Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: From Thief to Robber
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Have you ever heard the term ‘survival thief’?
It refers to people who are forced to steal just to get by because their livelihoods are difficult. But a thief is a thief. Still, seeing as they get a special label just because of their reasons, maybe I’m not a typical thief either.
Liche is with me now by a twist of fate, but she was originally one of the main heroines destined to save the world alongside the protagonist, Arthur. With such a destiny, she must become stronger than others. And for that, she needs this artifact.
However, we don't have enough money to participate in the auction. So, we have no choice but to steal. In this case, it’s not to survive… no, it’s for the sake of saving the world. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to call this the work of a ‘salvation-type thief’?
So, I casually picked up a glass bottle that was rolling on the floor. I held it out to the guards and spoke.
"Excuse me, but may I drink this delicious-looking beverage?"
"Halt! Don't move!"
The guards couldn't pinpoint our exact location and aimed their swords and spears in a fan-like formation, ready to counter an attack from any direction. The reason they were doing this was likely because we hadn't taken off our bracelets yet and were still invisible.
No, but I’m telling you, the world is ending. The person who’s going to save you is right here! What are you going to do if she gets angry and decides not to save you during the final battle? I put down the glass bottle I was holding and picked up a sword with an ornate appearance.
"Then may I take this needlessly cool-looking sword?"
"Stop talking nonsense and put that down now!"
"Can't have this, can't have that. It seems I have no choice but to switch to being a robber-type thief."
This is why common folk are so foolish. They can't see the big picture for the sake of immediate gain. It's a foregone conclusion that the Demon God will invade the empire someday. In that case, I'll give you a taste of that disaster. I drew a sword from my inventory and said:
"Luna, Liche. Kill them all."
"...If you were going to do this, was there any point in sneaking in?"
"If there are no witnesses, it's an assassination. Which is basically infiltration."
Assassination is killing without being seen. Infiltration is sneaking in undetected. The commonality is that no one must find out. So, if there are no witnesses, isn't that both an assassination and an infiltration? Before Luna and I could charge, Liche's preemptive strike engulfed the guards.
-Boom!
Liche's flames, enhanced by the artifact, were undeniably potent. Everything in the path of the fire melted away, leaving behind only a distorted landscape.
"What the...? I suddenly got this strong?"
"That's the effect of the ring you're wearing."
The firepower was enough to surprise even the caster herself. I guess this is why artifacts are so expensive. We had only managed to get our hands on two artifacts, but even those two had performance that was beyond words. I couldn't tell exactly how skilled the guards were, but seeing them stunned by that single attack, I could tell they weren't at a very high level.
"Now, now, everyone. Disaster doesn't wait, you know?"
It arrives and vanishes as it pleases. A literal disaster. Even while you're dazed by your opponent's overwhelming power, disaster will claim your lives. With a swing of my sword, I sent the heads of two guards flying. At the same time, on the opposite side, Luna assassinated two guards.
After killing all the guards clustered at the entrance, we stepped outside to find the hallway already lined with a throng of them.
"Hah... Why are there so many? What a pain."
If I had known it would be like this, I should have just stayed at the inn. I should have just sent the three of them, including Yui, to handle it all themselves. I just ended up doing Yui a favor for nothing.
"What can we do? We just have to deal with them quickly and escape."
"Instead of that, should we just turn back time by an hour?"
"Is that even possible?"
"Of course."
I took a bomb out of my inventory. With my Killer Queen, nothing is impossible.
"If I set this off, I can turn back time by one hour."
"...Doesn't it just erase the process and leave only the result?"
Oh... I suppose you could see it that way. Bites the Dust or King Crimson. That is the question.
"Either way, setting it off is a given. Let's light the fuse first and think later."
"But we'll get caught in it too...?"
"You and Luna are going to die from a mere bomb?"
At this stage? If you’re weak enough to die from something like this, you might as well die now. Later on, there will be things far worse than bombs. Compared to that, a bomb is child's play.
"Light it, quickly. Before more guards show up."
"Alright..."
*Fwoosh*— A flame flickered to life on Liche's finger and touched the fuse. Immediately after lighting it, Liche hid behind me and created a magic shield for herself, and Luna did the same.
Seeing the fuse ignite, the guards scrambled to escape. Their speed increased as the fuse burned shorter, but I wasn't about to just stand by and watch. How nice it would be if you could actually escape a bomb just by running. I picked up the bomb, which was about to explode, and threw it in the direction of the guards.
