Chapter 96: Kapers Story (2)

In fact, this was not the first time that the ‘devils’ from beyond the Wall had come over and caused trouble.

Rather, it had happened from time to time.

And the Kapers, a long-established organization, had prevented such threats several times, sometimes alone, and sometimes in cooperation with other heroes.

However, in a situation where a new Demon King was rallying them, the case of big shots like corps commanders carrying out operations inside the Wall simultaneously like this… was unprecedented in history.

So.

“This is undoubtedly a signal of a full-scale invasion.”

It was as Logan said.

It was definitely not the usual ‘this time is different!’.

“Go beyond the Wall, cause chaos, and break the enemy from within.”

The demons beyond the Wall were now a real threat right in front of us.

“Those were the exact words of the 7th Corps Commander, Luce, to us.”

“As I thought…”

“You’ve probably already heard the news that a coup took place in Daian a while ago, right?”

“Yes. I have. I heard that the Great General Ethesia, who was once a hero of the city, attempted to overthrow the three-wing system, but thankfully failed.”

Logan added in a bitter tone.

“It’s still hard to believe that such a great person would do such a thing…”

“We came from there. We stopped the coup ourselves. ──And, this too was the work of a devil. Luce.”

“…!”

“He, turned Ethesia.”

To prove that this was true, I immediately took out the 「Insignia of Alliance (Daian)」.

Without even giving Logan a chance to be surprised, I continued.

“And a similar thing happened in Stout. It was Luce's work as well.”

“In Stout too…!”

This time too, I took out the 「Insignia of Alliance (Stout)」.

At that, Logan, instead of being surprised, immediately put his hand to his forehead.

He must have a headache.

Through the recent information, Logan must have expected it to some extent.

That something was happening.

But the story that the devils' conspiracies were taking place even in the south of the continent── in Stout and Daian, which were far from the Wall── must have been far beyond his expectations.

“Tia, for goodness sake……”

So he couldn't help but have a headache.

We were no longer in a position to prepare for a war with the demons beyond the Wall.

We were already, in the midst of a war.

“That Luce, pointed us to this city.”

“…!”

“He was clearly carrying out another operation here. So, what I’m saying is… do you have any idea, Mr. Logan?”

The most famous activity of the Kapers is, of course, to protect the world from ‘evil’.

But their most common activity is to gather information.

Because evil that is strong enough to threaten the world rarely just falls from the sky one day.

It spreads from our side, from this land.

That's why the Kapers look at the ground, not the sky.

Sometimes they bloom the flower of justice towards the sky, but most of the time, they endure, crouched like a flower bud.

We crouch to sow justice.

Just like their code.

They mix among ordinary people and collect information.

“Has anything suspicious been happening in Tiaria lately?”

The reason why I had made this place my next destination as soon as I had cleared the most urgent event, the fire at the Irons mansion.

Most of the information about what's happening in Tiaria gathers here, to this person.

In other words, the ‘hints’ for the quests are here.

“…….”

Sure enough, Logan, who had been thinking for a moment after hearing my question.

“…There is one incident that we have been investigating recently.”

Let out a breath like a sigh and cautiously opened his mouth.

“But since we received the information that the Demon King's army corps commanders were appearing, most of the agents were dispatched to that matter, and the investigation was temporarily suspended.”

“What kind of incident is it?”

“Do you perhaps know about Tiaria's cartel boss, Don Paulo?”

The moment that name came out of Logan's mouth, Ibi immediately reacted.

“You seem to know him well.”

When Logan, who had not missed this, turned to her, Ibi clicked her tongue.

“Too well.”

“Do you… have some kind of history with Don Paulo?”

“…Well, something like that.”

This time too, Logan didn't say it, but he must have noticed from Ibi's reaction.

Just as he had immediately recognized that Miki was the third son of the Irons family.

That Ibi was the half-dark elf who had robbed Don Paulo's safe and become a legend of the streets.

“Then I’ll assume the others also know him well and continue… recently, a rumor has been circulating in Tiaria that people… a great many people, are being sold as slaves.”

“…!”

This time, it wasn't just Ibi who was startled.

Even Toric's eyes widened.

Well, for us, it was a rather familiar story.

“And Don Paulo is behind it?”

“To be blunt, yes. That is our judgment.”

It was consistent with the story we had heard at the 「Bandits' Stronghold」.

“To where?”

“That part… has not yet been properly identified.”

“Not identified?”

“We are at the stage where we have a strong suspicion, though no physical evidence yet, that Don Paulo is at the center of the trade.”

But who, where, and for what purpose he was selling so many slaves, was not yet properly identified, Logan said.

“Besides, even after checking the checkpoint, the number of slaves coming in and out was not much different from before.”

Usually, those with a 「Slave Brand」 are all recorded every time they pass through a checkpoint.

