"Here is your receipt and your purchases. Do you want us to help you deliver the items you have purchased? For an additional 10 silver coins, we will take care of the delivery and ensure the safety of the items all the way to your desired location within this region."
"No thanks."
"Very well, thank you for choosing our store and we hope to see you again."

This is the last place and the last items on my shopping list. I have everything I need and used up the money I set aside for this little journey. It's about time for me to return.

*Snatch*

*Grab!*

"Where do you think you are going?"
"Hah? What are you doing touching my stuff? Get your hands off of it."

Really? Do you really think this kind of thing would work? You must be a stray bandit, or at least a leftover of a bandit group. This kind of thing doesn't work, especially for people with receipts.

"Someone please call the guard, this thief wants to take my purchases."
"You're the thief!! You have some nerve calling me a thief. The guards!? Heh! You must be in cahoots with the guards! Take your hands off my things or I'll cut that off myself!!"

Go ahead and try it. See what happens when you attack!

Bandits like this, who scream at you are only doing this because they can't do so by force. If this guy is really skilled in any way then he would have taken my things without me noticing, or ran away after snatching it by force. The only reason I can think of that he is staying here trying to intimidate me is because he can't do the alternative.

"What's wrong? Say something? Hah! This is because you are guilty. Hey, Everyone! Look here at how suspiciously he behaves! Why don't you just give up and let my things go!"

It would be easy for me to just punch him now while he is busy talking but that would only invite more trouble. I would be questioned, he would complain about the violence. Even if the item really is proven to be mine, this idiot would then complain even if it is true, it doesn't mean I can just punch him.

"Hmmp! Stop this at once and just return my things!"

Patience, patience.

"Let go!"

When are the guards going to get here?

"Tsk, This is starting to get annoying! Let! It! Go!"

He is running out of patience. He is getting flustered.

Time is not on your side. The longer this goes on the worse his situation would be.

"Break up! Break up! Move away! This is the guards!"
"Arghh! Fine! Since you are so persistent, consider this as charity!"

*Grab*

"You aren't going to get away that easily. Do you really think I'll let you go after all of that! Go ahead, run that mouth of yours some more."

Come on, squirm! Squirm all you want as you try to get away! Try with all your might but your strength isn't enough to break free from my grip! Hammering for almost the whole day will naturally increase my strength.

"You two over there, Stop! You must be the source of the commotion. Explain yourselves!"
"N-No, this i-isn't what you think it is. Me and my buddy here we're just arguing. A little fight here and there is part of a friendship. Well, we may have been a tad noisy. Sorry, we apologise for it. Right, buddy!"

That is some abnormally large eyes. No matter how much you hint at me to go along with your story, I won't play along. You must be dumb if you think this will go the way you think it is.

"This is my receipt and the cashier lady could testify to me purchasing these items. This guy tried to snatch my items as soon as I left the store."

Most of the items are inside my 'fake' storage devices because I secretly transferred all of the items I bought there while this guy was having his 'victory' speech when I kept quiet.

It's a good thing I didn't disguise myself as soon as I left or it would have been hard to prove that I was the one who bought all of this. The receipt should do the trick but if they ask the store, then I don't know how to explain myself as a different 'person'.

"Is that so, then you two wait here. You go and confirm the story with the cashier. I'll be taking your items to confirm the contents with the receipt. Please, hand them over. If we found them to be truly yours then it will be returned after the inspection."
"Here you go."

*Run*

*Smash!*

"Don't escape! Guilt was already showing once the investigation started. You will be detained for the time being."
"I checked with the cashier. She already saw the situation outside but couldn't interfere due to fear, so she was waiting for us guards."
"Alright, I already finished checking the items inside the storage bag with the receipt. Everything checks out. Here are your items. You may go, while you have some explaining to do down at the guard station."
"No, I didn't do anything! I'm innocent!"

Things will progress to the worst for him from this point on. I don't have anything to do with it from now on. Let's just run out of here and return.

"Surrender now and this may be easier on you!"
"Never, don't think you'll be fine messing with our merchant guild!"
"Everyone, don't falter, I already sent for help. They should be coming soon."
"You heard that you bastards! You better hurry up and finish these punks or there won't be any loot!"

Oh, well look at what I ran into today. If it isn't the bandits. They sure are close to my village's region. However, they are too little to be the bandits the village chief mentioned about.

They are a group of ten at best. Too little to be a threat. However, they are skilled. Skilled enough to fight against this merchant group that has guards.

The merchants also look familiar.

"Tsk, Did someone leak the news about our route! This was supposed to be a hidden transport!"

Oh, isn't she the female branch manager that invited me to work for them. Then this should be the Orange Shield Merchant Guild. However, it's weird that they are travelling with such a small group. The guards do look formidable but compared to the group of knight-like guards of that fellow I met when I was first travelling to the village, they are a couple of levels below them.

Is this another plot? Is their internal strife still ongoing?

Should I help them? Hmm, there isn't really any incentive for me to act, and from what I can see they are at a stalemate. The outcome is a coin toss at the moment. The best outcome would be a few people surviving from either group.

The outcome would be like a chess game where only a pawn and a king left on board. An ending scene that looks like a buffet table after rush hour.

I guess I should help. She did give me a V.I.P. card that gives me discounts, and it did help me save a lot of coins. Although, she has been ignoring me as of late.

Alright, I'll help. However, I can't exactly help much if I just rush out there and start swinging a weapon around. I'll stealthily help weaken the bandits first before showing myself.