Chapter 46

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: penny

Chapter: 046

Chapter Title: Romance Scam #2

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The Istar Party sisters were in the middle of bathing.

Unaware, strangers were approaching them in their defenseless state.

"We are the 'Night Thieves' Guild'."

"Don't make a fuss and just get lost."

Clink, shing-.

The men placed their hands on hooks and nets at their waists.

'Nice gear.'

'Their levels seem about the same as mine.'

They appeared to be targeting the Istar Party.

Like woodcutters eyeing the clothes left by bathing nymphs.

What should I do here?

'Should I yell loudly?'

To warn them of the danger.

But that thought quickly vanished ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from my mind.

'These three will come at me all at once.'

No need to take that risk.

For now, let's just buy some time.

"What's the 'Night Thieves' Guild'?"

"You idiot. You think we're teachers? We gonna tell you just 'cause you asked?"

"We'll let you live, so scram!"

The men brushed past me.

If these scoundrels made contact with the bathing Istar Party, what would happen?

It'd cause a huge commotion.

"Me too! Let me in!"

So I shouted at the thieves' backs.

The thieves halted abruptly.

"What?"

"I've actually had my eye on those women's pockets first."

I spent some Ether to appraise one thief's possessions.

Potions galore.

Let's use this to my advantage.

"Hey, you ugly one."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. Got a bunch of potions and ropes, right?"

I asked the masked man.

His eyes flickered for a moment.

"...Fuck, how'd you know?"

"I've got a blessing that lets me peek into pockets. Already checked those women's too. Was just waiting for an opening, but the angle never came. Headache."

"......"

"......"

"......"

The thieves eyed each other warily.

Push a little harder.

"If we team up, we might actually pull it off... If you're not into it, I'll just side with those women over there."

"Fuck, this guy's a real sleazy bastard!"

"We split fair and square."

"Don't get any funny ideas, or you won't get shit!"

Surprisingly, they readily accepted my offer to collaborate?

'They'll deal with the women first, then slit my throat at the end.'

That's what I'd do in their shoes.

So I went along with the thieves.

At least that means I've succeeded in 'surviving for now.'

Now, watch their handiwork and pick my moment to act.

"Ahh, so refreshing─."

"Skin. Plump."

"Fuck, wonder if Scardi's on a date by now."

"Sssshhh..."

The thieves crept up to the rocks near the hot spring where the women bathed.

They pulled out several cloths and soaked them in suspicious potions.

Splash, pour-.

They wrapped the wet cloths over their faces.

"You fend for yourself since you don't have one."

Curious, the men drew glass vials from their waists.

The yellow liquid sloshing inside looked highly suspicious.

Whoosh, crash-!

Pssshhhh-.

The thieves hurled the vials near the hot spring.

Gas billowed instantly from the shattered bottles.

"Ugh, did I drink too much...?"

"Something. Feels. Sleepy...."

"Sound of something breaking...."

The women in the hot spring closed their eyes.

One minute later.

"It's working! Solid stuff."

"Enough to knock out an angry lion!"

"Let's go!"

Dash-.

The thieves rushed into the hot spring.

I covered my nose with my sleeve and followed.

The thieves leered at the women's discarded clothes, chuckling heh heh heh-.

"Whoa, this is why I can't quit this gig!"

"What about the women?"

"Sell 'em off! To Arkham or Bain!"

"Can't we have some fun first?"

Robbery and human trafficking.

Pretty heavy crimes.

But that's exactly why these guys who don't hesitate at such acts end up doing thief work all the way out here at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Great Wall.

Not surprising.

What's surprising is the Istar Party sisters.

Glance-.

Venus opened her eyes.

Crack-.

The hot spring area froze in an instant.

"Fuck, what the hell!"

"My legs are stuck!"

The thieves' legs were firmly glued to the frozen ground.

Splash-.

Istar seized the moment, bursting from the hot spring in a spray of water.

Bam-!

Istar smashed her heel full force into the man's head.

She was draped in her wet priestess robes.

'She's wearing clothes?'

I was stunned.

Soon, warrior Freya snatched up her shield from the hot spring and slammed it into a thief's torso.

"Every damn time, and you idiots fall for it every time. Morons!"

"...Fuck, the anesthetic gas didn't work?"

The baffled thieves.

The women, who had entered the hot spring fully clothed, burst out laughing.

"Heh heh heh, holding our breath for 5 minutes is nothing."

"Get ready to die, you dog bastards!"

"These bastards have some real money! About 3 million Ether combined!"

"Enough for drinks at least─."

"Luck. Good."

The Istar Party members rifled through the thieves' belongings.

Dazed by the turn of events, mage Venus explained simply.

"Fly Hell Operation. For urgent quotas. Use often."

They deliberately showed an opening in the party, then turned the tables on the thieves who took the bait.

This sortie was planned to target such thieves from the start, it seems.

I panicked when they all went ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into the hot spring.

Who'd have thought it was bait.

'Real romance scam!'

'Scary women!'

At this Great Wall, you really had to watch out for 'women.'

