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There Was A Pitfall There Before He Knew It
There are sounds of footsteps approaching. I could understand from the sound that someone is walking with long, quick strides. It is like someone trying to clear their irritation. I heard about it in my dream-like state. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
I could hear the sound of the door being slammed open.
「Wake up! Noor, what time do you think it is!」
This was my usual bedroom on the second floor. But, the time was not as usual. In the end, I did not have breakfast. I had been on my bed all along with my swollen, red cheek. It was already past lunchtime, and the light from the sun was mixed with an orange color.
「Quickly come down!」
「Myluc-san, Noor can’t move」
Wyst put in a good word for me. However, Myluc showed no mercy.
「Jusa! Drag Noor out!」
「Ah, no, but」
「Just do it!」
Being pressured by his threatening attitude, Jusa unwillingly came close to me and gently lent his shoulder.
「Come to the courtyard!」
Myluc quickly went down while saying that over his shoulder. We follow behind him slowly.
On the courtyard, Myluc was waiting while stomping in place.
「Too slow! Listen up, I have to go out right now. I received an emergency contact from a noble I had with this morning. Also, I need to arrange a doctor for Tamaria」
He glared around while saying that.
「Jusa! You stay! Stay with Tamaria all the time! More details are written in this memo. Read it immediately after you return to the medical office」
He forced a piece of paper on Jusa without allowing any objection. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Other staff, there is no particular need to conduct lessons or anything......right, go around to every room and see if they have been properly cleaned. Report to me once I return」
This time, he shouted towards the gathered children.
「All classes are canceled today! It is free time so you can do whatever you like. But the staff will make rounds, so if your room is not clean, go clean it up properly. If I receive any report that it was messy, I will think about the punishment later」
And finally, he turned back to look at me.
「Noor! I will deal with you later, you hear?」
He threw something at me while saying that. That hit my chest and bounced back to fall on the stone floor. It was the key to the office that made a high-pitched noise as it fell.
「You caused a lot of trouble, but there is still work left that you will be handling. But, even if I want to do it, I still have to leave now. Organize the documents. You absolutely have to finish it before I return tomorrow! You understand!」
Finish saying that, he turned around.
「Jill! Jill! Bring out the horses! Let’s hurry!」
Myluc was showing an even more hostile expression than usual and even Jill, with her usual stone face, showed a hint of unease in her face. And after she led the horses out in a hurry as instructed, the exit was quickly opened. And as if unable to wait any longer, Myluc roughly rode the horse with Jill following behind. The main gate was then closed.
「O, oi, Noor.....what do we do」
Standing unsteadily with the key in one hand, Wyst approaches me, looking worried. But that was my limit. My legs suddenly tangled up, and just like a snapped thread, I collapsed on the spot.
「Wa, wait, hey.....ah, sensei, Noor can’t stand it anymore, please carry him to his room and let him lie down!」
「……right」
Although it was going to be a little difficult for the old sensei to carry me. I was being carried by the guard as I left the courtyard behind. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Now now」
Sensei claps his hands.
「I am going to look around everyone’s room right now, okay? If there is something you need to tidy up, you'd better do it now. You don’t have to do anything if your room is already clean and tidy, but if it’s messy, I’m going to report to Myluc-san, alright?」
With his comment, the children came to their senses. They scatter in all directions toward their room with great speed, just like spiderlings.
And thus, the courtyard was deserted in no time.
●
「……wonder if that person will come?」
「They will」
It had been around 2 hours since Myluc left. It is evening.
Even now, the housing facility was in an uproar like a beehive. It was prohibited to bring personal items into one’s own room. But the senior children bought stuff during their free time in the city and even if they did not, they would bring useful items to their room. And as can be seen from Myluc’s bad mood, they will not want to bring attention to themselves right now. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
Wyst carefully picked up his ears and listened while pretending to nurse me.
