Chapter 91: Trouble Occurs While the Bear Is Unaware — Part Two

Chapter 91:
Trouble Occurs While the Bear Is Unaware
Part Two

 

WHAT WAS THE meaning of this?

None of the adventurers I sent to attack that little brat girl at the inn had come back. Bring the girl over to secure the item bag—that was all! How hard could that be? If it really could store a ton of wolves, I’d be able to rake in even more from this place and maybe—fates willing—leave this hovel.

I woke bright and early looking forward to it, and…nothing! Even though I paid them in advance! Had they cut and run?

A crony of mine checked out the inn. Maybe he’d figure something out.

“Guild master!” he whined when he came back, and I nearly threw something at him. Guild master this, guild master that.

Deep breaths. It’s fine. It’s fine. “What’s wrong?”

“They caught ’em! They got the guys who went to attack the bear girl at the inn yesterday!”

“Excuse me?”

“I saw several guys, all tied up, being taken to the adventurers’ guild.”

“To the adventurers’ guild?”

This was bad. If they’d been handed off to the guards, I could’ve figured something out. But the adventurers’ guild, of all places?

And how had they been caught? The C-Rank adventurers from the other day shouldn’t have been at the inn. Did that buff geezer from the inn catch them?

All I felt was rage. Utter schmucks! Complete wastrels!

Things had gone so perfectly sideways. If the captured guys gave my name, they’d easily be able to figure out it was my command.

“What should we do?”

“Leave ’em.”

“Are you sure?”

“Even if they say it was me, they have no proof. I can just say it’s groundless.”

I wouldn’t try attacking Missy Wolf Meat anymore. Perhaps it would be best to abandon this venture and split town.

 

Knock knock.

There was a tap at the door.

“We are busy, you numb-skulled nincompoop!”

A staff member came in. “But, err, sir? The adventurers’ guild master is here.”

Of course she was. I shooed my cronies from the room. “Then bring her in, man!”

That woman with her…chesty outfits came into the room. The adventurers’ guild master Atola. “Long time no see, Zallad.”

“And a good thing, too. Spit out your business and get out.”

“A girl was attacked at the inn last night. Happen to know anything about that?”

Last night? But I heard they were caught this morning. “How dreadful. I know nothing.”

“The ones that attacked her were adventurers. We saw them coming and going from your trade guild though.”

“A shame. I will avoid associating with such fiends in the future.”

“The adventurers claimed to be working under your orders.”

“Did they, now? What reason would I have to attack a girl I don’t even know?” Whimpering little turncoats!

“In order to steal the wolves, of course.”

“You mean that girl has something to do with the tons of wolves being distributed by the adventurers’ guild?” I let out a rather convincing gasp, if I do say so myself.

“Yes. She’s a charming and generous girl, and I’m positively furious that anyone would attack someone like her.”

“Indeed. Dreadful business. I would execute such monsters, the whole lot.” Dead men tell no tales, after all.

“So you insist you weren’t involved?”

“Of course not. And the longer those—those fiends—live, the more likely they might escape and come after me. Execute them. For justice, and to keep us all safe.”

“All right. I’ll be back.”

Oh, I hoped not. Atola went home, but I doubted it was over. I had no idea what that guild master was up to. Maybe the time was ripe for me to split? I thought I needed another month, but ah well. Idiot cronies. Meddling bear girl!

I called and gathered the three cronies who knew I were connected to the bandits. There weren’t many who had that information. Had to control for info leaks, after all. It was a little ahead of schedule, but I told the three of them that I was skipping town. We’d leave tonight and rendezvous with Omos.

Unbeknownst to them, my real plan was to steal all the trade guild’s money and frame the three of them for the theft. Then Omos and his bandits would kill them and leave their corpses to be found on the road, making people assume that the money was stolen by the bandits. Everything was accounted for, so to speak.

“I’m stopping by my house,” I said. “I’ll be right back. Head out soon.”

I went home and packed away anything useful into an item bag. There were even things I’d stolen from residents who tried to leave the seaport. Omos, that giant fool, only cared about money and women, and I granted him plenty of both. The fool didn’t even know how to fence his takes, and telling him how much a jewel cost was useless.

My valuables and supplies were packed. All I needed now was my take from the trade guild.

 

But when I came back to the trade guild, there was some commotion. Odd. And why were staff members smiling?

“What happened here?” I asked a particularly delighted looking dolt.

“The bandits on the high road were apprehended!”

What? The one thing Omos was good at was being strong. Had he failed even at that?

The man prattled on: “We’ll be able to use the roads now. If we can do that, then we can get food in, too. We’re saved!”

No. No, no, no, no, no! The bandits? Apprehended? Then how would I deal with those three cronies? And what happened to Omos and the others? “Did all the bandits die?”

“It seems they were caught. And get this: apparently most of the bandits were actually adventurers from town. The adventurers’ guild master’s interrogating them as we speak.”

Alive? Alive? How was I supposed to deal with these idiots if they were alive? And of course they’d all start whining about “just following Zallad’s orders.”

