Just as I was thinking that, it turned out the day still had one more event in store for us.
It happened while we were cleaning up the food stall and went to greet Fina-san’s older brother.
“Shun, perfect timing. We’ve got a problem. Well, something involving adventurers.”
“Huh? A problem?”
“Yeah.”
Judging from Fina-san’s brother’s expression, it seemed like a bit of a troublesome situation.
Sue and Horn from the medical team had just come over as well, so we gathered to hear the details.
“One issue is a pickpocketing group. The soldiers have already detained them. They probably have Sylvia’s purse too.”
“Ah—thank you very much.”
So there really was a group of pickpockets.
With so many people gathered here, it must feel like the perfect hunting ground for them. The main tournament starts tomorrow, and even with plenty of soldiers around, we’ll have to stay on guard for crimes like pickpocketing.
“The other issue is more serious. Someone was approaching the defeated adventurers from the preliminaries and recruits them into a criminal organization. The soldiers managed to detain several of them, but the rest escaped. They’ve barricaded themselves inside an inn popular with adventurers.”
“Could it be… the Apple Inn?”
“That’s right. That’s where Sylvia is staying, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
An armed standoff occurring at the inn where Sylvia was staying….
Just hearing it made my stomach tighten.
Fina-san’s brother took command of the situation on-site and headed to the Apple Inn with us in tow. As for Fina-san, she had already returned to the estate under heavy guard with her attendants.
“My apologies for making you come all this way, Lord Broad.”
“No, this is a serious incident. It’s only right that I come here myself.”
The Apple Inn, where everything was unfolding, was located just beside the plaza. When we arrived, one of the soldiers approached Fina-san’s brother.
“What’s the situation?”
“The culprits are in a room on the top floor. They’ve taken the innkeeper’s daughter hostage.”
“Damn it… How could they stoop to that? I’m going up there.”
“Yes, sir! We’ll accompany you.”
Whoa…
It was rare to see Fina-san’s brother this furious. But, taking a hostage… that’s absolutely unacceptable.
We followed them toward the room where the standoff was taking place.
“Release the hostage!”
“Surrender immediately!”
The Apple Inn was three stories tall, and the suspects had barricaded themselves in the room closest to the front.
Peering through the gap between the soldiers calling for their surrender, I could see inside the room. Three culprits, one of them holding a young woman in a tight lock with a blade pressed against her. They were shouting something incoherent—more like animal like screams than actual words. The room was a complete mess, and one of the criminals was already sprawled unconscious on the floor.
Hmm… there was no way this would be settled through negotiation. The situation was completely deadlocked.
Sui. Sui.
“Hm? Ao, are you thinking of going?”
“She says she’ll slip in through the window of the room on the other side.”
“All right. Let’s leave it to her.”
With Fina-san’s brother’s approval secured, Ao quietly slipped into the adjacent room. By the way, there were soldiers stationed in that room as well, just in case, so she wasn’t trespassing illegally.
Then, from the window of the barricaded room, Ao slipped inside without a sound.
Fina-san’s brother gave her a firm, approving nod.
Bwaam!
“Huh? W—what’s going on!? I—, I can’t see anything!”
“W-what is this!?”
“Damn it, it won’t come off!”
Ao had covered the criminals’ faces with Brightness.
Suddenly becoming blind, the culprits panicked, clawing frantically at the glowing veil covering their faces.
“Secure them!”
“Yes, sir!”
The soldiers didn’t miss their chance. In the blink of an eye, the criminals were subdued. The hostage was unharmed as well.
The brightness wore off completely about twenty seconds later.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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