"I've investigated, and there is indeed one party that matches the conditions you described."
"As expected of Studd, you work quickly."
After delivering the white golem cores, Lizel was talking to Studd again.
Incidentally, there were too many cores, so he selected about ten of the best quality ones for delivery.
Normally, only a few cores are obtained from a single dungeon run, so this far exceeded the client's expected budget.
Lizel received 150 silver coins, the reward for the ten cores, and smiled as he heard the results of the request he had made to Studd before the quest.
Enjoying the feeling of being petted along with the words of gratitude, Studd subtly glanced around with just his eyes.
With a small tug on his clothes, Lizel leaned forward to look at the request form in Studd's hand, understanding what he meant.
At the same time, his expressionless face drew closer, and his thin lips moved slightly.
The volume of his voice, inaudible to anyone else, reached only Lizel, who narrowed his eyes and smiled to show his agreement.
Studd watched his gentle face as he moved away, and handed him the guild card he had been holding.
After the quest completion procedures were finished, Lizel thanked Studd again and headed towards Gil and Eleven who were waiting behind him.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Ah."
"You've been talking a lot this morning and now, what's up?"
"Just a small favor. Here."
Eleven blinked at what was placed in his outstretched hand.
Fifty shining silver coins, one-third of the reward he had just received—that's what it meant.
Eleven refused with a sour face, saying he didn't like it because it felt like he was stealing it, but Lizel forced the silver coins into his hand without question. Gil, who didn't even try to hide his astonished expression at the idea of a thief being reluctant to steal, didn't complain either. Neither of them were originally after the reward money, but even if that weren't the case, they would have divided the reward fairly.
Eleven didn't seem to be in need of money, but that was a separate issue.
Seeing that Lizel wouldn't back down, Eleven gave up and put the silver coins into his spatial magic.
He intended to continue following them, but that probably wouldn't be a problem either.
Although they seemed completely opposite, both Lizel and Gil were actually the kind of people who wouldn't do anything they didn't want to do; if they disliked something, they would have said so clearly.
Since they weren't saying anything, Eleven simply decided that he didn't need to worry about it. He wasn't the type to be considerate, nor was he the type to fuss over details.
"Speaking of which, that chocolate was delicious, where did you get it?"
"You know it?! It's from the place near the west gate of the central district..."
It was while they were chatting and about to leave the guild that it happened.
As Lizel was about to step through the open doorway, he bumped into some adventurers coming in from the other side.
Thanks to Eleven, who held out his hand to stop Lizel, and Gil, who grabbed his arm, they didn't actually collide.
The adventurers on the other side also stopped abruptly.
"What are you looking at... oh,"
The person was Aign. He wasn't with his party today, presumably having some personal business.
The way he started to raise his voice in a threatening manner, something Lizel wasn't familiar with, was a little endearing, thinking that this was how he acted in front of others.
Incidentally, they had decided it would be best to keep their involvement in Aign's party's dungeon exploration a secret, so they hadn't had any significant contact until today. Seeing the man's face contort in a way that showed he was about to swear but then realized he shouldn't, and then froze, unsure of what to do, Lizel gave a wry smile, wondering if he should intervene. But someone else moved first.
"What are you looking at? You're not even worth looking at, you lowlife. Stay out of the way, you insignificant worm!"
"Huh?"
Eleven, apparently deciding that Lizel had been insulted, stepped forward protectively and immediately picked a fight.
Aign, having been suddenly subjected to abusive language from a stranger, glared back instinctively.
The intense stare-down between two people who knew what real fighting was like, unlike the slightly delinquent-looking thugs, created a truly unsettling atmosphere. The impression that many adventurers were rough and violent was probably not entirely wrong.
Gil looked down at Lizel with a look of exasperation, thinking that he was probably thinking something silly again.
As they watched, the atmosphere gradually grew heavier.
This was the guild's entrance, and the adventurers coming and going were unable to pass, so they were standing by and the crowd was gradually growing.
