Translator : Kinokura
Editor : Alany
8. For the time being, According to plan
◇ One of the Captured Bandits POV ◇
One of the bandits who got interrogated before, was now worried.
He despised that boy as he looked weak.
Although, the boy was skilled in determining the strength of the opponent, even before using detection magic to do it.
As for the impression when the bandit saw the boy, he couldn’t feel any signs of a strong man, and he couldn’t see any muscles on the boy.
He thought that the boy hid his power and was definitely just a mere ordinary person.
Therefore, he can’t understand.
Why were they shaken now.
The boy didn’t seem to have lied by saying some nonsense. Just that, the boy hit his blind spot.
He remembered the “one-armed man” that banded the bandits.
Suddenly appeared and brought forth the bandits’ alliance.
His gang’s boss, Gidou, was also afraid of that one-armed man. And agreed with the proposal from the man.
There was a disadvantage to sharing the territory, but the gang got more out of it.
Information of the merchants, search techniques using detection magic, a means to escape from pursuers, and resistance from brainwashing magic using magic sealing stones.
The gang was able to work more safely and get profit more than ever before.
But humans would get greedy when everything became easy, especially for someone who worked in the bandit business.
There was also a gang who broke the proposal from the one-armed man, and started to act freely.
However, it was what the one-armed man wanted.
“Well, I didn’t tell you in detail about the end of those who broke the rules in the alliance, I’d took care of them, and let me show you what happened to them.”
The one-armed man said that. Then he showed fellow members who became miserable monsters by Necromancy.
Only a slight trace of their old face was left on those monsters.
Not only that, but their consciousness was still there Lininger.
Some dirty liquid flowed out from their eyes, and they muttered something in a small voice like a whisper.
“Let me die… Please… Just let me die…”
Since he had chosen to live as a bandit, he thought he had overcome the fear of dying.
However, he was shown that even after death he would continue to live miserably, and that fear was engraved in his mind.
That was why even if he died here, he didn’t want to end up like that.
But what the boy said has shaken his determination.
The boy said that it was a coincidence that the knights attacked a cave that was hard to find, but it certainly had already happened.
So, there was a possibility that the information of other gangs would be somehow accidentally leaked.
And if that happened, who would be the first to be suspected and purged?
Just the thought of it shook his body and confused his mind.
He wanted to consult with his friend. But now all of them were separated.
Both options have their own risk. Since that was the case, he didn’t want to give the benefits to the knights who would execute them.
But the possibility of dying as a human was too tempting…
“Damn it! I should rest now, and spend more time thinking about it after I calmed down.”
The boy had told the bandit about the shortcomings of his proposal. It wouldn’t be strange if there was some trap in that proposal.
So, yeah, the best action he needed to take right now was to rest calmly.
“Hey, it’s about time to change shifts.”
The knights’ voices could be heard from outside his jail. It seemed to be the time for the lookout change.
“Hey, by the way, is there anyone who confessed?”
“No. Every single one of them just refused to talk.”
The bandit thought that his friends weren’t fools who would confess easily without thinking much.
So, after hearing that, the bandit felt relieved and proud at the same time.
As it seemed, his friends also have the same thoughts as him right now.
“By the way, are we really going to extend the execution date?”
“Yeah, seems like we will.”
“Even though we need to feed them with food from the people’s hard work…”
“That’s not really a problem.”
“Hmm?”
“It seems that only 3 of them will get their execution delayed. Others will be executed immediately, then we can give their share to the survivors, so it won’t be much of a burden.”
The bandit’s breathing stopped, and his heartbeat started to increase.
He heard something that he shouldn’t forget.
“Only 3 people?…But why?”
“Even if all 7 people give us information, in the end, it’s just the same information.”
“The boy said that 3 people are enough if it’s just to check the facts and discrepancies.”
Sure enough, the boy had never said “everyone”.
So, if there were a few people who confessed, it would be more than enough to confirm the lies. There was no need to wait for everyone to confess. That meant, 4 people would definitely have the worst end. What a merciless boy.
