A Merchant With Zero Combat Power Who Was A Baggage Handler In A Hero Party (Me), Was Finally Banished And Wants To Be A Steady Merchant. - Chapter 86 – The Threat of Thieves

“Mister Albus. It’s been a while.”

One day.

Loloi and I were visiting Gandra’s store to pick up a relic that we had requested to be polished.

“It seems the business is booming.”

As I was leaving, I was spoken to by Gandra’s son, Ganz, and his wife, Oulete.

“Are you sure you want to be selling oil here?”

The couple were the commander and deputy commander of a neighborhood watch group in the Kilket West neighborhood.

And Ganz must be quite busy, as he works as a neighborhood watchman in between his day job as a carpenter.

“In fact, our purpose in coming here today is to meet Mister Albus…as a neighborhood watch.”

“?”

“Do you know the Black Wings bandits?”

“Only in name.”

I was almost crucified just a month ago because I was mistaken for one of those bandits.

The neighborhood watch, by these guys…

The couple continued their story, saying, “We are very sorry about that,”

“The Black Wing has become active again.”

The Black Wings are a band of thieves who become active every year around the time of the central Kirkett auction, and they are said to be vicious, willing to kill to steal.

Their home base is probably somewhere far away in the central continent.

It is believed that they come to Kilket and its vicinity only during this time of the year, targeting the gold and other curiosities that are collected at auctions in Kilket.

“I see. It’s already been a year since I left Ryan’s party…”

About a year ago.

Ryan and his party, who had finished conquering the Demon King’s dungeon, happened to be in the vicinity of Yak Village during this Kilket auction.

They met up with members of the Black Wings, who were standing by to conduct activities in Kilket, and most of their items were taken away from them.

“I don’t like to put it this way, but last year, thanks to the deprivation of items by the hero’s party, there was very little damage done by the Black Wings at the Kilket auction.”

One year ago. The Black Wings’ party stole items from Ryan’s party. Last year, it was believed that they were satisfied with that and returned to their hideout somewhere.

Incidentally, Ryan and his group were last seen in this Kilket. They were pushing a wagon to carry the rest of the collection items and food.

If…

If the warehouse skills of Miriri, the dancer who joined as a baggage handler instead of me, only had the same capacity as Loloi.

I don’t think they would have been able to store that amount of collection.

Perhaps Ryan and his team must have been taken advantage of.

In other words, if I had stayed in the hero party, it wouldn’t have happened.

“In other words, it was my fault for leaving…?”

Well, they told me they were going to expel me from over there. So I don’t have any regrets or ***** now.

“I hope they’re all right…”

They’ve been with me for 15 years, so it’s hard to wake up from sleep if they die in a strange way somewhere.

Ryan and Ruschfeld’s Bond stone still glows dimly…

After all, they still seemed to be missing.

→→→→→

Last year there was little damage due to the hero Ryan’s case, but the year before was said to have been very damaging.

The young master of the store, who had many items stolen from him that were to be auctioned off and that were the lifeblood of the store, committed suicide.

There were also a number of guards and merchants who were attacked by a band of thieves and lost their lives after the battle.

And again this year.

There have already been several cases of damage, believed to be caused by black wings, throughout the Kilket area.

In other words, the reason Ganz and Oulete came to see me was to advise me, as a security group, “You should be wary of the black wings.”

“Starting with the story of the conquer on the Earth Ruins and the sale of relics to the elf at a high price, Mr. Albus is quite the topic of conversation right now…”

“Thank you for your advice.”

According to what I have just heard, Ryan and the others had their items stolen by a party member they had temporarily joined.

Perhaps. They must have tried to carry the items that didn’t fit into the warehouse in Miriri with more people.

In the same vein, I…

If I hire people with the intention of strengthening the security system and end up bringing in a band of thieves into my midst, I will not able to see it.

“I would be very grateful if the two of you would be my bodyguards.”

Gandra’s son and daughter-in-law, the head and deputy head of the neighborhood watch, would be trustworthy.

“It’s not that we are not willing…”

“I’m sorry. We two are tasked with guarding the entire west area…”

“I know. I’m sorry I asked so much of you.”

At times like this. After all, it hurts too much that I myself can’t fight at all.

If it had been Burgess or Loloi doing business with mana and relics, I wouldn’t have to worry like this…

“It is all right!　Loloi will protect Albus!　No matter who comes, Loloi will defeat them!”

A reliable escort was breathing hard next to him.

But if a band of thieves, who were willing to kill, came at her with several men….

I don’t know what would happen, no matter how good Loloi at fighting.

In other words, staying with the escort system as it was would also put Loloi’s safety at risk.

I think I need to think of a way to deal with this.

Ganz and the others had already given me some advice.

I didn’t want to do nothing and end up in a tight spot.