Chapter 168 - Chapter 167: The Fake Dispeller Incident 2
Mika left the Adventurer's Guild and walked along the Southeast Main Street for a while before turning into an alleyway.
(...This seems to be the designated spot.)
The contact point for the information broker he had asked Gaeras to contact previously.
I thought they might have moved locations or were rotating with someone else, but they were there as usual.
However, it seems to be a different man than the one I saw last time.
Is it on a shift system?
Mika approached the homeless man lying down against the wall, facing it.
He briefly checked the arrangement of the sake bottles lined up against the wall.
It was definitely the contact point.
Mika reached into his Magic Bag and pulled out a gold coin.
He flicked the coin with his finger.
The gold coin traced a parabola and landed in front of the contact man's stomach.
A sharp ching sound echoed through the alley.
And so, making the sound echo several times, the coin bounced on the ground.
The contact man moved restlessly, picked up the gold coin that had fallen to the ground, and brought it up to his face to check it.
"...I am looking for the fools who are using the name 'Dispeller' to make easy money. Their houses, the bars they frequent, the gambling dens. ...Gather them all immediately."
Mika threw the words toward the man's head.
The man let out a sigh, slowly got up, and looked up at Mika.
He had the appearance of a true homeless man with his unkempt beard, but his eyes were too sharp.
Those eyes observed Mika from top to bottom.
And then, he sighed again.
"I don't take one-time jobs without an introduction... But if I say that, I might get my head cut off."
Saying that, he pocketed the gold coin.
"Does the Guild contact point refuse one-time jobs?"
"We don't have a sign up. There are all sorts of weirdos out there."
I didn't quite understand, but it seemed there was some discretion left to the individual.
The man's eyes stared fixedly into Mika's eyes.
There, a dull light peculiar to those living on the fringes resided.
"...Is it urgent?"
"Yes."
When Mika nodded, the man's gaze shifted for a moment as if thinking about something, then quickly returned to Mika.
"...This isn't enough. Thirty large silver coins. Forget the gold coins. They are hard to scatter."
"Understood. Be careful."
"...Come back here in two hours."
Saying that, the man took out several scraps of paper from his pocket.
He checked a few of them and handed one of them to Mika.
Mika silently accepted it and looked at the paper.
It wrote about a bar located at the edge of the Blacksmith District, on the outskirts of District 3.
But...
"There's a bar in a place like this?"
"There is. Though it's not operating."
It seemed to be a collapsed shop.
I see, Mika smiled bitterly and returned the paper.
"...Yes. It's better if it's something like that. It makes it easier to talk."
While accepting the paper, the man spoke.
Hearing the man's words, Mika made a suspicious face.
"Just a moment ago, it felt like my head was really going to be cut off. I don't know how angry you are, but please don't direct that at unrelated people."
Hearing that, Mika grimaced.
"My apologies. It seems I am still quite immature."
The man did not answer that, but stood up after collecting several sake bottles he had lined up against the wall.
"I'll leave the back door open. See you later."
Saying that, the man walked toward the depths of the alley.
Mika watched his back.
(I thought I was suppressing my anger, but maybe I couldn't suppress it completely.)
Haa... He let out a deep breath.
It wasn't a boiling anger.
He was trying desperately to suppress the anger that felt like his intestines were churning up to the point of boiling over at the fools using Mika's name.
After seeing the man off, Mika turned and walked toward the main street in the opposite direction.
(...Soon, I will be able to make those who pulled such stupid tricks realize it directly.)
Therefore—
(Enjoy.)
Mika raised the corner of his mouth and headed home.
Mika returned home once and told Kistil and Nerisfeene that he would be away from home for a short while on a distant job.
"Um, Mika-kun..."
"...Mika-sama."
Even if suppressed, it seems there are things that still get through to the two of them.
They watched Mika, who was putting several days' worth of clothes and academy uniforms into his Magic Bag, with worried faces.
They must have many things they want to ask.
Still, the two of them swallowed those words and just sent him off saying, "Be careful."
After leaving home, Mika headed next to Yaroibarov's inn.
It was approaching evening, a time when things were starting to get a bit busy.
Since he would be away from home for a while, he intended to just give a shout to Yaroibarov to ask him to keep an eye on Mika's house during that time.
But...
"Hey, come around to the back for a moment."
Yaroibarov, who had seen Mika's face, immediately took him to the back of the shop.
Am I going to be strangled!?
"Something happened? It's not like the other time, but it's a bit out of the ordinary, isn't it?"
It wasn't as bad as after fighting the Chimera and meeting the red-haired young man, but it seems "something" had leaked out.
Since it wouldn't do any good to keep it secret, Mika decided to explain it simply.
