Chapter 101
Chapter 101 - Chasing the Horse Thief
「Hahaha, thanks, you guys . It seems he's considerably infamous . 」
The next morning Kazane and the others were eating in the dining room on the first floor of the inn when a guard came to tell them about the merchant-style man they arrested yesterday .
「Was he an infamous evil merchant or something?」
Kazane was confused at the guard's remark and asked .
「No, no . In the first place that guy was not a merchant . Although he pretends to be sometimes . He has a stolen Merchant's Guild card he uses to swindle people . 」
「Ah . Merchant's Guild card? So there's something like that . 」
Kazane hadn't received one . She was enrolled without her knowledge .
「If you inquire at a Merchant Guild's office you should be able to receive one . But it will take a while because they will need to contact Tsuvara . 」
「I wonder if I should do it when I get the chance . There might be a use for it . 」
「Ah, those Appraisal Glasses might be convincing enough . 」
The Appraisal Glasses' ownership information could be revealed with a spell . If they knew the owner had changed from Zakuro to Kazane that might be sufficient proof that Kazane was also a member of the Merchant Guild .
After hearing that conversation the guard said「this young lady is a member of the Merchant Guild?」in surprise, but that was natural . Unlike becoming an adventurer there were several conditions that existed for registration with the Merchant Guild, like recommendations from a few merchants . It was not something a child could normally get just because they wanted one like an Adventurer Guild card .
「Ho, that is to say he was the swindler type?」
Jinrai's question brought back the derailed conversation, and the guard switched his mind back over and said「that's right . 」
「That guy's name was Kargei・McColl, and he was a reasonably famous member of Shijiri's Outer . Well, once it's exposed that he stole and used a Merchant Guild card he'll be finished . Shijiri's Outer won't want to make an enemy of the Merchant Guild . 」
「Outer?」
Louise explained to the confused Kazane .
「Outer handles things like red-light districts . There are one or two Outer families in a big city, and there was also one in my hot spring town . 」
From the explanation Kazane thought they must be something like the Yakuza .
『I don't like to refer to them as a necessary evil . But they do act as a buffer, so even in Tsuvara I left them alone to a certain extent . 』
「Well, like the summoned pipsqueak says they aren't a big enough problem to use the country's soldiers . But if they happen to get arrested they'll be in trouble . 」
Jinrai nodded and said「That's right . 」
「And that is the reason I'm here . There was a bounty for his capture, so take this thing with you so you can receive it . 」
The guard handed them a signed reward exchange letter while telling them it could be exchanged in Shijiri City or the Royal Capital .
After the guard left they finished their interrupted breakfast before Kazane and the others left Kantaran Village and headed to the city of Siziri .
◎ Myas Highway - Day
One hour after Kazane and the others left Kantaran Village they ran into a situation .
「Hippomaru-kun, stop . 」
Kazane and the others found a dying man surrounded by a woman and children on the road .
「The carriage has fallen over . 」
Like Tiara said the carriage was laying horizontally on the road . There were no horses . Then Louise looked at the fallen man and frowned .
「That man's in danger . I'm getting off . 」
Jinrai said「by all means,」and Louise immediately descended and headed straight to the man, then went down on her knees .
「My husband isn't moving at all . 」
While pacifying the frantic woman Louise examined the man's condition .
(Gash on the abdomen? It seems to be recent, but are his internal organs uninjured? But he's bleeding heavily . )
Louise chanted the Grimoire Chapter 4 healing magic's High Heal over the wound and summoned her slime-like water spirit『Papuru』to cover the wound .
「What is that?」
「It is a summon that can make the blood flowing from a cut blood vessel circulate like normal . If it is combined with healing magic even severe bleeding can be cured . 」
「Although that was said, he's bleeding heavily . 」
Louise had a slightly impatient expression . For the time being they left the man to Louise and decided to ask the woman about the situation .
「We were heading to the Royal Capital from Shijiri when some men coming down the road from the Royal Capital's direction suddenly attacked us . 」
After listening Jinrai asked「Are there any more injuries?」and the woman answered there were none . She said the man was suddenly slashed after resisting, then the horse was stolen .
「This is the scent of those guys . 」
When Kazane went to check the abandoned carriage she perceived the scent of the merchant-style man's guards from yesterday .
「Those guys, from yesterday?」
When Jinrai asked Kazane nodded .
「Um, they seemed to be panicking and only stole our horse without taking any luggage . 」
The words of the woman who reached them from behind, and Kazane exchanged glances with Jinrai .
「That man was their leader, so when he was arrested they ran away in a rush . 」
「So they took the horse? They didn't leave the horse, so one man must have changed over to riding it . 」
The woman nodded after Jinrai spoke . With a quiet expression Kazane looked back the way they came .
「If only I had arrested them yesterday . 」
However, after Kazane murmured that Jinrai knocked her on the head .
「Ouch, what was that for, Jinrai-san?」
Kazane looked at him with teary eyes, and he said「nonsense . 」
「Hmph, yesterday the only thing you knew was that they tried to steal your horse . Blaming yourself is meaningless . 」
Jinrai reprimanded Kazane for her remorseful words .
「Ye, yeah . 」
Kazane hung her head at that remark . Looking at Kazane, Jinrai sighed and spoke again .
「Don't try to take too much on yourself . Although you can certainly do more than most people, you're not omnipotent . It doesn't mean you're responsible for all of other people's troubles . 」
「Yeah, thanks . I know . Well, I will do whatever I can do . 」
Jinrai said「do that」and patted Kazane's head . Kazane happily surrendered herself to it . It was like a grandfather doting on his grandchild .
After that, Kazane, Jinrai, and Yumika decided to ride Hippomaru-kun and follow the smell ahead of the rest . Louise and the others decided to connect High Hippo-kun to the carriage and proceed carefully while watching the condition of the man . After deciding where to meet up in Shijiri City the two groups parted .
◎ Shijiri City - Evening
「Yeah, it's continuing . 」
Kazane and others arrived at Shijiri City, and Hippomaru-kun's ambition, or more precisely its intimidating air, caused the residents to either be captivated or turn away as they continued following the scent . And they finally reached a tavern .
「The scent of the carriage's horse is in the back . It seems tired, but it is still alive . 」
The horse's name seemed to be Lucy . The comatose man was successively calling Lucy, Lucy . Since he was speaking that name before the name of his wife or children it may be a woman more important than his wife . It was the first name he spoke when he was unconscious, so that may be no mistake . His wife's tears seemed to change to have another meaning .
「Yumika, I'll ask you to secure the horse . If anyone opposes you scatter them . 」
Jinrai consciousness was already in battle mode . Yumika was also angry about this situation and said「yes」and went around to the back .
「There are about 20 people in there, with 4 people from yesterday . 」
「We're in town, so killing is strictly forbidden . 」
「I think Jinrai-san should watch out for that . 」
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