Germain sis wasn't wrong about a thing.

"These fuckers tried to sell us off?"

Warrior Freya stomped hard on the groin of a tightly bound thief.

Crunch-!

"Gaaahhh!"

"Does it hurt? Huh? Does it hurt?!"

"Guuuhk."

Ugh! I winced just watching.

Istar patted my back.

"Our maknae reeled in the suckers good?"

"Heh heh heh, just point me and I'll fetch."

Whatever it was, good is good.

I was worried the sisters might get ambushed by shady thieves.

Unnecessary concern.

They're all veterans.

"These Night Thief Band bastards have been rampaging lately."

Freya slung the bound thieves over her back.

She seemed to know something, so I asked.

"You know them?"

"They've been famous lately. Even thieves were fighting over them."

They showed up in the two weeks I was away.

Thieves turning on each other with blades, quite a few casualties.

'Is that sub thief who filled in for me part of their crew?'

Anyway, today's Ether haul wrapped up nicely.

We stood on the escape magic circle and checked our loot.

Settlement!

100 Darkman Stones.

My share: 1 million Ether.

'Daily 1 mil won + extras.'

Beats my past life as a doctor or judge!

Gotta buy chicken and cola with Ether today.

Whoosh-.

When I came to, I stood by a riverside with not a breath of wind.

Under the moonlight, a bone serpent slithered toward me.

"Heh heh, could it be the smell of this 'Black Satchel'?"

I pulled out the satchel I'd acquired from the Erdaris.

Rustle- The skull-scaled Sabrannik.

─What?

How about this then?

"What about the rocks I have?"

「Darkman Fragment」.

Salty-tasting stones.

Figured the rock-eating Sabrannik would like 'em, so I gathered a ton.

The bone serpent Sabrannik opened its mouth wide.

Dump dump dump-.

I shoved all the rock chunks into Sabrannik's mouth.

It gulped them down and spoke.

Whoosh-.

With that, Sabrannik vanished into the distance.

'No blessing this time?'

'Feels like I got scammed.'

When I came to, I stood in the strategy room with the Ether table.

"Puh heh heh. Booze party. Booze!"

"Hand the thieves over to the military."

"Kid, wanna join us for a drink?"

The women invited me to their drinking party?

'First time since Instructor Roze!'

Drinking with women.

My lips were already curling up, but...

"I'll head out now! Got urgent business! Heh heh...."

Maybe seeing those thieves' groins crushed made fear win out.

Istar Party.

Terrifying women.

'Unless Ether's really desperate, don't call these folks.'

Like loan sharks in the party world.

Night had fallen before I knew it.

I went to the bathroom and knocked.

"Germain sis? You there?"

─Little bro, what's up.

"Heard there's beef between the Thieves' Guild and our party lately."

Our party risked ambushes from thieves anytime while scouting the Night Land.

Solve this right, and sorties get easier.

Click-.

The bathroom door opened, revealing Germain sis with arms crossed.

"Your party hurt some of our guild members."

"Eek, really?"

"Well, the root was that Debora in your party."

Debora.

The thief who subbed for me.

"That bitch broke guild rules and sold rice at half price."

"Rice?"

"Yeah, rice."

"Guild sets the price?"

"Yep-. Think anyone'd keep dumping rice at bargain prices?"

"Hmm...."

"Price wars kick off, everyone slashes prices, and boom—everyone goes bust, right?"

Exactly!

Rice price stability is crucial.

I nearly puked blood watching Ether crash on Reboot server launch.

Suddenly, 'Debora' wrecking the market economy hit hard.

Reboot server level.

Erdari in human skin.

"Guild guys confronted Debora, your party clashed, grabbed collars, brawled—and your party's knight went rrrrip─ on our guys."

Germain mimed slitting throats.

My mind went red.

'Felix, you human butcher!'

Does he get thorns if he doesn't behead a thief daily?

Like a medic who can't function without circumcising the unconscious.

Germain shrugged.

"Well, scum who could die any day. Some say they died well."

"Oh, so our party and guild can make peace?"

"That's the tricky part."

"Why?"

"I'd let it slide for you, bro. But embarrassing truth—guild's total chaos, no control."

Outlaw groups often have shit internal bonds.

Guys who ditched norms to become thieves and bandits.

Tap-.

Germain touched her forehead.

"Debora, that psycho bitch, bolted with half the guild. All the malcontents bailed. Total mess."

"Bigger shitshow than I thought."

"She even started this 'Night Thieves' Guild.' My position's fucked."

Thieves roaming the Night Land now? Pure chaos.

Chaotic times indeed.

"What if I catch that 'Debora' for you?"

She stole Hermit's paper too.

Was gonna hunt her anyway.

Hand her to Germain sis's Thieves' Guild?

"That fox Debora? 20 years on the streets, 5 priors. You know what that means, bro."

20 years thieving, only 5 busts.

Means she's slippery as hell, no tail to grab.

"Heh heh, time to use brains."

But?

In this mess, there's a perfect play.

Timing's actually ideal.

P.S. Operation name: 「Romance Scam」.