A beast path diverging from the main road.
Around evening.
“Boss, it’s the town.”
“…Groooan, ugh? Haaah, finally arrived.”
“Yes, sir.”
The reason Nine and the others took the beast path was to avoid being discovered by the soldiers who were investigating the conscripted people and raided villages.
Nine and the others had once again played too extravagantly.
They killed the witnesses.
However, there are always some people who stop by villages.
From there, the incident was discovered.
The problem was whether the culprit was alone or in a group.
Was it a foreigner or a citizen?
Why attack a village now?
The first discoverer would inform the closest towns and villages with speculation.
It was wartime. How many personnel could be allocated to investigations?
In front of the West Gate of the town.
“STOP—!!”
A challenge. Town entry tax.
“Pah, t-that’s too expensive, master!?”
A subordinate skilled in conversation tried to haggle.
But, during wartime, they were called cowards who fled because they hated war, and the negotiation failed.
If they argued any further.
The gatekeepers of the entire town would join in. A rather unpalatable atmosphere.
“I-I’ll pay. I’ll pay, so please let me into the town.”
“Hmph, 2 gold coins and 4 silver coins for 6 people. Can you afford it? You seem to be quite well-off, eh?”
“Hahahahaha.”
“Gatekeepers.”
The atmosphere was so bad that Nine, who had appeared on the driver’s seat, took over the exchange.
“Are you the leader?”
“Yes, that’s right, gatekeepers.”
Nine hinted to the gatekeepers in his words that he would give them a bribe.
The town entry tax was increased to 3 gold coins.
“Then we’ll be off.”
“Ah, welcome. Don’t cause any trouble in town.”
“Of course, we understand that.”
They showed deference.
Nine and the others proceeded into town with their covered cart.
They asked a passerby for an inn that could handle a cart.
They prepaid for several days of lodging.
Once again, there was an exchange with the gatekeepers.
The amount was for accommodation only, excluding food. “What a rip-off!” a subordinate who nearly shouted out was glared at into silence.
A large room.
“That’s enough.”
“Heeeh.”
“That innkeeper, let’s kill him next time we meet.”
“Don’t be like that, for now, let’s just recover from the fatigue of our journey.”
“The dinner is also outrageously expensive!”
“Boss!”
The great villains were being pathetic.
Have a little more composure.
A disturbance would be unpalatable.
Financially, they would dry up if they didn’t get to work soon.
Therefore, causing trouble was only to be done when they left this town.
Really.
Dinner was delivered to the room.
20 silver coins per meal.
The subordinates chewed their food with anger towards the inn, muttering, “Are you kidding me?”
Spitting saliva. Don’t spill.
Gulp, gulp.
There was no bath or even a water bath.
They went to sleep.
The four of them slept quickly in a line, and Nine and one other went out into the night town to gather information about where wealthy residences, potential targets, were located.
However, the taverns were mostly full.
Standing room or sharing tables were not allowed.
“The alcohol prices have gone up too.”
Therefore, the number of customers during the day and night is absolute.
It can’t be helped if there are few, but too many is bad.
“Is that so?”
“Sorry, brother.”
They tried other empty taverns, though they had little hope.
“Please leave,” “Sorry, it’s full.”
All of them were rejected. They went to the meeting place with the subordinates.
Though their expectations were low, they wanted to believe they had gained something.
Meeting place.
“Oh, how was it?”
“We had no luck.”
“I knew it.”
I had gone west from the inn.
My subordinates canvassed the east side.
“Let’s return to the inn.”
“Yes.”
Inn’s large room.
It stinks, you guys.
Should I sleep holding my nose?
The next day.
Breakfast.
It was cheaper than dinner, but still more expensive than usual.
Gulp, gulp.
Just like last night’s dinner.
The subordinates chewed their expensive meal, spilling it out of dissatisfaction and anger.
“I told you not to spill it.”
The shopping street on the great street.
Due to wartime price increases, customers were sparse.
There were also few stalls.
It was conspicuous for six guys to hang around together.
Conspicuously bad.
“Greeee…”
The gazes of the stall vendors were painful.
Ah, that shop girl is cute.
“Boss, that girl (whispers).”
