The Ko-fi goal has been reached! As promised, this novel from the request page is getting translated into English.
As Grood roared with laughter, his followers joined in with vulgar guffaws.
There was a derogatory term to describe him succinctly:
“A scumbag scavenger monkey lording over the mountain.”
Truly, those few words captured the essence of this small man.
“Umm, I came to consult you because I heard about something that could make money.”
“Money, huh? For a poor brat like you, any amount would be a fortune–“
“When I was scavenging leftovers, I overheard a merchant and someone who seemed noble talking. They were wondering if they could secretly move some jewels and such stored in the capital tonight.”
The moment he heard this, Grood’s narrowed eyes betrayed his piqued interest.
“You…you better not be spewing nonsense, or you won’t get off easy.”
“N-No lies…! They said tomorrow, various people will inspect the mansion, so they have to get everything moved out by then!”
Kurtz pleaded, feigning panic.
Everything he said was true.
Tomorrow, the imperial guards would conduct a financial investigation on certain nobles.
One noble had stashed away illicit wealth in a capital mansion, but this sudden investigation left no opportunity to move it.
So this noble bribed a merchant to smuggle the jewels and valuables, disguised as goods, to the noble’s territory and evade the investigation.
Even without the details, Grood grasped the gist
as a former noble familiar with slush funds. He still exploited his old connections, overseeing nobles’ smuggling operations to maintain power in the slums.
“If you overheard that noble, describe what he looked like. His carriage, decorations, crest – you must have caught his name in the conversation too, right?”
“I didn’t hear the name. But when I peeked through the window, the noblemanlike person showed the merchant a pocket watch with an animal-like engraving.”
“Tch…an animal crest, so a nobleman from the Samaniel faction, huh?”
Grood clicked his tongue disdainfully upon Kurtz’s explanation.
That faction was behind his family’s downfall,
fueling his lingering resentment and animosity.
“Then–we’ll just have to take their money by force.”
Grood grinned wickedly, licking his lips.
For Grood, it would be easy to seize whatever valuables they tried moving.
To leave the capital, they’d have to pass through checkpoints in each district.
However, with the backing of complicit nobles, Grood bribed some guards to let his men pose as guards and allow the nobles’ contraband through for a cut.
They could inspect the merchant’s cargo the same way, surreptitiously confiscating any jewels or valuables the merchant attempted to smuggle.
As hired help, a few threats would quickly silence any objections from the merchant.
“Heh…not bad for a brat. It’s a lucrative deal, but just you alone can’t pull it off, can you?”
“Th-Then…please give me a small cut since I brought you the tip…”
“Ah, you’ll get a cut if you work for it.”
A stark shift from before, Grood clapped lightly, grinning slyly.
“While we stop the merchant’s carriage, a kid like you can sneak into the cargo hold and pilfer any valuables mixed in with the goods. I’ll give you a share.”
“R-Really…?”
“Of course. If you’re working with us, I’ll treat you as one of our crew going forward. You’ll eat better than scraps – it’s a win-win, right?”
Grood propositioned Kurtz amicably.
However, his smile was a facade, forged through deception.
The promise of steady meals was enticing bait for a starving slum child.
And the prospect of having ‘comrades’ appealed to powerless children seeking belonging. Countless youths had fallen for Grood’s overtures –
only to be ruthlessly exploited and discarded.
Sometimes, he pinned his crimes on them, bribing guards to imprison the scapegoats.
When jobs went awry, he vented his rage through deadly violence.
If they became liabilities, he simply sold them as playthings to nobles.
In short–
“–Then I’ll work hard and do my best!”
Kurtz was someone Grood could exploit without a shred of guilt.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
As dusk fell over the capital, Kurtz and the others made for the checkpoint.
After a brief exchange with the bribed guards, they changed into uniforms, pocketing the bribe money before slipping away into the city streets.
“Kurtz, you stay outside and identify the merchant. Once you spot our target, signal me. While we stop them posing as guards, sneak into the cargo hold and find the valuables.”
