48. Kidnapping (1)
“Are you done already?”
“okay.”
Behind a pub.
The muscular man looked at the papers glued together. He was the owner of this bar.
“Well····. Have you ever had a store like this? It looks like a new one, doesn’t it?”
“Illegal breweries in back alleys look like mushrooms after rain.”
“under···. thanks We’ll have to make a deal with this one too.”
“Thank you, not words, I wish I could do it with money.”
Cant rubbed his thumb and forefinger. The bar owner smiled and took out a bundle of money from his arms.
Just as I was about to hand it over, the owner of the bar took the money back and asked.
“How did you do it so quickly? Normally, how many weeks did it take to entrust a quest?”
“Is it okay if I hurry up?”
“It’s not a problem, but I’m curious.”
“You’re asking for someone else’s business information too easily. I wish I could give you some money.”
The bar owner made eye contact with Cant for a moment, then offered the money again.
“Can you work one more time at the same speed?”
“yes? What are you talking about?”
“As you ask. As you know, we have a lot of different customers coming to our store, right? Just in time, there is a customer who needs your talents.”
“Who is the client?”
“It’s a solution.”
“German silver?”
“Well···. About 40 pieces?”
“price is?”
“Three large pieces under the premise of restoring everything. As usual, I should have charged a fee, but I don’t. It has to be done in just one week. My guest is in a hurry.”
Cant showed interest in the generous condition.
But instead of accepting right away, he looked at Oliver.
Oliver nodded and Cant opened his mouth.
“·····. great. take it.”
“great. Wait for a moment.”
The owner of the bar, as if waiting, brought a sack of trash.
It was quite bulky, but cant wrap it around it lightly.
The man said as a warning.
“I am going to tell the customer not to worry now. That means, if you fail, I’m a failure, and that means my credibility suffers. I warn you, never fail. I value my credit.”
“You should prepare your money well. Don’t gossip like you used to.”
“When was that, do you still remember?”
“Time doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what you did.”
“Shut up…. I can’t stand a single word. Come on.”
The tavern owner said so and slammed the back door.
Oliver asked Cant.
“What happened?”
“yes? Ahh···. I used to take money when I worked here. So there was a riot.”
“ah···.”
“Thanks to something, it almost turned into a big fight, but in the end, it worked out. There was no money to be made.”
“okay. Do you take a lot of money?”
“Yeah, quite a lot. If you want to be comfortable… That’s why it’s important to work, but it’s also important not to lose money. How unfair would it be if you didn’t touch a single penny of your hard work for nothing? So you have to be alert. Don’t lose my share.”
“·····. Was it like that with the solver?”
“yes? what is it Sometimes you can lose something more important than money.”
“Well···.”
“Okay, now it’s my turn to ask a question. What happened after escaping the crisis thanks to the Paladin?”
What kind of conversation this is now, I had to go back a few days ago.
When I first helped with the paperwork, Oliver pretended to ask the mole and asked about Cant and his full-time head, which he found out.
Cant call Oliver aside and ask him why he’s asking that.
I decided that it was an unavoidable question, so I answered honestly because I was curious.
Everyone knows about Mr. Cant and his full-time head, but he is so curious because only he doesn’t know.
Cant looked at Oliver without saying a word, and then ordered him to put the papers together again.
Oliver saw this as an opportunity, so he did his best and completed more papers faster than everyone else combined.
As soon as he saw it, Cant suggested it.
‘If you continue to help, I will answer your questions. Instead, you answer my questions too.’
Thus Oliver was formally qualified to question Cant.
Of course, Oliver had to answer Cant’s question, too. There wasn’t really any big problem.
I was able to jump right into it by making a small change to the existing facts.
For example, I’ll be honest about meeting Joseph in the mines and being dragged there, but omitting the killing of Joseph.
He only told some facts that it would be dedicated to a strange ceremony, but he only told some facts that he saved his life thanks to the paladin who came to catch the warlock at that time.
With a few omissions, a great lie was born.
“Well···. ran away. And I hid in a truck parked on the side of the road, and I came here.”
“Uh-huh…”
Cant glanced at Oliver with a light of doubt.
His feelings didn’t believe Oliver’s words, but he didn’t argue.
Oliver didn’t know why.
Oliver read emotions, not thoughts.
One thing is for sure: Cant is now suspicious of Oliver, but doesn’t take it seriously.
Why? Because Oliver is doing a lucrative job now?
However, something was not enough to make it so.
Because cant showed a glimmer of compassion for Oliver.
Oliver wondered. Why does Cant have such feelings for him?
I thought I wanted to ask right away, but I didn’t.
Because I knew that my emotions were so deep that I couldn’t easily listen to a question.
So Oliver drew on Cant’s willingness to ask questions that were relatively easy to answer.
Cant asked again.
“There’s something I don’t understand, why did you run away without asking the Paladin for help?”
“uh····. I’m so scared to see the black magic love gangs beat them to death.”
