Chapter 152

<.. Hassan and the Nine-Headed Thief ..>

152 – Hassan and the Nine Heads Thief #3

I recall a peculiar speech pattern of Dorgo.

It was not long ago, during the war where I had participated. Right in front of me, there walked silently a Sandman with dark skin. His name was Dorgo.

“Barbarian, glad to see you. Dorgo, I owe my life to you on the battlefield.”

Apparently, Dorgo remembered my face.

While I might appear as an ordinary civilian on Earth, in this world, I’m often treated as looking peculiar, making me hard to forget after just one meeting.

When Dorgo and I acknowledged each other, Malco, who was sitting across from us, smirked.

“Hah hah, what is this? You two already know each other? You’re more of a wanderer than you look.”

“Dorgo, this barbarian fought with me.”

“If that’s the case, we’ve all experienced the battlefield. Did this Malco ever mention cutting off the supplies of those cultists in the vanguard?”

Perhaps due to the tension melting away from this unexpected meeting, we chatted for a few minutes about our military experiences.

Each of us complained about how much we suffered—how we faced difficulties and irrational situations.

Oddly, it felt like there was this underlying mindset that one’s hardships were bigger and grander, making the other’s troubles seem minor in comparison.

It’s like a contest of showing off slave chains.

But still, it was oddly enjoyable.

Mid-conversation about our hardships…

“Brother, what are you doing!? We need to take your order!”

A dancing performer scolded Dorgo, making him visibly flinch.

“Ah. Dorgo will take your order.”

At that moment, we realized we hadn’t ordered anything yet.

The menu, filled with curvy letters, caught our attention.

After staring at it for a while, Malco said, “We’ll have our usual, two servings please.” As Dorgo was about to take the menu away, Malco added casually,

“And give us a generous amount of the happiness powder.”

“That’s right. Understood.”

With that, the order was complete. It was unexpected to meet someone here with whom I had fought. Even though we know little about each other and didn’t spend much time together, there’s a certain sense of camaraderie.

Besides, Dorgo’s sister.

I stared at the barefoot performer dancing between the coins.

She wasn’t as robust as Hippolyte, but her figure had a graceful, dancer-like agility that made her look flexible and dynamic. She must be popular with men.

Indeed, many men seemed lost in her dance. Her face was partially hidden behind a veil, but that only made her beauty more intriguing.

She exudes mystery. A desert lady— who would have thought I’d see such a dance here?

“That’s the owner’s younger sister, and she’s quite the star among the dancers here. She’s especially popular in this time slot. Since she is the owner’s younger sister, she also has quite the showmanship.”

“Indeed, she does.”

It seems she’s not just an employee but a joint owner, which explains the strong sense of ownership, leading her to work hard.

Hardworking women are admirable.

It speaks to survival skills, and having survival skills means she’d be a healthy and active mother who wouldn’t let her children starve.

Don’t men inherently admire such qualities?

One reason I like Luna is because she doesn’t solely depend on me but strives hard on her own.

Perhaps this is the modern trend—double-income households.

At that moment, Malco casually added,

“If that baldhead were here, I think he’d enjoy it a lot. That brother acts tough but secretly loves this kind of thing.”

“Speaking of which, what happened to Kalidur?”

I recalled the bald elf with the broken leg. Wasn’t his main goal to chase after Elpride?

Elpride is alive and walking freely around this city. What could that guy be doing?

“What did you just say?”

But Malco was so engrossed in the dancer’s performance that he seemed not to hear me.

“Did you ask about the baldhead?”

“His leg was quite severely broken. He’s busy with rehabilitation and owes a lot to Venus Shrine.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Anyway, Malco and I idly watched the jewelry jingling on the dancer until her break came, the sister of Dorgo—her name is probably Dorthea.

There are various ways to relax in this world.

As I slightly gazed at the female dancer’s retreating figure heading into what seemed like a staff room, Malco, who’d already downed a cup of liquor, asked,

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

“Ah—”

Malco’s question made me realize I had almost forgotten about the scroll hidden in my pocket. The Thief Guild had mentioned we’d meet some of its officers at the place indicated on the scroll.

I smoothly pulled it out and handed it over to Malco.

“Ho, this might be quite valuable, but are you sure you can just show it to a friend like this?”

“What ‘friend’ are we talking about here?”

“Hmph, a friendship that goes beyond friendship—like brothers. A great warrior and his exclusive bard. That’s what makes the soul partners in all myths.”

“Scold, you punk.”

“Kuk kuk, you’re still an overly reserved man, aren’t you? Anyway, let’s see what’s written.”

With that, Malco began unrolling the scroll.