「……they just passed」
「You can tell」
「You’ll know it if you listen carefully. Each person’s footsteps are different, y’know?」
Meanwhile, Wyst’s ears caught the target’s movement.
「I’ll open the door quietly in a while」
Estimating the timing, Wyst quietly pulled the door open. There was no one in the corridor. He did not even raise his head above the window frame’s height. I also followed his lead and cast my gaze down to the courtyard.
「There’s no one」
「There is. At the west side of the building, look」
I felt like I could see a kid’s shadow just for an instant. But the shadow vanished, blending into the warehouse beyond the south wing.
「Let’s wait just a bit more. In any case, there is no way for that person to escape」
We quietly left that place before the sun completely set. We cautiously descend the stairs to the courtyard so we will not get questioned, and then we quickly run toward the warehouse.
「Let’s check it」
When I said that, Wyst nimbly tore off the stone paving just like yesterday evening. And sure enough.....
The iron bars had been pushed to the left and right sides. It looked like that person did not notice our investigation of the place last night. Since it had come to this point, there was no escaping the trap.
We took a step and poked our heads into the sewer area from there.
「I see……」
The culprit seemed to have put in quite a lot of time and effort. A rope ladder is hanging there. Only the first half is a rope, while the second half has footholds tied between two ropes. That person will have to make throws like what Wyst did last night twice, but it will have more solid footholds. Furthermore, there was also a wooden stool placed there to avoid stepping on the sewage.
「Yosh, it’s enough」
「Well, it’s easy to understand then, what we have to do」
We turn back and return the stone paving to its place and put the cover just like before, moreover, we dragged a heavy luggage on top of it as a weight. We have cut off that person’s escape route.
「Just in case.....then, let’s go」
When we emerged from the warehouse, our comrades from last night...Kovol, Dee, and Dona arrived. We are going together to see the result. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
As it turned out, there was no need for insurance.
By the time we arrived, the office was already unlocked. There is no one when we look around the place. When we headed to the office kitchenette, the removed iron bars and the rope ladder were still left as they were.
And just like that, I entered the reception room with the impressive clock inside. There were 3 figures there.
「Ah……ahh! You guys!?」
The one sitting on the chair was Myluc. He rarely smoked tobacco because he said it was not good for his health, but he was unusually enjoying tobacco with a pipe today.
Next to him and leaning forward, capturing the intruder was Jill. Her expressionless face remains even now.
And, the one Jill caught.....it was - as expected - Dorol.
「……you were late」
Myluc - who had been gazing at the sea’s direction - noticed us, stood up form his chair, lowered his pipe, and turned to face us.
I asked.
「So it is Dorol’s aim?」
Then, Myluc shrugged his shoulders and jokingly said. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Maybe it’s because the box with sweets is empty? There is this pipe too but.....look at the table over there」
On top of the fine wooden table in the reception room, there was a dazzling pile of glittering brilliance. A gold necklace decorated with a large emerald. A platinum ring crammed with small diamonds. A silk shawl shining with 7 different colors. Each and every one of them is are valuable item and will fetch a high price.
「If all of these things were stolen.....then it is far too large an amount to pin the blame to Noor. First, there is no place to hide them. So I guess he was planning on running away with all these」
Myluc looked at Dorol while saying that.
Dee interrupts with her question.
「Why doesn’t he just blame it on Noor again?」
Hearing that, Myluc made a lonely smile. His gaze was directed at me. It seems like he wants me to explain it.
「In short, Dee, it goes like this. Dorol has no intention of being sold cheaply as a slave, cheaper than the time when he was an unsold slave. So what would you do if you could get money and freedom easily?」
Yes, the quickest way was to steal valuables and then break out of this housing facility. Once a year, Myluc would call the children over to have a chance to talk with them about all sorts of things on their birthdays. Meaning, everyone knows there are valuable items in this room.
