Chapter 14 - <6>
In the evening, a large number of merchants arrived at the inn.
Anna, having finished her bath with Philia's help, pushed her slightly moving body to its limits and, carried in Ritz's arms, secretly hid herself in the dining hall. The old counter had knotholes and gaps here and there, so there was no problem peeking at Ritz, Franz, and the merchants from behind it.
As for Ritz, he just scratched his head and looked exasperated, but in the end, he just laughed and said, "What a ringside seat."
When Ritz scratched his head with an exasperated look, it was usually because he thought of Anna as a troublesome child, which was a little irritating, but there was no way the curious Anna could just stay in her room and sleep.
To be honest, when she woke up all alone, Anna was terrified and filled with anxiety. She trembled with such unease that she felt like she wanted to go back to Anton.
But the fact that she was alive and awake meant that Ritz had truly run to the very end for her. Even though Ritz sometimes found her troublesome, she was happy that he had worked so hard for her, and she thanked him in her heart.
"I'm glad… I didn't die."
In the quiet of her room alone, Anna whispered, savoring the true feelings she would keep from the other two. When she thought it was all over, she had even thought that maybe she would see her parents if she died. Even though it wasn't even certain that her parents were dead.
"I'm glad I'm alive…"
She let out a deep sigh of relief and offered a prayer of thanks to the Water Spirit King.
"O Water Spirit King, who governs peace and healing, I thank you. It seems I've somehow been saved."
In the quiet moment, her eyes met Ritz's, who had quietly come to check on her. She would never forget that moment. For some reason, Ritz, his hair still a mess, looked at her face and smiled with profound relief. That smile was so striking that it made her feel happy and strange all at once.
After that, things got a bit hectic, but she was genuinely panicked when Ritz almost helped her with her bath. Because he was her guardian, he seemed to have completely forgotten that Anna was a girl and was planning to take care of her.
She loved Ritz like a father, but that was just too embarrassing. It would be embarrassing to have Anton help her too, but it would be even worse with Ritz.
Besides, she felt she wasn't that age anymore. She wondered just how much of a child she looked like to Ritz. In her own mind, Anna thought she was quite grown up.
"Is this the 'Goddess's Palm Inn'?"
The murmuring of the merchants brought Anna back to her senses. This wouldn't do. If she just zoned out, there would be no point in having begged Ritz and Franz to let her hide here.
She had heard the full explanation from Ritz and the others. But she didn't really understand most of the details. So rather than hearing about it later, she wanted to hear it properly here.
Anna peeked through the hole. Conveniently, there was a hole just big enough for her to put both eyes through. It seemed another table used to be attached here, but it had been removed, board and all.
Facing the crowd of merchants, Franz sat with his legs crossed, completely unfazed, his slightly heavy-lidded eyes fixed ahead. He had never done anything like this before, so he was probably nervous on the inside, but his expressionless face seemed to be saving him.
Anna had noticed during their journey that Franz's lack of expression wasn't something he was faking. Franz didn't smile, but he did get angry. You could tell right away when he was angry. He got moody, too. You could tell right away when he was moody. But it seemed he was incapable of feeling or showing happiness or joy.
There were times when you could tell he was happy on the inside, and times when he seemed sad. But because he had suppressed his emotions for so long, his face had apparently just stopped moving naturally.
Anna remembered the face of Ville Lucina in Saradio and felt a sense of despair. Anna was an orphan, but she had been blessed with her environment and had lived happily. But Franz, despite having a real parent, had even his expressions stolen from him by his father. Sometimes, things in the world just don't go right.
Next to Franz, Ritz stood with his arms crossed, a defiant look on his face. The bodyguard-like expression suited him so well that it made Ritz's true identity all the more mysterious. It was the same expression she had seen when he was pretending to be a mercenary back in Saradio.
It strangely suited Ritz, but it wasn't a face that Anna liked.
