19-3 Part 1
Flames and Signatures
- Terror -
Translator : PolterGlast
Digging through the
underground of the Imperial Capital and ravaging the villains' warehouses. It
seems like a simple job, but sometimes requires careful judgment. This is
because in this Imperial Capital Bergelmir, a sewer system of extreme
complexity runs, to the extent that not even the administrative government
managers can fully grasp it. Countless officials have disappeared into these
sewers, and there were even tall tales that a 5-meter-long crocodile lives
there, that gold and jewels sleep in that crocodile's belly, or even that there
is a country underground.
「What's
wrong, Ashley-kun?」
「I said
to call me Shinza here. No, it seems I bumped into the sewer again.
Let's turn back a little.」
Having seen the A-Zir
Empire sleeping in the underground of Fimbul,
it is quite hard to deny it now.
「Still,
it's better than last time. Fufufu, I couldn't help but laugh back then,
covered in mud and all.」
Fortunately, there
was little groundwater around here. It is slightly damp, but with this, even if
I compress the soil with my Shovel, most of the squeezed-out moisture will soak
into the ground. To put it more simply, it's just a level where your shoes get
a little squishy.
「You
are a Princess, yet you are sturdy... To tell the truth, I was impressed by you
back then. That nature of yours, not minding getting dirty despite being a
noble, appears extremely attractive to me.」
「Fufufu,
I'm honored. It's a shame that you aren't wooing me.」
「Yeah,
rest assured, I am not wooing you.」
「Right,
you really are a disappointing Prince-sama...」
「I have
neither the time nor the leeway to woo women. You too should reject your
parent's orders and get back together with your former fiancé. You'll die if
you associate with me.」
I chatted happily
with Yumil while digging the wall. However, it seems I chose my words
wrong again, as Yumil fell silent. When I looked back, she had a visibly
displeased expression.
「You
really are a person who doesn't understand a woman's heart... It's impossible,
he—my fiancé has already tied the knot with another woman. It seems he wanted
to marry that girl from the beginning.」
「I
see... That is, troubling...」
「It's
fine. After all, it would be unpleasant to have something like an affair done
to me, right? I think a not-so-good married life was surely waiting for me.」
「Sorry,
is that so. It seems I lack imagination when it comes to romance.」
However, it would
probably be emotionally sad if the person who was your fiancé became another
woman's. If I hadn't visited Fimbul,
this wouldn't have happened. ...That is a backward-looking and boring thought.
「You
really are useless... Well, it's fine, associating with you is fun too!」
「The
job of scraping together mud overflowing at your feet, which might be mixed
with sewage, like that?」
「That's
right. It's a menial job, but it's more rewarding than when I was playing the
young lady in Fimbul. No, it's so
much so that it can't be fully expressed in a single word.」
「...I
see. As expected, I think that nature of yours is full of virtue as a noble.」
I collapse the soil
in our path, and turn that collapsed soil into wall material. Yumil
would pile the slightly overflowing groundwater into a cloth using my Scoop, wring out only the
water, and throw it away for me.
「To
think you can say things like that without any ulterior motives...」
「Even I
have ulterior motives.」
「Oh my,
really?」
「Yeah.
If I get along well with you, it seems you'll treat me to a delicious feast
someday.」
「Haa...
Stop thinking only with your stomach like that...」
We continued to chat
after that, and connected the underground passage to the target warehouses
before the subsequent comrades appeared. One was a mountain of piled-up drugs,
another was a mountain of gold dust and gold, silver, and jewels that seemed to
be operating funds, and the last one was filled with spices, vintage alcohol,
and antiques from the old era that the Crown Prince would definitely like.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
「Ashley-sama,
I, I haven't heard a single word about this...!? Rather than that, were you
still continuing this kind of thing!」
「That's
right. Because it would turn out like this if I told you, I simply didn't tell
you.」
I also called Jii along. Because he loves Carral, he would probably be happy if I let them
work together. In addition to that, he must be quite stricken by the death of
his friend, Father, so I thought I would give him a stimulation strong enough
to blow away his sadness. Just as planned. I was able to overwrite his sadness with anger and
exasperation. I am a dutiful son.
「A-Are
you, do you understand what situation this Empire is in right now!?」
「Even
so, did you think I would mend my ways and change my way of living? You are
naive, old man.」
I was waiting for
the subsequent group at the house I bought. And as soon as Jii and the
others appeared, it turned into this commotion, leading up to the present.
「I do
not recall raising you to be like this!?」
「Of
course, I am grateful to you, Jii. But it is the
judgment of Georg and me that we cannot expect a decent judiciary for a
while from now on. In that case, we have no choice but to drive the drug
dealers to self-destruction ourselves.」
No one tried to
interject in the amusing banter
between the old man and me. Finally, when Carral patted the old man's
back, the old man, who was snorting like a horse, calmed down.
「Then
let's begin. Except for the point that some of the antiques are overly large,
it's mostly according to plan. The merchandise, the operating funds, once we
snatch everything there—we'll burn the drug warehouse and run.」
Summarizing the
talk, we proceeded through the underground passage. Since some of the stolen
goods were larger than I thought, I re-expanded the tunnel horizontally after
that, making it a scale where three people could pass.
「Say Shinza,
do you know what we chivalrous thieves are called by the world?」
「No, I
haven't heard.」
「Terror!
But you see, we are not terror, we are hope! Therefore, it is necessary to
determine a name and declare it!」
「I'm
not interested. If anything, you decide it for us.」
「W-Wait
a minute! You shouldn't leave it to this person!」
For what it's worth,
she is a Horned race renowned as wise ones. Sigrun is more knowledgeable
about mythology than I am, and I think she's suited for this kind of naming.
Above all, deciding one's own name doesn't sit well with me.
「Wahahaha,
then let's decide it together with Yumil as an opportunity to become
good friends! Alright, how about Chivalrous Thieves Justice!?」
「There's
a limit to arrogance!? Aaaah, to think Ashley-sama associates with such
delinquents... Ashley-sama, please choose your friends carefully!」
「A
delinquent, huh. Old man, Sigrun is not such a lenient existence. You
should think of her as a walking disaster with legs.」
「I am saying
do not associate with dangerous persons!?」
The noisy exchange
also came to an end when we reached the branch halfway through. We split up
heading towards the three warehouses, and the old man headed to another
warehouse while being consoled by Carral.
Me? I took charge of
the job of burning the drug warehouse. Because I want to make sure to
accomplish this one at least. If there was an anxiety, it was the point that Sigrun
followed me down this branch.
「Kukuku...
I shall specially help you as well.」
「Ooh,
isn't it Jira-chan!」
「Of all
people, you showed up too...」
If I were to list
the three hardest guys to control around me, first would be Aniue, next Zirant, and Sigrun's
name would come up on the far right wing.
Refined white
powder, dried grass, and small liquid medicines were packed tightly in the
dark, cramped warehouse. I took out the Sun Stone I picked up at the ruins of
the A-Zir Empire and made the floating stone one of our light sources.
「Kukuku,
shall Wagahai burn it with high-ranking fire magic?」
「That's
exciting! As expected, playing with fire is the best!」
「Please
be quiet, Sigrun... And Zirant, magic is a no-go, we'll burn it
with combustible oil here.」
「Good!
That's more fun for me! Let's burn it, let's burn it quickly!」
Maybe this was the right person for the right place... Sigrun has exactly this kind of personality, and Zirant is arrogance incarnate. There is no one here who feels guilt over extreme fire play.
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