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"...A fake, huh."
Hearing Mika's story, Yaroibarov muttered.
"What do you intend to do?"
Yaroibarov's face had completely become that of an adventurer.
Mika slumped his shoulders and lowered his head slightly.
"...I think I bear some responsibility for this matter as well."
"Responsibility...? Why does a monk have responsibility?"
Yaroibarov made a suspicious face.
"There aren't any fools who would arbitrarily use your name, right, Yaroibarov-san?"
"Well, that's true. No one that reckless would dare."
Yaroibarov nodded at Mika's words.
Everyone knows what happens if they make Yaroibarov angry.
Therefore, no one dares to arbitrarily use Yaroibarov's name.
They even behave quietly at the inn.
Not even a single little rascal who would choose this place as their workplace exists.
Well, it's also largely because Yaroibarov himself selects his customers.
"I might have been too quiet because I didn't want to stand out too much."
"...Too quiet? I think you stand out enough."
Yaroibarov's face seemed to say, "What are you talking about?"
"It seems I stood out a bit because of the Dispelling matter, but in the end, that's all it was."
"A bit?"
Don't pick my words apart one by one.
Mika let out a long sigh and glared into the void.
"I hid my power too much. Everyone knows about Dispelling, but I think most people don't know how many monsters I have hunted."
"Well, that might be true. I heard from the monk about the Chimera, but I don't know anything else. For the others, do they not know at all?"
Since he had been promoted, he wouldn't think he hadn't fought at all, but specific details were likely unknown to almost everyone.
Normally, one's name spreads through requests to defeat vicious monsters.
However, Mika became famous not because of such things, but due to "Dispelling."
"What is this 'Dispeller'? That kind of brat. Isn't he just someone with a slightly unusual Skill?"
It wouldn't be strange if they thought that.
Also, anyone who knows the connection between Mika and Yaroibarov would not try to bother Mika.
In Sarbengeal, he had gone to the Guild riding on Yaroibarov's shoulder.
But in the Capital, unless someone had seen him entering and leaving Yaroibarov's inn, they would not notice the connection between Mika and Yaroibarov.
Mika took one step, then another, walking through the alleyway and muttered.
"I haven't decided how to settle this yet..."
Saying that, he slowly turned around.
"I won't let it go without settling the score properly."
At Mika's words, Yaroibarov nodded.
"I'll make sure to show my face at your house again. The two of you have fiancées. You can kill the other party if you want, but the monk must not get even a single scratch."
Yaroibarov had already decided to make a contract of engagement and had told him about it immediately.
He congratulated him despite being surprised, but he was more annoyed by the smirking.
He even felt like he wanted to punch him, knowing it was Yaroibarov.
At Yaroibarov's words, Mika shrugged his shoulders lightly.
But he nodded immediately.
"Understood."
And so, passing through the alleyway as is, Mika headed for the designated bar.
The designated bar had boards nailed to the windows, looking very much like "Closed."
But if you look at it differently, you could say "No light leaks from inside."
With just the faint light of a lamp, even if used inside, they probably wouldn't be found.
Mika went to the back through a narrow path on the side of the shop.
And so, the back door was found immediately.
Turning the doorknob, it opened as told.
Mika sent his mana range through the tiny gap in the door and easily checked the surroundings of the door.
(It doesn't seem like there will be an ambush hidden in the shadows.)
And so, after entering, he closed the door behind him with his hands behind his back.
The room immediately upon entering was a room lined with shelves.
However, almost nothing was placed on the shelves.
Was it a room used as a warehouse?
Inside, there were several lamps with lights on.
Mika proceeded deeper as if following those lamps.
"You're quite early, aren't you?"
When he came out to a place that felt very much like a bar, he was spoken to.
The contact man was sitting at the bar counter, drinking sake.
"Should I come back another time?"
"No, I already have the information equivalent to the fee. Sit down."
Saying that, he pointed to the seat next to him.
When Mika took his seat, the man began to speak.
"Information on those who are using the name 'Dispeller' to cheat people out of money."
"Yes."
"Concorado. A stingy adventurer who has been D-rank forever. By now, he's probably getting his money plucked at his favorite gambling den."
An adventurer, huh.
Mika held back the urge to sigh and urged him to continue.
"He keeps borrowing money, just one step away from being enslaved, and somehow manages to scrape together funds. Well, even if he were originally enslaved, he probably wouldn't fetch a high price. The debt itself isn't a huge amount."
In this world, people who borrow money from loan sharks are actually rare.
Knowing that if they can't pay back, they will worst-case scenario become slaves, it's natural that there aren't many fools who would pick at that.