Lizel gave a wry smile, realizing they were causing a disturbance, and decided to intervene.
After all, both Eleven and Aign were giving off the vibe that they were about to draw their weapons. That wouldn't do.
"I don't think you can beat him, even with your party, Aign."
"Huh, uh... ah..."
"It's been a while since we rode in the carriage together. Thank you for that."
Aign was momentarily confused, but then understood.
That's how they would frame it. Since Lizel was claiming to be the one who received the favor, not the one who gave it, fewer people would connect Lizel with Aign and his groups dungeon exploration. Since this was the entrance to the Adventurer's Guild, there were many people around, and those who witnessed this would surely spread rumors.
Eleven clicked his tongue in annoyance at Lizel's words, but upon realizing they were acquaintances, he dropped the hostile attitude and feigned a sulky expression.
Lizel and the others moved away from the door they had been blocking and stepped outside the guild.
They faced each other, ignoring the glances of the adventurers around them.
Aign, perhaps a little nervous since it had been a while since they last spoke, bowed slightly and politely.
Perhaps it was an apology for the insults he had hurled at them upon their first encounter. Aign had learned some manners through his interactions with Lizel, but for now, he only showed this politeness towards Lizel and his companions.
"Hey, it's been a while. I heard some rumors about you being harassed by some weird guy..."
"Annoying."
Eleven muttered the words dismissively, his gaze pointedly avoiding theirs.
When Lizel spoke to him about his perpetually confrontational attitude, he pouted, closed his mouth, and turned away.
Lizel smiled wryly, exchanged a few words with Aign, and then they parted ways. Aign was lightly dressed, so he was probably there to collect the reward for a quest he had completed.
After watching him enter the guild, Lizel smiled and looked at Eleven.
"Why are you so confrontational? If you're trying to show us how much you like us, we've already received plenty of that."
"It's really embarrassing when you say that so calmly..."
Eleven shrugged, but the fact that he stubbornly refused to make eye contact suggested that Lizel's words weren't entirely wrong. Eleven's attempts to appeal to the party and join them ranged from subtle to almost imperceptible. This time, too, he undoubtedly had the intention of showing how much he adored Lizel.
However, Lizel knew that not everything was an act of manipulation.
His dislike of Aign this time was genuine, and his act of standing protectively in front of Lizel wasn't something he did consciously.
"So, what didn't you like?"
"Because... you..."
He turned abruptly towards him, started to speak, then stopped.
When Lizel tilted his head, prompting him to continue, Eleven covered his face with one hand.
He subtly averted his gaze, but his eyes landed on Gil, who was looking down at him with a mischievous smile, urging him on. There was no escape.
Eleven slowly backed away, muttering "I'm going home..." in a sulky tone, and turned on his heel. His flamboyant figure quickly disappeared into the alleyway.
"You like teasing younger people, don't you?"
"Gil, you look like you're having quite a good time."
That night, Lizel, who had been reading, suddenly closed his book and stood up.
He put on his jacket, tidied himself up a little, and left his room.
In the dimly lit corridor, illuminated only by moonlight, his eyes, which had been reading by the light, took a while to adjust.
He slowly descended the stairs, and the landlady, who had finished cleaning and preparing for the next day, appeared from the dining room, yawning, looking like she was about to go to bed.
Seeing Lizel, she looked puzzled and asked in a low voice... "Oh, Lizel, are you going out now?"
"Yes, I'm going out for a drink."
"Even though you can't drink?"
The landlady laughed heartily and looked behind Lizel.
She must have confirmed that Gil wasn't there, as her worried gaze wasn't the kind you'd give to an adventurer.
Lizel smiled wryly, wondering when he would finally be treated like a proper adventurer, and said goodnight.
The landlady, with a somewhat unconvinced expression, sighed resignedly and sent him on his way.
Lizel walked down the sparsely populated street without hesitation.
Although there was lighting from magical devices, most people stopped their activities once it got dark.