If any of the bandits spit out any information, they all would definitely be treated as traitors, but the survivors would be secured until the one-armed man died.
If no one confessed anything, they wouldn’t be treated as traitors, but depending on the feeling of that one-armed man, they might become his next prey of Necromancy.
The bandit was confused because there was hope in both options.
But what would happen to the 3 people who spat out information the fastest?
Those 3 people would be placed under protection, however the other 4 would immediately be executed.
And in the end, all 7 of them would be treated as traitors.
“Wherever you are, even if you died, you will get your retribution”, The one-armed man said that before.
Whether 4 people spat out information or not, they would carry only the bad points of both options. And in the end, only 3 people could safely die as a human.
“O-oi, Guard! I will speak! Please call that boy!”
The bandit said while hitting the door. He was worried that if his friend noticed this too, they would spit out information faster than he can.
“What’s with you all of sudden? It’s good that you want to be honest, but do it tomorrow. The boy told you that he will hear you talk tomorrow, right?”
“Don’t give me that shit! I said that I’ll confess right now!”
“How noisy… That boy is already asleep. I’ll give you some paper, you can write a list of what you want to talk to him there. I’ll give it to the boy tomorrow morning.”
As the guard said that, a parchment and long charcoal were given from the small gap below the door.
It would be impossible to call the boy right now even if the bandit appealed. Then how could he be included in that list of 3?
He needed to write as much information as the boy wanted, and to make sure to get the boy’s attention.
Thus, the bandit picked up the charcoal and started writing on the paper.
◇ MC POV ◇
“In the end, 5 out of 7 people decided to confess. This is a list of information that they want to speak.”
After waking up, Grandpa Kara handed me a bunch of parchment while I was having breakfast at the barracks.
Then, while skimming it, I gave them to Illias-san.
“I don’t know which information is useful. So, let’s just hear all of it.”
“However, all of them look so desperate…”
The finishing blow was that I asked Illias-san or Grandpa Kara to talk about “we will receive information, only up to 3 people”, and let the bandits hear it.
After all, people are vulnerable to limited things. And, using that limited things, it’s easy to take advantage of people.
Especially, if you get the information about that by chance. It’ll be very effective.
I mean, if there’s a shop clerk saying “Only available now! Only for today!”, I bet only shallow-minded people get shaken by that word.
Anyone who uses their brain will realize that it’s a means to make them buy and be wary of it.
But… What if the information was happened to be heard from a third party?
Information learned through the media, the thought that you know the information by chance, and the fact that you know it yourself will make a difference in its credibility.
This isn’t the information given to me. It’s the information I got.
Therefore, you believe it easier. Even if in the end it’s just nothing more than false information.
There was sure a time when such frauds were using that trick in my previous world for a while.
Making them believe it strongly would have made them even more impatient.
They’ll think about how to make them sit in the limited informant’s chairs.
There, is a good time for handing a paper and writing instruments to them.
Then, with the thought of it might being the last chance to appeal, anyone would try to show that they have a lot of information, or that they have more important information.
As the result, everyone will speak more on the spot when we ask later.
“Anyway…. Grandpa Kara, can you tell the bandits that we will hear their talk at 10 o’clock.”
“Do you plan to put them together in the same place?”
“No, could you please ask each knight to speak with each of them in a different place, and please tell them that I’m hearing the talk from the other bandits? Don’t forget to interrogate “all of them” at 10 o’clock.”
“What are you planning?”
“You know, there are people that will talk more when they think that they’re the first.”
“You’re so thorough… Well, I understand.”
Grandpa Kara left the room.
Illias-san looked at me with a strange look and started to speak.
“Just… What kind of life did you live in your original world?”
“I see… Another vague question, huh.”
“I heard that magic doesn’t exist in your world. But you never told me anything else. All actions you took this time, for me it’s just……”
“Violating chivalry code and it’s not a preferred method to use on people?”
“That’s right. You take advantage of people’s weaknesses and use them. Moreover, you naturally chose such a method. In this world, that kind of thing is usually done by cunning merchants and criminals. Or someone who is involved with such people. Could you let me know?”
