EP.41
There are those who do illegal work in the sewers.
In a way, it’s a quintessential situation. In fact, such things happen in any era and place, so people invariably find ways to deal with them.
And most of the time, when public authority decides to crack down, those involved tend to get swept away. Unless the country’s security is in a dire state, it isn’t easy for crime organizations to outmatch the military police.
However, Osodox was not so fortunate.
The structural complexity of these sewer facilities, which have been undergoing illegal renovations and expansions for far too long, has already been explained. But this isn’t an issue unique to Osodox; ancient cities or even major metropolises that have survived from a distant past all face similar problems from time to time.
Yet, Osodox has been particularly ineffective in responding to this situation compared to others.
The reason is simple.
“The people who need to take action are too disconnected from the ones who should be eradicated hierarchically.”
“…What does that matter?”
Maria still seemed sulky. It looked like she was quite miffed about the prank pulled yesterday.
Dyeing her hair brown gave her a strangely fresh vibe.
Of course, if I poked at her again now, I could have a taste of a sixth-tier wizard’s true wrath right in front of me. It wasn’t exactly a good time for jokes.
“Typically, in such cases, it’s common to recruit local residents or select soldiers from the region. Or to involve someone familiar with that specific ecosystem.”
Honestly, as a law-abiding citizen of Korea, I never quite understood why a thief is always included in adventurer parties, but living here has given me some insights.
If you can find someone with combat skills, having a thief in the party can be immensely convenient. Unlike games, where discreetly picking locks is a necessity, things are different here.
You can just break a lock with a knife; if a door is jammed, you can bash it down. Magical locks fall under the wizard’s domain, and if a thief tries to mess with them, they’ll likely end up shot to the afterlife.
Since I was merely taking on a request, as long as I didn’t get caught, the responsibility wouldn’t fall on me.
Need to proceed stealthily?
Even better.
I could disguise myself so that no one would recognize me, and while I wreaked havoc, my party members could swoop in and raid the target mansion. My skills in hiding and stealth were honed not to deal with people, but rather from missions like stealing monster eggs.
So, what use does a thief serve?
“People have a lot in common, even among those from the back alleys.”
Skilled thieves can navigate a maze of alleys like it’s their own living room. Similarly, those born in these underground sewer systems, who have fiercely survived in crime organizations, possess an uncanny ability to pinpoint secret passages in any location.
The problem is that all of this presumes that we can recruit someone from that crowd.
And the Holy Kingdom’s knights are often the exact opposite of those people, so they have little idea of where they could recruit them.
But I knew.
After several incidents here and there, I was quite confident in knowing where to find such individuals.
“Let’s head outside for a bit.”
Maria nodded, still looking puzzled.
―――
So here we were, walking in the heart of the bustling district.
Maria eyed me suspiciously.
“Didn’t you say you were going to recruit someone from the back alleys…? Um, didn’t you?”
We were strolling around in outfits that somewhat blended in with the street scene. Of course, we didn’t carry such clothes around; everything was purchased right here.
Naturally, we had just bought them a little while ago.
Maria must have found it ridiculous that I was confidently announcing plans to recruit a thief while leisurely shopping like this. I used to think the same way back in the day.
Instead of answering her, I leaned in close and reiterated my caution.
“It’s a bit odd if we’re speaking politely to each other here, so let’s keep it more casual, alright?”
Maria flinched but nodded.
Anyway, to address her concern, we held hands (we’d gotten used to that while wandering around in the capital) and I explained in a low voice.
“Maria.”
“Uh, yeah?”
“Why do you think the fence that deals with pickpockets sets up shop in back alleys where public authority can easily reach them?”
“Well… it’s easy to access?”
“Exactly.”
Businesses that aim for high volume with low profit margins, like pickpockets, need to operate where access is easy. This logic applies even in the criminal world.
So, what we need to consider here is:
“Why are they set up in those dodgy sewers, where even knights of the Holy Kingdom struggle to find them?”
