Chapter 28 - This is Fraud, I Say!
Gokigenyou! I am Violia Nico Fortesia!
We have brilliantly annihilated the nobles from the noble district of Elsemarin!
And! We have succeeded in rescuing the lightning user-chan! It is the best possible result! O-hohohohohoho!
「I shall confirm just in case, but you are a free person now, are you not?」
When I confirmed, the lightning user certainly nodded.
「Yeah. Free. I'm not a slave anymore... and I can freely defect to this side.」
「Those are the words I wanted to hear...!」
And immediately, he seemed to have resolved to fight alongside us. It is a joyful thing.
「O-Of course, the conditions you offered at first! I'll have you accept all of them!」
「Yes, yes. Of course. Three meals and a nap included, snacks as you like. A lavish share. Plenty of nobles to slaughter. It is the best, is it not?」
「Well, it's not bad.」
The lightning user-chan seems satisfied, and I am happy. With this, I have gained a female companion!
However, Doran seems a bit concerned.
「Are you really okay with this? Being with us means being with the most prominent criminals in this town.」
「Crime? Hah, it's too late for that, and I don't really care.」
How wonderful.
「And it's bad of me to say this after bringing you in, but we're aiming to crush the Royal Family. You'll be participating in that too.」
「The Royal Family!? ...Well, I guess that's fine.」
Oh my, how very wonderful!
「It's not like I can live a decent life now just because I'm not a slave anymore. In that case, it seems better to be worked here with reasonably good treatment.」
「You really are wonderful! I have picked up something great! You are the best!」
「H-Hey, don't cling to me so much!」
Lightning user-chan is the best! The best! I shall definitely raise her with care!
「By the way, about your former master.」
「Ah, yeah. I'll answer as long as it's within what I know. What?」
「Who on earth was it...?」
「...Huh?」
...Ah, we must start from there.
「Haaaaah!? You killed every noble in the noble district!? Are you sane!?」
「Looks like madness, doesn't it? But this is normal here. Remember that.」
All of us are firmly and properly sane. It is just that we can come up with ideas that go a bit beyond the framework of others.
「...Was there a need to go that far?」
「Well, I originally felt like crushing all the nobles anyway.」
「Uwaah...」
「Ah, Doran. Can I get high on my meds soon?」
「Do as you like.」
「Yes! Man, I've been restricted like crazy until now! Finally!」
The lightning user-chan made a face like 'these people aren't sane' when she saw Chesta, but except for Chesta, everyone is sane. Yes.
「Now then, about your former master.」
「Ah... I see, so since you didn't know, you killed everyone, and since he died, the slave collar came off... so you don't know...」
While muttering something, the lightning user-chan eventually answered with a sigh.
「The one who was my master was the younger brother of the current head of House Fruitier.」
「Fruitier! House Fruitier, you say!?」
「Y-Yeah, that's right.」
House Fruitier! One of the three rotten noble houses that entrapped House Fortesia!
House Clarino, House Hornbone, House Fruitier, and the Royal Family—they are the targets of my revenge! I shall never forget them!
「House Fruitier? That's a famous family. Why would a place like that be trying to crush us?」
「You don't know? Nobles do some pretty nasty things.」
I know! ...Hey! Stop looking at me, everyone!
「Specifically, what were they doing?」
「Trading monster materials and selling drugs. They even have a drug plantation in the suburbs, and oh, tax evasion is a given. House Castane and they are in a relationship where they cover for each other's tax evasion.」
So that was the connection. I understand now.
「...That's why they were competing with this place in various businesses, and also, wasn't the reason for crushing House Castane to seize evidence of House Fruitier's tax evasion? It seems Fruitier was trying to crush this place because they thought that.」
「Our interests were purely sanctions and money...」
「If there were such important documents, we should have stolen them.」
「Well, it can't be helped since we burned them. If we'd gotten those, we could have blackmailed the main house too.」
Hmm, I never thought House Castane was connected to a branch of House Fruitier. If I had known, I would have scavenged more before retreating... Since we set it on fire, it is hard to believe any evidence remains...
Well, fine. What is done is done.
「For now, House Fruitier's drug cultivation alone will be sufficient evidence. We shall seize that and report them!」
A drug plantation is more than enough evidence! Ufufu, even if it is a branch, it is evidence of what House Fruitier has done. I shall carefully and grandly make it public to the world and make the house crumble! O-hohohoho!
「Well, very well. For now, there is one thing to do.」
「Looting in the chaos, huh.」
「Yes, exactly!」
I smiled brightly while remembering.
The nobles who gathered in the plaza and died to the last man. ...And the massive wealth that must be behind them!
「If we find evidence of tax evasion or anything of the sort, let us collect that as well. Prioritizing houses that have their main residence in the Royal Capital. And if we find any dirt, we can use it to blackmail the main house and have some fun!」
「The young lady is energetic, isn't she?」
I am energetic! Not only did I gain the lightning user-chan, but I also managed to strike a blow against House Fruitier, even if it was unintentional! I am happy! Well, instead of one blow, I intend to shoot about a hundred arrows at them from now on! O-hohohoho!