And probably, Dorol realized the method to trespass early on. He took the time to make the rope ladder and hid it in his room. For the iron bars, he used a file and sprayed salt water many times after that. And so, he managed to sneak into the office.
But going beyond that was quite difficult. Although stealing money and items is simple, it would be immediately found out. If Myluc were to search every nook and cranny of this housing facility, the crime would eventually be discovered. In the first place, there is only the unobstructed wilderness, even if you escaped from this place. And even if you escape with Myluc’s horse, you will probably be discovered by the lord’s army stationed nearby. So, Dorol made a slight modification to his plan.
He was going to steal the valuables, but he planned to do so when he is sold as a slave. Other children were also sold to faraway nobles. There is no way he will be the only one suspected. Even if there were suspicions after the auction, there is no way Myluc would have gone to investigate all the way to the place where the slaves were sold. He will end up losing his reputation if he explains that his own slaves stole his valuables. And above all, there is also the new master of that slave at that time, so they will have no trouble finding places to hide the money and goods.
So, there were no holes in his plan. Once he was sent to the actual site and received some job training, he would convert the treasures he brought with him to money and use those to buy himself back, and thus he would officially be free. Additionally, if he uses the remaining money to start a business, his life after that will be bright.
However, a sweet temptation literally struck him. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Myluc gave me the freedom to come and go. And not only that, I was also free to eat sweets to my heart’s content. There’s no way he wouldn’t be envious of this」
For Dorol, who was filled with envy and spite, he will not be able to stand that situation, and if anything, it is natural for him to think about how he could take advantage of it. At first, it was probably just a little. He took a small amount of sweets. Even I thought Myluc ate it, and Myluc too, he thought Noor ate it.
The fact that it went unnoticed gave Dorol a false sense of confidence. His frequency of stealing food began to increase. Soon, he was unable to resist his desire and as soon as Myluc and I left the office, he even started sneaking in the moment Myluc and I left the office.
However, he ended up overhearing the conversation between Myluc and me because of that. It was a chance to deliver a decisive blow to that detestable Tamaria. I am sure Dorol was not thinking too deeply about it when he stole that letter. Although he experienced success many times, that may have numbed his sense of danger.
And sure enough, the shock Tamaria received was greater than he expected. And as collateral damage, that impertinent Noor got hit too, a little bonus, so to speak. This must have made Dorol feel very good.
「But, the next day, Myluc gave me the key already. So Dorol must have been impatient. He thought, ‘I’ve worked so hard until now. One way or another, Myluc still relies on Noor’. And sooner or later, there will come a time when Myluc will trust me again. Before long, the fact that I didn’t steal the letter will be known. And once that happens, he realizes that it won’t be long before Myluc realizes someone else sneaked into the office」
His time was limited. He had to make a decision quickly.
Right now, Myluc was going out. Furthermore, the formidable Jill went with him. Jusa was staying with Tamaria all the time, and sensei was going around the rooms to check. There are 2 guards but those 2 help sensei. It was a situation where they did not have a lot of people, even at the best of times, and now Myluc had ordered to check the cleanliness of each room. In short, he could move without anyone noticing right now.
Moreover, the key was in my hand. So, what would happen if another important piece of stuff was missing? From how Dorol sees it, it should look like Myluc is half-doubting me. Of course, no matter how much they beat me up, those valuables would not return. But, that should be able to get their attention for a while. And it would surely be too late by the time they notice Dorol had disappeared. We are not allowed to freely leave the housing facility. This common sense is obvious to everyone here.
「In short, he took the letter without much thought, resulting in all his methods to steal being at risk. So which one to discard? Will he completely stop sneaking in? Or, should he steal as much as he can before running away, for the last time? Dorol chose the latter」
Having heard the entire explanation, Dorol turned his clouded eyes toward me.
「Y.....youu! Bastard! So you were the one who set me up!」
I looked him straight in the eye.
