Mu Yang's question was actually unnecessary.
This way, their actions wouldn't seem too abrupt.
Pinpointing the locations of those people was far too easy for him.
Just a few Treasure Hoarders, after all.
With Lumine in tow, Mu Yang quickly found the Treasure Hoarders' hideout.
He signaled Paimon to stay quiet.
The Treasure Hoarders seemed to be dividing their spoils.
Eavesdropping often yielded more honest information than interrogation.
One lackey spoke up flatteringly,
"Boss, today's haul seems pretty good, huh?"
"Aside from one particularly poor samurai's house, all the others we hit were practically overflowing with wealth. We're gonna be rich!"
The boss scoffed, "Tch, this is nothing! This is just the first step for us brothers on the road to riches!"
"Starting today, I'll lead you all to make a name for ourselves in the treasure-hunting business. Our reputation will spread far and wide!"
"Boss is mighty!"
"Boss is mighty!"
Paimon whispered, "They mentioned one particularly poor samurai... I wonder if it's Kurosawa."
The Treasure Hoarder boss was quite alert.
"Brothers, I hear something—weapons out!"
In a flash, Mu Yang disarmed three Treasure Hoarders.
Then, with ease, he knocked them onto the sandy ground.
——————
Guinaifen's Livestream
[He's here, he's here—classic Mu Yang, never wasting time on words when actions will do.]
[I love this about Mu Yang.]
[Buddy, I didn't train just to reason with people—I trained to physically persuade them.]
Guinaifen was lying down while gaming.
"Folks, let me tell you, I don't even have to fight monsters anymore. Perfect for a lazy person like me."
[Streamer, wake up! At this rate, Mu Yang's gonna spoil you into uselessness.]
[The Uselessness Cultivation Plan.]
[Ahhh~ What do I do? I've already become a little dummy who can't live without Mu Yang.]
[Wait, that's a good thing?]
Guinaifen declared, "I'm a little dummy, and I'm proud of it!"
——————
The three Treasure Hoarders spat out sand as they scrambled up from the ground.
Hands on their heads, they still seemed unwilling to accept defeat.
"Dammit... how did this happen... My money! We worked so hard to steal that!"
"Boss, think of something!"
Paimon, hearing this, got angry and put her hands on her hips.
"Hey! What do you mean 'worked so hard to steal'?!"
The boss was far more cunning than his underlings.
Even when facing Paimon—who was borrowing authority from others—he knew when to yield.
"Heroes, masters... ahem, we were wrong, we admit it."
His eyes darted around. "You all seem incredibly skilled, especially this young man here."
"Would you... be interested in joining the Treasure Hoarders? We could achieve great things together!"
Mu Yang cut him off: "Enough nonsense. Explain the situation with Kurosawa first."
The boss tugged at his mask. "Kurosawa? Oh... right, him."
"You're not here on his behalf, are you?"
He slapped his thigh. "Ugh, what rotten luck. I never should've stopped by his place..."
Under Mu Yang's oppressive aura, the boss spilled everything.
Kurosawa's household was unlike the other samurai.
While the others were practically drowning in wealth, Kurosawa's home was a mess—barely enough to keep the family fed.
After rummaging for a long time, the three only found one peculiar box.
"I thought there might be something valuable inside, so I took it."
The boss presented the box with both hands.
"Afraid others might target us, we planned to open it back at camp."
"We've told you everything and handed over all the goods. Could you... spare our lives?"
Lumine said, "Open it first. Let's see what's inside."
When the Treasure Hoarders opened the box, all three were stunned.
"Th-This is...?"
"IOUs?!"
Mu Yang took the box. "All IOUs..."
This twist caught everyone off guard.
(Well, except Mu Yang.)
He picked up a few and glanced at them before handing them to Lumine.
"All addressed to Miss Aoi at the general store."
Lumine took a look. The numbers on these... just how much did Kurosawa owe?
"Let's go ask at the general store first and figure out what's going on."
"Mm."
Mu Yang asked Lumine, "What about them?"
Lumine crossed her arms.
"Since you surrendered everything and cooperated, we'll let you go this time."
The three kowtowed, weeping with gratitude.
"Yes! Yes! Thank you, young masters!"
"Using IOUs to buy our freedom... does that count as us making money?"
[Damn, you're a genius.]
[Discharge him!]
[Master of twisted logic.]
[We robbed the robbers, and they're thanking us for it!]
The boss was furious. "Just get out of here!"
The Treasure Hoarders fled at lightning speed.
Lumine first stored all their stolen goods in her backpack.
Then, the trio headed to Inazuma City's general store—"Ninety-Nine Products."
The shopkeeper, Miss Aoi, greeted them warmly.
"'Ninety-Nine Products'—we have everything. What would you like to buy?"
She paused, then smiled. "Or... are you here to ask about something?"
On the surface, "Ninety-Nine Products" was a general store, but it also dealt in information.
With her years of experience in the intelligence trade, Miss Aoi could tell—
These three weren't here for groceries.
Her instincts screamed: Do not offend that handsome young man.
Otherwise, the consequences will be dire.
Lumine placed the box of IOUs on the counter.
"We'd like to ask about these."
Miss Aoi picked one up and examined it.
"Are you friends of Mr. Kurosawa? Are you here to repay his debts?"
Paimon quickly denied it. "No, no! We just want to know the story behind these IOUs."
"Why does Kurosawa owe so much? Did he buy something expensive here?"
Miss Aoi thought for a moment. "Let me see..."
Normally, she charged for information.
But the pressure from that young man was too intense.
Miss Aoi didn't dare ask for payment—she simply told them everything she knew.
Kurosawa regularly bought large quantities of food from "Ninety-Nine Products," using his own salary.
Recently, food prices had risen, and his salary was no longer enough.
So, he started writing IOUs to "Ninety-Nine Products," buying food on credit.
After hearing Miss Aoi's explanation, Lumine finally understood.
So-called "relief rations" were actually purchased by Kurosawa out of his own pocket.
The real relief supplies had likely been embezzled by those wealthy samurai.