"...Will this do?"
The leader of the thugs asked as he laid all their weapons and money on the floor.
As expected, none of them possessed the kind of high-quality spear Rei was looking for, but almost everyone had been carrying some sort of knife. A few even had one-handed axes or longswords. Selling the weapons alone would likely net a decent sum—assuming he could find a buyer.
"Heh, you were carrying more than I expected," Rei muttered, checking the contents of the cloth bag the leader had pulled from his breast.
There were several gold coins inside. It was far more than a mere city thug would normally have on him. Realizing exactly where the money had come from, Rei gave a thin smile and addressed the leader.
"So, this was your reward for the job... Too bad for you. Next time, try gauging the difference in strength before you take a contract."
"..."
The thugs remained silent.
Observing them for a moment, Rei jerked his chin toward the door.
"Get out. If I catch you doing this again, then... well, let's just say I'll have something fun in store for you."
As Rei spoke with a predatory smirk, the thugs left the inn without a word—or rather, they were too terrified to find their voices. Rei suspected a few of them still had some coins hidden in their clothes, but he decided that getting them out of his sight was a higher priority than seizing every last copper and dragging out the confrontation.
Once the thugs had disappeared, he gathered the scattered coins into the cloth bag and turned toward Lana and the merchants.
"Sorry for the trouble."
"Don't be. As long as you're staying here, you are my guest," Lana replied firmly.
"Hah! That's the Landlady of the Dusk Wheat Inn for you! A mother to us all!"
At the cheer from the armed merchants, Lana turned around, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"You all shouldn't be so reckless, either! If a guest gets hurt, it tarnishes the reputation of the Dusk Wheat Inn!"
"Ah, sorry, sorry. But this inn is special to us... We can't just stand by while people go barging in here so rudely."
"Honestly. As punishment, everyone is having fang boar stew for breakfast tomorrow."
Even as she scolded them, she didn't seem to mind hearing her inn praised. Lana spoke with a trace of a smile. The merchants erupted in cheers at the mention of the stew, and Rei called out to the group.
"Sorry for throwing a wet blanket on your party."
"Don't worry about it, kid," a man the others called Yusra said, laughing boisterously as he slapped Rei on the shoulder. "We did what we wanted to do."
With a wry smile at the rough treatment, Rei tossed the cloth bag full of gold, silver, and copper to Lana.
"Rei-san?"
"As an apology for interrupting the festivities, I'm covering today’s food and drinks for everyone. Consider that a down payment. Let me know if it’s not enough."
"WOOOOOOOO!"
The armed merchants and adventurers in the dining hall broke into thunderous cheers at the news that Rei was treating them.
"Kid, you might be small, but you've got a massive heart!" Yusra laughed heartily. He likely meant no offense, but Rei still wore a slightly disgruntled expression at the comment about his height.
Amidst the celebration, one man from the merchant group approached Rei. He appeared to be in his 40s and stood about 170cm tall—not much different from Rei himself. He wore a friendly, approachable smile.
However, his eyes were different. They held a deep, observant gaze that saw through others yet remained composed—a look no ordinary city dweller could project. Rei instantly guessed the man's identity; he was undoubtedly the one leading these merchants.
"I hear we have you to thank for the drinks. As their representative, allow me to offer my gratitude." He bowed politely and offered his hand. "Forgive my late introduction. I am Vetman. I lead this caravan as we travel from frontier to frontier."
Rei shook the offered hand and replied, "I'm Rei, an adventurer. Don't worry about the treat. I got you all caught up in my mess and ruined the mood. Consider this an apology."
The hand Rei gripped did not feel like a merchant's. It was covered in the distinct callouses of weapon training; one would sooner believe Vetman was an adventurer or a mercenary than someone who merely transported goods.
Rei looked at Vetman with admiration, but the merchant was staring back with a look of confusion. Even though Rei was a warrior who swung a massive weapon like the Death Scythe—which had vanished before Vetman’s eyes—his hands were completely smooth. There were no callouses from practice, despite the fact that the strike Rei had unleashed earlier carried the unmistakable sound of a first-class warrior’s swing.
Because Rei's body had been created by Zephyle, his recovery ability and healing ability far exceeded those of a normal human. No matter how much he used the Death Scythe, he never developed the callouses that served as a badge of experience. His hands remained as soft as those of someone who had never seen a day of combat. Naturally, Vetman had no way of knowing this.
"Is something wrong?" Rei asked.
Vetman immediately shook his head. "No, it's nothing." As expected of a leader of armed merchants, he didn't let his confusion show on his face. "By the way, I have to ask... that large scythe earlier..."
"Ah. Well, you've probably guessed, but I'm an Item Box user."
"Is that so... I suspected as much, but to think it was true. I've never seen a real Item Box before. I’ve heard rumors that an extremely small-scale pseudo-item box is used in some high-ranking circles, but to see the real thing with my own eyes..." Vetman muttered in genuine awe, glancing toward the dining hall.
The mention of a pseudo-item box reminded Rei of the device Elena had used in the dungeon.
"If you'd like, why not join us?" Vetman invited. "Since it’s your treat, we’d love for you to have a drink with us."
"Ah, no, sorry. I have people waiting for me in my room. Besides..." Rei stole a glance toward the inn's door.