「……I’m not」
「What?」
「You, you jumped down to the hole you dug yourself」
The voice that came out of my mouth was surprisingly cold. And perhaps he was intimidated by this, Dorol could not say anything. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「……Dorol」
Before I knew it, Myluc - who was once again staring outside the window - spoke in a quiet voice.
「It has been a long time since you came here. You were always nervous at the start」
The blood drained from Dorol’s eyes. His purple lips trembled a few times trying to say words of apology, but in the end, he could not say anything.
「I have been training children here for many years. There were all sorts of children but there was none who was as cowardly as you. So perhaps that is why you become this warped....when I think about it, I should have dealt with you properly when you instigated Wicax. I was hoping a little that perhaps you might turn for the better someday」
「Wh…..what are you....」
Dorol let out his criticism.
「Stop talking nonsense! You’re a slave trader, aren’t you! You’re a slave trader who bought us all and you’re going to sell us! What do you mean ‘turn for the better’? You think you’re some kind of a priest or something!」
Dorol did not know Myluc’s true nature. Even I could not say that I knew him well, but at the very least, he was not a person who thought of people as nothing more than objects. Although he never spoils us, deep in his heart, there was something like a firm conviction.
Myluc made his verdict after listening to Dorol’s resentment. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Now.....I shall introduce you to a good place of employment. At this rate, you should have been sold as a skilled labor slave, but it will be an exception this time. I will send you to a distinguished noble family in Forestia. Well, everything will be fine with Yokona in charge」
「……no……」
Realizing what he meant, Dorol expressed his objection, but it was stopped midway.
「Jill, leave immediately. Just the nearest town will do. Although that guy is not there himself his servants are in his secondary residence so we should be able to inform him. Use the carriage. You can deliver him tied up. The other side will understand」
Jill silently bowed.
「N.....no, stop.....wait......uwaaaaaaa!」
Dorol finally screamed, but Jill did not listen. She hit his stomach with her fist to make him stop making a fuss, and she left the room with him on her shoulder once he went quiet.
There was the sound of the door closing and there was a few seconds of silence inside the reception office. Only the second hand of the desk clock continued to whisper. All the other children except me were dispirited. Although they do not know the meaning in being sent to the mansion of the noble - since they do not know the letter’s content - , in any case, this incident was enough to let them understand again the cold relationship between the slave and their master.
As for Myluc, he looked exhausted and haggard. But, when he finally looked up, he called out to me.
「Noor」
「Yes」
He let out a sigh and blinked.
「How do you think, I should apologize」
I could not help but to look away. It was a face in no condition to be seen. One incident causes him to forget all the trust we built up over time and resort to violence. It was truly an expression of someone who has no place to belong.
「The items that should have been stolen over there are my personal property, and you could probably live in luxury for 10 years even if you sold them at a throwaway price. Will you forget anything that happened if I give it to you?」
「Please don’t say such a pathetic thing」
Those words came out of my mouth before I could think about it. I thought it was too harsh after I ended up saying it. Myluc wants justice. He wants to receive punishment for what he did and for me to receive his apology. Even if the other person is a child, and a slave at that.
On the other hand, Wyst and Dee looked at me in surprise when I quickly said I do not need such valuable items. But, from the perspective of someone with the ability of Piercing Hand lik me, those are something I could obtain anytime. There was no reason to want something like that.
「Right」
Clearly disappointed with my answer, Myluc sank down on his chair again.
「You all must be tired, return to your room today and rest」
It was such a faint voice.
Still, we obeyed our master’s order and reached for the door to leave the room. At that moment, a sudden idea struck me. No, I should say I remembered something instead.
「Umm」
Noticing me turning around, Myluc looked at me with a single eye open.
「It is thanks to everyone here that I’ve been able to prove my innocence this time. If possible, please allow us to eat as many sweets as we want next time」
I could only say that with an awkward smile on my face.
Myluc also had a weak smile on his face as he replied. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Sure. I will definitely do that」
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