Most people went to bed after dinner, so the people walking the streets were mostly those working late or adventurers, but of course, there were exceptions.
Lizel, being one of those exceptions, walked slowly, as if enjoying the quiet atmosphere.
He arrived at his usual bar, a slightly lively place that served proper meals despite its bar-like atmosphere, and opened the door.
"...Welcome."
"Hello."
The welcome from the taciturn master lacked warmth, but Lizel smiled at the gaze directed at him.
He confirmed that two tables were occupied, but no one was sitting at the counter, so he took a seat at the counter.
The master, who glanced at Lizel as he sat down in his usual seat, continued silently wiping glasses—he really wasn't suited for customer service.
There seemed to be another employee in charge of cooking, but the person themselves never appeared, and Lizel had never seen them, so most people thought the master made the food as well.
The fact that this bar didn't go out of business, despite having virtually no one in charge of customer service, was solely due to the master's bartending skills and the unseen cook's culinary abilities. The dishes were served from behind the wine racks, hidden behind the master, and the master carried them to the table.
Lizel subtly glanced around, trying to catch a glimpse of the chef, whose existence was largely unknown, but all he could see were fingertips.
"Almost," he thought, a meaningless observation, and then turned his gaze back to the master who had returned.
Feeling apologetic for not being able to drink alcohol, he ordered something he thought he could manage. The master, already familiar with Lizel's preferences, showed no hesitation in preparing the drink.
"May I have a word in private?"
"..."
"No, I mean with you, Master."
He replied with a negative to the master, who glanced briefly at the small room they had used before.
His hands, which had paused for a moment, resumed their work. Had he agreed or refused?
Judging from his demeanor that he had received his consent, Lizel gently touched the cool surface of the glass offered to him.
He glanced up, seeing the master staring down at him, and smiled, lowering his voice.
"A combination of Commercial Guild staff and adventurers used that room before, didn't they?"
He took several silver coins from his chest and stacked them one by one on the table.
The master, who had been watching silently from an angle invisible from the table, sighed at the slowly accumulating silver coins.
Lizel stopped stacking the coins and smiled brightly.
He didn't think the master was the type to easily reveal secrets, but if the amount of hush money offered exceeded the amount the other party had paid, the master wouldn't need to uphold his obligation. That's how information brokering worked.
"...There are several such groups."
"The frequency is about once a month, and they usually have luggage."
"Probably, but there are times when people like that come."
"When was the last time?"
"About a month ago."
Despite this exchange, the master never claimed to be an informant.
However, rumors of the convenient little room spread secretly from somewhere, and some people started leaving money as hush money.
Originally, it was built as a small but soundproof party room, so it has relatively high soundproofing capabilities.
Of course, it's used as a regular party room, but it has also frequently been used for these kinds of secret meetings.
However, the people who don't want others to overhear their conversations are diverse; it's also used for business negotiations between merchants, and even as a room to take someone who's been dumped and is crying hysterically.
Since he doesn't want too many bad people coming and going, he sometimes refuses entry, and he wouldn't hesitate to call the military police if necessary. Thanks to this, people with something to hide don't approach.
"So, not yet this time? It should be soon, though. What time do they usually come?"
"...After the crowd thins out. Just about..."
The door opened, interrupting the master's words.
The master, with a taciturn expression, simply looked at the newcomer and glanced at Lizel.
The smile on his lips was unchanged from before.
He tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, and the way he held the glass with his well-groomed fingers and slowly sipped from it showed no trace of agitation; he showed no reaction even though the person he was expecting had arrived.
The person who entered was a man who looked like an adventurer.
He went straight to the counter, placed a few silver coins on it, ordered drinks for two, and headed to the small room.
After seeing the man disappear into the small room without waiting for confirmation, the master picked up the silver coins and put them into a nearby bottle. It seems he doesn't want to mix this with the store's sales.
Lizel, who had inwardly praised him, finally lifted his gaze.
Lizel's face was quite well-known among adventurers, but in the dimly lit interior, he seemed unrecognizable. Perhaps it was also because no one imagined Lizel drinking alone in a place like this.
