Pseudo Resident’s Illegal Stay in Another World - Chapter 152: Hassan and the Nine-Headed Thief (3)

༺ Hassan and the Nine-Headed Thief (3) ༻

Dorgo’s peculiar way of speaking wasn’t one to be easily forgotten.

Not long ago, during the war, a Sandman with a dark complexion walked silently in the front row ahead of me. His name was Dorgo.

“Barbarian, nice to meet you again. Dorgo, thanks to you, survived on the battlefield.”

It seemed that Dorgo also recognized my face.

While my face was quite ordinary on Earth, I seemed to stand out quite a bit here. Once seen, my face wasn’t easily forgotten.

When Dorgo and I acknowledged each other, Marco, who was sitting in the front row across from me, smirked.

“Keuhehehe, what’s this? You two already know each other? You’re more connected than it seems.”

“Dorgo this barbarian fought together in the war.”

“So, we all have wartime experience. Did I, Marco, ever tell you about the time I cut off the supply chain to the cultists’ main force?”

Probably because the tension from our unexpected encounter had dissolved, we chatted for a few minutes about our military experiences.

We each lamented about our own hardships, the difficulties we faced, and the absurd situations we found ourselves in.

It felt weird how everyone seemed to think their own problems were way bigger and more impressive than anyone else’s.

It was like slaves boasting about their chains.

But it was rather entertaining.

While we shared our tales of suffering with each other…

“Big brother, what are you guys doing? You should take orders!”

Dorgo flinched at the female dancer’s reproach.

“Ah, Dorgo taking orders.”

Only then did we realize that we hadn’t placed our orders yet.

The menu was written in a crooked handwriting.

After staring at it for a while, Marco said, “We’ll have two servings of what I usually get.” He then looked at Dorgo’s back as Dorgo tried to take the menu away.

“And make sure to give us plenty of that ‘Happiness Powder.’”

“That one. Got it.”

That concluded our order. It felt strange to meet someone I fought alongside in a war in a place like this. We didn’t know much about each other, and the time we spent together was brief, but for some reason, there was a sense of camaraderie.

Other than that, it turned out he had a younger sister.

I silently watched the barefoot dancer twirling above the laid-down gold coins.

She might not be as well-built as Hippolyte, but she had the lithe gracefulness characteristic of dancers. That made her flexible and dynamic, which probably made her popular among men.

And as expected, many men seemed to be captivated by her. Even though a veil concealed her face, the thought of what lay behind it was intriguing.

There was a sense of mystery. A desert girl. I never expected to see this kind of dance in a place like this.

“That’s the owner’s little sister. There are quite a few dancers here, but that girl dancing right now is the most popular and skilled. She’s the tavern owner’s younger sister, so her showmanship is also impressive.”

“Indeed, I see.”

Was it because she wasn’t just a simple part-timer but a co-owner who helped run the store together that she worked diligently? Because she considered this place ‘her store’?

Women who worked hard were impressive.

That meant she had a lot of vitality, and saying that she had good vitality was also a way of saying she would become a healthy and active mother who wouldn’t let her child go hungry.

Maybe liking such women was a natural instinct for men.

One of the main reasons I liked Luna was that she didn’t rely on me alone and worked hard on her own.

Dual-income households seemed to be the trend.

Just as I was pondering this, Marco said something in passing.

“If only our bald little brother were here, he’d be thrilled. Despite appearances, he strongly likes this sort of thing.”

“Speaking of which, how’s Khalidur?”

I recalled the pointy-eared elf who had been carried off somewhere with a broken leg. Wasn’t his main goal to hunt down Elfriede?

Elfriede was still openly living in this city. I wondered where that bastard was and what he was up to.

“Huh? What did you say just now?”

However, Marco seemed too engrossed in watching the dancer’s performance to hear my words.

“What’s that Baldy up to now?”

“He’s probably busy with his rehabilitation since his leg was severely broken. He said he’s in the Venus Temple, working off his debts.”

“I see.”

Anyway, Marco and I watched Dorgo’s younger sister’s performance— her name seems to be Dorothea— and listened to a few songs. Until I was enchanted by this break time, I idly watched the accessories clinking and clattering.

So, there was such a way of taking a break in this world.

While watching the back of the female dancer as she entered the employee break room, I felt a bit wistful. Marco, who had already sipped his drink, asked me a question.

“By the way, didn’t you receive a glass bottle with a scroll in it from the Thief Guild earlier? Do you mind if I ask what’s written on it?”

“Ah—”

Marco’s words reminded me of the scroll tucked away in my inner chest pocket. It was said that by going to the location written on the scroll, I could meet with the executives of the Thief Guild or something like that.

Swoosh—

I took it out of my pocket and handed it to Marco.

“Oh, this might be quite valuable. Even if we consider our relationship, is it okay to show it off so casually?”

“What do you mean by ‘considering our relationship’, you bastard?”

“What do I mean? Of course, it’s more like a brotherhood that transcends friendship. A skilled, great warrior and an exclusive wandering minstrel, that’s us. Considering it to this extent, we could be soulmates in every existing myth, couldn’t we?”

