Chapter 245: The Three Bodyguards

The hideout of the bandit group working in Fauren is located on the outskirts of Isckia Village which got its name from a dungeon called『Isckia Hills』.

The hideouts of bandits would be dirty small hut or a dark cave, but this place alone gives an impression completely different from those stereotypes.

After all, this place is a neat and clean mansion, a place no one would think bandits would live in.

Seeing the quiet environment of greenery surrounding it, one would think it is some villa of a noble, and, some years ago that was the truth.

As for what karma this mansion degraded to a point of being used by bandits is something that only some people among the higher-ups know about.

However, though they might not know the details but everyone do understand the gist of it, that is the same for the bodyguards who were hired from outside.

「It’s a mansion of some Slave Dealer, I have heard that」

One of the three bodyguards who attacked the student party just the other day, the giant skinhead man, Zack a rank 2 Adventurer asked a question regarding the mansion and got that as the answer.

The one who answered Zack’s question is another one of the bodyguards, a katana-wielder with blue eyes and blond hair, Ludora.

When Zack first met him, looking at those vacant eyes and haggard body he doubted that this guy can even speak, but after accompanying him till now he knows that this guy can reply just fine, and so he can call out to him less timidly.

「Cheh, from my view this place is really small too small, I wanna live in a damn big place!」

At the very least, Zack thinks he is very easier to talk if compared to this always-boasting one-eyed Golem, Galdan.

「A certain Slave Dealer, eh, maybe our true employer might be someone really great whose name even I might know」

In the first place, the client who hired them is anonymous, they just know that he is a Trader who pays generously. The representative of target of escort, the bandit group aka Slave Dealer, a man named Robert is the only contact person between them and the client.

The man who was talking to the party of students was Robert. Surely his tone and appearance is like that of a hoodlum, but he is the only one who holds the direct connection with the Slave Dealer in question. Unexpectedly, his true job might not be being a bandit but a trader.

In short, that Slave Dealer is the boss, and this bandit group Robert leads, is the way to restock their commodities aka slaves via bandit-like ways.

Though he hadn’t searched the background, but Zack believed more than half in the authenticity of his current guess.

Among the three, only he was Rank 2 who couldn’t even use a single Martial Skill, but he was the only one who knew the workings of the underworld these guys lived in.

「Well, as long as they pay us, I don’t care who the person is」

And he knew the fact that ignorance is a bliss, after all he was just an expendable asset. If his old friend hadn’t introduced him, then Zack, who had returned to being a honest adventurer, would never take such a shady private contract quest.

Of course the reward was also fascinating, to the extent that Rank 2 quests can’t even be compared.

「It’s a good decision」

While hearing the words of praise from Ludora, Zack lied down on the leather-covered sofa.

「By the way, Boss Ludora」[1]

The reason Zack calls him like this is because, in this short fellowship, he has known that this man is the strongest person.

Unfortunately the second one was Galdan, a human can never win against Golem’s power without Martial Skills and Magic.

「What?」

「Boss, aren’t you going to participate in that place, they even invited saying they would give the pure ones」

As the subordinates of Slave Dealer, it’s a basic thing to always send the prettiest woman untouched.

Naturally, with slave girls in front, the men who had fallen down to the grades of bandits certainly won’t be able to hold back, and even though with the strict order of not touching the girls, some will break it.

Hence, they have taken the measure to do as the please with girls who seem normal, so if they have an outlet for their desires, they won’t stake their lives for raping the more good girl.

Therefore, the Spada’s schoolgirls they captured the other day have been used as the tools for the relaxation of bandits, no, even currently they might be using them in the floor below.

「I have refused the women due to some circumstances」

「Hmm, that is pretty stoic」

「What is with women this and that, truly shit, them was getting heated up from morning to evening, truly eyesores」

“That is because you’re a Golem without any sexual desires”, there was no obligation to retort like that, was there?

「From my view, I’m more concerned why you haven’t laid your hands on that」

「Hehe, so it does look like that」

Zack shows a self-depreciative smile while lying down. Even he himself understands how other people look at him.

And that he is mostly the same as what he looks like.

However,

「I have resolved to not lay hands of little girls」

「That is quite an admirable mental attitude」

「It’s nothing that exaggerated, just a superstition」

In the Adventurer Profession where life and death are side-by-side, there are many who are deeply religious even without divine protection, believe in superstitions, are concerned about their result from the fortune-telling, and there are even who follow the rules they made themselves.

「I think if I do that, then even a bad person like me will have my life saved once again」

On the neck of Zari, who just said something deeply moving, a fairy accessory was shining along with the Guild Card joined to it by a chain.

「Huh! You an idiot, eh, tryin’ to pray ta God? That is the shittiest thing」

「Shut up will ya, if you actually narrowly escape death, even you will become a religious person」

But even if said that, it’s not like he would understand those emotions. In fact, from the mouth, no, Galdan’s a golem so from his speaker the words of denial come out.

「Moreover if I laid a hands on a girl, then I would end up in a relation from which I won’t be able to escape even if I want to. I totes don’t want to become like those bandits」

Just like Robert said to the students, they are outwardly Slave Dealers.

Though they are doing the work of bodyguards, but they have never seen the stage where they would attack a village and abduct the girls. However, from the feeling they get from those guys, there’s no doubt that they are involved in abduction and stuff.

And in the case with student party the other day, under the pretext of retrieval of slave, they went too far, this can’t be denied.

「Huh? What are bandits, aren’t we bodyguards of slave dealers」

Well, there are also some idiots who would believe whatever told to them, so thinking that he didn’t had any obligation to teach him stuff, Zack ignored Galdan’s words.

「The dark elf girl we sent before, no matter how you look at it, she didn’t seem like a village girl who sold herself」

Ludora silently nodded to show affirmation.

But, Ludora and Zack, both don’t try to search more into the birthplace of that girl.

「Nevertheless, in some time our contract period will be over, after that I will get out of this dangerous place」

「Cheh, you damn coward human being, don’t you have the fighting spirit to do something with your own power if some trouble arises」

Zack sends him a gaze filled with contempt, after all this golem didn’t seem to know that every person has their limits.

But Zack also felt pity for this golem, who idiotically believes in the greatness of his power.

As soon as the air turned somewhere between turbulent and calm, a nock along with the voice of a man came from the double door.

「Gonna intrude in, Teachs」

Saying that the one who entered was the representative of this group, Robert.

「The guys who went down in the village asked for help, even a single person is enough. How about it?」

「Is one fine?」

For preparing against an unexpected accident the three of them would move together, particularly it would trouble Zack if some powerful monster or enemy appeared.

「I wanna have at least 2 people remain here」

This mansion is located in the mountains on the outskirts of village, hence the possibility of monsters appearing here is higher.

And what if some adventurer who determined the location of this hideout would suddenly attack here? They have let one student escape, so the Guild might be on the move.

「Got it, I will go」

Zack took the battle axe lying besides the sofa in his hands and stood up.

It’s not like he wanted to work hardly as a bodyguard, but he felt uncomfortable in this mansion where other girls were being raped.

「Whoah, Zack-san, Thankz」

Without any particular farewell words from other two, he left the room following after Robert.

Translator’s Note:

[1] That boss is the same as you imagine Okita Souji saying Boss (Danna) to Gintoki. (From anime Gintama)