s Guild that they’re going to send the best party….…”
“There’s no need to worry.”
Anje declared confidently.
“That assessment is correct, think of it like you are on board a big ship.”
“……T-then, I have to take your word for it.”
Then the merchants told us about their current plight. They buy goods from the Adventurer’s Guild and then sell them to various places. So, if a thief steals their goods along the way, it’s a big loss.
“No, right now, it’s really a business at a loss, and if it continues like this, we will go out of business.”
Because of the thieves, it seems that they have recently refrained from doing business in the direction of the Royal Capital. And if the merchants don’t buy goods, the guild will naturally suffer.
“Normally, there are almost no thieves on this road, after all, it is the main road that connects Vegaltia, which is said to be a sacred place for adventurers, to the Royal Capital. Misbehaving here is like selling a fight to the Adventurer’s Guild or the Royal Capital. The thieves were supposed to be caught right away in this case.”
However, the bandits who have recently appeared on this road show no signs of being caught.
“Actually, I was once attacked by them, but it was only in an instant. There were five B-rank adventurers then, but when they noticed, the luggage was gone. It was the middle of the night and I was fast a asleep. The commotion woke me up, but by that time, the perpetrators were gone.”
What the receptionist said and the testimony of this Ossan said matched.
“It’s just a matter of being careful at night.”
“Hmm. It’s hard to stay awake.”
“……You’re not very good at it so I think you’d better go to bed now.”
“I will.”
Then the caravan departed.
We are positioned in the corner of the horse-drawn cart to keep an eye on the goods at all times. It was quite a small space, but Fana didn’t care and lay down and immediately began to fall asleep.
“I’m bored so I’m going to sleep too. If something happens, wake me up.”
I crawl into Fana’s chest.
“Leave it to me. I have a much better ear and nose than humans. If a suspicious person approaches, even if I am sleeping, I will know immediately.”
Lill proudly undertakes the job.
Mmm, very reliable.
The day went smoothly without incident, and eventually, the sun went down. A group of merchants stop along an empty road.
“We’ll be here for today.”
Apparently, we are going to camp here tonight. Merchants set up tents in a skillful manner. All the goods were gathered in the center with the cart, and tents were arranged around it. Ropes are stretched between the tents to prevent people from passing through, and devices are installed that make a sound when touched.
“We didn’t hear a sound when they come last time…… Well, I guess you could say this is just a temporary relief.”
Our party and the guards are staying very close to the luggage.
“I’m sorry, but I want you guys to keep an eye on it all night…… Well, I don’t think it’s likely that he’ll show up on the first night though.”
So, even after the merchants had gone to bed, we continued to monitor the luggage.
“Shouldn’t you have put up a barrier in the first place?”
“You’re right. But since we’re here, I’d like to see how they steal it.”
As Anje said, if I deploy a barrier to protect the entire luggage, it will be impossible for them to get their hands on it in the first place. But that’s not fun then.
“Master, how do you think the thieves are robbing the luggage?”
“Well, there are a few ways I can think of…… But in any case, with the magic of this era, I don’t think it’s possible to steal the luggage as skillfully as they had said.”
“You mean….”
“Well, we’ll find out soon…… It’s just my intuition.”
My intuition is right.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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