Kujibiki Tokushou: Musou Hāremu ken Chapter 5

Chapter 5. – Tracking down conspiracy

“Collecting copper coin is going to be more and more dangerous soon.”

“I thought so, as the number of copper coin is getting less and less. Collecting it would becoming very dangerous.”

“We need to transfer the copper coin that we have now, I’ll do the arrangement.”

“I got it.”

From the flow of the conversation, there were two men who was having a talk.

“Dear customer?”

“Uuwaa?”

“What happen dear customer? You stared at the door as if you want to eat it.”

“Ah, no its nothing.”

The voice that I heard was from the other side of the door, to put it in simple words, it came from the outside of the restaurant.

“I’m sorry, I suddenly remembered I had something urgent that I need to do.”

“But the food is…”

“I’ll come again.” having said so, I sprang out from the shop. From the midst of various chattering voice, I tried to pick up the voice that I heard earlier.

While I was listening to music, there were a lot of noise that came from the music— for example there’s the sound of the drum. And to pick up the noise, I focus solely on the sound of the drum.

“This is really profitable and all but it it really troublesome.”

I finally picked up on the voice that I heard earlier. Thus, I chased after the voice. There was the two people from earlier and they are still having their conversation. That was why, when I was chasing after them I depended on followed their voice. After pa.s.sing through the alleys for a lot of times which I can’t remember how many, I arrived at the place that was not quite popular.

Suddenly the voice became smaller.

“I wonder if they had entered a building?”

I looked around. At the back of the alley there are a wide varieties of buildings. I stood in front of one of the building and put my ear on the door. While I was doing the same thing to the fifth door, I finally caught up on the voice of the two men earlier.

“This is everything right? Okay! I’m going to transport everything tonight. I will regroup with the others at another city and bring it to the melting furnace location.”

“Hey, how much profit would you think we will make from this?”

“Based on the current market price… When we melt it before selling it, it we will yield around twice the profit.”

“Uhee!! That is even more from before isn’t? So you’re saying that, we going to yield profit twice that the copper coin that we have here right?”

“That’s how it is.”

“Uuhhaaa!!”

From their conversation that I first picked up earlier, it sounds very dangerous.

“They’re going to melt the copper coin and sell it as a raw material?”

No matter in what country, it is forbidden to melt the coins that the government had distributed. That sort of thing is a grave crime. I’m thinking to barge in directly but, giving a close attention to their conversation. It looks like they got a collaborators and business partner too.

Even if I take my action now, it would more no more than stepping on a gecko tail.

“…..”

I memorise the place and route properly, and left the scene afterwards.

***
“This is the place huh?”

From the information that I got by asking people around the city, the place that I reached to was the public office. When I asked for something that kind of works like the police, where criminal would be brought upon justice, this is the place where they had directed me to go.

“Halt! Who’s there!”

Just like the first time when I reached this city, and armed soldier said so while having his spear pointed at my direction. Well, that is to be expected, I’ve made my own preparation too. I pulled out the folding fan that I got from Princess Helena, and showed it to the gatekeeper.

“I am Princess Helena envoy, I would like to meet with the person in charge.”

“Princess Helena-sama? Wait, isn’t that Princess Helena the royal crest? What’s more it’s genuine.”

Using magic (or at least something like that) the gatekeeper affirm the legitimacy of the fan, and he acted completely different than what he did just now.

“Please wait for a while, I shall let them know of your visit immediately.”

“Aah.”

The gatekeeper rushed inside while I waited there for a while. Approximately around 10 minutes, the gatekeeper came back.

“Thank you for waiting. Arumoss-sama is waiting for you inside. Please make your way.”

The gatekeeper let me pa.s.s through the gate and I made my way inside.

Following the lead of the gatekeeper, I arrived at a room where official duties usually take place. There was a good looking middle-age man inside the room. When the man realized of my presence, he stood up and had a serious expression.

“I’m Kefka Arumoss.”