While this was happening, the merchants were increasing in number, one by one. The seats had long since been filled, and a considerable number of merchants were standing and waiting. But still more were coming. All they could do was wait until everyone had gathered. The plan Ritz had laid out in their earlier meeting, which Anna had joined, was simple.
First, Ritz would ramble on about how Ville Lucina was angry because the herbs weren't arriving in the city. If that managed to intimidate the merchants a little, all the better.
Then, Franz would announce that he had come to see the current situation for himself. He could just report the fact that the herbs were gone from the village directly to Ville Lucina, but he would also show a hint of mercy by saying he might be willing to do something about it himself.
Ritz had smiled confidently, saying the merchants would probably take the bait. Franz had also sighed and said, 'Merchants will swarm to a profitable story,' treating them like insects, but it seemed it was true that they would gather. Then, they would move on to demanding payment.
Franz's role was to use his usual expressionless face to look down on the Saradio merchants and make them sign a contract promising not to threaten the villagers. The contract for that purpose had been prepared in advance, using paper and pen borrowed from the Roubaix couple. This contract was the fruit of Franz's labor.
The handwriting of Franz, as he earnestly wrote the contract, was quite messy, which was a bit surprising, but the way he meticulously filled it out was impressive.
Anna didn't understand any of that at all.
About half an hour after the merchants started gathering, it seemed no more were coming. The inn's dining hall, with only ten seats, was packed so tightly with merchants that the air was thick. There were about forty of them.
It was painfully obvious that everyone was whispering to each other, sizing up Franz and Ritz. Even though she was hidden, Anna's heart started to pound.
Franz, facing this large crowd, must have been incredibly nervous, but he wasn't allowed to be overwhelmed or flustered by the numbers. All that was required of him was to calmly gaze at the people.
This must be tough, she thought, but there was nothing she could do to help. The absolute condition for Anna being here was to never open her mouth. Just that one thing.
If she broke it, Ritz had given her a scary threat: he would personally give her a thorough bath. That was the one thing she absolutely did not want.
"Well then, shall we begin?"
At Ritz's single phrase, the murmuring among the merchants died down. It became as quiet as if water had been thrown on a fire. Anna also covered her mouth with both hands.
"Why we came to this village… you've heard from the Saradio merchants, haven't you?"
The merchants all turned to look at the Saradio merchants at once. They looked rather uncomfortable. Perhaps many of them had come without being told the circumstances.
"I thought I'd only gathered the merchants from our city, but it looks like quite a crowd has shown up."
By using deliberately vulgar language, Ritz was silencing the merchants.
Ritz has so many different expressions, he's like an actor, she thought. When he dealt with the Roubaix couple, he was a polite and kind young man. When he was with Anna and the others, he was a cheerful and helpful older brother. And when he was pretending to be a mercenary, he was a truly scary mercenary.
"First, I'll ask you this."
At Ritz's low question, the Saradio merchants flinched.
"Our lord is greatly angered that the herbs have not reached him. You understand that, don't you?"
Ritz seemed to be quite enjoying this act.
"Depending on the reason, he was in a real rage, saying he'd revoke your commercial rights. Well, not that it has anything to do with me."
At Ritz's fearless smile, a heavily sweating Saradio merchant approached. Anna knew about the crests from Franz, so she could distinguish the Saradio merchants.
"That's… Hey, you'll sort this out for us, right? You can see it's impossible in this situation, can't you?"
Phase one, success. In his mind, Ritz must have been gloating.
"Well, now. I might consider it."
It seemed Ritz was getting more and more into it.
"But then again, it might be interesting to see you big shots in the city get all flustered."
Anna realized that Ritz might be getting revenge for the trouble he had selling vegetables in Saradio. She vividly remembered how difficult that time had been.
"How could you…"
Ritz looked down on the speechless merchant with relish. This wasn't an act; he was definitely taking out his grudge from that time on the merchants.
She thought that revenge wasn't a very good thing, but opening her mouth was strictly forbidden.
"I could report to the lord that you're all a bunch of flustered, incompetent fools who couldn't get your hands on anything."