"I thought it would be today or tomorrow, but this was perfect timing."
"..."
The master said nothing to Lizel's whispered words.
He simply understood that this customer, who gave off an air of being set apart from the others, was, as he suspected, no ordinary person.
Even as a bar master, a position that allowed him to observe many different kinds of people, he couldn't grasp the true intentions of the customer before him.
Ultimately, all he hoped was that this gentle, regular customer, who couldn't drink but was generous and polite, wouldn't get into any trouble. That was all.
Sensing a somewhat watchful atmosphere, Lizel chuckled at the unfamiliar feeling and, while tapping his glass, simply said, "It's delicious."
Before Lizel had even finished his glass, another of the people he was waiting for arrived at the store.
The slender man, who didn't look like an adventurer at all, glanced around the store and then his eyes settled on Lizel.
He must be a high-ranking staff member. Perhaps he didn't want to leave a bad impression on Lizel, who usually frequented the kind of high-class establishments he occasionally worked at.
Lizel, noticing his gaze, looked back at him and smiled, and he responded with a perfect smile of his own.
Apparently thinking there was no problem, Lizel averted his gaze, and the man approached the counter, his leather shoes clicking on the floor.
"I have a meeting."
"...He's here."
The innocuous words were spoken in a voice that truly held no hint of anything suspicious. If you didn't know the circumstances, you'd really think they were meeting up, and that they were using a private room because they wanted to drink quietly.
While admiring how professional and skilled the service industry workers were, like actors, Lizel watched their retreating backs.
It was certainly a perfect smile, but Lizel knew it was fake. Even Gil, with his extraordinary senses, would probably judge it as suspicious.
"Still a long way to go," he thought, emptying his glass.
"How long do they usually stay?"
"...About an hour at most. They don't stay very long."
It's a little tough trying to kill time in a bar when you can't drink.
But he wanted to settle things today if possible. It wasn't absolutely necessary to do it today, but to Judge, who constantly visits the Commercial Guild, would surely be heading to the guild again tomorrow.
Such claims only get worse with each repetition. He'd already heard from Eleven that the guild was looking troubled.
Lizel didn't like seeing someone he respected being unfairly belittled. Moreover, the fault this time lay with the other party.
"I should have brought someone with me. Since I'm here, I'll order something."
The master stared at Lizel, who smiled and accepted the menu he offered.
He didn't know what he was thinking, but since he was waiting until they came out, it probably wasn't anything peaceful.
He was a sensible person, so he wouldn't cause any damage to the shop, the master thought, and headed to a table after being called. One group was leaving, and only Lizel and one other group of customers remained in the shop.
During dinner time, almost all the seats would be filled, but it was already a time when most people were asleep.
While Lizel was talking to the master and eating the light meal he ordered, the door to the private room opened in less than an hour.
Incidentally, when he said "talking," it meant Lizel occasionally initiated conversation, but the master always responded appropriately. The two of them appeared together from the open doorway. They probably didn't want to leave separately, as that would make it obvious to anyone that they had something shady going on.
Despite having only had one drink each, the two, slightly tipsy, paid the bartender for their drinks while making small talk.
Whether it was a coincidence or not, the bartender was positioned between them and Lizel. Anyone would naturally favor a polite regular who compliments the food over someone who only uses the establishment for suspicious purposes.
"Thank you for the meal, you can keep the change."
Lizel, who had leisurely risen from his seat after confirming the adventurers had left, offered a silver coin. The bartender, looking displeased, said he would return the change later and sent him on his way.
He likely knew Lizel would follow them, so he didn't try to stop him or force him to take the change.
"He's a serious man," Lizel chuckled, and the bartender's gaze as he watched him go showed no sign of worry, but that didn't mean he wasn't concerned.
"...Be careful."
With that added warning echoing behind him, Lizel left the tavern.
He wouldn't lose sight of his target on the deserted street. He confirmed the two had separated in opposite directions in front of the shop and began walking towards the adventurer.