…Probably Rine too, if we didn't have the insignia of alliance and had to go through a normal check, would have been treated the same.

Because passing through a check with a brand is treated as a ‘product’, not a ‘person’.

In other words, the human who brings the ‘product’ called a slave into the city has to pay a damn tax.

As I said in Stout before, in this world, buying and selling slaves is not a crime, but not paying taxes while buying and selling them seems to be a crime.

Anyway, for that reason, it was easy to track their movements.

Knowing this well, Don Paulo had tried to avoid the check from the beginning.

We told Logan the story we had heard at the 「Bandits' Stronghold」.

That after kidnapping a lot of people in a place far from Tiaria, he sent them without a brand to avoid the check, and when they arrived in the city, Don Paulo himself would turn them into

‘slaves’ and sell them.

As soon as he heard that story, Logan bit his lower lip for a moment, as if he had known it.

“So it wasn't just an unfounded rumor.”

As if the puzzle was coming together.

“Not to sell to the great nobles, but to avoid the eyes of the great nobles…”

“Don Paulo is smuggling them out.”

“Yes. I believe you are right, Mr. Yubin.”

However, even if they had come in as ordinary citizens, if they were turned into slaves here and then sold outside again, they would naturally be caught at the checkpoint in that case as well.

But as Logan said, no such movement was observed.

In other words.

“He's ‘smuggling’.”

“……As I thought.”

“As you thought?”

“It seems you have something in mind.”

Toric asked, hearing the words Ibi had muttered in a small voice.

At that, Logan couldn't continue his words for some reason, and then.

“I… after hearing your stories today, I suddenly felt this fear.”

He continued in a somewhat difficult tone.

“……What if, they are not being sold as ‘slaves’.”

As if he didn't even want to think about that possibility.

“And what if… the devils are involved in that matter? …is my fear.”

“……!”

Toric, of all people, must have known best what fear Logan was feeling.

That's why he was the first to flinch.

Because he had been there too.

When he had faced a certain madman… who had once tried to sacrifice many people as ‘offerings’.

“…Of course, it’s a hasty guess. But that’s why I feel a strong need to find out the truth about this matter.”

Before long, Logan, as if to shake off that fear, turned to us with a determined expression.

Then.

“I would like to make a request to you all.”

He presented a ‘quest’.

“A request?”

“Yes.”

And that quest was.

“──Could you perhaps rob a bank for us?”

“……What?”

A robbery.

“A-A bank… you say…?”

When Lily asked back as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard, Logan immediately nodded his head.

“Why? You need some quick cash?”

“If Don Paulo is really smuggling slaves, this is the only way to track the flow of his funds.”

Then, at Ibi's sarcastic remark, Logan answered without wavering.

“Of course, it's not an ordinary bank. It's a kind of bank exclusively for criminals… where the corrupt forces of this city willingly hide the black money they've earned from shady business.”

“…A ‘back door’.”

As soon as she heard that story, Ibi put her hand to her forehead and muttered, as if she had a place in mind.

“Originally, Don Paulo had kept such money in his personal safe… but recently, after his personal safe was robbed, it seems that most of his business funds are being kept in that bank.”

At that, Ibi flinched.

Because she was the one who had robbed that personal safe.

“The money he would have earned from smuggling, will surely be piled up in that bank. If we can somehow get our hands on those funds… we might be able to trace their origin.”

For example, where the gold coins were minted.

“It’s a shameful thing, but… we don't have the capacity right now. And to be honest, we don't have the skills either.”

Gathering information and fighting evil were their specialties, but robbing a bank was a different matter.

“But you are outstanding adventurers, recognized as allies of Stout and Daian. And Mr. Silverhand, a Kaper, is with you.”

“I’ve told you several times, I'm a former Kaper.”

“Moreover.”

Toric immediately denied it, but Logan turned his head without caring.

“The person who robbed Don Paulo's safe, is also here, isn't she?”

“…!”

To Ibi.

“…You knew from the beginning?”

“So, you are the only ones who can be entrusted with this request.”

Then, Logan bowed his head politely.

“Please, I beg of you…!”

As if he were a person who wanted to somehow grab the lifeline that God had sent down to him at just the right time.

***

“Hey, take it.”

In front of the bank we had finally arrived at, I handed out the items I was holding to each of them.

An item that was essential to hide our identities, a symbol of a bank robber.

That is, a ‘sack’ to put over our heads.

I, for a moment, looked down at the sack that felt strangely nostalgic and muttered.

“──Ah, this cool and familiar sensation.”

It was time to return to being ‘Robber’ Yubin.

Thus, with the sacks over our heads, we kicked open the door of the bank together.

“Everyone, freeze! We are robbers!”

“Just move even a little bit, you f*cking bastards! I’ll blow every single one of your heads off!”