The merchant's face turned as white as the contract that was his lifeblood. If that were reported, it would truly be the end for him in that city.
"Do something!"
The merchant let out a cry from the heart. Ritz glanced at Franz, who had been sitting silently with his arms crossed. According to their plan, this was the signal for 'is this good enough?', but it didn't seem that way to them. It looked as if Ritz was asking Franz for a ruling on what to do.
The merchants held their breath, waiting for the answer from Franz, the ruler of this scene. But Franz only nodded at Ritz. Seeing that, Ritz nodded back. It was the signal for 'this should be good enough'.
Now the real negotiations would begin.
"Franz-sama says he might be willing to do something for you. You should all be grateful."
The Saradio merchants all let out sighs of relief. They believed that Franz's thoughts were directly connected to Ville Lucina. If they knew that Franz had burned down his house and run away, the merchants would surely be shocked.
"Me and Franz-sama will sort this out somehow and send you back to Saradio with the herbs."
This caused a stir among the other merchants as well. They, too, were unable to return to their cities. They began to confer in hushed tones with others from the same city.
Phase two was also a success. Next was to get the money.
Ritz, a smirk on his face as he looked down on the merchants, continued.
"…But hey, you're not planning on making me and Franz-sama work for free, are you?"
The merchants fell silent for a moment, then began talking even more loudly. They finally understood why the Saradio merchant had gathered them.
Anna remembered the explanation Ritz had given when he came up with this plan.
If they really solved the case, the Saradio merchants apparently couldn't stand the thought of only them having to cough up the money while merchants from other countries happily bought herbs and went home. They wanted the herbs, and they wanted to take them home, but they couldn't bear the thought of only them taking a loss.
But for now, there was no prospect of the herb theft case being solved. But could they really trust this mysterious man?
They were supposed to be torn, he had said. From there, it would turn into a calculation of money, so he told her to watch.
Ritz's prediction was so accurate that Anna couldn't help but sigh. Ritz… who is he really?
As Anna was lost in thought, a merchant from a city other than Saradio spoke up.
"Of course, we just have to pay you a reward if you succeed, right?"
It really had come down to money. Everyone was focused on this question. No one wanted to pay money from the start for something that might not even work out.
However, if they didn't sign a contract first, there was a chance the merchants would go back on their word. They had to make them sign a contract here and get everyone's signature on the document Franz had prepared.
"What are you talking about? You're hiring me, right? For a time, anyway. It's not worth my while if I don't get half the reward upfront."
At Ritz's words, the merchants were taken aback.
"We can't trust your skills! How can we pay you upfront!?"
Voices of agreement rose from here and there. Ritz reached into his pocket, pulled something out, and slammed it onto the floor. It was a bundle of certificates.
The Saradio merchant at the very front picked it up suspiciously. What he held were travel permits for every country on the continent except one, and several national mercenary contracts.
The man looked up at Ritz with a look of astonishment and asked timidly.
"Are these real?"
"Of course they are. What's the point of carrying fakes?"
Anna and Franz, who had been shown these during the planning stage, were also surprised. Ritz, who held this many travel permits and had a mercenary contract with a nation that boasted the best army, was amazing. After all, it meant he had been to that many countries.
To the impressed Anna and Franz, Ritz had said proudly.
"How about that? I've eaten food from this many countries!"
"That's amazing!"
"Right!?"
At Anna's involuntary awe, Ritz had grinned proudly, and Franz had sighed heavily. As amazing as Ritz was, he wouldn't tell them anything more than that.
He had simply put away his identification, saying the details would have to wait. It seemed Ritz had various reasons he couldn't talk about. Anna decided on her own that he would surely tell her someday.
The merchants looked at the travel permits and contracts, confirming one by one that they were real. Ritz watched them with a cool gaze. He placed the documents, which had been returned to him, on the table and looked over the merchants once more.
"How about it? If you still can't trust me, we can just call this whole thing off."
