Chapter 340: Three-Penny Play

　The morning after infiltrating the mayor’s mansion…

　While Tauro and his team were taking orders for a quest to defeat the Flaming Crab at the Adventurers’ Guild as usual, the strongest team in Caxart, the C+ Team “Gray Vultures,” entered the Place.

“they’re here, Leader.”

　Ankh whispered in Tauro’s ear.

　Of course, Tauro remembered their presence and recognized it immediately, since it was just yesterday.

“There’s a team of D+ adventurers here who just came from somewhere else, right? Who is it?”

　The skinhead leader looks around the guild and checks.

“Hagen-san. We don’t want any trouble.”

　Armine, the receptionist, pointed out.

“Receptionist, do your job. Hey, you’re here, aren’t you? Come on out.”

　The leader of the “Gray Vultures,” called Hagen, said in a ferocious voice.

“Are you talking about us? I don’t believe we are acquainted with you, can we help you?”

　Tauro stepped forward without fear.

“You’re still a kid, aren’t you? Hmph!  Hey, you guys, lend me your faces for a second. We’re going to have a problem here.”*

　Hagen replied meaningfully and motioned for us to go outside.

“ Hagen-san! We really don’t want any trouble!”

　Armine, the receptionist, guessed from Hagen’s statement and emphasized it again.

“now, now, Armine-san. We’ll be fine.”

　Tauro quieted Armine, the receptionist, and followed Hagen and the “gray vultures” outside.

　Tauro and his friends followed him for a while and then entered a back street with few pedestrians.

“What kind of an attitude is it that you guys don’t even say hello to us?”

　When they stopped, the “Gray Vultures” spread out to surround Tauro and his friends, and their leader, Hagen, questioned them.

“I don’t think the Adventurer’s Guild has any such rules?”

　Tauro makes the obvious objection.

“In this town, it’s customary to greet us first!”

　Hagen instantly closed the distance between him and Tauro, grabbed him by the chest and breathed.

　Tauro grabbed Hagen’s arm and slowly pulled it off him.

　Of course, Hagen’s grip was so strong that he didn’t budge at all,……, but contrary to his appearance, he couldn’t resist Tauro’s physical strength, and his grip was yanked away.

　Hagen stared at Tauro in shock..

“Isn’t this kind of thing not allowed in the adventurer’s guild? It’s better to stop now, for your own sake.”

　Tauro answered with a calm face, calmed down Ankh and Ragune who had their hands ready on their weapons, and left the place.

“Hagen! Are you sure we should just let them go?”

　A member of the “Gray Vultures”, the swordsman, calls out to Hagen.

“Yes, Hagen! If we get licked here, it’ll ruin our name.”

　 the wizard woman continued.

“Instead, I’ll overthrow them using force.”

　The warrior man tried to follow Tauro and the others.

“Wait. That kid was something else. At least, his physical strength was higher than mine. It would be better for us to stay out of it, and used the thugs to attack them tonight and hurt them. That would be a good idea.”

　Hagen said, stopping his companions, and then he made a plausible statement.

“The usual. You’re quick to play that hand this time.”

　The warrior man smiled evilly.

“No matter how D+ you are, it’s not very often that someone suddenly attacks you in the middle of the streets.  It’s a good way to scare them off. The only problem is that it costs a little money.”

　Hagen, too, smiled a crooked smile and ordered the small man carrying the luggage to contact the thugs.

　During the quest to defeat the flaming crabs around the salt lake…

“Leader, from the looks of them, they’ll be back.”

　Ankh called out to Tauro behind him as he killed a flaming crab.

“I think so too. If Tauro is right, I think they’ll be here sometime this evening, right?”

　Ragune happily agreed with Ankh’s words, while defeating the flaming crab.

“I guess so. I showed the leader over there a little of my ability, so I think he’ll move on to the next resort. I’m amazed Pella didn’t react to that, too.”

　Tauro’s actions was calculated, so even though he was grabbed by the chest, Pella seemed to sense it and did not react.

　When he praised Pella, Pella, who was mimicking the surface of the leather armor, shivered with a tremble.

“…That’s right. Rather than that, we need to find evidence of the embezzlement as soon as possible. If this happens, it would be quicker to bribe the town mayor’s accountant.”

　Tauro has a detestable idea and money.

　Although he does not usually use it, he decides that this is the time to use it.

　Tauro and his team cut off the Flame Crab subjugation as soon as they achieved their quota. He gave Ankh money and asked him to buy out the accounting.

“Isn’t it too risky with just the two of us?”

　Ragune argued cautiously.

“That’s true I thought it would be easier for them to attack us if Ankh, who seems to be the strongest, wasn’t around.”

　Tauro had set up a situation that would make his enemy happy.

“I see what you mean. So, why don’t we move to the outskirts rather than stay in the city?”

　Ragune suggests.

“I guess I’ll have to dismiss that one because it’d mean there’ll be no passersby to act as witnesses. I think that if women and child are being attacked, people around will more likely try to help them. We’ll stand our ground and make it look like they’re attacking us.”

　Tauro was taking advantage of the other party’s intentions, and at the same time, he was planning how to avoid creating a situation that would put them at a disadvantage.

“I see. As you said, if we fight off the thugs, they will use us injuring them as an excuse to move against us, but if we get hit, that will be the end of it, so we’ll just have to wait it out, won’t we?”

　Ragune agreed with Tauro’s idea.

　Sure enough, before night fell, after dinner, the thugs appeared in front of Tauro and Ragune, without worrying about anyone’s eyes.

　The thugs must have decided that if it was just the two of them, they could do it on their own, even if not according to orders.

“What is it, you guys? Oh my God, someone please help us!”

　Ragune calls out to the people around her for help.

“What are you guys doing~?”

　Tauro, who is also a bad actor, says.

　The goons attacked them without paying any attention to their performance.

　The two dodged the attack of the hoodlums and continued to call out for help while putting on a tough act.

“Hey! A child and a woman are being attacked by thugs!”

　One of the passersby mustered up the courage to inform the other passersby, and the passersby who had been observing the incident gradually began to gather around, perhaps inspired by their sense of justice.

“Don’t you guys have any shame in the way you treat women and children?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

“Hey, somebody go get the Territorial soldiers!”

“My husband just went to call them!”

　The passersby called out to them and began to surround the thugs at a distance.

　The hoodlums, perhaps sensing that the situation was not good, looked at each other and, unable to inflict any injuries on Tauro and Ragune, escaped through the crowd of passersby.

“The townspeople here have a stronger sense of justice than I expected.”

　Tauro nodded with a smile to Ragune as the thugs left unharmed.

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