Maria would likely grasp this concept easily.
The pinnacle of this kind of activity was none other than the Empire’s royal family.
“…Because even if customers don’t visit often, they can still earn high profits from a single transaction?”
Right on the mark.
Just as she said, if they’re running operations in places completely inaccessible to ordinary folks, it implies they don’t really need to transact with regular people.
And such individuals wouldn’t bother keeping a fence in dodgy back alleys.
“What they need isn’t a place to launder dirty money, or a secret trading post.”
Having lived here for about a year and a half, I realized something: the leading establishments for laundering money are pretty much the same whether on Earth or here.
“Let’s head to the gambling house.”
“Excuse me…?”
Upon hearing what sounded like an unbelievable proposal, Maria’s eyes widened as she stared at me.
She wasn’t hearing things.
This was indeed a real gambling house.
What’s a gambling house doing in a holy city, you ask?
Let me reiterate: the Golden Cross Church won’t say a word about how you spend your earnings as long as the money was made honestly.
Gambling, as long as it doesn’t lead you to ruin your life, isn’t something they particularly worry about.
It’s just a bunch of moths to the flame, unable to resist the lure of dopamine.
Our steps came to a halt in front of a grand, dazzling eight-story building.
―――
“How much would you like to exchange?”
As the exchange clerk asked, I pulled out a chunk of money I had prepared in my pocket.
It was a platinum ingot, recognized as high denomination currency. My dear friend, Yom von Würtemburg, had generously lent it to me.
“……!”
Maria gasped and gripped my hand tightly.
She shook her head vigorously. However, in a situation like this, Maria couldn’t outmatch me.
I pointed at the sign above the exchange booth that was obscured by a dark panel.
“Magic usage strictly prohibited, mana flow under surveillance.”
Can a wizard who can’t use magic overpower a knight?
That’s just absurd.
I thrust the ingot across the glass window.
“Gasp!”
The exchange clerk inhaled sharply at the unexpected large denomination. Yet, being at the largest gambling house in the Holy Kingdom, they seemed well-trained and quickly handed me chips of equivalent value.
Maria’s intense gaze pierced the side of my head. As I tried to ignore it, she whispered in my ear.
“Let’s just go back later.”
Chills ran down my spine. But now that I was here, I couldn’t simply turn back.
At this stage, I needed to achieve a result and return. I kept an eye on Maria, waiting in the booth.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going in?”
The sharpness in Maria’s tone sent a wave of cold sweat down my back, but I still had to get things done.
“Just give me a moment.”
“Here, please wear this while you wait.”
The exchange clerk handed over two masks. They were full-face masks that concealed completely. I handed one to Maria.
“Put this on.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll find out once you wear it.”
It was an adjustable mask that wouldn’t chafe or suffocate.
After donning the mask, a similarly masked staff member stepped out before us.
“I’ll guide you to the VIP lounge.”
“Thank you.”
Out came a voice that was completely different from my usual one, low and raspy. Maria looked at me, startled. I tapped the mask, mouthing silently to her.
I remembered my previous visit; this mask had a voice-altering magic applied to it.
“…Fascinating.”
Maria seemed amazed, having never seen such magic applied to a mask before.
“Seems like you’ve been here quite a lot to get used to this kind of thing?”
I straightened involuntarily.
Maria sighed as she looked at me.
‘Surely, if I didn’t handle the finances…’
She whispered lowly, entwined her arm with mine, and began to walk ahead.
“What are you doing? Let’s move. You promised to show me around here.”
Then, she adeptly transformed into an arrogant, highborn noble lady. It wasn’t difficult to read that she was attempting to play along with my oddity this time.
I forced a silly grin as I followed her inside.
…Honestly, this time I really had to deliver results.
Otherwise, my mental health might be at stake.
Thus, we followed the staff member up to the VIP floor.
It didn’t take even an hour for half of the chips I brought to vanish.
Maria’s furious glare felt like it could bore a hole through the back of my head.
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