This fellow seriously believed me?
Certainly, I heard that there were newcomers but no matter how you look at it, the thieves do not look like they passed out due to being drunk.
One of them was even foaming at his mouth.
However … it seems like the bandit earnestly believed me.
He sat down on the chair,
"Hey newcomer, serve me liquor as well! Bring me liquor!"
and requested for liquor.
"Erm, I apologize but there is currently no liquor."
A shame, we might have been able to escape if he fell drunk from liquor.
However, Norn's room had nothing but a bed and we rummaged through this room just now but there weren't any alcoholic beverages. There was only a large wooden box.
The thieves were most likely peeved precisely because there wasn't any alcohol and the newcomers who went to buy them did not return.
A dubious expression surfaced on the bandit's face after I apologized.
"These guys passed out from drinking right? If that's the case then there should be liquor right?"
Geh, was our ruse detected already? No, I'll try to somehow deceive my way through.
It was time for the poker face that I practiced in case I ever make a blunder during a job interview to maintain a placid expression.
"I'm sorry, the elder brothers drank it all so she was just about to go buy some more." (TL: He called the other thieves aniki-tachi which is basically a way to call senior members in gangs.)
I said and pointed at Haru.
… At the very least, I hope to let Haru escape and return with reinforcements!
For that reason, I drew attention towards her but,
"Hmm? This girl, isn't that a slave collar? Hey, what's the meaning of this!"
Guh, even though he is a fool why is he so uselessly perceptive. Ah, setting, are there any possible settings.
A setting that makes it natural for me to treat a slave as a companion …
"Oh, she is actually my lover but she was kidnapped by an unscrupulous slave dealer. In order to take her back, I killed the unscrupulous slave dealer but he actually had connections with powerful nobles so I ended up as a wanted fugitive. Thus, we entered a band of thieves with a renowned boss and escaped until where we are now."
I smoothly lined up lies after lies but I was flustered within.
… Shit! I overdid it with the setting!
Hey hey, am I an idiot? If I was a wanted fugitive, I would not be able to enter the town, or rather, in the first place, it could be understood with just a glance with we do not look like lovers. Furthermore, with the slave collar, the owner should be able to command her and it would be impossible to escape, or rather, what renowned boss, most likely nobody knows about the existence of someone like this guy. Everyone only knows that there are thieves within the Beginner Labyrinth.
" … Oi you, did you seriously say those words?"
The male bandit's eyes sharpened.
Damn it, so this is where it ends.
Or so I thought.
"Kuu, such a sob story. I'm weak against such stories."
Eh, he really began crying?
Perhaps he is a surprisingly good person?
Or so I thought but he took up his axe,
"However, these bastards who even drank up my share of the liquor! Should I kill one of them as a lesson … Hmph, we have 2 newcomers so killing one of them wouldn't be a problem."
He said and the axe swung down upon the neck of the bowman.
Blood splattered as the man's head rolled across the floor.
… No way, did he just kill his companion? Just because he drank his share of the liquor?
"Kahahaha, killing people is great after all! I leveled up!"
The bandit's level certainly rose to Lv15.
It was a huge mistake to think that he was a good guy even for a split second.
This guy is … insane. I want to escape from here as soon as possible.
However, I first have to get Haru to escape … then I will look for a chance to grab Norn and escape together.
"Boss, let her go buy liquor then."
"Ah, that's right, liquor. No, you go and buy the liquor! This lady is quite the beauty. I don't stain serisuros often but oh well. I'll be your partner." (TL: Serisuro is a unique term in this novel. It will be explained in a later chapter so for now just take it as a term he used to call Haru.)
" … Erm, boss, she is my lover."
"Haa, didn't you hear what I, the boss, said? Do you wish to die?"
Ku, my plan failed.
"Please go ahead, I will be fine."
Haru said with a smile. It was the first time I saw Haru smile.
Fine? There's no way that's possible.
Don't tell me you are fine with such a lonely smile.
"Ho, this lady here has a better eye at judging people. Very well, I'll forgive what happened earlier, hurry up and go buy the liquor!"
