“Tek here, it’s important to prepare things in advance. It’s troublesome to do it while you’re in the middle of work. If you don’t prepare properly, you will have a tough time later on.”

 

Wearing the new mask, I use the Disguise Skill and become another person. I also wore a black mask--I change my name to Kuro, my level to 70, and my occupation to Bounty Hunter.

 

I could have used Sine Nomine, but there wouldn’t be any meaning to the disguise if a rumour such as: ‘Sine Nomine appears wherever Tek is’ appears, so I make a third persona.

 

“Tek, why are you wearing that disguise?” Leriril asks with a curious glint in her large eyes, her head tilted.

 

“I’m going to eliminate the Lost Thieves. Leriril is it okay to shelter the people who were imprisoned by the Lost Thieves, here?”

 

“Please use the surface mansion if possible. There are many dangerous pieces of dangerous equipment in the underground area.”

 

Ahh yeah, I forgot about that.

 

I decide to install a Carved Seal Board for Teleport in the surface mansion.

 

“Well then, I’m going. I will be counting on you to receive them.”

“Yes, please leave it to me!”

 

It still seems weird that Leriril is speaking politely, even slightly enthusiastically, with slightly pink cheeks.

 

***

First, I went to the safe area, in Area -17, where the villa is.

 

I mark all of the Lost Thieves inside the Labyrinth, there are approximately 300 of them. 90% of them have committed crimes such as Murder and Rape. Next, I look for the field that Rudaman spoke about--by adding two of the ingredients of Fiend Drug to my search parameters: Ruin Weed, and Decay Stem. Although there are places were they grow wild, but of course, I pick the ones where they grow densely and are being tended by people.

 

Near those places are the female baggage carriers, female Adventurers, and random Lost Thieves. There are three areas in all, and those places cannot be easily reached.

 

Next, I search to see if there’s any nobles or their servants. Gina’s party, Moonlight, and three other noble parties. Judging from their positions, all three are innocent.

 

Now, I need to prepare a place where I can put the Lost Thieves, for the authorities to pick up. I would rather eradicating them, but it would be better if the Guild does it this time. The site I eventually choose is in a corner of Area -37. It’s a bit deep, but since it’s an area with Plant-Type Monsters, it has watering holes.

 

According to my map, it will take me around 20 minutes to get there, if I break 2 walls in the process.

 

While relying on Invisibility and Spy Skills, I fly along the passages, staying close to the ceiling with Sky Drive. So, along the way, no one notices me.

 

I soon arrive at the hall that I was going to change into a temporary prison for the Lost Thieves, which was quite damp, with water dripping from the roof.

 

It looks like a jungle found in the cretaceous period.

 

The cleanup doesn’t take very long, as I swiftly cut up most of the plants and Monsters using Flexible Sword. Then I store the corpses, unsure if Lulu can use any of it for cooking, or if I can sell any; using the girls as a proxy, since they are officially in the Labyrinth.

 

Next, I block the only passage into the room with a big rock that I had in storage. Then, I put a Carved Seal Board in the middle of the passage.

 

With this, the impromptu prison is complete.

 

***

It’s incredibly easy to capture the Lost Thieves with Remote Stun, and then tie them up--however, I can only teleport them in groups of 10 or so.

 

There were usually around 50 - 60 per base, with others wandering around or guarding the women and children in the fields. I make another room for the female Lost Thieves--well, I could leave them in the same room, but there are a lot of males with the Rape crime, as well as it just didn’t feel right.

 

I leave both the males and females some food, salt, two barrels of water each, and an empty jar in a partitioned-off room.

 

With that taken care of, I teleport back to the bases and Teleport the baggage carriers and slaves back to the Mansion of Ivy.

 

“H-Here is?”

“Sister, it’s the stars! I can see the stars.

“Is it really the outside?”

 

Leriril, who had been waiting for our coming, claps her tiny hands to gather their attention to her, “Be quiet, children of Humans. This is the Mansion of Ivy, the place where the Sage lives. If you make too much of an uproar, I’ll send you back to the Labyrinth.”

 

The threat seems to be effective, as the worked-up people have quieted down.

 

“Choose some representatives. Porina, please explain the circumstances to them.” I get them to choose spokespeople, and then turn to Porina--it would be too much effort for me.

 

Porina is the leader of the first group of baggage carriers, she had been briefed by Leriril, and she was also the calmest. She nods seriously at my words, before walking towards the new group.

 

I leave the Mansion of Ivy, and return to the field. I place one of the my new Surveillance Magic Tools--which looks like a two-meter long pole with a skull on the tip. It looks like something a necromancer would use, it was too creepy to sell or use around the villa…The girls would probably be fine, but I would get freaked out if I woke up at midnight and walked out, seeing a skull impaled on a pole and having glowing eyes.

 

With the surveillance in place, to make sure no one unexpected arrives and ruins everything, or a Demon Lord doesn’t suddenly appear--I take a breath. It should be fine to either take these guys to the West Guild after the sun rises, or at least leave another anonymous document on the Guildmistress’s desk.

 

***

In total, I have saved 220 people. 110 are baggage carriers, 80 are slaves, and 30, unexpectedly, are Adventurers. All of them are women.

 

Most of them had been working in the field with Magic shackles on their ankles. Due to this, there are some with the Cultivation, Harvesting, and Compounding Skills.

 

There are a lot of female Adventurers at level 15, the ones who where higher-leveled were either solicited into becoming Lost Thieves, or killed.

 

Leriril was still awake, but Porina and the others had gone to sleep, since they were tired; I’ll talk to them when the dawn comes.

 

There were way too many of them and not enough rooms in the mansion, so she had prepared beds in the hall and other corridors for them.

 

“Te-Kuro, actually, we have run out of food reserves. The vegetables grown in the garden are at their limits as well.”

 

“Ah, sorry, I forgot to supply more.”

 

Leriril lead me to the food warehouse, and I take a lot of food out of my storage. Most of it, I found in the Lost Thieve’s hideout, but there are other vegetables, frog meat, among some other things.

 

It should last for a while, since it should be around 6,000 meals worth. I also give her some medicine for the injured ones.

 

“Is this Space Magic?” Leriril asks me.

“Yeah, well, something like that.”

 

She looks confused at my words.

 

It’s midnight now, so there is quite a lot of time until morning, and I go to the underground workshop with Leriril. Arisa regularly reports that there are no abnormalities, in a sleepy voice--I suggested that she gets some sleep, and have the others keep an eye on the Surveillance.

 

I keep having the nagging feeling that there is a mastermind behind all of this, but I hope that it’s just an unfounded feeling.

 

I thought about going back to the villa and visiting the girls, but I decided to prepare some more contingencies in the underground workshop. Which didn’t take long, and I went to the streets when finally finished.