If I want to acquire a large sum of money, I'll have to hunt bandits.
The question is how I'll do it.
Depending on the circumstances, I could end up facing multiple bandits at once.
But this time, I won't be attacking a distracted opponent.
Am I strong enough to do it?
No, I have to.
Job Settings.
Equipped Jobs
Jobs
Villager: Lv 5 Hero: Lv 2 Explorer: Lv 3 Thief: Lv 3 Warrior: Lv 1 Swordsman: Lv 1 Merchant: Lv 1
Party Job Settings
Kaga Michio
Hey, I've got more new jobs.
How's Warrior?
Warrior: Lv 1 Effects: Minor Endurance Increase Tiny HP Increase Skill: Rush
It has stronger effects than Villager, and it's got a skill.
I'll keep Hero, and...
Explorer
Hero
Thief
Given what I'm about to do, this is the best setup.
Starting tomorrow, I'll be walking.
in the Labyrinth of Another World
Harem
3 Days to Purchase Roxanne
Identify.
Priest
Villager
Adventurer
Villager
None here.
But having access to Identify is a huge advantage.
I can tell at a glance who's a bandit.
The bandits?
Yeah. Word is, they're being taken out one after another.
Maybe they're getting revenge.
It's probably those guys who were chased out of the slums to the north.
The slums?
Mr. Michio, try not to look around too much.
There are some unsafe areas around here.
There are brothels, as well, but I wouldn't recommend going inside them.
Teleport.
The Slums
The air here is different.
It smells like sewage.
In addition to being the endpoint of the sewer,
it's also where outcasts and wretches end up.
Identify.
Villager
I don't see any bandits.
Are they being cautious?
I suppose bandits wouldn't boldly walk around in broad daylight.
This stench alone is going to make me sick.
Teleport.
I'll check it out again at night.
I stopped becoming depressed even after repeated uses of Teleport.
Must be because of the levels I gained fighting that battle.
I turned that potential disaster into good fortune.
I should be able to handle some bandits even if the worst happens.
Time to resume exploring.
Going back into the labyrinth?
Yeah. Hold onto my key for me.
Sure thing.
You're working hard, aren't you?
You don't need a lantern?
I'm glad I borrowed this.
It only illuminates the area right around my feet, but it's better than not having it.
This is my first time out on the town at night.
Is there anything different at night?
Identify.
Villager
Warrior
Villager
Still no bandits.
I thought they'd be around at night. Oh, well.
What is that?
Red Light District
This is totally different from the red light district during the day.
The lights at night make it seem so much more dazzling.
Calm down, calm down.
Think about it.
I could get ripped off.
And I can't imagine there's anyone here as beautiful as Roxanne.
Not entering a shop is the right choice.
Identify.
Bandit
Found one.
He's definitely heading towards the slums.
Are there no other bandits?
Identify.
Bandit
If there are lookouts posted outside,
then that single-story house must be the bandits' headquarters.
Teleport.
Yeah, we've got Hugo to thank for that.
Did he just say Hugo?
I think the bandit boss I beheaded in the starting town was Hugo.
Identify
Hugo
Thief: Lv 41 Equipment: Iron Sword Thief's Bandanna Iron Armor Leather Boots
Which means he's one of the remaining bandits who were chased out of town
or an associate of Hugo.
I need to do more research.
2 Days to Purchase Roxanne
I see. I'm starting to get a sense of what this town's like at night.
Perhaps because people typically stay overnight,
the businesses in the red light district close early,
starting with shops that attract customers.
Then the bandits come out to play.
Like guards, they either patrol the town and stand at crossroads or carouse at bars.
Even the bandits must have groups and territories.
And they avoid interacting with each other to an unnatural degree.
That guy who was standing in basically the same place yesterday is one of them.
It's not much, but this area must be his.
Even if I hunted his group,
the other groups would see it as someone else's problem and wouldn't make a fuss.
If individual groups avoid interacting with each other, then I can make it work.
Vale Vale Restaurant
Welcome back.
You were out late in the labyrinth.
Have something to eat. It's on the house.
The murders?
Those murders, huh?
There's a power struggle between the bandits who live in the slums of this town.
I heard it was revenge.
You know about that?
Between you and me, that's made up.
Oh?
A little while ago, there was a change in leadership within a certain group.
There was a succession dispute and the losing faction was run out of town.
There are bandit factions?
The men who were killed the other day
were bandits who won the succession dispute and remained in town,
but they're being targeted by other groups, too.
So they're making it look like the work of the banished bandits
and using this opportunity to take them down?
Maybe, maybe not.
There might be some trouble over in the slums,
but this area is safe, under the watchful gaze of the knights.
I avoided entering the bandits' hideout without knowing what was going on.
If I end up talking to the bandits, then it'll be easier to work something out.
Roxanne...
Her branches so heavy with enormous fruit...
Error Image cannot be displayed due to nudity.
I'll peel them ever so gently...
And taste them...
They're hard?
Sho harf...
I was so nervous, I didn't get much sleep.
But now's a good time.
I've got my Thief's Bandanna.
I can equip Durandal anytime, too.
1 Day to Purchase Roxanne
The Slums
You got a minute?
Who are you?
No one suspicious.
I'm definitely extremely suspicious.
I want to ask you something.
That's...
Give me the information I want, and it's yours for one gold coin.
One, huh? What do you want to know about?
He's interested.
So it's true that bandits will shell out 10 to 20 thousand nars.
Tell me about Hugo.
Apparently, our brother Hugo was killed.
I see. The man's dead, huh?
Could you tell me more about that?
Wait here.
Sure, got it.
His allies must be in that room.