Still, in a town where thousands or tens of thousands of people live, there are a few loan shops, and fools who borrow from them exist.
In the Capital, it wouldn't be strange if there were thousands of such fools.
"However, lately he seems to be doing very well. His spending is incomparable to before, and the rumor is, 'That guy must be getting involved in something rotten.' Well, everyone ignores such things and seems to be enjoying the free drinks."
Saying that, the man chuckled softly.
It seems everyone is drinking happily, knowing that if they flatter him casually, he will readily treat them to drinks.
Doesn't anyone stop him, knowing all this?
It's terrifying.
The man also gathered information on Concorado's social circle and past stories, but since it wasn't related to this matter, he skipped it.
He checked if there were any weapons he used or combat styles to be careful of.
And so, after listening to everything,
"I have someone tailing him right now. Can you find out how much he lost today?"
"That doesn't matter. I just can't see his face. If possible, keep tailing him as is. I'll snatch him up today."
When Mika said that, the man twitched his eyebrows.
But he said nothing special.
And so, he took a sip of sake from his glass.
"Concorado played the role of 'Dispeller', but it seems about two others were involved as well."
"Two...?"
I knew there was an intermediary, but is there someone else involved?
"As for that, there is no information I can talk about yet. It would be speculation without backing. If you come here again tomorrow at this time, I think there will be information I can share?"
"Sorry, but can you do it right after school ends? I want to exchange information there. This time is a bit troublesome."
When Mika said that, the man made a somewhat difficult face but agreed.
"Well, it should work out somehow. However, since time is short, some information might be incomplete..."
"That can't be helped."
Saying that, Mika took out a bag containing thirty large silver coins from his Magic Bag.
Two bags.
"I don't know the market rate, but including the information on the remaining two, is this enough?"
Total sixty large silver coins.
"I also received gold coins as a down payment. It's more than enough, but is that okay? It's much more than the market rate?"
"I'm asking for it urgently. The information isn't bad, but it's a relief that you can tail the person. Keep it as a feeling."
"You are very generous."
"Yes, it's taxes anyway."
The man made a suspicious face, "Taxes?"
(He probably wouldn't understand even if I said 'fame tax'.)
Mika decided to treat this as necessary expenses and spend lavishly.
No matter how huge a deficit he makes, he will show them what happens if they touch Mika.
Whether the cost is a million or ten million, he intends to throw it in without hesitation.
If it becomes too high, he can spread that as information too.
No matter how much money it costs, no matter how much trouble it takes, he will never forgive them.
Such a track record will also be one form of deterrence.
Besides, there is a high possibility he will need the Information Broker Guild in the future.
Being thought of as a VIP customer might bring benefits.
Mika waited for the man to finish counting the large silver coins and spoke.
"I'll ask Gaeras for the appropriate fee later and regret it."
"Hahaha..."
At Mika's joke, the man laughed out loud.
(If you laugh in a collapsed bar, isn't that bad?)
Thinking that while watching, the man suddenly covered his mouth and made a guilty face.
After that, he taught Mika how to connect with the person tailing Concorado.
He also gave an order to "Never let the person tail you after connecting," since he would pay a tip.
If you don't know what happens if you break it, try tailing him today, he warned, and Mika left the bar.
And so, he hopped to the next bar.
This time, it was a shop in District 4.
Provisionally, the Assassin Guild.
A bodyguard who looked very much like one was standing by the entrance.
But, the bodyguard at the entrance was probably just a bluff based on appearance.
Even from Mika's perspective, he was full of gaps.
(...Where is the real one? Is he hiding right after entering the entrance? Or is he watching from the shadows of the surrounding buildings?)
Mika went up to the front of the bar and looked around.
But he couldn't find anything suspicious.
The bodyguard man standing at the entrance of the bar was staring fixedly at Mika.
Still ignoring that, he searched for the real one somewhere.
But unfortunately, Mika's Search Skill couldn't find him.
Would he be able to find him even in cases like this if he had [Detect Presence]?
Mika gave up on finding the real bodyguard and looked up at the bar.
(Well, I won't be killed just for entering on my own.)
If they didn't want ordinary people entering, there would be no need to make it a shop in the first place.
Just like the Information Broker Guild, shouldn't we assume the headquarters are elsewhere?
So, I guess this is probably some kind of reception window or consultation window?
If this were the Guild headquarters, sorry about that.
Mika walked steadily closer to the entrance.
Then, the bodyguard man who was standing beside him blocked his way.
"This is not a place for children. Go home."
Mika stared up at the bodyguard man.
Estimating, he seemed to be one hundred and ninety centimeters tall.
(If I knock out this guy, it's definitely confirmed as hostile action.)
What should he do? He put his hand on his chin on the spot and thought.