And so, it was time for looting.
This time, instead of soldier's attire, we shall wear appropriately inconspicuous clothing.
「Here. You should also carry a bag. And listen well? If there is any furniture you like, you may collect it. And then you shall create your own room.」
「Huh? ...No, a Spatial Bag has a limit to the size it can hold.」
「That is where modification comes in. Here. You just need to tinker with this part.」
I handed a Spatial Bag to the lightning user-chan and, while I was at it, modified that Spatial Bag a bit.
This bag is an imitation of an artifact of ancient magic. It was imitated without even properly understanding the mechanism... but if you tinker with a part of the magic embedded in it, it becomes a wonderful bag that can suck in and store things without you having to lift or put them in.
Ah, by the way, modifying ancient magic items is illegal. Well, it is fine as long as we are not caught.
「It would be better for you to have your own room, would it not? You are a girl, after all. I cannot let you sleep in the same room as these men.」
「...Hm?」
Oh, she gave me a somewhat suspicious look. Perhaps it was bad that I left her in the hideout with Giovan today? Is she thinking 'why now'?
「You two, let's go.」
But before I could ask, Doran's call came, so I shall apologize for that later.
Right now, looting in the chaos comes before all else!
「What do you mean, two Spatial Bags are full, young lady?」
「I found some furniture I liked again. Other than that, I simply collected valuables normally.」
「So practically one whole bag is just treasure...」
With two bags slung across my shoulders, my heart was even fuller than the bags.
Looting in the chaos was very fun! The servants were just running around in confusion, and the guards were short-handed. In the first place, how many people fled in fear of the poison! Even if someone was in there doing something, they wouldn't be noticed at all.
Thanks to that, I have made a fortune! O-hohohohoho!
「Shall we decide the shares tomorrow? It is already late at night. Shall we disband for today?」
「I don't mind. We'll probably have to stay underground for a few days anyway.」
「True. Chesta is also happily high.」
「The sky is so pretty—hyahahaha!」
Yes. And so, having obtained everyone's consent, once again!
「Come to think of it, I had not heard your name, lightning user-san?」
Yes! I had not heard this child's name this whole time! Now that the slave collar is off, this child can talk about all sorts of information as much as he likes. There is no longer any problem even if he says his own name.
「...Keeb Old. You can just call me Keeb.」
...Keeb. That is a rare name. Does it not have a rather masculine ring to it?
「I see. Then, Keeb. Nice to meet you from now on. I am Violia Nico Fortesia. I am being pursued by the country as a heinous criminal. Nice to meet you.」
「I already know. I've already done my research. ...Doran Parc. Giovan Bastorin. Chesta Trapetta. Am I right?」
Oh. It seems there was no need for us to introduce ourselves. It helps that things move quickly.
「Well then, Keeb. It is unfortunate, but please stay at my castle tonight. I cannot let you sleep in a hideout with these men. Ah, and let us take a bath together! I obtained some good scented oil during the looting earlier! Let us use it lavishly!」
I excitedly made that proposal and pulled Keeb-chan's hand. She is the female friend I finally obtained! I shall never let her go!
「...Um, hey.」
But Keeb-chan did not move at all. Oh? What is the matter...?
「I'm a boy, though...?」
I reflexively flipped up Keeb-chan's robe and pulled down his pants!
...
There was something there that shouldn't have been.
「Noooooooooooooo—!? It is growing—!?」
「That's what I'm telling you! Why can you pull down someone's pants without hesitation!」
「This must be a lie—! It is impossible for someone this cute to be a boy!」
「It's right here! Are your eyes made of glass!?」
「Noooooooo! This is fraud! This is fraud, I say!」
「What are you talking about, jumping to conclusions on your own! Give it a rest! Honestly!」
Yes.
It is fraud. I have been defrauded. I can only weep now.
「I was looking forward to it, you know...? That finally, finally, I would have a female friend...」
「I'm not a girl, and I don't really feel like being friends anyway?」
「Ah! That is too much! Give me back my expectations, excitement, and innocence!」
「How should I know!」
It is fraud—! This is fraud, I tell you—!
Because! That smooth skin! That silky hair! Those large eyes! Those long eyelashes and cute features—no matter how you looked at it, she was a girl—!
...And so.
I have been defrauded, but I shall continue to live strongly and sturdily.
Although I failed to gain a cute female assassin as a companion, I did manage to gain a cute assassin as a companion.
Keeb's magic will be worth training, and I think he will grow more and more if raised. That is purely something to look forward to.
...Furthermore.
「Now then, Keeb. This is your nightgown. Please use it.」
「It's a nightgown! (T/N: Specifically a neglige.)」
「I thought about it the other way around. It is fine even if it is a boy. That is what I thought. I am sure a boy can be made cute too!」
「I absolutely refuse!」
Well, depending on how you think about it, this is fine too! Yes! Positively! I shall go forward positively!