At Ritz's words, a particularly burly merchant pushed his way through the others.
"Not yet. If you can beat me in a fight, I'll sign the contract."
"There's always a skeptical one."
Ritz shrugged and picked up the greatsword that had been leaning against his chair.
"We can take this outside, you know."
At the appearance of the greatsword, which had been hidden until now, the burly merchant fell silent. There was no way he could have a fair fight with a man who could swing a greatsword like that. Any normal person would think so, or so Ritz himself had said.
It seemed he was right. The man's shoulders slumped, and he muttered quietly.
"…Fine, I'll sign."
The moment that man acknowledged it, it was as good as everyone here agreeing. The merchants quieted down, and it was finally Franz's turn.
"A merchant's contract is sacred. I have created this contract. If you agree, everyone sign it."
Franz stood up and showed them the contract.
"This contract is to be made without fail in the name of Franz Lucina, son of the Lord of Saradio, who is currently the employer of Ritz Alster."
Franz held the contract high for all to see, turned it toward himself, and read it aloud.
"This contract becomes effective upon agreement to hire Ritz Alster and request the resolution of the incident. I will read the terms of the contract, so listen carefully."
Anna noticed that the expressionless Franz was trembling slightly. He must be incredibly nervous. After all, Franz hated playing the role of the lord's son and had initially resisted it. Still, the fact that he was trying his best was admirable.
"One, you will not interfere with us in any way while we are investigating the incident. This does not apply when we come to ask questions.
One, you will wait outside the village until the incident is resolved. Do not interact with the villagers in any way.
One, the reward for resolving this matter shall be two hundred Giltz, the common currency of the Eneonea Continent, half of which shall be paid in advance. Of course, it is fine as long as you all divide the amount equally and pay it properly."
"Two hundred Giltz? That's impossible!!"
A cry bordering on a scream rose from among the merchants. Anna might have screamed too if she were on the merchants' side. Two hundred Giltz was two hundred gold coins. Anna had never seen such a large sum of money before.
By the way, one silver coin was called a Berce, and one copper coin was a Sardel. For a light meal, five Sardels were enough, including a drink. If you ate three meals a day without being extravagant and stayed at a cheap inn for one night, it would cost about three Berce per person. If you were camping out, about ten Sardels per person per day would be enough.
In other words, with two hundred Giltz, you could easily reach the Royal Capital Sears, where the sea was, even while camping. This would completely solve the issue of travel funds for the time being. If they wanted to continue their journey, they could find work in the Royal Capital and earn money.
The Royal Capital was a huge city, so they wouldn't have trouble earning money.
Franz had also protested to Ritz that it was an exorbitant amount, but he had fallen silent after hearing Ritz's explanation. Besides, it would be even more suspicious if Ville Lucina's son was modest.
In reality, they only intended to take one hundred Giltz. In other words, their plan was to take the advance payment, solve the case, and then quietly leave the village. With one hundred Giltz, Ritz said they would be fine for a while, even if their journey turned out to be long.
Though since there were three of them, it would apparently run out eventually.
"If you all split it, it's not that much, is it?"
The merchants, eyed coldly, fell silent. They seemed to be doing some frantic calculations. Soon, their abacuses seemed to have reached the conclusion that it was wiser to make the request.
"Indeed, it doesn't seem to be a huge amount…"
At someone's voice, everyone was convinced and signed the contract one after another. They had realized that a prolonged stay would cost more than the request fee, so their decision was swift.
With the contract, they paid half the fee from their own purses. And so, the contract Franz had made was filled with forty signatures. Next to it was a towering pile of gold and silver coins totaling one hundred Giltz.
"When will you start investigating?"
At the merchants' words, Ritz replied with a confident expression.
"Tomorrow, of course. Just you wait and see."
Perhaps relieved by having paid the fee and signed the contract, an air of relaxation settled over the merchants.
"Alright, you lot, Franz-sama is tired. Get the hell out of the village. It's the contract you all agreed to."