Incidentally, Lizel had no experience in tailing someone. He simply followed a short distance behind.
However, if you act confidently, you can surprisingly avoid being noticed, and since adventurer inns tend to be clustered together, it's often assumed that everyone is heading in the same direction.
The adventurer, presumably heading back to his base inn, was, as expected, walking in almost the same direction as Lizel's inn, even without him needing to actively follow him.
Thinking leisurely that this would make his return easier, Lizel continued walking, until the man turned into an alleyway. Lizel knew the terrain of the area he had walked through, and he understood the layout of the nearby area so well that he could draw a map without even looking.
There was no inn that fit the description at the end of the street the man had turned down, and he realized he was being lured into a trap, but he didn't stop walking.
Lizel, tilting his head in confusion as to why he had been discovered, had completely forgotten that, even from a distance, he didn't look like an adventurer.
Walking in the direction where the adventurers' inns were located was unnatural and enough to arouse suspicion.
Lizel, thinking that casual tailing wouldn't work, was quite proud of how much he had become like a real adventurer, so he didn't notice this fact.
Thinking that there were ways to catch the tiger cub without entering the tiger's den, Lizel was about to bypass the entrance to the alley when he suddenly stopped.
He stopped as if looking up at the sky, right at the entrance to the alley.
"Tch, I've been followed..."
He faced the man who had emerged from the darkness of the alley.
The man, who had drawn the sword at his waist and looked at him, widened his eyes in astonishment when he saw Lizel's face illuminated by the moonlight.
Had Lizel heard rumors about him somewhere, or had he actually seen him at the guild?
Lizel had no idea, but he was used to being known unilaterally. Lizel maintained his calm smile, and the man cautiously raised his sword.
"So you noticed I was following you?"
"Is there something inconvenient about being noticed?"
"Don't mess with me, or I won't guarantee your life... Don't act so cocky, you're just a lackey of 'Single-Stroke' trying to be an adventurer."
Lizel's reputation still hadn't escaped the image of being Gil's lackey. If it were frequent that Lizel accompanied the carriage and took matters into his own hands, like the other day, things would be different, but usually Lizel finds it troublesome to constantly draw his gun and surprise people, so he leaves everything to Gil when they're in the carriage.
Situations like the other day, where he could be on the roof without worrying about being seen, are actually quite rare.
Against an opponent who was completely confident of their advantage, Lizel tilted his head slightly, showing not a trace of apprehension.
"You mustn't kill him."
"A pathetic plea for mercy—Gah!"
The man sneered, but the next moment, he groaned as someone who had fallen from the roof slammed his face into the ground.
A terribly dull thud echoed through the alley, but there were no houses nearby. That's probably why the man chose this place to lure Lizel, but it completely backfired.
While wondering if he was really still alive after such a strong impact, he looked at the figure who was still holding the man's head down on the ground while reaching for the sword at their waist with the other hand.
"Thank you, perfect timing."
"I was surprised when I got the report that you were following some strange man alone."
"Oh, am I still being monitored?"
"Also, I don't think you've noticed, but..."
To Lizel, who was wearing an incongruously gentle smile, Eleven grinned and gestured behind him with his eyes. As Lizel wondered what he meant and was about to turn around, a hand covered his mouth from behind.
Despite the rough gesture, the hand that touched him was gentle and didn't cause any discomfort. Lizel blinked, recognizing the familiar sensation.
From behind Lizel, who showed no resistance to the hand that was restraining his movements, a familiar sigh was heard. The hand covering his mouth was slowly removed.
"You should have at least panicked and resisted a little!"
"Because I knew it was Gil."
"You didn't even notice I was following you, did you?"
"There's no way I could have noticed if Gil was seriously following me!"
"I wasn't even hiding my presence."
"Besides, I did notice!"
Lizel laughed, saying he didn't want to be compared to these two high-spec individuals, and this time he finally turned around.