“under····. Looks like he’s been caught by a nerdy fanatic. Then you can.”
“Are you a fanatic?”
“Yeah, there are some common sense among the Paladins, but the fanatics and the numbers aren’t small… After all, it’s the age of wizards rather than gods these days.”
It’s the age of wizards rather than gods… It was an interesting word.
“Cant-sama, do you know about the Paladin?”
“yes? No, it’s just something I happened to see and hear while working as a troubleshooter in the old days. I am not familiar with it.”
“okay. Can you tell me what a paladin is?”
“The guardian of mankind who protects the human world from evil according to the will of the great God…”
A rudimentary boring answer. His interest waned sharply, and Cant spoke up again.
“. But there is nothing wrong with being the guardian of mankind.”
You are the protector of mankind.
“In what sense do you mean the guardian of mankind?”
“Why are you curious?”
“···. I saw them fight. The warlock killed all the gangs below him, and most of them were proud of it. Why are you the protector of mankind?”
“There is a part where the paladin and the Servants below them have gone to taste… But it is also right to protect mankind. Every time the crazy cultists try to summon a demon, they center it around them.”
“Summon a demon?”
“okay····. Well, these days, it’s like a legend.”
Demon summoning… You can not only trade, but also summon.
I couldn’t find it in Joseph’s library either. Oliver became increasingly aware of his ignorance.
This time, Cant asked.
“I understand that you came all the way to Randa, but how did you get to Area X? Even to quite a depth?”
“I just got off quickly and walked around, so I was there…. I’m sorry I lied to you when we first met. You hate lies.”
“What···. done. To live in a place like this, you have to be able to tell lies.”
“thank you. So, can I ask you another question?”
“Oh, my God. You really have a lot of questions.”
“Ah, yes…. sorry.”
“ha···. What do you want to know?”
“How did you come here, Cant? You say you know a lot and are an excellent solver, right?”
Cant’s emotions fluctuated for a moment.
He touched a sensitive part, but after a long silence, he opened his mouth.
“·····. If I had to answer, I would say that I had no luck.”
“Re-demand?”
“Yeah, all of a sudden, misfortune came and I rolled over here. there’s nothing wrong with it It’s a common and common story.”
Cant was telling the truth. However, while pretending to be calm on the outside, deep sadness shone on the inside.
In fact, we talked about it, but that’s only a fraction of it.
Oliver wanted to know everything.
“·····. Do you think you have another question?”
“Oh, yes.”
“About me again?”
“Yes.”
“I’m really curious, why are you asking me so many questions? I’m not a man, am I?”
“Men’s preference…? I don’t know what you’re talking about, do you?”
“I’m glad. Better not to know.”
“········.”
“········.”
“I’m just curious.”
“what?”
“Are all the other co-workers very trusting Cant-sama? Cant-sama can’t do that. I wonder how they get so much trust.”
“under! I’m not a trustworthy person. Isn’t that great?”
“Yes, you are great. I’ve never seen anything like that.”
“?”
“If you don’t hit me or threaten me, I trust you and follow you……. So I’m curious.”
Cant looked at Oliver sadly.
“·····. It’s not that great. I’m just doing what my predecessor did. I just keep it.”
“Maintaining it isn’t just something you can do, is it?”
Cant stopped his path and looked down at Oliver.
“You are such a strange kid.”
“is that so?”
“okay.”
At that moment, another question came up under Oliver’s chin.
The question was none other than why are you still carrying yourself?
Usually, those who felt strange about Oliver either resorted to violence or kept their distance.
Cant felt strange, but there was no sign of it.
Rather, I felt a desire to help. With a little nostalgia and regret.
It was so deep and secretive that it was like a jewel under the ground, and that’s why Oliver wanted to know more.
Why did you help without any purpose when we first met, and why do you still help even now when you feel suspicious?
Why are you leaving the easy way to protect your fellow beggars?
As Oliver pondered so many questions in his mind, Cant said.
“By the way, can you finish this piece of paper in a week? Judging from the sheep, I think they will be kept for several months.”
said Oliver, looking at the sack of paper.
“Yes, I think it is possible.”
“Then I’m glad. Winter is coming soon, so I have to make a lot of money to avoid freezing to death.”
“is that so?”
“Yeah, on really cold days, you have to be taken care of in a poor mansion, and you need money there too. It is much more difficult to receive enemy ships in winter… But what is that?”
Instead of suddenly speaking, Cant said while looking at the people running around at the entrance of the residence.
They were the same group of beggars, but they all harbored embarrassment.
what will happen
“Cat, Cant-san…!”
Unusual atmosphere. Cant asked, taking off his usual playfulness.
“what? What’s up?”
“Okay, it’s a big deal…. The harmonica has been kidnapped.”
“What?”
“The harmonica has been kidnapped! I was attacked on the way with Red Nose to escape the crackdown, and I kidnapped the harmonica.”