At Ritz's single phrase, the merchants shuffled out. The last to remain was the leader of the Saradio merchants.
"Young Master Franz, we're counting on you. And please, put in a good word for us with the lord."
"You're persistent!"
Shoving the pleading merchant out, Ritz chased him from the 'Goddess's Palm Inn' and closed the door. A quietness unlike before enveloped the dining hall. The tension broken, Franz collapsed onto the still-wet contract.
"Well, Franz, good work. It went well, didn't it?"
Ritz patted Franz's back with a grin. Franz groaned, still face down.
"You, Ritz, are a magnificent con artist."
"You think? I think it's the art world's greatest loss that I didn't become an actor."
Ritz was in high spirits because it had gone well. He showed no signs of tension or fatigue. Perhaps this was what it meant to be experienced.
"Ritz, Ritz! Help me up!"
Anna called out to Ritz from behind the counter.
"Sure thing."
Lightly lifted by the smiling Ritz, she was seated next to Franz.
"You did well keeping quiet, too. Good job."
"Yay! I got praised!"
"I was sure you were going to open your mouth, though."
"You're treating me like a child again! I can keep quiet, you know!"
When she pouted, Ritz laughed cheerfully.
"My bad, my bad. You wouldn't want me to take care of you in the bath, either, would you?"
"No way! That's so embarrassing!"
He was really, seriously treating her like a child. It was irritating, but there was nothing she could do.
"Anyway, Franz, the part where you read out the contract was incredibly convincing. You were so poised. You really seemed like a lord's son."
At Ritz's teasing, Franz didn't seem to have the energy to snap back.
"Sorry for being a real lord's son."
Muttering under his breath, Franz remained face down on the contract.
"Franz, can I ask you something?"
At Ritz's serious voice, Franz raised his head. At the sight of his face, Anna almost burst out laughing and covered her mouth with her hand. Ritz was also desperately trying to hold back his laughter.
"What is it, Ritz?"
Looking at the moody Franz, Anna couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing at the same time as Ritz. Ritz pointed at Franz's face and doubled over in laughter.
"You've got the fresh signature of a merchant smudged on your face!"
"What?"
Franz hurriedly touched his face. Of course, he couldn't tell just by touching it.
"Don't get autographs on your face!"
Franz glared at Ritz before running out of the dining hall to find a mirror.
The remaining Ritz couldn't stop laughing and sat in his chair, roaring with laughter.
"It's mean to laugh that much!"
Even as she said it, Anna couldn't stop laughing either. A handwritten signature on a handsome, sullen face. There was no way not to laugh.
"You two seem to be having fun."
Morris, who had lent them the dining hall for the commotion, finally came out and stretched.
Philia seemed to be making dinner; a faint, pleasant aroma drifted from the back.
"Yeah, haha, sorry, I can't stop laughing."
Finally suppressing the rising laughter, Ritz turned to face Morris. Anna also gently wiped away the tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes from laughing too much.
"Sorry for taking over the dining hall. You really helped us out."
At Ritz's light bow, Morris nodded gravely and sat down opposite him.
"I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but… are you really going to get the Arlie back?"
For the people of Tushil, the matter of the Arlie was a huge problem. Anna understood that feeling painfully well.
For a farmer, the crops they lovingly raised were like their own children. The pride they felt when shipping them out was something only a farmer could understand. To have that stolen, how painful and hard it must be.
To the anxious Morris, Ritz put on a kind, gentle smile.
"I can't say 'leave it to me,' but I intend to do my very best."
After hearing that, Morris asked worriedly.
"Should we prepare a reward for you as well?"
Ritz waved his hand at the serious Morris.
"Of course not. We got money from the merchants, so we don't need any. Besides, you and Philia are Anna's saviors. We'd be cursed if we did something like that."
As he said that, Ritz patted Anna's head with his large hand.
"That's right! We're really grateful!"
To repay their gratitude, taking a reward would be out of the question. But as Ritz packed the collected money into a pre-prepared bag, he looked at Morris with a thoughtful expression.