Gil was looking down at him with an exasperated expression, having been there who knows how long.
Lizel had easily noticed Eleven the moment he waved from the rooftop, which is why he had ventured into the seemingly safe lion's den when he lured him into the alleyway. But he hadn't noticed Gil at all.
"How long have you been here?"
"Since you started your terrible attempt at tailing him."
"It wasn't that bad, was it?"
"No, it was pretty terrible."
Unable to bear the carefree conversation any longer, the man groaned softly.
He couldn't speak properly because his face was being pressed down so hard, but Eleven, while grinning at Lizel and Gil's exchange, didn't loosen his grip.
Finally, Lizel looked at the man lying on the ground.
The sword he was holding was thrown aside.
It was easily snapped in two when stepped on by Gil.
The man, who had been desperately trying to survey his surroundings, stopped resisting when he saw that.
"So, who is this guy?"
"Remember that staff member who was stealing merchandise from the store? This is someone connected to him. They couldn't sell the stolen goods anywhere without leaving a trail, so they were giving them to adventurers to sell through the guild."
"Ah, so that's why we couldn't find anything in the black market."
"The fact that they only stole dungeon items is probably because they wanted to avoid suspicion by having adventurers bring them in."
Only high-end stores have senior staff members working the counter.
It's easy to imagine that he had repeated these thefts many times, given his practiced manner, and therefore, he must have also frequently sold dungeon items through adventurers to earn money.
Dungeon items handled by high-end stores only come from the deeper levels of the dungeon, but high-ranking adventurers can obtain these items themselves without having to take unnecessary risks.
That's why Lizel had asked Studd to investigate "adventurers who frequently bring in dungeon items that don't match their rank." There were surprisingly many such adventurers, but when he narrowed the search to those who repeatedly brought in multiple items and seemed to be selling them in stores, only this man's party matched the criteria.
Incidentally, since this is strictly confidential guild information, Lizel doesn't mention Studd's name.
Sharing this information would definitely be a violation. Knowing Studd, he'd probably find a way to cleverly cover it up.
Because of these circumstances, when Lizel received the information during the day, it was conveyed secretly with precautions taken to avoid being overheard.
Lizel calmly approached the man and looked down at him. Brushing a strand of hair from his cheek behind her ear, Lizel smiled sweetly.
"I have one request."
"..."
"Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, could you confess everything that's happened so far at the Commercial Guild?"
The man remained silent in response to the question.
That was understandable. If he admitted it, his party would undoubtedly face severe punishment.
Would it be a temporary suspension of their guild cards, or permanent expulsion from the Adventurer's Guild? The former would only mean they couldn't accept quests for a certain period, but the latter would mean they could no longer work as adventurers.
There aren't many people like Gil in the past who could delve into dungeons and profit from materials without being affiliated with a guild. It would be impossible for them.
Eleven was about to draw his sword at the silent man, but Lizel stopped him.
They needed the men themselves to go to the Commercial Guild; if they went with strange injuries, it would lead to strange suspicions.
"What should we do? I'm not very good at interrogating people like this."
"The idea of you interrogating someone just feels wrong."
"I can kind of imagine something like training, though, like making them kneel and lick your feet..."
"I'll give you some educational guidance."
Eleven, who had been laughing heartily, fell silent at Lizel's words. He didn't know what would happen, but he didn't have a good feeling about it at all.
Lizel certainly had confidence in his verbal skills.
He could guide conversations to obtain the information he wanted, and he could also induce the other party to make mistakes.
However, for someone who wouldn't even speak, let alone confess, the only option was, as Eleven said, an interrogation involving some pain.
Incidentally, they couldn't leave it to Gil. All they could see was a future where the other party ended up dead.
As Lizel frowned, wondering what to do, Eleven waved his hand.
"If you'd like, I can do it."
"Huh?"
"It's fine if it's by tomorrow morning, right? Don't worry, I won't leave any visible scars."
The man felt a shiver run down his spine at the sight of the smiling face.