… That's right, he wouldn't kill Haru and Norn.
If I ran at full speed from now, I can explain the situation to the military police above ground and return … No, the 2 remaining thieves would wake up before that or the real newcomer thieves would arrive and he would discover that we are not thieves. They might escape to somewhere else and Haru would not be able to survive.
Furthermore, I don't want to leave Haru behind and run.
It's a life that I had already lost once anyway!
I'll do what I can do!
A single unexpected blow is unlikely to kill. That might happen in my original world, but this is the Otherworld.
This is a world where status has an immense influence. I fear that even the force of an attack that can decapitate a person may not strike through his defence.
If that's the case …
"Well then, boss, I'll quickly go buy the liquor!"
I said that as I passed by the bandit and pulled out my sword, slicing off the head of the fallen thief.
I felt that there was a possibility for me to defeat him as this thief was weak from receiving Haru's attack just now and I was right.
[Ichinojo Level up]
[Jobless skill: 「3rd Job Setting」 skill has leveled up to 「4th Job Setting」]
[Job: Swordsman is now available]
[Job: Bowman is now available]
[4th Job was automatically set as Commoner Lv15]
I willed it such that Commoner was replaced with Swordsman Lv1.
… I had just killed a person.
And next …
"Hey what the hell are you doing …"
"「Slash」!"
My 「Slash」dissected the torso of the Lv9 Swordsman.
[Ichinojo Level up]
[Apprentice Swordsman skill: 「Swordsmanship Strengthening (Minor)」 obtained]
[Hunter skill: 「Dismantling」 skill has leveled up to 「Dismantling II」]
[Swordsman skill: 「Sword Equip」 skill has leveled up to 「Sword Equip II」]
I successfully leveled up like this.
I could infer that my Apprentice Swordsman reached Lv25, but I didn't have the time to check on my other job levels.
Let alone the time to waver on the fact that I killed people.
I was about to weep at the sight of the blood dripping from my sword and the iron smell of the blood splashed onto my face, but I didn't have the time.
That's because the male bandit was glaring at me.
I can no longer escape from this duel.
"You bastard, you lied when you said you wanted to become my subordinate."
"Yeah … I lied!"
"So you plan to defeat me and take over this band of thieves huh! As if I would let you do that!"
I don't have such intentions!
But I couldn't jab my tsukkomi in. The male bandit poised his axe and ran towards me.
I wanted to buy time by escaping but I wasn't certain that the axe does not have long distance attacks like my 「Slash」.
Thus, I judged that it would be dangerous to stand too far away.
I instantly retrieved Norn's spear from my item bag and threw it.
Was the smooth motion due to the Villager 「Stone Throw」 skill … No, it's unrelated. It's not a stone in the first place. The spear was easily repelled by the flick of his axe.
Damn it, he's strong after all!
"Die! This band of thieves belongs to me!"
At that moment … Haru quickly pounced onto the bandit's back and slashed her sword at his neck.
However …
"That hurts!"
The bandit cried out and struck Haru with the side of his axe.
Haru's slender body was blown backwards.
"You will be my partner later so lay there for now!"
How dare you do that to Haru!
Looking at his back … there was blood coming out of his neck but it was far from a mortal wound.
It goes without saying that if I cannot defeat this guy then I would not be able to win against Haru.
However … I am currently strong!
It doesn't matter if it's a Swordsman or a Bandit.
I'll show you the hidden strength of Jobless.
With great determination, I unsheathed my steel sword and swung down as I ran.
However … the bandit stopped the sword with his axe and gloated.
"Good movement! If you worked below me, you might have been my right-hand man."
"Oh thank you!"
I said as I stepped forward and performed the golden attack that defeated the previous goblin.
「Slash」!
I cried out.
It wasn't a knife hand but a 「Slash」 using a kicking attack.
If it was possible with hands then it would also be possible with feet … was what I thought.
"O … ouchhhhhhhh! Wha, what, I've never heard of using 「Slash」 with feet! What did you do!"
"Never heard of it? But I've actually done it … are you not only an idiot?"