I took a sip of my drink while casually watching him.

The desert liquor tasted unlike anything I’d ever had. It seemed to be fermented from cattle or sheep’s milk rather than grains, yet it wasn’t foul-smelling and was surprisingly sweet and drinkable.

Soon, Malco’s large nose seemed to grow even bigger.

“What is this?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is this correct?”

“Yes.”

“Strange.”

Ignoring the previous caution, Malco proceeded to lay the scroll on the table. But it didn’t bother me since the scroll appeared to be utterly blank. Could this be a printing error? Were we scammed by these thief kids?

Still, Malco, apparently not ready to give up, continued muttering to himself while examining it from all angles.

“It’s an empty void without any writing. Interesting. Perhaps the emptiness itself holds some meaning, doesn’t it?”

“Hmm.”

While it felt like Malco might be onto something, the text being literally blank left me clueless as to how to interpret or extrapolate anything.

As if unwilling to let go, Malco continued examining the empty scroll, muttering.

“Perhaps this is an entrance test for the Thief Guild in its own way.”

“An entrance test? It’s not just a mistake?”

“Maybe. Judging by the lock-picking skills I’ve seen, this could be about testing the wisdom to decipher codes.”

It did sound plausible upon hearing Malco’s explanation. This guy had a knack for making even ridiculous claims sound reasonable.

Is it because of his good voice?

If he only had a handsome face, he’d likely charm dozens of women.

In fact, bards are notoriously known for their promiscuity.

Men who sing well and have a way with words are the envy of boyfriends everywhere, be it on the Gaia continent or back on Earth.

“Still fascinating.”

As Malco examined the blank scroll, Dorgo reappeared with a tray in the distance.

On the table were placed pieces of large, flat leg meat, presumably from some beast, accompanied by small side dishes.

After a quick glance around him, Dorgo placed in front of Malco and me a small bowl with a white, hard crystal on top.

Is it a crystal? Granules? I didn’t know the precise term for it, but it strongly resembled star candies.

Anyway, its strange size and shape were unmistakable.

Malco’s lips curved upon seeing it.

“Wow, it’s large and the color is gorgeous.”

“Dorgo, to comrades. This is a special favor. Keep it quiet.”

“Heh, it’s a high-quality crystal for sure. I’m already getting a happy vibe.”

After reiterating that we shouldn’t spread the word, Dorgo withdrew.

Alone with Malco, I was utterly confused about what this little grain in front of me was.

“Apparently, you haven’t seen anything like this in the Black Wilderness either. First, crush it using something flat like this.”

Malco picked up the wooden spoon that came with his portion and used its wide base to press hard on the granules inside the bowl.

It crumbled into fine powder and fragments.

Yet, Malco didn’t seem satisfied and continued pressing with the spoon until the granules, initially the size of a fingernail, transformed into an almost invisible fine powder.

“Make it as fine as possible for the taste to be better.”

“True. But I’m not trying it.”

I’ve seen something similar in movies or dramas where crystals were crushed into powder. Thanks to my increased strength, it didn’t take much effort to grind the crystal into powder using the spoon.

Thus, both Malco and I ended up with fine, translucent white powder in front of us.

“Then, brother, try it first. Considering it’s your first time, I’ll wait for you patiently.”

I wasn’t sure what kind of favor this was, but Malco’s serious look indicated it was significant.

“No need to hesitate. Strong men all enjoy it. Aren’t you a strong man?”

Am I a strong man? I am definitely a super-strong man. Though I was a little wary of the mysterious powder, I didn’t want to come off as a coward in this place.

So, I used my index finger to scoop up some of the powder.

Sarrr.

It clung all over my finger.

“Typically, you use your pinkie to try it, but truly, in the Samarian way, your large intake is impressive! Truly a man among men!”

Was I supposed to use my pinkie finger? But now it seemed a little awkward to let go of it, so with my index finger, I brought it close to my nostril.

Huuuuuh.

As I inhaled, the powder rushed into my nose, causing an immediate blockage in my throat.

“Cough, cough…!”

“Brother, who eats sugar through their nose?”

“Oi, son of a dog, you should’ve told me earlier! You said it was happiness powder!”

“If it makes you happy, what else could it be except sugar? But this isn’t just any sugar. It’s a high-grade luxury mined only from the underground caves in the southern desert. Lucky for us to relish even this small amount here.”

“Ah, indeed.”

It seems I had misunderstood. Malco wasn’t as dissolute as a typical bard; he was just someone loose.

Still, Malco was right—the sugar was quite expensive in this world, a luxury indeed.

