落とし穴外伝：一般冒険者としての視点

落とし穴外伝：一般冒険者としての視点

Side: Yayui

I was taken aback by the surprisingly villainous maneuvers of Prof and Hovis, but the two thugs were surprisingly forthcoming with information. Orelia was frowning at the content of their chatter. To be honest, I didn’t find it particularly pleasant either, but I suppose it’s unavoidable. The victims are ultimately responsible for sticking their noses where they didn't belong; it’s a consequence of abandoning their own defensive measures.

"I see. In that case, buying and selling information seems like a good deal."

"Yeah, you can gather most any info at that tavern."

"Plus, the food is delicious."

"That sounds nice. The food at the cafeteria we visited earlier was quite good, too."

"Haha, sis, that place is barely passable by Weed standards."

"Exactly. It’s not bad, but if you’re willing to toss us a gold coin, we can point you toward some truly delicious spots."

It seems even these thugs have a soft spot for good food, and they were quick to jump on the conversation. That said, we already have that kind of information covered. More than anything, the home-cooked meals from Yuki-sama and his wives, or the shops they frequent, are bound to be superior.

As I was thinking this, Prof pulled out a gold coin and tossed it to the thugs.

"Consider this payment for the rough treatment earlier, and for the dining tips."

"Heh, you’re a reasonable one, aren't ya?"

"If the food is bad, we’re coming back for you."

"That’s terrifying, so I won’t lie to ya. Now, let’s see... if you’re looking for places that ladies like you would enjoy..."

Surprisingly, perhaps because we were women, they introduced us to ten different places, mostly major cake shops that we were already aware of.

"Are you sure? That’s quite a bit more than planned."

"Hm? Oh, you can’t really pull any dirty tricks around here. Like I said, the words of the officials in this country are reliable."

"Right. But what does that have to do with you handing over information?"

"It’s advertising, see? We’re actually doing a job here. Look."

With that, the thugs produced cards and held them out to us. I took one and examined it.

"A discount? A discount card?"

"That’s right. If you eat there with this card, you get a discount. My name is on it, too, so it counts as my commission—I get a meal out of it later."

I see, it really is just advertising.

"Judging by your skills, you’ve got plenty of coin, and you’re generous with the info fee, too. If you stop by often, it helps us out, see?"

"Is that so? Well then, we’ll gratefully accept."

If that’s the case, I’ll take it without complaint. I thought that was the end of it, but...

"Oh, and one more thing to be careful of if you’ve come to Weed."

"What is it?"

"Watch out for anyone claiming to be a noble of this country. It’s a scam, no doubt about it. The only nobles in Weed are the Queen and her consort. So, anyone saying they’re a 'noble of Weed' is a liar. And it’s impossible for anyone to use those names. Even if they’re nobles from other countries, they aren’t allowed to throw their weight around using their titles here. If something happens, go to the authorities or the police before you hand over any money; they’ll handle it."

To my surprise, these thugs gave us a warning. They looked like the type who would be complicit in such things. I was stunned, but the thugs just looked at the faces of Hovis and Prof.

"What are you so surprised about?"

"Well, we thought you were the type to be on the side of those scammers."

"Yeah, you certainly looked the part."

"That’s harsh. We’re just looking out for the safety of the kids. We might know about the bad stuff, but we don’t get our hands dirty."

"Exactly. We tell them not to go near dangerous places. We’re just kind uncles who act as escorts during cleanups, see?"

I looked at the thugs, who were puffing out their chests, with a skeptical eye. Still, the children hadn't complained about anything of the sort, so it was likely the truth—though I couldn't shake this feeling of dissatisfaction.

"Besides, claiming to be a noble in Weed is a crime against the Queen or the Consort. The penalty is death. There was an idiot who tried that before, but he was caught, and we haven't seen his face since, so he definitely met his end."

The thugs mimed slitting their throats and stuck out their tongues. In other words, he was dead. We were, of course, aware of that story. We had asked Lari-san and looked into it. In the past, there was a fool who used a similar situation to scam adventurers. He had used Yuki-sama’s name to extort money and assault women. Naturally, he received the maximum penalty. Yuki-sama seemed reluctant, but his wives had punished him thoroughly. That is how heavy a crime it is to impersonate Yuki-sama.

As I pondered this, Prof continued the conversation.

"That scammer was caught, right? Why bring it up now?"

"Stories like that have been circulating lately. There are a lot of idiots among adventurers who let the warnings go in one ear and out the other. They don’t realize that just mocking the consort of this place is a death sentence. And if we get involved with such fools, it puts us regular adventurers in danger, too. There’s a representative of the Adventurer District named Milly. She’s the consort’s woman. During the last scam, she went on a rampage. Among us adventurers, scams have become a taboo."

Ah, I see. We were convinced. So, when Rock, the Guild Master, said he didn't want to make a big deal out of it, it was the consensus of the adventurers.

"I don’t think you ladies would be fooled, but if you get involved with those types and handle it poorly, you’ll get dragged into trouble. That’s all I’m saying. It hurts us adventurers too, which is why we’re secretly providing this info."

"I understand, but isn't that kind of thing everywhere? Regardless of whether it's true or not."

"Maybe. But this time, there are multiple victims. It’s not just a one-time whim; it’s clear someone is behind it. I hope it stops here, but if it doesn't, it’ll reach the representative’s ears and become a huge mess. And since it involves adventurers, we’ll be forced to work for free. We want to avoid that."

Milly-sama, forcing adventurers to work for free... well, I suppose it’s only natural, considering the possibility that they might lose their right to work as adventurers in Weed.

"What should we do if we encounter them?"

"Well... capturing them and dragging them to the police or the adventurer guild is... probably best avoided. The representative will find out. The police is your only choice. That said, those types of scammers often claim to be in strange positions. They might have foreign nobles backing them, which could lead to complications. It’s safer to run than to gather evidence. Well, it would be easier for us if it were resolved, but the trouble is that it’s not that simple. There’s a chance we’d lose the ability to work outside of Weed."

Is that how it is? The reason adventurers don't actively hunt down the culprits is that if the noble they claimed to be was real, it would hinder their work outside of Weed. I want to say that’s ridiculous, but there are fools everywhere, and without a backer like Yuki-sama, it’s only natural to shrink away. That is precisely why adventurers in positions of influence, like Ovik-san and Lari-san, are the ones investigating.

"Then, it’s best not to get involved. Do you know where those people have appeared? We’ll avoid those places."

"That would be for the best. Well, I was going to ask for an info fee, but since you gave us that gold coin, we’ll call it even."

With that, the thugs told us where the scammers had appeared and walked away.

"Oh, hello there, uncles!"

"Yo, kids. Keep up the good work with the cleaning. Here, have some candy."

"Yay!"

...They really do seem to be people who just look like thugs.

"People really aren't what they seem, are they?"

"Indeed. That’s why it’s necessary to keep one's appearance tidy. I’ve realized that now."

"I can’t exactly change my face, though. I’m stuck with this look."

"And I’m small, so there’s that, too."

I had been standing there, stunned by the unexpected turn of events...

"Ahem. Now then, we have been provided with clear information. Let us head to that location. And we will capture them."

"Yes!"

And so, we set off to corner the scammers. Even in an environment as good as Weed, it’s not necessarily easy for rookie adventurers. Everywhere you go, the difference between having money and not having it dictates the environment you can choose. Still, I suppose it’s better here than anywhere else.