“I’m Yuuki Kakeru.”

“That’s a name that is quite foreign to me but, what should I call you by?”

“Call me with whatever names you like.”

“Well then I shall call you Kakeru-sama. You are Princess Helena envoy, is it true?”

“Ahh, this is the prove of it.”

Lying for the second time. I held a little bit of guilt inside my heart but buried it down and showed him Princess Helena’s folding fan.

“This is certainly Princess Helena Theresia Mercury’s folding fan. I’m sorry for being rude. I held no intention to doubt you but as the gatekeeper said it was a man with a weird looking outfit, so I just need to make sure.”

“That is fine.”

It was already within my expectation to being doubted, that was why I brought along the folding fan in the first place.

“Rather than that, I had some important matter to talk about.”

“What matter would it be?”

“There are someone who’s collecting copper coin and melting it down.”

“That kind of matter cannot be joking with.” Arumoss complexion suddenly changed.

Surely incident as this big, that sort of expression that Arumoss had right now can be understand.

“This is not a joke.”

I told him about the things that I’ve seen and heard.

The matter regarding not enough small change at the restaurant, and regarding the content of conversation that the two man I had followed. I explained it all to Aromoss just exactly how it went.

“I did received a report regarding the decrease of copper coin. Since this is a city where a lot of peddlers frequent at, so I thought it was due to flow of business.”

“Since this sort of thing happens, wouldn’t it be bad if it’s left with no action taken.”

“You’re right. By the way, does Princess Helena know of this matter?”

“No, she don’t.” I said as I don’t know what kind of reaction would the royalty have when they caught wind of this matter.

“The only thing that I’ve told the Princess that I’m going to find the root of the decrease of copper coin problem.”

I said adding a bland lie.

“Is this so. In any case, we need to do something. Altering the money in any way is a grave crime. We will deal with the punishment after we capture the culprit.”

“That’s right.”

“I shall call the troops.” Arumoss clapped his hand three times.

*pata pata pata*

I could hear the footsteps of the soldier. There were three armed soldier who entered the room.

Only three people huh? It won’t be enough but at least it’s better than none.

At any rate we need to do something because there are several enemies. Having me alone won’t be enough to catch them all.

While I was thinking that.

“Catch that man?”

“Ha?”

“Eh?”

Because it was too sudden, I wasn’t able to follow what had happened. One of the soldier caught me and cuffed me from behind.

“Youu!”

“I’m sorry, but that is how things are.”

“You are one of them!”

“That’s right.”

“Why are you doing that sort of thing?”

I asked Arumoss while I was pinned down.

“To earn some money of course. Originally we the officials of this had a certain degree of power on the city. we collect the damaged money, exchange it and re-cast it into a new decent money. We can freely handle this sort of things, isn’t one delicious ‘right’?”

Arumoss laughed wickedly.

What a repulsive laugh.

“As I thought no matter how I deal with it the outcome is still delicious. Thus I started collaborating with a man behind the scene. But who would have thought that Princess Helena would have her eyes set on this matter.”

“…..”

“However, it looks like the wind is still blowing on my side. It looks like the princess has yet to know of this incident. In other words, I’m going to get rid of you here, and we will keep on collecting the copper coins and it will be forged a new, and we will recovered the amount of copper coin. We will make it through somehow. We will keep on doing this…”

“…..”

“I don’t have any resentment towards you.” I said in a voice so cold that I even surprised myself a bit.

Arumoss was surprised, “What the heck is he talking about.” was what was written on his face.

“What do you mean by that.”

“This is what I mean…”

I stand up.

I was cuffed from behind but, I stand up normally.

“Hnngg!!!”

I put some energy in my wrist and break the handcuff off.

The cuff was made out of iron, but I managed to break it quite easily. Arumoss was looking at me with his eyes bulged out. He’s looking at me as if I had done something impossible.

The look that he had on his face is irritating too.

“It looks like I better start from capturing you.”

Punishment time!