“This sugar dissolves in alcohol for an exquisite taste.”

As Malco sprinkled the powdered sugar with his finger into his drink, I mimicked him, adding an appropriate amount of sugar into my cup and took a hasty sip. The slightly sweet taste was quite pleasant.

An appropriate amount of sugar invigorates the mind and relieves stress, making it beneficial for the body.

Ping, ping-ping…

Perhaps due to the combination of alcohol and sugar, my mind was slightly tipsy. Maybe now I could decipher the meaning of the blank scroll.

—

However, not even when the dancers finished their shifts and the store closed for the day, did I manage to figure it out.

Malco and I each paid two silvers for the drinks and got up from our seats. Spending two silvers per person just for a night of drinks—when did I start having such luxuries?

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

As Dorgo put the chairs on the tables and started tidying up the shop, he handed me and Malco a few small granules. They looked like star candies made from sugar.

Luna would probably like these.

Since Luna loves sweets, she’d definitely enjoy them. Luna eats almost anything, but she especially loves sweets.

Not just Luna, Elpride or even Paranoi among my friends, and even my younger sister—if I remember correctly—all loved sweet things. Of course, it might be easier to find people who dislike sweets.

Does Hippolyte like candies? It’s intriguing to think of the sturdy Gold Tier adventurer munching on a candy.

Maybe because I was a little tipsy, I couldn’t vividly imagine her eating anything. Come to think of it, I don’t recall ever seeing Hippolyte eat.

Ah…

Shaking off these thoughts scattered by the alcohol, I accepted the star candies from Dorgo’s hands.

Not wanting to carry them loosely in my hand, I searched for something that could be used as wrapping and pulled out the blank scroll I had received earlier. Slowly, I began wrapping the candies with the scroll.

Dorgo let out a slight gasp of astonishment upon seeing this. Was he impressed by my brilliant wrapping technique?!

“Interesting thing. Friend.”

But it seemed he was aware of the wrapping paper I was using.

“Do you know what this is?”

“Yellow color. Special texture. Desert camel leather. Attracts similar leathers.”

“What does that mean?”

“Typically. Husbands and wives each have one. Barbarian friend. Had a wife.”

Even though he tried to explain, I couldn’t quite understand him fully because I was a little drunk, and there was a slight awkwardness in Dorgo’s speech.

This kid, despite his poor speech, somehow acquired citizenship…

Still, interpreting with my superior intellect honed from my 21st-century education, it seems the leather has a quality to attract similar leather scrolls.

Malco and I were so focused on the content of the scroll, or rather its emptiness, but now it seems the material of the scroll itself was meant to be a clue. No wonder we didn’t figure it out.

I asked,

“So, how does it attract similar items? Is there any method?”

“Clothes, hair. Leather items. Rub them, and it works.”

Upon Dorgo’s suggestion, I tentatively rubbed the leather against my body.

It reminded me of playing with static electricity as a child. After rubbing a few more times and pulling the scroll away from my body, something peculiar happened.

Wooom…

The leather scroll in my hand fluttered as if pulled by an opposite magnet.

“Wow. The other side is close. Reaction is strong.”

The scroll appeared to react with something inside the staff room. Was there something inside? Or in that direction?

So, leaving Dorgo who was cleaning up behind and Malco who was tipsily swaying nearby, I followed the pull instinctively.

Thud, thud.

I entered the staff room guided by the leather scroll in my hand. Inside were various cluttered items, including what seemed to be clothes someone had just taken off. A thin fabric? Where had I seen something like this?

Slap.

The scroll suddenly stuck onto a fluttering scarf-like object. Was it malfunctioning? As I struggled to peel it off…

“What do you think you’re doing!?”

A woman suddenly yelled at me.

Although her face was partly veiled from the nose to the chin, judging by her voice, she was probably Dorgo’s younger sister.

“Why, why are you touching clothes someone else has taken off! Barbarian!”

“…d*mn, it’s not what you think. I’m looking for something here…”

“What? What are you looking for over there? Pervert! We don’t offer that service!”

“Hey, here! This thing here….”

As my reputation as someone familiar was growing, being falsely accused of s*xual harassment or as a underwear thief would severely damage my standing.

So, in between her fluttering fabric, I held up my leather scroll. This would be my proof of innocence.

“…That’s!”

The brown eyes of the sandgirl, partially revealed from behind her veil, flickered strangely. She then glanced around and quietly said to me,

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

—

Author’s Afterword:

Suddenly, it’s become so hot! I, Michyur, who has never lived in a house with air conditioning in my entire life, always fights the heat while writing…

Be careful with mosquitoes and this heatwave, everyone!

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