"If I had to ask for something… I'd be happy if you could sell us some of your best herbs at a cheap price."
"Ritz?"
When she looked up, Ritz closed one eye. When Ritz was like this, Anna knew she could trust him. As she looked up at him silently, Ritz smiled shyly with the face of a kind young man.
"The truth is, I forgot to buy herbs before we came."
"Traveling without buying herbs? You're a bold one."
This time it was Morris's turn to laugh. But for some reason, the desperate feeling that had been inside Morris was gone. It seemed that Ritz asking for a reward had put Morris at ease.
She didn't know the reason, but there must have been some meaning to it.
"If the Arlie comes back, it's an easy request."
Morris agreed with a smile. There was no written contract, but Anna realized that this promise would never be broken.
"I'm counting on you. Please save this village."
His face was more serious than anyone's. The ones who really wanted them to solve the case were not the merchants, but the people of this village. Ritz responded to that with a resolute expression.
"Leave it to me. On my name, I swear I'll get the Arlie back."
Ritz, who declared this with a confident smile, was so reliable that Anna looked up at him. She felt deeply that he was an amazing person.
She wanted to become useful to Ritz. She wanted to be useful so she wouldn't be treated like a child, so she could properly become a companion.
"Well then, I suppose I'll start preparing dinner."
Morris stood up with a smile, and in his place, Franz, with his bangs wet, returned. It seemed he had been scrubbing his face until now. The marks from scrubbing stood out red on his white face. It must have been very hard to get off.
"Did the letters come off?"
"Thanks to you, yes."
To the sullen Franz, Ritz pushed the bag of money.
"Here, travel funds."
"…Yeah."
Franz was the treasurer. No matter how high the amount, Ritz easily entrusted it to him. It was somehow amazing.
"Well then, let's have a planning session for tomorrow until dinner."
At Ritz's suggestion, Franz also took a seat and opened his bag. Inside were paper, a pen, and an ink bottle. This was the same paper he had used to create the contract earlier. This bag, which contained no food or snacks, held only paper and books. For Anna, it was unthinkable.
"First, I'd like to see the scene, though."
Anna nodded at Ritz's words.
"Yeah. Let's go!"
"Are you an idiot? You're staying here."
"Whaaat!?"
"Listen, don't talk about coming along when you were on the verge of death."
"No way. I'm going! We're going to punish the people who are tormenting the farmers!"
When she declared it, Ritz scratched his head and sighed.
"…Alright… let's start with something else then. For now, all we can do is talk to the Roubaix couple."
At Ritz's suggestion, they decided to listen to the couple's story while eating dinner together.
Morris Roubaix's testimony.
"The night before the Arlie was stolen, it was a fine night without a single cloud. I went to see the fields the day before, and the Arlie leaves were just swaying in the gentle breeze. There was no wind strong enough to tear off the Arlie. Besides, a wind that could take only the Arlie doesn't exist, right? The other herb fields had no damage at all.
Any strangers? Hmm, I didn't see any. I was so busy preparing to open the inn and getting ready for the herb harvest at the same time that I couldn't look around."
Philia Roubaix's testimony.
"I was getting various things ready for the next day's harvest work. Yes, I went to bed later than Morris, but I didn't see or hear anything. Wind? In my experience, the weather wasn't the kind to have wind, and it didn't feel like a tornado was about to form… Have I seen any strangers recently? No, I haven't."
Result… they couldn't find out anything detailed.
With only two people to ask, this was all they could get. And since these two were a couple and were usually together, their testimonies were bound to be similar.
"Hmm, I guess we have no choice but to go to the scene after all, don't you think?"
Ritz groaned while picking at a walnut pie for dessert. On that point, Anna agreed. Sitting around here wouldn't get them anywhere.
"We'll have to talk to someone more familiar with the village's situation. The comings and goings of people recently, village rumors, and so on. The most important thing is information."
"But if we ask the villagers, won't they be suspicious?"
