84. The Rat Pack Thief
“Come back to the inn in the evening. Royman, you too.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t worry about us.”
“Yes. I don’t think anything will happen to the hero, but be careful though.”
In the morning after a good night’s sleep at the inn, we had a light meal and then split up for a while to deal with our own affairs.
The hero decided to go to the royal palace with Gracie and Adrien, and Royman said he would go to Mettelheim Cathedral with Isabel. Well, they say that there is a great devil in the basement of Mettelheim or something.
“Austin. I’ll go to the library for a while.”
“Can I accompany you? After the academy vacation is over, there is an exam right away.”
“… Huh. Good.”
“Oh, that… I-I want to go too!”
It seemed that Maya, Sylvia, and Princess Alexis were going to the library. Everyone scatters to do business, how to say…. I really thought that we only go to places that suit our individual inclinations.
After shaking my hand and saying goodbye, only Robin and Luna were left by my side. This is another very strange combination, I don’t know what to say.
As I stood scratching my head, Luna, standing next to me, looked at me with a pitiful expression and opened her mouth.
“Austin. Is there anything else I should do? If not, how about sleeping a little more? You look pretty tired.”
“Huh? No, that…. I’m not very tired.”
“… Good thing. Also, I didn’t want to be locked up in an inn like Hanryang.”
“… ….”
I don’t know where Luna learned such nasty words, but she made me want to instill her manners in Luna sooner or later.
Anyway, I’m not tired enough to want to go back to sleep now, so I’ll have to think of something to do soon.
“I… what were you trying to do….”
Should I show my face to the ranger training center? Originally, the ultimate reason for coming up to the capital was to meet Instructor Pamela. You will be able to meet Max, who will be rolling hard.
“… No.”
At this time, he was probably in the middle of training at the Ranger Training Center. As long as you stay in the capital, you can visit anytime, so pass for now. Then….
“Yes. Look at my mind.”
As I crossed my arms and pondered, I remembered the job Becky had entrusted to me. I hurriedly rummaged through my pockets and took out the envelope that Becky had given me from Harman.
The envelope still had the faint smell of tea from Becky’s room. It was a little blurry, but even the dark lipstick marks left by Becky.
I don’t know why I left something like this in the envelope, but anyway.
“First of all, what to do now has been decided.”
“What is it? Seniors?”
“What is that?”
“Because Becky asked me to do something special. Let’s deal with that first.”
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Now that it has been decided, we should go to the commercial district. I took the lead and took the first step.
Robin and Luna didn’t seem to have much to do. As I took the lead, shaking the envelope, the girls who had been standing there followed me with curious expressions on their faces.
“So, where are we going?”
“Commercial area. Because Mettelheim is such a large city, there are separate areas for each specific building.”
“Whoa…. It wouldn’t hurt to take a look around the commercial district.”
“No, we are not going out to play….”
‘If I had known this would happen, I would say that I would come and see… Luna grumbled and dragged them along, and headed towards the commercial district.
The name must be… What was it
“… Oh right. Was a rat really.”
I seem to be forgetting things a lot lately. Did I get dementia at this age?
* * *
“Awesome…. Really great… !”
Luna glanced around her frantically, her eyes twinkling.
“The commercial district is a bit complicated. For a moment….”
I looked around with her eyes half-closed, but it was probably because it had been such a long time. Today’s commercial district streets were very different from the scattered and weathered streets in my memory.
If there had been Uncle Bernard’s pub at a time like this, I would have been able to find it quickly. I missed Mr. Bernard a little, who had already left Mettelheim.
I’m sure Becky said you could find it if you go to a general store and ask, but I couldn’t remember this again, so I was going crazy.
“It’s not really dementia….”
In the end, I had no choice but to grab hold of the collar of a passer-by and ask.
“What is it?”
“Excuse me for being busy, but do you know who the rat is?”
“A rat? Who is that?”
I held on to the sleeves of passers-by and asked them over and over again, but all of them answered that they did not know.
Damn it. Then it is. I was complacent, thinking that I would be able to figure out the identity of this little rat called an intelligence dealer so easily.
“Haa…. Robin. Do you know who the rat is?”
“Mummum…. Yes? What did you say?”
When I turned my head and looked behind me, Robin and Luna were following me with snacks in each hand.
Wait, that can’t be….
‘This sh*t….’
I hurriedly turned my back.
“Uh, no….”
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No. No wallet My Ranger Pouch, which always held my precious wallet, was empty and starving. Desperately rummaging around my waist, I looked up at Robin and Luna with an absurd expression on my face.
“When did you buy that…. No, if you want to eat, do you talk? Are you going to steal my wallet?”
“Mummum…. What do you mean?”
… Huh?
“Don’t pretend. I’ll take care of it this time, so give me back my wallet quickly.”
“Is this what Robin bought for you?”
“… What?”
In that split second when I let out a stupid sound, my dazed head started spinning rapidly and rapidly.
Did I leave my wallet at the inn?
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No. Obviously, when I checked the pouch before entering the commercial area, there was a wallet.
Then, where did you spill it?
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No. The Ranger Pouch is made of a structure that can never be spilled if it is tightly sealed. Could it be that I carelessly spilled it on the street….
“… f*ck. No way.”
I opened my eyes wide and carefully looked around at the crowds of people.
“Austin. What are you doing standing still? Are you looking for a bathroom?”
“That’s not it, Luna. Look into your senior’s eyes. It’s full of greed. Your magic to detect the smell of money has been activated.”
“Aha. It was like that.”