“I just… Lived safely there.”
“No matter how I look at it… I just can’t believe that…”
“What I mean by “safely” is, living in the common ways and there’s no one who criticized me. That was how I stand in there. The main difference between this world and my original world is the range of contact.”
I drank water and took a break.
“An opportunity to get to know others… There are many ways for it. The more people you interact with, the more chances you will get to know their differences. Of course, there were good and bad people there. Bad people did maliciously harm someone, trying to get profit for themselves. Anyway, it was a world where there were too many bad guys so people had to stay alert.”
“……”
“To live in such a world as an ordinary people, you need to have the knowledge to protect yourself from the bad guys. You need the means to get around without being targeted. And you need to be careful not to be criticized by others by that means. That’s how I lived safely.”
“I just can’t understand you well… Which one is the true you? The one when you were in contact with Maya and us? Or the one when in front of the bandits?”
“Both, I guess. Both are me without any doubt. I mean, you will have different attitudes when facing the citizens and when facing the bad guys. Well, in your case, you acted as Illias the Knight in front of both of them though. In my case, I change my attitude depending on the other party. That’s all.”
“Does it mean that you become evil when it comes to evil?”
“Not quite. It’s just that I will be someone who understands evil.”
“I see… I understand now… Your way of life is like a distorted mirror, isn’t it?”
Ilias-san sighing.
Then, her gaze softened.
“Change one’s way according to the other person’s way, huh… Well, I’m amazed that you can do such a troublesome thing.”
“It’s hard to live safely.”
After that, information gathering from the bandits finished.
It seemed from the 7 people there was from the bandits captured, they had the task of communications, so I was able to obtain information on other gang’s bases, etc.
Then there was the story of a man with one arm who used Necromancy, who had built a cooperative relationship called the “Bandits Alliance”.
This is why you will never be able to befriend a Japanese. Two-faced is an understatement for them. They have every face and every “mask” that they wear depending on how many “friends” they have. What’s worse is that they also have to “wear” these “masks” even when facing their families. This is why suicide rates there are so high. Once they feel suffocated, they blew up.
Um did rochen just casually make a racist statement and condemned an entire country of people based on a fictional character wow dude whatever your country is if people are like you than i never want anything to with your country a country full of assholes
“make a racist statement and condemned an entire country of people based on a fictional character” OH Really? coming from someone who generalize my entire countrymen as assholes, you sure talk a lot.
And what proof do you have that I’m basing this on A FICTIONAL CHARACTER? FYI I worked there, with Japanese people even. All of these are based on IRL Experience. And even a simple Google shows how xenophobic and racist Japanese are, even on their OWN COUNTRYMEN that lived and grown in other countries, but are Japanese in blood, especially Brazilian Japanese. (AKA Third Generation Japanese).
Even in the pandemic they put up signs like NO GAIJIN Allowed, even though most of the COVID victims are Japanese.
It’s already 2020 and you’re still glorifying Japan as picture-perfect country. Stop living in a rock, weeb.
woah woah, chill dude..
i do know about NO GAIJIN rule in japanese. while some of due thier pride or superiority. i believe there some too due to Tourist Fault(while i believe they should able tolerate due culture difference). and I think the No Gaijin Been long there as far as remember..
It must Tough to work there..
and for About the one talk about racist it’s still everywhere not only in Japan you know @Yoshi. check some international news from times to times.
and for two faced yeah they bring to another level there depending who they interact they change or rather they can become another person. but most people in society are like that especially in Asia work environment.
I thought after reading this amazing piece of work, there will be some amazing comments but it looks like there are only idiots who don’t care about creation but just their well being, i see how you people are talking shit while just seeing society with your own eyes, even if you guys have been or are of Japan, can’t you understand where all this is coming from? Well fault always remains on the one who starts it but here I don’t find anyone whose reply was worth reading.
Anyways, thank you for an amazing chapter.
Haha i like how i am almost 2 years late to reply