Chapter 14.1

After the loudmouths were shut up—

Bertram tied the four men with curtains while Lara headed to call the patrol guards. It didn’t seem like this was his first time doing something like this.

Of the four, he gagged three of them, and Bertram gave one of the men the chance to speak first.

Although, to be more exact, he was being given the chance to betray.

“Could you explain what you were attempting to do?”

“Untie me first. Who gave you the right to treat us like this!”

“It appears you have not understood the situation yet. Please rest your eyes for a moment.”

“What?”

Bertram shoved the back of the man’s head, face down, hitting the floor. After a few shudders, the man lost consciousness.

Whimpers leaked out from the other men’s mouths past their gags.

“Giiiih…?”

“Men, we have not begun yet. Is it phantom pain you’re feeling?”

Bertram was expressionless. Only the blood that had splashed onto his face explained what he was about to do.

As the men gulped down even their whimpers, Bertram undid the pawnshop manager’s gag and asked.

“You seemed to be attempting to tempt members of my party and kidnap, then sell them off. Am I correct?”

“T-tempt! No. We respect people’s opinions, and we only introduce a way to earn money, that’s all! They can earn money and go back home with their shoulders squared back with pride.”

“…..I understand what you mean. I, too, know of many young men who heard such stories.”

“Ehe, I see. Were you, by any chance, in the same line of business?”

“No.”

Rising, Bertram stepped on the back of the manager’s head.

Though his nose broke, he could not immediately faint. He struggled on the floor, spraying bloody discharge from his nose. Bertram spoke from above his head.

“Conscription in the army was also the same. ‘This is the chance to take from the enemy country’s treasury, let’s all become rich and go back home with our shoulders thrown back.’”

“Hmph…!”

The man had no chance to flatter or excuse himself with words such as ‘so you were a soldier, no wonder you looked so strong.’ Bertram did not want to hear his voice any longer.

Next, the third man screamed as soon as his eyes met Bertram’s.

“Mmf, bfmph!”

“I will un-gag you now. Tell me the truth. If your information is lacking, I plan to walk through this process from the very beginning again.”

‘The very beginning.’ Hearing those words, the first man faking unconsciousness flinched. To return endlessly to the beginning meant that an end did not exist.

Just before the third man’s gag was about to come off—

Lara’s voice could be heard from below.

“Anna, I brought the patrol guards! We’ll be up there soon!”

“You ruffians, just you wait! Graahh… whaaaa!”

It seemed that they’d all slid down while trying to come up the broken wooden staircase.

The human traffickers reddened, as if they were secondhandedly embarrassed for them. But even that did not last long.

“I will continue.”

The gag came undone.

“Gaaahhh!”

The third man yelled as he threw himself between Bertram’s legs. He appeared to be trying to escape, even if he had to crawl.

However.

Anna stepped forward, her foot lifted.

With a flick, she had kicked him rolling down towards the wooden staircase.

“Ackk!”

“What the—geh!”

That was the sound of idiots, piling up on top of each other.

***

At the end of much complications, the human trafficker suspects were handed over to the patrol guards. Anna, Lara, and Bertram were finally able to leave the building for public order and security after completing the inspection.

It was already dinnertime. If the village chief hadn’t come looking for them, they might have starved for dinner.

Anna grumbled towards the village chief.

“What are those patrol guards even here for? They should be grateful we even caught the trafficking ring for them. They still go and ask Mr. Bertram to do the interrogation himself, too?”

“…Anna, Lara. I really didn’t want to say this to you two, but…. Don’t be too surprised.”

“What is it?”

“The truth is, this city is also part of the countryside! Those patrol guards don’t really know how to handle such big cases like this, either!”

Lara’s mouth hung open.

“N-n-no way…. A city this big is also a countryside?”

“It’s only ‘cause they made their fences with stone walls that it looks kind of formidable, but objectively speaking, this is a very peaceful and small city. Isn’t that right, Bertram?”

Bertram nodded.

“I agree. The existence of this periodical market is the reason they play the role of a city in this administrative district, but in reality, its size is closer to what you would call rural. The human traffickers earlier were also those who escaped to a remote area after they had become fugitive in the city they were active in.”

“That’s right. The best they could do after running here was to learn how to steal, trying to kidnap naïve young countryside girls and send them to the city. Anyway, Anna, about you.”

“Yes?”

“No matter how mad you are, it won’t do to charge so rashly at a human trafficking ring. What were you going to do if Bertram wasn’t here, hm?”

“…Sorry.”

“You could’ve been sold off along with Lara! Goodness! Not that you did anything wrong, but just be more careful, alright?”

Even as he admonished her, the chief was smiling on the inside.

Villagers who’d gone to the city on market days being deceived by such sweet talk and kidnapped were something that had occurred time to time from when the chief was young, too.

He couldn’t count the number of times they’d heard the words ‘didn’t they run away because they were tired of the country life?’ when they reported this to the patrol guards.

How exciting it had been today to be striking a blow at them by catching the human traffickers.