Chapter 14
(013) Invading the thieves hideout
Translator: Tseirp
Norn is dead?
Like I can accept such a cruel fact.
Ku, there’s no way.
How am I going to explain this to Margaret-san?
…Eh?
This feeling … perhaps…
"I somehow feel multiple presences beyond there. From the other side of the wall. Maybe it is the effect of 「Presence Detection」."
"Master, you possess the Hunter’s skill?"
"Um, well yeah."
I said as I slowly walked towards the wall at the dead end.
Haru said that the scent continues in this direction, not that the scent ends here.
"Uwah …"
The moment I pressed against the wall, I fell forward … by the time I noticed, I was on the other side of the wall.
Furthermore, my lower half was on the other side of the wall … so this is an illusionary wall.
Which means this is a hidden secret room?
I stood up and this time, I tried to touch the wall I entered.
As expected, I could not feel it. This is, without a doubt, a hidden pa.s.sage.
It was at that moment. The wall suddenly felt soft and nice to touch.
"Ah …"
I heard Haru’s voice from close by.
Erm, in other words, that was …
"Erm, sorry Haru, that was not intentional."
I said in a hurry but Haru covered my mouth.
And then … she brought me across the wall to the previous crossroad. As Haru continued to cover my mouth,
"Master, that’s enough results for today! Let us return!"
She said loudly.
Eh? Return?
I was confused but Haru then spoke to me softly.
(Master, please keep quiet.)
She whispered to me in a quiet voice.
That was when I realised Haru’s previous voice was a strategy to keep the thieves off guard.
Certainly, with the clamour from the battle with the goblin, they would most likely be aware of our presence.
If that’s the case, then the thieves should be on alert due to our presence here.
(I take it that that is the thieves’ den?)
(I believe so. Would Norn be alright?)
(I don’t detect a scent of blood. I believe there’s a high chance that she is alive. Do you have any idea about the number of enemies?)
(I can’t sense if they are enemies or allies, but I sense that there are 3 around the corner and 1 at the back.)
(Well then, let’s proceed until right before the corner for now and have a look at the interior.)
I silently nodded to Haru’s suggestion.
We stopped right before the corner.
Voices could be heard.
" … Looks like they’ve left. But still, is the boss still not coming back?"
"Probably not yet. Sheesh, even though we went through the trouble to finally catch a woman cause boss said he wanted to do one."
"Although, she is quite a splendid woman … should we have a taste first?"
"Don’t be stupid, if we did that then the boss would kill us. Have you forgotten about Nix’s incident?"
"Oh yeah. The 2 new freshmen are so slow, how long does it take to buy alcohol man."
After that, the conversation between the 3 became a grumbling session about the freshmen and the boss.
Summarizing the conversation between the 3 of them, it seems like Norn is safe.
Also, the thief boss and the 2 freshmen are currently not around.
(If the 3 of them are in front and Norn is at the back then it’s our chance now.)
(Yes, let’s both jump out and attack with 「Slash」. After that, I will
I nodded and we both stepped out together,
""「Slash」!""
My sword hit the thief on the left and Haru’s 2 swords..h.i.t the thief in the middle and the thief on the right.
However, they were all not mortal wounds. But the man to the far right who received Haru’s attack was knocked unconscious.
【Thief: Lv18】
【Swordsman: Lv9】
【Bowman: Lv5】
"What! It’s an enemy attack!"
"s.h.i.+t! Tanji was done in!"
The 2 of them panicked.
"Haru! The middle one is a Lv9 Swordsman, the one on the left is a Lv18 Thief and the one unconscious is a Lv5 Bowman!"
I announced the enemies’ job to Haru after using my 「Job Appraisal」 skill.
"Huh! How does he know my job … Ugh."
"Was our information somehow leaked … Ugh."
Ehhhhh, they were defeated in a split second.
So Haru is so strong?
Is a Lv23 Swordsman so amazing!?
I was amazed but now was not the time.
"That’s right, Norn-san!"
This was a small room and there was a door at the back.
I tried to open the door … but it was locked.
"Master, please move aside!"
I backed away in accordance with Haru’s voice and Haru destroyed the door with her 2 swords.
And then … behind the door … Norn-san was … was … 『Buha』.
My nosebleed, nosebleed … this is bad.
Even though I know her skin is brown, to think that her hair there is that colour … no, it’s not good to look!
"Ha, Haru-san! This, pa.s.s this to her!"
"Understood!"
I pa.s.sed the top and bottom cotton clothes that I had prepared inside my item bag to Haru.
… It’s great that there’s no underwear … I’ll keep that thought to myself.
Oh yea, what about the spear that Norn uses?
For the time being, I’ll ransack the place for items.
I recovered the weapons of the unconscious thieves.
The male Thief’s dagger, the Swordsman’s iron sword, the Bowman’s bow and quiver, I collected everything.
I’ll store them in the item bag.
However, where exactly is the spear?
What’s left is the laundry … ah …
Oi oi, who was it, the guy who used Norn’s spear as a clothesline for the laundry.
For now, I disposed of all the dirty clothes and kept the spear in my item bag.
"Well then, all that’s left is to return … guh."
As I was muttering, a chill ran through me.
"Haru! Something’s coming!"
"No way, did the enemy boss return!?"
Enemy boss, my nervousness leaped forth hearing those words.
N, no, we have Haru here. If we both fight together we should somehow be able to pull through.
"Oi, I’ve returned! Oi!"
A giant man with an unshaven face entered.
It was a large man carrying an axe.
"Hmm? Who are you guys … hmm? oi, Andor! Pointalk! Tanji! s.h.i.+t, so you guys did this!"
The giant man glared at our direction.
And I saw his job.
【Bandit: Lv14】
Bandit? I guess it’s something similar to a thief.
(He’s a Lv14 Bandit … Haru, can we win?)
I told Haru quietly.
Haru’s level is higher. We should be fine.
Or so I thought. But,
(No … Bandit is a higher job that is available to Axe-users above Lv20 who committed cardinal sins … they are stronger than Swordsmen, our chances of victory is slim.)
… That’s a lie, right?
If so, can we somehow lie our way through?
"Ah, ah … actually, I think they all fell drunk and collapsed, ahahaha."
I said and laughed. As I was doing so, I thought that it was not going to work.
"Hmm, a male and a female … oh, I see. So you 2 are the new freshmen who entered our band of thieves. I see I see."
… Eh? Seriously?
That fooled him?