-BOOM!!
When the smoke from the explosion cleared, the only ones left in the hallway were the fallen guards and us, standing unharmed. Of course, that was only the hallway. The grand hall at the auction house entrance was now filled with guards, like respawned monsters.
"Don't tell me we have to fight our way all the way up?"
"I think that's likely."
"Hah... What a hassle."
Just as I was about to pull out another bomb, Luna, who had sidled up to me, asked a question.
"But Sir Luke, how do you plan to clean this up?"
"Clean what up?"
"Since the imperial family uses this place, I imagine they'll launch an investigation."
"Hmm..."
Now that she mentioned it, she was right. A workshop favored by the highest echelons of the country had been ransacked overnight; they wouldn't just let it slide. They wouldn't even wait until morning. If we lingered here any longer, reinforcements would arrive. Not just regular knights, but assassins and the like, whose main stage is shady places like this.
"I guess I'll have to deal with it appropriately and run."
How strong could they be, anyway? It would be fine to take care of them all before leaving, but pulling an all-nighter is a bit much. Sleep is important. So, I'll just set off a few bombs and make a run for it. After all, I did acquire an artifact just for times like this. If I use this, I'll be removed from the list of suspects even if the empire investigates.
I took the Face-Changer Mask I had stored in my inventory and put it on. Then, I deactivated the bracelets, dispelling our invisibility. As my form gradually became visible, Luna and Liche's voices were filled with bewilderment.
"Sir Luke...?"
"That face is..."
The reason Luna and Liche were so shocked was that the face I had transformed into was one they both knew very well. Especially Liche; she must have seen it to the point of being sick of it. To others, my current appearance with the Face-Changer Mask on would be that of a man with red hair and reddish-brown eyes.
"This is why I kept him alive."
Why would I keep a cancerous, frustratingly pathetic toilet alive? From another's perspective, one might think that. But the reason I bothered to keep the toilet alive is that he’s useful in many situations. For instance, when I need to clean up a mess like this, or when an extra makes a mess, I can just put on the toilet's mask and pass all the trouble onto him.
'It feels disgusting to take on the form of a toilet, though.'
In any case, now in the guise of the toilet, I lit the fuse of a bomb, threw it into the middle of the guards, and sprinted towards the exit.
"My name is Arthur!"
-BOOM!!
***
The next day.
As usual, Arthur woke up early and was swinging his sword in the training grounds, but he seemed unable to focus. His body moved with familiar, well-practiced motions, but his mind was in turmoil.
'Liche...'
It had only been two days since she had withdrawn from the academy. The girl who was supposed to be his heroine had been gone for a mere two days. Was this how the protagonists of NTR novels felt? If his master were here, he would have been struck for having so many distracting thoughts while wielding a sword.
He had been through so much that he was confident he could remain unfazed by most things now. But the absurd situation of a main heroine dropping out had left Arthur's mind in a state of unease.
It would be one thing if it were a sub-heroine, but for a main heroine to withdraw... Putting down his sword, Arthur rubbed his face with both hands. As he did, he saw through his fingers knights in white armor moving in perfect formation into the academy.
'Did something happen...?'
They wore the imperial crest on their armor, so it was easy to tell their affiliation even without looking closely. Many incidents had occurred at the academy, so he figured it must be related to one of them. Just as Arthur thought this and picked up his sword to refocus on his training...
The knights, whose eyes suddenly met his, began walking straight toward him. Then, without warning, they drew their blades and aimed them at him in unison.
"We are arresting you on charges of theft and terrorism! Surrender quietly!"
"What?!"
What was this all about, barging in so suddenly?! And what did they mean, theft and terrorism! I haven't stolen anything, and I certainly haven't committed any acts of terror! He hadn't even left the academy in months; where would he find the time for theft and terrorism?
'What in the world is this event?!'
This was a situation he had never heard of or seen before. Could it be an event he had forgotten after being reincarnated for so long? He wracked his brain, but nothing came to mind. Besides, if there was an event where the protagonist gets dragged away by knights, how could he possibly not remember it?
"W-Wait! I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding!"
"Enough nonsense, come with us! This is an imperial order; you have no right to refuse!"
"An i-imperial order?!"
"It would be wise to come along quietly!"
*Clink.* In the blink of an eye, handcuffs were fastened around Arthur's wrists. And just like that, in the early morning before anyone else had woken up, Arthur was dragged away by the knights.