Chapter 67

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“…Are you threatening us right now? Saying you’ll tell everyone that Lucy is a witch?”

Brian glared at her.

The leader smirked slyly and said,

“Is there anything people hate more than a witch? Capturing a witch would be much more…”

Swish—

At that moment, Lucy flicked her finger slightly.

A black thread-like thing wrapped around the leader’s throat and then disappeared.

“…Huh?”

The leader tilted her head in confusion.

She had just felt something strange.

“Hmm. Anyway, that kid is a wi…”

Suddenly, the leader’s lips twisted.

“Wi… moooooo…!”

The leader suddenly let out a sound like a cow mooing.

She quickly closed her mouth, her face showing disbelief at the sound she had just made.

“…Was that a cow just now?”

At Brian’s question, the leader frowned and looked at Lucy.

“This is your doing, isn’t it? What did you do to me? You evil wi… woof! Woof!”

This time, the leader barked like a dog.

Her face turned red, and Brian and Thomas burst out laughing.

“Pfft, what the heck? Are you crazy?”

“She’s imitating a dog.”

“No, this is a wi… cock-a-doodle-doo—!”

“Pfft! A rooster this time?”

“Hahaha!”

Brian and Thomas clutched their stomachs, laughing.

Lucy also smiled faintly as she looked at the leader.

Lucy had just casted a curse on the leader.

A curse that made her imitate animal sounds whenever she tried to talk about Lucy.

The leader glared at Lucy with resentment but continued to mimic animal sounds.

“Oink, oink!”

“Hahaha, this is fun, keep going!”

Brian tugged on the rope, teasing the leader, who eventually pouted and shut her mouth.

Now, unless the curse was lifted, she wouldn’t be able to say anything about Lucy.

As they approached the city, the grand walls and tall gates of Bellagard came into view.

In front of the gates, merchants and travelers were lined up, and armed guards were checking their identities and belongings.

Previously, Lucy had snuck into the city by hiding in a merchant’s cart, but this time, there was no need for that.

According to Brian, since they had captured the leader of the Red Rose Bandits, they didn’t need to prove their identities or pay the expensive entry fee.

When it was their turn, a guard approached.

“Hello. We need to check your identities.”

“We’re travelers. And…”

Brian pointed behind him.

Behind him stood the bound bandit leader.

“This woman is the leader of the Red Rose Bandits. We’re here to claim the bounty.”

The guard’s expression stiffened, and he cautiously examined the leader.

“The Red Rose… gasp!”

The guard urgently gestured to his colleagues, and soon more guards gathered.

“I-is this woman really the leader of the Red Rose Bandits?”

“Yes. We captured her.”

Brian spoke with confidence.

The guard’s attitude became respectful.

“W-we’ll escort you to the security headquarters immediately!”

A short while later, the group entered the security headquarters under the escort of the guards.

The walls were covered with various wanted posters, and among them was a large portrait of the Red Rose Bandit leader.

“Hmm…”

The security captain examined the leader’s face and nodded.

“No doubt about it. This is indeed the leader of the Red Rose Bandits. She’s been quite a nuisance, so thank you for resolving this. We’ll issue the bounty right away. Please wait a moment.”

While the captain prepared the bounty, the leader struggled.

“Hey! I’m not the problem here!”

She pointed at Lucy with her chin.

“That kid! She’s a wi… oink! Oink!”

Pig sounds burst from her mouth.

“…What?”

The captain frowned, and the leader’s face turned red again.

“What I’m saying is! That kid is a wi… mooooo!!”

This time, it was a cow’s moo.

Laughter spread among the guards.

“That woman doesn’t seem right in the head.”

“First a pig, then a cow…”

The leader grimaced in humiliation.

“Damn it! This is all because of that wi… cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

“Pfft, is she a professional animal imitator?”

As the guards’ laughter grew louder, the leader pouted.

A moment later, the captain handed Brian a pouch of gold coins.

“Here’s the bounty. You’ve done a great job.”

Brian checked the coins and nodded with a pleased expression.

With this money, they could buy proper equipment and stay at a good inn.

Of course, this was Lucy’s money.

“By the way, what happened to the rest of the Red Rose Bandits?”

At the captain’s question, Brian confidently puffed out his chest.

“They’re gone. We took care of all of them.”

“Oh ho…”

The captain was impressed.

Brian seemed like a bit of a rookie, but since he had captured the leader of the Red Rose Bandits, he was somewhat trustworthy.

