落とし穴外伝：冒険者たちの被害状況 (Part2)
"Found him. Well, that’s the situation: Milly has been delivering some 'physical sermons' to the adventurers, so they’ve been behaving themselves lately. But the risk isn't zero. We have adventurers coming and going from other countries, after all. Anyway, drifting off-topic—that desk also serves as a consultation window for the Adventurer Guild to resolve such disputes. That’s where the report came in from an adventurer."
Rock paused there, casting a look around at us.
"A man claiming to be a subordinate of Yuki has been demanding money from female adventurers who just arrived in Weed. The classic 'I'll pay you back later' routine."
"Haaah?"
There was really no other way to respond to such an idiotic story.
Still, Prol remained calm.
"Wait a moment. Is that all there is to it? They just handed over the money based on that alone? Was there any sort of promissory note or documentation?"
"None. Apparently, the amount was trivial enough that they figured it was better to just pay it and treat it as a 'get rid of the nuisance' fee, rather than risking a larger incident by getting involved. They didn't want to act rashly and cause trouble."
"I see. If one is unfamiliar with Weed’s political structure or the local common sense, it’s impossible to make an informed judgment."
Hmm. It’s certain that the person isn't actually Yuki’s subordinate, but if it were a noble using his name, it would undoubtedly be a headache.
So, I think their decision to pay it off as a severance fee was the right one.
"Yeah. That said, they figured it would be a pain if it happened again, so they came to report the trouble. I told them that such 'common sense' doesn't exist here. As for a solution, I advised them to either ignore such people or skillfully lure them into a place with plenty of witnesses before apprehending them. They can't exactly complain publicly, after all."
"Indeed. They are committing acts that tarnish Weed's reputation. They wouldn't be able to openly demand payment or berate the adventurers in public."
"Even so, if we were to resort to violence or force to reject them, it’s obvious they would try to use that against us. The more status one has, the more troublesome that becomes."
"True, if it happens to be a noble from elsewhere, it’s a messy affair. Weed aside, the adventurer who was set up or the Adventurer Guild itself could be cornered. ...Considering the situation, do you suspect there is some grudge against the Adventurer Guild?"
"Well, the damage is limited to the adventurers, so I can't rule out the possibility, but it would be difficult to shake the Guild with something like this. There’s also the possibility that it’s just a small-time crook. That’s why we’re currently investigating."
"I see. And is the method the same in every case?"
"All five cases follow the same pattern. They’re targeting adventurers who have just arrived in Weed and don't look particularly intimidating."
"Don't look... intimidating?"
"Yeah. I mean their appearance."
"Ah."
Adventurers don't just deal with monsters, after all.
They have to handle interpersonal combat, like dealing with bandits.
That’s why those who look weak are targeted so intensely.
Which means, conversely, the others must look strong.
In other words...
"So, the culprit is a small-timer?"
"Who knows. It’s basic to decide not to engage with someone who has guts. Then again, the fact that they’re scavenging for such pocket change proves they’re small-time, no doubt about it."
We nodded at Rock’s words.
He’s right.
Squeezing small amounts of money out of adventurers is just pathetic.
Just as I was thinking that, I noticed Rock staring at us intently.
"Oh? Is something the matter?"
"No, it’s not that. It’s your appearance. I was thinking, if Prol or Orelia were to disguise yourselves as adventurers and walk through the areas where these incidents occurred, you might be able to bait them..."
"Let's do it."
Well, look at that—a simple investigation method.
And so, we immediately began our preparations.
The content of the 'damage' was a bit trivial.
In reality, these kinds of incidents are quite common.
It’s the kind of level where making a huge fuss feels like an overreaction.
Nevertheless, it’s not something we can simply ignore.