"Hey, get moving somewhere quickly!"
Perhaps irritated by Mika's attitude, the bodyguard man raised his voice and tried to push Mika back.
But, if a big man tries to push a small child like Mika, he would have to bend forward considerably.
Taking advantage of the gap in that unnatural posture, Mika slipped past the man from the side.
And so, he opened the entrance and quickly entered.
"Hey, brat! Don't mess around!"
Ignoring the bodyguard's voice, Mika quickly checked inside the bar.
Inside the bar, there was a counter that could seat about six people, and four table seats.
It wasn't a very wide shop.
Judging from the building, the Backyard was probably wide.
There were about six men inside the shop.
One at the counter, a cold-looking man in his thirties who seemed to be the master.
As soon as Mika entered the shop, the man who seemed to be guarding the entrance ran to the master and whispered something.
The other four seemed to be two staff members and two customers.
But it wouldn't be strange if everyone were Guild members.
When Mika walked straight to the counter, the bodyguard man entered the shop in a panicked state.
But the master exchanged glances, nodded once, and silently returned outside.
(This master feels very much like it!)
Correct, a man who felt exactly like an assassin.
On the surface, a bar master.
But, his true identity...? He was living the setting to the fullest.
Dangerous, I'm a bit envious.
Mika jumped onto the stool at the counter and sat down.
Like the Adventurer Guild's bar counter, the stools are too high...
"Sorry, but we only have sake."
Looking straight at Mika, the master said with a bitter smile and a gentle tone.
As expected, he is fully skilled at the disguise.
"I want to rent a house where no one comes and makes noise. Do you have such a place?"
Mika took out five gold coins from his Magic Bag and stacked them on the counter with a clink.
"Um... This is a bar, right? If you want to rent a house, the real estate agency is on the main street—"
"Never mind that. ...Do you have one, right?"
Mika's expression suddenly cooled.
For a moment, the master's eyes also held a cold light.
"...I've heard of it recently. That story, right?"
"Did you hear something?"
"Yes, a little..."
The master's expression became that of a professional.
Due to his business, he probably pays attention to rumors to some extent.
"If you consult with me, I might be able to help you with something?"
He said that in a voice with no emotion.
"Thank you for your kindness. But I think I have to do this myself."
At Mika's reply, the master sighed as if it couldn't be helped.
And so, he reached under the counter and took out a key holder with two keys.
"This is a house that I personally own. No one comes, but there are apartment buildings nearby. Even if something happens in the neighborhood, there are no people who would care."
Saying that, the master took three coins from on top of the gold coins and pushed the rest back.
"If I lend it for a week, this should be about right. After all, it's a shabby house in District 3."
In District 3, there are almost no rental houses worth three gold coins.
And that for a week, not a month.
In other words, it seems safe to think that he is accommodating to that extent.
Mika hesitated and pushed back two gold coins.
"...I might dirty it a little. Please take care of the aftermath afterwards. Also, as an apology for suddenly barging in. Won't you accept it as compensation? I don't know the market rate, but if it's not enough..."
Saying that, the master stopped Mika, who was reaching for gold coins from his Magic Bag, with his hand.
"Understood. Since I am lending it personally, there is no market rate. I will gladly accept it."
"Thank you. Sorry for the suddenness. If there is a shortage, please let me know."
Mika bowed his head and quietly left the bar.
When returning, the bodyguard man at the entrance glared at him with a terrible expression.
Sorry.
"...Is it okay? Letting such a brat do whatever he wants. If you allow this, won't the Assassin Guild [us] be looked down upon?"
In the bar after Mika had left, a man dressed like a staff member spoke to the master across the counter.
"Didn't you see those eyes of his?"
The master froze his gentle expression until then and muttered.
"Eyes...? Did something happen?"
"I only knew about the 'Dispeller' through rumors... But that guy... He killed several people."
"...Huh?"
At the unexpected words of the master, the staff member let out a foolish voice.
The master's eyes became cold like an assassin before work.
"That guy... has one foot in the dark side. Probably, he is consciously using the light side as his pivot leg. He probably thinks he doesn't want to go to this side if possible."
"...Really? Such a brat...?"
The staff member couldn't believe it and turned his gaze to the door where Mika had just left.
"I'm in this business too. Killing is usual for me... But I can't help but sympathize with those who used the name of the 'Dispeller'."
The master poured distilled liquor into a shot glass about halfway and drank it in one gulp.
"Phew... If a guy who thought he was just a brat and poked him turns out to be such a monster, huh? ...I don't know what he intends to do, but he seemed quite angry. Even if I kill him, he won't let me send him off easily."
At the master's cold muttering, the staff member trembled his body.