I'll remember that.
Our boss knew Hugo, too.
He's sleeping right now, but you should introduce yourself later.
Good idea.
The money's in my room.
Can we talk in there?
Sure.
Come in.
This is it. I'll give you the money here.
First, could I confirm that's really a Thief's Bandanna?
I didn't get a good look at it earlier.
Sure.
There was a succession dispute a short while ago.
He was supposed to take over,
but some other factions joined forces and drove him out of town.
They say Hugo attacked some village after that and failed.
What an idiot.
There's no point in trying to run.
Nobody saw me bring you here.
I don't know where you got that,
but with a Thief's Bandanna, I could get even more done.
Hand it over.
So this was your intention from the start.
Not that I didn't know.
Bah!
You don't have a weapon. What do you think you can do?
Well, I'll give you this bandanna.
What are you doing?!
Identify.
Two in the back, two in front.
Identify
Nina
Thief: Lv 14
Identify
Evan
Thief: Lv 38
Identify
Nora
Thief: Lv 11
Identify
Conrad
Thief: Lv 35
None of them are exceptionally high level. Perfect.
His legs are down here.
Which means his head's up here.
Slowly, so he doesn't wake up.
Is his neck around here?
Judging by all the blood, I must've cut an artery.
He's a level 38 bandit.
I'm sure there's a decent bounty on him.
Who's next?
Even if something unexpected occurs, worst case, I can teleport out of here.
Crap! She made a sound.
Who's there?
The last one noticed that.
Identify.
Identify
Conrad
Thief: Lv 35 Equipment: Copper Sword
This puts me at a disadvantage. Teleport.
He'll assume I'm still inside the room and call for help.
I need to time my movements with the door's.
I can't afford to screw this up.
One, two...
All right.
His left hand is the one I'm holding.
Did the other bandits notice?
I don't detect any more bandits inside the room.
But it'll be difficult to retrieve the female bandit's hand now.
Three is the most I can handle.
I can't take on any more risks.
Teleport. To the labyrinth.
All right. I did it.
I finally did the unthinkable.
No, it's probably because I'm low on MP from teleporting a bunch of times.
If I can just defeat some monsters...
I should be at max MP by now.
No.
In this world, killing bandits shouldn't be a big deal.
This world is different from the one I came from.
There are no police, laws, or human rights to protect us.
This was my only option.
The bandits won't make a fuss over this.
If word gets out that their leaders were killed,
the other bandits might come after them next.
More importantly, how am I going to cash these in?
I just recently claimed a bounty.
If I bring more of these in back to back, I might attract the attention of the knights.
Should I take their cards to another town?
No, wait. What if they question me?
They might ask me about the circumstances under which I killed the bandits.
Wouldn't they find it suspicious that I didn't bring them to my own town's knights?
It's no use.
My head's all screwed up.
I don't know what will happen, but one thing's for certain.
It's looking more likely that I'll acquire Roxanne.
I did everything I could.
I did everything.
Last Day to Purchase Roxanne
I slept better than I expected.
Now, then...
I should minimize the number of people who recognize me, just in case.
It'd be easier if I knew a knight who was familiar with the situation.
It's him.
He was there when I claimed my first bounty.
Hey.
Hello.
Some guys picked a fight with me last night.
Apparently, they were bandits.
Bandits?
I fought back and killed them, of course.
How unfortunate.
May I take a look at your Intelligence Card?
Sure.
Will of the swiftly flowing spirits,
steady breath of wisdom.
Open Intelligence Card.
All good.
I'll go examine these.
He didn't ask any questions. Success.
I had the same thought last time,
but I guess that's how bandits are regarded in this world.
I was able to confirm they belonged to three bandits.
Two of them had bounties on them.
Thank you.
That was easier than I expected.
How many gold coins did I get?
One, two...
There's more than seven in here.
With the 33 gold coins and 228 silver coins I've already got,
I can buy Roxanne.
I knew you could do it.
Sorry about all the silver coins.
That's not a problem.
I'll be taking these.
I'll bring her to you right away. One moment, please.
He's taking a while.
Thank you for waiting.
This is Roxanne, the girl you requested.
Thank you.
Nice to meet you.
Yes, Master. However, I must apologize to you for one thing.
What?
Is she going to spring on me now that she was working with the slave trader?
Or that she didn't want me to buy her?
I believed you'd come for me and waited for you.
But I doubted you once.
I thought you might not come for me.
Please forgive me.
Otherwise I don't deserve to be purchased by you.
As of today, you shall be known as Melos-anne.
Raise your head.
It's not a problem. Don't worry about it.
Yes, Master.
Roxanne, go to the customer.
Let us establish a contract.
May I see your Intelligence Cards?
Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Will of the swiftly flowing spirits,
steady breath of wisdom.
Open Intelligence Card.
I should've given up on Roxanne at least once, too.
Then we'd be even.
Not that I could've given up on someone so beautiful.
The contract is sealed.
Please take a look each other's Intelligence Cards.
Yes, sir. Here.
Roxanne Beast Warrior – Slave Owner: Kaga Michio
I see. I can tell we've signed a contract.
Which means the slave trader wasn't a con artist.
May I?
There's nothing on here I wouldn't want you seeing.
Yes, Master.
Kaga Michio Explorer – Free Man Owned Slaves: Roxanne
My job is set to Explorer.
So your card displays your first job.
Kaga Michio Owned Slaves: Roxanne
And this shows that I own her.
Thank you for purchasing one of our slaves.
Finally...
As of today, you are Roxanne's owner.
Finally...
Finally, I've acquired Roxanne.
in the Labyrinth of Another World
Harem