Smuggling Operation

Piecing together everything the twins told him while he ate the soup pasta he had ordered, Tōru arrived at the following sequence of events.

Reports began circulating that silverwork of unknown origin had been discovered in Darandy.

Reports of such discoveries became increasingly frequent.

The twins secretly examined the Ubaz Merchant Company’s account books and discovered that the volume of orders placed with workshops in other towns had been increasing year after year.

Judging by the increase in orders, the corresponding sales revenue was insufficient. In the first place, there should have been a substantial amount of unsold inventory.

They investigated the Ubaz Merchant Company’s warehouses but found no sign of that inventory.

Conducting their investigation while avoiding the eyes of Harran, the Ubaz Merchant Company’s employees, and Demon Centipede took time. Meanwhile, the tax farmers began making their moves, and the gold coin shortage started becoming apparent.

To continue their investigation, they needed a way to counter Demon Centipede, which was why they had hired Tōru as their bodyguard.

“So, I understand that you suspect Demon Centipede and Harran of creating a slush fund through fictitious orders and smuggling the money out of town. But apart from the fictitious orders, everything else is just speculation, isn’t it? Even if you wanted to prove it, do you have any leads?”

Almost everything the twins had told him consisted of deductions based on circumstantial evidence.

It was also strange that the twins hadn’t confronted Harran about the fictitious orders. Most likely, even their evidence of that particular wrongdoing was insufficient.

Personally, Tōru didn’t have a favorable impression of Harran or Demon Centipede. If someone told him they were involved in smuggling, he would find it entirely believable.

Nevertheless, without evidence, there was little they could do.

“You’re right, Tōru-san. We need evidence.”

“And at this time of year, large sums of money accumulate at the Ubaz Merchant Company for tax declarations and payments.”

“It’s essentially the end of the financial year, and payments to Demon Centipede are also made around this time.”

“In other words, the conditions are in place for illegally transferring currency out of town.”

While one twin ate, the other spoke.

“So you’re planning to see what Harran and his people do?”

“I believe they’ve already started making their move.”

“And now it’s our turn to act and catch them red-handed.”

“And when things get dangerous, that’s where I come in. What are the auTōruities doing?”

“Darandy’s leadership should have already begun investigating. I imagine they’re suspicious of Demon Centipede as well.”

“Will you use the guild branch manager to share information?”

“That’s the plan.”

The twins simultaneously popped slices of cured duck breast into their mouths, then pressed their hands against their cheeks and tilted their heads in perfect unison, like mirror images of each other.

“Delicious.”

Their delighted expressions hardly seemed appropriate for two people in the middle of discussing a major criminal investigation.

Look at those blissful little food-loving faces, Tōru thought, although what actually came out of his mouth was something entirely different.

“Still, are you sure you want to continue this investigation?”

“What do you mean?”

The twins looked at Tōru in puzzlement.

Realizing that he had been so considerate of their feelings that he had failed to explain himself properly, Tōru reconsidered his wording.

“Harran is effectively the head of the Ubaz Merchant Company, right? If his crimes come to light, it’ll be a huge scandal. The company will probably lose its exclusive salt-selling rights, and if things go badly, it might even be prohibited from doing business altogether. The Ubaz Merchant Company could go bankrupt.”

According to what Tōru had heard from the guild branch manager, it was the twins’ parents who had built the Ubaz Merchant Company into the enterprise it was today. To the twins, the company was a keepsake left behind by their parents.

Were they willing to accept the destruction of the Ubaz Merchant Company? Or did they intend to gather sufficient evidence before Darandy’s auTōruities, drive Harran out, and settle the matter internally?

The time available to them would depend on which course they chose. If they intended to pursue the latter option, they might even have to resort to forceful measures.

As their bodyguard, Tōru wanted to understand their intentions.

The twins set down their forks and looked directly at Tōru with solemn expressions.

“There is no anesthesia for the economy. Therefore, we must accept the pain and remove the diseased tissue as early as possible.”

“The sweat you make others shed becomes wages. The blood you make others spill becomes a debt.”

“Darandy’s economy is already in a diseased state.”

“If this situation continues, some people may even die from financial hardship.”

“Acting to gain something is only natural, whether you’re a merchant or not.”

“Acting to avoid a loss is equally natural, whether you’re a merchant or not.”

At that point, the twins smiled with a hint of sadness.

“Those are lessons our parents taught us. Everyone in the Ubaz Merchant Company heard them.”

“But now, it seems we’re the only ones who still understand what they mean.”

“That’s why we must take matters into our own hands.”

“Even if we lose the keepsake they left behind, the lessons they taught us will never disappear.”

“After all, we have two heads between us.”

It seemed they had made up their minds long ago.

Perhaps that was a foolish question, Tōru thought. Respecting the twins’ resolve, he continued with another question.

“Specifically, where are you going to start investigating?”

“There’s only one piece of information we need to uncover.”

“The smuggling method. That’s all.”

“Which means we’ll have to conduct some good old-fashioned interviews.”

“Once we’ve finished eating, we’ll head to the inn where Demon Centipede is staying.”

“You’re going to interview people at this hour? There won’t be anyone around.”

Since it was an inn frequented by adventurers, Tōru doubted the employees would disclose information about their guests. That was especially true when Demon Centipede, with its twenty members, represented such a valuable customer.

However, it appeared the twins had no intention of questioning anyone associated with the inn itself.

“Twenty people would naturally produce a considerable amount of food waste.”

“Hey, don’t tell me…”

“Yes. We intend to question the people who gather there hoping to obtain leftovers from dinner.”

Apparently, their targets were homeless people.

These two refined young ladies, who ate with such elegant manners, were hardly the sort of people who would ordinarily approach such individuals on their own. There was no telling what might happen to them.

Noticing his gaze, the twins smiled brightly.

“We’re counting on you to protect us, Tōru-san!”

Tōru sighed at the prospect of guarding clients who seemed determined to throw themselves into danger, then decided to enjoy the delicious meal before him, which certainly lived up to its expensive price.

At the very least, he needed a benefit like this to make the job worthwhile.