Vetman understood immediately. He nodded slightly. "I see. Come to think of it, those thugs from earlier were after your guests. One moment, then."
He went into the dining hall and returned in less than a minute, carrying a small wooden keg.
"This is the least I can do to thank you. Please take this. It's my favorite spirit, though I don't know if it'll be to your taste."
"...I see. Then I'll gratefully accept." Rei didn't care much for alcohol himself, but he knew Brasso—who claimed his blood was made of booze—was waiting upstairs. The dwarf had looked like wine wasn't enough for him, so Rei took the gift.
"We plan to stay at this inn for about a month, so let's have a drink together when the opportunity arises." With a polite bow, Vetman led his group back into the dining hall. The other merchants, adventurers, and mercenaries called out casual thanks to Rei before following their leader.
Finally, only Rei and Lana remained in the foyer.
"Sorry for the ruckus."
"Don't worry about it. When you do business with adventurers and mercenaries, you get used to this," she replied with a motherly smile. "I'll head back to the kitchen now. Since you're being so generous, my husband and I will whip up some special dishes we don't usually get to make."
Lana headed back to the dining hall, and Rei watched her go before storing the scattered knives and swords into his Misty Ring. He then made his way back upstairs.
"Yo, how was it down on the first floor? You seemed to take a bit longer than usual."
Phron called out as soon as he entered the room. Nothing seemed out of place; it appeared his suspicion that the commotion might be a diversion had been unfounded.
"It was just some city thugs. Nothing serious. Was it quiet up here?"
"Yeah. Nothing happened... Wait, what's with that keg?"
"I got it from the coordinator of the merchants staying here."
"How does a fight with thugs turn into you getting a gift of booze?" Phron muttered in disbelief.
Brasso, however, had already caught the scent. "That keg's got liquor in it. And from that rich aroma, it’s a high-quality vintage. ...Rei, if I recall, you aren't much of a drinker, are you? If so, keeping such a fine spirit would be a waste of a treasure..."
Rei looked at the dwarf, whose eyes were practically glued to the wood, and let out a small sigh as he set it on the floor.
"You don't have to look so desperate. I got it to give to you anyway."
"Umu, umu! As expected of Rei. Unlike a certain female adventurer, you know how to respect your elders."
"...Heh. And who might that female adventurer be?"
Ignoring Phron’s glaring eyes, Brasso immediately tapped the keg and poured the liquor into a cup. The room was instantly filled with the mellow, fragrant scent of a properly aged spirit.
"This is truly top-shelf stuff. It would cost several silver coins... no, maybe even a gold coin," Brasso muttered, savoring the aroma.
Mult watched him with a trace of envy before shaking his head to refocus. "So, can we continue? About Galahat-san..."
"Right. If the people employed by the Azoth Firm were targeting you, doesn't that mean Galahat is in danger too?"
"Of course. That's why he’s resting in a hideout that only he and I know about. With his usual strength, it'd be easy for him to turn the tables, but his injuries haven't healed yet. He can't afford to be reckless."
"Then wouldn't it have been safer for you to stay quiet in that hideout as well?" Rei asked.
Mult looked pained. "That would be too late."
"Too late?"
"I mentioned it briefly at Pamidoor’s workshop, but to put it simply, Galahat-san’s instructions were for a gekokujo—a takeover of the Azoth Firm. Even if we call it the 'Azoth Firm,' there are different factions within it."
And all of this is a plan to protect Boruntar from you, Mult added inwardly, though he dared not say it aloud.
"I suppose that makes sense. Wherever three people gather, you'll find factions," Rei noted.
"Exactly. And regarding those factions... obviously, the one we want isn't the current mainstream faction. The mainstream is full of people sticking close to Boruntar to suck up the sweet nectar. But there are also those who hate such dirty dealings and want to work honestly for the sake of Gilm."
"...There are people like that?" Phron asked, her voice tinged with genuine surprise.
Mult, who knew the firm's reputation all too well, gave a wry smile and nodded. "They exist, technically. Of course, their numbers are overwhelmingly small compared to the mainstream."
"I've lived in Gilm for quite a long time, but I don't recall hearing about them," Brasso muttered between sips of the fine liquor. "I've heard plenty of the bad rumors, though."
Mult watched the dwarf enjoy the drink for a few seconds before continuing. "That's because—think about it. If you're profiting from corruption, you're going to suppress anyone trying to stop you, right? 'Oppression' might be a strong word, but they're basically given the cold shoulder and pushed into dead-end jobs."
"Then no matter how much Galahat wants to, he won't be able to pull off a takeover, will he?"
"Ordinarily, you'd be right, Rei... but not everyone in the Azoth Firm is under Boruntar's thumb. In fact, those people are mostly among Boruntar's retainers. The bottom of the organization is made up of ordinary, honest merchants. If they weren't, there’s no way the firm could have functioned this long under a greedy man like Boruntar. To give him some credit, Boruntar is strangely good at forcing things his way, so he's not entirely incompetent..."
But that aggression had backfired in his dealings with Rei, Mult concluded.
"So there must be plenty of people who have been suffering under Boruntar's tyranny for a long time."
"I can't deny that," Mult said with a heavy sigh. "In fact, I've seen quite a few of them myself since I was hired."