“And—it’s so crazy—the one who defeated them was a girl dressed up as a bear! A tiny, cute little girl!”

Bears again? What was with that? What kind of bear could carry around a ton of wolf meat, have an item bag that could contain all that meat, capture adventurers who attacked her, and defeat a horde of bandits?

“Guild master, we’ll finally be able to make all your plans come true!”

Right. My…plans. All fake, of course—perfectly concocted to get the fools listening to me long enough for my real plan to come together. Oh, we were selling the food at high prices? Why, that was only to lay in capital so we could restock supplies for the town once the bandits were gone. The rest of the money would (naturally!) go to a quest fee in order to have the kraken killed.

The staff of the trade guild believed every word I said. They followed my instructions and focused on selling food to the rich in order to save up funds. Naturally, we had to be careful that the remaining staff and townspeople didn’t end up rebelling, so I just gave them reduced rations to keep things calm.

“Guild master?” The staff member gave me an odd look.

“It’s nothing, my dear boy. Anyway, we’re on standby for more info from the adventurers’ guild. There might be bandits left around.” It was still possible Omos had made it out.

“You’re right. We shouldn’t risk the roads yet,” he said and left.

I headed to my own office in the trade guild. Think, think! Argh! At minimum, even if Omos hadn’t been captured, I would have to go to the rendezvous. Maybe I’d have to kill my three cronies myself. How frustrating.

I didn’t have enough info to make a move. The more time passed, the fewer escape routes I’d have. Maybe I should give up on the money and just make a run for it?

Someone knocked.

“What is it, you?”

“The adventurers’ guild master is here.”

She already arrived. “Then lead her in.”

“She said she would like you to come out.”

“Why?”

“That’s because…” said the man, and began to stammer.

“All right, hush. Fine!”

I walked outside, and there they were: the bandits I hired, gathered in one long lineup, their limbs tied and their mouths were gagged. Had they called me out to show me this? I looked them over, one by one, and…was that Omos? No. But…was it?

His build and everything about him just screamed Omos, but his face was a mess. That egotistical, selfish brute was sitting obediently on the ground like the dog he was, deep down. The Omos I knew would’ve been writhing, practically snapping at their hands. He was the kind of man who’d choose death over something like this. It was an unbelievable scene.

Atola stood at the head of the group, and…huh? Behind her was something small and black and…bearish? It was a small girl in a bear outfit. Could this possibly be the rumored bear? Omos got done in by a little brat like this?

All I could do was laugh. My entire scheme, my months of planning and plotting…blown apart by a girl in a weird bear outfit?

I stifled my laughter, deciding to pretend to be surprised. “Are these the bandits?” I asked.

“That’s right. Every single one of them says you hired them.”

“I have no recollection of such a transaction.”

“Are you really still going to feign ignorance?”

“I don’t know what I don’t know.”

The bandits glared at me. Not only had they gotten caught, but not one of them possessed the decency to die for me. For men who valued life so little, they sure were reluctant to leave it.

“In that case, I suppose we can cut their bonds.” Atola pulled out a knife and motioned cutting the ropes holding the men. The restrained men were already glaring daggers at me now. I could imagine what would happen if she freed them.

“Surely you aren’t suggesting we let these bandits run off.”

“Of course not. I was simply curious about what would happen. To you. Hypothetically.”

Everyone looked so suspicious of me. They were all convinced, eh? I needed some escape route, any escape route.

“I wonder,” said Atola, “if you’ll be able to talk your way out of this after this?”

Her staff pulled three trussed-up men from the group…those three. My cronies and would-be-fall guys, who I’d been planning to skip town with tonight.

“They seemed to be doing something suspicious, so I put tails on them. Since they were trying to leave the seaport, I kindly listened to their stories. It turns out they had many, many tales to share.”

The three sputtered through their gagged mouths. A pathetic display.

“They must be trying to pin the blame on me for whatever they did,” I said. “I have no idea who they are.”

“All right, then. Will you let us take a look at that item bag you’re cradling so preciously?”

Oh. Ha. I was holding it this whole time, wasn’t I? Gripping it tightly…

“This is,” I began. “I mean, it’s…” I tried hiding it behind me, but it was too late. They’d see everything. All the stolen money, jewels, and everything else. “Nothing important. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“Could you let me see the inside of it? These three were so happy to show me theirs.”

The three in question groaned and shook their heads.

“I’ll have to pass, dear Atola. Why must I show you anything?”

She knew. And if she saw what was in this bag, that would really be it. I wouldn’t be able to talk my way out. I held my item bag behind me, gripping it tight.

“I will bear,” she roared, “full responsibility! Check the contents of Zallad’s item bag!”

And the guild staff pounced. I tried to make a break for it, but it was no use; the staff of the adventurers’ guild were all former adventurers. They seized me and snatched the bag from my hands in the blink of an eye.

“Stop!”

“What a nice item bag,” said Atola. “I wonder if the insides are as pretty as the outside?” And she upended it all.