What Franz said was reasonable. If the merchants who were threatening the village suddenly disappeared, only for a strange trio to start sniffing around about the incident, they would become wary that something was up.
"Hmm."
Watching the groaning Ritz, Anna had an idea. Wouldn't the person at the top know the most?
"Hey, hey, why don't we try asking the most important person in this village?"
"The most important person?"
"The village chief. If you're looking for someone who knows the village best and is also in the know, it's the village chief, right?"
For Anna, who grew up in a rural village, the rural custom of 'if you're in trouble, go to the village chief or the priest' was deeply ingrained in her.
"That's right, there should be a village chief…"
"Yeah. There should be."
If you think of it as another farming village, the comings and goings of people, the growth status of the fields, and other various matters should all be reported to the village chief. Moreover, if that village chief is a person well-liked by the villagers, he might even know about rumors and gossip.
"The problem is how to meet him."
Franz muttered. It was true, there was no guarantee he would meet with them if they just showed up unannounced, and if he was a difficult person, getting information about the village's internal affairs would be tough. There was no way to know if he was on friendly terms with the villagers.
Putting that thought aside for a moment, the three of them tried to come up with other ideas, but in the end, they just wasted time without any good ideas surfacing, and they reluctantly had to have the Roubaix couple make another appearance.
"Actually, we'd like to meet the village chief…"
To the solemn Ritz, Morris replied casually.
"The village chief, huh? Got it."
It seemed so easy to get a meeting that the three of them couldn't help but look at each other. It seemed the 'on friendly terms with the villagers' item had been cleared.
"The village chief is an important person, right? Isn't it hard to meet him?"
Even Anna couldn't help but ask. But the Roubaix couple just laughed as if it was funny.
"A little while ago, there was writing on Franz-kun's forehead, right?"
"…Yes."
To the frowning, moody Franz, Morris said with a smile.
"Did you read what that name said?"
"…No?"
"The name written on your forehead was 'Nors Glaive,' the name of the Tushil village chief."
"What…?"
"In other words, I think the village chief came to check things out today."
He was so surprised he couldn't speak.
"We didn't exactly check if everyone was a merchant, did we?"
Ritz eventually muttered. It was true that with that many people, it would have been easy for someone other than a merchant to slip in. Watching the thoughtful Ritz, Franz, as if remembering something, suddenly started rummaging through his belongings.
"Then that means we took contract money from the village chief, too."
Franz said as he took out the contract. They had planned not to take a single coin from the villagers, but this would ruin everything.
"I'm sure everyone who was there signed it."
Franz carefully spread out the contract.
"Could you take a look at this?"
Handed the contract by Franz, Morris took it. He carefully looked it over from the very beginning. His hand stopped over a certain name.
"This, this is the village chief's signature."
The name Morris pointed to was the last one on the contract. Indeed, that signature was slightly different from the others; the space for the name of the city they belonged to was blank. The contract was designed so that if something happened, the individual could be identified, so it was set up to write down the name of their city and their name. The fact that it wasn't written there meant that they didn't belong to a city.
"I didn't look that closely."
Ritz gave a wry smile. It couldn't be helped, since he had thought they were all merchants in the first place.
"It's getting late. I'll guide you to the village chief's place tomorrow. Is that all right?"
It was certainly rude to visit at this hour. So they could only nod at Morris's words. Besides, Franz was quite tired, and Anna was actually feeling pretty rough too. Her body felt heavy, and she wanted to lie down.
"That's it for today. Let's rest today and start the investigation tomorrow."
Ritz said it simply and lifted Anna into his arms.
"This one's coming along anyway, so I'll toss her in bed first and let her rest."
"That's mean, Ritz. It's like I'm some kind of object."
She protested with a bit of a pout, but Ritz just laughed and didn't take her seriously. Maybe to Ritz, Anna was the same as luggage. She didn't like that.
But it was a fact that she was tired, so she decided to let him carry her without protest.
And so, a long day came to an end.