“Beat it, you bastard.”

“Keuhehe, you’re still not very honest, Brother. Anyway, should we see what’s written on it?”

Marco swiftly unrolled the scroll.

I glanced at it unenthusiastically as I took a sip of my drink.

The drink from the desert had a taste I had never experienced before. It felt more like it was fermented from the milk of cows or sheep rather than made from grains.

But it didn’t have a strange taste and was surprisingly sweet, making it quite drinkable.

Marco’s large nose seemed to grow even bigger.

“What the hell is this?”

“I don’t know either.”

“Is this thing the correct one?”

“Yes.”

“It’s strange.”

Just a moment ago, Marco had acted as if he didn’t want the contents to be seen, but now he unfolded the scroll on the table. However, I didn’t really mind.

The reason was because there was nothing written on the scroll. Was it a printing mistake or something? It wasn’t anything new anyway, not the first I’ve been scammed while dealing with thieves.

But Marco, who had been staring at it for a while, furrowed his brow and continued to mutter to himself.

“It’s completely blank. Interesting. Maybe there’s meaning in this blank space itself?”

“Hm—”

I slightly cleared my throat.

I did feel that there might be some significance to it, like Marco said. However, I couldn’t think of any way to deduce its meaning from the blank paper.

Perhaps because he found it hard to simply move on, he continued to mumble while examining the empty scroll.

“Perhaps this is a test to join the Thief Guild rather than a mistake.”

“You think this is a test? Not just a mistake?”

“It’s just my thoughts. We’ve seen the skills required to pick locks. Now it feels like they’re testing your wisdom to decipher a code.”

Listening to Marco, it sounded quite plausible. This guy had a knack for subtly packaging foolish words convincingly.

Was it because he had a good vocalization?

If he had a handsome face, he would have surely charmed many women.

In fact, minstrels were known for having messy relationships with women.

They were like church boys who sang well and spoke eloquently, making them the rivals of every boyfriend, whether in Gaia or Earth.

“Anyway, it’s interesting.”

While Marco was still examining the empty scroll, Dorgo appeared again, carrying a food tray.

He placed the unknown animal meat, something like meat from a broad-legged animal, along with some small side dishes on the table.

After scanning the surroundings, Dorgo also placed a small bowl in front of Marco and me.

The object inside was a white, hard-looking crystal.

A crystal? A granular thing? I was not sure what to call it, but if I had to compare it to something I know, it looked like a konpeitō.

Anyway, it had a very suspicious size and shape.

Seeing it, the corner of Marco’s mouth lifted.

“Oh, it’s big, and the color is really nice.”

“Dorgo extend special thanks to comrades. Don’t spread rumors about this.”

“Hehe, it’s a very pure crystal. I already feel happy just looking at it.”

Dorgo sternly emphasized once again not to spread any rumors and then withdrew.

With Marco and me left alone, I couldn’t help but feel a bit bewildered because I had no idea what this granular thing in front of me was.

“Indeed, seeing this kind of reaction from you, there’s nothing like this in the black wilderness, right? First, here. Let’s try crushing it with this flat side.”

Marco raised his wooden spoon that came to his share and used the broad bottom side to press down on the granular thing inside the small bowl.

Grind—

As a result, the granular thing turned into powder and smaller fragments.

However, Marco didn’t seem satisfied and continued to press it with the spoon. Eventually, what used to be granular things the size of a pinky fingernail was reduced to a pile of soft transparent powder.

“Like this, it’s better to make it as small as possible for a better taste.”

“I see. I don’t feel like trying as hard though.”

I’ve seen people do this in movies and dramas before. So, I also used the spoon to crush the object, just like Marco.

Even though I didn’t mean to, my high strength made the granular substance turn into powder quickly without needing to exert much force.

In any case, Marco and I now had a pile of white, transparent powder in front of us.

“Well then, I’ll let you have the first taste, Brother. Since it’s your first time, I’ll make an exception today and wait.”

I didn’t understand what kind of consideration this was, but judging by the way Marco was talking, it seemed like a pretty big deal.

“No need to refuse. All strong men like this thing. Aren’t you a strong man, Brother?”

A strong man? I am a damn strong man. I had been a bit nervous about the unidentified powder, but I didn’t want to be seen as a coward in a place like this.

So, I used my index finger to dip into the granular thing.

Swoosh—

As a result, my hand was covered in powder.

“Usually, people taste it with their pinky finger, but indeed, you’re so courageous, just like any other Samaritan! You’re the truest man among men!”

Was it usually done with the pinky finger? But at this point, dropping it on the floor would be no good for me, so I just put my index finger with the powder close to my nostrils.

Heubbb—

Then, as I took a breath, I felt the powder rush into my nose, blocking my throat like a cork.

“Cough, cough, ugh…”

“Brother, who takes sugar through their nose?”

“This motherfucker, you should have told me it was sugar earlier, you bastard. You said it was a ‘happiness powder’…!”

“Is there any other powder that will make you happy besides sugar? Moreover, this isn’t just any ordinary sugar. It’s a highly pure luxury item that can only be harvested underground in the southern desert. It’s a small taste of it that you can only have in a place like this.”