"You called me an idiot!? Don't joke with me! I can, I can write words!"
You're an idiot precisely because you boast about something of that degree!
Well, as a person who can't write this world's words, I can't say anything.
"Nobody who calls me an idiot will live unscathed! Die!"
"The person who will die is you!"
The male bandit and I crossed weapons at the labyrinth's passageway.
And then …
" … Ou, ouchhhh! Potion, potion!"
I cried out! My arm, he got my arm! Oh my, is the steel sword bent?
I hurriedly took out a potion from the item bag and drank it all down.
Looking at me, the bandit …
"Gahahaha … Guha."
He was laughing out loud and then collapsed on the spot.
A large cut remained in his belly.
I somehow won, but a scene often depicted in fictional stories where the winning party is on one knee as the opponent collapses behind … such performances are impossible for me. However, seeing that I did not level up, the bandit was most likely still alive.
I lightly approached, retrieved the axe and stored it in the item bag.
Also, I have no intention of saying that killing people is cruel but I cut the tendon on his right arm.
Sorry but I have no intention of getting beaten up once he wakes up.
Is Haru fine?
She was kicked by the man and flew off. (TL: I thought she was knocked back with his axe …)
"Haru, are you okay! Please reply!"
"Mas, master, please escape."
"It's fine, I defeated the bandit. Please drink this potion."
I passed the potion to Haru and let her drink it.
Maybe because she recovered from the pain after drinking the potion, Haru stood up.
And then, I retrieved the cloth I bought for the sake of taking care of my equipment from the item bag and wiped the blood off my sword and my face.
Now then … what should I do with that bandit … kill him, or …
"Hmm, oi oi, what's this Elise, the large boss is taking a nap at such a place."
"That's right Jofre. The interior of the labyrinth is warm but is it possible to sleep in such a place?"
"Hahaha, did you know? Elise, in another country's language, there is a term that says that kaho is lying in wait in sleep! In other words, he is waiting for kaho."
"Is that so? Hey, Jofre, what's kaho?"
"Of course, if you sleep while lying in wait for it then it is dawn! He is waiting for dawn."
"Then he is a revolutionary! Just like Jofre."
"Hey hey, I don't remember becoming a revolutionary even once."
"What are you saying Jofre. Don't you always make my heart happy."
(TL: Omg their conversation is almost gibberish …)
And then, the blonde man and woman embraced.
A sweet space wrapped around the 2 of them.
" ........ 「Slash」."
I aimed the 「Slash」at Jofre and Elise's feet.
Wait, what? What am I doing? My body moved on its own.
"Uwa, what are you … wait, oya, you are that rookie before. What are you doing at a place like this?"
"What are you doing … eh, it's really the rookie before. It's dangerous here. It seems like there are thieves that appear so it's better if you quickly return."
Ah … what a chore. Is it okay to kill them?
"Sorry, erm, that guy is the thief boss. We just defeated him with the 2 of us …"
After I said that, Elise and Jofre were shocked and they faced each other and muttered something.
And then, they looked at me with faces full of smiles.
"I see I see, to be defeated by a rookie, this thief was not anyone spectacular. By the way, what do you plan to do with him?"
"Hmm, there's no reason to leave him alive so I plan to kill him."
"Hey hey, you plan to do something so wasteful? Even though he is weak, if you bring thief heads to the Adventurers Guild you would be rewarded with their bounty."
"If it's okay, let us help by carrying! In exchange, give us a share of the bounty."
Hmm, maybe I'll take them up on their offer.
I can't carry everything alone and the people above would be relieved to see evidence that the thieves were defeated. I whispered to Haru and she also agreed with my opinion.
I returned to the thief den and for now, placed the wooden box with unknown content beside Norn into the item box and carried the still sleeping Norn. The corpses had disappeared.
The sensation of the 2 items that transmitted through my back felt extremely pleasant.
According to Haru's diagnosis, Norn was sleeping due to medication but was not in any dangerous condition.
"Well then, let's triumphantly return to the town!"
And then, we went back to town.