"Mm, a full-body armor, like a knight's armor, with a helmet. Tsk… just by looking you can tell it's high-grade stuff.
"And then, as you all can see, right now the face is gone, no one knows his identity. But, well, the only thing certain is, the cloaked woman who came with him is missing. So… the culprit is already confirmed, that's just how it is."
"Right, Billy?"
"Mm, before this, only that man and woman came to my place."
Billy, a young beastman, looked to be a werewolf judging by his race.
Hearing Bors ask him, he nodded repeatedly like pounding garlic, though his words came out jumbled.
As for why they said this scene wasn't suitable for Lefiya, and that it was mentally polluting…
The reason is… the poor guy on the ground had his face skin gone. Literally gone. It was a faceless corpse.
So until now, whether Billy or Bors, neither could confirm the victim's identity.
"Can you explain in detail? You there?"
"It's like this. The two of them came last night. One wore a cloak, the other full armor and a helmet. Couldn't see their faces, but from their voices and builds it was obvious one male, one female. Especially that woman, her figure… cough, cough, very good. And since I run an inn… that kind of thing is too common. Plus, with my beastman sense of smell, I was certain."
At the side, Bors nodded too:
"Ah, yesterday I also saw them from a distance on the street… really great, she's a fine woman. Though her face was hidden by the cloak, relying on my years of rich experience, I can tell you with certainty, no mistake, even if she were on Pleasure Street…"
--?
Before the conversation could go further, several women's icy stares locked on the two men, the oppressive aura instantly shutting them up.
"That's all? No other information?" Finn frowned deeply, thumb pressing under his chin as he analyzed.
"Let me think… Oh, right! That man was rich, or had just made a lot of money. His equipment was brand new, and he rented out my whole inn."
"…I don't have soundproofing here, even the doors are like this, so basically you can hear everything. Even watching wouldn't be impossible~!"
"…"
"…."
"…"
Ais was fine, naturally airheaded…
Tione and Tiona, being Amazoness, didn't even know what the word 'shame' meant.
Riveria had already closed her eyes, pretending not to hear anything.
But Lefiya… though still young, clearly understood the deeper meaning in Billy's words. The girl twisted her body, burrowed hard into Fron's arms, so embarrassed she could die!
"Rivira's prices are more than ten times the surface, so… that man was either truly wealthy, or had just made a fortune."
Fron felt something was off. Couldn't say what exactly, but something was strange…
Looking at the innkeeper, who though speaking lightly still showed lingering fear on his face, Fron raised an eyebrow.
"You lecher, knowing she was a fine woman, didn't think to…?"
Tiona knew what kind of people they were, she looked at Billy with disdain, asking coldly.
"Forget it, what's the point? I couldn't personally join in anyway. So, kindly, I just hung a [Full] sign for those two and went drinking at the tavern. The tavern's owner can confirm it."
"I see. Then the woman's trail is cut off. As for this victim…"
"His belongings and equipment are still here, right? We should be able to find some clues to his identity from them. If not, we'll have to use unlock medicine."
Bors agreed with Finn's view.
Then, in front of everyone, they laid out the corpse's belongings.
Only…
Fron looked at one part of the armor. At first it seemed familiar, then puzzling, then thoughtful, then his eyes widened, and finally he sucked in a sharp breath.
"What is it, Fron?"
Ais always spared some attention for the youth. She was the first to notice Fron's expression change.
But before he could speak, Bors was already rummaging through the corpse's gear.
"Map, waterskin, shortsword, potions, magic stones. Looks like they were searched. That woman's actions… seemed like she was looking for something."
"These pieces of equipment, hiss… second-tier armament parts. That's good stuff! If it were a full set, no less than forty to fifty million."
Bors greedily flipped through the gauntlet, just about to say something, when his eyes widened.
"Let me see, hmm… Hm? Forged by Fron Argon???"
"Why does this blacksmith's name sound so familiar??? Fron, you wouldn't happen to be…?"
Everyone: "…"
Then, all eyes turned to the youth with the strange expression.
Looking at the all-too-familiar armor, Fron, under everyone's stares, looked embarrassed and instinctively rubbed his nose.
"Ahem, yes, I'm that blacksmith, Fron Argon."
Bors: "…"
Billy: "…"
"This, this, this good stuff was made by you?"
Bors was beside himself with excitement. Clearly brand-new, the armor had barely a scratch. And it was second-tier armament…
Free forty or fifty million, who wouldn't be happy!
"Mm… ah, the Gladiator Series, fourth generation. I just consigned it at Hephaestus's shop in Babel Tower not long ago. Honestly, I didn't expect it to sell this quickly, since I haven't even asked yet. Never thought I'd see it here, and its owner is already…"
Thinking of this, Fron sighed. Not a good omen.
"I see, so Fron forged it."
"Too bad, by the time we return to the surface to confirm the buyer's identity, the culprit will likely have escaped."
But Finn denied Riveria's words.
"No. Judging from her abnormal behavior, she was searching for something. So… that item must still be in the town. There's no way she left!"
"Tch, you big Familia types always prattle on, so troublesome. Just use this!"
Bors, the brute, didn't care for rules, and pulled out a black-market specialty from Rivira: unlock Falna.
"Unlock Falna, huh. Desecrating the dead is a grave taboo, but given the situation…" Riveria closed her eyes, choosing not to see.
Then, before the watching crowd… A drop of unlock medicine was poured on the victim's back.
"Hey, you over there, high elf, you can read divine script, right?"
"I'll do it." Knowing Riveria was unwilling, Fron stepped forward.
"You can read it too?"
"What, do I look like some uneducated brute?"
"N-no, of course not!"
Bors was shut down by Fron and immediately shrank back.
With just a glance, Fron read the man's name and Familia. He even remembered seeing him once.
"[Ganesha Familia], Hashana Dorlia, Level 4!"
As Fron spoke, the Loki Familia group didn't react much, only slightly surprised.
But Bors and Billy both jumped up in shock, shouting "Impossible!"
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[T / N: Will update two chapters regularly everyday and bonus chapters as per the number of power stones!]