“This will greatly improve the city’s security. Thank you again.”

“Haha, well…”

Brian scratched his head awkwardly.

“We’ll be on our way now.”

“Yes, I wish you a safe journey.”

Brian bowed his head and turned around, and Thomas and Lucy followed suit.

Meanwhile, the bandit leader, still bound, trembled with humiliation.

“D-damn it…!”

She glared at Lucy, seething.

“You think I’ll just sit still? This isn’t over! I’ll definitely expose your identity… moo! Moooo!”

But all that came out of her mouth were animal sounds.

“Woof! Oink!”

“Hahaha!”

The guards’ laughter echoed once more.

The captain, looking annoyed, said to his subordinates,

“Throw that animal into a cell right now.”

“Understood.”

Two guards grabbed the leader’s arms and dragged her to the prison.

The leader continued to glare at Lucy and spout animal sounds until the very end.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo! Moo! Woof…!”

As they left the security headquarters, the lively atmosphere of the city greeted them.

The streets were bustling with people, and stalls displaying various goods lined the roads.

The sweet smell of bread, spices, and roasting meat tickled their noses.

The group headed to the adventurer’s guild located in the city square to take on monster-hunting quests.

They could find lodging and eat after taking on a quest, as it wouldn’t be too late.

The adventurer’s guild was a sturdy medieval-style building, with a large sign of a shield and sword crossed above the entrance.

When they opened the door and entered, they were greeted by a grand interior.

The hall was filled with dozens of tables, where adventurers were drinking, eating, and chatting.

The reception desk was located on one side of the hall.

As the group approached, a busy employee organizing paperwork greeted them with a bright smile.

“Welcome. How can I help you?”

“Hello. We’re monster hunters. We’re here to take on a monster-hunting quest.”

At Brian’s words, the receptionist glanced over the group.

Brian, tall but skinny with no muscle.

Thomas, short and chubby.

Lucy, a frail-looking child.

Finn and Hon were tucked in Lucy’s arms, so they weren’t clearly visible.

“Hmm…”

The receptionist gave an awkward smile.

“I’m sorry, but there aren’t any quests available right now…”

Just then.

“No quests?”

A voice chimed in from the side.

A woman in her mid-20s dressed like a mage.

“Isn’t there the quest to exterminate the monsters in the basement of Cryfel Castle?”

“Ah, that quest…”

The receptionist made a troubled expression.

“It’s a quest that requires at least three parties to cooperate…”

“Well, there’s one spot left for a party. I’ve already taken on the quest, and we can start as soon as we have one more party.”

“That’s true, but it’s such a dangerous quest that these people might not…”

The receptionist glanced at Lucy’s group hesitantly.

“The Cryfel Castle basement quest involves powerful monsters, so inexperienced teams might find it too difficult.”

“I-inexperienced? We…”

Brian flared up, but Lucy quietly tugged on his sleeve.

“It’s fine.”

Lucy whispered.

“Let’s hunt monsters another time.”

They weren’t in urgent need of money since they had just received the bounty.

Moreover, if they had to cooperate with other parties to hunt monsters, Lucy’s necromancer skills might draw unwanted attention.

That would just lead to more trouble, with people calling her a witch.

The receptionist bowed politely.

“I’m really sorry. If there’s a simpler quest next time, then…”

“Wait a minute.”

The mage woman, Cecilia, didn’t give up.

“Why don’t we hear them out first? What roles do each of you play in your party…”

“Sigh.”

At that moment, a low, heavy sigh came from behind.

A middle-aged man with a sturdy build stepped forward.

“Cecilia, no matter how delayed the quest is, dragging in rookies like this won’t help. Especially with a kid like this…”

He glanced at Lucy as he spoke.

“We’re going into a dangerous battle, and having a kid like this will only get in the way.”

Cecilia, the mage, made a troubled expression.

“But Zeke, we need three parties to start the quest. Your party and mine have been waiting for a week now.”

“Even so, cooperating with these amateurs will only put us at risk.”

Zeke looked Brian and Thomas up and down, then sneered.

“Hey, be honest. Do you even have any experience hunting monsters?”

Brian hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Once…”

Hearing that, Zeke looked utterly dumbfounded.

“Once? Just once? Did you hear that, Cecilia? You want to cooperate with these beginners now?”

“…”

Cecilia quietly closed her mouth.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
One has to wonder where her sense of self preservation went.

Now she will be both executed and known as an idiot till death.