Lizel looked up at Gil, but Gil seemed unfazed. He was the kind of man who would casually abandon others, not caring what happened to strangers who had no connection to him.
The same was true of Lizel in this world, and this time, Judge was the one suffering the consequences.
"Then, shall we ask you to do it?"
"You're asking me to do it, huh?"
The lighthearted conversation, as if they were simply asking for a favor, felt strangely out of place in this situation.
Gil felt pity for the man who was being manipulated by such a conversation, but he didn't sympathize with him.
It was his fault for laying hands on something that belonged to Lizel; he should consider himself lucky that he only incurred this much anger. If he had incurred Lizel's personal wrath, this wouldn't be the end of it, and Lizel wouldn't let it end like this.
Looking down at the man who was desperately sending pleading glances, Lizel narrowed his eyes, a smile that seemed to convey compassion on his face.
"This is your last chance. Tomorrow, will you confess your interaction with that staff member at the Commercial Guild?"
"I will! I will, so let me go...!"
Lizel let out a faint, wry smile.
His gaze was devoid of emotion, as if he had lost all interest, and he looked away.
Gil and Eleven, sensing the meaning behind Lizel's actions, stared down at the man with piercing gazes in the dim darkness.
He couldn't possibly think that mere lies would work on them. The man's throat trembled as he felt the killing intent in their gazes.
"That's a shame."
He probably intended to gather his party and leave the capital city of Parteda as soon as he escaped this place. In some cases, they might even be planning to escape outside of this country, Partedarl.
That's how serious the revocation of a guild license is for an adventurer; it leads to such a downfall that they wouldn't even want to think about their future life.
The Adventurer's Guild considers betraying them after receiving so many benefits to be the height of foolishness, and they show no mercy to violators.
"Just lightly, lightly. He has to confess his crimes honestly, on his own,"
"I know!"
"The party members are also involved. Find out their whereabouts as well."
"Understood!"
"You absolutely mustn't let them say they were threatened into saying it. If necessary, you can even brainwash them, just make sure they don't hold a grudge."
"I said I understand!"
Eleven said this sulkily to Lizel, who was emphasizing the point.
Lizel thought he might have been too persistent, but he felt that even too much emphasis wasn't enough for Eleven. Eleven was currently giving off an air of wanting to do whatever he pleased if left unchecked.
Lizel's predictions were usually accurate, and Eleven, judging that he could do anything as long as it wasn't something Lizel had explicitly forbidden, curled his lips into a smirk.
He knew countless ways to make someone confess honestly and without resentment, and there were things he wanted to try. He wasn't a poison-wielding beastman for nothing.
"Carry this. Ah... the second base doesn't have any sound leakage, so let's go there."
Before the man could escape from Eleven, who had suddenly stood up, several figures descended from the rooftop.
Lizel hadn't noticed them at all, but they were likely the "people who can completely erase their presence," according to Eleven. Gil seemed to have noticed them, but showed no reaction.
Without paying any more attention to the man being restrained, Lizel watched them with interest. As he watched the bandits carrying the man away, he wondered if one of them had been watching him, and if he would be able to recognize them in the future since he had memorized their faces.
"Well then, it'll be all sorted out by tomorrow morning!"
Watching Eleven wave goodbye with a smile and narrowed eyes, Lizel tilted his head.
"Now that I think about it, was it really okay to leave it to him?"
"It's fine. Just let him do it as an apology for following us around."
Nodding in understanding, Lizel and Gil started walking towards the inn.
Along the way, Gil asked how he knew the men were using that tavern, but Lizel smiled and considered whether or not to answer the question.
Because when he subtly hinted at it that morning, both Gil and Eleven had become serious. Was that because they were disgusted, or something else?
In the end, he decided to brush off the question, and when Lizel happily replied, "It's a secret," Gil sighed.
"Besides, don't go alone."
"Oh come on, I assumed you'd be coming with me."
"You say that, but you didn't even notice."
Gil chuckled, and Lizel smiled back.