I was staring at the crowd so that my eyes would pop out. For a moment, I saw a person walking away from us at a fast pace, wearing a hooded hood, not far away.
“I found it….”
A diminutive pickpocket, clad in a large robe and wagging a thin tail protruding slightly from the end of the robe, was walking away from us as if he didn’t know anything. Judging by the tail, it appears to be a beast.
I immediately turned around and naturally sneaked into the crowd.
Fortunately, the lovable pickpocket didn’t seem to notice that I was being followed.
To steal my money, not someone else’s money, Gan is a friend who went overboard.
I’m a little worried about my small size, but I’m equal to everyone, adults and children alike.
The sword of Mogdan was clamoring to instill manners in that cute pickpocket. I gently stroked the hilt of the sword hanging from my waist.
“Be patient with me, Mogdan Junior. We will soon be able to rehabilitate a person.”
“Robin. Austin started talking nonsense, what is this?”
“Hmm…. I’m just thinking about killing someone. Looking at the situation, we will stop it or not.”
I secretly followed the pickpocket with Luna and Robin, who were chattering behind the scenes.
How long has it been since you followed like that? The pickpocket, who was walking far away, suddenly fell into the alley on the left. I hurried my steps without a sound and glanced into the alley where the pickpocket had disappeared.
It was a dead end. Inside the wall of that dead end, there was a narrow stairway leading down to somewhere. I rolled my eyes and read the old writing on the wall next to the stairs.
Sewer entrance to number 10. No access other than administrators. [ CLOSED ]
It was a stairway leading down to an underground sewer, now closed. That’s right. Indeed.
In fact, there were often cases where bullies in the back alleys used such secluded places as hideouts. I listened intently into the dark stairway.
It’s rattled. Rattle.
There was a sound like something metal moving.
I uncovered myself cautiously, and slipped down the stairs. As I muffled my footsteps and walked slowly, Luna and Robin also noticed the atmosphere and quietly followed me.
“Grunt…. Hey, where did you put the key, I left it….”
In front of the iron barred door leading to the sewer, a robed prisoner was rummaging around. Judging by the soft voice, it seemed that the wicked pickpocket was a woman.
It didn’t matter. Because I am a fair person regardless of male and female.
There was a large bag on the floor, presumably a bag hidden in the bosom of the robe.
‘Eojjuguri….’
On top of the bag that wasn’t locked, my precious wallet was roughly stuck. The faucet spun at the moment, but he managed to endure it and quietly disappeared by the side of the stairs.
The pickpocket had been struggling to find the key for a while, holding a bundle of keys in his hand. He could have run out and caught him now, but that pickpocket might be working in a gang. I wanted to catch those damn thieves all at once.
“This, not this…. This, this too…. Uh, this, this, go….”
The pickpocket stuttered his words badly. Is it the absence of home education?
I guess so. So, is it possible to commit such a crime shamelessly?
… Isn’t that what i’m talking about?
Clock! What a profit….
“All right, all right! Hi-Hi….”
The pickpocket let out a sullen laugh somewhere, then whimpered and lifted the bag lying on the floor before disappearing behind the iron barred door.
The sound of footsteps receded, and I hurried down the stairs and grabbed hold of the grate door.
“Yes.”
As expected, the last bulwark blocking the door, the lock, was rusted here and there. I immediately drew out my sword and inserted it through the gap in the lock.
“Suck!”
Kang!
With a clear sound, the broken lock fell to the floor. I pushed on the iron grate door.
Kikiiik….
An old screaming hinge turns, revealing a dry underground sewer.
[ Guests, please come this way. ]
“… What?”
An old sign hung on the wall of the sewer, with a lantern dimly lighting the way. ‘Guests, please come this way.’ As expected, there was no doubt that they were active in a gang.
After walking along the signs for a long time, I noticed that there was a large hollow in front of me.
“Heungheung~. Oh, today…. Delicious bread, yes!”
I heard a pickpocket humming from inside.
“Robin. In there, there’s a b*tch who stole my pretty girl and rips her to death.”
“Pretty girl? What is it?”
“… A wallet?”
“As expected, it’s Robin. If you pretend, you pretend.”
“Ahh…. I really can’t live….”
Robin and Luna drew their weapons as if they couldn’t win.
“Today too… No guests…. Huh….”
When I poked my head out, the pickpocket was well stretched out. Now is your chance.
I sprinted out and threw myself at the pickpocket wiggling in front of me.
“Hey, you f*cker!!!!!! Obediently spit out my wallet!!!!!!”
“Kyaaah?! What, what!”
Kudangtang—!
The pickpocket was suppressed more than expected. No, how weak is your body to fall down just by touching it?
You can ask questions later, so let’s get your wallet back first. All my possessions are over there.
The face of the pickpocket was revealed when the robe was roughly removed in a mounted position.
“Mr. Wooi… ! What, what… ! You, you, who are you… !”
“… Ok?”
A skinny rat-beast girl with round ears and a hairless, bald tail was struggling under me.
The shape of the ears and tail. This….
I quietly got up and sat the girl on an old chair nearby.
Rat beasts are not common. If my predictions are correct, this person….
“… Are you a rat by any chance?”
I asked cautiously, and the rat-beast girl who was rubbing her waist approached me with a brightened face.
“Huh? Ho, by any chance, guest! Are you a guest?!”
“Uh, there….”
“Guests! You are a guest! It’s a guest! Hee hee!”
The Information Award of the Century that Becky was uncharacteristically highly rated for, a rat with two names.
Her first meeting with her happened like that.