“Got it, I’ll do my best!”
Beaming childishly, Kurtz waited outside for the merchant’s carriage.
He had researched the expected arrival time in his past life,
recalling the carriage passed through unimpeded without Grood’s interference.
But this time, a different path awaited.
“…Here comes the carriage. I’ll stay hidden.”
Knocking on the guard booth to announce himself, Kurtz melted into the shadows.
Soon after,
a large two-horse carriage approached the checkpoint.
The covered cargo hold behind the driver was not only shrouded with tarpaulins, but reinforced with sturdy magical protections.
As it neared, Grood’s men, disguised as guards, stopped it.
“Halt! We must inspect your cargo before allowing you to proceed!”
Hearing this, the hooded driver reined in the horses.
“…We had this cleared beforehand. What is the meaning of this?”
“We guards must still inspect the cargo hold! If you resist our lawful duties, we won’t hesitate to apply appropriate imperial penalties!”
Grood barked commandingly, playing his part convincingly.
An actual merchant would likely comply when confronted so forcefully.
But–
“Name your unit’s affiliation.”
The driver’s voice dropped as piercing eyes glared from beneath his cowl.
Yet Grood’s men didn’t falter.
“We have no obligation to disclose that! Failure to comply will be treated as an offense!”
The imperial guards wielded authority second only to nobles.
So they likely expected a mere merchant to back down before such arrogant bluster.
But they remained oblivious to the man’s true identity.
“If you won’t comply with our orders, then we’ll have to–“
“You’ll be the ones penalized.”
The chilling words accompanied the man drawing a ornately crafted hand cannon,
its barrel embedded with a large ruby.
Such decorated firearms were signature emblems of a particular faction –
those who integrated the arcane art of alchemy into magic theory.
The faction whose crest depicted the mythical ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ they strove to create…
“–The alchemical Order of Ornament, of ducal lineage.”
Before Grood could react, the man pulled the trigger.
The ground shook violently
[A giant of a rock.]
as jagged stone coalesced into a hulking, misshapen giant that swiftly ensnared and restrained them.
“Wha–Why is a mage escorting a merchant carriage–?!”
“I’ll be asking the questions. You men are clearly not imperial guards.”
“Y-Yes! We heard the Samaniel noble was trying to smuggle illicit funds, so we bribed some guards to ambush him and take the money!”
“…So you targeted Samaniel, our rivals. Then state your true allegiance.”
“We’re underlings of House Corea, part of the Ornament faction!”
“Corea…Ah, I recognize that lesser household name.”
“We apologize for the misunderstanding! Please don’t kill us!”
Grood’s tear-stained pleading echoed
as nearby residents poked their heads out, roused by the commotion.
Clicking his tongue at the gawkers, the mage addressed Grood.
“Very well, I’ll spare underlings sworn to our faction.”
“Th-Thank you, we’re grate–“
“But you’re less than underlings – just hired help for House Corea, correct?”
The man’s sneering words dripped with disdain.
“Then you’ll get what’s coming to you like the trash you are.”
At his command, the giant’s finger crushed Grood’s leg.
“AaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!”
Grood and his men’s bloodcurdling screams reverberated through the eerily silent capital streets.
Upon hearing that scream, the real military police who rushed over surrounded the man.
“What’s going on!?”
“I am Fidel of the Jade family, serving the Ornament Ducal family. I was trying to pass through the checkpoint on duty when I was attacked by people impersonating military police, so I acted in self-defense.”
As the cloaked man – Fidel – calmly stated this, the military police hurriedly saluted him.
“Our apologies! Not only did we trouble Lord Jade, but our negligence as the military police squad also caused great confusion–“
“Never mind that. As for the bandits, I crippled their legs so they can’t move. After giving them first aid, you should interrogate them about the details and their motives.”
“Understood! Thank you for your cooperation!”
“I have merely fulfilled my duty as a noble and a mage. I’ll take my leave now.”
Leaving just those words behind, Fidel rode away from the capital on his palanquin.
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