3-5 Part 1
Carral Hez's
Departure
— The Ship Bound for the Maritime
Province —
Translator : PolterGlast
“However, being a Chivalrous Thief is quite fun,
isn't it?”
“Shinza-sama, what kind of nerves do you possess...?
If someone were to find us, I wouldn't even know how to make an excuse...”
The theft is proceeding smoothly. Sixty percent of the
carriage's cargo bed was filled with stolen goods.
“We would just run. Jii, Carral and I will
carry that later. You'll hurt your back, so stop it.”
“Please do not treat me like an old man! Just one or two Gold
Ingots like this... Ugh?!”
“Oi, are you okay...?”
“M-My back... uuh, ugh... I-I am sorry, Shinza-sama.
I will be waiting... in the carriage...”
With his back bent, Jii tottered away and disappeared
into the tunnel. We could still load more, but perhaps it is about time to
stop. Searching for Carral, I walked around the corrupt merchant's
warehouse.
“Ah, Shinza! Hey, hey, look at this! I found
something that looks kinda important!”
In one corner of the warehouse, stakes had been driven into
the ground in a square shape. A rope surrounded the area as if to say "Do
Not Enter," and a pedestal and cloth were placed in the center.
“It's practically asking to be stolen.”
“Whoa, this is gold too, Shinza! So many Pure Gold
Accessories!”
Ducking under the rope, Carral opened the folded
cloth, and inside, golden ornaments reflected the lamp light. Rings, bracelets,
brooches, chokers, necklaces. They were all pure gold.
“It would be a huge shock if these disappeared. But why are
they keeping them so carefully protected?”
“Who knows.”
I boldly did something right in front of Carral. I
swapped a plain pure gold ring with a ring I had brought with me.
“Eh, what are you doing, Shinza?!”
“Let's refrain from stealing this. By the way, was
there any other place storing accessories?”
This is highly likely a tribute to the current Empress.
And if a fake were to be mixed in among these goods, it would mean that Hyamar, the political merchant, has
deceived the Emperor's wife.
“I can tell you... but what was that thing you just swapped
in?”
“Just lead plated with gold. If things go well, it will be
interesting.”
If that happens, both Hyamar and the Empress
will lose face completely. Even if the plan doesn't go perfectly, the mere
presence of a fake will plunge the Hyamar
Trading Company into a state of deep paranoia.
“If that goes wrong, it's a one-way trip to prison!”
“Then should I stop?”
“No way, it's actually the best! If that happens, it'll feel
amazing, Shinza!”
“But there is bad news too. Jii hurt his back; let's
call it a day.”
There are many heavy items like Gold Ingots and
weapons. Even ancient proverbs say that being greedy leads to no good.
“Okay! Ah, should we just burn this place down!?”
“No, that would cause trouble for the surrounding
warehouses. Besides, jewels and art pieces have no sin. And above all—”
“Yup, that wouldn't be like a Chivalrous Thief! Let's
go, Shinza!”
“Yeah, let me see that ship of yours.”
Mixing the gold ring into the other cargo of accessories, we
hugged the enemy of Jii's back—in other words, the Gold Ingots—and
slipped out of the unscrupulous merchant's warehouse. Then we resealed the
entrance and exit of the underground tunnel to conceal the fact that it was a
mole's crime.
If the intrusion route is not found, Hyamar will
assume it was an inside job. Paranoia will throw the evil trading company into
chaos.
“Shinza-sama, Carral-dono is a good person...
If she had a lineage of about a Viscount family, she could be your
bride—”
“Do not be swayed just because you had your lower back
massaged, Jii. And do not leak unnecessary information to her.”
“Hehehe~, so that means Shinza's family is higher
than a Viscount, right?”
I decided to take on the role of the driver. Jii had
hurt his back, and this was an important departure for Carral. The
non-existent man Shinza was the most suitable choice.
Let me roughly tell you what happened after that. First of
all, well, her ship was worn in a way befitting a used vessel.
But it is a beautiful ship. It was a two-masted small
merchant ship, the kind that looks agile and fast. Moreover, it was bigger than
I thought. Since I heard "small," I imagined a small boat that would
sink with a single rough wave, but it was about the size of a detached house.
It was a
fine ship—to the point where it seemed almost too good for a small-time trading
company to own. By the time we drove the wagon up
to the ship, the eastern sky was already starting to brighten.
“Miss Carral, glad to see you safe! Ora! Work time,
you bastards! Load it up quickly and set sail!”
“I'm home, Uncle!”
“I leave the rest to you, Captain. Take care of Carral.”
They are about to transport dangerous goods. The old man who
was a former Hez Trading Company employee, known as the Captain,
roughly ordered the sailors to load the cargo. Once they leave this port, they
cannot be traced. The Empire's investigations and authority do not reach
foreign lands.
“To think you would really pull it off... It's my loss.”
“It is not about winning or losing. Captain, if you
protect Carral, I can be at ease. That is all there is to it.”
We haven't even known each other for ten days, but I know
this man will do just fine. Apparently, until quite recently, he served as a
sailor aboard an Imperial Navy warship.
“Wa-Wait, could you not say things like that right in front
of me, Shinza?! Because, that kind of thing is embarrassing!”
“Fuu fuu... Shall I help as well? My back is finally
starting to feel better. Hahaha, somehow looking at the ship has made me feel
energetic!”
“Don't push yourself too hard, Jii...”
Thus began the loading of the stolen goods. The value was
quite something. Hez Trading Company obtained high-priced trade goods
for free.
In contrast, Hyamar Trading Company would lose the
products they had spent transport costs, labor costs, and purchasing costs on,
all in one night. We didn't exactly bring the villains to justice through brute force, but
they are going to be saddled with massive debt. It was an exhilarating feeling.
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