Yep, yep, my subordinate has come to understand my preferences.
Huh? Did I think a similar line before?
…Ah, I thought that about my sons.
Those unfilial brats.
They disappeared without a word, not bringing back even a single woman.
“…What is it, boss?”
“Nothing. Eat more slowly.”
“Y-yes.”
After finishing breakfast.
Now, let’s discuss our finances.
“We only have enough money for the lodging.”
“!”… S-so, it’s time for work, right?””
The subordinates were clearly flustered at being told their money was running out.
You guys… did you spend money without my knowledge? Is that it?
“Ah, well, boss…”
As I glared, the one who compiled things for the subordinates, or rather, the one who often drew the short straw, spoke.
He said that at the last village they visited, he had a considerable amount of hidden savings…
Since it was close to the town, trade was brisk.
It wasn’t impossible to save money.
“Haaaaah, you guys…”
“「「「「「Sorry!! Gyafuu」」」」」”
“Noisy.”
“「「「「「Excuse me……」」」」”
There seemed to be other customers, but they wouldn’t come if it was noisy.
Careful, careful.
The inn staff also wouldn’t come.
Safe.
Nine and the others went out to look for what appeared to be a wealthy residence.
We then chose our targets, considering the entry route and security of the residence.
Several days later.
“Do you want to extend your stay?”
“Yes.”
We extended for one day by saving money.
Tonight is the night for work.
The inn did not find it strange that we could only extend for one day.
During wartime, lodging costs had increased.
They would have been surprised if we had booked a room for several days at once.
However, they must have thought we forgot about our finances and were putting on airs.
We are grateful for that.
Around evening.
We went out into the night town separately and headed to the corners of buildings where the target residences could be observed.
“We’re all here.”
“Yes, boss.”
“We can go anytime.”
“Leave the lock-picking to me.”
“Leave the lookout to me.”
“It’s time for a job, isn’t it? ♪”
“Ooh, let’s go.”
“「「「「Yes」」」」”
Nine and the others, not caring that the target residence had lights on, moved to their job.
They avoided the eyes and ears of the mansion’s guards and servants.
Based on the size and layout of the mansion, they made a rough guess.
Three of them burst into a room.
“Who are you—Guaa!”
“Master! R-run—gaa!”
As they burst into the room, they killed the two people near the door.
If it had been a woman, the intention was to seal her mouth with a blow to the solar plexus, thereby stifling her loud voice.
“What is this!?”
From what seemed to be a study, the master appeared.
The owner of this residence.
Nod.
Exchanging glances with my subordinates, we decided the master had to die.
“Gu—Guaaaahhh!”
As he was dying.
He was looking at one point in the residence. Probably his wife and children.
Rest assured. The women will be dealt with by us, and we’ll send them to a woman’s paradise.
Study.
A hidden safe behind a bookshelf.
Nothing.
The master’s desk.
An expensive paperweight, a brush pen.
Perhaps a griffin’s feather.
Excuse me, excuse me ♪
“Did you find the safe?”
“No, not yet.”
“We couldn’t find it.”
If it’s not in the study.
“The bedroom? ♪”
“「♪ Shall we go, boss? ♪」”
Nine and the others, heading towards the room where the madam and children would likely be, killed the servants they encountered in the hallway, incapacitating them.
“「Kyaaaa! Someone help!」”
“「Behave yourself ♪ Boss, she looks like she could be quite enjoyable ♪」”
“Don’t be too rough ♪ It turns me off when I see someone injured.”
“「Yes ♪」”
“「Noooooo」”
Nine and the others savored the female bodies they touched rather than the gold.
The gold would come after the fun.
Noooooo.
Screams of multiple women echoed from within the residence.
The neighbors approached their verandas and windows, wondering what was happening.
Fyuu ♪
A subordinate, who was keeping watch outside, repeatedly whistled as a signal that they had been noticed by the surroundings.
A subordinate who, even while enjoying himself, had been listening to the unusual sounds outside, informed Nine and another subordinate that they had been found.
“Tch. Just when things were getting exciting.”
“That’s right.”
“「Hic, hic……」”
“Let’s find the treasure quickly.”