“Fuck, I see.”

It seemed like I had been misunderstanding it all by myself. Marco was just a crazy guy who had nothing to do with the debauched minstrels.

However, as Marco said, sugar was indeed considered a luxury good since it was a relatively expensive seasoning.

“When you mix this with milk alcohol, it tastes amazing.”

Marco used his finger to pick up a bit of the sugar and sprinkled it into his glass.

I followed suit, taking a proper amount of sugar and gently swirling it in my glass. It added a pleasant sweetness to the drink.

The right amount of sweetness could make your head spin, and as it was good for relieving stress, it was beneficial for your body.

Ping— Pingping—

Perhaps because alcohol and sugar were combined, my mind started feeling a bit fuzzy. Maybe I could figure out the meaning of the blank scroll now.

* * *

However, I still couldn’t figure it out until all the dancers left for the day and the tavern closed for that day.

Marco and I each paid 2 silvers for the drinks and got up from our seats. Two silvers per person for an evening’s drink. When did I start indulging in this kind of stuff?

“Friends, come again next time. This is a gift.”

Sandman Dorgo, who was clearing the tables by stacking chairs on top, extended a few small granular things to Marco and me. They looked like konpeitō made of sugar.

Luna would probably be delighted if I gave these to her.

Luna liked sweets, so she’ll definitely enjoy them. Although Luna ate just about anything, she especially loved sweets.

Not only Luna, but I remembered people around me like Elfriede and Paranoy, and even my younger sister also liked sweet things. Of course, it was hard to find someone who didn’t like sweets.

Did Hippolyte like candy too? A stern Gold-tier adventurer like her eating candy…

Maybe it was because I was tipsy, but it was hard to picture that. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hippolyte eating anything. Did she get nutrients through photosynthesis? Her skin was red like she was tanning.

“Ah—”

As I snapped out of my alcohol-induced reverie, I accepted the konpeitō from Dorgo’s hand.

Not wanting just to hold them in my hand, I thought about whether I could find something to use as wrapping paper and took out the blank scroll I received earlier to use it for wrapping.

When Dorgo saw what I was doing, he let out a short exclamation of admiration. Was he impressed by my amazing wrapping skills?!

“Interesting thing. You have. Friend.”

But it sounded like he knew something about the paper I used for wrapping.

“Do you know what this is?”

“Yellowish color. Unusual texture. Desert-dwelling double-humped camel leather. It attracts each other of the same leather.”

“What you said about this?”

“Usually. Wife. Husband. Have one each. Barbarian friend. You have a wife.”

It seemed he was pretending to know something, but I couldn’t quite understand because I was a bit tipsy, and Dorgo’s speech was somewhat unclear.

It was unbelievable that this guy managed to get citizenship despite his poor communication skills.

Still, with my exceptional intelligence nurtured by the education of the 21st century, I could at least interpret that this leather could attract other similar leather.

Marco and I were only focused on figuring out the contents written inside and the blank surface. It turned out that the material of this scroll was a hint. It was something I couldn’t even guess.

I then asked him.

“So, how do they attract each other? Is there any method?

“Clothes, hair, leather. Try rubbing it. Then, it works.”

Following Dorgo’s advice, I hesitated for a moment before rubbing the leather on my body, wondering if it might work.

It reminded me of when I used to generate static electricity for fun as a child. After rubbing it several more times, I finally peeled the scroll off my body.

Waaaaaveee—

The leather scroll I held in my hand fluttered like a magnet drawn to the opposite pole.

“Oh, a target. It’s nearby. The reaction. It’s strong.”

The scroll seemed to react towards the direction of the employee break room. What could be inside there? Or is it pointing in that direction?

So, I, following the urge, moved forward, leaving Dorgo to continue tidying up the store, and Marco, who was stumbling beside me as if drawn by something.

Step— Step—

The leather scroll led me into the employee break room. Inside, there were piles of clothing that appeared to have been recently taken off by someone. Thin clothing? Where have I seen this before?

Slap–

The scroll, after a while, stuck firmly to a fluttering scarf-like item. Was it malfunctioning? It was then that I began struggling to peel it off.

“What the hell are you doing?”

A woman caught me on scene and screeched at me.

Her face was veiled from the bridge of her nose to her chin, making it impossible to confirm, but she was probably Dorgo’s younger sister.

“W-Why are you touching the clothes someone else took off, you Barbarian?”

“…Damn it, it’s not like that. What I’m looking for is here…”

“W-what are you even trying to find here? You pervert! We don’t offer that kind of service!”

“No, it’s here. This is… “

Being accused of being a female harasser or underwear thief could be damaging when I tried to build a reputation.

So, I fumbled between the layers of the woman’s fluttering thin clothing and raised my leather scroll. This was my evidence of innocence.

“…This!”

Sandgirl’s brown eyes, visible through the veil, flashed strangely. Soon, she glanced around before speaking in a voice only I could hear.

“…So, you’re the last piece in this plan, the ninth thief!”

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